Lucky Lohrke

The man who survived the most tragic event in the history of the Western International League has passed away this month. He survived through a freak situation that forever tagged him with the nickname “Lucky.”

Here are a couple of links to stories about the late Jack Lohrke. First, from The San Diego News Network and BetUs.com

There are a number of links on this web site to contemporary news reports of the horrible bus crash of 1946 which fate decreed Lohrke would avoid. One is here.

Since links are known to go dead, here is the first story by sports columnist Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton:

Hacksaw Hamilton: ‘Lucky’ learned life’s hard lessons
By Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, SDNN
[May 7, 2009]

The best year of his life became the worst year of his life, and his life was never the same again.

Baseball history of years gone by has given us players with nicknames. “Pepper” Martin (Cardinals). Walter “Big Train” Johnson (Senators). “Vinegar Bend” Mizell (Pirates). And of course the Babe (Ruth), the Georgia Peach (Cobb), Sey Hey (Mays), Hammerin Hank (Aaron).

Jack Lohrke, a former San Diego Padre, had a nickname he never wanted, one that haunted him forever - “Lucky.”

They held a funeral service for him this week in San Jose after the longtime third baseman/outfielder passed away at the age of 85. But the memory of what he experienced, the year he starred in San Diego, had never gone away. Baseball is made up of so much history. In this case, it was sad history.

Jack Lohrke, on a fast track to the major leagues, was a slugging third baseman with the 1946 Padres in the high-powered Pacific Coast League. He spent half a season here and went on to a seven-year career as the starting third baseman with the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies.

His career stretched from 1942 to 1959, starting as an 18-year-old with the Padres prior to the war before getting to the Polo Grounds and Connie Mack Stadium. He went from riding buses to playing with the Giants in a World Series. His life experiences involved World War II combat and a baseball tragedy never forgotten.

The best statistical year of his life was the 1946 season that started in the lower minor leagues with Spokane in the Class B Western International League and ended with the PCL-Padres before his promotion to join the Giants. Lohrke hit .345 that mystical minor league season in Spokane. He hit .303 with eight homers with the Padres, called up by then-owner and baseball historian Bill Starr. Those were impressive stats. In that era, the Coast League was almost as good as the big leagues.

But his life was forever changed in a 15-minute span on the night of June 25, 1946. Lohrke was taken off the team bus by a Washington state highway officer. The Padres had called the owner of the Spokane Indians, telling him San Diego was purchasing Lohrke’s contract, and he was to report immediately. The call came hours after Lohrke had hit a 380-foot home run off a scoreboard clock.

The Indians were in the middle of a road trip. They had played a 16-inning game that day. They were headed from Salem, Oregon through the Cascades en route to their next stop on their trip. They stopped in Central Washington, near Ellensburg to have dinner that night. It was there the State Patrol got the message to Lohrke. He was to catch a ride to Spokane and then on to San Diego.

He got to his next destination. His teammates never did. He never forgot that night. The sports world wouldn’t let him either.

The Spokane Indians, a team made up of kids and grizzled World War II combat veterans, who all had hopes of playing in the big leagues, boarded that bus. Fifteen minutes later nine were dead, seven others injured. Lives snuffed out, careers shattered, families left without fathers, Indians players left without teammates. A clubhouse of empty lockers.

On a drizzly night, as the bus drove up winding roads in the mountains, a car came left of center. The bus swerved to avoid the car, hit the guardrail on the two-lane highway, and plunged 350 feet down an embankment, rolling over, catching fire. Bodies were ejected. Players were crushed. Flames engulfed one and all. It was the worst crash involving a sports team of that era.

Jack Lohrke’s roommate, San Diego native outfielder Freddy Martinez, was on the bus and perished. He had a team high .353 batting average and might have been the next player headed to the Padres to play in his hometown. Spokane’s bright young manager, 25-year old Mel Cole died. Their top pitcher, 22-game winner Bob Kinnaman, on loan from Casey Stengel’s Oakland Oaks, was killed too.

As word of the horrific tragedy spread, baseball reached out to put its arms around the franchise. Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey assigned players from his vast network of farm teams to help Spokane finish out the season. The Indians later became a vital farm team in the Dodgers Blue system. The entire league donated one day’s gate receipts to the families of Lohrke’s dead teammates, $118,000.

Eleven days later, with only two pitchers left from that staff, Spokane went back on the field and went 22-52 in a saddened season of meaningless games.

Days later Jack Lohrke made it to San Diego, but had the emotionally draining chore of driving two of his teammates widows with him here, before he joined the Padres. His best minor league season ever would be shrouded in the sadness of what happened to his friends and what could have happened to him.

Lohrke played well with the Padres, but did not do well off the field. Hounded by the nightmare of faces he remembered, he struggled. The media tagged him with the “Lucky” nickname.

He had seen a lot in life. In 1944, with the Army, he was part of the second tier that landed at Normandy. Soldiers on either side of him were hit by sniper fire, killed instantly. He survived. Lucky.

Months later, trapped in the forest in the Battle of the Bulge, under enormous fire by German artillery, his fox hole took a hit. Soldiers on both sides died. He did not. Lucky.

In 1945, awaiting exit orders from the Army, he was to fly from Fort Dix in New Jersey to California to be discharged. He was bumped from the flight by a higher officer. The plane crashed in Kansas en route, killing all twenty soldiers on board. Lucky.

And now this in 1946, on a mountain road in Central Washington. To honor his fallen friends, Lohrke wore a red warmup shirt beneath his Padres uniform for the rest of that 300-hitting season. It had been in the equipment bag he had taken from the bus as it pulled away that night. A month after the conclusion of that campaign, he was drafted by the New York Giants, becoming their starting third sacker.

I interviewed Jack Lohrke years ago while doing sports talk radio in Phoenix. I wish I had not. It was a hard interview. I felt uncomfortable asking him about that night, his Spokane teammates, and how he soldiered on. We talked about the 1951 Giants, and how he was in the on-deck circle when Bobby Thompson hit the “Shot Heard Round the World” versus the Dodgers.

Jack Lohrke stopped doing interviews in 1995, after a book was written about the tragedy surrounding his life, wishing to be left alone with his memories and thoughts. The nickname had many connotations. Lucky to be alive. Not so lucky to have to remember what he lived through and what he experienced from 1944 to 1946. The Baseball Encyclopedia lists him with that name.

Nicknames were part of baseball lore then. Harry “The Cat” Breecheen, Harvey “The Kitten” Haddix, Joe “Ducky” Medwick. I thought of what his nickname meant, and how sad the real meaning of “Lucky” Jack Lohrke was.

And here is the other story by another fine writer.

The Legend of Jack "Lucky" Lohrke
by Ian James
[May 13, 2009]

Jack Lohrke passed away earlier this month, and that name probably means nothing to the average baseball fan. He was a mediocre major league infielder in the 1940s and 1950s with a lifetime batting average was .242, and he hit 22 home runs and drew 111 walks in 914 official at-bats. The legacy that Lohrke left and the tragic circumstances which he got his nickname “lucky”, is what made Lohrke a ledgend.

Lohrke died Wednesday at a San Jose, Calif., hospital two days after having a stroke at his home. Discovered as a teenager in the early 1940s on the semipro fields of Los Angeles , Lohrke spent seven seasons with the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies after serving in World War II.

But as the story goes, he’s lucky to have made it out of WWII. By the time he was 22, it is said that he escaped death at least six times. Fighting as a member of the 35th Infantry Division, he stormed the beach on D-Day in the invasion at Normandy and was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. On four occasions, solders on both sides of him were killed in combat, and Lucky emerged unscathed.

Lohrke was always quick to insist throughout his life that his brushes with death were no big deal, but history told another tale.

Upon his discharge from the Army in 1945, he was bumped from a military transport plane at the last minute to make room for someone more important. That plane crashed 45 minutes later, killing all on board.

It was truly a matter of fate that Lucky Lohrke was still alive, but this was just the beginning. In 1946 he was playing for the Spokane Indians of the Western International League. They had just played 16 innings against a team from Salem, Oregon, capping off a seven-game series and were on the road to Bremerton for the next series.

Jack Lohrke became "Lucky" Lohrke as a result of a phone message that was waiting for Indians manager Mel Cole when the team arrived at pit stop for dinner. It had been left by San Diego Padres owner Bill Starr instructing Lohrke to report to the AAA affiliate in San Diego as soon as possible.

The other players finished up their meal, said some goodbyes and boarded the bus bound for Bremerton. Lohrke, then 22, bummed a ride back to Spokane not knowing the catastrophe that he had avoided.

Jack Lohrke made it to San Diego; the bus bound for Bremerton did not make it to its destination. On a winding part of the highway, the bus lost control and catapulted the loaded vehicle over the edge of a 300-foot cliff, killing 9 men aboard including his two roommates.

Lohrke had stated that none of his close calls at war had the emotional impact of the bus crash that took eight of his teammates and the driver. The trip from Spokane to San Diego was made all the more difficult as he was accompanied by the young widows of two of his fallen friends.

Lohrke went on to a respectable seven-year major league career and lived a long and prosperous life. His baseball career was highlighted by a career high of 11 home runs as a Giant rookie in 1947. Two of those were history making as he hit the Giants' 182nd home run of the season, which tied the 1936 New York Yankees’ team record, and then hit the 183rd.

Lucky retired from baseball in 1958, and worked in security for the Lockheed Missile and Space Co. in Sunnyvale, Calif. In addition to Marie, whom he married in 1948, Lohrke is survived by six children; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

He mentioned in an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1994 that he never thought much of his nickname, “I’ll tell you this: Nobody outside of baseball calls me Lucky Lohrke these days, the name is Jack. Jack Lohrke.”

We at the WIL Blog extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Lohrke’s family. He was a fine player for Spokane and, by all accounts, a fine human being.

More on Gus Hallbourg

The last survivor of the Spokane Indians bus crash in 1946 who died last week was signed to a pro contract in February 1939. He was in the West Texas-New Mexico League and started with Lubbock but ended up with Pampa against Lubbock in the playoffs.
Here's a contemporary sports column about him.

The LOOKOUT
By JOHN F. KENNEY
[The Lowell Sun, Lowell, Massachusetts, March 17, 1939]
OUT OF A CLEAR SKY BEAMS A NEW SUBURBAN star, for whom two major league clubs ran a merry race this winter with a contract as the prize.
The whole story can be told, now that Darwin Hallbourg of East Pepperell is finally and officially listed with the Chicago White Sox rookie camp at Longview, Texas.
Two years ago, rangy, strong-armed, right-handed Hallbourg was tossing 'em up for the North Chelmsford American Legion team, and then he pitched for the St. Joseph's church team of Pepperell in the Catholic Junior league. When that circuit failed to reorganize, Hallbourg applied his trusty arm to the fortunes of a crack semi-pro team in Nashua, N. H. He never hurled in Lowell, but he's the pride of Pepperell and the joy of the suburban towns, who always claim to have baseball talent as plentiful and able as Lowell proper.
The story of Hallbourg has its dramatic points. Six weeks ago, one of the scouts of the New York Yankees "got ahold" of this writer and sought the kind of information that scouts are wont to seek. For the present, the scout's identity must be held in confidence. It doesn't matter particularly anyway, but the contacts were opened for the Yankee ambassador in Pepperell by the writer, and he proceeded to the town. In no time at all, he was talking with an older relative of the prospect.
"Your boy plays quite a lot of baseball, doesn't he?" politely inquired the Yankee talent hunter.
"Oh my, yes," was the reply. "Darwin just yesterday signed an agreement to play for Chicago of the American league. Isn't that grand?"
"Swell," mumbled the scout, as he reached for his hat.
If Hallbourg had known that the Yankees were after him, it's a cinch this would be another story.
Of Hallbourg's prospects, Sec. John P. McEnaney of the Middlesex County league is more than mildly optimistic.
"He has everything," said Mac. "He's young, has a sweet variety of shoots and is big, strong and heady."
Where Hallbourg's stuff was first discerned by Chicago and New York scouts is unknown. The Yankee scout refused to impart that enticing piece of information. But down in Longview, Texas, there's a kid who was chucking for North Chelmsford's little Legion Junior team a few years ago and he is good enough to have created a contract race between two of the best operated teams in major league baseball.

Spokane's Last Survivor

No doubt you've heard about the passing of former Spokane Indian Gus Hallbourg. Here are some news stories dealing with his death, including a fine piece by SABR's Jim Price, who was radio's voice of the Indians when I met him in 1979.
You can read contemporary stories about the bus crash on this site. Click on the label 'bus crash' at the end of this post.

Pitcher from ill-fated 1946 Spokane Indians team dies
The Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 17 — Darwin "Gus" Hallbourg, a survivor of a fatal bus crash that devastated the 1946 Spokane Indians baseball team, died Saturday of a heart attack at a California care center, according to his brother Don. He was 87.
Nine of the Western International League team's 15 players died when their Bremerton-bound bus tumbled off the Snoqualmie Pass highway and burst into flames on June 24, 1946.
Hallbourg, who played professionally for six years as a pitcher and outfielder, crawled through a window frame. After helping others to safety, he was treated for burns on his arms and hands. He returned to action later in the season.
In 1940, his second season, the right-hander won 21 games for Pampa, Texas, of the West Texas-New Mexico League. After being sold to San Diego, Hallbourg won 15 games for Anaheim of the California League in 1941 and appeared in four games for the Padres.
After service in the U.S. Navy in World War II, Hallbourg played for Spokane, finishing with a 7-6 record. He played two more seasons with Lancaster of the Inter-State League.
He settled in Manteca, Calif., and was employed for 32 years by Pacific Telephone Co.
Hallbourg is survived by Roberta, his wife of 61 years; a brother; two sisters; three sons and a daughter. There are five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Survivor of ill-fated bus crash dies at 87
Staff reports of the Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin [Oct. 18]
The last survivor of what is considered to be the worst accident in American professional sports passed away Saturday.
Darwin "Gus" Hallbourg, a longtime Manteca resident, died of a heart attack at the age of 87. He was set to turn 88 on Halloween.
Hallbourg was stricken with pneumonia after suffering a stroke in September.
Hallbourg was a part of a tragic bus crash June 24, 1946 while he and his Spokane Indians minor league baseball team, of the Western International League, were traveling across Washington state to Bremerton.
The bus tumbled off the Snoqualmie Pass highway and was engulfed in flames.
Nine of the 15 players, including player-manager Mel Cole, died as a result. Hallbourg helped get his surviving teammates to safety and was later treated for burns on his arms and hands.
"I was able to get out of there without serious injuries, and I've been lucky to live a wonderful life," Hallbourg once told the Spokesman Review. "I am one of the great lucky guys alive."
Hallbourg was a Minor League pitcher and outfielder for six years and served four years in World War II with the U.S. Navy.
After his final two professional seasons with Lancaster of the Inner-State League, he settled in Manteca and went on to work for Pacific Telephone Company for 32 years.
Hallbourg was a member of Spring Creek Golf Club in Ripon and was considered an excellent amateur golfer.
He is survived by Roberta, his wife of 61 years; two sisters and a brother; three sons and a daughter; five grand children and one great grandchild.
Information from: The Spokesman-Review

Darwin F. (Gus) Hallbourg
Retired
Darwin F. (Gus) Hallbourg, 87, died Saturday, Oct. 13, in Hughson, after a long, happy life. He was born on Oct. 31, 1919 in Huntington, Mass.
Gus grew up in Pepperill, Mass. where he lived until high school graduation in 1939. He played professional baseball from 1939 until 1948, with time out to serve as a Chief Boatswain's Mate in the Navy during World War II. During this time he married Roberta Harney on Jan. 5, 1946 in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1948 they moved to Stockton, where he began a 33 year career with Pacific Telephone. He moved to Manteca with his family in 1959 where he lived until his death at 87 years old. He enjoyed many happy years playing golf and was well known for his beautiful tomato garden.
Gus is survived by and will so be missed by his wife of 61 years, Roberta; brother, Donald Hallbourg and wife Jean of Stockton; sisters, Alice Duce of Middletown, Rhode Island, and Shirley Jones of Oakville, Ontario, Canada; daughter, Marsha Beever and husband Dan of Atwater; sons, Robert Hallbourg and wife Flora, and Peter Hallbourg of Manteca, Mark Hallbourg of Auburn; grandchildren, Dan and Crystal Beever, Tony and Jessica Hallbourg, Laura Beever, Matthew and Melissa Hallbourg, Kendall Hallbourg; and great-grandchildren, Janessa and Isaac Hallbourg.
Please join the family in a celebration of Gus's life at Spring Creek Golf & Country Club, (1580 Spring Creek Dr., Ripon, CA 95366), on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Community Hospice, Inc., 2201 Euclid Ave., Hughson, CA 95326.
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin - Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007

Last survivor of bus crash dies at 87
Heart attack claims Hallbourg
Jim Price
Correspondent
Spokane Spokesman-Review, October 16, 2007
The passage of time has concluded the living history of the ill-fated 1946 Spokane Indians baseball team.
Former pitcher Darwin "Gus" Hallbourg died of a heart attack Saturday night in a care center near Modesto, Calif. Hallbourg, 87, developed pneumonia after a minor stroke in late September. A resident of nearby Manteca, he was the last survivor of the worst accident in American professional sports history.
On June 24, 1946, a bus carrying the Spokane Indians across the state to Bremerton, tumbled off the Snoqualmie Pass highway and plunged into the canyon, where it exploded in flames. Nine of the Western International League team's 15 players died as a result.
Hallbourg escaped by squirming through a window frame. After helping other survivors reach safety, he was treated for burns on his arms and hands. He returned to action later in the season, playing in the outfield when he wasn't pitching.
Moments before the accident, Hallbourg turned to star pitcher Bob Kinnaman, who shared his love of fishing, and said "Wouldn't this be one helluva place to go over the edge?"
Hallbourg had begun the trip sharing a seat with third baseman Jack Lohrke. However, Lohrke, Spokane's best major-league prospect, left his teammates after dinner in Ellensburg, where he learned he had been recalled by the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.
A native of Huntington, Mass., Hallbourg played professionally for six seasons, half before his four years of World War II service with the U.S. Navy.
In 1940, his second season, the gregarious right-hander won 21 games for Pampa (Texas) of the West Texas-New Mexico League. After being sold to San Diego, Hallbourg won 15 games for Anaheim of the California League in 1941 and appeared in four late- season games for the Padres.
Spokane was his first stop following the war. He finished with a 7-6 record. After two seasons with Lancaster of the Inter-State League, he accepted a full-time job in Central California with Pacific Telephone Company. He settled in Manteca and retired from the phone company 32 years later.
Hallbourg was admired for his cheerful outlook.
In a 1986 interview, Spokane teammate Milt Cadinha remembered him as "a very, very, very nice person." Monday, Hallbourg's brother, Don, a Stockton, Calif., resident, agreed. "He always had a nice attitude. Nothing ever bothered him too much."
Indeed, last June, asked about his health, Hallbourg chirped, "I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."
More than once, he told The Spokesman-Review how fortunate he felt to have been spared in the bus wreck.
"I was able to get out of there without serious injuries, and I've been lucky to live a wonderful life," he said. "I am one of the great lucky guys alive."
For years, Hallbourg was among the Modesto area's best amateur golfers, and he was an avid gardener who raised tomatoes. He and wife Roberta had been married 61 years. The 1946 baseball season in Spokane served as their honeymoon.
Hallbourg would have turned 88 on the last day of this month.
His remains will be cremated, according to family members. In lieu of services, there will be a family gathering later this month. In addition to his wife and brother, he is survived by two sisters, three sons and a daughter. There are five grandchildren and one great grandchild.

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.

Tuesday, July 9, 1946

                W  L  Pct GB
Salem ........ 49 28 .636 —
Wenatchee .... 48 32 .600 2½
Bremerton .... 40 27 .597 4
Tacoma ....... 41 30 .577 5
Spokane ...... 33 32 .508 10
Yakima ....... 31 40 .437 15
Vancouver .... 25 47 .347 21½
Victoria ..... 23 54 .299 26

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, News-Herald, July 10]—Vancouver Capilanos WEREN’T kidding against Tacoma Tigers last week.
The new regime Caps opened a week stand against Salem Senators at Cap Stadium last night, and although they bowed 5-4 to the smart league leaders, they looked even more like a ball club than they did against the tough Tigers.
Eddie Carnett’s lads spotted the Solons four runs in the first stanza, and in the process of getting those counters back they produced possibly the best ball game in the Fifth Avenue park this season.
After his highly fidgety first inning, during which he gave up a two-run homer by Walt Flager, a double, three singles and a walk, Bellingham’s John Marshall settled down to pitch a really cagy ball game for Vancouver.
CARNETT WALLOPS ONE
Throwing a little bit of everything in the book, he allowed just three more hits the rest of the route, but unfortunately two of them were successive doubles by hard-hitting Dick Wenner and Salem manager Ted Gullic in the sixth. With two out, Reg. Clarkson, who continued to do everything right, tripled to left-centre. Al Kretchmar singled him home, then Boss Carnett indulged in his favorite sport, hitting ‘em where they ain’t—over the wall.
REG HITS, TOO
Steve Gerkin, the former Philadelphia Athletic, kept the Brownies quiet until the seventh when Clarkson, again with two out, hit another into Sixth Avenue.
There were a pair away again in the ninth, when we started further trouble that almost paid off. Pete Jonas, back in action after an ankle injury, pinch-hit for Marshall, and slapped one to right field which went for two bases when the Salem flychaser skidded on the grass. That put Clarkson on the spot once more, but the local youngster drew a walk, and the large, and enthusiastic crowd, yelled for blood. But none was forthcoming as Kretchmar was tossed out, Gerkin to George Vico at first base.
CUFF NOTES—Guess who was umpiring last night? That’s right, Ambrose Jason Moran, and we all hope he’s here to stay … Clarkson, besides his homer and triple act, pulled off a catch that sent him rolling in centre field, and the folks rolling in the aisles … The Salem are a nice ball team, and their last hole, shortstop, is now capably plugged by Walt Flager … Hunk Anderson is the hurling choice to get us even in the second tilt tonight.
Salem ........... 400 010 000—5 8 2
Vancouver .... 003 000 100—4 8 0
Gerkin and Salmon; Marshall and Spurgeon.

VICTORIA, July 9 — Victoria Athletics scored 12 runs on nine hits, including two homers, in the sixth inning of their game with Tacoma Tigers to take the opener of the series 18-11.
In the big sixth, Bob Cherry slammed a circuit drive with the bags loaded. Two more men got on and Ed Murphy cleaned the bases.
Victoria lost no time in taking the lead, teeing off on Hal Jungbluth early. They gave up two runs in the first innings, tied it up in their half, picked up a singleton in the second and knocked the righthander out of the box with a pair in the third. A single run off Fred Gay, ex-Coast League southpaw, in the fourth gave them an early 6-2 advantage.
Bob Jensen struggled for the A's through until the sixth when his wild pitch, followed by Paulson's bad throw to the late, cleared the bases and sent the Tigers ahead. Joe Blankenship took over and received credit for the win.
Every man in the Victoria line-up, except clean-up hitter Pete Hughes, took part in the hit parade. Cherry had a perfect evening, going four-for-four, and batting in six runs, while Vic Buccola plated four.
Tacoma ........ 200 014 013—11 11 1
Victoria ........ 212 10(12) 00x—18 21 2
Jungbluth, Gay (3), Jimmink (6), Ramsey (7) and Cooper and Jensen, Blankenship (6) and Paulson.

BREMERTON, July 9 — A sudden ninth inning outburst of wildness by two Yakima pitchers, including three walks and a hit batter, gave Bremerton a 12 to 11 victory.
Pitcher Joe Kralovich, who relieved Tony Chappetta on the mound during the inning, walked in Bill Reese with the winning run with one out.
Yakima ......... 503 001 200—11 13 1
Bremerton ..... 050 104 011—12 11 3
Yaylian, Simon (6), Chappetta (7), Kralovich (9) and McConnell; Holt, Lowman (3), Medeghini (3) and Volpi.

WENATCHEE, July 9 — Wenatchee's Chiefs pounded out three home runs in one inning and two in another to defeat Spokane 14 to 6 in the first game of their series.
Jim Warner, Mel Wasley and Dick Adams hit consecutive home runs in the second frame and Eddie Barr and Adams repeated in the seventh.
Spokane .......... 201 000 030— 6 11 2
Wenatchee ...... 250 000 70x—14 19 2
Tising, Raimondi (2) and Verrelman; Cronin and Fitzgerald.

All-Star Receipts for Spokane Players
BOSTON, July 9—Ford Frick, president of the National League, said that a portion of the receipts from today's All-Star baseball game would be donated to the families of the nine members of the Spokane baseball club killed in a bus crash two weeks ago.
The idea, Frick said, was proposed by Dixie Walker, star outfielder of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Al Schacht, "clown prince" of baseball, announced he was donating his fee for appearing at the game to the same cause.

Monday, July 8, 1946

                W  L  Pct GB
Salem ........ 48 28 .632 —
Wenatchee .... 47 32 .595 2½
Bremerton .... 39 27 .591 4
Tacoma ....... 41 29 .586 4
Spokane ...... 33 31 .516 9
Yakima ....... 31 39 .443 14
Vancouver .... 25 46 .352 20½
Victoria ..... 22 54 .289 26

NO REGULAR SEASON GAMES PLAYED

WENATCHEE, July 8—The Wenatchee Chiefs, currently in second place of the class B Western International league race, gave no quarter in soundly beating their parent club, the triple A Coast league Sacramento Solons, 15 to 1 here Monday night.
Hugh Orphan pitched hitless ball for the first three innings when he was relieved by Gene Babbitt with a seven-run lead. Babbitt gave up but two hits for the rest of the route. Five Wenatchee batters hit home runs and Eddie Fitzgerald hit two homers.
Thirty five hundred fans saw the game, a benefit contest with all proceeds going to the fund for families of the nine Spokane ball players killed in the bus tragedy on Snoqualmie pass two weeks ago.
The Chiefs are a Sacramento farm team.
Sacramento ....... 000 000 010— 1 2 1
Wenatchee ........ 160 001 16x—15 19 1
Glavin, Beasley (2), Lyons (7) and Marcucci; Orphan, Babbitt (4) and Pesut, Fitzgerald (5).

VANCOUVER, July 8—The bad luck of the ill-fated Spokane Indians continued, as rain forced plans for a benefit game here against the Salem Senators to be rained out.
Capilanos general manager Bob Brown says the teams might additional contributions to the money being raised for the victims' families. He would not make any official statements unti he conferred with fellow league executives.

TACOMA, July 8—Rain has forced indefinite postponement of the Tacoma vs. Victoria baseball game scheduled for Monday night as a benefit performance for survivors of victims of the bus crash which killed nine Spokane Indian baseball players.

BREMERTON, July 8—The scheduled Yakima-Bremerton baseball game, for the benefit of the families of Spokane baseball players who were killed in the recent bus accident, was postponed Monday night because of a wet field.

SPOKANE, July 8—The Pacific Coast league's leading Oakland Acorns defeated the tail end Seattle Rainiers 5 to 3 Monday night in an exhibition game for the families of the nine Spokane baseball players who were killed in a bus crash three weeks ago. The game was called at the end of the seventh inning because of rain.
A crowd of 5,500 fans, largest of the season in Spokane, paid a top price of $25 for box seats. All proceeds from the game will be given to the Spokane Baseball Benefit Association.
The Association was set up to raise $50,000 for the families of the nine Spokane players who were killed and the six who wer injured when their chartered bus crashed and burned on a road trip to the coast. Officials of the Association said they had raised approximately $45,000 at noon today.
Oakland ........ 110 320 0—5 10 0
Seattle ......... 101 010 0—3 9 1
Haley, Vandenberg (4), Babich (6), and Raimondi, Kearse (6); Hall, Collins (5) and Strumpf.

Wednesday, July 3, 1946

                W  L  PCT GB
Wenatchee .... 46 27 .630 —
Salem ........ 43 27 .614 1½
Tacoma ....... 38 26 .594 3½
Bremerton .... 34 26 .567 5½
Spokane ...... 32 26 .552 6½
Yakima ....... 26 38 .406 15½
Vancouver .... 22 43 .338 20
Victoria ..... 21 49 .300 23½

WENATCHEE, July 3 — Pitcher Eddie Green had to win his own ball game with a bat as the league-leading Wenatchee Chiefs defeated the contending Salem Senators 8-7 here Wednesday night.
With Salem leading in the last of the eighth, 7 to 6, Green's turn at bat came with two men out and a runner on first base. And the Wenatchee hurler came through with a home run to give the Chiefs the win. He had tripled to drive in a run in the second.
Salem ................ 142 000 000—7 12 4
Wenatchee ........ 210 030 02x—8 11 0
Fallin, Gunnerson (2) and Salmon; Green and Fitzgerald.

VICTORIA, July 3 — A free-hitting jamboree of 35 hits, including six home runs, highlighted Bremerton Bluejackets 19-8 victory over Victoria Athletics.
Bill Dunn and Pete Hughes of the Athletics blasted two circuit blows each. Reese and Bill Barisoff of Bluejackets were the other home run hitters.
The Athletics kept in the running with a sustained attack of their own for the first five frames. Trailing 8-3 going into the fifth, they brought the large crowd to their feet with a four-run outburst. Hughes led off with his first home run and the usually light-sticking Dunn cracked out his second with two on but from there the Victoria offence dwindled.
Tony Ferrara opened on the mount for Victoria versus Bremerton's manager, Sad Sam Gibson, but left in the second inning in the middle of a four-run rally with cramps. Gibson turned over the mound to Beak Federmeyer in the fourth, who got the win.
Bremerton ........ 040 133 503—19 20 2
Victoria ........... 020 141 000— 8 15 2
Gibson, Federmeyer (4) and Volpi; Ferrara, Bass (2), Carpenter (6), Hess (9) and Paulson.

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, News-Herald, July 4]—Vancouver Capilanos headed for Tacoma and a July 4 doubleheader today, and four the first time in a long time, local fandom was sorry to see them go. They new, Carnett-inspired Caps are such a nice bundh.
They dropped their second decision in four starts to the tough Tacoma squad last night, 4-3, but even in losing they looked good, and they made it a battle right down to the final pitch.
With lanky Bob Snyder turning in his best local performance, the Brownies battled the Tigers through seven innings in a real, old-fashioned pitching duel, Warren Martin holding up Tacoma’s end.
After Red Harvel’s crew has pushed over a run in the second frame on a way, an error and a single, the Vancouverites evened it in their half on Ray Orteig’s single, an infield out and Ray Spurgeon’s single.
WE WERE AHEAD
As the eighth opened we were ahead, 2-1, Orteig scoring the second counter after singling, taking third on Charley Mead’s one-bagger, and crossing the dish unmolested as Jimmy Estrada hit into a double play.
But the short right field wall, and Tacoma’s handyman, Bob Hedington, finished the locals off in the eighth. With two on base (two singles) Hedington came in to hit for Martin, and slammed his second pinch-homer of the series to make it 4-2.
Manager Eddie Carnell, who incidentally got three hits last night, almost sparked his charges into a win in Vancouver’s half of the stanza. He tripled and scored Capilano run number three on Orteig’s double to right. We got a break, and Orteig went to third, when the usually solid Fred Marsh juggled Mead’s roller to second. But Estrada, who was having a bad night generally, hit into his second twin-killing and that was that.
CUFF NOTES—Another spring standout got the axe last night, popular Cleve Ramsey being released … Cleve may catch on with Tacoma … Earl Silverthorn, dropped earlier, is going to the Pioneer League, either with Boise or Twin Falls … The fans didn’t miss Silverthorn in centre last night, as Reg Clarkson pulled down eight flies, some of them really tough, and tossed Mory Abbott out at the dish on a thrilling play … Larry Guay, a good pitcher with Seattle earlier on, may join the Caps, and another hurler is said to be his way, too … Salem Senators will be here next week, and Monday’s opening game will be a benefit for the relatives of the Spokane Indians killed in last week’s crash … the “new” Spokane crew, under Glenn Wright, resumes today against Yakima and they have a strong club on paper.
Tacoma ............ 010 000 030—4 14 2
Vancouver ........ 010 001 010—3 10 1
Martin, Sostre (8) and Kuper; Snyder and Spurgeon.

Indians Name New Lineup
SPOKANE, July 3 — A new Spokane baseball team headed by the star hurler from the club virtually wiped out in a bus crash June 24 will take the field Thursday to resume Western International league play against Yakima.
Announcing the starting lineup Wednesday, Acting Manager Glen Wright said more players were arriving steadily to try out for places with the team.
Milt Cadinha, who has won eight games and lost one for Spokane this year, will start on the mound.
Cadinha was riding in a private car when the team's chartered bus carried nine players to their death and injured six others. Joe Faria, another pitcher traveling with him, will start the second tilt of the six-game series.
Other starters include:
Jerry Varrelman, formerly of Lewiston, Idaho, and the Mexican league, or John Carroll, catcher. Charley Bates, formerly of Oakland, first base; Lou Kubiak, on loan from Salem, shortstop; Mickey Weintraub, on option from Sacramento, second base; Don Ryan, from the Seattle Rainiers, third base.
Frankie Hawkins, formerly of Oakland; Mel Steiner, recently with the Mexican league, and Gale Bishop, returned from Indianapolis, outfielders.

Rebuilt Spokane Club Plays Yakima Tonight
Spokane, July 3—Just one week after nine Spokane baseball players were killed and six injured in a bus crash, owner Sam Collins announced the Indians would resume thier Western International League competition here tomorrow, against Yakima.
The list of new players arriving on loan from other clubs grew steadily as teams across the country contributed help to the stricken Indians.
Expected to arrive today was Gale Bishop, former Washington State College baseball and baseball star who had been playing with Indianapolis of the American Association. He will play in the outfield.
Manager Ben Garaghty, 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.
AL RAIMONDI, BARTOLOMEI AND KUBIAK ON DECK
Infielders on deck so far include shortstop Lou Kubiak from Salem, Ore.; first baseman Charley Bates from Oakland; third baseman Henry Bartolomei from Salem, and Bill Smith, who hitch-hiked here from Lake City, Iowa, to join the team.
The pitching staff includes Milt Cadinha, the Indians' star hurler, and Joe Faria, who were not involved in the bus crashæ Don Miles, on option from the Portland Beaver; Wallace Mehrens, left-hander from Winnipeg who formerly pitched for Fort Worth, Texas; Al Raimondi from Victoria, B.C., and Pollett, who serves on the mound or in the outfield.
Geraghty said several players were scheduled to arrive soon to join the Indians in daily work outs to prepare for the six-game Yakima series.

More Spokane Help
WEST HAVEN, Conn., July 3—A bank draft for $322 [ineligible] is making its way to Spokane, Wash., Western International League Bseball Club today, the first known Connecticut cotribution to the families of the nine players killed in a tragic mountain bus crash late last month.
The money was raised Sunday by collection at the independent professional game between the West Haven Sailors and the Mount Vernon, N.Y., Scarlets. Several other benefit games have been scheduled by New Haven district baseball and softball teams.

SPOKANE, July 3—Baseball Commissioner A.B. Chandler said today he had asked the presidents of the major leagues to "give consideration" to an appeal for benefits games for the families of nine Spokane ball players who lost their lives in a bus accident a week ago.

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 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.