87. 1946 Spokane Indians Memorial Game Program - Nine Players Killed in Bus Accident The story of the 1946 Spokane Indians was one we had never heard until researching this particular piece, a Spokane Memorial Baseball Program dated July 8, 1946. The chilling story is a fascinating one; one that involves the worst accident in US professional sports history. The Spokane Indians were a B-league team, a member of the Western International League. On June 24, while headed to Bremerton, Oregon to play their rival Bremerton Bluejackets, the team bus crashed through a guard rail and rolled 300 feet down an embankment and exploded. According to printed accounts, only a huge boulder prevented the bus from plummeting another 180 feet into the Snoqualmie River. Of the fifteen team members, six were killed instantly, with three more dying in the ensuing days. Six others were injured, including the driver. Third baseman Jack “Lucky” Lohrke was informed while on the bus that he had been called up to the San Diego Padres of the PCL. When the team arrived in Ellensburg, just 50 miles from the scene of the crash, Lohrke left the team and hitchhiked back to Spokane, thus avoiding the crash. Lohrke’s story itself is an incredible read. On July 8, just two weeks later, the Seattle Rainiers played a benefit game against the Oakland Oaks at Ferris Field to raise money for the team. Singer Bing Crosby, raised in Spokane, purchased $3500 worth of tickets to the game. Despite the outpouring from the community, just 6,000 fans attended the game, perhaps due to the rain. Presented here is the official program from the game. The program exhibits signs of wear, wrinkling and toning, along with moderate soiling and staining on the cover, however, still presents well. Given the light attendance at the game, the piece is undoubtedly scarce, and is an astonishing account of a horrible tragedy. In addition to containing written descriptions of the accident, it contains a team photo which identifies the status of each team member (including those killed), along with biographical tributes to the nine players who died in the accident. An incredible piece. MINIMUM BID: $150.00
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