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MajorsThreatto PCLBy ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Pacific Coast League, once healthy and wealthy but now beset by the threat of ser* ious damage if not utter extinction, launches its 54 th season of baseball tomorrow.The 1956 pennant winning Los./ Angeles ; Angels piny host to the newest member of the far flung* PCL family, Vancouver, while Seattle is at Sacramento, Portland at Son Francisco and Hollywood at San Diego*This is a brave and brand new year. And II a close race will restore fan interest that has gradually dwindled since the peak years that followed World War II, the dub owners have a right to feel optimistic.No one predicts a runaway such as Los Angeles staged last season, and most critics look for a ding-dong battle between seven clubs. Only Vancouver. seems • destined for rough sledding.The managerial picture presents three new faces, Clay Bryant at Los Angeles, Clyde King at Hollywood and Charlie Metro at Vancouver.The other pilots include Lefty O'Doul, the dean of the corps, at Seattle; ' Tommy Heath at Sacramento, ,Eill Sweeney at Portland, Bob Elliott at San Diego and Joe Gordon at San Francisco.The order of finish, last season: Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Hollywood, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and Vancouver.Ahead is a long haul of 158 games. And after that, who knows?Ignored, for the time being, anyhow, is the danger of invasion of coast league terri: tory by one or more major league teams. For 1957, at least, the PCL is safe, if not too sound.How much alt ihe talk of big league hall coming to the coast will hurt. PCL attendance, is anyone's guess.But even the blindest PCL patron realizes the damage that resulted In the past few . years when moves were afoot to transfer Uio St. Louis Browns anti later the Philadelphia Athletics to Los Angeles.Today, the Brooklyn Dodgers own the Los Angeles franchise, cornerstone of the league, and 11 ic once very valuable San Francisco Seals are o'vned by the Boston Red Sox.Once PCL owners thumbed their noses at the major league clubs. They shunted them out of their ball parks in the spring and even barred working agreements with the majors.Today every dub but Sacramento is either owned or has a close working agreement with a big league club.PCL baseball, recognized as just a shade inferior to big league variety, is the only baseball available.mMmm•0!.wtxsi. *r-i- .M.: Vvi,^THIpolt;GopkhWa the I years clnna their Hat game, last fourtl fruit day leasht to be tors, -ioped bchim scorei game: The pion IAllinmKrn RnrpThr baseb. when Collcg by tl: opens row n Mt. honor with i Ocean 2 diaj INaza East I on the mond. Santa
Newspaper Details
Star News
Pasadena, California, US
Wed, Apr 10, 1957
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Elyria P.
OH, USA 27 Oct 2016
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