Ernie Sites Inked by Victoria

Tyees Sign Hard-Hitting Outfielder
[Victoria Colonist, March 7, 1952]
If Ernie Sites is a good as the report from Tommy Robello, St. Louis Brown’s scout, and his past record indicates, Victoria Tyees can now say they have two-thirds of an outfield.
Business manager Reg Patterson announced last night that Sites, who lives in Phoenix, agreed to terms yesterday over the telephone and will report to the Salinas training camp later this morning.
Sites comes with a stout recommendation from Robello and was signed as a free agent. He is righthanded and reportedly a good hitter with an accurate and strong throwing arm and a penchant for driving in runs. And the records bear out Robello’s endorsation.
The 26-year-old flyshagger has played with Phoenix for the past three seasons. His 1951 accomplishments are not available but Robello stated that he had a good season. If he did, it makes it three good seasons in a row.
GOOD RECORD
During 1950 and 1949, Sites batted in 225 runs, hit 28 home runs, 78 doubles, stole 41 bases and scored 194 runs.
He made 165 hits in 1950, when he wound up with a batting average of .301. Sixty-four of those were for extra bases, he stole 22 bases, batted in 113 runs and struck out only 49 times in 139 games and 549 times at bat. The previous season he drove in 1112 runs on 150 hits and batted .293. Among his hits were 39 doubles, eight triples and 10 home runs, he stole 19 bases and struck out 70 times in 512 times at bat in 131 games.
Sites now joins playing manager Cecil Garriott in the outfield and if the Tyees are to get Bill Gladstone, colored flash from Portland, they should come up with a solid corps with power, speed and ground-covering ability. There has been nothing further on the status of holdover outfielders Bill White and Gene Thompson but it is unlikely tat either figure too strongly in plans.
CLARK NOT FIGURED
Meanwhile, Garriott is busy lining up players for the training camp and there is the assurance that there is going to be a lot of new faces this season. Garriott has decided against further attempts to sign shortstop Jimmy Clarke and reportedly has a colored catcher in mind good enough to make a deal for Art Thrasher unnecessary.
Patterson had nothing else to report in contract negotiations but was happy over the pronouncement from Robello that Al Lawrence, the third baseman procured from Austin in a trade for Jim Hedgecock, “should lead your league in hitting.” The only fly in the ointment is that nothing has been heard from Lawrence although it is known he has received his contract.