Spokane Version Two Getting Ready

Spokane Club Working Out New Players
Spokane, Wash., July 1.—The Spokane Indians baseball club, virtually wiped out last Monday when nine players were killed as the team's chartered bus crashed and burned enroute to the Pacific coast for a series, made ready to move back into the Western International league today.
The Indians' new manager, Second Baseman Ben Geraghty, a survivor of the crash, watched from the dugout as eight players went hrough first reorganization drills. Six of the players were new men. Two, pitchers Milt Cadinha and Joe Faria, started the season with Spokane. They escaped the crash by driving to ths coast in a private car.
Garaghty, hobbling around on crutches and his head heavily bandaged, was named the new manager last week. He succeeds Catcher Mel Cole, one of the nine victims. Only other survivor of the wreck who watched the drills today, was Pitcher Pete Barisoff. He too was on crutches.
Four other players on the ill-fated bus sustained serious injuries and will be out the rest of the season.
Geraughty said more players were due to arrive Monday as all organized baseball chipped in to keep the Spokane club in the eight-team Western International circuit.
Among the new players who worked out today for the first time in the Spokane ball park were Bill Smith of Lake City, Iowa, an infielder; Charles Bates, a first baseman who hit .306 for Oakland last year in 35 games; Don Miles a pitcher optioned by Portland; Fred Pollut, a semi-pro outfielder and pitcher from Seattle, Mel Steiner, a San Diego outfielder, and Jerry Marrelman, a catcher who played with Lewision, Idaho, in the Pioneer league before signing with Spokane.
Club officials said they didn't know when the Indians would be ready to play again. The Spokane team was traveling to Bremerton for a crucial series when the accident occurred. The Indians are scheduled to open a seven-game series here on Independence day against Yakima.
-Monday, July 01, 1946