Work Continues on Victoria WIL Park

Carpenters Busy With Alterations at Athletic Park
Additional Grandstand Facilities Will Be Completed in Three Weeks—Lights on Order
[Victoria Colonist, Feb. 27, 1946]
Renovation of Royal Athletic Park for the return of professional baseball this Summer is now in full swing and should be completed in about there weeks, Laurel Harney, manager of the Victoria Athletics, local entry in the Western International Baseball League, announced today.
Parfitt Bros., local contractors, are carrying out the alterations to the seating accommodation, alterations which will provide additional grandstand seating for approximately 3,000 fans. Two new wings are being added to the present grandstand facilities at a cost of $14,000, Harney stated.
Lighting equipment for the ball park has been ordered from the Canadian General Electric and Northern Electric, and when installed, the system will cost approximately $7,000. The lighting will conform favourably with that in use in most Pacific Coast Baseball League parks.
The fixture list finally adopted at the Seattle conclave calls for 143 games, Harney added with Victoria Athletics being billed at home for 71 games and away for the remaining 72 contests. In addition to full weeks at home Victoria will have a number of split-weeks to round out the fixture list. On full weeks at the Caledonia Avenue ball lot the Athletics will play single night games on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with a double-header on Saturdays.
ATHLETICS TO OPEN TRAINING MARCH 1
Manager Laurel Harney stated last night that the Victoria Athletics will open their Spring training camp at Lewiston, Idaho, on March 1, and will break camp on March 24, two days prior to the official opening of the season. Athletics will take between 25 and 30 players to camp for training sessions.
Harney plans to leave for Oakland about March 12, to talk over the player situation with the management of the Pacific Coast League Baseball League team. He announced yesterday that six players have been signed to date: Stan Curry, Al Raimondi, and Joe Blankenship, pitchers; Frank Cirimele, second baseman; Les Mulcahy, catcher, and Tony Moreno, outfielder.
“Lefty” Maze, Army portsider who pitched for the soldiers at Royal Athletic Park prior to going overseas, will go to training camp with the Victoria team Maze, still in the services, has been approached by the local management but must secure his discharge before he can be signed by the Athletics.
While the post-season play-offs have been eliminated this season, the regular $5,000 bonus usually set aside for the play-offs will be available for the teams. It will be divided between the four top teams at the termination of the league schedule. The pennant winner will receive $2,000, with the balance being as follows: second team, $1,200; third team $1,000 and fourth team $800.
Discussing the opposition to the play-offs, Harney said, “Veteran managers are opposed to the plan as the feel that the team winnings the lengthy league schedule should be classified as champions. Then, too, in previous years, bad weather has been encountered during play-off time.”