Spokane ..... 89 45 .664 —
Vancouver ... 86 49 .637 3½
Salem ....... 70 64 .522 19
Wenatchee ... 63 71 .470 26
Victoria .... 61 76 .445 29½
Tacoma ...... 58 76 .433 31
Yakima ...... 57 77 .425 32
Tri-City .... 55 81 .404 35
SPOKANE [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 28]—Not all Victorians were happy with the rain last night.
The downpour, which covered all of the northwest, probably cost the Victoria Athletics a victory and a chance to gain on the Wenatchee Chiefs in the battle for the fourth playoff berth in the W.I.L. They dropped a 6-3 rain-interrupted decision at Spokane.
The A’s had a 3-0 lead over Spokane Indians and John Marshall and slim Jim Propst was riding a no-hitter when rain interrupted the game in the top of the fifth inning.
Propst was not the same after play restarted. He walked Kenny Richardson and Jim Brown, and Bill Sheets singled for the first hit off Propst to drive in the first Spokane run. Again play was halted by rain.
Edo Vanni opened the sixth against Propst with a single but was forced by Steve Mesner and Propst was taken out in favor of Bill Osborn.
Osborn gave up only two hits in the remaining innings but each base blow followed walks and figured in the scoring. Brown walked in the eighth and Sheets hit a base-clearing double to give Osborn his second loss in as many games.
Victoria ........ 100 020 000—3 8 2
Spokane ....... 000 011 13x—6 5 3
Prospt, Osborn (6), Carr (8) and Cardinale; Marshall, Wyatt (8) and Sheets.
SALEM, [Herald, Aug. 27] — Salem's Senators made it seven out of eight over the Tri-City Braves last night in a Western International league baseball game played here. Since the season opened the Braves have been able to win only one contest. That was Dick Stone's 5-0 victory back at the start of the season. Salem has won each of the seven other times the clubs have met.
It was practically the same story last night. The Braves got out in front for four innings, saw the Senators tie it up in the fifth, and clinch the decision in the seventh.
Tonight's game between the two teams marks the final home stand for Salem and also will be the last road game for the Braves. Tri-City returns to Sanders field to close out against Vancouver, Wenatchee and Tacoma in that order while Salem moves first to Wenatchee and then makes a swing through Canada ending their 1951 season at Victoria.
Three consecutive singles by Clint Cameron, Bill Edelstein and Ken Michelson plus an infield out gave the Braves a pair of runs in the second panel. They added another in the third when Al Spaeter walked, moved to third on Vic Buccola's single and scored on another infield putout, after that Ray McNulty kept home plate clear of any other Tri-City efforts.
Richie Meyers and Jim McKeegan broke the Braves' back. Meyers did it with a single in the fifth that drove in two and McKeegan's single in the seventh counted another pair.
Tri-City ....... 021 000 000—3 10 3
Salem ......... 000 030 22x—7 12 2
Zande and Pesut; McNulty and McKeegan
Vancouver at Tacoma, rained out.
Wenatchee at Yakima, rained out.
Caps-Chiefs Change Draw Spokane Beef
SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 28—A formal protest by the Spokane club over a switch in the site of a baseball game played Saturday night could have an important bearing on the outcome of the Western International League pennant race.
Alan Strange, manager of the Spokane Indians, announced Monday he is protesting the transfer to Vancouver of a game scheduled to be played in Wenatchee Saturday.
Vancouver, playing at home, won that game, picking up half a game in the league standings while league-leading Spokane split a pair with Salem.
Robert Abel, league president, reported by long distance phone to a Spokane newspaper Monday that he approved the switch because of the larger “gate” that could be drawn at Vancouver.
Strange contends Abel exceeded his authority in approving the switch.
Abel said he believes he was within his rights but is “going to look through all the minutes of league meetings to see if there is anything that prevents me from making the switch of playing sites.”
With eight games left to be played in the league schedule, Spokane leads Vancouver by 3½ games.
New Ownership For Tri-City
KENNEWICK, Aug. 27—Dick Richards, former general manager, announced Monday he and Arnie Sanborn, a radio executive had acquired controlling interest in the Tri-City Braves of the Western International baseball league.
Richards, who resigned as general manager earlier this year but remained with the club in another capacity, said he will again take over the helm. Sanborn, he said, will be president of the new organization succeeding Orin “Babe” Hollingsbery, whose interest has been purchased.
“We plan no changes this season,” Richards said. “However, there will be definite changes in the team for 1952.”
The Braves have a working agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals from which the new help could come.
The club had formerly been owned by seven equal shares distributed among six men and one organization.
On the SUNBEAM
With JACK DE LONG [from Sun, Aug. 28, 1951]
Singin’ In the Rain
Because it rained yesterday I found out that this has been the most rainless baseball season in Vancouver’s history.
Bob Brown told me an all-time record was set for schedule-fulfilment in Vancouver during June, July and August. Last rained-out game at Cap Stadium was on June 6.
From the standpoint of the baseball businessman, the present season has been perfect, because the long rainless spell has been in the usually-critical attendance months.
Professional club owners expect rain in the early spring and budget accordingly.
Rain doesn’t hurt too much then because crowd interest hasn’t started to build up. But if there is a large number of washouts in the summer months, a club takes it right in the seat of the cash box.
Three seasons back, Vancouver had 14 rained-out games. It nearly washed the Caps out financially.
Good ball players dislike rained-out days, too.
John Ritchey joined Caps this spring on the understanding he would catch every game. Pitchers Bob Snyder and Pete Hernandez want to work every four days. These players take the game seriously. They want to improve. Rained-out games spoil their prospects,Bob Brown knows we need rain and he’s glad Vancouver got that soaking yesterday. But he’s also glad Caps are on the road.
Bob Brown told me an all-time record was set for schedule-fulfilment in Vancouver during June, July and August. Last rained-out game at Cap Stadium was on June 6.
From the standpoint of the baseball businessman, the present season has been perfect, because the long rainless spell has been in the usually-critical attendance months.
Professional club owners expect rain in the early spring and budget accordingly.
Rain doesn’t hurt too much then because crowd interest hasn’t started to build up. But if there is a large number of washouts in the summer months, a club takes it right in the seat of the cash box.
Three seasons back, Vancouver had 14 rained-out games. It nearly washed the Caps out financially.
Good ball players dislike rained-out days, too.
John Ritchey joined Caps this spring on the understanding he would catch every game. Pitchers Bob Snyder and Pete Hernandez want to work every four days. These players take the game seriously. They want to improve. Rained-out games spoil their prospects,Bob Brown knows we need rain and he’s glad Vancouver got that soaking yesterday. But he’s also glad Caps are on the road.
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [Aug. 28, 1951]
If you've been visiting around here lately no doubt the various baseball rumors have come to your attention now and then. We mean about the Tri-City Braves. Yesterday's story that Dick Richards and Arnie Sanborn had bought the team finally crystallized the entire affair. It helped to clear the air, momentarily at least, on several points.
First and foremost was the statement by Richards that the new owners were not contemplating moving the franchise. For some reason this has been one of the most persistent stories making the rounds, The announcement that no changes will be made in the team this season was not unexpected. Wallowing in the cellar as the Braves are it would-be foolish to attempt anything now with only 10 games left on the schedule.
Nor was the statement that definite changes would be made by 1952 an unexpected one. It's axiomatic that changes be made in the personnel of a losing club. How far will they extend? Richards said that no definite plans had been worked out yet, although certain deductions can be made on the basis of what has gone before. For instance Charlie Petersen is almost definitely out. In fact we might as well tell you now that he very nearly didn't get the field manager's job this year. The St. Louis Cardinals, who have a working agreement with the Braves, wanted to place one of their own men in as the pilot and it was only at the insistence of "Babe" Hollingbery, president of the Braves then, that Petersen was retained.
PLENTY OF NEW FACES
There will certainly be changes in the team itself too. But just how far or how deep the cut will go can at this point be only a matter of conjecture. This ntuch is certain. Richards has been in the forefront of the fight to get the WIL to return to an "honest" class B league status. That would mean enforcement of the rookie rule with a consequent lowering of the monthly payroll. That would automaticly cut into the present team.
This no attempt to prejudge what might come. But it is intended more as an analysis based, as we said before, on certain known fast facts. It will be up to the new owners to produce the best combination they can within their means. It will be to their benefit primarily to do so. After all baseball is a business and not just entertainment for the public.
HOW ABOUT THIS LINEUP
As we mentioned a few paragraphs ago there are only 10 games left on the schedule so that means it's all-star game time. How's about this for a quick rundown?
Catcher—John Ritchey, Vancouver. First base—Vic Buccola. Tri-City. Second base—Al Jacinto, Yakima. Third base—Ken Richardson, Spokane. Shortstop—Buddy Peterson, Tri-City. Outfielders—Dick Sinovic, Vancouver; Eddie Murphy, Spokane; and Will Hafey, Wenatchee. Pitchers—Jim Holder, Spokane; Bob Snyder, Vancouver; Bill Sevens, Salem and for a southpaw Tommy Breisinger, Wenatchee.
Naturally some good players were left off that list. We picked Ritchey over Nick Pesut strictly on his plate power. Dick Faber of Salem's a top outfielder as is Clint Cameron of the Braves. Second base will get a lot of argument. With Al Spaeter of Tri-City, Hugh Luby of Salem and Bob Sturgeon all set to give Jacinto a big argument. We named Jacinto more for his defensive ability than his hitting power.
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