More Spokane Widow Help

SPOKANE, - Mrs. Christian Hartje of San Francisco, widow of one of the Spokane baseball players fatally injured in a bus crash last June 24, was awarded $17,500 and her unborn child $500 under a settlement with the Washington State Motor Coach company approved in Superior Court Wednesday.
- Thursday, Aug. 29, 1946

Money for Spokane Ball Widows

Widows of Spokane Ball Players Get Settlement
SPOKANE — The widows of two of the nine Spokane Western International league baseball players killed in a bus crash in the Cascade mountains last June 24 received settlements amounting to $30,300 in probate court Thursday from the Washington Motor Coach system.
Mrs. Frederick Martinez of San Diego, Calif., widow of infielder Fred Martinez, was granted $16,000 and an additional $300 was allotted her unborn child. Mrs. Robert Patterson of San Francisco, widow of Outfielder Bob Patterson, will receive $14,000 under the settlement.
Owner of the Spokane team, Sam Collins, was named administrator of the estates of the two players.
Both Mrs. Martinez and Mrs. Patterson will share in the $80,000 fund raised by Spokane business men to aid the families of the players who were killed. Mrs. George Lyden, widow of pitcher George Lyden, received an earlier settlement last week amounting to $20,000.
Friday, August 23, 1946

Monday, August 19, 1946

                W  L  Pct GB
Wenatchee .... 74 48 .607 —
Bremerton .... 65 48 .575 4½
Salem ........ 66 51 .564 5½
Tacoma ....... 65 54 .546 7½
Yakima ....... 55 61 .474 16
Spokane ...... 49 60 .450 18½
Vancouver .... 48 67 .417 22½
Victoria ..... 43 76 .361 29½

VANCOUVER, Aug. 19—Jim Estrada smashed a three-run homer and Charley Mead added a two-run shot as the Vancouver Capilanos won a WIL slugfest over the Bremerton Bluejackets Monday night.
Reg Clarkson unloaded the bases with a sharp single to left.
Bill Barisoff homered for the Bluejackets. It was his 36th of the season, one short of Morry Abbott's 1940 record with Tacoma. It came after former Vancouver catcher Frank Volpi found a pitch to his liking and parked it over short right field in the sixth inning.
Hunk Anderson picked up his 11th win while Beak Federmeyer took the loss.
- - -
VANCOUVER [Dan Ekman, News-Herald, August 20]—It’s a heady thing to dwell upon, but if first-night progress means anything, the Capilanos may be on their way to another week of ladder-climbing W.I.L. lay. Hot off their five-for-six performance last week, the Caps opened a seven-game stint against Bremerton Monday night at the Stadium, and came out on top of a 9-6 count.
It was Victory No. 11 for long Hunk Anderson, and although his earned-run average suffered somewhat, his mates contributed enough solid support to keep the tall Capilano ace unworried all the way.
NEARS RECORD
Not even two round-trippers—by Frank Volpi and Bill Barisoff—fazed the locals. Barisoff’s, by the way, was his 36th of the season, leaving him just one short of the all-time league record, set by Morry Abbott of Tacoma.
As a matter of fact, those big Bremerton blows were nothing more than imitation, for earlier on, Jim Estrada and Charlie Mead had done the same for Bluejacket hurler Beak Federmeyer. Those fence-busting efforts came in the fourth inning, at which time five other Caps hit safely to rack up seven runs.
That timely grouping won the ball game for the Brownies, for as it turned out, the Jackets wound up with exactly the same number of hits—fifteen. But outside of their home-run innings, the only other canto in which they were able to string together more than a couple of safeties at a time was the third. In that frame, Federmeyer and Devaurs singled, and Eddie Curtis rapped out a double, the combo of which being good for a brace of runs.
EVERYBODY HITS
Every player on both clubs hit safety at least once, with no less than six of the Caps getting a pair. One of these, as if you didn’t know, was Ray Orteig. But the guy proved he’s just a flash in the pan—for the second successive game, Ray failed to hit for the circuit.
Bremerton ..... 002 002 200—6 15 1
Vancouver .... 002 700 00x—9 15 0
Federmeyer and Volpi; Anderson and Brenner.

Spokane ..... 010 000 001 000—1 10 0
Tacoma ...... 000 200 000 001—3 10 5
Faria, Collins (9) and N. Clifford; Martin, Sostre (10) and Kuper.
(story unavilable)

Exhibition Game Aids Spokane Crash Victims
SAN FRANCISCO, August 19 —The San Francisco Seals, current leaders of the Pacific Coast league pennant race, Monday night defeated a picked team of all-stars from the loop's seven other cities by a score of 3 to 0 on the six-hit pitching of Lefty Al Lien.
All-Stars ............ 000 000 000—0 6 1
San Francisco ..... 000 003 00x—3 6 1
Chambers (LA), Barrett (Por) (4), Erautt (Hyd) (6), Olson (SDo) (7), Shea (Oak) (8) and Raimondi (Oak), Unser (Hyd) (5) Sueme (Sea) (8); Lien and Ivy.

More Help For Spokane Victims' Families

Benefit Game Set Monday
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Seals, leading the Pacific coast league pennant race by five games, tangle with an all-star team made up of representatives of the circuit's seven other clubs in a charity game here Monday night.
The Seals, with worries of their own as they head down the stretch in quest of their first championship in 10 years, won the somewhat dubious honour of becoming the host team against the rest of the league by virtue of being on top of the heap August 5.
Seal Manager Lefty O'Doul will be assisted by Jimmy Dykes, former Chicago White Sox manager who recently took over as manager of the Hollywood Stars.
Casey Stengel, manager of the second-place Oakland team, will manage the all-star aggregation.
Proceeds of the game are to go to the Professional Baseball Players Association of America and to the families of the members of the Spokane team of the Western International league who lost their lives in a bus accident.
- Monday, August 19, 1946

Lucky Closer to Bigs - 1947

Braves Get Jack Lohrke
BOSTON - The purchase of infielder Jack (Lucky) Lohrke from the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast league for cash and five players was announced Friday by General Manager John Quinn of the Boston Braves.
Lohrke, the most sought after young prospect in the Coast league will report to the Braves at Fort Lauderdale next spring. The Boston players involved in the deal, three going outright and the other two on option, will join the Padres next season.
The Braves first became interested in Lohrke about a month ago when Head Scout Ted McGrew filed glowing reports of his play. The youngster had been with the Padres only a short time, having been recalled from Spokane Western International league club, about an hour before its bus crash took the lives of nine players.
Quinn said that the five Braves players who will figure in the deal will not be selected until after the National league season ends.
Lohrke had left Spokane with his ill-fated teammates and when the vehicle made a stop at Ellensburg, President Sam Collins contacted him by long distance telephone and told him to return immediatelyand then proceed to San Diego to fill in for the ailing Dick Gyselman. The baseball bus crashed over a high mountain precipice about 40 miles beyond Ellensburg.
The Los Angeles-born Lohrke, now a resident of Bell, Calif., weighs 175 and stands five-foot-ten. He was batting 363 for Spokane when called up by San Diego and last week his record was .331, only a point less than Oakland's Les Scarsella, the Coast league's batting leader.
Lohrke, who first broke in with the Padres in 1942 under Manager Ced Durst, served overseas in an artillery unit and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.
The bus tragedy is not Lohrke's only narrow escape. About a year ago, his artillery company was scheduled to board a transport plane in New Jersey but, at the last minute, another unit was substituted. The plane crashed in Kansas and all 23 occupants were killed.
- Friday, August 16, 1946

Spokane Widow Gets Cash From Crash - 1946

SPOKANE, August 1 — Insurance of $12,000 from insurance covering a bus in which nine Spokane baseball players were killed June 24 was awarded in superior court Thursday to Mrs. Marjorie Risk, Hillsboro, Ore., widow of shortstop George Risk.
Seven other insurance claims against the firm have yet to be decided.

Spokane and Dodgers - 1946

Spokane Indians Sign Working Agreement With Dodgers; Help Coming
SPOKANE — The Spokane Indians, struggling to maintain their position in the Western International baseball league since a bus crash killed nine players June 24, Wednesday signed a "working agreement" with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National league, owner Sam Collins announced.
The agreement reached here with Branch Rickey Jr., Dodgers head scout, provides that the Indians' franchise and physical assets remain with Collins, but gives Brooklyn power to select players for the team.
Rickey said "we expect to get some real help to Spokane in the next few days."
Some players, he said, were on the way to join Spokane in its next series at Victoria, B. C., starting Friday.
The agreement is effective for the remainder of this season and next year.
Collins said that Ben Garaghty, still on crutches from injuries received in the bus crash, would managed the Indians next season. Brooklyn reserves the right under the agreement to confirm the team's manager, and Rickey said, "we approve of him for next year."

SPOKANE, July 31 - A benefit fund for families of Spokane baseball players killed or injured in a June 24 bus crash today totalled $70,417.21 with donations still arriving, committee secretary Jim Hamilton said.
The total includes $21,771.62 from benefit games across the country and $48,685 in outright donations.
- Wed., July 31, 1946

Tuesday, July 30, 1946

                 W  L  Pct GB
Wenatchee ..... 62 39 .614 —
Salem ......... 58 39 .598 2
Bremerton ..... 53 37 .589 3½
Tacoma ........ 53 41 .564 5½
Spokane ....... 42 45 .483 13
Yakima ........ 40 53 .430 18
Vancouver ..... 36 56 .391 20½
Victoria ...... 33 67 .330 28½

SPOKANE, July 30—Victoria spoiled the return appearance of pitcher Gus Hallbourg tonight, blasting the Spokane Indians' bus crash survivor for 12 hits and 10 runs in the process of winning a 15-4 decision in a Western International League baseball game.
The first Spokane player to return to action from the June 24 bus crash which killed nine men, Hallbourg was driven from the mound in the fifth inning.
Victoria continued the onslaughter against Salish, running up a total of 18 hits, including home runs by Bob Cherry and Pete Hughes. Bill Dunn hit three doubles in a row to boost the Atletics' total to five and Bob Paulson added a four-bagger.
Victoria started the barrage with a bunt festival which baffled the Spokane infield in the second inning.
Victoria ......... 034 321 110—15 19 1
Spokane ........ 001 111 000— 4 7 6
Bass and Paulson; Hallbourg, Sadlish (5) and Clifford.

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, News-Herald, July 31]—Umpire Jack Rice isn’t entirely to blame for the Vancouver Capilanos’ 11-inning, 5-3 loss to Bremerton Bluejackets in the opening contest of their four-game series at Cap Stadium last night. But it would take a statesman of Churchill’s calibre to convince the mob that pelted him with cushions and milled around outside his dressing room after the game, that Rice is anything but a four-star bum.
Manager Eddie Carnett of the Caps, although of the same opinion regarding the merits of Mr. Rice’s case, did his duty and helped shoo the gathering away after the tilt. Two or three arms of the law turned up, too, but fortunately (or unfortunately, depending in whose side you’re on) nobody was killed.
BIG BLUNDER
Mr. Rice’s major blunder came after Hunk Anderson, or our forces, and Hub Kittle of the visitors had pitched nine innings of bright, cagey ball and were settling down for an all-night stand.
To be more precise, it was the first half of the 10th, and the score was tied 3-3. Bill Brenner’s tremendous homer over the left field wall had brought two of our runs, and Lou Estes, who left the game after being beaned in the ninth, had slapped in Run Number Three. The visitors had shoved over three singletons, one of Hooks De Vaurs’ four-master.
Charley Mead opened the first extra inning with a single to centre, then Jimmy Estrada laid down a smart bunt toward third base. Walter Bliss of Bremerton threw to second, but too late to get Mead by about a step. At least, that’s the way it looked to everybody but Rice, who called him out.
That call, as it turned out, probably cost the locals the game, because Brenner walked immediately after that and that would have filled the sacks with none out. As it was, Anderson hit into a double play, and that was it for Vancouver.
JIMMY BAFFLED
The Jackets went out in order in their half of the stanza, but they sent home the winners in the 11th on a single, a walk, a sacrifice, and Gus Paglia’s single past shortstop Jimmy Estrada, who happened to be moving to his right when the ball went to his left.
This was just about the ball game, except that Rice did his best to even things up by calling Carnett safe in the 11th when he apparently was out at first base. The fans, however, were not impressed with this generous attitude, and would gladly have torn asunder the gent in blue if somebody had said the word.
Tonight the locals will attempt to get the jump on Bremerton by taking both ends of a doubleheader. Bob Snyder and newcomer Larry Guay have been assigned the job of stopping the Jackets, who are without heavy-hitting Danny Amaral, out for a week with a bad knew. First game is 7:30.
- - -
VANCOUVER, July 30—There was action on and off the field Tuesday night as Bremerton score a pair in the 11th inning to best Vancouver 5-3 in a Western International League victory.
A half dozen police officers had to be brought in to remove irate fans from around umpire Jack Rice's dressing room after the game.
Al Kretchmar was called out in the ninth inning when he tried to steal third, and reversed a call in the tenth after Charley Mead stole second.
Gus Paglia singled in the winning runs in the 11th inning.
Bill Brenner hit a two-run home in the fourth for Vancouver and Lou Estes singled in a runner in the seventh.
Vancouver's Ray Orteig set a WIL record for assists by a third baseman, with 11.
Bremerton ...... 000 110 010 02—5 12 2
Vancouver ..... 000 200 100 00—3 10 1
Kittle and Paglia; Anderson and Brenner.

SALEM, story unavailable
Wenatchee ....... 010 000 000 000 3—4 6 2
Salem .............. 001 000 000 000 0—1 7 3
Cronin and E. Fitzgerald; Kowalski and Salmon.

TACOMA, story unavailable
Yakima ....... 001 011 400— 7 12 3
Tacoma ...... 005 150 00x—11 15 4
Strait, Simons (5) and McConnell; Colombo and Kemper.

Salem Senators Release Gerkin
SALEM, Ore., July 30—Steve Gerkin, pitcher of the Salem Senators club on option from the Portland Beavers, has been released outright by both the Western International and Pacific Coast League clubs, it was announced today.
George Emigh, Salem business manager, said "Gerkin's own actions prompted this move." There was no further explanation.
The former Philadelphia Athletics player came to Portland last season.

Musgrave Signed
VICTORIA, July 30—Former Vancouver Capilano pitcher Tony Musgrave has been signed by the Victoria Athletics of the WIL. He will play home games.
He has been with the V.M.D. [Victoria Machinery Depot] Baseball Club the last few years.

11 Grand For Charity
SPOKANE, July 30—The Spokane Athletic round-table brought its $17,500 hole-in-one tournament to a close last night after 34,215 shots had been fired at the two 125-yard holes to net $11,405 for charity. President Joe Albi estimated to cost the organization $25,000 to stage the event. Fifty percent of the proceeds will go to the families of those killed in the Spokane baseball disaster.

Wednesday, July 24, 1946

                W  L  Pct GB
Salem ........ 56 35 .615 —
Wenatchee .... 57 38 .600 1
Tacoma ....... 51 37 .580 3½
Bremerton .... 48 35 .578 4
Spokane ...... 39 41 .488 11½
Yakima ....... 38 49 .437 16
Vancouver .... 33 54 .379 21
Victoria ..... 30 63 .323 27

VANCOUVER [News-Herald, July 25]—Vancouver Capilanos, who have been chasing Yakima Stars, and sixth place, are right back where they started—five games behind the Yaks.
After whitling [sic] the Stars down to a three-game bulge, the Caps ran into a double dose of trouble last night, dropping a twin bill 6-4 and 2-0.
The first tilt was noted chiefly for the antics of John Marshall, Bellingham’s pride and joy, and Vancouver’s gloom and misery, who clowned himself into one hole after another. Big John was wilder than a head hunter, and the 13 walks he issued kept him constantly in trouble.
AID WAS LATE
His mates, meanwhile, didn’t do much to help until the ninth, when Ray Spurgeon and Reg Clarkson pounded out homers with nobody aboard. But the rally, such as it was, came too late.
With Bob Snyder and Al Yaylian handling the mound chores in the nightcap, the goodly crowd expected, and got, a couple of fine hurling performances.
Snyder had just one bad inning, but that was enough for the Yaks, as their little southpaw, who blanked the Brownies south last week, showed the local folks why.
Ed Gibb opened the third frame for the visitors with a double, then Buddy Dawson blooped one to right field that dropped in for another two-bagger, scoring Gibb. Charley Peterson then singled to left for No. 2.
AL WAS HOT
Vancouver didn’t come as close to scoring as Yaylian fire his quick one past eight hitters. He gave up just three blows, one an infield hit to Clarkson, and didn’t walk a man to complete a highly-competent inning of chucking.
Bulky Hunk Anderson is expected to toss ‘em up at Harland Clift’s boys tonight, when the Caps will be out to even the current series at a pair of wins apiece.
[WILfan notes: Clarkson had two singles and Eddie Carnett the other for Vancouver in the second game ... Clarkson tripled in addition to his homer in the first game].
- - -
VANCOUVER, July 14—Al Yaylian surrendered only three hits, two to Reg Clarkson, in hurling the Yakima Stars to 3-0, seven-inning shutout in the night game of a Western International League twin-bill.
The Stars grabbed the opener 6-4.
Yaylian didn't allow a man past first base, nor did he give up a hit after the third inning.
The lefthander has allowed only one Vancouver run in 26 innings this season.
Bob Snyder had one bad inning for the Capilanos, when Eddie Gibb and Buddy Dawson hit back-to-back singles in the third and Charlie Peterson singled to bring them home.
In the opener, Yakima worked 13 walks out of pitcher John Marshall.
Ray Spurgeon and Reg Clarkson hit solo homers for Vancouver in the ninth.
First Game
Yakima ........... 212 001 000—6 9 1
Vancouver ...... 010 010 002—4 11 3
McHugh and McConnell; Marshall and Spurgeon
Second Game
Yakima ........... 002 000 0—2 8 1
Vancouver ...... 000 000 0—0 3 0
Yaylian and Gibb; Snyder and Brenner.

SPOKANE, July 24—Pitcher John Carpenter scored the only run of a tight Western International League baseball contest in the ninth inning tonight as Victoria shut out Spokane 1-0.
Leading off the final inning, Carpenter looped a double over Mel Steiner's head in centre field, advanced to third on Eddie Murphy's sacrifice and scored on a single by Frank Cirimele.
Carpenter held the Indians to three scattered hits, while Victoria collected five off Spokane's Joe Faria.
The game evened the teams' current series at one victory apiece.
Victoria .......... 000 000 001—1 5 1
Spokane ......... 000 000 000—0 3 0
Carpenter and Paulson; Faria and Varrelman.

BREMERTON, July 24—Tacoma and Bremerton split their Western International League double-header here tonight by one-run marins, the visitors winning the seven-inning opener, 8-7, and Bremerton taking the ten-inning finale, 3-2.
First Game
Tacoma ......... 015 020 0—8 7 1
Bremerton ...... 040 030 0—7 7 4
Hedington, Sostre (2), Greenlaw (5) and Kemper; Federmeyer and Volpi.
Second Game
Tacoma ......... 000 002 000 0—2 7 1
Bremerton ...... 010 000 001 1—3 6 0
Jungbluth and Kemper; Sullivan and Volpi.

WENATCHEE, July 24—Salem Senators came through with a 25-18 victory over the Wenatchee Chiefs in a free-hitting engagement here tonight.
Wenatchee piled up 43 total bases to Salem's 25 in the three hour, 15 minute game.
Dick Adams continued to lead the Chiefs in the series with the Senators, hitting safely eight consecutive times, including three home runs, three doubles and two singles.
Salem ............. 141 085 007—25 18 3
Wenatchee ...... 180 140 103—18 24 2
Fallin, Soderburg (2), Gunnerson (2), Schubel (5) and Salmon; Orphan, Cronin (5), Vivalda (5), Christensen (7), McCollum (9) and Pesut, Fitzgerald (2).

Everybody Helps
RENO, Nev., July 24—Reno bartenders and gambling house dealers today sent a cheque for $4,311 to kin of nine Spokane Indians baseball players killed in a bus crash last month. The money was raised in a benefit softball game in which the bartenders dumped the dealers 19-9.

LOS ANGELES, July 24—Directors of the California League have voted unanimously to contribute $596 to the Spokane baseball fund from the league's all-star game receipts, president W.R. Schroeder said today.
Schroeder reported a cheque for that amount was sent today to Robert Abel, president of the Western International League. The fund is for dependents of the Spokane players recently killed in a bus crash.

Spokane Manager Benched

Doctor's Order Benches Manager of Spokane club
SPOKANE, July 2 — Ben Geraghty, newly appointed manager of the Spokane Indians baseball club, was "benched" Tuesday on doctor's orders and will not handle the team when it reopens its Western International league play against the Yakima Stars in a doubleheader in July, owner Sam Collins disclosed.
Collins says that under a "temporary" switch, Glenn Wright, former manager team manager, will handle the club until Garaghty returns.
Geraghty suffered a fractured knee cap and head injuries in the bus accident a week ago that claimed the lives of nine Spokane players.
- July 2, 1946

Spokane Set to Resume 1946 Season

Spokane Indians Resume WI League Play Thursday
SPOKANE, July 1—Just one week after nine Spokane baseball players were killed and six injured in a bus crash, Owner Sam Collins announced Monday the Indians would resume their Western International league competition here Thursday against Yakima.
The list of new players arriving on loan of option from other clubs grew steadily longer as teams across the country contributed help to the stricken Indians.
Expected to arrive was Gale Bishop, former Washington State college basketball and baseball star who has been playing with Indianapolis in the American Association. Bishop, national scoring leader with the 1944-45 Fort Lewis basketball team, will play in the outfield.
Manager Ben Geraghty, who escaped from the flaming bus with head injuries, said another new outfielder will be Frank Hawkins, a slugger who played last year with Oakland in the Pacific Coast League. Fred Pollett of Seattle and Mel Steiner of San Diego are other outfield prospects.

LEAGUE TO CONTRIBUTE
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky., July 1 — Fans of the class D Kitty League will be asked to contribute to a benefit
fund for families of nine Spokane Western International players killed in a bus crash June 24. President Shelby Peace asked the eight Kitty League clubs to set aside nights on which collections will be taken among fans.

State Patrol Seeks Couple Who Followed Spokane Bus
SEATTLE, July 1 — Captain Victor M. Jones of the state patrol said Monday the patrol is seeking an elderly couple reported to have been driving behind the bus which carried nine Spokane baseball players to death off the Snoqualmie Pass Highway a week ago.
He said the officers thought they might able to give some valuable information in the case. The two assisted the injured after the crash and drove away after leaving blankets from their car.

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

More Help for Decimated Spokane

Solons to Play Benefit Affair
SACRAMENTO, June 29. — The Sacramento baseball club of the Pacific Coast League will play an exhibition game with Wenatchee of the Western International League for the benefit of relatives of Spokane club players killed in a bus accident Monday, club officials announced today. Wenatchee is a Sacramento farm club. The local club also offered to loan outfielders Ed Barr and Ernie Bertletti to the Spokane Club.

Cascades Schedule Bus Crash Benefit
WALLA WALLA - Playing for the benefit of families of Spokane Indian ballplayers killed or injured in the bug crash last week, the Cascades of the Spokane Twi-Light League will come outside again July 8 to play the American Legion at Borleske field.
Proceeds will be sent to Spokane to the fund now being collected there by outright contributions as well as benefit games all over the country.
The suggestion for the game here came from the Cascade team members after baseball officials had appealed to organized baseball to assist survivors of the Indian tragedy. A telephone call to Collins, Spokane owner, by Scotty Cummins of the Legion baseball committee brought prompt acceptance of the offer of the proceeds, and expressions of appreciation for the move.
The major benefit game of the day will be the Oakland Acorn-Seattle Rainier contest at Spokane. That and other Spokane efforts are expected to raise more than $50,000 in the home city of the team alone. The funds are to be distributed not only to the families of players who were killed but also to team members whose baseball careers have been halted by injuries sustained in the crash.
- Sunday, June 30, 1946

Spokane Has Manager 1946

Ben Geraghty Named As Manager of Team
SEATTLE, June 27 — Dwight Aden, club business manager, and Joyce Collins, club secretary, said Thursday night before en-training for Spokane that Ben Geraghty "definitely" had been selected to manage the decimated Spokane baseball club.
Geraghty came out of the tragic bus crash in Snoqualmie pass Tuesday with a scalp wound and a broken knee cap.
Later he conferred by telephone with Pres. Sam Collins of the Spokane baseball team, and said he hoped to get an early start after arrival in Spokane to map plans for reorganization of the club, which numbered nine killed and six injured.

More Help for Spokane

The Spokane Baseball Benefit Association has been established in the Washington city to handle the donations which are pouring in from all over the country to help the families of members of the Spokane Indians who were killed in last Monday's disasterous bus crash and to help defray the hospital expenses of those who were injured.
Victoria fans who wish to contribute to the fund may leave contributions at the Sports Departments of The Victoria Daily Times or The Daily Colonist or at radio statoon CJVI. Receipts will be issued to all donors. Cheques should be made to the Spokane Baseball Benefit Association.
- Colonist, June 28, 1946

Bramham Asks Spokane Aid
DURHAM, N. C., — President W. G. Bramham of the National association has called upon all clubs in the minor leagues to lend assistance to the Spokane club of the Western International league, whose roster was wrecked by a bus accident Monday night in which nine of the team's players were killed and several others critically injured.
Bramham said he would permit other clubs in the Western International league to assign players conditionally to Spokane, with the club having until the close of the season to exercise the right to purchase the contracts of such players. This concession is contrary to baseball law, but is being made in the emergency, Bramham said.
He advised it would not be possible for clubs in Western International to option players to Spokane, but they may rush all player help possible under the conditional assignment transfers.
"I urge every club in minor league baseball to come to the aid of this stricken member, which was almost wiped out in one of the saddest tragedies the game has known," Bramham said. "Any of our clubs which can sent a player should immediately offer the assignment of contract to Spokane.
- Friday, June 28, 1946

Benefits Planned For Families of Players Killed
SPOKANE, Wash. —Appeals to major and minor baseball leagues to stage benefit games for families of nine Spokane ball players killed in a bus crash Monday, brought results even before top baseball officials had time to respond.
A committee headed by Mayor Arthur Meehan of Spokane announced yesterday that the Oakland Acorns, leaders of the Pacific Coast league, and the Seattle Rainiers had made quick arrangements to stage a benefit game in Spokane July 8.
The Spokane Chronicle appealed to Baseball Commissioner A.B. Chandler and Judge W. G. Bramham, minor league head, to arrange one game in each of their leagues as benefits.
- Friday, June 28, 1946

Benefit Games Are on Slate
SPOKANE — Three benefit baseball games Thursday were scheduled for July 8 to aid families of Spokane Indian players killed in a bus crash Monday night as Hollywood, Calif., and El Paso, Texas teams consigned players to help rebuild the shattered Spokane club.
Robert A. Abel, Tacoma, president of the Western International league which includes Spokane, announced that Victoria, B.C. will play a benefit game at Tacoma and Yakima will play at Bremerton on July 8.
Earlier, Pacific Coast league officials announced that the league-leading Oakland Acorns and the Seattle Rainiers would play a benefit here on the same date. All three games will be exhibition contests.
Meanwhile, the Coast League's Hollywood Stars announced the transfer of Pitcher John Marshall, on option to Yakima, to Spokane. The team indicated that another player might be sent to Spokane later this week.
El Paso entered the campaign to rebuild the Indians by releasing Catcher Jerry Varrelman and Outfielder Mel Steiner who will report here Sunday to try out for positions with Spokane.
Owner Sam Collins said that the rapid assignment of players from other clubs to Spokane might enable the Indians to resume their schedule with a Yakima series scheduled here July 4. He had three players who escaped the crash.
- Friday, June 28, 1946

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., June 28 - Miami Beach Flamingos of the Florida International League will donate their share of the gate receipts in their game with the Lakeland Pilots here Tuesday night to families of Spokane ball players killed in a bus crash this week.
"It's the least we can do to help in such a great baseball tragedy," President Carl Gardner of the Beach nine said Friday night.
Gardner said the money would be sent to the Spokane team management with a request that it be distributed to the nine dead players' families.

SPOKANE, June 28 - Detective Captain Adolph Windmaiser said today "chiselers" are soliciting funds in Spokane homes on the the false premise that the money will be donated to the families of the Spokane Indian baseball players killed in last Monday's bus crash.

Benefit Game for Spokane? - 1946

Benefit Game Appeals Made For Spokane
SPOKANE — Telegraphic appeals went out to heads of the nation's major and, minor baseball leagues Wednesday urging benefit games for families of nine Spokane players who died in a bus accident Monday night.
The move brought prompt endorsement from the head of the Spokane club's own league, who said the Western International league would participate in any such national effort.
Terming the bus accident in the Cascade mountains near Seattle "one of baseball's greatest tragedies," the Spokane Chronicle telegraphed an appeal to Baseball Commissioner A. B. Chandler to promote one benefit game in each of the two major circuits. The newspaper also asked Judge W. G. Bramnham, president of the National Association of Minor leagues, to arrange one benefit in each of the association's leagues.
Robert B. Abel, president of the Western International League, of which Spokane is a member, said here Wednesday that while he spoke unofficially, the Western International league would also take part in any such national benefit.
Abel said one fan in Yakima had suggested that a "memorial" night be set aside and that the proceeds from all four games in the league that night go to wives and families of the dead players. Abel said he liked the idea and was sure that the club owners in the circuit would welcome the plan.
He said a meeting of league directors will not be held for several days and then only if Owner Sam Collins of the Spokane club finds it necessary to secure baseball players from within the circuit. Collins has received numerous telegrams from other clubs over the nation offering their services in obtaining players to re-construct the team.
The bus accident slashed Spokane's list of active players to three men.
-Thursday, June 27, 1946

Hawkins, Raimondi Will Aid Spokane
OAKLAND, Cal., June 27. — Outfielder Frankie Hawkins and pitcher Al Raimondi announced here tonight that they would leave within the next couple of days to join Spokane of the Western International League, which had its club riddled when nine players were killed or died as the result of a bus accident Monday night.
Hawkins was the regular right fielder for the Oakland Acorns last season, batting. 341 which included five home runs. Raimondi appeared in 24 games for Oakland and finished the season with a record of three victories and two defeats. He had pitched a total of 56 innings.
Seattle and Oakland will play a benefit game Monday, July 8 in the Spokane ball park with the proceeds going to the families of the dead and injured players.

Hartje Dies

Ninth Member Of Team Dies At Seattle
Seattle, June 27 - A ninth member of the Spokane baseball squad died last night of injuries suffered in Monday night's crash of a specially chartered bus, while six teams of the Western International League were resuming the schedule which had been suspended a night because of the tragedy.
Christian Hartje, 30-year-old catcher from San Francisco, died in a Seattle hospital after a series of plasma transfusions for two days and nights. He was burned terribly in the flaming bus.
Meanwhile, the state patrol sought an automobile which survivors said forced the bus through the mountainside guard rail on Snoqualmie Pass Highway.
- June 27, 1946

Driver Tells About Crash
SEATTLE — Glen C. Berg, 24-year-old driver of the bus which plunged off Snoqualmie Pass and killed or fatally injured nine Spokane baseball players Monday night told Coroner John P. Brill Jr. Thursday the accident was caused by another automobile, which forced the bus off the highway.
The state patrol continued its search for the mystery car.
Berg's injuries had prevented officers from interviewing him previously. He now is recovering.
The toll of dead reached nine Wednesday night when Christian Hartje, 30, catcher on the Western International league team, died in a Seattle hospital.
Berg said the bus had brake and engine trouble en route to Seattle from Spokane and had stopped at Ellensburg for repairs, "which didn't seem to do any good."
He said that just before the accident he exchanged headlight blinks with a passing truck, the truck's signal indicating the road ahead was clear. However, Berg said he met an automobile coming on the wrong side of the road a moment later.
Berg said he did not apply the brakes "because I was afraid this would make the bus skid and throw us into the guard rail. I stepped on the gas to 'goose' it so we would have a better chance of getting by."
"It seemed like the car hit us as I felt a jar at the left front end," Berg continued. "We then struck the guard rail and began taking out the posts one by one and I lost control." He estimated his speed at the time as about 28 miles an hour.
- Thursday, June 27, 1946

Spokane Reacts to Firey Deaths

Sports-Loving Spokane Stunned by Tragic Loss of Ball Club
By LOIS JEAN MHYRE
United Press Staff Correspondent
SPOKANE, Wash., June 26. (U.P.) Sports-loving Spokane was still stunned today at the tragic death of eight members of the Spokane Indians baseball team of the Western International League who died in flaming bus wreckage Monday night.
To baseball fans, it was hard to believe that "Marty" Martinez, Vic Picetti, George Risk, Mel Cole, Jim James, Bob Kinnaman, Bob Patterson, and George Lyden would not be out under the lights at Ferris Field for their next scheduled home game with Yakima Stars.
Sam Collins, owner of the club, who nearly collapsed when he first heard the news, went about the sad duty of notifying the next of kin.
The city council said the shock to the city was a terrible one, and that they found the whole tragedy almost beyond belief.
William P. Ulrich, former owner of the club, said that just such an accident had always been his main worry when he owned the Indians.
"I always had the team manager at the other end of the Cascade passes phone me when the boys arrived safely in their town," he I said. "Those boys were a fine, wonderful group; I can't make up my mind that it's true."
Fans gathered in the sport centers of the city, talking quietly of latest details concerning the burning bus that careened down a 500-foot embankment in Snoqualmie Pass carrying to death eight of the town's best ball players and injuring seven others.
Some of the team's most loyal and boisterous fans, grade school kids, who attended most of the home games, were choked up and said very little. One of them did ask if the "Chief" was among those fatally injured. Chief Levi McCormack, a member of the Nez Perce Indian tribe of Lapwai, Ida., had been injured and his condition reported unsatisfactory.
The fact that the kid's baseball home-run-hitting hero was still alive, did not soften the blow, merely kept it from being worse.
- June 26, 1946

Hartje Holds on to Life

Injured Man Still Critical
SEATTLE —Chris Hartje, 30, member of the ill-fated Spokane Western International league baseball club, remained in critical condition at King county hospital Wednesday from injuries suffered in the bus crash that claimed eight of his teammates.
Glen Berg, 24, Spokane, driver of the bus and believed to hold the key to the cause of the accident thus far has been too badly injured to talk.
George Lyden, 22, pitcher for the club, succumbed Tuesday afternoon at King County hospital. He was the eighth to die.
- Wednesday, June 26, 1946

Help for Spokane - 1946

Baseball Clubs From Minors To Majors Offer Help To Grief-Stricken Spokane
Spokane, Wash., June 26—(AP)—Organized baseball opened its heart today to help reconstruct the Spokane Indians baseball team, slashed to three active players Monday night when a bus crash carried eight of their deaths and injured seven other players and the driver.
Offers of player help came not only from the Class B Western International league where Spokane was battling to rise from fifth place, but from major and minor leagues across the nation.
The president of the league, Robert B. Abel of Tacoma, was to arrive in Spokane today to discuss emergency action to recruit players from other clubs and enable Spokane to finish its season.
Owner Sam W. Collins, directing the Indians for the first time this year, was too busy assisting relatives of victims to plan a resumption of play immediately. He was determined, though, to finish the season because "the boys themselves would want the game continued."
Collins was encouraged to try again by a wire from Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National league, who promised "every possible effort" to send players and help locate a new "manager if necessary."
President W. G. Bramham of the National Association of minor leagues also offered all help possible.
President Clarence Rowland of the Pacific Coast league said in Los Angeles he had urged coast teams surplus players to the Indians. William H. Klepper, Portland's general manager, said the Beavers and all other coast clubs would "lend a hand" in reconstruction, and Spokane's opponents in the Western International circuit were reviewing their rosters to decide what players to lend the Indians.
Spokane will not attempt to compete at least until July 4, though other league teams will resume play Wednesday night.
When reorganization of the team begins, Collins will start with three uninjured men — Pitchers Milt Cadinha and Joe Faria, who drove to the coast in a private automobile and escaped the crash, and Infielder Fred Lanifero, optioned to Spokane by San Diego just before the tragedy.

Pacific Coast Rushes to Assistance Of Spokane Squad; Players Volunteer
SAN FRANCISCO, June 25. (UP) Pacific Coast baseball players, owners and fans, grieving over the accident which took the lives of eight Spokane Indian baseball players last night, today were getting down to business of helping help the Spokane team 'carry on" in its Western International League competition.
The Oakland Acorns of the Pacific Coast League, which has a tie-in with Spokane, said it had been deluged with calls from former players who offered their services.
"Bill Proutt, who formerly played first base for the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Missions, called in to offer his temporary aid as a first baseman," said general manager Vic (Cookie) DeVincenzie of the Oaks.
DeVincenzie said he had just sent a trio of players up to Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League, and these may be shifted over to help out at Spokane.
Meanwhile, President Clarence (Pants) Rowland of the Coast League appealed to all clubs to help out the Spokane team, so that it could fuifill its schedule.
DeVincenzie was especially disconsolate at the loss of two of his budding young stars.
One was Vic Picetti, the 19-year-old first baseman who had been headed for the major leagues "This Picetti boy had a brilliant future ahead of him," said DeVincenzie. "Nearly all the major league clubs were after him. I had a call last fall from Jim Gallagher of the Chicago Cubs who was interested in buying him. The Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees also were interested in him when we signed him to his first professional contract.
DeVincenzie revealed that he had revived a letter from outfielder Bob Patterson yesterday in which Patterson told of his progress. The youthful star was hitting .323 and had 16 stolen bases so far this season — and seemed certain to advance to the Coast League not later than next year.
Picetti, Patterson and another one of the victims, Bob Kinnaman, were out on option from Oakland to Spokane.