Monday, June 18, 1951

W L PCT GB
Vancouver .. 42 17 .712 —
Spokane .... 39 21 .650 3½
Tri-City ... 27 30 .474 14
Salem ...... 27 31 .466 14½
Wenathcee .. 27 33 .450 15½
Victoria ... 25 33 .431 16½
Yakima ..... 23 33 .411 17½
Tacoma ..... 24 36 .400 18½

VANCOUVER, June 18—Vancouver Capilanos drew first blood Monday night in the crucial eight-game series with Spokane Indians. The front-running Canadians clipped the Indians 10-5 to increase their lead over the challengers from the Inland Empire to 3½ games.
Spokane used three hurlers against Vancouver in the first face-to-face encounter of the league pace-setters since May 5.
Dick Sinovic hit Caps' first homer in their new stadium with a blast over the left field wall with none out in the second. He also was tossed out of the game in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, he tried to steal home and blew his lid when he was called out.
Spokane scored singles in the first, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings. The Caps started off with three in the second and shelled veteran John Conant from the mound in the fourth. Gordie Brunswick greeted Conant's successor, Maynard Park, with a three-run homer. Rookie Gordon Palm finished the game for the Indians.
Spokane ........ 100 011 101— 5- 8-0
Vancouver ..... 030 510 10x— 10-13-4
Conant, Park (4), Palm (7) and Sheets; Bruenner and Ritchey.

VICTORIA [Colonist, June 19}—It might have been imagination and it might have been the rosy glow that follows victory but there did seem to be a change in the Victoria Athletics last night.
Whatever it was, the club appeared to have more hustle and it played with a sureness too often lacking as Salem Senators went down to a 5-2 defeat in the opener of a five-game series.
There game was one of the best of the season and gave a good “Family Night” crowd plenty to talk over. There was Bob Sturgeon, the former major and Coast League shortstop twice tying the score with home-run blasts, the first in four seasons for him. There was Jim Propst, in trouble often but tough in the clutches as he kept close while ex-teammate Aldon Wilkie held the A’s at bay in the early innings. There was steady fielding, highlighted by sterling plays by Sturgeon and Gene Thompson. And there was the eighth inning in which the A’s showed their most concentrated attack for some time as they struck for four runs and the ball game.
TIES IT TWICE
Wilkie, pitching cleverly, was ahead, 1-0, when Sturgeon blasted his first pitch in the sixth inning out of the park. The veteran southpaw singled in a run in the Salem eighth to take the lead again. Leading off the Victoria eighth, Sturgeon hit Wilkie’s first pitch over the fence to square matters again.
The clout, a long one, immediately touched off the game-winning rally. Propst singled and was forced at second by Jim Robinson but Don Pries kept things moving with a hit that pushed Robinson into scoring position. The fleet little third-baseman then stole third and scored the winning run after the catch on Thompson’s loft to centre. Pries went to second on the throw to the plate, scored on Hal Jackson’s single after Lilio Marcucci had been intentionally passed. Marv Diercks sent in Jackson with a double to complete the scoring.
13 MAROONED
Meanwhile, Propst was getting off the hook in every inning. The Solons left at least one man stranded in each inning and 13 for the game. A Salem runner was nipped at the plate in the third with Marcucci making a good play on the relayed throw from centre field. Propst struck out Wilkie to end the inning with two runners aboard in the fourth, whiffed Dick Bartle for the third out in the fifth with the bags loaded after Sturgeon saved a hit with a fine catch in short centre, and fired a third-strike past Dick Faber in the eighth with two out and two runners on. Thompson helped him out no end in this frame with his fine catch of Glen Tuckett’s drive to deep left.
The series continues tonight with a doubleheader starting at 7. Jim Hedgecock and John Tierney will pick for the A’s with Bill Bevens, the former Yankee ace, and Sal DeGeorge doing the heavy work for Salem.
Salem ............ 000 100 010—2-11-0
Victoria ......... 000 001 04x— 5-10-1
Wilkie and McKeegan; Propst and Marcucci.

YAKIMA, June 18—The Yakima Bears blew a sixth inning three-run lead Monday night and then bowed to the San Francisco Seals 10-7 in an exhibition baseball game.
Yakima, of the Western International League, forged into a 7-4 lead after scoring four runs in the sixth on two errors, triples by Al Jacinto and Mike Baxes and a single by Phil Steinberg.
San Francisco bounced back in the seventh with five runs on three walks, an error and two singles by Bill McCawley and Anthony Tornay. Bud Savage relieved Con Dempsey on the mound meanwhile and blanked the Bears the rest of the way.
Exhibition
S. F (PCL) ............. 000 211 501—10-11-5
Yakima (WIL) ......... 010 024 000—7-8-3
Dempsey, Savage (7) and Tornay; Del Sarto, Thompson (6), Anderson (8) and Geffe.

TACOMA, June 19 — (Special to the Herald) — Although they were minus two of their starters most of the game the Tri-City Braves jumped on the Western International league's cellar dwellers here last night 5-2. Tacoma had held a 2-1 going into the top of the eighth and were only one out away from the end of the frame when the roof fell in on starter Bob Schulte.
Five consecutive base-hits sent Schulte to the showers and brought on Jerry Barta but the damage had already been done. The singles were hit by Nick Pesut, pitcher Jack Brewer, Al Spaeter, Ken Michelson and Neil Bryant.
It was Brewer's second victory against one loss for Tri-City. Both of the wins for the former New York Giant and San Francisco were against Tacoma.
The game ended a hitting streak for Marion Watson of Tacoma, who had connected in seven straight trips previously. Brewer struck him out in three of his four attempts.
The Tri-City shortstop, Buddy Peterson, and outfielder Bill Edelstein were missing most of the night from the lineup. Peterson, who has been indefinitely suspended by league president Robert Abel for laying hands on an umpire, never did make an appearance and Edelstein got the heave-ho from umpire Dick Valencourt for protesting too bitterly over a called third strike. It was Edelstein's second whiff of the night.
With Peterson out of the lineup Neil Bryant moved back to the familiar short patch position and Manager Charlie Peterson took left field. Ken Michelson also toured the outer garden after Edelstein was booted.
Butch Moran of Tacoma was also tossed from the game.
The victory boosted the Braves into third place in the league race, a half-game ahead of the Salem Senators but still 14 games off the pace set by Vancouver.
Tri-City ....... 000 001 040— 5 11 2
Tacoma ....... 000 001 100— 2 10 1
Brewer and Pesut; Schulte, Barta (8) and Watson.

Marcucci Night at Park
[Victoria Colonist, June 19, 1951]
Tonight will be “Farewell Marcucci” night at Royal Athletic Park.
The hard-hitting Victoria catcher-third baseman, sold to Portland Sunday, will be presented with gifts from his team-mates, the club management, business firms and fans at a ceremony between games of the W.I.L. doubleheader between Salem Senators at the Athletics.
Marcucci, who will catch both games, leaves by plane at midnight to join his new club at Hollywood. The A’s agreed to let him go to Portland when the Beavers came up with a replacement.
Coming to Victoria will be Art Thrasher, former University of California star, who was purchased from Sacramento by the Beavers. Milt Martin, Marcucci’s understudy, recalled when Portland lost Joe Rossi through injury, will rejoin the A’s at once.
Thrasher is reported to be a promising receiver. He was playing for Waterloo in the I-I-I League at the time of his purchase. He is a big fellow, standing well over six feet in height and weighing close to 200 pounds. Reports on his ability came from Bob and Bill White and Hugh Luby, Salem manager, who stated his club sought Thrasher earlier in the season.
Marcucci’s sale was only part of the weekend activity in the camp of the A’s. It followed the sale cash of Pitcher John Marshall to the Spokane Indians. Marshall left for Vancouver with his new club Sunday afternoon.
Other player deals are possible within the next few days. Several player trades are still in the formative stage and there is hope that Portland Beavers will be able to see their way clear to sending a starting pitcher. Meanwhile, Bob White, twin brother of Bill, joined the club yesterday. He replaced Orrin Snyder, released on Saturday night.

TACOMA, June 19 — Dick Sinovic, slugging Vancouver outfielder who constitutes one of the important reasons the Capilanos are out in front in the Western International league, has extended his batting leadership to a comfortable 25 points, it was revealed today in statistics released from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president.
Sinovic, enjoying an 11-for-26 week, boosted his willow mark five points to .383, as against the runner-up figure of .358 posted by Lilio Marcucci, Victoria catcher who is departing the league to join the Portland Beavers of the Pacific coast loop.
Tied for third place at .350 are Spokane's Edo Vanni and Wenatchee's Len Neal, up eight and four points from last week, respectively.
While hiking his stick average, Sinovic also increased his league-leading runs-batted in total to 53, a half dozen more than a week ago. Teammate Reno Cheso with 51 and Ken Richardson of Spokane with 49 are next in line.
Wenatchee's Will Hafey had taken over the league home run lead with nine circuit blows before his weekend departure for his California home. Hafey reportedly is quitting the game.
A new threat for the homer crown appeared in the person of Richardson, who hit round-trippers in three consecutive games at Victoria to climb into a second-place tie with Vic Buccola of Tri-City and Bill White of Victoria, each with seven boundary belts.
G AB H RBI HR AVE
Sinovic, Van .... 57 227 87 53 4 .383
Marcucci, Vic ... 55 207 74 35 6 .358
Vanni, Spok ..... 50 257 90 31 1 .350
Neal, Wen ....... 55 200 70 22 2 .350
Moran, Tac ...... 50 238 83 46 .1 349
Chorlton, Tac ... 22 83 29 12 1 .349
Pries, Vic ...... 56 211 73 25 3 .346
Peterson, T-C ... 56 297 71 45 2 .343
Ritchey, Van .... 54 168 57 29 5 .339
Kovenz, Tac ..... 54 200 67 25 4 .335

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from June 19, 1951]

Just because Buddy Peterson is under the showers doesn't mean the ball game is over. The Brave shortstop was hustled out of two of the four games played; in Wenatchee. The first, and most celebrated one came Friday night when Buddy, along with Charlie Petersen, the manager, and pitchers Cy Greenlaw and Jack Brewer, were told there was plenty of warm water in the shower's and to go try it.
Here's how that big beef started. Peterson drew a walk and moved to second on an error in the top of the fourth. Neil Bryant then hit a ground ball to Walt Pocekay at third who made a stab at Peterson coming down from second and umpire Valencourt called him out. When the rhubarb ended both Buddy and Charlie were banished. Then in the bottom of the inning some choice adjectives concerning umpiring were heard from the Tri-City bench and out went Greenlaw and Brewer. Peterson's (the shortstop) second ouster came in the nightcap of Sunday's twin bill. This time though he went it alone.
CHANGE IN SCORING RULE
One scoring rule, that to us at least always seemed unfair, has finally been changed. The rule in question was that a relieving pitcher would not be charged with the hit if the batter had the advantage. Say a pitcher left a game with the count 2-2on the batter. Under the old rule if the batter then got a hit it would be charged to the first pitcher, not the reliever. However, should the batter be walked under the circumstances cited above, then the walk would be charged to the first pitcher, which seems fair enough.
But to charge a hit to the absent hurler does sound unfair. After all the reliever is sent into the game to get the batter out and if he serves up a hit, that it should seem, would be his responsibility. And that's the way it will be from now on.
ALONG THE WIL ROW
The WIL seems to be full of sales and trades . . . almost daily. Hardly one team in the league has not been casting around in a continuous effort to bolster their lineup. Spokane looking for some solid relief pitching just bought pitcher John Marshall (2-6) from Victoria. Big Jawn hasn't shown the stuff this year he has in the past. Part of his trouble could be due to the spare tire he apparently is hiding under his shirt . . . Wenatchee lost Will Hafey, their hard hitting outfielder, when Mrs. Hafey decided she wanted her husband at home in Oakland . . . at least that's Will's story and the Chiefs are stuck with it.

IT BEATS ME
By JIM TANG [Colonist, June 19, 1951]
At first glance it is hard to believe that Victoria Athletics haven’t doomed themelves to second-division occupancy by the sales of pitcher John Marshall and Catcher Lilio Marcucci. There is, however, every chance that the deals could prove advantageous. In any event, there’s little else the club could do.
Although Marshall could well mean the pennant for the Spokane club, he was doing the A’s not good and was no longer the popular figure he once was with the fans. By Class “B” standards, he was expensive property and depreciating fast. The A’s were glad—and perhaps, fortunate—to be able to realize their investment out of the big righthander, who has, or at least did have, the ability to be a winner in faster company and the color to be a big drawing card. But it’s hard to be funny when you’re loosing [sic] and Marshall couldn’t win here. There were amazingly few regrets at his departure.
There will be regrets, though, at the loss of Marcucci. The stocky veteran was one of the few players to perform up to expectations and he will be hard to replace. It was with considerable reluctance that the A’s let him go but actually there was no other alternative.
Marcucci signed with Victoria in the hope that a good season would give him another chance in the Coast League and with the understanding that the A’s would not stand in his way if the opportunity came. Although on the sunny side of 30 with many good years of baseball left, he is at a baseball age where there might be only one chance. It was unfortunate for Victoria that it came sooner than expected but it would not have been fair to have forced him to remain. He had done his part by a fine attitude and hustling play right from the start. One of the few bright spots in what so far has been a rather disappointing season, fans will be sorry to see Marcucci leave, but all will wish him the best.
The A’s will be no worse off without Marshall and his purchase price will enable them to buy a good player if one is available. They probably won’t be able to replace Marcucci but his replacement is said to be a fine receiver and it could be that Portland will come through with a needed pitcher which would more than balance the scale.
Random Harvest
With the W.I.L. definitely a two-club race at the moment, there is quite a good chance that the Shaughnessy play-off will be scrapped at the meeting in Spokane Sunday and replaced by a split-season with the second half starting on or about July 4. The winners of each half would then meet in a post-season play-down for the championship . . . The A’s plan to send pitcher Warren Noyes, sold conditionally to Yakima several weeks ago, to Idaho Falls. There he will be a teammate of John Hack, former teammate at Victoria who was sold to the Pioneer League by Salem. . . . Umpires Dick Valencourt and Ed Maslowski have been having their troubles all season. Sunday, Bud Peterson, fiery Tri-City shortstop, finally lost all restraint and is reported to have punched Valencourt fair on the nose . . . It will take baseball fans some time to tell Bill and Bob White apart. The outfielding twins are as much alike as two peas in a pod—and it will take quite a pod to hold both of them. Bob, who put a lot of life into his first-base coaching last night, claims he is the younger—by 15 minutes. . . . Art Worth, who jumped the Spokane club over a salary dispute, is pitching for Clint Hodges at Moose Jaw in the Western Canada Baseball League . . . Archie Wilson, W.I.L. batting champion in 1948 with Victoria, is leading the International League in home runs. He is at Buffalo.