Tuesday 31 July 2007

Two Cities Seek Tacoma WIL Franchise

"Pacific Coast Conference Baseball League"? Now you know why United Press was way below the A.P. on the wire service food chain. And what newspaper sports editor wouldn't fix a glaring gaffe like that anyway? I found one who did (in a reworked, shorter version of the story below), but the guy at the Tri-City Herald didn't.

Aberdeen, Bellingham Seek Club
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Jan. 4 (UP)—Bill Starr, president of the Pacific Coast Conference Baseball League San Diego Padres, today revealed he had contacted officials at Bellingham, Wash., on the possibility of moving the Padres' Farm club, the Western International league Tacoma Tigers, there.
Starr said the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and Manager Joe Martin of the semi-pro Bellingham Bells had expressed interest, but that nothing final had been worked out.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen also made a bid to get into the W.I.L. picture.
The Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce wrote Starr contending that the semi-pro Grays Harbor Merchants drew larger crowds last year than did the Bells, the Washington state champions.
Bellingham was in the Western International league in 1938 and 1939. The city supported the team during the 1938 season when it won the championship, but after a poor year in 1939, the franchise was moved to Salem, Ore.
Late last year, the W.I.L. franchise at Wenatchee was moved to Pasco-Kennewick-Richland, with the Bremerton franchise being shifted to Wenatchee.

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