Vancouver ... 58 28 .674 —
Spokane ..... 54 30 .643 3
Salem ....... 42 42 .500 15
Wenatchee ... 41 43 .488 16
Tri-City .... 40 45 .471 17½
Victoria .... 37 50 .425 21½
Tacoma ...... 35 50 .421 22½
Yakima ...... 32 51 .386 24½
SALEM, Ore., July 12—Vancouver Capilanos started the long, welcome bus trip home later Thursday night after an 11-game Western International League baseball trip.
Despite their loss to Salem Senators in the final game of a three-game series, Bill Schuster’s Caps could count it a successful trip. They won seven of their 11 away games and are still solidly entrenched in the WIL lead.
Vancouver won the Salem series by a 2-1 edge in games, and they didn’t get worse than an even break at either of their other two stops. At Yakima, they had a 3-1 edge; at Tacoma, they settled for a 2-2 split.
Friday night, the Caps open a three-game series against Wenatchee Chiefs, and Tacoma then visits Vancouver for four games starting on Monday night.
Thursday night here, Dick Bartle saved Salem from a series shutout. He singled in the sixth inning with the bases loaded to ruin a well-pitched game for Carl Gunnarson.
Like winning pitcher Bill Bevens, Gunnarson gave up only two hits. His teammates got him a brief lead in the second inning when Charlie Mead tripled, then scored on Reno Cheso’s outfield fly.
But Salem got that run back in the fifth and then won it all on Bartle’s two-run single in the sixth. Bartle, incidentally, also picked up a double in the course of his night’s work; his hitting performance nullified an error which was the only one charged to Salem throughout.
Bevens notched his 13th win against seven losses.
Vancouver ..... 010 000 000—1-8-3
Salem ........... 000 012 00x—3-6-1
Gunnarson and Ritchey; Bevens and McKeegan.
SPOKANE, July 13 [Herald]—Bob Costello, the ace of the Tri-City Braves mound staff, weathered a strong storm here last night to post his eighth victory of the season. It was also the seventh decision In his last eight starts for the flreballlng right hander.
Plenty of Brave plate power when it was needed most — and four Spokane errors helped the Tri-City team to their single victory of the three-game series.
Clint Cameron, who apparently snapped, his long hitting slump, got his fourth circuit smash of the season. Sam Kanelos was aboard the bags at the time. Cameron and Nick Pesut led in runs batted in last night, each driving in three.
While Costello didn't seem to have his usual assortment of strikeout pitches he was much more effective than either of the three Spokane sent to the mound. Dick Bishop, who handled the first six innings, was charged with the defeat.
However, the Brave victory was tinged with an accident to Buddy Peterson, shortstop, who was injured on a tag out pray at second base. He was removed from the lineup.
The score was knotted twice, before Tri-City broke into the clear in the sixth inning. Although Spokane countered strongly in the eighth the Braves iced the contest with a five-run splurge in the ninth that broke the backs of the Indians.
Tonight Tri-City moves over to Yakima where they open a four-game stand.
Tri-City ...... 030 012 025—13 13 2
Spokane ..... 003 010 031— 8 11 4
Costello and Pesut; Bishop, Palm (7), Roberts (9)and Sheets.
WENATCHEE, July 13 [Victoria Colonist]—Victoria Athletics, failing to hit in the clutch, ended a disastrous road trip last night at Wenatchee by dropping the series finale, 7-3.
The win gave Wenatchee a sweep of the three-game series and left the A’s with a 3-9 record on the trip, which saw them lose six of the seven games they picked up on the losing stand during their last home stand.
BASES LOADED
The A’s twice left the bases loaded last night, the first time failing to score after the first three men got on, and generally failed to get a base hit when it counted. In the field, they missed two double plays which cost them five runs, enough to ruin any chance for Jim Hedgecock, striving for his ninth win and getting his ninth setback.
Hedgecock provided one of the game’s features when he hit a home run in the fifth for the A’s final tally.
NO AVAIL
Manager Bob Sturgeon shook his batting order to no avail but the A’s continued to strike out or pop up when they had a chance.
Meanwhile, Wenatchee took an early lead and put the game away for keeps with a four-run rally in the fifth inning on five singles. Winning pitcher Walt Raimondi and batteryman Len Neal both had a pair of hits and batted in two runs apiece, while Robertson and Lyle Palmer also added two hits each as the Chiefs batted successfully 12 times off Hedgecock.
Victoria ......... 000 011 100—3-10-2
Wenatchee ... 012 040 00x—7-12-2
Hedgecock and Martin; Raimondi and Neal.
From Jim Tang's "It Beats Me" in the Colonist, July 13, 1951: The Victoria Athletics lost again last night but shortstop Bill Dunn set a new record by hitting the longest foul ball in baseball history. It travelled all the way from Recreation Park in Wenatchee to the Douglas Hotel in Victoria, wher it spilled the coke sportscaster Bill Stephenson was drinking while doing his recreated broadcast over CKDA all over his scorebook. My my.
TACOMA, July 12—The Tacoma Tigers finally conquered their home park jinx—and on the eve of Friday the 13th, too.
The Tigers clipped Yakima 8-3 at Tacoma Thursday night for their first home park victory over the Bears this season. Yakima had won all of the six earlier Tiger-Bear clashes at Tacoma.
Enough of the jinx remained, however, to spoil a shutout for Tacoma hurled Tom Kipp, Yakima's three runs came in the sixth inning when Tiger outfielder of Sol Israel lost Mike Baxes' inside-the-park homer in the lights.
Yakima ........ 000 003 000—3 -6-1
Tacoma ....... 000 003 32x—8-12-1
Anderson, Barrett (7) and Tiesiera; Kipp and Watson.
Hard-Hitting Wenatchee Catcher Sold to Acorns
WENATCHEE, July 13 — Wenatchee catcher Len Neal, one of the top hitters of the Western International league with a .361 average, was sold Friday to Oakland of the Pacific Coast League.
Sale price was not disclosed. Neal will report to Oakland July 21 after Wenatchee's current road trip to Vancouver and Victoria.
Snyder Goes Home
RENO, July 13 —Orrin Snyder, pitcher-outfielder who has been with the Class B Western International league, was signed by the Reno Silver Sox of the Class D Far West League Thursday night.
Snyder is a Reno High graduate who broke in with Borger in a Texas League, played with Vancouver, Tacoma, Salem and Victoria in the fast Western International League. He is the son of Bob Snyder, Sr., of Reno, former American Association catcher, and brother of Bob Snyder, Jr., who is leading the W I.L. in pitching with an 18-2 record.
WIL BIG SIX
(Includes games of Wednesday, July 11)
G AB H RBI HR Ave.
Ritchey, Van ..... 81 265 101 48 5 .381
Sinovic, Van ..... 84 321 117 74 5 .364
Neal, Wen ........ 73 266 94 38 4 .353
Moran, Tac ....... 84 333 116 61 1 .348
B. Peterson, TC .. 73 271 94 60 3 .347
Vanni, Spok ...... 83 361 125 43 1 .346
Runs batted in—Sinovic, Vancouver, 74; Moran, Tacoma, 61; B. Peterson, Tri-City, 60.
Home runs—Hafey, Wenatchee, 111; White, Victoria, Buccola, Tri-City, 9.
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from July 13, 1951]
Last week when Wenatchee was playing here Tommy Thompson their pilot, made what then seemed to be a startling prediction. That was then. . .today Thompson's analysis of the Western International laague race sounds considerably more rational. The Braves were in fourth, Wenatchee fifth and Salem a comfortable third when Thompson turned his tongue to the situation.
“Most people believe that the fourth place spot in the playoffs is going to be between Tri-City and our club. Frankly I don't see it that way at all. Instead it's going to be a battle between Tri-City and Salem, with Wenatchee in third. “I figure,” he went on in that half Southern drawl he has, “that we may even be pushing Spokane hard for second before the season ends.”
As of Thursday it's beginning to look as though Thompson may be right. His Chiefs are now fourth, only one game back of a fast slipping Salem team and a game and a half in front of Tri-City. The only thing Thompson hadn't counted on though has happened. Since then he's lost Lil Arnerich for a week as a result of a bean ball pitch, Walt Pocekay is nursing a bum leg and Ross McCormack is trying to soothe an ailing back. But if the Chiefs can stagger along without that trio until they hit Vancouver today. . . then the big test will come with all the blue chips in the center. “We'll stop Vancouver,” said Thompson. Who knows maybe the guy is a prophet.
“Most people believe that the fourth place spot in the playoffs is going to be between Tri-City and our club. Frankly I don't see it that way at all. Instead it's going to be a battle between Tri-City and Salem, with Wenatchee in third. “I figure,” he went on in that half Southern drawl he has, “that we may even be pushing Spokane hard for second before the season ends.”
As of Thursday it's beginning to look as though Thompson may be right. His Chiefs are now fourth, only one game back of a fast slipping Salem team and a game and a half in front of Tri-City. The only thing Thompson hadn't counted on though has happened. Since then he's lost Lil Arnerich for a week as a result of a bean ball pitch, Walt Pocekay is nursing a bum leg and Ross McCormack is trying to soothe an ailing back. But if the Chiefs can stagger along without that trio until they hit Vancouver today. . . then the big test will come with all the blue chips in the center. “We'll stop Vancouver,” said Thompson. Who knows maybe the guy is a prophet.
THE OLD JINX IS BACK
When Ron Smith of Victoria pitched that 23-inning game against Salem here a while back we wondered then, and quite audibly too, whether Smith could beat the Jinx that sort of game holds for a pitcher. A check of the complete WIL pitching statistics shows Smith now owns a 7-8 record. Funny sometimes how that jinx seems to hold a spell. Actually of course there isn't any such thing as a jinx at all, but the regularity with which it occurs has given rise among ball players that pitching such a long distance game “takes it out” of a pitcher.
And now Bob Snyder has decided to test the gimmick. Snyder rolled through 14-innings the other night to beat Salem 6-2. Currently the Capilano hurler has an 18-2 record and is the league's winnlngest pitcher. So now let's see what happens to him. Jim Holder of Spokane went 14-innings a short time ago and pulled a shoulder muscle his next trip out. Jinx bettors will probably be laying it on the line against Smith his next time to the hill ... but we won't... not with that kind of a record.
When Ron Smith of Victoria pitched that 23-inning game against Salem here a while back we wondered then, and quite audibly too, whether Smith could beat the Jinx that sort of game holds for a pitcher. A check of the complete WIL pitching statistics shows Smith now owns a 7-8 record. Funny sometimes how that jinx seems to hold a spell. Actually of course there isn't any such thing as a jinx at all, but the regularity with which it occurs has given rise among ball players that pitching such a long distance game “takes it out” of a pitcher.
And now Bob Snyder has decided to test the gimmick. Snyder rolled through 14-innings the other night to beat Salem 6-2. Currently the Capilano hurler has an 18-2 record and is the league's winnlngest pitcher. So now let's see what happens to him. Jim Holder of Spokane went 14-innings a short time ago and pulled a shoulder muscle his next trip out. Jinx bettors will probably be laying it on the line against Smith his next time to the hill ... but we won't... not with that kind of a record.
NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Team Folds, Boys to See Other Club
AUBURN, New York, July 12—Auburn’s “knot-hole gang” of 155 boys was invited free to all the Auburn Cayugas baseball games. But they never got inside the ball park.
Cayugas withdrew from the Border League and it went out of busijness Monday, leaving the boys with buttons, membership cards—but no baseball. Police, firemen and the recreation commission had only recently organized the gang.
Gene Martin, general manager of the Syracuse Chiefs, came to the rescue. He invited the boys, 11 to 13 years old, to two Syracuse games, the first one against Baltimore July 20.
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