1946 Spokane Indians Archives

1946 Spokane Indians

Bob Paterson: Potential Unfulfilled

The biting cold air chilled the bones of the dozens of ballplayers who gathered for Oakland Oaks spring training in Boyes Springs, California, in early March of 1946. Oaks camp was bursting at the seams with players returning to pro ball following World War II. Among them was a strapping young outfielder named Bob Paterson. […]

Eric Vickrey 3 weeks agoApril 2, 2025

1946 Spokane Indians

Jack Lohrke Hits Record-Breaking Home Run

Before 1947, the 1936 New York Yankees held the major-league record with 182 home runs. Another Big Apple team—the Giants—shattered the record in ’47 by clubbing 221 round-trippers. The record-breaking 183rd homer was hit by rookie Jack “Lucky” Lohrke, whose life story is almost beyond imagination. Lohrke, a California native, signed with the Pacific Coast […]

Eric Vickrey 1 year agoJanuary 11, 2024

1946 Spokane Indians

Chris Hartje’s Brief Moment of Glory in the Big Leagues

Chris Hartje was one of nine players killed as a result of the Spokane Indians’ bus accident on June 24, 1946. Seven years earlier, he had played briefly with the Brooklyn Dodgers. During World War II, he served in the United States Coast Guard. Hartje was attempting a postwar comeback with Spokane when the crash […]

Eric Vickrey 2 years agoMarch 5, 2024

Eric Vickrey

Tag: 1946 Spokane Indians

Bob Paterson: Potential Unfulfilled

Jack Lohrke Hits Record-Breaking Home Run

Chris Hartje’s Brief Moment of Glory in the Big Leagues

Season of Shattered Dreams