Left - John McLane an outfielder with the Lloydminster North Battleford Combines in 1958 was a 1959 bonus baby with the Cleveland Indians. McLane signed a $50,000 bonus contract with the Indians. McLane hit .307 in 48 games with the Combines in '58.
Right - Miles McWilliams, a slugging first baseman with Williston signed up with the Cincinnati Reds. At the time he was leading the league in hitting with a .406 average and seven home runs.
During the 1959 season there would be more signings.
Norm Forsythe, the ace of the Eskimos staff, from Loyola University in Los Angeles, signed with Philadelphia for in excess of $30,000.
And, below, Len Gabrielson, another of the Edmonton Eskimos standouts was reported to have received "at least" $70,000 to sign with Milwaukee.
Left - Edmonton manager Stan Charnofsky offers greetings to umpire Lefty Mack after a called third strike on one of his players as the Eskimos downed Regina 3-1. (Edmonton Journal June 17, 1959)
Centre- - the Saskatoon Commodores program 1959. 25-cents !
Right - right-handed hurler Roger Kudron (Regina) was a star at Arizona State University.
Edmonton trio -- Smiles all around after the Eskimos beat Saskatoon 3-1. John Werhas, centre, with the Sharp-MacNeill Trophy as the club's MVP. Werhas led the Esks with a homer and double. Art Ersepke, left, drove in a pair with a double and Jim Sims, right, had a shutout for eight innings. (Edmonton Journal, September 2, 1959)
Left - USC star John Werhas made a stop in Edmonton en route to a lengthy pro career, including parts of three seasons in the majors and a dozen summers at Triple-A. He was an All-American at USC
Centre- Back in the saddle. Once more to the rescue of the Edmonton Eskimos-- Alberta rancher Ralph Whitey Vold. The right-hander, who pitched in the Dodger system before coming home to help out on the family ranch, suited up for parts of four seasons with the Eskimos.
Right - John Regoli, a late-season Regina recruit. Regoli was the leading hitter in both 1959 & 1960 at Arizona State.
Left - Out at home.
A great throw from right fielder Len Breckner to catcher Jim Garrett easily beat Edmonton's Joe Campise.
The umpire is Johnny Lupul.
(Edmonton Journal, August 10, 1959)
.
Left -
Saskatoon's Pete Estrada connects for a double in a game at Cairns Field in
Saskatoon.
Catcher is Regina's Steve Strother.
Moe George is the umpire
Left - Gord Morgan, who had belted a two-run homer, Eloyd Robinson and pitcher
Gene Graves provide some support for their Commodore mates. Saskatoon
dropped a 10-6 decision to Regina.
Left - Lloydminster - North Battleford centre-fielder Monte Bond is helped off the field after suffering a hairline fracture of the ankle while stealing second base in action at Renfrew Park at Edmonton.
The injury forced the Meridians to search out a new outfielder. It turned out to be future major leaguer Don Buford.
Left - The photo caption read "When The Air Turned Blue". Saskatoon manager Roy Taylor left no doubt about how he regarded umpire Lefty Mack calling pinch-hitter Norm Popkin out on a ninth inning third strike. Nevertheless, Commodores came on to nip Edmonton 5-4. (Edmonton Journal, August 7, 1959)
Right - The Commodores late surge fell just short as Edmonton topped Saskatoon 10-9 to go two games up in their best-of-seven play series. A major factor in the visitors' resurgence in the late innings was Joe Fischer, seen sliding home with a run in the eighth. An inning earlier, he walloped a three-run homer. (Edmonton Journal September 3, 1959)
Edmonton quartet - Mike Gillespie (left) displays the wood which beat Regina 3-1 in 11 innings.
The admirers are Stan Charnofsky, whose two-run homer in the bottom of the 9th sent the playoff opener into extra innings, Don Buford, who turned in two sparkling plays in the outfield, and pitcher Norm Forsythe.
(Edmonton Journal, September 8, 1959)
Below left- Saskatoon lefty Lew Hobson. Below middle - Fresno State right-hander Harvey Casey who was supposed to suit up with Saskatoon, but was rerouted to the Basin League. Below right - Regina catcher Steve Strother.
Pitchers at Arizona State University. Front row (left to right) - Roger Barnson, Joe Kostyk, Jim Sims. Back row (left to right) - Ray Martinez, Jim Tipton, Jerry Hochevar, Dick Saunders, Roger Kudron. Along with Kudron, Sims and Barnson pitched in Western Canada.
Roy Taylor (kneeling), coach at the College of Sequoias at Visalia, California, with some of the members of his 1959 pitching staff.
Left to right - Gene Graves, Morris Yates, Bob Hydukewich (from Blaine Lake, SK), Paul Springer and Rusty Winfield. All would suit up for prairie teams.
Left - Mike White, shortstop for the Lloydminster-North Battleford Combines.
White came to the prairies from the University of California Golden Bears of Berkeley, CA.
[Photo courtesy of Max Weder]