WIL Situational - mid '46

Western International Circuit Leaves
Pacific Northwest Fans Out of Breath
PORTLAND, Ore., May 18. (U.P.) —Early season doings in the postwar rejuvenated Class "B" International League have left Pacific northwest "hot stovers" gasping for breath. Coupled with the 13 game winning streak of the Salem, Ore., Senators at the start of the season, northwest fandom has just heard, read or seen the Yakima, Wash., Stars chalk up 31 runs—count 'em—31—in one game.
The Stars have made 1946 play even more erratic, and caused soaring insurance rates on record keepers, by scoring a total of 63 runs in their last three games, and for the clincher, it was Yakima which occupied the early season W. I. L. cellar with six straight defeats before it could break into the win column.
It's fast, hustling ball in this American-Canadian circuit, consisting of Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.; Spokane, Yakima, Wenatchee, Tacoma, and Bremerton, Wash., and Salem, Ore. It's a main feeder circuit for the A-A-A Pacific coast loop.
Yakima began its amazing scoring feat last Saturday in its series with Victoria. The Stars laced the Athletics, 17 to 2. Then in the Sunday doubleheader, Yakima climbed aboard for a 31 to 2 triumph in the opener, for what must be a record for nine innings. And they climaxed the weekend slugfest with a 15 to 4 walkover in the nightcap.
Victoria, a newcomer to the re-born eight club circuit, perhaps made an unfortunate choice of names, because it has been doing even worse this last week than its American League "Athletics" namesake of the City of Brotherly Love. Even so, Victoria is still going at a .333 clip to the meager .280 for the major "A's."
The Western International League was inactive all during the war, but it has climbed rapidly back into fan favor in the northwest. Salem alone drew more admissions in its last one week home stand than it used to do in a whole season prior to 1941.
All the clubs have player and money connections with the Pacific Coast loop and some ex-majors are basking in reflected managerial glory as the youngsters hustle up the baseball ladder.
Spokane has ex-Pirate Glenn Wright at the helm. Sylvester Johnson is managing the Vancouver entry, old-time PCL man Leo "Frisco" Edwards guides Salem, and Spence Harris, late of the Hollywood Stars, is guiding the lusty Yakima offspring of his old club.