On June 24, 1946, the Spokane Indians, a minor-league baseball team in the Class-B Western International League, was involved in a horrific bus crash in Washington state’s Cascade Mountains during a road trip to Bremerton. Nine players died and six were injured. To this day, it remains the deadliest accident in the history of American professional sports.

The Indians roster was full of World War II veterans and bright prospects. Two members of the team had already played in the big leagues. Another was considered the best young talent on the West Coast. Many had competed on military ball teams during the war and held their own against major-league competition. And all had unique individual stories that deserve to be told.

The Players Involved

The tale of “Lucky” Jack Lohrke is nothing short of incredible. He earned his moniker after being pulled off the bus an hour before the crash, narrowly averting injury or death—one of many close calls with mortality during his lifetime. Lohrke served in the Army during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was once bumped off an airplane that crashed and killed everyone on board. He later enjoyed a seven-year big-league career, most notably with the New York Giants.

One member of the Spokane Indians who survived the crash was Ben Geraghty, who went on to have a distinguished minor-league managing career. Henry Aaron called him the best manager he ever played for. Geraghty’s dream was to manage in the big leagues, but the trauma he carried from the bus proved too much to bear.

The team’s top prospect was Vic Picetti, an 18-year-old first baseman who had been recruited by all 16 major-league teams before signing with the Oakland Oaks. He was a consensus “can’t miss” prospect in the eyes of scouts who saw him play.

During their respective careers, the Spokane Indians rubbed elbows with Casey Stengel, Leo Durocher, Mel Ott, Connie Mack, Richie Ashburn, Billy Pierce, Dolph Camilli, Jackie Robinson, Johnny Mize, Willie Mays, and a host of other baseball luminaries.

Photos and descriptions of the players involved in the tragic bus crash are listed below. Each had a compelling backstory which I aimed to tell.

Forthcoming Book About the 1946 Spokane Indians

I wrote a book titled Season of Shattered Dreams: Postwar Baseball, the Spokane Indians, and a Tragic Bus Crash That Changed Everything that delves deeper into the story and the fascinating series of events that occurred before and after the bus crash. It will be published on April 16, 2024, by Rowman and Littlefield and is now available for pre-order.