Monday, December 3, 2007

Monday, August 6, 1951

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 72 39 .649 —
Vancouver ... 71 42 .628 2
Salem ....... 57 54 .514 15
Wenatchee ... 56 54 .509 15½
Victoria .... 50 64 .439 23½
Tri-City .... 49 65 .430 24½
Yakima ...... 47 65 .420 25½
Tacoma ...... 46 65 .418 26


VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, Daily Province, Aug. 7]—Pitching may be, as some experts claim, 75 percent of a winning baseball team. But manager Bill Schuster of the Capilanos sure wishes his other 25 percent would spruce up.
The local WIL entry got another reasonably sharp pitching performance at Cap Stadium Monday night, but once again the Brownies’ hitting, which has had all the authority lately of a slap with a feather, left our erstwhile league-leaders on the short end of the score.
They bowed, 4-2, to Tri-City Braves in the opener of a four-game series here to drop two full games behind the front-running Spokane Indians.
Victim this time of his mates current impotency at bat was little Pete Hernandez, who suffered loss No. 3 against 12 victories.
SIX RUNS IN WEEK
To win these days, Vancouver’s pitchers practically have to toss a shutout. The Caps have won five games since Monday of last week, while losing four, and three of those wins were by 1-0 scores. The Caps lost another by a similar score. In other defeats, Vancouver’s attack, once the most feared in the league, has produced one run once and two runs twice. They’ve given their pitchers exactly six runs in their last five games, including last night’s.
Most dangerous man at the plate Monday for the Caps was Hernandez himself. He sizzled a line drive in the third inning that caught Tri-City pitcher Joe Nicholas on the right ankle. Nicholas was packed off to Vancouver General Hospital and stayed there overnight.
RALLY FALLS SHORT
Before Dick Stone, who came in fairly cold to replace, Nicholas could settle down, the locals had scored their only two runs. At that, they needed help from Braves’ catcher Nick Pesut, whose throw to second trying to catch Hernandez napping went into centre field. Pete and Gordie Brunswick, who had walked, both advanced, and John Ritchey brought them in with a single. Stone had no trouble thereafter.
Tri-City scored once in the second on a single, a two-base error by Dick Sinovic on the plate, and an outfield fly. They bunched three hits in the fifth for two more and added another in the ninth on Buddy Peterson’s double and Neil Bryant’s error.
CUFF NOTES—A visitor was Dutch Reuther, famous old lefthander an now a scout for the New York Giants . . . This is familiar territory for him; he played here before making his mark in the majors . . . Despite the fact he’s not on the active list, Manager Schuster went in as a pinch-hitter, grounding out. Tri-City could have protested if he’d contributed to an eventual Cap win . . . George Nicholas is down to pitch tonight’s game of the series, at 8:30 . . . Tri-City will lose third baseman Sam Kanelos soon. He’s been called up by Sacramento of the Coast League . . . Bob Brown has an added attraction lined up for Wednesday’s Bob Snyder night . . . The Royal Whirlwinds, a roller-skating team, will add to the festivities, doing their act on a seven by seven (feet that is) table.
Clancy's story doesn't mention it, but it was Penticton Peach Festival Night at Cap Stadium. Bob Snyder is offered something from Princesses Sheila Colqhohoun (l) and Helen Eastabrook (r), and Mary McKay, Queen Val Vedette IV (c)
Tri-City ........ 010 020 001— 4 11 1
Vancouver .... 002 000 000— 2 8 1
J. Nicholas, Stone (3) and Pesut; Hernandez and Ritchey.

ONLY GAME SCHEDULED

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 7]—Victoria Athletics beat themselves at Royal Athletic Park last night as Portland Beavers grabbed a 9-4 verdict in an exhibition baseball game played before approximately 3,500 fans.
It was the first appearance here of a Coast League team and the A’s, fifth-place holders in the W.I.L., put up a respectable showing.
Playing against Portland’s best, the A’s would have made it interesting but for three errors and the lack of control of some of their pitchers.
FREE TRANSPORTATION
Errors were responsible for the three runs and of the nine runners who crossed the plate for the winners, four walked and two reached first base when they were hit by the pitcher.
Saving his mound staff for the more-important league games, Victoria manager Bob Sturgeon gave Ben Lorino and John Tierney two-inning workouts, had a look at newcomer Bill Carr for three frames, and wound up with Bill Prior.
Lorino looked good in his scoreless stint and Tierney could have escaped unscathed although he started shakily by loading the bags with no one out. A double-play by way of the plate was lost when catcher Milt Martin’s peg to first hit the runner. One run scored on the play and a second came in when first baseman Hal Jackson made a bad throw after receiving the ball.
Carr, a loose-jointed right-hander who reminds of Lou McCollum, showed the effects of lack of work. He had the wolves howling when he walked five in his first inning. He might have got out with only one run. Ben Jeffey helped with a great diving catch in right field which forced the runners to scamper back and the Victoria infield missed a double-play which would have retired the side. An error by Bill Dunn, a single and two walks sent in three runs.
Carr did much better after his bad start and only two Beavers reached base in the final two innings. He showed enough to warrant the belief he will be a capable W.I.L. relief pitcher.
Prior, not getting the best of it from plate umpire Nels Pearson, gave up two runs in his first inning, set Portland down in order in the ninth with enough finesse to make his teammates believe he can be of some service.
Jackson, who had three hits in four trips, led the A’s at the plate. His third hit, an easy infield roller which took a bad hop and got by second baseman Ed Basinski, scored two runs in the seventh to make it close at 6-4. Bill White, replacing Jeffey in the fifth, had a booming triple and a single in three tries.
Defensively, shortstop Jim Clark sparkled with seven assists, including three or four that were difficult.
DIAMOND DUST: The Portland management is to be congratulated for bringing—and playing—its best club . . . Both general manager Bill Mulligan and manager Bill Sweeney had words of praise for the infield, which Slim Hunt continues to keep in excellent shape despite the dry spell . . . Including Bill Fleming, class of 1937, the Beavers had eight former W.I.L. players. The others are Joe Rossi, Lilio Marcucci, Larry Ward, Bob Drilling, Ed Barr, Cal McIrvin, and Leo Thomas . . . Sweeney was presented with a miniature totem pole by Frank Ireland of the Athletics Booster Club before the game and Bob Sturgeon, who celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday, was the recipient of a birthday cake and some home-plate harmony from his teammates . . . Ted Norbert, anxious to catch a fish, arrived for his holidays last night and was among the spectators . . . Umpire Nels Pearson showed a reluctance to call a third strike on the Coast Leaguers and added nothing to his popularity, already at a low ebb here.
Exhibition
Portland ....... 003 040 030—9 8 1
Victoria ........ 000 011 200—4 11 3
DiBiase, Drilling (6)and Marcucci; Lorino, Tierney (3), Carr (5), Prior (8) and Thrasher.

EUGENE, Ore., Aug. 6—Salem of the Western International League blanked Eugene of the Far West League 7-0 in their second annual exhibition clash here Monday night.
Salem manager Hugh Luby had a perfect night at the plate. He collected four singles in his four times at bat.
Salem’s big inning was the second. The Senators turned four walks and three hits into five runs.
Some 1300 fans were on hand for the game.
Exhibition
Salem ...... 050 011 000—7-8-2
Eugene .... 000 000 000—0-7-1
Lew, Schmidt (5), Bevens (8) and Dana, McKeegan (8); Branch, Green (6) and Dapper.

HONORS FOR BOB, ACE PITCHER
‘Snyder Night’ Wednesday
[Vancouver Province, Aug. 7, 1951]
In 1946, Bob Brown made one of the smartest moves he’s ever made as general manager of Vancouver’s Capilanos. He changed his mind about giving pitcher Bob Snyder his release.
Snyder, like so many of his Capilano buddies that year, was back in baseball after a few years of trying to shut out the Japs in the Pacific and it was a rough road back. The short right field fence at Capilano Stadium stood like that well-known sword over Bob’s head and said sword came awfully close to dropping.
But Brown decided to give Snyder more time to find himself and he’s been counting his blessings ever since. When the Brownies came through with a rush in August that year, Snyder was one of the reasons. He finished the year with 14 wins against 12 losses—and he hasn’t been below 15 victories in the five seasons he’s been the Caps’ pitching mainstay since then. His record, year-by-year: 1947, 16-14; 1948, 15-8; 1949, 22-11; 1950, 18-17.
Right now, of course, the tall, pleasant right-hander has 20 wins against just six losses, which is just another reason why Wednesday night is Bob Snyder Night at the new Capilano Stadium.
Other reasons: Besides being Vancouver’s steadiest pitcher all these years—Bob is practically the original “Old Reliable”—Snyder is just about the most winning ball player who ever donned a suit. He’s ready to start a game or effect a rescue at any time, and when he’s not pitching, he’s warming up the other pitchers or coaching. In short, a manager’s dream.
Bill Schuster, current manager of the Reno, Nevada member of the current baseball family, has just been blessed with Snyder for one season, but he appreciates the ever-ready, rubber-armed father of two present whose present “baseball age” is 28. Says Bill of Wednesday’s doings, when Bob will be plied with cheques, gifts and what-have-you from admitting fans, “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”
And Brown, who almost feels his age when he remembers how Bob almost got away, just smiled happily and said, “It’s long overdue.”

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