Oaks to Help Victoria

Victoria to Get Players From Oakland
[Victoria Colonist, Sept. 25, 1946]
Confident that Victoria will come up with a good team in the Western International Baseball League, Laurel Harney arrived back in the city yesterday after visiting Oakland and San Francisco to look into the player situation.
The local baseball man was in conference with the managers of the Oakland Acorns and San Francisco Seals, and stated last night that an arrangement ha been reached with the former. “We have made an arrangement with Oakland to supply us with enough players for our entry into the Western International League,” Harney said.
Present plans call for Victoria to get six players on option, with the balance of the club being young material. In addition to the arrangement with Oakland, San Francisco promised help after keeping their agreement with Salt Lake City.
“There appears to be plenty of baseball material available, and with so many players returning from the war fronts there will probably be a surplus of players,” Harney intimated. As an indication of the material which will be available during the 1946 season, Haney stated that Sacramento has 122 new players ready to report.
In addition to the arrangement with Oakland, Eddie Leishman, Oakland scout and former manager of the Spokane team in the W.I.B.L., will scout for Victoria during the operation of the Winter League in California.
“Leishman knows the calibre of players needed for the Western International League, and his assistance in lining up additional players for the Victoria team should prove very satisfactory,” Harney stated.
Contrary to expectations, the Victoria team will not do its Spring training at home. Negotiations are now being conducted with Walla Walla, Wash., and Lewiston, Idaho in for the purpose of setting up training quarters.