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Spokane Indians

Former Spokane Indian Pierce dies at 64

Baseball: Jack Pierce, who might have been Spokane’s most popular player in the city’s final years of Pacific Coast League baseball, has died in Monterrey, Mexico, at the age of 64.

Born Lavern Jack Pierce in Laurel, Miss., the outgoing first baseman became a high school legend in San Jose, Calif., and a baseball star at San Jose City College. In 1970, he signed with the Atlanta Braves, who had drafted him in the second round.

Pierce spent much of the rest of his adult life in a pro career capped by his election to Salon de la Fama, the Mexican Hall of Fame, in 2001. He died Sept. 13.

Pierce spent part of 1973 and 1974 with Atlanta and appeared in 53 games with the 1975 Detroit Tigers. After a year in Mexico and another in Japan, he joined the Seattle Mariners’ organization in 1978, playing for manager Rene Lachemann at San Jose of the PCL.

He and Lachemann followed the franchise to Spokane in 1979, when Pierce batted .280 for the Indians with 16 home runs and 90 RBIs.

From 1980 through 1987, he starred in the Mexican League, hitting a record 54 home runs for Leon in 1986. He remained in Mexico after his playing days.

Jim Price

Saint Mary’s under scrutiny

Men’s basketball: The Saint Mary’s program is under investigation by the NCAA for potential recruiting violations, ESPN.com reported.

<p>ESPN.com, citing several anonymous sources, reported that it was told by a source that an email was sent Friday from the president’s office to the Saint Mary’s board of regents acknowledging that the college was cooperating with an ongoing NCAA investigation into the men’s basketball program.

Associated Press