Yakima's Field Namesake Dies

Called By Death
SEATTLE, Nov. 30—Shirley D. Parker, 62, one of the class B Western International league's original franchise holders, died yesterday in Beverly Hills, Calif. friends were notified.
He was a retired attorney, clubman and sportsman who practiced law in Portland, Oregon, was later owner of the Darwin zinc and lead mine in Washington state and late associated with the University of Chicago and the Alexander Hamilton Institute.
During the baseball circuit's formative years in the late 1930's Parker held franchises at Yakima and later at Spokane. He built Yakima's present Parker field, which he later gave to the city.
He had lived in California for the last 10 years. Survivors include his widow, Eleanor, and a son, Daryl, both of Beverly Hills.
[photo of Parker Field from BALLPARK REVIEWS]

New Stadium For Vancouver Closer

Vancouver Capilanos Plan Miniature 'Sick's Stadium'
WENATCHEE, Nov. 2—Western International baseball league directors looked wide-eyed here Thursday at plans for the new ball park of the Vancouver Capilanos.
Spritely Bob Brown, the Caps general manager who built the present Vancouver ball yard 38 years ago, spread the plans before the directors and proudly read off the facts and figures.
“It's a miniature copy of Sick's Seattle stadium,” he said gleefully. There's a seat with a back for each of the 7,500 fans the park will hold.
“The ball park will be ready for play next spring as concrete is being poured for the grandstand now.”
W.I.L. directors chuckled that the Vancouver park will “start a revolution” in the league.
“How deep are the carpets in the general managers office, Bob?” asked Roy Hotchkiss of the Spokane Indians, with a smile.
Ruby Robert proudly announced “It's just like Earl Sheely's office in Seattle.
“Four showers for the visiting teams too,” he reminded the other league directors, “and a press room and a ticket office right on the ground floor.”
Brown said the leftfield wall also is movable so that, in the fall, a football field may be accommodated in front of the leftfield grandstand and bleachers.
“It's a wonderful site,” he said. “Sixteen acres right across from a city park with parking accommodations for 1,400 automobiles.”
The new ball park is in the “Little Mountain” section of Vancouver, 20 blocks from the city center, Brown said.
The playing field, he explained, will be 335 feet down each foul and 410 feet to dead center-field.
WILFan note: This picture was found on the net and I have no idea of the original source. The picture is not from the WIL days; it's from 1956. In 1951, there was no roof and the press box was at the top of the grandstand.

More November WIL Meetings

Shaughnessy Playoff Readopted By League
WENATCHEE, Nov. 3—The Tri-City Braves will open their 1951 Western International League season in Spokane on April 20. The rest of the league will also open on that date with Tacoma at Yakima, Vancouver at Wenatchee, and Victoria at Salem.
The teams will probably play a 154 game schedule and have brought back the Shaughnessy system of playoffs.
These two pieces of business plus the formal approval of the new price scale were the final decisions rendered by the WIL directors yesterday in their Wenatchee meeting.
Although they set the opening date and teams no further mention was made of the 1951 schedule. That will be taken up in full when the directors meet again in Tacoma on Jan. 13.
As a sidelight they handed the Spalding sports company a contract to use their baseballs for the next three years. They also agreed to a gentleman's contract to hold their ordering of baseballs down to the absolute minimum. Scarcity of wool and horsehide have sent baseball prices rocketing upward and government contracts have made the two items hard to get.
The Shaughnessy playoff, which the league didn't use last season, will follow the end of the season. It involves the first four teams in the race. The third team will open against the winner and the fourth team will play at the home park of the second. The winners of these, two out of three game series, will then meet in a three out of five playoff at the park of the league victor.
The players will share in the gate receipts, getting 40 percent of each game in which they play.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [Nov. 5/50]

The present international situation is having it's [sic] effect on the sports world. [edited] Even our own Western International league may feel the pinch. And here's why. In the WIL they have a rule that calls for each team to carry one rookie and four limited service men. Now limited service in this case doesn't mean that they are disabled in some respect as it means in the armed forces. In baseball this term means a man with less than three years of professional baseball experience. Therefore out of a total of 18 players, the league limit, you have 13 players with unlimited experience. They can be from the majors. AAA baseball clubs or anywhere else. In the case of the WIL many of them are from the majors and the Coast league. The WIL is particularly a stopping off place for men coming down from the latter league.
On the other hand such leagues as the California State league which permits a maximum of five veterans, the balance being divided between rookies and limited service players will stand an excellent chance of being able to fill their rosters should the military draft dig deep into the nation's supply of manhood.
DON'T WANT WIL TIEUPS
Why, for instance, do you think the majors and the Coast league are not very interested in using the WIL as farm clubs. The answer simply comes down to this. Under the present player rules, which we discussed, there is no chance for development of their younger players. That's one reason why Portland wasn't reluctant to give up Salem, and that's the same reason that San Diego is willing to part with Tacoma. After all, the major part of their profits will not come from Tacoma but if they can use that team to develop their younger players with an eye to the future they would be willing continue to subsidize the team.
Furthermore the salaries here are entirely out of line with baseball salaries in general. That's why players who are drafted from this league into class A and even into AA leagues refuse to report. Why should they, when in many cases they will take a cut in their paycheck. It all goes back to the fact that the WIL just isn't a proving ground for the higher leagues no more than the Coast league is for the majors.
COAST LEAGUE THE SAME
Sure there are players here who could go up. In effect there's [sic] more who could go up and won't, than there are those who will. Look at the rosters of the Coast league. Do they sound familiar. They certainly should. Seattle's average age at one time during the season was 37. That's an age in baseball when you are usually written off as an old man.
But to change this situation isn't as easy as it may seem. Suppose for a moment that the WIL was changed to class A league. What would you, the fans, expect in the way of baseball. Well the odds are pretty good that most of them would expect to see better baseball. But the truth is that the WIL is far ahead of class A baseball.
WIL BETTER THAN CLASS A
The league owners realize this and that's why they don't want to make the change. They just couldn't bring you better baseball than what you are now getting unless the classification were jumped much higher. But reclassification is tied closely to attendance and as long as the gate isn't there they can't go into the AA system. And although there has been some talk that this league may not be able to work next season. . .the league directors scoff at the whole idea. "We should, and could have continued to operate during the last war. Unless it becomes an all-out struggle right down to the final man we will still be bringing baseball to the fans." That's the comment of one of the directors.
IT'S DIFFERENT NOW
During the past season Dick Richards, the hard working general manager of the Tri-City club, took quite a verbal blasting from the Wenatchee fans when he appeared in their park. But you should have seen the difference at the recent meeting. Then they came around asking Richards for advice. Some of the very things that he tried to institute, and for which he was so severely criticized, the people now realize must be done.
Wenatchee is in a bad way right now. They lost a lot of money last year and the local boys are having to pony up across the desk to put their team on the field next year. They may not even move out of town for spring practice. But where are those critics we mentioned now. Frankly they are pretty well divided and sniping at one another.
There isn't much of a secret why George Clark their general manager resigned. Despite the huge gate Clark brought into the park and the heavy approval he had from the fans, the boys at the top didn't like the way he spent some of the money. All of it spent by Clark, by the way, in the interest of the club.
That's how the picture looks now in the W.I.L.

November WIL Meetings

Airing Of Big League Tilts Hit
By DON BECKER
Herald Sports Editor
WENATCHEE, Nov. 2—Some well informed sources believe this meeting of Western International League directors may turn out to be nothing more than just a round of dinners and speeches. They point to the current international situation and predict that the league won't be functioning next year. Their spokesman, who is not a league official though close to the source says a recent conversation with the state director of the draft leads him to believe there just won't be enough players to man the class B league next year.
On the other hand league officials present an optimistic view.
But if they're feeling happy about the coming season, "and they are," they certainly have sounded the death knell for the broadcast of Major league baseball games—at least as far as the W.I.L. is concerned, the league directors have instructed President Bob Abel to inform the national baseball meeting in St: Petersburg, Fla., to that effect. They feel that such broadcasts have had an adverse effect on their gate.
What about the overall picture of Major league broadcasts?
That was the question we throw at President Abel. He shrugged his shoulders and answered it this way, "I think the big boys, and by that I mean the New York Yankees will see the handwriting on the wall." In substance Abel believes that these broadcasts are a thing of the past.
Abel was re-elected as president during yesterday's session. That makes the seventh consecutive year in that post. Although he has held the post since 1941 the league did not operate in 1943, '44, '45. The league directors also raised the minimum prices to 90 and 65 cents respectively for the grandstand and bleacher seats. They did not change the price for children and box seat prices are up to the indivudual club.
Topping today's session will be the one of umpires and gate cuts for the road teams. Umpiring has drawn a lot of criticism but as Abel points out "Where are you going to get better men at the price." Unofficial sources indicated the top umpiring salary in the W.I.L. is $300 per month.
The new Salem group, Salem Senators, Inc., represented here by a Salem attorney, Donald Young, got the go ahead from the Moguls provided Salem can complete their stock sale by Nov. 9. The Salem group expressed confidence they could do that.
The Canadian clubs, always heavy gate attractions at home, want the 40 percent cut for the traveling club pared down. "Why should we subsidize some of the weaker teams in the league," seemed to pretty well reflect their opinion. But they'll have a tough time pushing their plan through.
Along with Abel's election to the presidency was that of Dick Richards of Tri-City as vice president, Roy Hotchkiss, second vice president, and the re-election of George F. Abel as secretary.

ON THE INSIDE

By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [Nov. 2/1950]
WENATCHEE (Special)—One thing is certain. The price of baseball is very definitely going up. And by that we mean both at the front office and at the gate. It hasn't been voted on yet—as this is written—but a jump to 90 cents for general admission and at least 60 cents for bleachers is almost a foregone conclusion.
But before you start beating your wife or dog about the situation here's what is facing the owners of baseball clubs today. Item one. The price of baseballs has taken a big jump. . . to the point where baseballs alone will cost a class B team using 144 dozen—and that's just average—right over $4,000 next year. Uniforms are on the increase too. The one they bought for $37 last year will cost $45 in 1951. Figure that at 20 per team and you begin to get an idea of the cost of operation.
However, even though the price at the gate will bring the Western International league within the class A classification, don't look for that to happen. For one thing it would mean carrying additional players and would also increase the basic salary limit. The latter item doesn't bother them. . .they are all paying way over that limit now by handing the dough under the table.
But adding more players would mean an increased payroll and that might be tough to manage. But it isn't just going to cost you, the fans, and the owners more to watch the nation's greatest pastime. The players will feel the rap of the upward spiral in prices also. That glove they bought last year for $11.50 will be $15 this time. And by the way, if you intend to buy a baseball for junior better hop right down to the store. From now on a league baseball, such as the WIL uses, will be $3.15 across the counter.
ABOUT PITCHING AND SUCH
Earl Whitehill, a former Major league pitcher, and now western representative for Spalding Sporting Goods Company, is here taking in the WIL confab. Whitehall's big aim of course is to sell the league on using his company's baseballs. Last year the league used Wilson baseballs, but they usually switch every year so Earl shouldn't find the going too rough.
Whitehill holds what is probably one of the all time playing records for a Major league pitcher. He worked the big show for 19 years which in those days of "sore arm" pitchers is quite a feat, as you must admit. Thus what he has to say about the current crop of Major league hurlers is worth some consideration.
HIGH INTO THE THREE
"They don't work hard enough and they don't know how to pitch." That ia brief is the way he sums it up. "The slider is what I call nothing but a lazy man's effort at trying to get away without using a curve. You know originally the slider was developed to help a hurler's fastball. "But today with pitchers throwing it at half speed—the way it was never intended to be used—it' s no wonder the batters knock it out of the park."
But of all the raft of stories which Whitehill has to tell, and they are plenty, the one he likes the best is one on himself. And as you might have guessed there is an umpire involved.
"We were in Washington playing the Yankees," said Earl, "and I had the ball game won 2-1 going into the ninth inning. It was one of those cloudy, dark days and there was a slight drizzle falling. The Yankees had a man on first and the late Lou Gehrig came up to the plate. Now right outside the park, and well back of the foul line was "a big tree. What does Lou do but hammer the ball right into the top of that tree, The base umpire took one look and motioned it foul, but Brick Ownes, behind the plate, called it fair . . . it took five guys to pry me off of Ownes . . . but I got even by throwing his whisk broom into the stands."
The story came up when the press were gathered in the lobby of the hotel waiting until yesterday's morning session was finished. What started the ball rolling about umpires was the general belief among those present that a new batch of "boys in blue" was certainly needed by the league. In fact if there aren't some new ones you'll hear an awful blast from some of the scribes around the league about it.
WHO WILL BE BACK IN 1951
Looking at the teams city by city there is much still to be decided in the way of managers, both front office and out on the field. George Clark, who bossed the books for Wenatchee last year, quit yesterday. Seems that the club didn't want to pay George a year round salary so he just dropped the whole thing. That leaves the front office job here open and Tommy Thompson, the field manager, hasn't been signed yet either. In fact there's a strong rumor that Thompson may wind up in the Coast league working for his old friend Bill Mulligan, who just bought control of Sacramento.
Aside from Charlie Peterson of the Tri-City club, the only other field pilots who have agreed to terms are Alan Strange of Spokane, and Jim Brillheart of Tacoma. But even Brillheart won't be back unless his health improves a lot.
Marty Krug is still the manager of the Victoria club . . . but may not be for long. Edo Vanni, the player Krug fired last year, has applied for the job and may get it. . . Krug isn't too popular with the fans . . . and doesn't seem to care. That is the situation there in a nutshell. Salem is definitely in the market for someone new. They want a general manager who has lots of Major-league contacts . . . but name one club that doesn't. Bill Brenner will be back at Vancouver if they can't find anyone better, but they're looking hard and long . . Yakima has about six on the string for their job of running the team, but definitely would prefer a playing manager if they can find one.

Jim Brillheart

Brillheart Recovers
TACOMA, Wash. Oct. 19. (U.P.)—Jim Brillheart, field manager of the Tacoma baseball club, was reported in an improved condition today after suffering a serious internal hemorrhage here yesterday. His condition was caused by stomach ulcers.
Brillheart is head of the Western International Tacoma Tigers, the farm club of the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.
WILfan note: Brillheart recovered and managed Tacoma in 1951.

Orengo Goes

Fagan Acquires Full Ownership Of S.F. Seals
Charles J. Graham, Sister Dispose Of Shares
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27 (UP) Paul I. Fagan, millionaire sportsman, took over complete control of the San Francisco baseball club today, buying the one-third interest of Charles J. Graham and his sister Clare Graham Smith.
Fagan, who purchased one-third interest in the Pacific Coast League team in 1945 and another third last year from Charles H. Strub, immediately named Joe Orengo as general manager to succeed Graham. No change in the status of manager Lefty O'Doul is contemplated, Fagan said Orengo has been manager of the Seals farm club at Yakima, Wash., winning his second successive pennant in the Western International League this year.

Orengo Named As Manager of ‘Frisco Club
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27—Joe Orengo, who piloted the Class “B” Western International League Yakima Bears to consecutive baseball pennants the last two years, has been moved upstairs.
San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League today announced Orengo will become general manager of business affairs for the Seals.
The Orengo promotion was part of a front-office reshuffle.
President Paul I. Fagan became sole owner of the Seals after purchasing—for an undisclosed sum—the one-third interest in the club owned by Charles J. Graham, vice-president of the Seals, and his sister, Mrs. Claire Smith.
Graham has been associated with San Francisco baseball for almost a third of a century.
Asked if Lefty O’Doul would continue with the organization as field manager, Fagan replied: “I expect him to and hope he does.”
- - -
YAKIMA, Sept. 27—Frederick Mercy, Jr., part-owner of the Yakima Bears along with President Dewey Soriano and the parent San Francisco Seals, tonight said no effort would be made to name a successor to Joe Orengo as manager until the end of the Pacific Coast League season.“The Seals are in the process of reorganization and Soriano is in Seattle with the Rainiers,” Mercy said. “Soriano has announced his intention to dispose of his quarter interest in the Bears but I hope he can be persuaded to reconsider.”

WIL Not Coming to New Westminster

Plans Revived In Fan Bid For Franchise
SALEM, Ore., Sept. 20—Plans by baseball fans here to buy the Salem club franchise in the Western International League were revived again today.
Donald A. Young, attorney for a group here, said negotiations were again under way with owners of the baseball franchise and Waters Field. Young said George Norgan, owner of both the Salem W.I.L. club and the Pacific Coast League Portland club, had put a $50,000 price tag on the Senators.
This figure is substantially lower than earlier figures and Young said the chances of raising the $12,500 down payment looked good. The balance would be paid over five years, Young said.
Young said it was planned to sell 2,000 shares of stock at $25 a share. Stock option circulators were going the rounds today, the attorney reported.

WIL Circuit Refuses New B. C. Entry
TACOMA, Sept. 23—Western International baseball league directors, in session briefly Saturday in Seattle, “unanimously decided against approval of a franchise for New Westminster, B.C.,” it was announced here by Robert B. Abel, president of the circuit.
Abel declined to elaborate on the statement, but it was assumed that New Westminster interests seeking a W-I berth had been balked by one of two factors involved, or by both, namely:
1—Refusal of the Vancouver, B.C., Capilanos to waive territorial rights, and
2—Progress by a local group in a drive to purchase the Salem Senators from the Portland club of the Pacific Coast league.
Earlier this week, reports from Salem indicated that a money-raising campaign to buy the Senators was virtually assured of success. Portland's asking price for the franchise had been set unofficially at $50,000, with $12,500 required as a down payment and the balance forthcoming within five years.
In view of the fact that all of the other seven members of the circuit were on firm financial ground at the end of the 1950 season, it was considered unlikely a franchise would be available for transfer.
Organized baseball's “territorial rights” regulations provide strong protection, with the result that Vancouver could automatically veto any attempt to place a W-I club in New Westminster.
The league's annual meeting will be held be held November 1 and 2 at Wenatchee, Abel announced.