Standings of April 29, 1946

S T A N D I N G S
             W L  Pct. GB
Salem ...... 4 0 1.000 —
Spokane .... 3 1  .750 1
Wenatchee .. 3 1  .750 1
Tacoma ..... 2 1  .668 1½
Bremerton .. 1 2  .333 2½
Vancouver .. 1 3  .250 3
Victoria ... 1 3  .250 3
Yakima ..... 0 4  .000 4

No Games Monday.

This Week's Games
Yakima at Vancouver.
Tacoma at Victoria.
Wenatchee at Bremerton.
Spokane at Salem.

Salem Paces WI League
The Salem Senators, booming along in first place after sweeping their initial four-game series at Yakima last weekend, entertain second-place Spokane's Indians for the one and only week of the season this week in Western International league play.
They open a seven-game series Tuesday night.
Because of the vagaries of the W-I schedule, it will be Spokane's only stop in the Oregon capital, while Salem must play 15 games in the Inland Empire metropolis during the 143-game season.
Salem, getting both hitting and pitching, looked good in outdistancing Yakima last week, and Spokane surprised by taking the short series from the touted Vancouver Caps.
It will be the debut before the home folks in three of Tuesday's four games. Besides Salem, which is making its bow at Waters Park, Vancouver is home to entertain Yakima's Stars, and Victoria goes into Royal Athletic Park to play its first professional baseball game since 1921, with Tacoma furnishing the opposition. Bremerton stays at home for its second week, this time entertaining Wenatchee.
Both Canadian clubs lost three out of four in their first series. Vancouver hopes to recoup against the tail-end Stars, while Victoria should find stiff opposition in Tacoma; which got the odd game in three against Bremerton. Bremerton won't have any soft touch with Buddy Ryan's Wenatchee Chiefs.

SPORTS SLANTS
by Sid Thomas

[Victoria Daily Colonist, April 30, 1946]
Professional Baseball Returns Tonight
Marking another important milestone in the athletic progress of this capital city of British Columbia, professional baseball makes its return to Royal Athletic Park tonight after an absence of exactly a quarter of a century.
The lads who "play for pay" last frolicked on a Victoria diamond in 1921, when the baseball stadium was located on Douglas Street, where the Crystal Garden now stands.
Return of the professional baseball pasttime has created new interest in baseball in this city, as evidenced by the large turn-out on hand last night at the Caledonia Avenue ball lot to see the Victoria Athletics go through a pre-game training session.
Victoria businesmen with confidence in their city and the future of sport here have made possible the return of professional baseball. More than 200 of them, sgareholders in the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd., are the sponsors of the Athletics and the men responsible for bringing the "play for pay" sport back to this city.
In keeping with their policy to give Victoria fans the comforts and attractions comparable to other cities in the Western International Baseball League, directors of the local company, in co-operation with the city, have made extensive improvements to Royal Athletic Park, home diamond of the Victoria team.
Addition of new seating accomodation, improvements to the playing field, and the addition of a modern lighting system has made the park one of the best in the circuit.
Victoria's team in comprised mostly of hustling young players, players in whom Manager Laurel Harney has every confidence. Chatting with the local pilto yesterday, we learned that he is confident his club will finish in their first division. "I have every confidence in the Victoria Athletics, and appernt weaknesses in the team will be plugged at the earliest moment," Harney stated last night.
The Victoria manager, commenting on the lack of southpaw pitching, is endeavouring to locate two strong portsiders to complete his pitching staff.
Victoria Athletics will make their home-town debut this evening at Royal Athletic Park, and with the whole town takking baseball we expect to see the largest crowd in history at the Caledonia Avenue lot tonight. When the umpire calls "Play ball" it will be the signal for the start of the first professional baseball game here in a quarter of a century. Another step forward in the athletic whirl of progress.

New Capilanos Greet Fans, Yakima, as Baseball Opens
by ALF COTTRELL

[Vancouver Sun, April 30, 1946]
Tonight at Capilano Stadium, the chef will gingerly pry the lid off postwar professional baseball, sniff suspiciously a couple of times for flavours delicious or otherwise, then serve it up regardless to the numerous guests of Mssrs. Tommy Turner, Bob Brown, et al, at 8 o'clock.
Representing the hosts, the 1946 Capilanos will attempt to outshine the visiting artists, the Yakima Stars.
There will be a band and brief ceremonies that will include individual introductions of the performers by the rival managers, but the piece de whatever will still be the ballgame.
SPENCE A TOUGHIE
A lesser part of the attraction in actuality but of a certian importance in pre-game fanning will be the appearance of two managerial chieftains, silvery Syl Johnson and fiery Spencer Harris of the home and away forces respectively.
Johnson, still a pitcher in his own right when he isn't thinking ferociously on bench or in coaches' box, is a veteran of some 20-odd openers, 17 of them under baseball's big tent.
As for Mr. Harris of the high, hard oratory, old Spence is a time-scarred Double-A operator who can't abide to lose.
TOUGH CHOICE
The Caps bow into the home fold with an unimpressive .250 mark in the percentage of wins and losses dept., but they aren't that bad. In fact, they figure to start getting quite good as their pitching staff hits top condition.
Manager Johnson has had to make a tough join between Alix Palica, who made an impressive debut though losing the Spokane opener, and Ronnie Bryant, who was late in coming to hand owing to his being a late arrival from the U.S. Navy. Ronnie looked good for an innig and a half against Spokane, however. In fact, he won a ball game in that brief fling, making him the only Cap flinger to have anyb standing on the black ink side of the balance sheet.
As for the balance of the cast, well here are some thumbnail sketches of the Caps, with the nine probable starters listed first:
RON BRYANT - Had 15 won, 6 lost record last season in WIL. Is 24, married. In Navy 3½ years. Pitcher, of course. Home Los Angeles.
RAY SPURGEON - Catcher. Only season in pro ball—shoved classy Roy Younkers out of first string Tacoma catching berth. Is 23, was in army three years. Home Tacoma. Married, has cute kid, 2 1/2, named Danny.
FRANK GOSNEY - Big, raw-boned Goose has power at plate. Rated poor fielder but his first baseing featured the Spokane series. From La Jolla, California. He is 23, was in navy 4 years and is single.
ART BONNELL - Flashy, handsome and tall second-sacker from Long Beach, Calif., hits the ball well and is considered great prospect by Seattle Rainiers. Is 23, was in army 2½ years, is married and poppa of Sandra, idol of Caps camp.
AL KRETCHMAR - The popular ex Coast guard ace, too well known to need description, but is 23 and was in Uncle Sam's strip 3½ years. Married. Home is in Seattle, though he has sold it and takes a Kitsilano residence over.
JIM ESTRADA - The sturdy graceful Indian will play third if Watts Gulan's side is still too sore to start. Jim at 25 is a veteran of 3 years highly active army service in Europe and several minor leagues. Hits sharply and well. Is single and hails from Rialto, Cal.
FRANK MULLENS - straight, tall and statuesque, Frank is the solid sticker of the party. Plays right field. Is fast, handles himself brilliantly out there, is married and a pop. Is 22 was in the army air corps two years. Home is Roscoe, Calif.
EARL SILVERTHORNE - Can go head and head with Mullins for speed, is a ballhawk, hits hard and far for his size. Is 22, was in the navy 3½ years and is married. Home Sedro Woolley, Wash. CLEVE RAMSEY - bad knee but may start in left. Is lusty, dependable socker and has strong accurate arm. Is tall, dark and, ahem, married and father of two gals, one four, one two. Estrada accuses him of being married when he was two, but he is 23. In army two years. Home, Centralia, Wash.
DICK CONOVER - Pitcher, 25, in Coast Guard 3½. Married, one child.
JIM HEDGECOCK - Pitcher (L), 24, Marines four years, single, Denver.
LOU JANISEK - Tex pitches, is 26, war flyer hero, married, one child.
BOB SNYDER - Pitcher, 24, army 4 years, married and two cuildren. Home Reno but no divorce.
ALEX PALICA - Pitcher, 19, merchant marine 1½ years, single.
DOUG FORD - Pitcher, 24, navy three years. Married, one child. Home Seattle.
WATTS GULAN - 3b, regular but has been hurt. Is 22, a pepperbox, was in coast guard 3½ years. Married, one child. Home Sedro Woolley.
SID VAN SINDEREN - Outfielder, 22, marines 3 years, slugger. is single. Home Bellingham.
JIM YOUNGMAN - Outfielder, 22, navy 3½ years, single, home Spokane.
DICK ZENDER - Catcher, navy two years, is married, one child, home Bellingham.