Sunday 5 October 2008

1946 Page Coming Along

Below, you will see posts on the WIL from the time it was re-organising in mid-1945 to the beginning of spring training of 1946.

If you want game stories from 1946, they are on the main site (click on the link on the right).

Eventually, the rest of spring training and the 1946 season stories will be transfered here.

Jimmy Dumeah Tries Pro Ball Career

With Victoria Club
[Victoria Colonist, April 2, 1946]
Jimmy Dumeah, well known here as a former member of the Royal Canadian Navy baseball team, who is among the 20 players working out with the Victoria Athletics at the Spring training camp at Lewiston, Idaho. Other former local players are Ian Lowe, Tony Maze and Stan Curry. Manager Laurel Harney has listed daily workouts on the field from 10 to 3, and is working on the schedule for exhibition and practice games. Athletics will undergo training until April 24, following which they will break camp and head for Wenatchee, where they are scheduled to open the season on April 26. They make their first home appearance on April 30 at Royal Athletic Park.

Victoria Players Undressed

LEWISTON, Idaho, April 1—Uniform troubles are dogging Laurel Harney, manager of the Victoria Athletics of the Western International Baseball League, who arrived here Saturday with 20 players to set up a spring training camp.
Harney found the most careful plans of a baseball manager can go astray.
He had arranged to have a complete set of new uniforms ready when his team arrived. A checkup with the local supply house disclosed the same old story—back orders too many and lack of materials. Harney is unhappy but hopes the unies will arrive in time to open the season in April.
Harney brought a starting squad of four outfielders, seven pitchers and three catchers including himself. He plans to work behind the plate in relief roles during the season.

Oaks Send Players To Victoria

Baseball Directors To Visit Training Camp at Lewiston
[Victoria Colonist, March 30, 1946]
J.V. Johnson and J.McNeely, directors of the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co., Ltd., sponsors of the Victoria Athletics, local entry in the Western International Baseball League, will leave this afternoon for Seattle en route to Lewiston, Idaho, scene of the Athletics’ training camp. Tony Maze, Stan Curry and Ian Lowe, former Victoria amateur baseball players signed by the local club, will accompany the directors to Lewiston. Manager Laurel Harney advised the Victoria office yesterday that he is taking 25 players to training camp. Tommy Burgess, Victoria trainer, is already on the scene. Athletics will train until April 24, two days before they are slated to open the season at Wenatchee.
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OAKLAND, Cal., March 29—The Oakland baseball club, through general manager Victor Devincenzi, announced today the optioning of the following players:
To Victoria, Western International, Pitchers Leo Jones and Rudy Biale, Infielders Al Steel, Walt Raimondi and Hardy Mollath, and Outfielders Eddie Murphy and Pete Hughes.

Frisco Edwards to Pilot Senators

Former Umpire to Manage Salem Club
SALEM, Ore., March 23—Leo (Frisco) Edwards, for the last seven years one of the top men in the Pacific Coast League’s umpiring corps, was tonight named manger of the Salem Senators, of the Western International Baseball League, by William H. Klepper, general manager of the Portland and Salem clubs.

WIL Schedule Set

Yakima To Open Baseball Season Here
[Vancouver News-Herald, March 15, 1946]
Vancouver baseball fans will get their first look at this year’s edition of the Western International League, Capilanos, on April 30, when Sylvester Johnson’s boys open a seven-game series against Yakima. The Pippins open on a Tuesday, then play Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and two games Saturday. The clubs move to Seattle to wind up their series Sunday.
The Caps, who start their season at Spokane April 26, play at Spokane again and Tacoma before entertaining Wenatchee here starting May 13.
All told, the locals have 75 home games scheduled, but 10 of them are Sunday dates which will be played at Seattle.
The Victoria club opens at home, too, with Tacoma Tigers providing the opposition. Laurel Harney’s hirelings get their W.I.L. baptism at Wenatchee April 26.

Laurel Harney Talks Baseball

SPORTS SLANTS
By SID THOMAS
[Victoria Colonist, March 14, 1946]
PRO BASEBALL IS COMING BACK
Professional baseball will make its reappearance in Victoria this Summer after a lapse of more than two decades, thanks to the initiative of Laurel Harney, former playing manager of the Victoria Machinery Depot, city champions.
We are prepared to admit that the support of more than 200 local shareholders of the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co., Ltd., the greater number of them businessmen, has actually made the move possible, but the one man who started the ball rolling was the peppery receiver of the shipbuilders, Laurel Harney.
Always a strong supporter of the diamond pastime, a sports which he has more than once tabbed as “the best game in the world,” Laurel Harney deserves the congratulations of every baseball-minded Victorian for the part he has played to place Victoria back into the professional baseball field.
A veteran athlete who has had considerable experience in sports generally as a player, manager and coach, Harney has worked hard to advance the plan to its present stage, and knowing sports and its obstacles, he realizes he still has a lot of hard work ahead of him. But he has the will and determination to succeed, and the ambition and drive to exert every influence to put it over.
Return of the professional diamond pastime will give the city much valuable advertising and go a long way to publicizing this city in the Pacific Northwest. Then too, it will be responsible for giving Victoria a vastly improved and up-to-date baseball park, something sports here have needed for a long time.