1951 Figures

Cap Catcher Top Hitter, Holder Wins Hurling Title
TACOMA, Sept. 6—John Ritchey, Vancouver catcher, is the Western International League batting champion with a .346 average, four points ahead of his nearest rival, and Spokane’s Jim Holder, who finished with a 14-2 won-lost record, wears the pitching crown, it was disclosed in final unofficial averages released today from the office of President Robert B. Abel.
Chasing Ritchey down to the wire was a teammate, outfielder Dick Sinovic, who finished at .342.
Holder’s closest competition came from Pete Hernandez of Vancouver, who emerged with a 17-4 record, and in third place at 27-7 was Vancouver’s Bob Snyder, who won three times in the last five days to see a new league record for total triumphs.
WHIFFED 209
The league strikeout king is Tom Breisinger, Wenatchee southpaw, who whiffed 209, while the 176 walks issued by John Marshall, Victoria-Spokane righthander, was another high for the circuit.
Will Hafey of Wenatchee won the home run championship with 24, far ahead of the runner-up, Tri-City’s Buddy Peterson, with 13.
Sinovic wound up with the runs-batted-in title with a total of 113, one more than Spokane’s Jim Wert.
The 10 leading batters (based on 400 times at bat):
                    G   AB  H  RBI HR  Ave
Ritchey, Van ..... 137 451 156  86  7 .346
Sinovic, Van ..... 144 464 193 113  7 .342
Vanni, Spo ....... 136 588 195  62  1 .332
Peterson, T-C .... 127 483 160  95 13 .331
Wert, Spo ........ 142 544 117 112  1 .325
Pries, Vic ....... 143 540 174  60  4 .322
Richardson, Spo .. 126 435 140 108 12 .322
Arnerich, Yak .... 109 405 129  41  2 .319
Baxes, Yak ....... 143 531 169  69  9 .318
Mesner, Spo ...... 132 492 156  94  3 .317
The 10 leading pitchers (based on 10 decisions):
                     IP  SO  BB  W  L Pct.
Holder, Spo ....... 127  61  91 11  2 .846
Hernandez, Van .... 193  78  99 17  4 .810
Snyder, Van ....... 303 116  90 27  7 .794
Barrett, Vic-Yak .. 109  48  52 10  4 .714
G. Nicholas ....... 214  68  73 15  8 .625
Conant, Spo ....... 248  83  77 16  9 .640
Bishop, Spo ....... 240  62  87 16  9 .640
Bevens, Sal ....... 264 126 103 20 12 .625
DeGeorge, Sal ..... 217  83  96 16 10 .615
McNulty, Sal ...... 191  78  64 14  9 .600

WIL All-Star Club
TACOMA, Sept. 8—Pennant-winning Spokane and the second-place Vancouver Capilanos dominated the 1951 Western International League All-star team, announced Saturday by President Robert B. Abel.
Spokane placed four players on the “dream” club, picked by sportswriters and radio announcers in member cities, while Vancouuver landed three berths. Fourth-place Wenatchee gained two places and last-place Tri-City Braves, one.
The All-Star team:
John Ritchey, Vancouver, catcher; Jim Wert, Spokane, first base; Jimmy Brown, Spokane, second base; Buddy Peterson, Tri-City, shortstop; Ken Richardson, Spokane, third base; Ed Murphy, Spokane, Dick Sinovic, Vancouver and Will Hafey, Wenatchee, outfielders; Bob Snyder, Vancouver, right-handed pitcher; and Tom Breisinger, Wenatchee, left-handed pitcher.
Lone winner of an individual championship overlooked in the selection was Spokane’s Jim Holder, whose 11-2 won-lost record made him the pitching percentage titlist. Holder was passed in favor of Snyder, whose 27 victories established a new league record.
Ritchey captured the league batting crown with a .346 mark, Sinovic was the runner-up at .342 and led in runs batted in with 113. Hafey was the home run king with 24, and Breisinger was the strikeout pace-setter with 209 as well as the owner of the best won-lost record among southpaws.

Caps Attract 164,027 To Lead Loop Attendance
TACOMA, Wash., Sept. 14—Vancouver Capilanos, barely edged out of the Western International League pennant by Spokane Indians, led the circuit in attendance by a comfortable margin, final official totals released by Robert B. Abel, W.I.L. president showed today.
Capilanos attracted 164,027 customers, an increase of more than 65,000 over 1950, against Spokane’s 145,739, which was likewise better than last year’s 116,503.
Third-place Salem played before 103,976 customers against 56,935 last year.
Because of banner seasons at Vancouver, Spokane and Salem, league attendance total was off less than 70,000 from a year ago, as against a somewhat darker national trend. The W.I. aggregate was 715,155 this year, 782,076 in 1950.
After two pennant-winning seasons in a row, Yakima Bears dropped to fifth and suffered the largest decline in patronage, dropping to 60,019 from 117,790. Percentage loss was greatest in Tacoma, where the final 1951 count was 42,463 compared with 85,777 last year.
Victoria dropped from 110,317 to 69,850, Wenatchee from 105,501 to 64,482 and Tri-City from 91,797 to 64,599.

Final Stats Released
[Victoria Colonist, Nov. 7, 1951]
Victoria Athletics finished in sixth place in team batting, according to official Western International League averages released yesterday by the Howe News Bureau.
The A’s compiled a team average of .269, 23 points less than the pace-setting Spokane Indians. Other averages were: Vancouver .285, Wenatchee .281, Tri-City .277, Tacoma .277, Salem .264 and Yakima .263.
The A’s led in two departments—most doubles, 245, and most home runs, 54, which was equalled by the Wenatchee Chiefs.
Other leaders were: most at-bats, Vancouver, 4,975; most runs scored, Spokane, 860, most opposition runs, Tri-City, 851; least opposition runs, Vancouver, 584; most hits, Vancouver, 1,421; most total bases, Vancouver, 1,894; most triples, Spokane, 70; most sacrifice hits, Tacoma 118; most stolen bases, Spokane, 187; most walks, Spokane, 809; most hit batsmen, Tacoma, 40; most strikeouts, Wenatchee, 642; least strikeouts, Vancouver, 447; most left on bases, Spokane, 1286; most runs batted in, Spokane, 755.
CLAIM OFFICIAL
John Ritchey’s claim to the individual batting title was made official. The Vancouver catcher compiled a season average of .346, four points better than Dick Sinovic, and drew the most walks, 126.
Sinovic was top man in total bases, 288; triples, 17, and R.B.I.’s, 115. Edo Vanni of Spokane had the most hits, 195, and Butch Moran of Tacoma hit the most doubles, 40. Will Hafey of Wenatchee was undisputed home run leader with 24, and Hal Jackson of Victoria struck out the most times, 78.
Eddie Murphy of Spokane set a new stolen base record, 90, scored the most runs, 124, and tied with Jose Bache of Tacoma as the batter hit the most times, 11.
Sal DeGeorge of Salem topped pitchers in earned run averages with a mark of 2.57 in 217 innings. Jim Holder of Spokane had the best percentage, .846 on 11 victories and two defeats; Bob Snyder set a new league record of 27 wins and Tom Breisinger of Wenatchee led in strikeouts with 210.