[Province, April 17, 1952]
There was a happy wind blowing at Penticton Wednesday and Vancouver’s WIL Capilanos contributed to it by huffing and puffing and blowing Penticton All-Stars right off King’s Park.
Final score for the pros against the interior amateurs was 8-1.
Manager Bill Schuster broke out a couple of rookies against the home towners, and they did all right when they were around. Len Chenard, a big kid from Schuster’s home town, and a one-time bat boy for Los Angeles when the Cap boss played there, started and gave up the only run. But it was unearned, a two-base overthrow by Jesse Williams accounting for it.
Chenard pitched two innings, then George Stassi, a one-time outfielder with Spokane, came in and pitched shutout ball for there innings.
Big Jerry Barta, who could be a Capilano mainstay if he gets over his wildness—he’s got everything else—finished up, serving up two more goose eggs.
The victory was nice, but Schuster was happier about the recovery of some of his cripples. Besides Williams, whose stuff neck responded to treatment and let him get back into action, catcher Don Lundberg also came off the sick list. He was behind the plate for the last four innings.
Edo Vanni, who has torn ligaments in his foot, was “running around,” according to Schuster, and pitcher Ed Locke was feeling much happier about life after having a bad tooth removed.
No exhibition game is scheduled today, with the club working out for the last time at Penticton. They break camp Friday, stopping off in Omak that night for a game against Wenatchee. Then it’s on to Yakima for games Saturday and Sunday before the league opener at Wenatchee Tuesday.
Salt Lake City Bees Down Tri-City, 11-3
McClatchy Newspapers Service
MERCED—The Salt Lake City Bees pounded out 11 runs on 15 hits yesterday afternoon to down Tri-City of the Western International League, 11-3.
Although the Tri City squad garnered 11 hits it was unable to put them together when they were needed. Bill Rogers, snappy Tri City right fielder, got the longest blow of the game, a booming triple to right center field in the ninth inning.
Tri City ....... 001 000 020—3 11 3
Salt Lake .... 011 120 51x—11 15 0
J. Payne, Satalich (6) and Pesut; Hagen, Lee (6) and Triandos, Sack (5).
Pedrotti Homers Twice As Red Sox Down Spokane
SAN JOSE, April 17—Two homers by shortstop Dick Pedrotti gave the San Jose Red Sox, California League, a 6-4 exhibition game victory over Spokane, Western International League last night.
Pedrotti hit for the circuit in the sixth and eighth innings with a man on both times.
Spokane .... 020 001 001—4 8 2
San Jose .... 000 012 120—6 11 3
Conant and Sheets; Casale, Harriage (4) and Atwood.
IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang [Victoria Colonist, April 17, 1952]
Six post-war years in the Western International Baseball League have brought Victoria only one first-division club—the third placers of 1948—one real pennant contender—the speedy 1947 outfit which finally wound up fifth—two other fifth-place clubs, the 1946 tailender and the seventh-place disappointments of last season. Not much of a record.
Highlighting this record of failure has been the misfortune of the selection of managers. Managing the Victoria club is hardly what anyone might call job security. Starting its seventh season on Tuesday, the club is under the guidance of its seventh manager and there have been three mid-season switches. Right from Laurel Harney through Ted Norbert, Earl Bolyard, Marty Krug, Dick Barrett and Bob Sturgeon, there has been nothing outstanding in a managerial way although suspicion still exists that Sturgeon would have filled the bill had he had more of an opportunity.
Harney, who was the man responsible for bringing professional baseball to Victoria, made an ill-advised decision to take the managerial reins himself and was soon succeeded by Ted Norbert. Big Ted failed as a player, was hampered by the edicts of the New York Yankees, and although popular with many fans, could hardly be classed as a success. Bolyard replaced him in mid-season in 1949 and won no rating for his work. Krug, sincere and a man who knew his baseball, had been out of baseball’s pilot season too long and was unable to understand the modern player. He made his biggest mistake when he insisted on bringing Marty, Jr. with him and cost Victoria the services of Jim Wert as well as creating club dissention. There is no need to say any more than has been said about Dick Barrett, who was replaced by Sturgeon. The latter did a fine job and would still be with the club but for the uncertainty about retaining the franchise.
That brings us to Cece Garriott, the former Los Angeles outfield star who, it is hoped, will do better than his predecessors and it is only natural that fans have been asking about him as much as they have been asking about the newly-named Tyees.
He Wasn’t Fooling
Two weeks with the Tyees at Salinas were not enough to form any definite opinion on Garriott. Hardly ever speaking much louder than a whisper and a person who would think twice before saying it was raining outside if he came in dripping, he wasn’t much help to a reporter thirsting for news and with little writing material. Any mention of his club of his players brought little in the way of conversation. About the only real conclusion one could form was that he meant what he said when he accepted the managerial job—that he would run the Tyees or he wouldn’t be there.
There could be no question but that he is working at his job. He looked after every detail himself, was the first at the park and among the last to leave. He kept his players on the move and clearly intended that none of them would start the season out of condition. He was experimenting in exhibition games and no fair judgment could be made of his managerial ideas except that he has his own and will sink or swim with then. He is a firm believer in the run and hit and will rely on speed and hustle to win. Power has little place in his plans and he appeared unworried over its apparent lack, although one is inclined to believe he wouldn’t turn down a Dick Greco or a reasonable facsimile.
Perhaps on the debit side is an apparent fixation that he could shift his players from one position to another and make them better players. He continually experimented with player changes and was hard to convince they might not work. Extremely anxious to convert outfielder Granny Gladstone into a shortstop, he greeted the announcement of the return of Jim Clark coolly and openly stated his didn’t particularly want the peppery little shortstop although it appeared that Gladstone could be used in an outfield position.
On the credit side, players and baseball officials who watched his work with Visalia in the California State League last season all spoke highly of his ability to get a club to hustler. He spent a lot of time teaching and there was little which missed his attention. He defended players obviously not good enough for the W.I.L. so stoutly at times that one was included to doubt his judgment even granting that he knew more baseball but when the squad was out, it was cut logically and these doubts were dispelled. He certainly won’t be much help from the angle of publicity but that may not be needed if he gets the players. The belief here is that he will get the most out of them and at least be as good as his material. And that’s all that’s expected out of any manager.
IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang [Victoria Colonist, April 17, 1952]
Six post-war years in the Western International Baseball League have brought Victoria only one first-division club—the third placers of 1948—one real pennant contender—the speedy 1947 outfit which finally wound up fifth—two other fifth-place clubs, the 1946 tailender and the seventh-place disappointments of last season. Not much of a record.
Highlighting this record of failure has been the misfortune of the selection of managers. Managing the Victoria club is hardly what anyone might call job security. Starting its seventh season on Tuesday, the club is under the guidance of its seventh manager and there have been three mid-season switches. Right from Laurel Harney through Ted Norbert, Earl Bolyard, Marty Krug, Dick Barrett and Bob Sturgeon, there has been nothing outstanding in a managerial way although suspicion still exists that Sturgeon would have filled the bill had he had more of an opportunity.
Harney, who was the man responsible for bringing professional baseball to Victoria, made an ill-advised decision to take the managerial reins himself and was soon succeeded by Ted Norbert. Big Ted failed as a player, was hampered by the edicts of the New York Yankees, and although popular with many fans, could hardly be classed as a success. Bolyard replaced him in mid-season in 1949 and won no rating for his work. Krug, sincere and a man who knew his baseball, had been out of baseball’s pilot season too long and was unable to understand the modern player. He made his biggest mistake when he insisted on bringing Marty, Jr. with him and cost Victoria the services of Jim Wert as well as creating club dissention. There is no need to say any more than has been said about Dick Barrett, who was replaced by Sturgeon. The latter did a fine job and would still be with the club but for the uncertainty about retaining the franchise.
That brings us to Cece Garriott, the former Los Angeles outfield star who, it is hoped, will do better than his predecessors and it is only natural that fans have been asking about him as much as they have been asking about the newly-named Tyees.
He Wasn’t Fooling
Two weeks with the Tyees at Salinas were not enough to form any definite opinion on Garriott. Hardly ever speaking much louder than a whisper and a person who would think twice before saying it was raining outside if he came in dripping, he wasn’t much help to a reporter thirsting for news and with little writing material. Any mention of his club of his players brought little in the way of conversation. About the only real conclusion one could form was that he meant what he said when he accepted the managerial job—that he would run the Tyees or he wouldn’t be there.
There could be no question but that he is working at his job. He looked after every detail himself, was the first at the park and among the last to leave. He kept his players on the move and clearly intended that none of them would start the season out of condition. He was experimenting in exhibition games and no fair judgment could be made of his managerial ideas except that he has his own and will sink or swim with then. He is a firm believer in the run and hit and will rely on speed and hustle to win. Power has little place in his plans and he appeared unworried over its apparent lack, although one is inclined to believe he wouldn’t turn down a Dick Greco or a reasonable facsimile.
Perhaps on the debit side is an apparent fixation that he could shift his players from one position to another and make them better players. He continually experimented with player changes and was hard to convince they might not work. Extremely anxious to convert outfielder Granny Gladstone into a shortstop, he greeted the announcement of the return of Jim Clark coolly and openly stated his didn’t particularly want the peppery little shortstop although it appeared that Gladstone could be used in an outfield position.
On the credit side, players and baseball officials who watched his work with Visalia in the California State League last season all spoke highly of his ability to get a club to hustler. He spent a lot of time teaching and there was little which missed his attention. He defended players obviously not good enough for the W.I.L. so stoutly at times that one was included to doubt his judgment even granting that he knew more baseball but when the squad was out, it was cut logically and these doubts were dispelled. He certainly won’t be much help from the angle of publicity but that may not be needed if he gets the players. The belief here is that he will get the most out of them and at least be as good as his material. And that’s all that’s expected out of any manager.
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