WIL Baseball — 1951

1951 Figures

2007-12-12T06:11:00.001-08:00

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.

Post-Season Exhibition

2007-12-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

ENTERTAINERS ’STEAL’ BASEBALL FINALE
Caps ‘Champ’ Musicians, Too
VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Daily Province, Sept. 6]—Everybody in baseball uniform got their names into the box score at Capilano Stadium’s “Players Appreciation Night” Wednesday, but the favorites of the 1823 paying customers at the Western International League’s 1951 finale were the members of the Caps’ singing quintet.
In a delightful short program of entertainment proceeding the game between the Caps and a pick-up team of Salem and Victoria players—all proceeds going to the players—stars turned out to be mouth-organist Jerry Barta, Carl Gunnarson, K Chorlton, George Nicholas of Vancouver, and Victoria’s ukelele-strumming Bill White.
These musicians brought the house down. Then they and their 26 other associates who eventually got into the box score put on a good ball game for the fans, which the All-Stars won 3-1, holding the Caps to four hits.
Other features of the pre-game entertainment included:
An announcement by Capilanos’ president N.C.K. Wills, that the club will contribute a sizeable cheque to the players’ pool from the league, a bonus which they will receive in compensation for lost returns as a result of cancellation of the post-season playoff.
Victory by Vancouver’s John Ritchey in the catcher’s accuracy throwing contest. He projected two of three throws from the plate right into the target, a washtub on second base.
K Chorlton outsped Salem’s Gene Tanselli and John Kovenz in a 100-yard dash. Jerry Barta, Ronnie Smith, Jim Hedgecock of Victoria, and Bill Schuster finished 1-2-3 in that order in fungo-hitting, a field apparently dominated by pitchers.
Dick Sinovic and Ritchey each won a suit of clothes for tying in the Caps’ 1951 home-run derby. Each hit 7.
It was a good baseball game. There were several great defensive players as the ballplayers hustled to please the crowd.
R.P. Brown, Capilano general manager, eulogized the season for the crowd over the loudspeaker system, declaring “We have a ball club we think is still the best in the league, and a pitcher, Bob Snyder, who, with 27 winds, has more ball games this season than any other pitcher in organized baseball.”
All-Stars ….. 010 002 000—3 11 1
Vancouver … 000 000 100—1 4 1
Hedgecock, DeGeorge (4), Osborn (8) and McKeegan; Tisnerat, Smith (3), Barta (4), McLean (5), Whyte (6), Gunnarson (7), Robertson (8), Sinovic (9) and Ritchey, Cheso (6)

All Stars Fail For Fernandez; Snyder Today
SALEM, Sept. 7—Salem defeated the Western International League all-stars 4-2 in an exhibition ball game here Friday night.
Saturday, Bob Snyder, Vancouver pitcher, with a record of 27 games won, will pitch for the All-Stars. Bill Bevens, 20-game winner, will pitch for Salem.
Stars ….. 010 010 000—2 9 2
Salem … 001 300 00x—4 7 2
Hernandez, Hedgecock (6) and Cheso; DeGeorge and McKeegan.

Tuesday, September 4, 1951

2007-12-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

FINAL STANDINGS
W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 93 49 .655 —
Vancouver ... 94 51 .648 ½
Salem ....... 74 68 .521 19
Wenatchee ... 68 75 .476 25½
Yakima ...... 63 80 .441 30½
Tacoma ...... 63 82 .434 31½
Victoria .... 62 83 .428 32½
Tri-City .... 58 87 .400 36½

VANCOUVER, Sept. 4—(CP)—Bob Snyder of the Vancouver Capilanos Tuesday night set a Western International League pitching record by winning his 27th game as the Caps closed out the season by blitzing the Spokane Indians 14-0.
Vancouver finished half a game behind Spokane, who won the pennant Saturday.
The Caps wasted no time teeing off on Spokane mound ace Jim Holter, who didn't last the first inning. Leadoff hitter K. Chorlton doubled. Two walks followed to fill the bases and Dick Sinovic singled.
The first frame carnage ended in a 6-0 lead for the Caps and they never stopped hitting. Charley Mead homered in the sixth with three.
Vancouver picked up single in the fifth, seventh and eighth.
Snyder, who threw a five-hitter, tied Bob Kerrigan's W.I.L. record Saturday night with his 26th victory. He was named most valuable player on the team. Negro catcher John Ritchey was named most popular.
- - - -
VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Province, Sept. 5]—To all intents and purposes, Vancouver Capilanos today are the baseball champions of the Western International League. In my book they certainly are, after Tuesday night’s whopping 14-0 defeat of the official flag-winning Spokane Indians.
The victory had a three-fold significance.
1. It gave pitcher Bob Snyder his 27th win of the season, setting a new record.
2. It gave Vancouver actually MORE WINS this season than Spokane, the record now showing:
Spokane ....... 93 49 .654
Vancouver .... 94 51 .645
It rendered hollow any claim the Indians have to WIL supremacy, following the clean sweep of the three-game series here Monday and Tuesday by the Caps, in which they outscored Spokane 33-3 and outhit them 41-14.
There had been some suspicion following the Labour Day fiasco that Spokane had rolled over and played dead following their pennant-clinching week-end. This suspicion was dispelled Tuesday night when they sent their ace, Jim Holder (11 and 1 before the game) in to deprive Snyder of his record-breaking win.
The Caps disposed of him in the first inning, after bashing six runs and three hits off him. John Conant relieves him and the Brownies rested until the fifth and sixth [when they] went to work again, scoring five runs in the sixth on six hits, including Charlie Mead’s blow over the right field wall with two aboard.
They finished off with singletons off Dick Aubertin in the seventh and eighth, for a complete scuttling of the so-called WIL pennant winners.
“There is no doubt that they wanted to win that ball game,” said R.P. Brown, Capilano general manager after. “They started Holder, their ace, with the express purpose of stopping Snyder, and our club was just too powerful.
“Spokane had reached the point where they were breaking up after the flag drive pressure, and we beat them soundly.”
Capilano field manager Bill Schuster was equally convinced that the Indians went on the field with a serious purpose. “We heard that Aubertin was given instructions to loosen up some of the boys at the plate,” he said. “I told Snyder: ‘Bob, if that’s their game, you loosen up whoever tries THAT on us.”
It was a resounding baseball finale for the Caps. The sportswriters voted Snyder the club’s most valuable player for the season, and he responded by throwing a five-hitter at the Spokes.
The fans voted Johnny Ritchey their most valuable player, the hustling little catcher having led the polling all season.
Ritchey went hitless, but unofficial figures show he ended up as the league’s batting champion, with a final average of .344 (156 hits in 453 times at bat).
The Caps just threw too much wood at the Indians’ pitching staff From the first play of the ball game, when Eddie Murphy lost Chorlton’s high fly in the lights, there was little doubt among the 3500 paying customers that the Brownies were the better club.
The Caps close the baseball season tonight with a tussle against an “all-star” club picked from Victoria and Salem. All gate receipts will go to the players, in compensation for what they were deprived of when the league voted to cancel plans for a post-season playoff.
A pre-game novelty show is planned, including:
A 100-yard dash between K. Chorlton and Dick Faber.
Mouth organ music by Jerry Barta.
A catcher’s accuracy throwing contest.
Music by the Capilano trio (Carl Gunnarson, Barta and Chorlton), and by the whole club, rendering music the players sing while travelling the circuit in their bus.
A fungo hitting contest.
Spokane ......... 000 000 000— 0 5 0
Vancouver ...... 600 015 11x—14 16 0
Holden, Conant (1), Aubertin (7) and Sheets, Nulty (7); Synder and Ritchey.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 5]—By the time most sports-page readers have scanned these lines, every member of the 1951 Victoria Athletics will be homeward bound.
It may have been a glance at the standings, which show that the club wound up in seventh place, but whatever it was, the knowledge that they lost 11 of their last 13 games, or just plain homesickness, but whatever it was, the A’s wasted no time getting off Vancouver Island. Jim Hedgecock started the exodus by leaving on the midnight boat, his teammates all planned to leave early today.
They wound up the season a bit ingloriously last night by taking a 15-9 thumping from Salem Senators to end their last home stand with one victory in six games.
With nothing at stake, the players of both clubs fattened batting averages by shaking in 33 hits. From the Victoria standpoint, the feature was Bill White’s successful effort to finish the season with 100 runs batted in. The big outfielder batted in five last night with a home run and two singles to wind up with a total of 102 according to unofficial compilation.
It will be a lunch bucket and a time clock for most of the A’s in the off-season, with many planning to play some winter baseball. Just how many will be back next year, or if there is to be a next year for the A’s, remains to be seen, but this is what the A’s have in mind while waiting:
Ben Lorino—Straight home to North Hollywood and waiting lumber truck. Anxious to return to Victoria in 1952.
Milt Martin—No dallying on way to home in Vancouver, Wash., where he will look for a job. Would like to return.
John Tierney—Back to San Francisco home soonest. Hopes to spend off-season working for the post office department. Anxious to return.
Bill White—Home to Norwalk, Calif. Hopes to get job in Los Angeles school system working with youngsters with postural defects. Probably will return although disappointed with showing this season. Had hoped for good year and return to league in higher classification.
Hal Jackson—Heading for Torrance, Calif., where he will make decision whether to return to San Angelo, Texas, for department store employment or to go to Panama for winter baseball.
Marv Diercks—Plans two weeks in Portland before returning home to Laguna Beach, Calif. Plans indefinite. May operate service station or sell it and seek other employment. Would like to play second season in Victoria.
Bob Sturgeon—Driving to Sacramento with Bill Osborn, flying from there to home at Long Beach and immediate holiday in mountains with family. Plans indefinite. Had intended to pay in the Mexican League, will probably seek some off-season employment. Hopes the A’s will still be in the W.I.L. next April.
Bill Osborn—Wasted no time in reaching Sacramento home. Impending marriage of paramount importance, job-hunting next. Would like to come back here.
Don Pries—Flying to home in Alameda, Calif., where he will bite nails until some time in October when Mrs. Pries is due to present him with what he hopes will be left-handed hitting infielder. Will look for work, play winter baseball on Sundays. Would like another season in Victoria if unable to make the Coast League.
Gene Thompson—Leaving today with Mrs. Thompson and eight-month-old Tommy for home in Lynwood [sic] and job as truck driver.
Ben Jeffey—Straight to Los Angeles and date with draft board. Expects to be in U.S. army within a few week.
Jim Hedgecock—Plans to live in Oakland where he will work in laboratory for sugar company.
Bill Dunn—Returning to job as bartender in San Francisco. Not quite so definite about announced intention of hanging up spikes after fine finish at plate.
Rocco Cardinale—Going home at once to San Francisco. Plans from there indefinite.
Bill Carr—Straight to Vallejo home and hoped for job in shipyards. Promises to make better time on return trip.
Jim Clark—Almost became Victoria resident for winter months. Would have stayed but missed job of managing Strathcona Bowling Alleys. Now homeward bound for Santa Monica with plans for job of some sort and some winter baseball. Will be back if A’s play.
Jim Propst—Wasting no time in reaching home in Kansas City and job in ordnance plant.
Bill Prior—Remains at job with King’s Printers. Willing to play part-time baseball next season.
Salem ...... 040 041 141—15 17 2
Victoria .... 103 100 004— 9 16 1
Schmidt, Monroe (5) and Dana; Prior, Tierney (7), Jackson (9) and Cardinale.

KENNEWICK, Sept. 4—With shortstop Buddy Peterson leading the way, the Tri-City Braves Tuesday night waltzed to a 10-2 victory over Tacoma in a Western International league baseball game.
Tacoma ..... 100 001 000— 2 10 1
Tri-City ..... 002 132 02x—10 16 1
Schulte, Israel (1), Kipp (5) and Lundberg; McCollum and Pesut.

YAKIMA, Sept. 4—The Wenatchee Chiefs pushed across a run in the 10th inning Tuesday night to edge the Yakima Bears 4-3 in a Western International league baseball game.
Wenatchee tallied the run when Lyle Lake drew a walk and Tommy Breisinger doubled him home.
Wenatchee .... 102 000 000 1—4 9 2
Yakima .......... 001 002 000 0—3 9 1
Palmer and Pocekay; Brenner and Tiesiera.

Monday, September 3, 1951

2007-12-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane .... 93 48 .660 —
Vancouver .. 93 51 .646 1½
Salem ...... 73 68 .518 20
Wenatchee .. 67 75 .472 26
Yakima ..... 63 79 .444 30½
Tacoma ..... 63 81 .437 31½
Victoria ... 62 82 .431 32½
Tri-City ... 57 88 .393 37

VANCOUVER, Sept. 4—The Caps waited until they had lost the pennant to splatter the new champions, Spokane Indians, against the fences of the new stadium which will not fly the flag in its first season as the home of the Brownies.
The Indians had not been in possession of their flag for 48 hours when the Caps turned the Labor Day double-bill watching by 8,000, into a fiasco.
They clouted the Spokes all over groundkeeper Gene Edlund’s perfect turf, winning the afternoon game 10-1 behind Vern Kindsfather’s four-hit pitching, and the night game 9-3, with Pete Hernandez winning his 17th on a five-hit job.
For the fans, the holiday double-header turned out to be a disappointment, as Spokane appeared to have left its vaunted power and hustle in Victoria [where it played last]. Only in the late innings of the night game did the Indians begin to behave like champions, after Eddie Murphy, Edo Vanni and Mel Wasley in the outfield had made a series of sparkling catches.
The Caps bashed 25 hits in two games off six Spokane pitchers, including third baseman Ken Richardson, who took one inning on the mound in the second game.
They burst into early leads in both games, and in the second were ahead 8-0 after three innings. They all hit in the first game except Johnny Ritchey, and all in the second except Hernandez. Kindsfather had a heavy day at the plate in his game, hitting three for four and batting in four runs. In the same game, K Chorlton batted four for five.
The Caps hustled afield as well, with Reno Cheso at third and Tran playing brilliantly. In the second game, Cheso, Jimmy Moore, Bobby McLean (who replaced Chuck Abernathy who hurt himself in the opener) and Tran pulled off three double plays, all of which were fast.
They close out the regular season at 8 p.m. at the Stadium tonight.
Wednesday night, R.P. Brown, Capilano general manager, announced the Caps will play a pick-up team from Salem with all proceeds going to the players.
First Game
Spokane ...... 000 001 000—1 4 1
Vancouver ... 130 014 01x—10 14 1
Rockey, Wyatt (6) and Nulty; Kindsfather and Ritchey.
Second game
Spokane ...... 000 000 200—2 5 1
Vancouver ... 341 000 10x—9 11 1
Aubertin, Marshall (2), Richardson (4), Roberts (5) and Sheets; Hernandez and Ritchey.

First Game
Salem ...... 100 100 030—5 14 2
Victoria .... 100 103 01x—6 8 1
Bevens and McKeegan; Lorino, Osborn (8) and Cardinale.
Second game
Salem ...... 231 000 0—6 8 0
Victoria .... 000 000 1—1 3 0
McNulty and Dana; Tierney, Hedgecock (3) and Cardinale.

First Game
Wenatchee .... 000 001 1—1 7 2
Yakima .......... 201 000 x—3 5 0
Breisinger and Roberson; Savarese and Tiesiera.
Second Game
Wenatchee .... 000 000 010—1 3 1
Yakima .......... 130 010 00x—5 13 1
Treichel and Roberson; Boemler and Tiesiera.

First Game
Tacoma ..... 000 200 0—2 6 0
Tri-City ..... 100 000 0—1 5 1
Clark and Lundberg; Zande and Pesut.
Second Game
Tacoma ..... 200 000 000 04—6 12 2
Tri-City ..... 000 000 002 02—4 10 0
Dodeward and Lundberg; Nicholas and Pesut.

Sunday, September 2, 1951

2007-12-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane .... 93 46 .679 —
Vancouver .. 91 51 .641 3½
Salem ...... 72 67 .518 20½
Wenatchee .. 67 73 .479 26
Yakima ..... 61 79 .436 32½
Victoria ... 61 81 .430 33½
Tacoma ..... 61 81 .430 33½
Tri-City ... 57 85 .399 37½

KENNEWICK, Sept. 2— The Wenatchee Chiefs scored two runs in the seventh inning Sunday night to down the Tri-City Braves 5-3 in a Western International League baseball game.
Tommy Breisinger opened the inning with a double. Walt Pocekay then grounded out and Jim Marshall fanned but with two out, the Chiefs' offensive finally got going.
Will Hafey walked and Buddy Hjelmaa's single chased home a run. Hafey scored from third on a passed ball by catcher Nick Pesut. The Chiefs added an insurance run in the ninth.
Wenatchee ... 010 100 201—5 13 1
Tri-City ........ 200 001 000—3 5 0
Arnerich and Roberson; Costello and Pesut.

First Game
Tacoma .... 001 001 0—2 7 2
Yakima ..... 000 010 0—1 6 1
Kipp, Mishasek (7) and Lundberg; Wright, Powell (6) and Tiesiera.
Second Game
Tacoma ... 000 100 001—2 8 0
Yakima .... 000 100 14x—6 9 0
Knezovich, Mishasek (5) and Lundberg; Del Sarto and Tiesiera.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

Saturday, September 1, 1951

2007-12-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane .... 93 46 .679 —
Vancouver .. 91 51 .641 3½
Salem ...... 72 67 .518 20½
Wenatchee .. 66 73 .475 26½
Yakima ..... 60 78 .435 32½
Victoria ... 61 81 .430 33½
Tacoma ..... 60 80 .429 33½
Tri-City ... 57 84 .404 36½

VICTORIA, [Colonist, Sept. 2]—Two former members of Victoria Athletics helped give the Spokane Indians the W.I.L. championship yesterday and a third player joined with the pair to shove the A’s into sixth place, only a point ahead of Tacoma’s seventh place Tigers.
The Indians won the championship by taking two games from the A’s yesterday while Salem Senators broke even with Vancouver. It was John Marshall who stopped the A’s in the afternoon, 8-1, and it was Jim Wert, a 1950 Victorian, who scored the winning run in the 4-3 contest under the lights.
It was strictly no contest in yesterday’s first game as Marshall, as good as he had to be, shackled his one-time mates with an effective pitching job. He lost his shutout in the third inning on Jim Clark’s double and Gene Thompson’s single, gave up only two sixth-inning hits the rest of the way.
Spokane scored three times in the third with Ken Richardson’s two-run homer the big blow, and wound up with another trio in the ninth.
BEST GAME
The mazda tilt was by far the best with Bill Osborn stubbornly protecting the three-run lead his teammates gave him in the second until the sixth and then losing it in the ninth.
Indians cut the lead to one run in the fourth when Wert walked and later scored on Jim Brown’s triple. Brown counted when Ben Jeffey had trouble picking the ball up and then uncorked an aimless throw.
A neat, two-out bunt by Brown plated the tying run in the sixth and John Conant won his own game in the ninth by singling in Wert, who had led off with a single, moved up on a sacrifice by Brown, and held on as Bill Sheets skied out.
First Game
Spokane ..... 013 001 003—8 14 1
Victoria ...... 001 000 000—1 7 1
Marshall and Sheets; Propst and Cardinale.
Second Game
Spokane .... 000 201 001—4 9 1
Victoria ..... 030 000 000—3 8 1
Conant and Sheets; Osborn and Cardinale.

VANCOUVER, Sept. 1—The Vancouver Capilanos lost the Western International League title Saturday night, splitting with Salem 5-4 and 4-3, losing the second game on a heart-breaking eighth inning triple by Salem’s Dick Faber.
The Caps roared through the opening game, with Bob Snyder winning his 26th of the season, tying the league record set by Bob Kerrigan of Tacoma in 1949.
Snyder started slowly and spotted Salem three runs in the first two innings, then settled down. Ronnie Smith relieved him in the seventh, but Snyder got credit for the win.
George Nicholas started the second game, with the pennant hopes riding on his shoulders. He went 2-0 in the first two innings, and by the seventh, was trailing 4-1.
The Caps, pecking away at Ludwig Lew’s pitching, got to him for three runs in the seventh after the fans had made their regular invocation to the baseball gods.
Then the play that lost the flag came.
Faber’s lashing liner drove straight for shortstop Ray Tran. Tran went down for it, but the ball caught the edge of the turf and skidded over his shoulder, through the outfield and out to the wall.
Bobby McGuire, playing his left field post, did not back Tran up on the play, and Faber ended up on third. He scored on Glen Stetter’s outfield fly.
First Game
Salem ........... 120 000 1—4 9 0
Vancouver ..... 012 002 x—5 8 1
Wilkie and McKeegan; Snyder, Smith (7) and Ritchey.
Second Game
Salem ............ 110 000 210—5 9 1
Vancouver ..... 000 100 300—4 6 0
Lew and Dana; Nicholas and Ritchey.

YAKIMA, Sept. 1—Kewpie Dick Barrett did double duty Saturday night for the Yakima Bears, pitching four-hit ball and driving in the winning run as the Bears edged Tacoma 1-0 in a Western International league baseball game.
Barrett scattered four hits and didn not allow a single walk as he racked up his 10th victory of the season against four losses.
Barrett faced only 28 batters. He singled in the only run in the ninth after the Tigers had walked a batter intentionally to get to him.
Tacoma .... 000 000 000—0 4 0
Yakima ..... 000 000 001—1 6 0
Dodeward and Lundberg; Barrett and Tiesiera.

KENNEWICK, Sept. 1—The Tri-City Braves and the Wenatchee Chiefs split a doubleheader Saturday night. The Chiefs took the seven-inning opener 3-0 behind Charley Gassaway while Tri-City captured the nightcap 6-5 in ten innings.
First Game
Wenatchee .... 001 100 1—3 9 0
Tri-City ......... 000 000 0—0 5 0
Gassaway and Roberson; Brewer and Pesut.
Second Game
Wenatchee .... 000 220 001 0—5 10 4
Tri-City ......... 000 011 012 1—6 14 1
Raimondi and Roberson; McCollum and Pesut.

Vanni Fined And Suspended For Rhubarb
[Victoria Colonist, Sept. 2, 1951]
Spokane Indians won the W.I.L. pennant yesterday without the aid of Edo Vanni, their regular right-fielder.
Vanni was fined $15 and suspended indefinitely without pay for “gross misconduct” on orders of league president Bob Abel.
The incident which caused Vanni’s suspension and fine took place in the seventh inning of Friday’s game here when Vanni protested hotly to Umpire Joe Iacovetti over a called third strike. He had to be forcibly restrained by teammates, almost coming to blows with catcher Bill Sheets, and put on quite a display featuring gestures and obscene language.

Schuster’s Talented Caps All Set for Winter Work
By Jack DeLong [Vancouver Sun, Sept. 1, 1951]
They have been the darlings of Vancouver fandom for the past four months, mighty men of the diamond, beloved by their loyal supporters and respected by their foes.
After next Tuesday, they’ll be just student Bill, truck driver Dick, engineer Joe or carpenter Jack. We mean the members of the Vancouver Capilanos’ baseball team.
For now that there will no more playoffs in the Western International League, the Caps will be closing up shop in just three days.
Playing manager Bill Schuster—Bill plans to go back to work as general handyman at the 20th Century Fox movie studios in Hollywood until the umpire yells “Play ball” again next springs.
Dick Sinovic—The apple-pounding outfielder of Caps will have an operation for a stomach ailment performed as soon as gets home to Portland. Then he hopes to work in a Portland sporting goods store.
Jimmy Moore—This speedy Cap second sacker will go back to college in Compton, Calif., where he is majoring in physical education.
Bobby McGuire—This highly-useful outfielder is going back to coaching football, basketball and baseball at Pullman, Washington high school.
Carl Gunnarson—The home brew pitcher isn’t going anywhere to find a job, He’s got one right here in Vancouver as trainer for Coley Hall’s Canucks in the Pacific Coast Hockey League.
Reno Cheso—This good infielder and utility man returns to his home in San Mateo, Calif., to resume his work as a plasterer.
K. Chorlton—The smooth outfielder is going to finish a college course in general business administration in Seattle.
Ray Tran—The hardworking popular shortstop will be back at his job as a construction workerm in his home town of Anaheim, Calif.
Chuck Abernathy—The Mr. Big who went over big at first base for Caps will just plain look forward to a job when he gets home to Los Angeles.
Sandy Robertson—Another Vancouver boy who has pitched well for the Caps. Sandy will be right back at his old job of consulting engineer in the old home town.
John Ritchey—This popular catcher and hitting pepperpot doesn’t know just what he’ll do in the off-season yet beyond returning to his San Diego home.
Ronald Smith—Pitcher is going to run a restaurant and cocktail lounge in Glendale, Calif. He’ll also play some winter ball in the fast California winter league.
Bob McLean—McLean is another Cap pitcher who’ll hit out for California and resume his job as an electrical worker.
Bob Snyder—The league’s leading righthander will soon be back behind the wheel of a big trailer truck in Reno, Nevada.
Pete Hernandez—Here’s another Cap pitching ace who is going home to Oakland, Calif. Where he hopes to resume his job at an airport.
Charlie Mead—The fleet Cap outfielder will work as a carpenter this winter in Pasadena, Calif. George Nicholas—The good Cap righthanded moundsman is going to work as a clothes cutter in a large Los Angeles manufacturing plant.
Gordie Brunswick—Best known as the chap who filled in for injured Bill Schuster at third base for most of the season, Brunswick will return to his home in Tacoma and look around for a job.
Vern Kindsfather—The come-lately to the Cap pitching staff will go back to college in Portland where he is taking a course in physical education.
Reg Wallis—The popular trainer of the Caps has already left for Penticton and a winter’s job as manager of the Penticton Arena.
Jerry Barta—Pitcher Barta will be back at university in Portland on a physical education course and refereeing basketball.

Friday, August 31, 1951

2007-12-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane .... 91 46 .664 —
Vancouver .. 90 50 .543 2½
Salem ...... 71 66 .518 20
Wenatchee .. 65 72 .474 26
Victoria ... 61 79 .436 31½
Tacoma ..... 60 79 .432 32
Yakima ..... 59 78 .431 32
Tri-City ... 56 83 .405 36

VICTORIA, Aug. 31—The Spokane Indians have mathematically eliminated Victoria from the first-division of the Western International League, thanks to a 6-2 victory over the Athletics on Friday.
Dick Bishop set the A's down on eight hits. The righthander received a three-run lead from his teammates in the fourth and it was all he needed.
Don Pries and Ben Jeffey picked up five of the Victoria hits. Pries and Jeffey connected for three singles and Jeffey had a triple and a single.
Spokane .... 000 310 020—6 11 3
Victoria ..... 000 001 001—2 8 2
Bishop and Sheets; Hedgecock and Cardinale.

VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Province, Sept. 1]—Capilano’s bats blasted Salem ace Sal DeGeorge so soundly Friday night that the managers of both clubs were still remarking about the onslaught hours after Vancouver’s 11-0 win.
Right from K. Chorlton’s first-inning homer—he was the first batter to face the Salem righthander who went into the game with one of organized baseball’s lowest earned run averages, about 2.00—until the Brownies had almost batted around off him in the seventh, DeGeorge proved nothing but a cousin to the hit-hungry Brownies.
In the Capilano Stadium press room after, Salem manager Hugh Luby said: “I’ve never seen DeGeorge hit so hard.”
“I don’t think I’ve seem them hit anybody so hard this season,” said Vancouver manager Bill Schuster.
SPOKES WIN TOO
The victory kept the Caps apace with Spokane, who beat Victoria, 6-2.
The Capilano outburst overshadowed Sandy Robertson’s great pitching chore, his fourth win of the season against four defeats. The big righthander held Salem to three hits. He had a one-hitter game into the eighth inning, Bill Spaeter singling in the fourth. Ritchie Myers singled in the eighth and Glen Tuckett in the ninth.
Robertson struck out five. He was in command all the way, and never in trouble.
The other extra-base blows by Vancouver’s murderers’ row went to Dick Sinovic for his triple our of Dick Faber’s glove hard against the centre field wall in the third inning, and doubles by John Ritchey and Chorlton.
FIVE RUNS IN THE SEVENTH
Charlie Mead’s bat came to life with a sting, his single in the fifth almost decapitating Dick Bartle on first for Salem. Previously, Mead had lined to Bartle in the first inning, and skied to Glen Stetter against the right field wall in the third.
Caps’ big five-run seventh inning came on walks to Chorlton and Sinovic, singles by Ray Tran, Ritchey, Reno Cheso and Jimmy Moore, and Meyer’ error on Mead’s hopper.
The clubs are scheduled to finish their series with a double-header tonight starting at 7 p.m. Spokane opens here Monday with a game in the afternoon at 2:30 and a night game starting at 8 p.m.
The season ends Tuesday night with a single game, starting at 8 p.m. The Capilano management advanced starting time one-half hour owing to the early darkness.
WILfan note: Not one batter reached third base off Robertson.
Salem ......... 000 000 000—0 3 2
Vancouver .. 302 010 50x—11 12 0
DeGeorge, Monroe (7) and McKeegan; Robertson and Ritchey.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 31— The Wenatchee Chiefs and the Tri-City Braves sprayed 15 extra base hits Friday night as the Chiefs edged Tri-City in a Western International league baseball game.
Buddy Hjelmaa's home run in the eighth with the bases empty chased across Wenatchec's final and winning run. Buddy Peterson homered for the Braves.
Wenatchee ... 420 010 010—8 10 0
Tri-City ........ 004 100 002—7 13 0
Treichel and Roberson; Brewer, Stone (3) and Pesut.

YAKIMA, Aug. 31—Bob Schulte of Tacoma and Manager Bill Brenner of Yakima tied it up in a pitching duel Friday night with Brenner the winner as Yakima scored once in the ninth to down Tacoma 1-0.
Tacoma ... 000 000 000—0 4 0
Yakima .... 000 000 001—1 3 2
Schulte and Lundberg; Brenner and Tiesiera.

Brownies Will Play In ‘All-Star’ Contest
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 1, 1951]
To make up for the fact that there will be no Western International League baseball playoffs this year, Salem Senators have arranged a special series between themselves and a rest-of-the-league all-star side next weekend—and there will be four Capilanos in the all-star lineup.
Four Caps named are Pete Hernandez, Bob Snyder, John Ritchey and Dick Sinovic.
First game will be Saturday; two games Sunday.

Snyder to Strike For Pitching Record
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 1, 1951]
The Capilanos are going to give Bob Snyder a busy weekend, and a chance at the Western International League pitching record. Snyder was nominated by manager Bill Schuster to start tonight’s game against Salem, in the hopes of picking up his 26th win of the season.
This would tie him with the record set in 1949 by Bob Kerrigan of Spokane [sic].
Schuster said Snyder will rest Sunday, then start again against Spokane in the last series of the season, in an effort to get the new record.
Meanwhile, the big discussions around Cap Stadium concerned WIL president Robert Abel’s announcement Friday cancelling the proposed post-season playoff among the top four teams, one of which is Vancouver.
“The players are browned off,” said one play spokesman. “They would have received a week’s extra pay, plus the bonus. Now, all they get is the bonus.”
Another player said: “There are two sides to it. The bonus wouldn’t amount to much. The pool would have been about $3300 to be divided among all the players on four teams, which isn’t a great deal.”

It Beats Me
By Jim Tang [Colonist, Sept. 1, 1951]

Cancelation of the Shaughnessy play-off by the W.I.L. yesterday without any announced good reason and with an injunction from league president Bob Abel to his club owners not to make any statements to the press has left a bad taste. The W.I.L. can justly be accused of misrepresentation and has only itself to blame if there has been—and there is bound to be—any lowering of public confidence in the league.
It has been known for several weeks that a move was underfoot by some clubs to dispense with the post-season playdowns, but it was thought that the W.I.L. would not dare make such a move at this late date. It did and fans are entitled to a good explanation, which they are not likely to get.
Abel announced that the decision was unanimous, but the Victoria club is on record as stating that it voted to retain the play-off. Abel offered as compensation that payment of “suitable and proper” bonuses to teams finishing in the first division has been authorized. But what of compensation to the fans of the four second-division clubs who have been misled into thinking their favorites still had some incentive left for the past two months?
W.I.L. owners have never been in complete accord about post-season play and there has always been considerable opposition. Those opposed argue that the weather is too uncertain and that there is no profit chance for the management. To a degree they are correct. But the weather is not worse than it is in April, and these same owners insist on that silly early start. And making money in the playdowns does not matter. The profit is taken in the last month, or six weeks when, invariably, four to six, and often seven, clubs have nothing left to play for or nothing better to sell their fans than the fact the team still has a play-off chance.
This helped our A’s this season and it must have helped the Tacoma, Yakima and Tri-City clubs as well. Certainly, it didn't hurt. It was evident early in the season that the best Victoria could hope for was a first-division berth. For the past two months, many fans who otherwise might have lost interest have kept coming only because the A’s had a chance of finishing fourth. Then they are informed six games before the season’s end that it was off. If there ever was a breach of faith, this was it. The A’s weren’t going to make it anyway but it won’t sit well with loyal fans to find out the cause they were espousing was never there. It's about time the W.I.L. started thinking more of the paying customer. Maybe there’s a reason why the league is in a shaky financial condition with five teams, probably more, again certain to show a deficit.
Random Harvest
It's all-star time again in the W.I.L. and Victoria Athletics have only one candidate. He’s Don Pries, the hustling third baseman and Ducky has plenty of opposition what with veteran Ken Richardson having a big season for Spokane and Yakima’s Mike Baxes a fine prospect. But he gets this corner’s vote for his team contribution although his .320 batting average is also a good recommendation. Other choices are: John Ritchey, catcher; Vic Buccola, first base; Hugh Luby, second base; Buddy Peterson, shortstop; Dick Sinovic, Ed Murphy and Will Hafey, outfielders; Bob Snyder and Tom Breisinger as orthodox and port-side pitchers, respectively. As manager, it couldn’t be anyone else but Alan Strange off the record.

DON CARLSON
[Vancouver Province, September 1, 1951]
And so, at last, the ball season’s end is 80 hours away. Bill Schuster is on the eve of getting safely through his maiden year as manager. Bob Brown finishes his freshman year as boss of a real cement stadium.
And what about this season? What single feature about the 1951 Caps, or handful of features, do Brown and Schuster hold responsible for the club’s great showing.
Brown puts it down to three items, four ballplayers, four names you have trouble guessing ahead of this typewriter.
“First, you’ve got to lay it to Schuster,” Brown said, “By his great leadership by demonstration, he kept his boys fighting all season. His technique was ‘Here, boys, here’s what I have done. I’ll do it first and you follow.’
“Schuster learned plenty in this freshman season of his. Above everything, he learned what to discount in club management and what to put a premium on.”
His Loss Cost 10 Games
“If we had not lost Schuster out of the regular lineup we could have won 10 or 12 more games.
“Secondly, we had a great offensive-defensive combination in Johnny Ritchie, behind the plate, and Dick Sinovic, in centre field.
“These two were reciprocal. I mean, when one hit a slump, the other hit a spurt. Sinovic also turned out to be a good leader for his team-mates. He, too, lead by demonstration. His spark and inspiration were vital to us.
“Thirdly, there is Bob Snyder, our great veteran. His pitching steadiness kept the club’s head up at all times.”
We asked Schuster for his impression of the season. He said he agreed with Brown on some of the names.
“But don’t forget,” he said, “what Mr. Brown did for this club. I have never seen a man who wanted a pennant more.
Brown Sought the Best
“Do you want proof of that? Look at the ball players he got for us. Men like Chorlton and Kindsfather. Those guys don’t grow on trees.”
Those of us who have grown to know Schuster have found in this man who came here with the reputation of a baseball clown rather a serious student of the game. He has learned the loneliness of high places. “It has been a rare lesson for me,” he said.
A word must be reserved for the rest of the club. It was a tough season, the schedule probably the worst the WIN ever had.
On top of that, you had the record dry spell which cut out postponements. The newspapermen close to the club saw the ballplayers at times dead beat in the dugout before a game.
If the Caps think they weren’t appreciated, there is one feature of the season to remind them: that attendance record. As Brown said back in April: “Give the public a good ball team, and they’ll support you.” They got a good club and they supported it.

Thursday, August 30, 1951

2007-12-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 90 46 .683 —
Vancouver ... 89 50 .640 3½
Salem ....... 71 65 .522 19
Wenatchee ... 64 72 .471 28
Victoria .... 61 78 .439 30½
Tacoma ...... 60 78 .435 31
Yakima ...... 58 78 .426 32
Tri-City .... 56 82 .406 35

Abel Calls Off WIL Playoffs
YAKIMA, Aug. 31—There will be no playoffs in the Western International Baseball League this year.
The cancellation was announced today by Robert B. Abel, league president, here today.
Previously the league had planned a Shaughnessy playoff between the first four teams to start about Thursday of next week.
In making the announcement, Abel said “We have made arrangements, however, to pay the players the bonuses the would have received had the playoff been held.”
Abel estimated members of the pennant-winning team would split up a pot “in exceess of $1,000.”
Spokane, Vancouver, Wenatchee and Salem were to have participated.
League director voted unanimously to eliminate the post-season competition.
Uncertain weather conditions constituted one of the factors involved in the decision to cancel the playoffs, Abel announced.
Photo above: Dick Sinovic of the Caps reacts to news of no playoffs by cooly practising post-season golf on the Cap Stadium infield. Manager Bill Schuster is his caddy as pitcher George Nicholas looks on.

SPOKANE, Aug. 30—The Yakima Bears scored once in the ninth to break a 2-2 tie, despite being handcuffed by Spokane ace Jim Holder on five hits, to beat the Indians 3-2 in a Western International League game Thursday night.
Yakima ..... 000 002 001—3 5 2
Spokane ... 000 000 020—2 10 4
Savarese and Tiesiera; Holder and Sheets.

KENNEWICK [Herald, Aug. 31]—Last night, the Tri-City Braves split a twin bill with the Vancouver Capllanos at Sanders Field, winning the opener 4-1 but dropping the nightcap 10-6.
Tonight the Wenatchee Chiefs are scheduled to move in for a four-game series. On tap is a single game Friday, two Saturday and another solo Sunday. Tacoma arrived Monday to play a twin bill and will wind up the WIL season here on Tuesday.
Joe Nicholas handcuffed the Capilanos with a neat four-hitter in the seven inning opener last night and did not permit a single Vancouver runner, to reach third base. Three of them got as far as second but died thers for lack of hitting support as the cagey Nicholas kept the Caps hitting into the dirt. The submarine ace was backed up by excellent fielding support which produced three double plays.
Buddy Peterson and Ken Michelson led the Tri-City attack with four-masters. Peterson's, his 12th of the season came in the fifth, while Michelson's third of the year was produced In the sixth when he came into the game as a pinch hitter for Buzz Berriesford.
Bob Snyder cranked up his 25th league victory of the season in the nightcap, although it was a shaky one, The decision moved the Vancouver right hander within one game of tieing the league record of 26 victories in a single season set by Bob Kerrigan of Tacoma in 1950.
The Braves crept up close behind Snyder several times in the game but could never quite clinch it, Clint Cameron and Buddy Peterson paced the hitting attack, Cameron collected three for four including his eighth home run of the year in the eighth inning which produced three Tri-City runs. Peterson laced Snyder's offerings for a double and a single in his four trips. Bob Costello, who started on the Brave mound, was charged with the loss. He was relieved by Augie Zande in the second and Ken Michelson came on in the seventh. Michelson gave up but one hit in his two-inning-plus tour but an error allowed two Vancouver runs.
Manager Charlie Petersen has nominated Jack Brewer as his starter tonight against Wenatchee.
First game
Vancouver .... 000 000 0—0 4 0
Tri-City ........ 010 021 x—4 6 1
Hernandez, Gunnarson (6) and Ritchey; J. Nicholas and Pesut.
Second game
Vancouver .... 220 010 301—10 15
Tri-City ........ 100 020 030—6 8 1
Snyder and Ritchey; Costello, Zande (2), Michelson (7) and Pesut.

First game
Salem .......... 000 303 0—6 5 0
Wenatchee ... 100 000 0—1 5 0
Bevens and McKeegan; Breisinger and Roberson.
Second game
Salem .......... 011 000 000 000 0—2 10 1
Wenatchee ... 000 011 000 000 1—3 11 2
Schmidt and Dana; Breisinger and Roberson.

TACOMA [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 31]—If Victoria Athletics miss the post-season W.I.L. playdowns, as seems certain, they can blame it on their curious inability to win away from home. Still retaining a fair chance when they left on their last road trip, which concluded with a 5-4 setback at Tacoma last night, the A’s arrive home today all but mathematically eliminated. They lost five or six games played this time, leaving them with a road record of 25-46. At Royal Athletic Park, they are 36-32 for the season and have played .750 baseball there since Bob Sturgeon replaced Dick Barrett as manager.
INDIANS HERE TONIGHT
Tonight’s game with the league-leading Spokane Indians marks the star of the next-to-last series of the season. Two games tomorrow round out this series and Salem Senators move in Monday for a doubleheader and a single game Tuesday which winds up this season’s play.
ORCHIDS AND MARSHALL?
Tonight is “Orchid Night.” The first 1,000 feminine customers will receive an orchid and the management hopes that none are left by game time. In addition, there is a good possibility that John Marshall will face his old teammates in the opener. The Indians, with the pennant in their grasp, will doubtless shoot their best at the A’s in the hopes of a clinch before moving to Vancouver Monday to complete the season.
Last night, John Tierney came up with a pitching gem—for seven innings. He had a two-hitter, a shutout, and ten strikeouts going into the eighth. Then an error by Don Pries, a single by Butch Moran and a walk to Vince DiMaggio loaded the bags with one out. Jose Bache singled in the tying runs and the Tigers went ahead when DiMaggio scored after an outfield fly.
REGAIN LEAD
Scrapping back, the A’s took the lead again in the ninth when Gene Thompson scored Ben Jeffey with a two-out double and scored the go-ahead run on Rocco Cardinale’s single.
But Sol Israel led off the Tacoma ninth with a triple, scored the tying run on an outfield fly. Manager Bob Sturgeon called on Jim Propst but the slim lefthander failed and took the loss. John Kovenz greeted him with a bunt single and was bunted along by Moran. The A’s elected to pitch to DiMaggio and he broke it up with a double.
Victoria ....... 200 000 002—4 7 1
Tacoma ...... 000 000 032—5 7 2
Tierney, Propst (9) and Cardinale; Clark and Armstrong, Lundberg (8).

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 31, 1951]
SPOKES MAY BOYCOTT PLAYOFFS

Latest baseball rumor coursing through the WIL is that Spokane will boycott the playoffs. The dopesters even have it that Bob Abel, president of the league, is now in Spokane huddling with Alan Strange and others trying to straighten out the tangle. The beef, they say, stems from a recent Abel decision which permitted Wenatchee to play in Vancouver a game originally scheduled for the Chief’s diamond.
Spokane contends Vancouver made the maneuver to assure themselves of a better chance at winning the game ... which they did. However, both Vancouver and Wenatchee say the change was made because of the prospect of a bigger gate. That could be true. But it would have to be considerably larger to offset the 60 percent the Chiefs would get at home, plus the profits from their concessions as against the 40 percent take at Vancouver. Abel says he has a perfect right to make the change.
Frankly the whole thing sounds like a tempest in a teapot, Spokane seems to be taking the childish attitude that “I brought the ball so I’m going to be the pitcher.”
JOTS AND DOTS . . . HERE AND THERE
Neil Bryant has been having tooth trouble again. That’s what kept him out of several recent games . . . Buddy Peterson's suspension was lifted in time for the Monday night game, but that same old shoulder injury is bothering him again.

Wednesday, August 29, 1951

2007-12-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 90 45 .667 —
Vancouver ... 88 49 .642 3
Salem ....... 70 64 .522 19½
Wenatchee ... 63 71 .470 26½
Victoria .... 61 77 .442 30½
Tacoma ...... 59 78 .431 32
Yakima ...... 57 78 .422 33
Tri-City .... 55 81 .404 35½

TACOMA [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 30]—Tacoma Tigers erupted for five hits in the eighth inning to take a 6-3 decision from Victoria Athletics at Tacoma last night and virtually kill the A’s last hope of catching a W.I.L. playoff berth.
The defeat dropped the A’s a full four games behind the fourth-place Wenatchee Chiefs—rained out at Salem last night—with six games to pick up on the losing side. The A’s have seven games left—six of them against first.division clubs—while the Chiefs have nine games remaining against the lowly Yakima Bears and Tri-City Braves.
SLIM CHANCE
To gain a play-off berth the A’s would have to win six of their remaining contests if the Chiefs were to lose seven. If the Chiefs only lose six, the A’s must sweep all seven remaining games.
It was bases on balls that led to the A’s defeat last night, walks starting all three Tacoma scoring innings. The Tigers pushed over their first run in the bottom of the second, after Victoria had taken a 2-0 lead, when Vince DiMaggio walked, advanced on a balt and scored on Merv Dubbers’ single. John Kovenz walked to open the sixth, went to third on Butch Moran’s single and scored on DiMaggio’s fly to even the score.
WINNING RALLY
Until the eighth, the hits by Dubbers and Moran were the only ones given up by southpaw Ben Lorino. But in the eighth, Mike Catron walked to again open the inning and Kovenz followed with a 435-foot inside-the-park homer. Singles by Moran and Joe Bache, sandwiching DiMaggio’s double, added two insurance runs.
Bill White started both of Victoria’s run-scoring innings with singles. Rocco Cardinale drew a walk after White’s single in the second and Ben Jeffey advanced the runners with a sacrifice. Bob Sturgeon then singled to drive in both runners.
The A’s scored their final run when White singled, Sturgeon walked and Marv Diercks singled to drive in the former, but Milt Marin fanned in a pinch-hitting role with the tying run at the plate.
Victoria ........ 020 000 001—3 7 0
Tacoma ........ 010 001 04x—6 7 0
Lorino and Cardinale; Kipp and Lunberg, Armstrong (4).

SPOKANE, Aug. 29—The Spokane Indians defeated two opponents tonight—a wet field and the Yakima Bears—to widen their league lead over the Vancouver Capilanos to three games.
Early in the evening, the club used flame throwers of the type used by highway crews for brush burning to dry out an infield soaked by rain the past few days.
Then the Indians took over and edged the Bears 3-2 to give them a three-game lead. Jim Wert's two run single in the first inning got the Indians off to a good start. Spokane tallied the eventual-winning ran in the fifth inning as Ken Richardson singled home Steve Mesner.
Only 864 fans saw the Indians play it cool on the hot infield. Gordie Palm pitched his sixth win with help from reliefer Bob Roberts.
Yakima ........ 010 100 000—2 6 1
Spokane ...... 200 010 00x—3 7 0
Boemler and Tiesiera; Palm, Roberts (8) and Sheets.

Wenatchee at Salem, rained out.
Vancouver at Tri-City, rained out.

Fans to Manage Tacoma Thursday
TACOMA, Aug. 29—It may not be in the cards, but if the Tacoma Tigers lose their Western International league baseball game against Victoria Thursday, the fans will have no one to blame but themselves. They are going to run the club.
The club announced Tuesday the Tigers will operate from the third base dugout and Manager Jim Brillheart will hold up cards asking what plays to use. A show of cards from the fans will decide.
Tacoma officials hope it means a full house.

1951 Crowds Set Record at Salem
SALEM, Aug. 29—Salem's 1951 baseball attendance set a new record of 112,285, assuring the 832 local stockholders some profit.
This was the first year that the team was locally-owned. The attendance was double that of last year, when the Portland Beavers owned the local Western International league club.
The attendance was 10,000 more than the previous record, set in 1946. This year's figures include the 7,700 attendance for two exhibition games against the Beavers and the House of David.
Salem's home season ended Monday night, Tuesday night's final game having been washed out by rain.

Holder Likely To Be Named Best Pitcher
TACOMA, Aug. 29 — All hands have conceded the Western Internationai league pitching championship to Spokane's Jim Holder, and Bob Snyder of Vancouver is certain to be the circuit's big winner.
Interest in the elbowing race is still warm, however, by reason of the bids which the two righthanders will make this week for new W-I records.
Holder, the possessor of an 11-0 season's won-lost record, needs only one more triumph to tie the existing mark for consecutive victories set in 1948 by Frank Nelson of Spokane, tied in 1949 by Sandy Robertson of Vancouver and again equally by Bob Kerrigan of Tacoma last year.
Snyder, with a 24-7 record, needs two more wins to equal Kerrigan's mark for total victories, established last season.
Tom Breisinger of Wenatchee is front in strikeouts with 193, ;while John Marshall of Spokane has a commanding lead in total walks with 171.
The leaders, as released Wednesday from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president:
IP SO BB W L Pct.
Holder, Spok ...... 118 55 85 11 0 1.000
Beasley, Van ....... 56 19 11 5 0 1.000
Hernandez, Van .... 179 72 92 16 3 .842
Palm, Spok ......... 61 37 34 5 1 .833
Snyder, Van ....... 278 106 87 24 7 .774
Barrett, Vic-Yak .. 160 44 52 9 4 .692
Nicholas, Van ..... 204 63 70 15 7 .682
Rockey, Spok ...... 109 51 58 8 4 .667
Tisnerat, Van ..... 105 34 53 6 3 .667
Breisinger, Wen ... 247 193 142 16 9 .640
DeGeorge, Sal ..... 211 83 95 16 9 .640
Bevens, Sal ....... 249 118 95 19 11 .633

Tuesday, August 28, 1951

2007-12-05T14:34:00.001-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 89 45 .664 —
Vancouver ... 88 49 .642 2½
Salem ....... 70 64 .522 19
Wenatchee ... 63 71 .470 26
Victoria .... 61 76 .445 29½
Tacoma ...... 58 78 .426 32
Yakima ...... 57 77 .425 32
Tri-City .... 55 81 .404 35

TACOMA, Wash., [Vancouver Province, Aug. 29]—“If only my pitchers keep coming through, we’ll win that pennant yet,” Manager Bill Schuster of the Capilanos told The Daily Province immediately after the invaders from Vancouver had knocked off Tacoma Tigers twice Tuesday night, 5-0 and 6-5.
With Spokane rained out, the double victory boosted the Caps within two and a half games of first place.
George Nicholas was the hero of the first triumph, pitching a two two-hitter at the Tigers for the shutout [the hits were singles by Mike Catron and Merv Dubbers].
In the afterpiece, Ron Smith’s brilliant relief pitching and some solid slugging by hits mates pulled victory out of the fire in the last three innings.
RITCHEY BANISHED
When Vern Kindsfather retired at the end of the sixth, the Tigers were leading 5-1. But the Caps tied things up in the seventh and went on to win the game in the ninth.
Their winning rally was staged without the aid of catcher John Ritchey, bounced out of the contest for disputing a decision in the sixth.
Two triples featured the Caps’ uprising, Dick Sinovic starting it with a three-bagger, and K. Chorlton batting in the last two runs when Bob McGuire, Jimmy Moore and pinch hitter Chuck Abernathy had singled.
PROTEST NO WORRY
Young Jimmy Moore connected for the all-important single, in the ninth, driving in Cheso with the deciding run.
Schuster, rushing to move along for the Tri-City series opening today, was not at all worried about the Spokane protest of the Wenatchee game transferred to Vancouver. “They can’t win that,” he declared. “Transfer of dates is a matter for the league president.”
At Tri-City tonight, Schuster plans to start Pete Hernandez, with his ace pitcher, Bob Snyder, on deck for Thursday.
- - -
Schuster who has been sidelined with a leg injury for two months, made a brief appearance at third base when Cheso moved from the hot corner to behind the plate to replace the ousted Ritchey.
First Game
Vancouver ...... 021 002 0—5 6 3
Tacoma ......... 000 00 0—0 2 1
Nicholas and Ritchey; Schulte, Knezovich (2) and Lundberg.
Second Game
Vancouver ...... 010 000 401—6 10 1
Tacoma ......... 011 300 000—5 10 0
Kindsfather, Smith (7) and Ritchey, Cheso (7); Dodeward, Clark (9) and Lundberg, Armstrong (8)

Victoria at Spokane, rained out.
Tri-City at Salem, rained out.
Wenatchee at Yakima, rained out.

Monday, August 27, 1951

2007-12-05T14:30:00.001-08:00

W L Pct GB
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.

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.

Sunday, Aug. 26, 1951

2007-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 88 45 .662 —
Vancouver ... 86 49 .637 3
Salem ....... 69 64 .509 19
Wenatchee ... 63 71 .470 25½
Victoria .... 61 75 .449 28½
Tacoma ...... 58 76 .433 30½
Yakima ...... 57 77 .425 31½
Tri-City .... 55 80 .407 34

SPOKANE, Aug. 26—The Salem Senators topped the Spokane Indians 8 to 7 in the final of a three-gane series of Western International league baseball here Sunday night.
Salem pushed across three runs in the top of the ninth to hand Indians reliefer, Bob Roberts, the loss. Curt Schmidt, who replaced Sal DeGeorge for Salem, was the winner.
Eddie Murphy marked up his 88th stolen base for the Indians.
Salem ........ 100 001 033—8 15 5
Spokane .... 000 100 051—7 13 1
DeGeorge, Schmidt (7) and McKeegan; Conant, Roberts (9) and Sheets.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 26—Al Treichel shut down the Vancouver Capilanos on three hits in the seven-inning opener, but the Wenatchee Chiefs lost the second contest here, 8-5.
Bob Snyder won the nightcap, picking up his 24th win of the year.
K Chorlton led Vancouver's hit parade, with a double and three singles. Dick Sinovic batted in three Caps, Charlie Mead brought in two, while Jim Marshall hit a two-run triple for the Chiefs.
In the first game, Will Hafey poled his 23rd home run of the season off Carl Gunnarson in the fourth inning, and singled in the Chiefs' other run in the sixth. Meanwhile, Ray Tran had the only extra-base hit for Vancouver, a double, while Chorlton and Mead singled off Treichel, who walked five and struck out three.
The game breezed along at a mere one hour and 12 minutes.
First game
Vancouver ...... 000 000 0—0 3 0
Wenatchee ..... 000 101 x—2 6 1
Gunnarson and Ritchey; Treichel and Roberson
Second game
Vancouver ...... 003 100 202—8 13 3
Wenatchee ..... 000 000 230—5 9 2
Snyder and Ritchey; Raimondi and Roberson.

TACOMA, Aug. 26—Garry Clark of Tacoma pitched both games of a Western International League doubleheader Sunday and came within a whisker of tossing two shutouts as Tacoma and Tri-City split.
First game
Tri-City ...... 000 000 000—0 5 1
Tacoma ...... 023 020 00x—7 10 0
Brewer and Pesut; Clark and Lundberg.
Second game
Tri-City ....... 010 000 0—1 8 0
Tacoma ....... 000 000 0—0 5 0
McCollum and Pesut; Clark and Lundberg.

YAKIMA, Aug. 26—The Yakima Bears and the Victoria Athletics split a doubleheader Sunday night. Victoria edged the Bears 3-2 in the opener while Yakima won the second game 8-5.
First game
Victoria ..... 100 002 0—3 6 1
Yakima ...... 001 000 1—2 6 2
Hedgecock and Martin; Wright and Tiesiera.
Second game
Victoria ...... 003 001 010—5 9 2
Yakima ....... 611 000 00x—8 13 1
Osborn, Jackson (1) and Cardinale; Anderson, Powell (3) and Tiesiera.

Bears Sold
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27.—The fate of the unwanted San Francisco Seals may be determined when the Pacific Coast League directors meet here Wednesday.
Owner Paul I. Fagan announced Saturday he doesn't want the club anymore. He'll turn it over to anyone "for a reasonable consideration."
Damon Miller, secretary of the Seals, said the club would not be represented at Wednesday's meeting. Fagan is in Hawaii. Miller went to Yakima, Wash., to sell the Seals' three-quarters interest in the Yakima club to residents of that city.
The Yakima deal has been pending for some time and is not connected with Fagan's move to get rid of the Seals.

Saturday, August 25, 1951

2007-12-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 88 44 .639 —
Vancouver ... 85 48 .630 3½
Salem ....... 68 64 .515 20
Wenatchee ... 62 70 .470 26
Victoria .... 60 74 .448 29
Tacoma ...... 57 75 .432 31
Yakima ...... 56 76 .424 32
Tri-City .... 54 76 .406 34½

SPOKANE, Aug. 25 — Some daring base running by centerfielder Eddie Murphy sent the Spokane Indians ahead in the third inning of their Western International league baseball game with Salem tonight and the Indians breezed to a 7 to 3 win.
Aldon Wilkie gave the Indians ten hits in the finale but was tight in the pinches as the Senators took a 5-3 decision.
In the seven inning opener of a double header both teams scored once in the first inning.
Spokane took the lead in the third when Murphy singled and stole second, When Edo Vanni, Spokane right fielder, laid down a sacrifice Murphy scored all the way home from second. Mel Wasley then doubled Vanni home.
Jim Holder went all the way for the Indians to register his eleventh win of the season against no defeats.
Murphy stole two bases in the game boosting his season total to 87.
First game
Salem ........ 100 011 0—3 5 3
Spokane .... 102 031 x—7 8 1
Monroe and Dana; Holder and Sheets.
Second Game
Salem ........ 200 020 010—5 12 0
Spokane .... 010 200 000—3 10 0
Wilkie and McKeegan, Bishop and Sheets.

VANCOUVER, Aug. 25—Taking an early lead, Vancouver Capilanos, sparked by pitcher Pete Hernandez, tonight defeated Wenatchee Chiefs 5-3 in the Western International league.
The third was the big inning, the Caps scoring three runs and the Chiefs 2.
For Wenatchee Foster Roberson, safe on Ray Tran's error, scored when Charlie Gassaway
doubled to the left centerfield wall. Gassaway then tallied on Walt Pocekay's single to rightfield.
John Ritchey scored for the Caps in the first and third, and in the big inning Dick Sinovic and Charlie Mead put in one each for Vancouver. The Caps scored again in the fifth when Bob McGuire made it safe on Jim Moore's double to left field.
The scoring ended in the eighth when the Chiefs' Jim Marshall doubled off the rightfield wall, advanced on an infield out and scored on Buddy Hjelmaa's scratch single to right field.
It was Hernandez 16th victory of the season against three losses. He set the Chiefs down with six hits as Vancouver took an early lead and held on before the new stadium's smallest weekend crowd.
Hernandez bested Gassaway, to whom Vancouver got for 12 safeties, two of them successive doubles by Dick Sinovic, a possible sign the big centre fielder is finally breaking out of a recent slump.
Wenatchee .... 022 000 010—3 6 2
Vancouver ..... 103 010 00x—5 12 2
Gassaway and Roberson; Hernandez and Moore.

YAKIMA [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 26]—Kewpie Dick Barrett, fired earlier in the season as manager of the Victoria Athletics, gained a little more personal revenge last night as he put another crimp in Victoria’s playoff hopes.
Barrett, honored in pre-game ceremonies by presentation of a scroll commemorating his enrolment in the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame, tossed a neat three-hitter to defeat the A’s, 4-1.
RETAIN MARGIN
The defeat cost the A’s a chance to gain on the Wenatchee Chiefs in the battle for the fourth playoff berth. The Chiefs bowed to the Vancouver Capilanos 5-3, but retained a three-game margin over the A’s.
Never in serious trouble all night, Barrett had the A’s on his hip. He spotted Victoria a run in the second when he walked Hal Jackson and Rocco Cardinale followed with a 360-foot double to centre. Then he held the A’s hitless until Jimmy Clark singled with two out in the eighth. The only other hit was Ben Jeffey’s double in the ninth.
KEPT IN TROUBLE
Opposing Barrett was John Tierney, who gave up only six hits including two of the scratch variety, but walks kept him in trouble.
He escaped in the second inning when the Bears loaded the bases with only one out as he forced Barrett and Bill Andering to fly out. He was not so lucky in the third.
Al Jacinto walked to open the third, stole second and went to third as Cardinale’s throw to second went into the outfield. Mike Baxes grounded to Bill Dunn and was safe at first as Jacinto beat Dunn’s throw to the plate to catch Jacinto, who came in with the tying run. Baxes stole second and held the bag as Will Tiesiera grounded out to Don Pries but later scored the second run when Dick Briskey singled through short.
ADD INSURANCE
The Bears added an insurance ran in the fourth when Bill Andering walked, advanced on an infield out and scored on Jerry Zuvela’s single. They scored the final run in the eighth when Bill Steinberg singled, stole second and came home on Barrett’s Texas League single.
The cubs meet in a double-header today with Bill Osborn and Jim Hedgecock the likely mound choices for the A’s. Athletics move on to Spokane and Tacoma before returning home Friday.
Victoria .... 010 000 000—1 3 1
Yakima ..... 002 100 01x—4 6 2
Tierney and Cardinale; Barrett and Tiesiera.

TACOMA, Aug. 25 — With the help of five unearned runs, the Tacoma Tigers tonight downed the Tri-City Braves 7-2 in a Western International league baseball game.
Tacoma broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth when singles by Merv Dubbers, Sol Israel, John Catron, Butch Moran and and Jose Bache combined with two Tri-City errors gave Tacoma five unearned runs.
Tri-City was never able to spark a rally as Tom Kipp scattered seven hits to notch his 9th victory of the campaign.
Tri-City ...... 100 001 000—2 7 3
Tacoma ...... 100 050 10x—7 11 2
Stone and Pesut; Kipp and Lundberg.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 26, 1951]
ANOTHER LONG TALK

No doubt Manager Charlie Petersen has had a long talk with Bob Abel, the WIL's president, by this time over the new suspension of shortstop Buddy Peterson. The last time Charlie was successful in getting his shortstop back into the lineup very quickly. This could be another tempest in a teapot. If Buddy is back by tonight, such will no doubt have been the case. On the other hand it also may ho that Abel will make this one stick for a bit longer. This weekend should pretty well decide that point.
While the loss of the league's best shortstop to the Braves could have been a serious blow at one time, today it will affect their standing but little. Well, just another 10 days and this season will be a matter of history. Then we can, with a slate wiped clean, start looking forward with new hope to a better year to come. . .it may be small consolation but at this moment it's the best we can think of.
JOTS AND DOTS. . .HERE AND THERE
The other day we itemed here that Charlie Petersen didn't have too much to say about the makeup of the Braves although he is the field manager. . .Both Vern Johnson and Dick Richards say we're wrong on that point. . .that Charlie passed on and agreed to every player on the roster, but one. At this point it doesn't seem to make much difference anyhow.

Friday, Aug. 24, 1951

2007-12-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 87 43 .669 —
Vancouver ... 84 48 .636 4
Salem ....... 67 63 .515 20
Wenatchee ... 62 69 .473 25½
Victoria .... 60 73 .454 28½
Tacoma ...... 56 75 .427 31½
Yakima ...... 55 76 .420 32½
Tri-City .... 54 78 .409 34

SALEM, Ore., Aug. 24—Spokane broke a 2-2 by scoring five runs in the eleventh inning to win a Western International league ball game 7-3 here Saturday night.
Spokane ..... 000 001 100 05—7 17 2
Salem ........ 001 010 000 01—3 8 2
Aubertin, Palm (6) and Sheets; Bevens, Lew (11) and McKeegan.

VANCOUVER [Erwin Swangard, Sun, Aug. 25]—Vancouver’s Sandy Robertson, on the ailing list for the greater part of the season, has his sneaky curve ball working to perfection at Little Mountain Stadium Friday night.
As a result, the Caps squeezed out an extra-innings victory over the Tacoma Tigers but unfortunately for their cause Spokane Indians stopped the Senators 7-3 at Salem about the same time.
That means, of course, Indians maintained their four-game Western International Baseball League lead over the Capilanos, but a lot could happen one way or the other over a busy weekend.
CHIEFS IN TOWN
Capilanos entertain Wenatchee Chiefs in a single game tonight with Pete Hernandez scheduled to pitch. Then Sunday Caps move to Wenatchee for a double-header with Carl Gunnarson and Bob Snyder the pitchers.
Meanwhile, Indians play third-place Salem in a three-game weekend series at home.
Robertson really had to be good to get the best in a brilliant pitching duel with Tacoma’s Harold Dodeward, a 19-year-old righthander with lots of speed and a fine assortment of pitches.
Caps’ tighter defence eventually decided the issue.
SANDY JUST MISSES
In the ninth inning Sandy was just one pitch away from a 2-1 victory. However, first baseman Butch Moran doubled off shortstop Ray Tran’s leg. Vince DiMaggio singled him to third and Jose Bache singled him home for the tying run.
The same Bache was the goat of the Caps’ victory. With the bases loaded and one away in the 10th, Dick Sinovic shot a fast ground ball to Bache at short. Bache threw the ball before he got it and the error allowed K. Chorlton to romp in with the winner.
Tacoma ....... 010 000 000 0—2 7 3
Vancouver ... 000 011 000 1—3 7 0
Dodeward and Lundberg; Robertson and Ritchey.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 25]—Bob Sturgeon received almost everything but a coveted victory over Wenatchee Chiefs last night at Royal Athletic Park.
Honored at a special “night,” the manager of the A’s was presented with gifts from fans, city business firms, the club management and players in a pre-game ceremony topped by the signing of a pact to return as manager next season if the Victoria W.I.L. franchise is still operated by the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd.
In addition, Sturgeon received the assurance he will have capable shortstop protection for next season. Business manager Reg Patterson announced before the game that popular Jim Clark is now the property of the club and will be back to start next season at the position he has filled so well since joining the club July 18.
2,500 HOPEFULS
Then, the Chiefs refused to co-operate. With 2,500 hopeful fans on hand, the club the A’s hope to beat out of the last post-season playoff berth, uncovered its latent power to blast out a 11-2 triumph.
The victory gave the Chiefs an even split in the two-game series and restored their lead to three games. Victoria won the season’s series, 11-9.
The A’s leave this morning for a seven-game road trip with stops at Yakima, Spokane and Tacoma, in that order. The Bears, with ex-manager Dick Barrett lying in wait as a cinch to start one game, will be faced tonight in a single game and tomorrow in two. It’s Spokane Monday and Tuesday, Tacoma Wednesday and Thursday, and back home Friday to wind up the season with three games against Spokane and Salem.
Percentages didn’t pay off last night. With the Chiefs having most of their power swinging from the first-base side, the A’s have been throwing their southpaws against them with good success. This time it didn’t work.
Ben Lorino got the starting assignment and he was hit harder than he ever has been in the W.I.L. Led by Will Hafey, Walt Pockay, Lyle Palmer, Jim Marshall and even pitcher Tom Breisinger, their left-handed hitting contingent, the Chiefs had Lorino in the showers before the sixth inning was over.
Lorino gave up 12 hits and eight runs in his tenure and the Chiefs kept his outfielders busy with booming line drives. Still going along with the southpaw-versus-lefthander theory, Sturgeon sent Jim Hedgecock in as relief. He failed to get a man out, walking one and giving up two singles and a home run.
Between them, the two Victoria southpaws gave up 11 runs and 15 hits. Eleven of those hits were made by lefthanders in the Wenatchee batting order and the quintet batted in eighth of the runs. Included among the hits was a tremendous 380-foot home run by hafey, who batted in five runs with three hits.
SET DOWN EASILY
Righthanded Bill Prior came on for Hedgecock in the sixth to face Marshall and Breisinger and set them down easily to complete the percentage rout. Prior went on to hold the winners scoreless in a fine relief stint but the A’s could do nothing with Breisinger, who lost his shutout only because Bill White’s fly ball was lost in the lights in the first inning and fell in for a triple.
Wenatchee .... 110 045 000—11 17 1
Victoria ......... 200 000 000—2 7 1
Breisinger and Roberson; Lorino, Hedgecock (6), Prior (6) and Cardinale.

YAKIMA, Aug. 24 — The Tri-City Braves turned on the Yakima Bears with a 15-hit attack and a 8-4 Western International league victory tonight.
The victory moved the last place Braves to within one game of the seventh-place Bears.
Clint Cameron with three singles and Bill Eddelstein [sic], Ken Michelson and Vic Buccola with two hits each led the Tri-City attack on hurlers Bill Boemler and Tom Del Sarto. Boemler was charged with his 12th loss. He has 13 victories.
Joe Nicholas went the route for Tri-City to gain his sixth win against seven defeats.
WILfan note: Again, the standing as mentioned in this U.P. story is incorrect. The standings at the top of this post are correct and were from another newspaper.
Tri-City ..... 010 022 003—8 15 1
Yakima ...... 111 001 000—4 11 0
Nicholas and Pesut; Boemler, Del Sarto (7) and Tiesiera.

Thursday, August 23, 1951

2007-12-05T13:20:00.001-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 86 43 .667 —
Vancouver ... 83 48 .634 4
Salem ....... 67 62 .510 10
Wenatchee ... 61 69 .469 25½
Victoria .... 60 72 .455 27½
Tacoma ...... 56 74 .431 30½
Yakima ...... 55 75 .418 31½
Tri-City .... 53 78 .405 34

SALEM, Aug. 23—The Spokane Indians were edged out 4-3 tonight as they failed to overcome the lead the Salem Senators established at the expense of John Marshall.
Salem chased pitcher John Marshall out of the box in the second inning after they had
collected four runs in the two frames. It was enough as Curt Schmidt held Spokane to five hits and three runs over the route.
Bob Roberts pitched seven-plus hitless innings as Marshall's relief.
Spokane .... 000 201 000—3 5 1
Salem ....... 130 000 00x—4 5 3
Marshall, Roberts (2) and Sheets; Schmidt and McKeegan.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 23]—They say all Vernon Kindsfather ever needed this year was steady employment and he’d become a full-grown, potential major leaguer. This was only Vernon’s second victory of the entire year. Both have been with the Capilanos and have come at a time when Mr. William Schuster is most thankful for them.
Vern, after a spring training season in which he beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, had an 0-5 card with Seattle. The Rainiers shipped him off to Memphis, where the Chicago White Sox wanted a closer look at the youngster Paul Richards valued so highly.
Vern didn’t get a look-in down there. He was 0-0, never started a game, and was terribly unhappy about it.
The youngster is doing the things he likes now, pitching in turn and blowing his fast balls and curves in varying speeds.
Tacoma only got five hits off the boy last night and only one of the three runs was earned.
The Caps, meanwhile, utilized Bob Schulte’s wildness, coupled it with Dick Sinovic’s hitting and came away an easy winner.
Sinovic finally picked up his 100th RBI, then added one to it to bring his total to 1001 for the season. The smallest crowd ever to sit in at the new park, incidentally, watched this one. A mere 1400.
Tonight the same clubs meet again at 8:30 and Sandy Robertson (2-4) will do the serving for the Caps.
Tacoma ....... 000 210 000—3 5 0
Vancouver ... 301 101 01x—7 10 1
Schulte and Lundberg; Kindsfather and Cheso.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 24]—Victoria’s ambitious Athletics, hustling to make the post-season playdowns, closed the gap separating them from the fourth-place Wenatchee Chiefs to two games at Royal Athletic Park last night.
Finding their batting eyes against Al Treichel, the veteran righthander who is usually tough for them, the A’s came from behind to win from the Chiefs in the 14-3 romp.
They get a chance to get closer in the last game of the short series tonight. It will be “Bob Sturgeon Night” and the A’s will have a double incentive.
NEW CONTRACT
Among other gifts, the popular manager is expected to receive a contract for next season and his players will be trying to give him a second victory as their contribution. Ben Lorino gets the mound assignment and he will be facing Tom Breisinger in an all-southpaw battle.
Settling down after a shaky start in which he gave up single runs in each of the first three innings, Jim Propst was never threatened again as he marked his 12th win in 20 decisions and made it eight our of nine since Sturgeon took over.
Propst not only held the Chiefs at bay in the last six innings but he contributed something at the plate by singling in the tying runs in a four-run fourth inning which gave the A’s a 5-3 lead.
Sharing the spotlight with Propst was Bill Dunn, who has suddenly become a terror with a bat. The veteran infielder, who is keeping Sturgeon on the bench, had a perfect night with a triple, two singles and a walk and drove in three runs. His triple was a tremendous clout to left field which travelled an estimated 360 feet. Dunn has 16 hits in his last 27 trips and 23 hits in 52 trips since he started a plate surge that has lifted his average 36 points from .188 since Aug. 1.
HOMER BY PRIES
Don Pries, climbing steadily since a mid-season slump, chipped in with three hits including his fourth home run and Rocco Cardinale made his first hit at Royal Athletic Park a two-run homer in the eighth.
Wenatchee ... 111 000 000—3 7 4
Victoria ....... 001 402 34x—14 14 0
Treichel and Roberson; Propst and Cardinale.

YAKIMA [Herald, Aug. 24]—The Trl-Clty Braves crawled a little deeper into the Western International league cellar here last night and they managed to lose to the Yakima Bears 14-1.
Losing pitcher for Tri-City was Bob Costello who gave up 16 hits for hla 12th loss of the year. He has won 8. Ted Savarese held Tri-City to six hits as he notched his 10th win against 10 defeats.
The Braves only run was scored in the top of the first inning by shortstop Buddy Peterson. He singled, stole second and scored on a one-baser by Clint Cameron.
In the bottom half of the same inning, Peterson went out of ths game on his ear after a dispute over a close play at second base. Yaklma's Bill Andring was called safe. Disagreeing, Peterson charged at Umpire Charley Rose but was restrained and finally led off the field by his teammates.
Earl Richmond led Yakima hitters with four singles in five trips. The game left the hapless Tri-City Braves two full games behind their “cellar mates,” Yakima.
WILfan note: Actually, "two" isn't correct. Somehow, the AP missed a game in its win column for Yakima in mid-August and didn't fix it until the day after this story came out
Tri-City .... 100 000 000—1 6 6
Yakima ..... 203 003 51x—14 16 0
Costello and Pesut; Savarese and Tiesiera.

Wednesday, August 22, 1951

2007-12-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 86 42 .672 —
Vancouver ... 82 48 .631 5
Salem ....... 66 62 .516 20
Wenatchee ... 61 68 .478 23½
Victoria .... 59 72 .450 28½
Tacoma ...... 56 73 .434 30½
Yakima ...... 54 75 .419 32½
Tri-City .... 53 77 .408 34

KENNEWICK, [Herald, Aug. 23]—Spokane made it six in a row over the hapless Tri-City Braves last night at Sanders Field as they rapped out 10 hits and five runs from Jack Brewer.
The 5-l victory for the visitors swept the entire six-game series at Tri-City. John Conant hurled the Spokane nine to victory.
The victory moved the pennant-sniffing Spokane crew five full games ahead of Vancouver which is in second place in the Western International league race. Third place Salem is now 20 games behind the leader.
Spokane draw first blood in inning number one last night when Eddie Murphy singled, stole second, went to third on Steve Mesner's single and then scampered home on Ken Richardson's fly. The stolen base boosted Murphy's total for the year to 85.
The Indians struck again in the third when Edo Vanni singled, stole second and went to third on an error. Mesner slammed out a double sending Vanni across the plate. Tri-City's run came in the sixth when Buddy Peterson doubled, went down to third on Clint Cameron's infield out. He scored on a fly by Nick Pesut to left field. That was the size of it for the Braves. After two runs in the seventh by Spokane. Richardson chalked up an eight-inning home run with bases vacant to make the final score 5-1. Tonight Tri-City will move to Yakima to battle with its fellow Inhabitants of the league basement — Yakima.
Spokane ...... 101 000 210—5 10 1
Tri-City ....... 000 001 000—1 4 2
Conant and Sheets; Brewer and Pesut.

VANCOUVER [Erwin Swangard, Sun, Aug. 23]—It must be obvious today to even the most partisan Vancouver Capilano fan that the cat is irreparably out of the bag for this Western International League season.
We may to say that unless the Spokane Indians collapse completely our Caps will finish definitely a second-place team.
Caps have only three game left against Spokane out of their total of 16 but that’s not enough. They now trial by a full five games.
Fans last night may have been disappointed in the outcome of the second game when veteran Bob Snyder missed his 24th victory of the season.
But they certainly complain about the calibre of the two games.
Righthander George Nicholas was the hero of the first game, scheduled for seven but which went eight innings. Nicholas pitched a six-hitter and batted three for three, setting up the tying run and bringing home the winner.
Bob Snyder had a shaking first inning in the second game. That cost him the victory. Chiefs capitalized on three hits and some rather poor defensive play to score two runs.
Those two runs were enough for young Mike Kanshin, former Cap chattel, who was really home. Mike entered the game with a four wins against 14 losses record. But you would never have thought it as he mowed the Caps down with monotonous regularlity. He as in trouble in the last two innings, but pitched himself right out of it.
The already-shorthanded Chiefs lost Lil Arnerich, who tore a knee cartilage during the first game.
First Game
Wenatchee ... 100 000 00—1 6 0
Vancouver .... 001 000 01—2 7 3
Gassaway and Lake; Nicholas and Ritchey.
Second Game
Wenatchee ... 200 000 000—2 6 1
Vancouver .... 000 000 010—1 3 0
Kanshin and Lake, Snyder and Ritchey.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 23]—Victoria Athletics looked like the first-division team they aspired to be for 14 innings at Royal Athletic Park last night, they fell apart as their pitching turned sour, and marked time in the battle for the last berth in the post-season W.I.L. playdowns.
After playing brilliantly in the first game of a twin bill with Tacoma to give Bill Osborn a 3-1 triumph, the A’s collapsed in the late innings of the regulation nightcap and the Tigers walked off with a 15-6 verdict.
THREE BEHIND CHIEFS
The result left the A’s three games behind the Chiefs, who broke even in two games at Vancouver, and two games ahead of the Tigers. It also left the A’s with a 6-12 record against the Tacomans for the season with two games left to be played in Tacoma.
Not at his best, Osborn got the benefit of some tremendous defensive support by his teammates to make his 11th victory a three-hitter. His infield, particularly shortstop Jim Clark, made a number of great plays and Ben Jeffey probably saved the decision in the fourth inning when he made successive spectacular catches of line drives which deprived Jose Bache and Merv Dubbers of extra-base hits.
SCORED ON DOUBLE
Osborn scored what proved ton be the winning run in the fifth when he walked, moved up on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a double by Don Pries. He also came through twice on his own in the clutch, leaving the bags full in the first and fifth. In the fifth, he struck out clean-up hitter Butch Moran and got the dangerous Vince DiMaggio on a fly with three runners on the sacks.
John Tierney got away to a bad start in the finale, giving up three runs in the first inning on a combination of three walks and his own error. He went out under first in the second as the Tigers made it 6-0 before Bill Prior could stem the flood of runs.
Prior looked like money in the bank until the fatal seventh and the A’s brought the 2,000 fans up cheering by battling back to tie the score with a sharp outburst of base hits in the fifth which plated five runs.
That was it. The game unaccountably started to drag and Prior’s control left him. He walked two batters in each of the fifth and sixth innings but wiggled out with two crucial strikeouts and the help of batterymate Rocco Cardinale, who tossed out two would-be base stealers. But the lean righthander was tiring. Another base on balls started it in the seventh and four more walks figured prominently in the seven-run eighth.
When the box score was toted up, it showed that the Tigers had indeed walked to victory. They received a total of 15 bases on balls and nine of those runners later scored. Ten of their runs were scored with the help of only four base hits.
Until the late innings of the second game, it had been a gala night for the fans. In addition to 14 innings of interesting baseball, they were provided with some excellent between-games entertainment with Rufe Davis and the excellent trampoline act of the Bowery Boys, along worth the admission.
First game
Tacoma ..... 000 010 0—1 3 2
Victoria ..... 100 011 x—3 5 0
Dodeward, Knezovich (5) and Lundberg; Osborn and Cardinale.
Second game
Tacoma ..... 330 000 270—15 12 0
Victoria ..... 001 050 000—6 8 1
G. Clark and Lundberg; Tierney, Priot (2), Carr (8) and Cardinale.

SALEM, Aug. 23—Sal DeGeorge scored his 16th triumph as the Senators edged the Yakima Bears 4-3.
Richie Meyers scored the deciding run in the last of the eighth inning on an overthrow to first base.
Yakima ..... 002 001 000—3 8 3
Salem ...... 010 200 01x—4 9 1
Powell and Tiesiera; DeGeorge and McKeegan.

Tuesday, August 21, 1951

2007-12-05T08:19:00.004-08:00

               W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 85 42 .661 —
Vancouver ... 81 47 .646 4½
Salem ....... 65 62 .511 20
Wenatchee ... 60 67 .472 25
Victoria .... 58 71 .449 28
Tacoma ...... 55 72 .433 30
Yakima ...... 54 74 .422 31½
Tri-City .... 53 76 .410 33

KENNEWICK [Herald, Aug. 22]—Spokane defeated the Tri-City Braves 23-5 in a Western International league game at Sanders field last night.
It was the worst shellacking ever handed a Tri-City club since the park opened a year ago.
The victory kept Spokane four and a half games out in front of the second place Vancouver Capilanos.
The defeat dropped Tri-City into the cellar with a thud as Yakima was winning from Salem. The Braves are now 31 games out of first and hopelessly out of any contention for the playoffs.
Tonight the two teams wind up their current series. Jack Brewer will be on the mound for the Braves while John Conant is Manager Alan Strange's choice.
What started out to be a routine ball game last night was blown sky high by the Indians in the third inning when they batted completely around the cycle and scored seven runs on six hits. The barrage also lifted Lou McCollum, Trl-City's starter, from the mound.
Buzz Berriesford took over until midway in the seventh when a three-run assault and three free passes sent him to the showers. Dick Stone came on to tidy up what was left of the game.
Nick Pesut hit his first home run of the season last night, and he did it up in style too. The husky Brave catcher poled one over the right field wall with the bases jammed in the eighth to account for four of Tri-City's runs. A free pass to Neil Bryant, also with the bases loaded, scored Vic Buccola to account for the other run.
Eddie Murphy hit one out for the Spokes in the seventh and Jim Brown turned the trick in the fifth. There were none aboard either time.
Spokane .... 027 040 352—23-22-0
Tri-City .... 000 000 050— 5-10-3
Bishop and Nulty; McCollum, Berriesford (3), Stone (6) and Pesut.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 22]—The Capilanos won themselves a ball game Tuesday night and likely lost a pitcher.
While Seattle Rainiers’ general manager Earl Sheely sat in the Cap Stadium stands last night, young Pete Hernandez served up one of his Sunday best, a three-hit, 7-1 conquest of Wenatchee.
It was Peter’s 15th win this year. He has lost but three. His earned run average now stands at 3.15 and you have only to put them all together to get the obvious answer—Pete is headed for the Rainiers.
Sheely refused to comment on the chance of the right-hander. However, as Bob Brown explained it, Sheely didn’t have to.
“Earl got up three times during the ball game to watch Hernandez from different vantage points,” Bob said. “When Earl does that, he’s getting mighty interested.”
Hernandez is spending his third season in Organized Baseball and as so, is draftable. That is to say if the Rainiers want him, the purchase will have to be executed before late September.
Just turned 21 last July 18, the youngster has something most of the 30-year-olds are looking for—poise. He changes pace better than most veterans and is hardly ever over the plate but always around it.
Peter gave a perfect exhibition of his talents last night. His control was good. His offence went out and gave him some support and his defence handled every chance adequately.
The result was a good ball game. Not exceptional, but easy on the eyes.
Hernandez should have had his shutout. He lost it in the fifth inning when John Ritchey failed to fake a runner back to third base on an easy infield tap [Walt Raimondi bunted to score Buddy Hjelmaa]. By this time, however, it hardly mattered, for the Caps were away and flying 5-0.
The Caps scored right off the bat in the first inning on singles by Bob McGuire and K. Chorlton and Dick Sinovic’s clutch hit. It was Richard’s 99th run batted in this year.
They scored twice more in the fourth with Reno Cheso and Ray Tran doing the damage twide in the fifth and added another deuce in the eighth.
All of this came against Walt Raimondi, who pitched a fair but was just in a little too tough.
Tonight the same clubs play two games starting at 7 o’clock.
Wenatchee .... 000 010 000—1 -3-4
Vancouver ..... 100 220 02x—7-10 0
Hernandez and Ritchey; Raimondi and Lake.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 22]—Victoria Athletics temporarily disposed of Tacoma’s threat to take over fifth place and started crowding the Wenatchee Chiefs for the last first-division berth in the W.I.L. last night with a 5-2 triumph over the Tigers at Royal Athletic Park.
The victory put the A’s two games ahead of Tacoma and, coupled with Wenatchee’s 7-5 trimming at Vancouver, left them only there games away from a spot in the post-season playdowns.
CRUCIAL GAMES
Tonight could decide Victoria’s chances. The A’s tangle with the Tigers in a series-ending double-header while the Chiefs meet the Caps twice at Vancouver. Double wins for Victoria and Vancouver would leave Wenatchee holding fourth place by a lone game and due to face the A’s here in two games tomorrow and Friday and the Caps at Vancouver again on Saturday in a transferred game. It would also leave the Tigers, who move on to Vancouver tomorrow, well out of the play-off battle.
Bill Osborn and John Tierney will work in that order for the A’s tonight with Hal Dodeward and Gary Clark, a pair of right-handers, due for the Tigers.
ADDED ATTRACTION
As an added attraction, the Bowery Boys will give a repeat performance of their trampoline act, which is well worth seeing. Activity is scheduled to start at 7.
The Tigers made it uncomfortably interesting last night. Jim Hedgecock, who received credit for his 13th win, protected a 3-0 first-inning lead until the sixth, when Vince DiMaggio powered a change-up pitch far out of the park with Butch Moran on first.
After Ben Jeffey’s double had restored Victoria’s three-run lead in the seventh, the losers opened up in the ninth with Merv Dubbers’ double following a walk to Jose Bache. Manager Bob Sturgeon, who had Bill Prior and Ben Lorino getting ready, valled on the southpaw. Lorino came through in fine style without giving up a run, getting Don Lundberg on a pop fly, throwing out relief pitcher Bob Schulte and striking out Sol Israel.
Back at first base, Hal Jackson put the A’s head when he hit a two-run triple in the first and scored the third run as Lundberg threw into centre field trying to get the stealing Rocco Cardinale. Bill Dunn, who continued his hitting splurge with a double and a single in four trips, started the seventh-inning rally with his single.Defensively, DiMaggio came up with the play of the game when he robbed Bill White in the seventh to prevent a big inning.
Tacoma .... 000 002 000—2- 5-2
Victoria .... 300 000 20x—5- 8-2
Knezovich, Mishasek (1) Schulte (8) and Lundberg; Hedgecock, Lorino (9) and Cardinale.

SALEM, Aug. 21—Salem Senators set a new attendance record of 103,672 when 3,860 fans turned out to see the game with Yakima, but the Bears spoiled the evening with a 7-3 triumph behind the steady pitching of manager Bill Brenner.
Bill Andring and Earl Richmond with three hits apiece paced the Yakima attack.
Yakima .... 132 000 010—7-15-0
Salem ...... 001 002 000—3- 9-1
Brenner and Tiesiera; Bevens, Lew (9) and McKeegan.

                       IP SO BB   W L Pct.
Holder, Spok ........ 111 51 76 10 0 1.000
Hernandez, Van ...... 161 67 87 14 3 .824
Snyder, Van ......... 260 101 84 23 6 .793
Bevens, Sal ......... 231 113 89 19 9 .679
Rockey, Spok ........ 109 51 58   8 4 .667
Barrett, Vic-Yak ..... 91 40 50   8 4 .667
Tisnerat, Van ....... 105 34 53   6 3 .667
G. Nicholas, Van .... 189 55 64 13 7 .650
Bishop, Spo ......... 213 57 81 14 8 .636
Breisinger, Tac ..... 238 189 141 15 9 .625
DeGeorge, Sal ....... 195 77 89 15 9 .625

Monday, August 20, 1951

2007-12-05T08:19:00.003-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 84 42 .667 —
Vancouver ... 80 47 .630 4½
Salem ....... 65 61 .516 19
Wenatchee ... 60 66 .476 24
Victoria .... 57 71 .445 28
Tacoma ...... 55 71 .437 29
Yakima ...... 53 74 .417 31½
Tri-City .... 53 75 .408 32

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 21]—The second guessers had their chance to howl Monday night at Cap Stadium and Bill Schuster was their unwitting target.
They always howl against a loser, of course, and the Caps lost this one last night 9-8, though whether they should or not is a matter of conjecture.
Behind all the way and playing bad baseball, the Caps came alive with a roar in the ninth, when Dick Sinovic led off with a line drive double over the right fielder’s head.
It should have been a double, at least, but Richard elected to try for three and was thrown out. What happened later hurt, for the Caps scored twice to come within 9-8, and Sinovic, of course, would have been the tying run.
SCHUSTER BLASTED
It was 9-6 when Dick got his hit and it’s still an old adage in baseball that you don’t take unnecessary chances when you are behind.
Schuster was in the third base coaching box and drew most of the cat-calls.
This is Bill’s type of baseball. He likes to gamble. When you play that way, you’re a hero one day, a bum the next. Last night—well, you guessed it.
After Sinovic’s double, Bob McLean was hit by a pitched ball, Reno Cheso singled and Jimmy Moore tripled them both home. Ray Tran got his fourth hit of the night and Jerry Barta walked to fill them up. However, Bob McGuire bounced into a double play that ended it.
CARL GETS LOSS
Prior to this, the Caps had tried in vain to find a combination to stop the lusty Chiefs. They used four pitchers, starter Carl Gunnarson picking up the loss.
Little Tommy Breisinger went all the way fro Wenatchee and although he wasn’t fooling anybody, he hung in there long enough for the win.
DIAMOND DUST—Earl Sheely, general manager of the Seattle Rainiers, was a guess at the game along with his wife . . . Seattle owned Reno Cheso put on a show for him with three hits, but K. Chorlton, shoved in at first base, had one of those awful-awful nights . . . The same clubs play tonight at 8:30 with Pete Hernandez the Capilano starter . . . There will be a doubleheader starting at 7 o’clock Wednesday night.
Wenatchee ..... 204 200 100—9 12 2
Vancouver ...... 220 002 002—8 15 3
Breisinger and Lake; Gunnarson, Smith (6), Whyte (7), Barta (7) and Ritchey.

ONLY GAME SCHEDULED

Contract Issue Doubtful As Sturgeon Night Near
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 21, 1951]
Bob Sturgeon, who has done a fine job as manager of the Victoria Athletics, will be honored at a special “night” at Royal Athletic Park Friday night but whether or not he will be offered a contract for next season remains in the doubtful stage.
Business manager Reg Patterson had hoped to make the contract offer the highlight of “Sturgeon Night” and confided his plans over a week ago with the understanding that it remain a secret at least for the period the plan was in the indefinite stage. A premature “guess” has Patterson on the spot.
FRANCHISE IN AIR
While there is little doubt but that directors would welcome Sturgeon back as manager, Patterson has yet to consult them and may not be able to get them together before Friday. Most important, however, is the doubtful status of the present ownership. Until the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd. can make assurances that it will be able to operate the Victoria W.I.L. franchise in 1952, it is in no position to make a contract offer.
There has been no indication of late as to whether or not the club can operate next year under the present ownership. Attendance for the season is approximately 70,000 and with 11 more home games, the A’s are not likely to reach the 100,000 mark. However, it is reported that the club will break about even on this season’s operation if the gate mark climbs to 90,000. This seems a reasonable hope.
DEFICIT REMAINING
Even with no red ink this season, there is still the problem of the remaining deficit incurred over the previous two seasons. The outlook has improved considerably since July 1, when the club announced there was a chance it could not continue beyond another week. At the moment, the chances are that the A’s will go to the post in 1952 under the current ownership. If this happens, Sturgeon will most assuredly be at the helm on the field.

TACOMA, Aug. 20 — Unless he runs into a slump far more serious than anything he's encountered thus far, Vancouver's John Ritchey appears “in” as the Western International league's 1951 batting champion.
With two weeks to go in the W-I race, Ritchey's .359 mark, off three points from last week, 13 points ahead of the runner-up figure posted by team-mate Dick Sinovic, whose .346 average likewise represents drop of three points since the last compilation.
In third place at .333 is Mike Baxes of Yakima.
On top for the first time in the contest for runs-batted-in honors is Jim Wert, Spokane first-baseman, who drove 14 mates across during the week for a season's total of 102—he's the first man to top the century mark, incidentally.
Sinovic, longtime leader in the RBI department, is second at 98 and Ken Richardson of Spokane is third with 96.
Without adding to his total of 21, Will Hafey of Wenatchee lost none of his lead in the home run race, since four players tied for second with 11—Buddy Peterson and Vic Buccola of Tri-City, Bill White of Victoria and Jim Marshall of Wenatchee—also remained stationary.
The leaders, as released today from the office of Robert B. Abel, league president:
AB H RBI Ave.
Ritchey, Van ..... 396 142 72 .359
Sinovic, Van ..... 488 169 97 .346
Chorlton, Tac-Van. 296 190 44 .338
Baxes, Yak ....... 469 156 60 .333
Vanni, Spok ...... 532 175 59 .329
Wert, Spok ....... 483 158 102 .327
Richardson, Spok . 380 124 96 .326
Mesner, Spok ..... 426 138 88 .324
Peterson, T-C .... 437 141 90 .323
Moran, Tac ....... 502 161 94 .321

Eric Whitehead’s FAN FARE
[from Vancouver Province, August 21, 1951]

Eighteen games to go—and it’s 4 ½ down.
Will Bill Schuster’s Capilanos make up that ground on Spokane by September 4?
Bigger leads have crumbled in faster time (ask Cinderella Manager Paul Richards of the one-time Chicago Wonder-Sox). But, on form, the hustling Spokes figure to still be up there come pennant-blossom time barely more than two weeks from now.
The Caps have 17 contests left to play on their schedule, plus one re-schedule rain-out with Wenatchee (To be played in a doubleheader this week).
And with a local baseball attendance record (145,000) already in the bag, it could be that old master-producer of stirring dramas, Bob Brown, is setting up the schedule’s local grand finale for the biggest short-series fan splurge in WIL history.
It is quite possible that the WIL pennant will hinge on that final Spokane-Vancouver three-game series here Sept. 3 (two games), and 4.
If that does happen, the customers will wave hello or goodbye to a pennant while seated on each other’s laps.
Outlook Fair and Richer
The revival this year of the Shaughnessy playoffs (a post-mortem ‘classic’ abandoned in ’49), might well mean that total baseball attendance this year at the new stadium might exceed 200,000 fans.
A fair estimate of the full home schedule attendance, including eight remaining home dates, would be around 177,000. With a break in scheduling of the playoffs, Vancouver could host a total of five games (or a minimum of one). And this might give the beaming front office its coveted double-century for the year’s business.
Here’s how the playoffs will work:
The four top teams will of course qualify. Normally, the first-place club plays the third-place club and the second and fourth place clubs hook up for the best two of three semi-finals. The winners clash in a best three-of-five series for the championship.
Victoria May Move In
At a recent league meeting in Spokane, however, president Bob Abel agreed that playoff scheduling would be made with an eye to the travelling costs, which, like all other costs these days, are repulsive.
Thus, clubs geographically closest together would meet in the semi-finals.
For example, if, as per the current standings, Spokane, Vancouver, Salem and Wenatchee are the playoff clubs, Spokane would be matched with nearby Wenatchee, and Vancouver would draw not-to-nearby Salem.
If long-shot Victoria (now three and a half games behind Wenatchee) should surge into the first division, then it would be Vancouver, Victoria and Salem-Spokane for the Shaughnessy curtain-raiser.
For the finals, there should be little doubt. It will be Spokane or Vancouver, or my name is Mud. Or have I said that before.
The Shaughnessy playoffs, incidentally, are very popular with the players concerned. They share one third of the gate.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 21, 1951]

Along about this time, when the dog days of the baseball season set in it's always a pretty good idea to take stock and see just what has happened . . . and in some cases why nothing has.
Any time you have a losing team, such as our Braves, the public who foots the bill starts to look around for a goat. Someone they can point to as being responsible for the state of affairs such as Tri-City currently finds themselves in. And the usual thing is to fire the manager, hire a few faces, and go on from there.
That we say is the usual thing . . . and in seven of the eight teams in this WIL It would probably be the proper thing. For, aside from our own club, the field managers (as distinguished from the general managers) are completely responsible for the makeup of their teams. Within limits that is. None of them have a blank check-book to go out and sign players of course.
However, such is not the case with the Braves. Whether their present system is a good one or not depends on the viewpoint. Had Tri-City been a front runner it wouldn't be difficult to find many who would approve of such a plan. The plan whereby the front office to a very large extent, decides just which players they will sign. Before we get too much further along perhaps it might be well at this point to explain that in most baseball organizations it is the perogative of the manager to pick his players and that of the front office to sign them. That, to the best of our knowledge is the situation as it exists among the seven other teams , . . and has been confirmed by nearly every manager.
DIFFERENT WITH TRI-CITY
But within the Brave organization it operates quite a bit differently. Aside from the seasoned veterans, practically the entire crop of talent that appears at spring training is handpicked by the front office. This same situation also applies to most players who join the team during the season. Thus in all fairness to Charlie Petersen, . . . it should be remembered that it is not the team of his choosing.
Why bother with such a long winded defense? Well, there seems to be a certain degree of doubt among many fans we've talked to in the past few days as to what the exact status of Petersen with relation to the ,team was. Thus, the foregoing paragraphs.
WHO WILL GET THE CLUB?
Not too long ago we mentioned here that you could watch for changes within the Braves organization. And from what we've been able to piece together lately here's the general situation as it stands right now. There are two groups working Independently of each other and both attempting to get control of the team.
As far as we know this may be the first either of them knows that someone other than themselves is interested in taking over. However, thus far neither has made what you might call a definite move. Most of the work has been spent in talking and in lining up enough of the green stuff to swing the deal. As a matter of fact this corner has even been approached with the idea in mind of investing in the team. But much as we'd like to ... we just can't.
PLENTY OF HUSTLE LEFT
One thing you've got to say about the Braves ... and it's to their everlasting credit . . . despite the fact they are now roosting in the cellar they have never quit hustling . . . the reason Nick Pesut sat out the second game in Spokane Sunday night is because the big guy was literally out on his feet. He had caught 92 consecutive games without relief.

Sunday, August 19, 1951

2007-12-05T08:19:00.001-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 84 42 .667 —
Vancouver ... 80 46 .635 4
Salem ....... 65 61 .516 19
Wenatchee ... 59 66 .472 24½
Victoria .... 57 71 .445 28
Tacoma ...... 55 71 .437 29
Yakima ...... 53 74 .417 31½
Tri-City .... 53 75 .408 32

SPOKANE, Aug. 19—Spokane Indians increased their lead over the second-place Vancouver Caplianos to four games by dumping Tri-City 9-5 and 14-3 on Sunday.
Jim Holder, sidelined with a chipped elbow since June 24, made a surprise relief appearance in the second inning of the opener and went on to gain his tenth straight 1951 WIL triumph. He relieved Dave Anderson with two out and the sacks jammed and got Bud Peterson to pop out to second base to end a three-run Tri-City uprising.
Bob Costello had a seven-hitter for the losers but was responsible for his own downfall by wild-pitching home Jim Wert and Jim Brown when Spokane counted four runs in the third inning.
The sweep provided the Indians with five straight wins.
First Game
Tri-City ...... 030 110 0—5-11-1
Spokane ..... 404 001 x—9- 7-1
Costello and Pesut; Aubertin, Holder (2) and Nulty.
Second Game
Tri-City ...... 001 020 000— 3- 7-2
Spokane ..... 031 711 10x—14-16-2
Nicholas, Michelson (4), Zande (4) and C. Peterson; Marshall and Sheets.

YAKIMA, August 19—19-year-old Yakima rookie Kenny Wright of Zillah, Wash., a former Whitman college pitcher making his first appearance as a professional, held Salem to
four hits in leading the Bears to a 3-1 victory over the third-place Senators in the seven-inning first game of a doubleheader at Yakima.
The Bears won the second game, too, but it took them 13 innings to edge the Senators 5-4.
First Game
Salem .......... 100 000 0—1-4-1
Yakima ......... 021 000 x—3-9-0
McNulty, Lew (6) and McKeegan; Wright and Tiesiera.
Second Game
Salem ......... 022 000 000 000 0—4- 9-2
Yakima ........ 001 101 001 000 1—5-15-1
Wilkie and McKeegan; Boemler, Powell (11) and Tiesiera.

TACOMA, Aug. 19—John Kovenz' triple in the ninth inning with Sol Israel aboard gave the Tacoma Tigers a 3-2 decision over Wenatchee Sunday.
Wenatchee ...... 000 000 020—2- 7-2
Tacoma ........... 000 010 101—3-10-1
Triechel and Lake; Schulte and Lundberg.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [August 20, 1951]

Although it's been fairly common knowledge for some time that certain teams in the Western International league were dissatisfied with the current trend toward ever increasing salaries it was difficult to determine just what line of tactics they would take to change things. Practically every club, with the exception of Vancouver and Spokane, would like to see a revision downward of salaries. They have a couple of reasons for it. First and foremost is the economics of the thing. At least one team has a current payroll of $10,000 a month with another close behind.
Though there is no definite proof, everything points to the two aforementioned teams as the pair under discussion. Because of their population centers they can, provided they have winning teams which they have, afford that kind of loot. Not so the others.
Secondly some club owners want to see a change go that they can make definite tieups with major league organizations. Such pacts are today worthless. After all any linking up would be, for the majors, as a place to develop their younger talent. Yet today WIL teams simply can't afford rookies, as paradoxical as that may sound, because you can't build a winning team with bunch of kids, unless the others also are using them.
And that's the line of attack that will be used when the league directors put their feet under the table. It's definite that at least two owners will enter the meeting prepared to ask the league for a minimum of five rookies on each team. One owner has already publicly committed himself while the other has confided as much to his friends.
PLENTY OF OPPOSITION
But such a request is bound to draw plenty of opposition. Emil Sick certainly doesn't intend to be backed into a position where that new three-quarter million stadium he built in Vancouver can turn out to be a white elephant. Spokane too can be expected to wage a vigorous battle. And the ultimate location of the Tacoma team, should it be moved, could conceivably play a vital part in the voting.
SOMETHING ELSE TO THINK ABOUT
Some time ago we itemed where that radio stations which had paid out good round sums for broadcasting rights, and rival owners as well, were deeply concerned over the pirating of their broadcasts by other stations. In other words a station would lay out a certain amount for exclusive rights to both home and road games of a team. But other stations in the same city were airing the games without any “rights” cost.
Club owners have in general tended to minimize the situation, after all they are collecting the rights money. But the radio stations are taking another look at the matter. After all why should they put out a wad of money (and in some cases the amount would astonish you) for something the other guy is getting for free. Now we don't know whether or not Yakima residents heard the games over one of their local stations when the Bears were in here last but if they did they must have received the play-by-play either by dog sled. . .carrier pigeon. . .or by listening to KWIE. . .because it was not sent from the press box over Western Union the usual method.
MAY HAVE TO PAY STATIONS
If the situation continues unchecked club owners may have to pay a station to broadcast the games. . .and we're not kidding either. Figure it this way. Why should a station pay a man, plus the line haul to go to a game and broadcast it, when if they want the game and a rival station does all that, they can have the game for nothlns. The entire situation resolves down to this. How long does a broadcast of such a program remain the property of the originating station once it had been placed on the air waves? Although our knowledge of law is limited to vainly trying to get a parking ticket fixed now and then, it's pretty obvious this is no grammer school question. Such a situation, it seems to this corner, goes back to freedom of the press, and should a suit be started it could easily be carried up to the highest court before it was resolved, in the meantime minor league baseball would be losing a healthy slice of income.
CAMERON AT THE HOT CORNER
That's a lot of third base that Clint Cameron has been playing for the1 Braves since he took over the hot corner. Cameron is the fourth to occupy the position at one time or another this season. And while he may not be the fastest afoot he more than makes up for it with his amazing reflex action. We have yet to see the Clinker go the wrong way on a ball hit down his way. What's more he's digging out some that have in the past been howde-dooed down there and have gone for base hits.
Sam Kanelos is having a bit more trouble hitting that Coast league pitching (as was to be expected) than he had in the WIL. And instead of, playing third, his usual position, Joe Gordon of Sacramento, has him playing second. However, after numerous collars the kid got two for four the other day, so he may be on his way at last. . .what's more he followed that with a three for four at the plate. Let's hope he keeps going.

Saturday, August 18, 1951

2007-12-05T08:18:00.001-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 82 42 .661 —
Vancouver ... 80 46 .635 3
Salem ....... 65 69 .524 17
Wenatchee ... 59 65 .476 23
Victoria .... 57 71 .445 27
Tacoma ...... 54 71 .432 28½
Tri-City .... 53 73 .421 29
Yakima ...... 51 74 .408 31½

SPOKANE, Aug. 18—Two big hits in the first inning, a triple by Ken Richardson and a double by Jim Wert resulted in three runs and gave the Spokane Indians a lead they never relinquished in their WIL game with the Tri-City Braves here Saturday night.
Spokane won 8 to 4.
The Indians knocked out Tri-City pitcher Dick Stone in the third inning and continued their assault on Marv Brewer. Stone was the loser.
Spokane centre fielder Eddie Murphy stole the only base of the evening.
Tri-City ....... 200 000 011—4 11 2
Spokane ...... 311 200 10x—8 12 1
Stone, Brewer (3) and Pesut; Palm and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 20]—Vern Kindsfather put the first notch on his gun Saturday night—and he did it just as easily as Buffalo Bill must have in his day.
Young Vernon beat Victoria 4-1 to give the Caps an even break in the Saturday double—the Caps losing the first one 7-3 when Sandy Robertson had one of those nights.
Kindsfather, of course, was the man most of the 5000 people were watching. Vernon allowed 11 hits, and that’s usually flirting with danger all too often. However, the truth of the matter is Victoria never even looked dangerous. They scored their only run of the ball park in the eighth on a base on balls, an advancing infield out and a bloop single.
STRUCK OUT SIX
Apart from that Kindsfather kept ‘em swinging for nothing. He struck out six, walked but one and had one item at his command which most pitchers spend all their lives looking for. It’s called confidence, and with it goes a number of things. Poise on the mound, for instance. Ability to get the ball over the plate, for another. Knowing you are better than the other guy for a third.
The split didn¨t do the Caps’ pennant chances any good, as those rambling Spokane Indians won again in the South. In so doing, they stretched their lead once more, and as each days passes, it is becoming more certain that nobody is going to stop the Spokes unless the Caps do it themselves on the final series of the season.
WAS 4TH LOSS
Robertson, in his fourth losing effort this year, puzzled those who know him in 1950 as a guy they just couldn’t beat.
Sandy was touched for two runs in the second inning and was belted clear out of there in the third on a four-run burst.
Vancouver made one desperate stand to get in the game. They score three in the third and looked like they were about to take the game apart. However, a double play ended it and when Ben Lorino came in to relieve Bill Prior, that was that. Ben had the Caps’ number for sure.
CHIEFS HERE NOW
Tonight the Caps open another series against the Wenatchee Chiefs. Bill Schuster—who pinch-hit Saturday and came up with a single—is going to send his young right-hander, Pete Hernandez. Pete has won 13, lost only three. He’s the league’s leading percentage pitcher and the way he’s going of late, it appears he’s going to stay right there.
K. Chorlton will be in the Vancouver lineup tonight, too. K has been in Seattle with the US Navy. He’s a Naval Reserve officer and every once in a while gets a call to report. The youngster will likely go to third base, though Chuck Abernathy is out with an injury and there is an opening at first. Bob McLean played the bag in both games Saturday.
First Game
Victoria ....... 024 010 0—7 11 1
Vancouver ... 003 000 0—3 10 3
Prior, Lorino (4) and Cardinale; Robertson, Barta (3), Tisnerat (7) and Ritchey.
Second Game
Victoria ....... 000 000 010—1 11 1
Vancouver ... 001 200 10x—4 5 0
Tierney, Prior (7) and Cardinale; Kindsfather and Ritchey.

TACOMA, Aug. 18—The Tacoma Tigers blasted the Wenatchee Chiefs Saturday night 16-5 in a wild Western International league baseball game.
The two teams were tied 3-3 when Tacoma came to bat in the fourth and converted it into a track meet. Tigers pushed across seven runs, including Butch Moran's home run with the bases loaded.
Wenatchee ..... 002 102 000—5 14 2
Tacoma ......... 021 706 00x—16 15 0
Kanshin, Arnerich (6) and Lake; Kipp and Lundberg.

YAKIMA, Aug. 18—Kewpie Dick Barrett allowed the Salem Senators one run in the first inning then shut the door the rest of the way to pitch the Yakima Bears to a 3-l victory here Saturday night.
Salem ...... 100 000 000—1 6 1
Yakima ..... 012 000 00x—3 9 1
Schmidt and Dana; Barrett and Tiesiera.

New Attendance Record in Sight for Senators
SALEM, Ore., Aug 18—Professional baseball, an item most folks last spring figured would be absent in Salem following the current Western International League season, is instead definitely here to stay.
A check of up-to-date attendance figures for games played at Waters Field discloses that the Salem Senators have more than held their own at the gate.
Stronng rumors that the local franchise would be moved or junked existed all last winter when the Senators drew only 57,000 for the 1950 season.
HOUSECLEANING
But 832 local fans pitched in to buy the franchise from the Portland Coast League team, generated a complete housecleaning from the front office down to the team trainer and went to work to prove that Salem could support professional baseball if given an interesting team to support.
When the Senators return to Waters Field to open a series with Yakima Tuesday night, only 188 fans need pay their way in to swell the attendance total to the 100,000 mark for all games played this season. The total to date for all league games is 92,184 with six games left to play.
And with six special promotional “nights” to accompany the final games, it is a virtual cinch that the final attendance totals will be around 115,000 for all games and 107,000 for league games.The all-time Waters Field attendance record is 102,956 for a single season, that mark having been notched in 1946. if the weather continues to co-operate, this mark is doomed.

Friday, August 17, 1951

2007-12-05T08:17:00.001-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 81 42 .659 —
Vancouver ... 79 45 .637 2½
Salem ....... 65 58 .528 16
Wenatchee ... 59 64 .480 22
Victoria .... 56 70 .444 26½
Tacoma ...... 53 71 .427 28½
Tri-City .... 53 72 .424 29
Yakima ...... 50 74 .403 31½

SPOKANE, Aug. 17 — Spokane's Indians teed off on Tri-City pitching for 17 hits in the 13-to-1 decision over the Braves in the opener of a four-game Western International league baseball series here Friday night.
Mel Wasley and Jim Wert sparked the Tribe to eight runs in the first three innings, and Spokane coasted in from there. Pitcher John Conant, though touched for nine hits, held Tri-City to no earned runs.
Tri City ........ 100 000 000—1 9 1
Spokane ...... 314 000 14x—13 17 1
Zande, Greenlaw (3) and Pesut; Conant and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 18]—Bob Snyder won his 23rd baseball game in 1951 Friday night.
It is not a miracle, nor is it even a record just yet, but the way he’s going he’ll have both the record and a claim to the miraculous before the season ends.
The score of the game was 11-1, but for half of it, it was much tougher than it sounded.
Snyder got himself all hooked up in a duel with Bill Osborn until the sixth inning, then things started to go back for the Victorian. It was 2-1 for Snyder until then, and when Osborn beefed on a play he was kicked out of the game and the parade started.
SINOVIC BLANKED
Six times the Caps scored in the sixth, and that was that.
There were 13 Vancouver hits, nine of them coming in the last three innings. Dick Sinovic didn’t get any, thus you can see the attack was concentrated around the fellows who usually don’t have a look-in.
It wasn’t a good baseball game, but it was unusual.
There was a play in the seventh, for instance, which had them howling.
Snyder walked to start it. Then Bobby McGuire lifted a pop-up to his off-field and Bill White gave it a big college try but couldn’t quite make it.
BILL LOSES BALL
The ball bounced in front of him, then past him. He wheeled around quickly, picked it up and cocked his arm to throw out the flying McGuire, by then on his way to second. However, the ball slipped out of White’s hand and went over the short fence separating the bullpen from the un-playable surface in right field.
White hopped over the fence after it, threw the ball in, then had considerable difficulty re-climbing the fence to get back in the ball game. McGuire went all the way round to score, but he was shown back to third on the ground rule situation.
Tonight the same two clubs meet twice more. Vern Kindsfather is going to start the first game, Sandy Robertson the second.
VERY CONFIDENT
For Vern, this will be his first game in a Vancouver uniform since he won 18 for the Caps in 1949. He has come a long way since then, winning 12 for Seattle this year. That he couldn’t stay in that company this season has been attributed to “just one of those years.” This is the fellow who is supposed to bring a pennant to Capville, or at least have a lot to do with it.
He is confident he can do the trick and with this confidence, the Caps are increasing their momentum in search of the leading Spokane Indians, who, incidentally, were also winning last night.
Victoria ......... 100 000 000— 1 8 5
Vancouver ..... 001 106 21x—11 13 1
Osborn, Hedgecock (6), Carr (7) and Cardinale; Snyder and Ritchey.

YAKIMA, Aug. 17—Sal De George, Salem righthander, set the Yakima Bears down with four hits Friday night as Salem romped to a 7-0 victory. It was DeGeorge's fifteenth victory against nine defeats.
Salem ........... 300 000 301—7 10 1
Yakima ......... 000 000 000—0 4 2
De George and McKeegan; Del Sarto and Tiesiera.

TACOMA, Aug. 17-The Tacoma Tigers and the Wenatchee Chiefs split of a wild doubleheader Friday night Tacoma took a 20-8 decision in the nine inning opener and Wenatchee came back for a 13 9 victory in the nightcap.
First Game
Wenatchee ....... 003 102 011—8 18 4
Tacoma ............ 302 007 17x—20 17 0
Raimondi, Thompson (8) and Roberson; Schulte, Mishasek (5), Clark (7) and Lundberg.
Second Game
Wenatchee ....... 000 302 2—13 14 2
Tacoma ............ 042 011 1—9 12 1
Gassaway and Roberson, Lake (2); Dodeward, Clark (5), Israel (7) and Lundberg.

Wenatchee Hurler Handed Release
WENATCHEE, Aug. 17 — Wenatchee Chiefs Western International League baseball officials said Friday veteran southpaw Lou Tost had been handed his outright release.
Tost, who had a 10-6 record, was injured two weeks ago and will not be able to play again this year, Mayor Arthur Pohlman, president of the club, said. The lefthander formerly pitched for the Seattle Rainiers.

Purchasers of Tickets Will Receive Full Value
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 18, 1951]
Reg Patterson, business manager of the Victoria Athletics, announced yesterday that persons who purchased membership tickets for the car drawing will receive full value for their money.
Patterson said that the tickets will be honored as an admission to the final game of the season against Salem, Sept. 4. The night has been set aside as “Depreciation Night” when $1,000 worth of gifts will be given away in lieu of the car.
Fans not wishing to receive their value in this manner may have their money refunded at Royal Athletic Park.
TO HONOR STURGEON
Patterson also announced that next Friday has been set aside as Bob Sturgeon Night when Wenatchee Chiefs made their final appearance of the season here. Sturgeon will be honored with gifts in token of his fine job as manager of the Athletics since replacing Dick Barrett in mid-season.
A great crowd of women is expected at Royal Athletic Park on Friday, Aug. 31, when Spokane Indians close their Victoria season. It will be Orchid Night and the first 1,000 feminine fans will receive orchids flown here directly from Hawaii.
Another added attraction this week will be an appearance next Tuesday and Wednesday of the Bowery Boys in their trampoline act. Members of the Athletics, who saw this act at other W.I.L. cities, say it is well worth seeing and are anxious to see the act again.

Thursday, August 16, 1951

2007-12-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 80 42 .656 —
Vancouver ... 78 45 .634 2½
Salem ....... 64 58 .525 16
Wenatchee ... 68 63 .479 21½
Victoria .... 58 69 .448 25½
Tri-City .... 53 71 .427 28
Tacoma ...... 52 70 .426 28
Yakima ...... 50 73 .410 30½

SPOKANE, August 16—Spokane Indians gained back the game they lost Wednesday in their first-place battle with Vancouver by scoring eight runs in the third inning to defeat Tacoma Tigers 8-2.
Steve Mesner's double and Jim Brown's triple highlighted the big inning. The Tigers got but four hits off Dick Bishop.
The Spokane win snapped Tacoma's six-game winning streak and provided Bishop with his 14th mound victory.
Spokane .... 008 000 000—8-10-0
Tacoma ..... 002 010 001—4- 4-3
Bishop and Sheets; Kipp, Knezovich (3) and Lundberg.

SALEM [Vancouver News Herald, August 17, 1951]—Vancouver Capilanos come home tonight with a new injury, a loss and still some distance to catch up on the leading Spokane Indians.
The Caps lost Thursday night in Salem to big Bill Bevans 6-5 in 10 innings, thereby losing another game in their hunt for the WIL baseball lead. But that was just a minor item.
The injuries are still popping up. Latest to fall victim to the bugaboo which seems to insist on playing patsy with the Caps is John Ritchey, the league’s leading hitter.
John was hit in the groin with a foul tip Wednesday night. At the time, it wasn’t thought to be series, but John had to be benched last night when soreness developed.
How long he will be out won’t be known until he is examined today.
The Caps play Victoria tonight at Cap Stadium, the opening of a week-long stand which also sees them play the A’s twice Saturday night. Either Vernon Kindsfather or Sandy Robertson will pitch for the Caps.
Last night Caps collected 13 hits off ex-New York Yankee great Bill Bevans but he kep them fairly well scattered. George Nicholas started for Vancouver, gave way to Bob McLean in the fifth, who gave way to Carl Gunnarson without getting a man out.
Gunnarson was charged with the loss.
- - -
Bevens won his own game when he singled in a run to break a 5-5 deadlock after Jim McKeegan doubled with two out in the tenth.
The win was Bevens’ 19th of the season.
Vancouver opened its scoring in the second inning with a run on a walk, a stolen base by Charlie Mead and a single by Jim Moore. It added two on three hits in the sixth and two more on three hits in the seventh.
Gunnarson replaced McLean after walking two Salem batters in the sixth, and held Salem scoreless until the end of the game.
A crowd of 1,754 was on hand leaving Salem only 188 paid customers short of the 100,000 mark.
Vancouver .... 010 002 200 0—5-13-2
Salem ........... 002 210 000 1—6-11-3
Nicholas, McLean (6), Gunnarson (6) and Cheso; Bevens and McKeegan.

WENATCHEE [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 17]—Victoria Athletics, complete with a catcher for the first time in five games, got back in the battle for a W.I.L. playoff berth at Wenatchee last night by edging the Chiefs, 7-6.
The win gave the A’s the important series, 2-1, and left them four games out of the first division. Ben Lorino got credit for his third win, balancing his season’s record at Victoria, but he had to have help from Jim Propst to save the day. Propst came on with the tying run on third base and two out and forced the dangerous Will Hafey to ground to shortstop Jim Clark for the game-ending out.
In action for the first time in the W.I.L. was Rocco Cardinale, the new Victoria catcher, courtesy of Stockton’s California State League entry. Cardinale failed to hit in four trips and was charged with two errors but had just completed a bus trip from Portland.
LORINO HELPS SELF
Lorino, tagged with 12 hits, helped himself at the plate, singling in two runs in the sixth and later scoring the winning run on Don Pries’ single. Losing pitcher was Tom Breisinger, an old Victoria nemesis.
Pries, well out of his batting slump, and Bill White paced the A’s offensively with three hits each. White returned to right field with Ben Jeffey moving in to take over at first base for Hal Jackson.
Victoria ....... 003 013 000—7-12-2
Wenatchee .. 200 001 102—6-12-1
Lorino, Propst (9) and Cardinale; Breisinger and Roberson.

KENNEWICK, [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 17]—The veteran hurler Lou McCollum accomplished two important things last night, First he halted the Yakima Bears 5-3 to salvage the final contest in the three-game series and secondly he became the first Tri-City Brave hurler to win more than 10 games. McCollum's decision gave him a total of 11 victories for the sason. Thus, the lanky right hander has beaten Yakima every time he has faced them here.
And it was a tough one for Larry Powell of Yakima to lose. Of the five runs the Braves scored, only one was charged to the Bear southpaw. The other four were the direct result of the three bobbles his teammates made behind him.
Tonight Tri-City leaves for a weekend series in Spokane and will return home Tuesday for a pair of games against the Spokes before hitting the road again for another week.
The two bat boys of the Braves will also make the trip to Spokane with the baseball team.
The two boys are Jackie Dale Lee and Dennis Allen Garrett.
They will take the place of the visiting bat boys during the entire Spokane series.
Tri-City's single earned run came in the first inning when Vic Buccola walked, moved to third on Buddy Peterson's single and crossed the plate when Clint Cameron slapped a one baser into left field.
The Braves really iced the game in the fifth when the Bears kicked it away. Bill Edelstein started it off with a free pass. McCollum laid down a sacrifice bunt and was safe at first when Bear catcher will Tiesiera threw the ball into right field, Al Spaeter followed with a single that scored Edelstein. Buccola then rapped a sharp one to Al Jacinto at second, but Jacinto threw wildly to the keystone in an attempt to get Spaeter and McCollum scored. Peterson followed with an infield roller to the shortstop and Spaeter scored. Cameron then went out second to first to end the inning.
Bill Andring paced the Bear attack with a double and a triple. After slamming his two-baser in the first he scored on Jacinto's single. He also scored after tripling in the seventh.
Last right's crowd of 401 was the smallest in the two-year history of the park. The previously reported smallest attendance was 444.
Boy Scouts from Tri-City troops presented a colorful flag raising ceremony in pre-game ceremonies which was followed by the pledge of allegiance to the flag. The Scouts trooped to the center field flag pole carryingtheir troop insignia and American flags.
Yakima ...... 100 001 100—3-13-3
Tri-City ..... 100 030 01x—5- 6-0
Powell and Tiesiera; McCollum and Pesut.

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

(Including games of Wednesday, Aug. 15)

AB H RBI Ave
Ritchey, Van ....... 385 138 70 .359
Sinovic, Van ....... 471 156 97 .352
Chorlton, Tac ...... 291 99 34 .340
Baxes, Yak ......... 450 132 57 .338
Richardson, Spo .... 364 120 82 .330
Peterson, T-C ...... 418 137 68 .328

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang [from the Victoria Colonist, Aug. 17, 1951]

What with the B.C. government not tolerating opposition of any kind in the gambling business, the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd. suddenly finds itself in a dilemma. Instead of an expect profit, which was to have been used for the thoroughly laudable purpose of paying off indebtedness incurred during the previous two seasons, the club finds itself with an unexpected and unwelcome expense item and the problem of returning the money to those who purchased a membership for the dual purpose of helping the A’s and getting a chance to win a brand-new auto.
Just what to do is something that is puzzling club officials at the moment. Many fans who are openly resentful of government action have phoned to state they are not interested in getting their money back. Few are worried over the dollar they spent but some method must have been devised so that all who purchased tickets can have their money refunded or get value received in some other manner.
Approximately 3,000 tickets have been sold and it will cost the club over $700 if 3,000 refunds are made. With most baseball fans feeling the way they do, there could be an alternative.
As a suggestion, another special night, which would well be called “Fan Depreciation Night” could be held on the final night of the season. Gate prizes could be given away as is the case each season on “Fan Appreciation Night” and all who purchased tickets on the car would be entitled to attend the game without further charge. In any event, almost everyone would get value received and the club may manage to break even on the deal.
As a final thought, what kind of reasoning makes it legal to gamble at a race track after paying admission for the privilege of losing money, a crime to bet off-track, and illegal to conduct an honest lottery. It must be that 21 per cent rake-off.
Random Harvest
For those who have been critical, Art Thrasher was not the property of the A’s and was subject to recall. When Sacramento was left without a catcher, it was only natural that Thrasher would be recalled . . . Tacoma must feel the same way Victoria did last season when Seattle Rainiers recalled K Chorlton and kept him on the bench. This time, Chorlton goes to rival Vancouver . . . Bill Prior will fly to Vancouver this morning to be with the A’s for the three-game series against the Capilanos. He will also get a chance to be a home-game pitcher next year—if there is a next year . . . If the present ownership can start another W.I.L. season in Victoria, it could do worse than offer Bob Sturgeon a chance to start the 1951 season as manager.

Wednesday, August 15, 1951

2007-12-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ..... 79 42 .653 —
Vancouver ... 78 44 .639 1½
Salem ....... 63 58 .521 16
Wenatchee ... 58 62 .483 20½
Victoria .... 55 69 .444 25½
Tacoma ...... 52 69 .430 27
Tri-City .... 52 71 .423 28
Yakima ...... 50 72 .410 29½

TACOMA, Aug. 15 — Hal Dodeward, youthful Tacoma righthander, blanked league-leading Spokane on six hits Wednesday night giving Tacoma a 5-0 decision for its sixth consecutive victory.
Dodeward left 11 runners stranded. John Marshall was the loser after running up six straight for his new club.
Three of the Tigers' runs came on catcher Don Lundberg's base-cleaning triple in the sixth inning.
Spokane ..... 000 000 000—0 5 1
Tacoma ...... 001 004 00x—5 8 0
Marshall, Palm (7) and Sheets; Dodeward and Lundberg

SALEM, [Vancouver News Herald, Aug. 16]—Loss of Gordie Brunswick to Vancouver Capilanos for the season was greatly minimized Wednesday when the Seattle Rainiers optioned K. Chorlton to the Canadian club.
Chorlton will report to the Caps at Salem today. Wednesday night, Caps crept to within a game and a half of the league-leading Spokane Indians by walloping Salem Senators 15-2 while Spokane was absorbing a 5-0 loss from Tacoma.
THIRD IN BATTING
With the acquisition of Chorlton, Capilanos got a replica of Brunswick. In the last batting average releases Chorlton was third behind John Ritchey and Dick Sinovic with a .348 average.
The big younger started his WIL career with Vancouver two years ago, playing the last two months of the 1949 campaign after graduating from the University of Washington.
Last season, he was with Victoria and this year, he was optioned to Tacoma after a tryout with the parent Seattle club.
PENNANT POWER
His acquisition, announced by general manager Bob Brown in Vancouver Wednesday, adds tremendous hitting and defensive power for the pennant stretch drive.
Last night, Pete Hernandez picked up his 14th win as the Caps climbed on Salem starter Curt Schmidt for five runs in the first inning and three in the second.
Pete scattered 10 hits as he controlled the Salem hitters throughout.
Tonight, George Nicholas will be after his 14th win as the Vancouver club winds up the Salem series.
- - - -
Dick Sinovic, Hernandez and Reno Cheso rattled out triples while John Ritchey contributed a double. Ray Tran topped the Vancouver batters with three singles in five trips. Bill Spaeter was the only Senator who got to Hernandez regularly. He was three for five with a home run.
Vancouver .... 530 052 000— 15 14 0
Salem .......... 000 001 001—2 10 4
Hernandez and Ritchey, Cheso ( ); Schmidt, Monroe (2), Lew (5) and McKeegan.

WENATCHEE [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 16]—Still minus a catcher, Victoria Athletics last night ended a four-game losing streak at Wenatchee as the Chiefs helped them to a 6-3 victory.
With Rocco Cardinale supposedly on the way to Wenatchee by bus from Portland, where he was grounded by an airline strike, Don Pries again did duty behind the plate. The hustling third baseman was charged with one error and a passed ball and permitted a stolen base but Jim Propst was tough for the Chiefs’ left-handed batting order.
At that, it was a close call. The A’s outhit their rivals 13-6, but left 12 runners stranded and needed most of the five Wenatchee errors.
Bill Dunn and Gene Thompson had three hits each with Dunn hitting in timely fashion to figure in most of Victoria’s run-making.
The win moved the A’s back within five games of fourth place and still left them with an outside chance to make the post-season playdowns.
Victoria ........ 120 000 201—6-13-2
Wenatchee ... 100 000 110—3- 6-5
Propst and Pries; Treichel and Roberson.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 16]—With two left handers going the full distance and turning in a victory in as many nights it was pretty obvious that Yakima's manager Bill Brenner would shoot for a series sweep against the Tri-City Braves with another. And he will.
Tonight it will be southpaw Powell going up against the right handed slants of Lou McCollum in the final game of the series at Sanders Field. The game will be preceded by special color ceremonies by Boy Scouts from the Tri-City area and other surrounding cities.
Bill Boemler, an off again and on again pitcher, was definitely on last night as he turned back the Braves 6-3 with a neat four-hit job. Boemler cured his usual wlldness by the end of the second inning but not before his trouble got two runs charged against him in the Braves' first. Both runs were walked into scoring position.
However, the big youngster absolved himself by blasting out a four-master over the right field fence to drive in the winning run of the game. The blow came in the top of the fifth.
It was the seventh straight setback for loser Bob Costello who now hasn't won a game since mid-July when he defeated Spokane 13-8.
But it might be a different story tonight when McCollum takes the hill. For the lanky veteran right hander has beaten the Bears every time he has faced them here.
The Bears picked up two runs in their first panel, and another in the fourth and then clinched the game with Boemler's four-ply blow in the fifth. Yakima, added another in the eighth, the same frame that saw Costello lifted for reliefer Cy Greenlaw.
Cos' dug his hole by giving up three singles and then issuing a walk to Phil Steinberg to load the bases. Greenlaw, back in the dugout from his pasture tending duties since Al Spaeter returned to the lineup, ran the count to 3-2 on Boemler before he hung one around the knees that left Boemler waving at the air futiley.
A pair of Tri-City errors in the ninth accounted for the Bears other run.
Tri-City threatened in the second when baserunners reached first and third but a neat twin killing erased that threat. Aside from their unearned run in the sixth only one more Brave got as far as second and that came in the seventh when Spaeter singled after two were out and moved to the keystone sack when Vic Buccola walked.
BRAVE BRIEFS. Costello engineered a pickoff play last night when he caught Mike Baxes napping off first base. . .Both Neil Bryant and Bill Edelstein made snoetop catches that were so low they must have bruised the grass. . .Vic Buccola made one of the greatest stops he's made all year (and that's saying a lot) when he dug Bill Andring's screamer down the right field foul line out of the dirt and turned it into a double play.
Greenlaw never looked cooler than when he was striking out Boemler with the sacks clogged.
Yakima ...... 200 110 011—6-14-1
Tri-City ..... 200 001 000—3- 4-2
Boemler and Tiesiera; Costello, Greenlaw (8) and Pesut.

A’s Abandon Ticket Sale For New Car
[Victoria Colonist, August 16, 1951]
Because of the current government drive against lotteries of one form of another, some Victoria baseball fan will have to do without the 1951 auto Victoria Athletics had intended to give away prior to the season’s last game on Sept. 4.
Business-manager Reg Patterson announced last night that the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd., which had been selling memberships in the Victoria Athletic Association, had called in all books of tickets and that the project had been abandoned.
Ticket purchasers will have their money refunded but the method of making reimbursement had been yet to be decided. An announcement will be made within the next few days.
It was a serious blow to the club, planning to help meet deficits incurred in 1949 and 1950 with proceeds from the sale of memberships. Instead, the clubs will be out a considerable amount of money, including the cost of printing, commission to ticket sellers, office expense and a certain amount of gate receipts. Memberships included the right to purchase a ticket to a W.I.L. game at a reduced admission charge.

Eric Whitehead’s FAN FARE
[from Vancouver Province, August 16, 1951]

Your Capilanos stayed on or near the top of the WIL all this season because of respectable depth in the three vital departments: pitching, hitting and fielding.
But it took until Wednesday night to really highlight a fact long-suspected: that the Caps’ fourth and secret weapon is Ruby Robert Brown, the Old Fox of the new ball park.
Way back in the dear dead days of last springtime, when that now glittering chunk of greensward in Little Mountain was still mumbling to itself in derelict old Athletic Park, Ruby Robert confided, under absolutely no pressure, that he was really gunning for a pennant-winner.
We got the general idea when Brown picked up manager Bill Schuster for what is cutely terms a “pretty penny,” then presented Bill with a nicely packed ball-club, topposed off by the late acquisition of John Ritchey.
Brown’s simple master-plan of power-plus was knocked off balance when that Tri-City lummox, catcher Nick Pesut, put Schuster out of the lineup with a twisted knee.
A Little Shrewd Horse-Trading
Which was where Spokane, another pretty fair ball club, began to take over.
Then a couple of weeks back, Ruby Robert went to work to bolster his sagging hirelings, and wangled the return of prodigal son Vern Kindsfather, a pretty fair chucker who could certainly rank with the best right-handers in this league. This was a shrewd bit of finagling spoiled only by the fact that Kindsfather, playing mystery-man, has as yet failed to report.
But the payoff came Wednesday night with the announcement that K. Chorlton, another talented ex-Capilano and ex-Rainier, was in his way back to replace the injured Gordie Brunswick.
This is the surprise move of the year. In a cunning bit of convenience between Ruby Robert of Vancouver and his Seattle Rainier counterpart, Earl Sheely, Chorlton was plucked from seventh-place Tacoma, recalled but briefly (a matter of several minutes at most), to Seattle, and then optioned to pennant-or-bust Vancouver.
One For You, Two For Me
All, of course, very legal—but, well—there’ll be some muttering and mumbling around Spokane today.
The Caps have thus lost Brunswick, a .308 hitter, a fairish but unpolished all-round fielder, a willing workhorse and the fastest man in the league. In his stead they now have Chorlton, a .348 hitter, a competent fielder in practically any position, a hustling competitor who is no more than half a stride behind Brunswick over a couple of furlongs.
Fair exchange you might say.
It is an ill wind that blows nobody good when Business-manger Brown is handling the bellows.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 16, 1951]
SOME CHANGES ARE COMING

Only 12 more games left at Sanders Field and then it will be all over until next April for the Braves. No question either that it has not been a good season. And like any losing effort it has brought with it the necessary share of rumors, half-truths and outright wishful thinking.
Some of the rumors being bandied about are nothing short of fantastic. Others probably have some degree of truth to them. Certainly where there is so much there must be a little fire.
What changes are possible? Ownership? Certainly anything has a price and it's no secret that Babe Hollingbery, Hunky Shaw and others are willing to sell. But money talks and thus far the conversation along those lines has been silence.
Player changes? Of that you can be sure. It is axiomatic in baseball that when a club has a losing season they freshen it up with new faces. In the case of Tri-City most of those will come in the outfield and on pitching staff. It would be extremely difficult to try and better Vic Buccola at first, Al Spaeter at second, Buddy Peterson at shortstop and Nick Pesut behind the plate, too, not all the pitcher's are as bad as their record appears. It's hard to be a winning hurler on a losing team. But there are definite straws in the wind that some thing is up. So just wait around for another month or so and everything will unroll.

Tuesday, August 14, 1951

2007-12-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 79 41 .684 —
Vancouver .. 77 44 .636 2½
Salem ...... 63 57 .523 18
Wenatchee .. 58 61 .487 20½
Victoria ... 54 69 .439 26½
Tri-City ... 52 70 .426 28
Tacoma ..... 51 69 .425 29
Yakima ..... 49 72 .403 30½

TACOMA, Aug. 14—Two squeeze bunts—each good for a run—helped the Tacoma Tigers post a 6-1 decision over the league leading Spokane Indians Tuesday night in a Western International league baseball game. The victory was Tacoma's fifth in a row.
Spokane .... 000 000 100—1-6-0
Tacoma ..... 000 200 04x—6-7-0
Aubertin, Roberts (8) and Sheets; Clark and Watson.

SALEM [Vancouver News Herald, Aug. 15]—There was bad news abroad for the Capilanos Tuesday night but it didn’t compare to the sadness being spread in far-off Vancouver.
Even as the Caps were losing 5-4 to Salem and missing a chance to draw closer to Spokane, who also lost, Bob Brown announced from his Vancouver office that Gordie Brunswick would play no more baseball this year.
The young outfielder, sometimes third baseman and sometimes first baseman, ran into the fence in Victoria Friday night chasing a foul ball. He suffered a severe ankle sprain and it is feared he will still be hobbling weeks after the season ends.
GORD NOT HAPPY
Brunswick returned to Vancouver from the Victoria series and the young is not happy about his bad fortune at all. He was just starting to hit his best clip, had amassed a .306 batting average and was driving in runs in the clutch.
Bill Schuster will return to the active list August 15 but whether or not he will be able to take a regular turn is problematical. It is felt he will only be sound enough for the occasional pinch-hit chore, in which case Brunswick’s loss will be doubly felt.
SMITH BOUNCED
On top of all this, there was the Salem game. Ronnie Smith started it for the Caps, ran into a rough two-run third inning and it was even worse in the fifth when the Senators ganged up for three more. As it turned out, that was enough.
Ray McNulty started for Salem and left in the third because of a sore arm. The Caps got to reliefer Aldon Wilkie for a single run in the fourth [on a single by Dick Sinovic and a double by Charlie Mead] and three in the sixth [on a walk, a single by Ray Tran and doubles by Sinovic and Mead]. They could not, however, push across the big one.
Vancouver .... 000 103 000—4-9-0
Salem .......... 002 030 00x—5-8-1
Smith, Barta (5) and Ritchey; McNulty, Wilkie (3) and McKeegan.

WENATCHEE [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 15]—The catching shortage hurt Victoria Athletics again last night in their bid to grab the fourth place berth in the Western International League.
With Milt Martin still unable to play because of his shoulder injury and the non-arrival of Rocco Cardinale and Jack Reddick from California in time for the game, the A’s were forced to press infielder Don Pries into service as a catcher.
Pries had a rough time as the A’s dropped a 6-4 decision to the Wenatchee Chiefs. The Chiefs scored twice in the second inning on a walk, singles by Foster Roberson and Mike Kanshin and two stolen bases.
TALLY IN SIXTH
The Chiefs added another tally in the sixth when Buddy Hjelmaa was hit by a pitched ball and completed the circuit on singles by Lyle Palmer and Roberson.
The A’s reduced the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the seventh when Bill Dunn, Bob Sturgeon and Jim Clark walked to fill the bases and Pries delivered a two-run single.
The catching problem offset the rally in the bottom half of the frame. Lil Arnerich walked, Walt Pocekay beat out a sacrifice bunt and Will Hafey was purposely passed to fill the bases after Jim Marshall sacrificed the runners along. Hjelmaa then popped to the back of the plate, but Pries dropped the ball for an error. With Hjelmaa at the plate, two passed balls allowed Arnerich and Pocekay to score.
FINAL RUN
Palmer scored the final Wenatchee run in the eighth when he walked, was safe at second on Jim Hedgecock’s error and completed the circuit on Arnerich’s single.
Doubles by Sturgeon and Hedgecock’s error and completed the circuit on Arnerich’s single.
Doubles by Sturgeon and Hedgecock and a single by Clark gave the A’s their final two runs in the ninth.
The victory boosted the Chiefs’ fourth-place margin over the A’s to six games and nine on the losing side. Sturgeon will send southpaw Jim Propst against the Chiefs in the second game of the three-game series tonight.
Victoria ........ 000 000 202—4- 7-3
Wenatchee .. 020 001 21x—6-10-0
Hedgecock and Pries; Kanshin and Roberson.

KENNEWICK, [Herald, Aug. 15, 1951]—Teddy Savarese, a little left hander with a big curve, last night accomplished at Sanders Field what no other Yakima hurler has been able to do this season. He beat the Tri-City Braves to snap a string of seven stralght victories tha Braves held over the Bears here this year.
But much of the credit for the crafty veteran's ninth victory also belongs to Mike Baxes, The hard hitting Bear third baseman wore all his hitting clothes to the park as he bashed two to Dick Stone's offerings over the left field wall and then dumped, a little single to drive in the winning run off Jack Brewer. Baxes thus accounted for five runs of the 8-5 Yakima victory.
However, while the Braves outhit the Bears 14-11, Savarese pulled himself out of one tight spot with two successive pick off plays that came in the third inning. Stone started that frame off with a single and Bill Edelstein followed with another.
Then before he threw a single pitch to Vic Buccola, Savarese that nailed Stone off second with a well-timed plckoff play as Al Jacinto raced in to cover the bag. Savarese followed up that up by a quick move to first that eased Edelstein and took himself out of danger.
Baxes sent Yakima into a 2-0 lead In the fifth when he poled his first out of the park plating Jacinto ahead of him.
Tri-City struck back in the sixth with four successive singles by Buddy Peterson, Clint Cameron, Neil Bryant and Ken Michelson. Bryant's slash to left scored Peterson and Mlchelson's single to left center counted Cameron and Bryant.
DOES IT AGAIN
Once more Baxes rescued Savarese when he hit his second successive four-master this time scoring his pitcher ahead of him.
The Braves wound up their scoring in the seventh on the strength of Cameron's home run hat also scored Buccola. Except for a Bear twin-killing that nailed Bill Edelstein at the plate as he tried to score from third after Peterson had skied to right, Tri-City might have tied up the game in this inning. But a perfect peg from Jerry Zuvella on the short fly ball was in plenty of time.
Stone got into trouble in the eighth and wound up as the losing pitcher. It started off with Earl Richmond walking and moving to second on a sacrifice, Savarese followed with a single and Stone was derricked.
Buzz Berriesford came on long enough to pass Bill Andring and that brought on the veteran Jack Brewer. Brewer too issued a pass, his to Jacinto to load the sacks. That's when Baxes hit a ball into the dirt in front of the plate. Both Nick Pesut and Brewer made a try for the play with Pesut taking the ball at the plate, but it had fallen perfectly and all hands were safe.
Tonight Manager Charlie Peterson will send Bob Costello to the mound to oppose Yakima's Gene Bowman.
Ken Michelson made a couple of hard running catches in left field in the ninth that brought a round of applause. . . And Peterson also made a fielding gem when he robbed Savarese of a sure base hit with a spine-tingling leaping catch of the line drive.
In addition to his home run Cameron also got two singles. Edelstein continued his spree at the plate with a three for five night also, including a first inning triple.
Yakima ....... 000 020 220—6-11-1
Tri-City ...... 000 003 200—5-14-0
Savarese and Brenner; Stone, Berriesford (8), Brewer (8) and Pesut.

TACOMA, Wash., Aug, 15—Rival Western International league elbowers have been waiting six weeks now for Jim Holder's shoulder Injury to heal. If it soon doesn't, he'll coast in to the league pitching crown without a struggle.
Of course, the Spokane pitcher could enhance the 9-0 won-lost record he carried with him into temporary retirement on June 30 if and when he returns to action.
In games played through Monday, Vancouver's Bud Beasley (5-0) was Holder's lone unbeaten rival, and he probably won't be around long enough to post four more wins, since he has announced he'll be leaving the Capilanos in the near future for a brief vacation before resuming his teaching chores this fall.
The leaders:
SO BB W L Pct.
Holder, Spok ....... 46 72 9 0 1.000
Beasley, Van ....... 19 11 5 0 1.000
Hernandez, Van ..... 63 79 13 3 .813
Snyder, Van ........ 96 82 22 6 .786
Stone, Tri-City .... 99 58 7 3 .700
Bevens, Salem ..... 108 86 18 9 .667
Rockey, Spok ....... 53 58 8 4 .667
Tisnerat, Van ...... 34 51 6 3 .667
G Nicholas Van ..... 54 69 13 7 .650
Breisinger, Wen ... 180 133 14 8 .630
Barrett, Vic-Yak ... 38 48 7 4 .636

Frankly Speaking
By FRANK T. BLAIR, Sports Editor [Long Beach Telegram, Aug. 15, 1951]
Novikoff Will Aid Hawks at Greeley

Back in 1933, when Torrance joined the National Niteball League, strong Southland softball circuit, a 17-year-old youngster, Louie Neva, pitched and batted Spud Murphy's team into the championships, defeating Joe Rodgers' Huntington Beach Oilers in the playoffs.
Neva, whose real name is Novikoff, went on to become the greatest all-around softball player in the league, then turned to baseball, hung up fabulous hitting marks in the top minors, and played the several seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
Novikoff, who'll be 35 years old in October, retains a lot of his original softball talent and will be one of the players on the Long Beach Nitehawk club which will compete under Rodger's leadership in the world softball tourney at Greeley, Colo., starting Sept. 1. Lou and his teammates will play at the Park Ave. field at Recreation Park on the night of Sunday, Aug. 26, in a fund-raising contest to send the Long Beach entry to the championships.
Louie broke in as a softball player with Torrance in spectacular fashion in 1933, pitching a shutout against Whittier, 1 to 0, and beating the late "String" McDonnell, who lost despite hurling a non-hitter. Novikoff scored the only run of the game when he forced a runner at second base and then scored on three wild pitches.
Louie hit 19 homers for Torrance that season, Hal Forney, 12 Paul Novikoff 9, Walt Wolf 6, Red Watson 6 and Don Leonard 5. The "Mad Russian," as he became known in baseball, later shifted his activities to Joe Rodgers' Huntington Beach Oilers and was the mainstay of that club in its title years of 1935 and 1936.
In the 1936 final series against the Santa Ana Stars, won by the Oilers in four out of seven frames, Novikoff locked with Jimmy Coates of the Stars in mound duels. The final game, played at Santa Ana Bowl, drew a record crowd which paid a total of $1200, despite the low 25-cent admission price.
NOW EMPLOYED BY A LOS ANGELES PIPE-MANUFACTURING company, Novikoff lives at South Gate. He'll take his vacation during the Nitehawks' trip to Greeley, going along as an outfielder and reserve pitcher. "Louie has the best slow ball in the Southland," says Rodgers. . . . After opposing batters have looked at some of Jack Randall's fast stuff for a while, Novikoff's slow ball is likely to drive them slightly crazy.
Now adding strength in several positions for the Colorado title tournament, Rodgers believes that the club which will represent Long Beach in the Greeley classic will compare favorably with some of his top softball team's at Huntington Beach and this city.

Monday, August 12, 1951

2007-12-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 79 40 .664 —
Vancouver ... 77 43 .639 2½
Salem ....... 62 57 .521 17
Wenatchee ... 57 61 .483 21½
Victoria .... 54 68 .446 26½
Tri-City .... 52 68 .430 28
Tacoma ...... 50 69 .420 29
Yakima ...... 48 72 .400 31½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 14]—Reg Patterson, business manager of the Victoria Athletics, announced last night that he had completed a deal with Modesto which will bring the A’s two catchers in time for tonight’s game at Wenatchee. And that won’t be soon enough.
Vancouver Capilanos literally stole a game for Bob Snyder last night, giving the smooth right-hander his 22nd victory, as they made it three in a row with a 6-4 conquest.
BASES PILFERED
Taking liberties on the bases as Al Kubasek again filled in for the injured Milt Martin, the Caps pilfered ten bases. Five of the thefts came in the fourth inning and were directly responsible for the first three runs of the game. The Caps’ base-running proclivities also threw an extra burden on pitcher John Tierney, who did well enough to have earned the win.
At the plate, Kubasek did much better. Getting a big hand each time up, he managed a perfect evening with two singles and two bases on balls.
SHOULD BE DIFFERENT
It should be different tonight—unless Rocco Cardinale and Jack Reddick take the same road Bill Carr travelled from California. Cardinale, who has had a fine record in the California State League for the past two seasons with averages of .315 and .318, has been purchased outright. Reddick is a rookie assigned to the A’s. No information is available at the moment on his baseball background.
Hopes that the A’s would be able to get righthander Jerry Barta from Vancouver fell through last night. With clubs allowed to carry extra players after tomorrow, the Caås have decided to keep Barta around for the stretch drive.
CROWD 3,500
A “Fan Appreciation Night” crowd of 3,500 was on hand to see the last game of a home stand which started so auspiciously and ended so disastrously. Although the A’s won eight of 12 this time, the last three defeats cost them dearly in their late fight to overhaul Wenatchee for the last playoff spot.
The clubs leaves for Wenatchee this morning for three games with the Chiefs and need a series sweep to get back into contention. The A’s are only five games out with 24 left to play but are eight games behind on the all-important losing side.
Manager Bob Sturgeon has his three southpaws—Jim Hedgecock, Jim Propst and Ben Lorino—ready to shoot at the Chiefs in that order.
NOT AT BEST
Snyder could have been beat last night. Not at his best, the smooth righthander walked six and seemed to tire in the late innings. In the eighth, the A’s had one run in and the bags loaded with no one out, managed only one more run. They managed to get the tying run to the plate in the ninth but couldn’t go on. Hal Jackson had a chance both times to make himself a hero, struck out the first time, rolled to second for the game-ending out on the last try.
Vancouver manager Bill Schuster played the game under protest from the third inning, got the thumb in the eighth for becoming too articulate over a ball-and-strike decision. The protest, and it seemed a good one, was based on a decision in which plate-umpire Dick Valencourt disallowed a run.
BASES LOADED
With one out and the bases loaded, Ray Tran grounded to Sturgeon at second. Sturgeon attempted to tag Bob McGuire, who had been on first base, but the runner ran back toward the sack he had just vacated. Sturgeon then threw the ball to first, retiring Tran, and McGuire was tagged out at second by Jim Clark, who took Jackson’s throw. The runner who bad been at third had scored before the third out was made and since there was no force at second, it appeared the run would count. Valencourt ruled that McGuire was out for moving back towards first base.
Defensively, Ben Jeffey provided the game’s highlight with a sensational catch of Dick Sinovic’s line drive in the second inning while Marv Diercks robbed Tran of a hit in the fifth with a grab of a sinking liner..
Vancouver .... 000 300 210—6-9-1
Victoria ........ 000 000 022—4-9-0
Snyder and Ritchey; Tierney. Prior (8) and Kubasek.

Exhibition
Tri-City ...... 001 000 103— 5- 9-2
Pendelton ... 100 216 00x—10-17-3
Johnson and Pesut; Sperling and Nelson.

TACOMA, Aug. 14 — Vancouver's John Ritchey enjoyed a 9-for-25 week at the plate in games through Sunday to maintain his Western International league-leading batting average of .362, but a sensational spurt by teammate Dick Sinovic leaves the outcome of the willow chase in doubt.
Sinovic made 16 hits in 26 times at bat — including a six-for-six performance Saturday against Victoria — to hike his mark 16 points to .349, the runner-up figure. Tri-Ciy's Buddy Peterson meanwhile slumped 18 points to .328 in relinquishing the second spot.
K Chorlton, Tacoma outfielder, is third at .348, but it now appears he won't reach the required 400 times at bat in the remaining three and one-half weeks of the season and thus can't be considered a contender.
The battle for runs-batted-in honors remains warm, with Sinovic and Ken Richardson of Spokane now tied for first place with 92 apiece and Butch Moran of Tacoma third with 90.
The only contest apparently "sewed up" is the home run derby, in which Will Hafey of Wenatchee is far in front with 21, as compared with the runner-up of 11 reached by no fewer than four rivals — Peterson and Vic Buccola of Tri-City, Bill White of Victoria and Jim Marshall of Wenatchee.
The leaders, as released today from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president:
G AB H RBI HR Ave.
Ritchey, Van ....... 112 373 135 66 6 .362
Sinovic, Van ....... 118 458 160 92 7 .349
Chorlton, Tac ....... 71 282 98 33 1 .348
Richardson, Spok ... 103 356 119 92 9 .334
Baxes, Yak ......... 120 440 146 52 6 .332
Vanni, Spok ........ 115 500 165 53 1 .330
Peterson, T-C ...... 108 408 134 89 11 .328
Mesner, Spok ....... 109 400 131 82 3 .328
Moran, Tac ......... 119 478 152 90 4 .321
Kovenz, Tac ........ 113 436 139 57 6 .319

Sunday, August 12, 1951

2007-12-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 79 40 .664 --
Vancouver ... 76 43 .639 3
Salem ....... 62 57 .521 17
Wenatchee ... 57 61 .483 21½
Victoria .... 54 67 .446 26
Tri-City .... 52 68 .430 28
Tacoma ...... 50 69 .420 29
Yakima ...... 48 72 .400 31½

YAKIMA, Aug. 12—The Spokane Indians increased their lead to three games by sweeping a doubleheader on Sunday from the tail-end Yakima Bears 4-3 and 7-4.
The first game, scheduled for seven innings, went two extra frames before Edo Vanni scored the winning run on an outfield fly after leading off with a double.
Kewpie Dick Barrett, back in action after a brief suspension for fisticuffs, was the loser in the nightcap. Barrett was benched last week by the League president for a brawl with Victoria business Manager Reg Patterson.
First Game
Spokane .... 000 020 101—1-8-0
Yakima ...... 002 010 000—3-6-0
Bishop, Wyatt (5), Palm (6) and Sheets; Del Sarto, Powell (5) and Tiesiera.
Second Game
Spokane .... 030 003 100—7-8-0
Yakima ...... 202 000 000—4-7-1
Conant and Nulty; Barrett, Wright (7) and Tiesiera.

KENNEWICK [Herald, Aug. 13]—Lanky Bill Bevens gave 1290 fans at Sanders Field last night a glimpse of what he must have looked like when he was doing the hurling for the New York Yankees. Because of his four-hit effort Salem won the final game, 4-2 of the seires in which the Tri-City Braves took three of the four.
There was plenty of credit due Lou McCollum, too, even though he was bested in the pitching duel with Bevens. The Braves ace gave up but five hits.
Two free passes given up by McCollum at the start of the game turned out to be the difference.
After walking Richey Myers and Gene Tanselli, the Brave moundsman got Dick Faber on an infield roller but it advanced the two base runners setting the stage for Glen Stetter’s single to score them.
Kenny Michelson, playing left field in the revamped Tri-City lineup, got one of the hits off Bevens and poled it over the fence to score the Braves first run in the eighth. The Salem hurler then passed McCollum who moved along on Bill Edelstein’s third single. Clint Cameron skied deep to left with McCollum plating the other Tri-City counter.
Salem got their winning run in the fourth with Hugh Luby’s triple starting things off. The Salem manager made it home on an infield putout. Stetter doubled to open the Senators’ sixth and scored on Luby's deep fly to centerfield.
Salem ........ 200 101 000—4-5-0
Tri-City ...... 000 000 020—2-4-0
Bevens and McKeegan; McCollum and Pesut.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 12—Tacoma’s Tigers moved to within a game of sixth place with 3-0 and 7-2 wins over the Wenatchee Chiefs for a sweep of their four-game series.
Bob Schulte shut out the Chiefs on three hits in the opener, while Tom Kipp gave up only five in the regulation nightcap. It was Schulte’s second shutout at Wenatchee in three days.
First Game
Tacoma ........ 110 010 0—3-9-0
Wenatchee ... 000 000 0—0-3-0
Second Game
Schulte and Lundberg; Breisinger and Roberson.
Tacoma ....... 000 200 005—7-11-0
Wenatchee .. 000 000 101—2- 5-2
Kipp and Watson; Raimondi and Roberson.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

Wright Signs
YAKIMA, Aug. 12—The Western International league Yakima Bears Sunday moved towards bolstering a thin pitching staff by acquiring pitcher Ken Wright, former Whitman college athlete.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 13, 1951]
MURPHY HELPS GATE

Spokane baseball fans are extremely enthusiastic about the prospects of Alan Strange’s Indians in the current Western International league pennant scramble. The “Spokes” are fighting tooth-and-nail with the Vancouver Capilanos for undisputed first place in thp WIL standings. Considerable attention is also being focused on Eddie Murphy, the Indians' sensational centerfielder. Murphy broke Edo Vanni’s stolen base record of 76 last week and every time he swipes one now it sets a new league record.
Rabid Spokane funs are casting hopeful eyes on the day in the near future when one of their best hurlers, Jim Holder, returns to the lineup after a long injury. Holder has a 9-0 season mark and has the highest won-lost percentage in the Willy loop.

Saturday, August 11, 1951

2007-12-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 77 40 .658 —
Vancouver ... 76 43 .639 2
Salem ....... 61 57 .517 16½
Wenatchee ... 57 59 .491 19½
Victoria .... 54 67 .446 24
Tri-City .... 52 68 .433 25½
Tacoma ...... 48 69 .410 28
Yakima ...... 48 70 .407 28½

YAKIMA, Aug. 11 — The Spokane Indians spotted the Yakima Bears two runs in the first inning, then came back to score a 5-3 victory in a Western International League baseball game tonight.
Two Yakima runs crossed in the opening frame as Spokane missed a double play attempt with the bases loaded. Spokane got one back in the fourth as Steve Mesner and Mel Wasley singled, Mesner scored while Yakima completed a double play.
In the sixth, the Indians put the game out of reach. A walk, three singles, an outfield fly and pitcher John Marshall's double drove home four runs.
Spokane ...... 000 104 000—5-10-1
Yakima ........ 200 000 010—3- 6-1
Marshall and Sheets; Boemler and Tiesiera.

VICTORIA, [Colonist, Aug 12, 1951]—It had to happen sooner than later and it was Victoria Athletics’ tough luck that they had to be the opposition when it did.
Impotent offensively for the past two or three weeks as they wasted generally good pitching with a general club batting slump, Vancouver Capilanos ended their hit drought with a vengeance yesterday.
Bill Schuster’s hit-hungry athletes climbed all over three Victoria pitchers and outfielder Gene Thompson for 31 hits and a 24-6 decision yesterday afternoon and picked up 12 more safeties under the lights as they made it a sweep by a 6-2 count.
The double victory gave the Caps a 2-1 series lead and a 10-8 edge in season’s play, and the A’s a severe jolt in their late bit for a first-division berth.
WILD OPENING
The first game became a mere formality in the first inning when the Caps scored eight runs. Bill Osborn had nothing left after giving up four hits, a base on balls and a sacrifice.
Manager Bob Sturgeon made his play to stay in the game by calling on Bill Prior with three runs in, two on the bags and one out. Prior got the first man on a pop fly, gave up a run-scoring single and a walk and was apparently out of it when Bob McGuire hit a liner at Ben Jeffey. Jeffey dropped the ball and it cost the A’s four more runs.
Not wanting to waste Prior, Sturgeon called on Bill Carr and it rapidly became a shambles. The Caps joyously started to fatten their averages, picking on the lean righthander for 12 hits and 10 runs, all earned, in the next two innings. Gene Thompson was called in from left field to finish up and held his own, giving up six runs while the A’s picked up as many off the breezing George Nicholas.
MARTIN HURT
The loss was a costly one. A’s lost the services of Milt Martin, their only catcher, who hurt his shoulder when McGuire unnecessarily threw a block at him as he was scoring and bowled him over hard.
Al Kubacek, who does the receiving for the Eagles, was signed between games and caught the arclight game. The Caps took advantage of the situation to pilfer six bases, setting up three of their runs.
However, the loss was not the fault of the little receiver, who did a fair enough job in a tough spot. Pete Hernandez, always tough for the A’s, scattered six hits and always looked like a winner.
Benefitting most yesterday was John Ritchey, Dick Sinovic and Charlie Mead, the middle of the Vancouver batting order. Sinovic, who had six hits in as many official trips in the first game, wound up with nine for 11, including two doubles, and batted in six runs. Ritchey hit safely six times in 12 tries and batted in four runs while Mead drove across seven teammates with an identical performance.
First Game
Vancouver ..... 837 100 032—24-31-3
Victoria ......... 000 120 030— 6-12-2
Nicholas and Ritchey; Osborn, Prior (1), Carr (2), Thompson (4) and Martin.
Second Game
Vancouver .... 210 010 011—6-12-1
Victoria ........ 100 000 010—2- 6-2
Hernandez and Ritchey; Lorino and Kubasek.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 12]—TRI-CITY swept both ends of doubleheader baseball game in the Braves home park last night. They whipped Salem 6-5 in an overtime opener and won the second Western International league contest 7-3.
An official 1,085 fans saw the two games.
Augle Zande was the winning pitcher in the second game while Nick Pesut and Bill Eddelstein [sic] furnished the artillery.
Pesut drove in two of the runs while Eddelstein sprayed two triples “where they wasn't.” Neil Bryant and Cy Greenlaw each accounted for doubles.
The team fielded by the Braves was made of “whatever was left.” Al Spaeter was out with a dislocated finger and the manager Charlie Peterson had a broken toe.
THE BRAVES’ win made it three in a row over the Senators. Today's game — last of the series — will begin at 7:30 p.m. Hurling for the visiting Salem team will be Bill Bevans, ex-New York Yankees pitching ace.
The Yaklma Bears come here for a series beginning Tuesday night.
Kenny Michaelson won the opener for the Braves. The pitcher subbing as an outfielder smashed a hot one down the third base line with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. The ball was too hot for the Salem third sacker to handle and Clint Cameron raced home with the winning tally.
Bob Costello started the game but was thumbed to the showers in the second inning by Umpire Nels Pearson. It appeared that Costello was winding up to pitch when Pearson called time. The lanky Brave didn't like this interruption of his windup and he told Pearson so.
There was an argument and finally Costello told Pearson what he could do with the ball. Pearson didn't do that but he did throw Costello out of the game.
Jack Brewer relieved and stayed until the seventh when a pinch hitter replaced him. The pinch man didn't do the trick so Buzz Berriesford, the 19-year-old hurler Tri-Clty recently got from Sacramento, took the mound.
He got credit for the win. It was his first. He has a loss against him too.
First Game
Salem ....... 101 003 000—5- 8-0
Tri-City ..... 200 000 301—6-11-2
De George and McKeegan; Costello, Brewer (4), Berriesford (8) and Pesut.
Second Game
Second Game
Salem ...... 000 001 200—3 9 0
Tri-City .... 010 501 00x—7 10 0
Monroe, Lew (4) and McKeegan, Dana (6); Zande and Pesut.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 11 — The Tacoma Tigers outlasted Wenatchee tonight to register an 11 to 8 win here In a Western International League game.
Tacoma ......... 000 102 611—11-14-4
Wenatchee .... 150 000 020— 8- 8-1
Dodeward, Mishasek (6), Clark (7) and Lundberg; Treichel, Kanshin (7), Arnerich (9) and Roberson.

Barrett Fined, Off Three Days for Fisticuffs
[Victoria Colonist, Aug 12, 1951]
Dick Barrett has been fined $25 and suspended for three days for his physical difference of opinion with Reg Patterson, business manager of the Victoria Athletics, before Wednesday’s W.I.L. game here against Yakima.
Bob Abel, league president, made the announcement here last night after a special trip from Tacoma to investigate the matter.Barrett’s suspension, which also cost him three days’ pay, will date from Wednesday. The former Victoria manager goes back on the reinstated list today and will be eligible to pitch against the Spokane Indians.

Salem Hurlers May Be Sold
SALEM, Aug. 11—The Salem Senators business office announced Saturday that two major league clubs "have expressed an interest" in the possible purchase of pitchers Bill Bevens and Sal De George, the two top winners on the Salem Western International league team.
The management did not divulge the identity of the major league clubs.
Sevens has won 17 games and DeGeorge 14 for the Senators. DeGeorge has one of the best earned run averages in baseball, 1.93, while Bevens' ERA is a shade below the 3.00 mark. Sevens is the former New York Yankee who lost a one-hit World series game to Brooklyn in 1947.
Both pitchers are righthanders.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 12, 1951]
JOTS AND DOTS . . . HERE AND THERE

When Bill Edelstein stepped out on the mound the other day it was no surprise to manager Charlie Petersen . . . Edelstein had been a pitcher long before he exchanged the toe plate to chase fly balls in the outer gardens.

BATTLE OF THE RADIOS
There's a great big battle browing under nover between the radio stations over the baseball question. When he was last here Bob Abel, president of the WIL said that he would call a meeting within two weeks after the close of the season to attempt to settle the question.
Here's what has been going on. Certain stations (who are well known to Able) have been pirating baseball games and selling them to their sponsors without paying any of the costs. In other words they lift the games from the air and put them on their own station as much as though they had paid for them. One station has gone so far as to use the World Series (it almost cost them their license when the others finally decided to take a hand).
The offenders are a chain organization with stations throughout the state. The way they operate the deal is to use a teletype circuit and relay the game to the home team station and thus make the fans think that they actually are broadcasting.
The upshot of it may be that no stations will be given broadcast rights unless they can guarantee that there will be no reproduction by a member station in the chain (if they belong to one.)

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
That's Perfect!
Great Falls, Aug. 11—Ken Kimball, 24-year-old Idaho Falls right hander, pitched the first perfect game in the history of the Pioneer Baseball league tonight. He tossed the Russets to a 3-0 triumph over Great Falls in the second game of a doubleheader. The slender San Jose, Calif., hurler had perfect control throughout the nine-inning game, striking out 13 of the 27 men who faced him. Not one Great Falls player reached first base.Barrett Fined, Off Three Days for Fisticuffs
[Victoria Colonist, Aug 12, 1951]
Dick Barrett has been fined $25 and suspended for three days for his physical difference of opinion with Reg Patterson, business manager of the Victoria Athletics, before Wednesday’s W.I.L. game here against Yakima.
Bob Abel, league president, made the announcement here last night after a special trip from Tacoma to investigate the matter.
Barrett’s suspension, which also cost him three days’ pay, will date from Wednesday. The former Victoria manager goes back on the reinstated list today and will be eligible to pitch against the Spokane Indians.

Friday, August 10, 1951

2007-12-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

W L PCT. GB
Spokane ..... 75 40 .652 —
Vancouver ... 74 43 .632 2½
Salem ....... 61 55 .575 15
Wenatchee ... 57 58 .496 18½
Victoria .... 54 65 .454 23½
Tri-City .... 50 68 .424 27
Yakima ...... 48 69 .410 28½
Tacoma ...... 47 69 .405 29

YAKIMA, Aug. 10 — The Spokane Indians came up with three runs in the seventh inning Friday night to crack a 3-3 tie and went on to defeat the Yakima Bears 9-4 in a
Western International league baseball game.
The victory coupled with Vancouver's loss to Victoria again established the Indians with a two and a half game league lead.
Spokane ... 300 000 312—9 14 0
Yakima ..... 100 002 100—4 5 0
Roberts, Aubertin (7), Wyatt (7), and Sheets; Brenner, Savarese (7), Palm (8) and Tiesiera.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug 11, 1951]—Victoria Athletics still face a formidable task but they are edging toward fourth place in the W.I.L.
Last night at Royal Athletic Park, the A’s evened their season’s series with the Vancouver Capilanos with a 4-1 triumph behind the fine three-hit pitching of Jim Propst.
EIGHT IN NINE
The victory moved the A’s within five games of the last playoff spot, was their fourth straight and their eighth over Bill Schuster’s former league leaders. Tuesday morning, the A’s were eight games behind the fourth-place Wenatchee Chiefs.
Propst, rested since Saturday, was at the top of his form—and he had to be to best Ron Smith, who pitched well in his first start against his old team-mates, wound up by giving them the verdict with some bad fielding.
STRIKES OUT TEN
A great curve ball finding the plate for 10 strikeouts, Propst made only one mistake and but for Smith¨s trouble with two sixth-inning bunts, it might have cost him the decision. Dick Sinovic slammed a pitch over the centre-field wall in the fourth. Sinovic also had a single in the eighth. Ray Tran, who singled with one out in the first, was the only other Capilano to hit safely.
Pitching one-hit baseball through the first five innings, Smith saw the A’s score four times in a weird sixth inning without once hitting the ball out of the infield.
SMITH HAS TROUBLE
Propst started it all when he beat out a bounder down the third-base line. Jim Clark bunted and both runners were safe as Smith fumbled. Don Pries laid down another bunt and the speedy Propst, who can run with the best, beat the attempted force at third and the bags were loaded with no one out.
Ben Jeffey singled off first-baseman Bob McLean’s glove, the ball rolling a few feet away, and Propst raced over with the tying run. The winning run scored as Gene Thompson grounded to McLean. Hal Jackson was walked to fill the bags again, but Smith hit Bill White and the fourth run scored as Milt Martin grounded out.
CLARK, JEFFEY HELP
Clark and Jeffey helped Propst no end with some sensational defensive play. Clark was brilliant as he threw Len Tran out from the edge of the outfield grass after a backhanded grab of a solidly hit daisy-cutter and took Sinovic’s bid for a base hit behind second for a force-out. Jeffey came up with a sensational diving catch of a short fly by Ritchey in the fourth.
The latter play caused some additional excitement as the irrepressible Schuster made merry at the expense of Umpires Rose and Valencourt. The Caps argued that Jeffey had dropped the ball and recovered quickly. Later in the inning, Valencourt asked the Vancouver manager to keep his heckling players in the dugout.
“Tell them yourself,” Schuster sputtered, and headed back to the third-base coaching lines. Valencourt tried but go nowhere, then gave Schuster five minutes, an unheard of period, to get it done. Schuster, who paraded his players from the dugout with much bowing and hat-tipping and sent them to the clubhouse across the playing field, later had to send in for McLean when Gordie Brunswick, playing first base, hurt an ankle after crashing into the stands.
Brunswick, subbing for Chuck Abernathy, was chasing Sturgeon’s foul fly in the fifth.
TWO GAMES TODAY
The four-game series, which concludes Monday, continue today with afternoon and evening games. Bill Osborn and Ben Lorino are the Victoria mound selections. They will be opposed by George Nicholas and Pete Hernandez.
Vancouver ..... 000 100 000—1 3 1
Victoria ......... 000 004 00x—4 5 0
Smith and Ritchey; Propst and Martin.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 10 — Clint Cameron's eighth-inning single drove home Buddy Peterson with the winning run Friday night as the Western International league Tri-City Braves downed the Salem Senators, 3-2.
Cameron's clout broke up a fine pitching duel between Salem's Ray McNulty and Dick Stone of the Braves. Cameron also hit a home run with the bases empty in the sixth which tied the contest at 2-2.
Salem ....... 010 001 000—2 6 2
Tri-City ..... 000 101 01x—3 7 0
McNulty and McKeegan; Stone and Pesut.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 10 — Bob Schulte, Tacoma Tigers lefty, scattered eight hits Friday to pitch Tacoma to a 8-0 victory over Wenatchee in a Western International league baseball game.
Tacoma .......... 112 001 012 — 8 15 0
Wenatchee ..... 000 000 000 — 0 8 4
Schulte and Watson, Lundberg (3); Kanshin, Gassaway (4) and Roberson.

Thursday, August 9, 1951

2007-12-04T04:28:00.000-08:00

W L PCT. GB
Spokane ..... 74 40 .652 —
Vancouver ... 74 42 .638 1½
Salem ....... 61 54 .526 14
Wenatchee ... 57 57 .500 17½
Victoria .... 53 65 .449 23½
Tri-City .... 49 68 .415 27
Yakima ...... 48 68 .414 27½
Tacoma ...... 46 69 .400 29

SPOKANE, Aug. 9—The Wenatchee Chiefs salvaged a game from a disastrous series at Spokane by defeating the Indians, 7-2.
The victory enabled Wenatchee to climb back into the .500 bracket with a 57-57 record. Southpaw Tommy Breisinger posted his 14th victory against six defeats as the Chiefs tallied four runs in the fifth after two were out.
Wenatchee .... 010 042 000—7-10-0
Spokane ........ 010 000 100—2 -8-3
Breisinger and Roberson; Bishop, Wyatt (6) and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Province, August 10]—Fulfilling his ambition of ending his baseball season with a win, Bud Beasley, working his last home game in Vancouver, Thursday night pitched the Caps to an easy 6-1 verdict over Tri-City.
After he had finished, Capilano business manager Bill Schuster announced that Beasley would leave the club when it reached Salem on the road trip which opens tonight in Victoria.
Beasley is employed by the board of education in Reno, Nevada, and is required to report back for work within the next week.
SIX HIT PITCHING
The lantern-jawed left-hander had no trouble with the anaemic Braves who, before Al Spaeter crossed the plate in the eighth inning Thursday night on Bud Peterson’s single, had failed to score in 20 innings against the Caps.
They had last scored in the 7th inning of Tuesday’s game against George Nicholas. Bob Snyder shut them out Wednesday night. The string of goose eggs established the Caps as one of the Western International League’s potentially best defensive clubs.
Beasley gave up one six hits in registering his fifth win of the season. The veteran has not been beaten this year. He helped himself win with a sensational batting performance, hitting three for four and batting in a run.
The victory, combined with Spokane’s 7-2 loss to Wenatchee, put the locals back within one and one-half games of first place in the WIL.
ONE BIG INNING
Repeating their offensive pattern of the previous night, the Caps had one big inning, a four-run first inning, climaxed by Gordon Brunswick’s home run over the deep left field wall about 350 feet from the plate scoring Charlie Mead, who had singled ahead of him.
John Ritchey, with a double, and Dick Sinovic, with a triple, opened the scoring.
The outburst of Capilano power upset Jack Brewer, the ex-New York Giant, who left in the second in favor of Ken Michaelson [sic].
HOME AGAIN AUG. 17
Jimmy Moore went to second, Reno Cheso went to third and Brunswick went to first, replacing Chuck Abernathy, whose sore [unreadable] was kicking up. However, the whole club left by boat for Victoria this morning, with no casualties left behind.
They return for a series with Victoria Aug. 17.
Tri-City ....... 000 000 010—1- 6-2
Vancouver ... 410 000 01x—6-12-0
Brewer, Michelson (2) and Pesut; Beasley and Ritchey.

SALEM, Aug. 9—The Salem Senators again enjoyed shutout pitching as Curt Schmidt handcuffed the Tacoma Tigers 2-0 on five hits.
It was Schmidt's first win of the season. He also drove in one of Salem's runs with a single in the seventh.
Earlier in the fifth, the Senators tallied on successive hits by Hugh Luby and Dick Bartle.
Tacoma ..... 000 000 000—0-5-0
Salem ........ 000 010 10x—2-8-0
Clark, Mlshasek (8) and Watson; Schmidt and McKeegan.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug 10, 1951]—Victoria Athletics, who have looked like money in the bank under Bob Sturgeon, kept their W.I.L. playoff hopes alive at Royal Athletic Park last night by taking a doubleheader from Yakima Bears.
Bill Prior, the home-brew right-hander who joined the club a week ago, was the hero of the first game as he scored his first professional victory. Prior, who just failed to win Tuesday night in relief, made it this time as he stopped a Yakima rally in the sixth inning of the seven-inning opener, and later scored the winning run in the 5-4 contest.
The finale, played for more than 3,000 fans, many of them probably attracted by the Dick Barrett-Reg Patterson feud which erupted into open warfare Wednesday, was a 20-2 romp for a hit-happy Victoria club.
The double win, giving the A’s the series, 3-1, and a 10-3 edge over the Bears at Victoria, also gave them a 21-7 record at home under Sturgeon. It also consolidated their hold on fifth place with a 3½ game margin over Tri-City.
Four key plays turned the tide in the first game, which packed most of the interesting baseball. In order of their occurrence, they were: 1. Gene Thompson’s great catch of a long fly ball with two runs in, two out, and two runners scoring in the first inning.
2. An error on an easy pop fly which gave Sturgeon a chance to single in the first two runs for Victoria, behind 4-0 at the end of three innings as Jim Hedgecock took time to settle down.
3. Sturgeon’s decision to call on Prior in the sixth with two out and the bags loaded. Prior got Gene Gaviglio to force a runner, set the Bears down in order in the seventh.
4. The decision to chance the winning run in the seventh by sending Prior in from third after left-fielder Bill Andring had caught a short fly from the bat of Ben Jeffey.
The nightcap helped give the A’s some talking points when next season’s contracts come up. They teed off on Ted Savarese, manager Bill Brenner and Gaviglio for 25 hits, good for 38 bases, and were heading for a record when base-running fatigue seemed to catch up with them in the last inning.
John Tierney, who settled down from there to pitch one of his better games, was tagged for two runs in the first as the Bears teed off. It was nothing when compared with what happened to Savarese. Jim Clark led off with a drag bunt, then Don Pries, Jeffey, Thompson and White singled in order. When Savarese walked Milt Martin, he left for the showers without having retired a man.
On came Brenner, reputed to be tough in his new role as a pitcher, to be greeted by singles by Bill Dunn and Hal Jackson. A strikeout and double play followed but the despite didn’t last long. Five hits, including a two-run homer by Bill White, plated four more runs in the second and Brenner wisely called on Gaviglio to face the music from there.
STATISTICS
The box scores show some interesting statistics but it should be mentioned that White had a double and three singles in addition to his home run and batted in six runs for a season’s total of 80. The big night put the big outfielder reasonably close to the league leaders in that all-important department and gives him an excellent chance to reach 100.
First Game
Yakima .... 211 000 0—4-9-1
Victoria .... 000 212 x—5-9-0
Powell, Boemler (6) and Tiesiera; Hedgecock, Carr (5), Prior (6) and Martin.
Second Game
Yakima .... 200 000 000— 2 -8-5
Victoria .... 644 321 00x—20-25-2
Savarese, Brenner (1), Gaviglio (3) and Tiesiera; Tierney and Martin.

Kewp Barrett Is Suspended For ‘Rhubarb’
VICTORIA, August 9 — Dick Barrett, former manager of Victoria Athletics and now a Yakima pitcher, has been placed under indefinite suspension by Western International League President Bob Abel.
Barrett is reported to have attacked Business Manager Reg Patterson of the A’s after a verbal exchange before Wednesday’s game here with the Bears.
Abel was expected to arrive in Victoria Thursday to investigate the case but was unable to make the trip. It is reported that Barrett will stop off in Tacoma on the way back to Yakima to confer with the league president.
Full Report Promised
Patterson said he would make a full report on the pre-garne fracas.
Varied reports have it that Barrett and Patterson exchanged several blows under the grandstand until others stepped in to stop the fast-swinging pair.
The Victoria Colonist report of the fracas said: “Meeting Barrett going into the park, Patterson asked him to return a glove the Victoria business manager believed
his ex-field manager had taken with him when he left the club. A short verbal exchange ended with Barrett reported as saying ‘this is enough’ or words to that effect and going into action.”
When Barrett returned here he declined to talk about his deposition as the A’s field head.
Claim Is Filed
He admitted, however, that he had filed a claim for his wages from the Victoria Athletics following his release. He refused to elaborate on the proceedings.
Patterson earlier made it known that he had received notice of the claim and had submitted the reasons given for Barrett’s release to George Trautman, head of the Minor Association of Professional Baseball leagues.

G AB H RBI HR AVE
Ritchey, Van ....... 108 356 128 62 8 .360
Richardson, Spo ..... 98 339 116 89 9 .342
Chorlton, Tac ....... 66 261 89 31 1 .341
Peterson, Tri-C .... 103 392 132 88 11 .337
Sinovic, Van ....... 114 439 147 87 5 .335
Baxes, Yak ......... 114 419 137 49 4 .327
HR: Hafey, Wenatchee, 21; Marshall, Wenatchee, 11; Peterson, Tri-City, 11.
RBI: Richardson, Spokane, 89; Peterson, Tri-City, 88; Sinovic, Vancouver, 87.
Pitching: Holden, Spokane, 9-0; Hernandez, Vancouver, 12-3; Snyder, Vancouver, 21-6.

Wednesday, August 8, 1951

2007-12-03T06:30:00.001-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 75 39 .658 —
Vancouver ... 73 42 .635 2½
Salem ....... 60 54 .526 15
Wenatchee ... 56 57 .495 18½
Victoria .... 51 65 .440 25
Tri-City .... 49 67 .422 27
Yakima ...... 48 66 .421 27
Tacoma ...... 46 68 .404 29

SPOKANE, Aug. 8—The Spokane Indians increased their first-place lead in the Western International League to 2½ games by downing the Wenatchee Chiefs twice on Wednesday, 11-6 and 5-2.
Eddie Murphy, fleet Spokane outfielder, pilfered four bases in the two games to set a league record of 80 for the season. He erased the old mark of 78 set by teammate Edo Vanni.
First Game
Wenatchee .... 200 010 3— 6- 8-1
Spokane ........ 421 220 x—11-12-0
Kanshin, Gassaway (2) and Roberson; Auberton, Wyatt (7) and Sheets.
Second Game
Wenatchee .... 100 010 000—2-9-1
Spokane ........ 201 000 20x—5-9-2
Raimondi and Roberson; Marshall and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Province, Aug. 9]—Bob Snyder shattered the myth that when a ballplayer is honored by fans before a game, he ends up being the goat once the ceremonies are over and action starts.
The veteran Vancouver pitcher was accorded a deafening ovation, plus a mound of gifts, at a pre-game home plate ceremony in Capilano Stadium Wednesday night, then walked out to throw a slick 3-0 shutout at Tri-City for his 21st win of the season.
It is legendary that a pitcher so honored is batted to the showers in the first inning, of a batter, in a similar position, fans ignominiously every time up.
Snyder proved that not only does he possess one of the best arms in the Western International League, but that ice water runs through his veins. His performance was one of the best this season; the lean right-hander gave up only six hits.
In his speech of thanks at the pre-game ceremony, Synder paid tribute to “the never-ending support of my team-mates.” The team-mates proceeded to show the big mid-week crowd (4500) what he meant.
Working brilliantly at short, red-headed Ray Tran handled 12 fielding chances, 10 of them assists. He started one double play, participated in another. Outstanding were his great stop of Bud Peterson’s liner in the fourth and his great throw from deep short on Neil Bryant in the ninth.
The Caps, who had rapidly been building a reputation of being the WIL’s hitless wonders, burst out with violence in the first inning, to score all their runs and win the game then and there.
Bobby McGuire opened with a single. With two out, Bill Edelstein lost Dick Sinovic’s towering fly in the lights, McGuire scoring and Sinovic getting credit for a double.
Charlie Mead singled, scoring Sinovic; then Gordy Brunswick smashed a tremendous triple against the deep left field wall, scoring Mead.
They didn’t get to Lou McCollum seriously again, although Tran and John Ritchey hit successive singles in the fifth and Chuck Abernathy unloaded a triple into deep left in the seventh.
In the pre-game ceremony, Snyder and his wife Eileen, with their two children, Sue Rae, 7, and Robert, 6, were introduced to the fans by Capilano general manager R.P. Brown and N.C.K. Wills, president of the club.
“We are proud of Bob,” said Wills, “for the great record he has built up in his six years in Vancouver.”
In addition to the gifts from fans, team-mates and friends, Snyder got a cheque from the Capilano front office for a “sizeable amount,” according to Brown.
Photo of Snyder with prizes, including a waffle iron (not seen in picture)
Tri-City ........ 000 000 000—0 6 0
Vancouver .... 300 000 00x—3 5 0
McCollum and Pesut; Snyder and Ritchey.

SALEM, Aug. 8—The big guy who suffered heartbreak in 1947 when he came within one out of pitching the only no-hit game in the world series history is on the comeback trail in the class B Western International league.
Courageous Bill Bevens, determined to prove that his ailing arm has regained its major league wizardry, won his 17th game of the WIL season for the Salem Senators Wednesday night, a 1-0 shutout over the Tacoma Tigers, He gave up nine walks, but the Salem infield came up with six double plays to tie the WIL record set in 1939 by Yakima.
Bevens, who was so close to baseball immortality with the New York Yankees in their world series with Brooklyn four years ago, started the downward trail the following year. Arm trouble bothered him. He failed to last with the triple-A Pacific Coast league and finally wound up in the WIL. He hopes the road has turned back up.
His victory Wednesday night gave Salem a sweep of a double bill at home with Tacoma. Veteran Aldon Wilkie set the Tigers down with two hits to win the opener, 3-1.
First Game
Tacoma ..... 000 100 0—1-2-2
Salem ....... 000 201 x—3-7-1
Kipp and Lundberg; Wilkie and Dana.
Second Game
Tacoma .... 000 000 000—0-5-0
Salem ...... 202 000 00x—4-7-0
Knezovich, Kipp (3) and Watson; Bevens and McKeegan.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 9]—“They won that game in spite of me,” a relieved Bob Sturgeon exclaimed in Victoria Athletics dressing room last night after Don Pries’ ninth-inning single plated relief-pitcher Bill Osborn with the winning run in a 5-4 conquest of Yakima’s Bears.
Sturgeon was picked off the bases twice, the last time after he led off the ninth by drawing a base on balls, and had a double reason for his pleasure at the victory which squared the W.I.L. series at 1-1 and kept the A’s firmly in fifth place.
The series ends tonight with a doubleheader starting at 7. Jim Hedgecock and John Tierney are the Victoria mound selections.
Last night’s game was a see-saw affairs with the opposing clubs scoring their runs one at a time and contributing to the success of their rivals. The Bears gave the A’s three unearned runs with a pair of errors and a passed ball and the A’s retaliated by giving up one unearned run and helping in the scoring of the run which tied it in the top of the ninth.
BATTER SUPPORT
However, the A’s gave their pitchers support. Highlight of the defensive play was Ben Jeffey’s ninth-inning throw to the plate which prevented the Bears from going ahead and ending the inning. Two were out when Jerry Zuvella, who had homered in the eighth, doubled. Will Tiesiera followed with a single but Jeffey’s great throw, which cut the heart of the plate on the first bounce, got Zuvella in a close play.
Bill White turned in a fine catch in right field and shortstop Jim Clark came up with his usual excellent defensive work.
Starter Ben Lorino and Osborn also contributed most of the run-scoring for the A’s. Lorino, who effectively scattered his hits but appeared to be tiring in the late going, singled in the first run and scored the second and fourth runs with alert base-running. Osborn walked after Sturgeon was picked off first on a neat play by the Bears, went to second as Clark singled, and raced in when Pries grounded a hit through the middle.
The win, his tenth in 18 decisions, went to Osborn, the loser in Tuesday’s 7-6 Yakima triumph.
Yakima ..... 000 001 111—4-14-2
Victoria .... 001 011 101—5- 9-2
Anderson, Del Sarto (8) and Tiesiera; Lorino, Osborn (8) and Martin.

Barrett Goes Into Action Too Soon;
Yakima Mound Plans May Be Altered
[Victoria Colonist, Aug. 9, 1951]
Victoria baseball fans may yet get to see Dick Barrett, their ex-manager, pitch against his teammates tonight.
Yakima manager Bill Brenner announced Tuesday night that he intended to save Barrett for his home opener but events last night may force him to change his mind. Barrett may not be available for duty tomorrow.
It all started early last evening when smouldering ill-feeling between Barrett and Reg Patterson, business manager of the Victoria club, broke out into physical violence in the runway under the stands.
Accounts of what happened are sketchy but questioning brought out these apparent facts:
SUDDEN ACTION
Meeting Barrett going into the park, Patterson asked him to return a glove the Victoria business manager believed his ex-field manager had taken with him when he left the club. A short exchange of pleasantries (?) ended with Barrett reported as saying “this is enough” or words to that effect and going into action. He connected and things moved fast from there, finally ending with neither of the principals seriously injured.
COULD BE EXPENSIVE
The matter is being reported to league president Bob Abel and there is a chance that Barrett’s suspension will follow, perhaps for the balance of the season. It is expected that Abel will be on hand for tonight’s game and there is the possibility that disciplinary action will be taken before the first game of the series-ending doubleheader. At any rate, the Victoria club intends to pres the matter.
In view of this, it would not be surprising if Barrett takes the mound tonight if he is still eligible. Friday could be too late.
ROLLER SKATES, TOO
It should make for an interesting evening. In addition to the doubleheader, spiced by last night’s events, fans will have the opportunity of watching The Royal Whirlwinds, famous skating team, in action. The Whirlwinds have appeared in many big parks, including Wrigley Field and the Rose Bowl, and will put on their show between games.
Baseball action will start at 7. Other action is not guaranteed but who knows what early arrivals might see.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 9, 1951]

Bob Sturgeon hasn’t managed to lead the Victoria Athletics into the first division and chances are he may still make it are slim, but the slim, personable infielder has been a success as a manager and if there is a next year, he deserves the chance to be at the helm when the A’s move into training camp next spring.
Since he took office from Dick Barrett approximately six weeks ago, Sturgeon has played .500 baseball and that is about what could be expected with the talent he had. But it isn’t his record of games won and lost that counts. It is the kind of baseball.
There is nothing overly fancy about Sturgeon’s managing. Baseball is a game of position and he makes his moves at the right time. They don’t always work but percentage baseball pays off in the long run. It must be remembered that strategy is not bad because it has failed or necessarily good because it worked. In every game which hasn’t been taken out of his hands in the early innings, Sturgeon has given his club, and the fans, a run for it.
His handling of pitchers has been good and he is interested only in his end of the Victoria baseball operation. That he can be a disciplinarian if the occasion arises has been proven and there is no doubt that he has very definite ideas on what type of player he wants.
Next April is a long way off, but Sturgeon would like to come back to Victoria in 1952 as manager if the A’s and the W.I.L. are still in operation. He feels that he has a fine nucleus around which to build a winning team if the draft doesn’t interfere.
Sturgeon likes the prospects of shortstop Jim Clark, southpaw Ben Lorino and outfielder Ben Joffey as future W.I.L. stars. He would like to include Bill White on his club, believing that big outfielder is having, for him, just an off-season. Bill Osborn has been a pleasant surprise this season and Jim Hedgecock has the class and experience to remain a winning pitcher.
The A’s own Jim Propst, Bill Carr, Gene Thompson and Bill Dunn, who may call this his last season. From these players and help from Portland and, perhaps, a major league club, Sturgeon feels the A’s could mold a good club next spring. The big question is, of course, will be a next season for the A’s?
Random Harvest
According to all reports, the Royal Whirlwinds, who appear as an added attraction at Royal Athletic Park tonight, are worth seeing . . . Although he has slipped a bit, Al Ronning, 1950 Victoria catcher, is still batting over .300 for Pueblo of the Western League . . . The A’s could pay off all their debts and be certain of starting next season if someone could sign Reg Patterson and Dick Barrett for a ten-round go, Marquess of Queensbury Rules, at Memorial Arena. At least, Reg will have a good talking point for a salary raise. The job of business manager has unexpected occupational hazards . . . Bob Sturgeon was only a partial success in his first angling lesson at Cowichan Bay yesterday. He boated a ling cod, missed a salmon when he was unprepared for the solid strike. Today, Ted Norbert will attempt to show up the writer again.

DON CARLSON
[Vancouver Province, August 9, 1951]
Some Fuss About Feuding

No sillier piece has appeared about the Capilanos than that of the morning chronicler who traced recently misfortunes of the club (before the current Tri-City series) to bad feeling between Bill Schuster and his ballplayers.
A poll of the club before Wednesday night’s 3-0 triumph over Tri-City drew nothing but scoffs from the Caps at the suggestion.
“This is the happiest ball club I’ve ever seen,” said the new pitcher, Ronnie Smith.
“Bad feeling,” snapped Dick Sinovic, using an unprintable baseballer’s denunciation of the report, “that’s a lot of — — —.”
“As far as I’m concerned, we have nothing but harmony,” said Schuster. “Sure, I drive during the game, but when I walk out of that clubhouse, I forget about it. The next night, we start a new ball game. And last night’s outbursts are forgotten.”
Old Acorn Dug Up
So let’s not dig up that old acorn to alibi the departure of the Caps from their season-long tenure in first lace.
Rather let’s face up to it that the club is exactly where its form indicates it should be, second, behind Spokane.
This is not meant as any deprecation of the guys on the club. They have hustled. They have done all expected by the front office. They are setting a new attendance record, aren’t they?
But if this is the time for post-mortems, it’s no use keeping secret any longer, the fact that as long as two months ago, the front office was conceding that Spokane, on form, looked like the flag-winner.
Ask the ballplayers, too, which is the club to beat.
The Spokes possess a formidable statistical edge through their roster. They have one of the best-balanced, most powerful B league clubs in baseball. So it is no disgrace for the Caps to have succumbed to them—temporarily, we hope.
No Reason To Surrender
There is no reason it should not be temporary. Why can’t guys like Ritchey, Sinovic, Snyder, Brunswick, Cheso and Tran, the way he’s been going lately, upset the form and take back the lead? It’s been done in baseball before.
But to blame the Caps’ pennant dilemma on feuding between Schuster and the players is sheer superficiality.
Suppose there are scowls being passed around the clubhouse.
So what? I’ve never yet see the manager and ballplayer who love each other.
They still have to keep on earning a living at it, no matter whom they hate.
It will not help the Caps in their new position of challengers instead of leaders for some [unreadable] than with rumor and loose alibis.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Player Down With Heart Attack
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 8 — Marty Krug first baseman for the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pioneer baseball league, collapsed in the dressing room tonight after the game with Boise.
He was taken to Holy Cross hospital where he was pronounced in "good" condition, suffering from a heart ailment complained of pains in the chest and shoulder in the last inning of the game.
If is expected he will be out of action for some time Krug joined the Bees after the start of the season, and has been a regular first sacker most of the time.
Wilfan note: Krug played in 1950 with Victoria, where his father managed.

Tuesday, August 7, 1951

2007-12-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 73 39 .652 —
Vancouver ... 72 42 .632 2
Salem ....... 58 54 .518 15
Wenatchee ... 56 55 .509 16½
Victoria .... 50 65 .433 24½
Tri-City .... 49 66 .428 25½
Yakima ...... 48 65 .425 25½
Tacoma ...... 46 66 .411 27

SPOKANE, Aug. 7—It's too early to say the Spokane Indians are running away with the pennant in the Western International League, but it'a a cinch they're doing plenty of running.
Chief speed-burner in the wig-wam is Eddie Murphy, the fleet centerfielder, who Tuesday night stole three bases for a season's total of 76 as Spokane downed Wenatchee 12-8.
Murphy's three thefts tied the league record set by teammate Edo Vanni. With nearly a month of play left, Murphy is virtually sure of a new record. Spokane romped to eight runs in the third inning on seven hits and two walks to maintain a two-game bulge over the second-place Vancouver Capilanos.
Wenatchee ... 200 030 130—9-14-3
Spokane ....... 108 011 01x—13-12-1
Treichel, Arnerich (8) and Lake; Conant, Roberts (8) and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Daily Province, Aug. 8]—The Capilanos won a terrific 3-2, 11-inning game over Tri-City Tuesday night, spurred on, possibly, by their nearness to setting a new attendance record for baseball in Vancouver.
Capilano general manager R.P. Brown told The Daily Province before George Nicholas went to the mound to engage Bob Costello and the Braves that the new record will be set within the next ten days.
“It’ll probably be come on Aug. 18, in the series here with Victoria,” Brown said. The previous mark for the season was 144,000.
After that, the Caps will have 11 more home games in which to add to their figure. The new record will thus probably exceed the old by close to 40,000.
GUNNARSON WINNER
Bobby McGuire’s sharp single into right field scoring Gordie Brunswick, who had got on base through Al Spaeter’s error, won the ball game for the Caps in the 11th.
The win went to Carl Gunnarson (his 7th against 7 losses), who relieved Nicholas in the 11th. Nicholas had held Tri-City to 7 hits in 10 innings, walked 5 and fanned 2, but tired at the end.
Losing pitcher was Bob Costello, who went the full 11 innings and was very fast even at the end. He walked 7, struck out 2.
It was the fifth extra-inning baseball game the Caps have won at home this season. They have lost only one, to Tacoma.
A BROOKLYN TOUCH
It was quite a game. The Caps left their supporters gasping in the early innings with some Brooklynesque base-running. In the second, Reno Cheso and Chuck Abernathy ended up on third at the same time, after Nicholas had grounded to Costello, and both were tagged out by Neil Bryant.
The Brownies opened their scoring in the fifth, on singles by Cheso and Nicholas and McGuire’s double.
Braves drew even in the seventh when Clint Cameron singled, Nick Pesut drove a long triple to the left field wall. Charlie Peterson walked, and Costello, no tower of strength at the plate, plastered a single into right field.
In the tenth, both clubs pulled great defensive plays to snuff off runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Ray Tran took Charlie Peterson’s grounder forcing Cameron at the plate, and John Ritchey completed the double play, throwing Peterson out at first.
In their half, Bud Peterson, Spaeter and Vic Buccola doubled Dick Sinovic and Charlie Mead on a fast play with the bases full and the winning run crossing the plate.
Capilano manager Bill Schuster will probably go back on the local baseball club’s active player list Aug. 15. This was disclosed Tuesday night by Cap general manager R.P. Brown. Schuster has been out for two months with an injured knee. Brown promised Schuster he could return to the active status when the club, by league rules, is permitted to add five players to its active list of Aug. 15
Bob Snyder, the lean Capilano pitcher, will be honored by Vancouver baseball fans at Capilano Stadium tonight. For Snyder, now in his sixth year with the Caps, it will be Bob Snyder Night. Stadium groundkeepers are clearing a spot at home plate to contain the amount of gifts the veteran favorite is expected to get. The Snyder presenation, plus a special roller-skating act by the “Royal Whirlwinds” will take place before the Tri-City game.
Tri-City ....... 000 000 200 00— 2 9 3
Vancouver ... 000 020 000 01— 3 10 3
Costello and Pesut; Nicholas, Gunnarson (11) and Ritchey.

SALEM, Aug. 7—A three-run surge in the fifth inning, gained two hits, three walks and a balk, provided Salem with a 3 to 2 win over Tacoma in a Western International league series opener here Tuesday night.
Sal DeGeorge pitched eight-hit ball for the Senators.
Tacoma ...... 011 000 000—2-8-0
Salem ......... 000 030 00x—3-8-0
Israel, Dodeward (5), Schulte (8) and Watson; De George and McKeegan.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 8)—Victoria Athletics bungled defensively and offensively at the wrong times at Royal Athletic Park last night to hand Yakima Bears a 7-6 win.
The game was the opener of a four-game series, which continues tonight and ends tomorrow night with a doubleheader, and the loss ended the A’s win streak at four games.
Six of the Yakima runs were unearned as two costly errors and a passed ball combined with two centre-field clouts that might have been caught but fell for doubles instead to give the visitors a big lead. On the way back, the A’s were taken out of one inning by bad base-running and out of another when a bad break turned an apparent hit into an out.
Wasted was an excellent relief chore by Victoria’s Bill Prior, who came on to stop a rally in the fifth and pitched four scoreless innings. The big righthander was impressive as he showed unusual control and moxie to completely stifle the Bears.
POWELL GOOD, TOO
However, Prior ran into another good relief stint. Rushed into the breach in the seventh when an off-color Bill Boemler ran into trouble he couldn’t control, Powell whiffed pinch-hitter Milt Martin and Prior with the bases loaded, slammed the door from there.
Yakims’s first four runs came after Jim Clark made a great play on a tough chance only to make a low throw to first that Hal Jackson couldn’t hold. The Bears scored their only legitimate run in the fourth, added their last two in the fifth when a passed ball and a mix-up on a pop fly in front of the mound did the damage.
The A’s scored three times in the second with starter Bill Osborn delivering a two-run double. A double play wiped out that rally and another twin killing helped Boemler out in the fourth.
Gene Thompson led off the sixth with a hit and Art Thasher, making his last appearance for Victoria, followed with another one-base shot after Marv Diercks struck out. Centre fielder Phil Steinberg let the ball roll a few feet away but Thrasher was out at second. Two walks and an infield out which would have scored a run followed, depriving the A’s of two runs and perhaps more.
Powell came on in the seventh after Diercks had doubled in the second and third runs of the evening, walked Thrasher and gave up an infield hit to Bob Sturgeon before settling down for his important strikeouts. But for an unfortunate hop, Jim Clark’s hard ground ball to the right side would have started the inning with a hit, assured the A’s of at least one more run.
At that, the A’s came up with the fielding gem of the night. Particularly good was Sturgeon’s stop and throw for an inning-ending forceout at second base in the seventh. Don Pries and Hal Jackson combined to take a base hit off Al Jacinto in the third and Thompson made a fine catch in left field in the seventh after momentarily losing the ball.
Yakima .... 400 120 000—7-11-1
Victoria ... 030 000 300—6-10-2
Boemler, Powell (7) and Tiesiera; Osborn, Prior (5) and Thrasher.

TACOMA, Aug. 8 — Vancouver's John Ritchey and Spokane's Jim Holder continued to reign as the Western International league's batting and pitching leaders in games through Monday, it was revealed today in a statistical release from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president.
Ritchey's hold on the top spot in the willow race became only slightly less secure as he dropped two points to .362 while Buddy Peterson, Tri-City shortstop, was climbing one point to .346 and meanwhile moving from third into second place as Dick Sinovic, Vancouver outfielder, slumped to fifth at .333.
K. Chorlton of Tacoma made the biggest gain, lumping 17 points to .344, while Ken Richardson of Spokane also helped his average substantially, climbing 10 points to .339.
Peterson and Richardson both moved past Sinovic in the runs-batted-in scramble, which now finds Peterson leading with 88 and Richardson, Slnovic and Tacoma's Butch Moran right behind with 87, 86, and 85, respectively.
Will Hafey of Wenatchee is far ahead in the home run derby with 21, while Peterson, who clouted three in one game during the week, is now second with 11. Bill White of Victoria and Jim Marshall of Wenatchee are tied for third with 10 each.
Holder, idle for the fifth straight week with arm trouble, can't be dislodged from the mound lead while he's inactive and his 9-0 won lost record remains intact. Next in line are two Vancouver right-handers, Pete Hernandez (12-3) and Bob Snyder (20-6).
Diminutive Tom Breisinger, Wenatchee southpaw, continues to make news, not only as the league strikeout leader with a 168 total, but also as the author of a winning streak of eight straight. Tacoma's Bob Schulte, with 114, and Victoria's Jim Propst, with 113, are next in line in the strikeout race.
John Marshall, Spokane right-hander, remains the circuit's most generous donor of walks with 143, while Breisinger and Schulte are second and third with 127 and 125, respectively.
The leaders:
Weitarn International League Batting
(Includes games of Monday, Aug. 7)
G AB H RBI HR Av.
Ritchey, Van. .... 106 348 126 62 6 .362
Peterson, T-C. ... 101 382 132 89 11 .346
Chorlton, Tac. .... 68 250 88 30 1 .344
Richardson, Spo. .. 95 350 112 87 9 .339
Sinovic, Van. .... 112 432 144 66 5 .333
Baxes, Yak ....... 112 409 113 49 4 .325
Moran, Tac. ...... 111 411 143 85 3 .324
Mesner, Spok. .... 101 371 120 71 3 .323
Vanni, Spok. ..... 107 463 148 50 1 .320
Kovenz, Tac. ..... 105 405 128 56 6 .316
Western International League Pitching
IP SO BB W L Pct.
Holder, Spok. .... 106 46 72 9 0 1.000
Hernandez, Van. .. 143 55 77 12 3 .800
Snyder, Van. ..... 233 92 74 20 6 .768
Raimondi, Wen. ... 111 40 89 8 3 .727
Barrett, Vic-Yak .. 76 38 41 7 3 .700
Stone, T-C ........ 83 33 81 6 3 .667
Bishop, Spok. .... 194 52 77 13 7 .650
Breisinger, Wen .. 194 165 127 13 7 .650
DeGeorge, Sal .... 168 70 74 13 7 .850

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [August 8, 1951]

Sacramento’s recall of Sam Kanelos didn’t come as a total surprise to the front office of the Tri-City Braves. The Coast league club asked for the third baseman about a month ago. But at that time the Braves were still in contention for a spot in the end of the season playoffs and General Manager Vern Johnson nixed the deal. However, when the Sacs called again the other day Johnson gave the go-ahead sign.
With Tri-City a full nine games out of fourth place and only 32 left on the schedule there's little chance, they’ll be able to get into the playoffs. Thus holding Kanelos here would actually benefit the team nothing from that stand-point. And this way he does get a shot at Coast league ball. Another reason why Sacramento was so anxious to get him was that Ken Keltner, their hot corner man, wants to pull stakes and go home.
If you’ll recall only the other day one of their catchers just upped and left without giving notice and apparently Joe Gordon didn't wait to get in the middle of another jackpot like that one. Then again at the last reading we took the Solons were 16 games out of first, so calling in their younger talent gives them an opportunity to size them up without losing any ground on the front running Rainiers whom they couldn't beat out anyhow.
MAY GET SOME HELP THOUGH
[line is missing in story] and send Tri-City an infielder or outfielder depending on which they could locate first. If it’s an outfielder then Bryant will move to third and otherwise the new arrival will take the third sack.
LOOKS LIKE HE'S A CINCH
In just another week or two sportswriters throughout the WIL will start balloting for the annual all-star team. In that connection these words from Jim Tang of the Victoria Colonist are very interesting. In his words, which we quote here, Tang was writing of the recent Brave-Victoria series in Canada. “Buddy Peterson actually stole the spotlight in the afternoon fixture. The hustling shortstop, tops at his position in this league, kept the Braves in the battle singlehanded. He pounced on Jim Propst’s offerings for home runs the first three times up and only once found a mate aboard.” Which only confirms a feeling we’ve long had.

Monday, August 6, 1951

2007-12-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

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.”

Sunday, August 5, 1951

2007-12-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 72 39 .649 —
Vancouver .. 71 41 .634 1½
Salem ...... 57 54 .514 15
Wenatchee .. 56 54 .509 15½
Victoria ... 50 64 .438 23½
Tri-City ... 48 65 .425 25
Yakima ..... 47 65 .420 25½
Tacoma ..... 46 65 .418 26

SPOKANE, Aug. 5—The Spokane Indians topped the Tacoma Tigers 8-7 Sunday night and gained a 1 1/2 game in the Western International League baseball race.
Vancouver was idle Sunday due to the Lord's Day Act in British Columbia.
Tacoma ..... 011 014 000—7-12-3
Spokane .... 110 001 005—8 -7-3
Dodeward, Schulte (9), Knezovich (9) and Lundberg; Bishop, Roberts (6) Watt (7), Auberton (9) and Sheets, Nulty (4).

SALEM, Aug. 5—Third place Salem Senators hled their narrow half-game margin over fourth-place Wenatchee in the Western International League standings when the two teams divided a doubleheader here Sunday night. Salem won the opener 4 to 1. Wenatchee bounced back for a 6 to 3 nightcap triumph.
First Game
Wenatchee ... 001 000 0—1-4-2
Salem .......... 000 202 x—4-3-0
Kanshin and Roberson; Monroe and McKeegan.
Second Game
Wenatchee ... 010 000 302—6-9-0
Salem .......... 000 100 002—3-5-3
Breisinger and Roberson; McNulty and McKeegan.

Saturday, August 4, 1951

2007-12-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 71 39 .645 —
Vancouver ... 71 41 .634 1
Salem ....... 56 53 .514 15½
Wenatchee ... 55 53 .509 16
Victoria .... 50 64 .439 22
Tri-City .... 48 65 .425 23½
Yakima ...... 47 65 .420 25
Tacoma ...... 46 64 .418 25

SPOKANE, Aug. 4 — The Spokane Indians took over possession of the Western International League lead Saturday night, sweeping the Tacoma Tigers by scores of 10 to 5 and 8 to 7.
A weird three-run uprising by the Indians in the third inning put the first game away.
The second game was still in progress at midnight.
First Game
Tacoma ...... 000 400 1— 5-8-3
Spokane ..... 023 023 x—10-8-2
Schulte, Israel (3), Knezovich (6) and Watson; Palm, Aubertin (4) and Sheets.
Second Game
Tacoma ...... 002 000 000—2 10 3
Spokane ..... 313 004 02x—13 12 0
Mishasek, Kipp (3), Brillheart (6) and Lundberg; Marshall and Nulty.

VANCOUVER [Province, Monday, Aug. 6]—It’s Penticton Peach Festival Night at Capilano Stadium tonight, but it’s doubtful if the local baseball Caps will feel in a very festive mood.
As the Brownies go into a new series against Tri-City Braves at the Ontario Street ball park, they find themselves in second place in the WIL, one and one-half games back of Spokane.
In the first place before Saturday’s game, the Caps fell back when the Spokes took three weekend games from the Tacoma Tigers while Vancouver’s Bob Snyder was losing a pitching duel with Yakima’s Dick Barrett, 4-1.
Both Vancouver’s Snyder and Yakima’s Barrett Saturday provided the nearly-flawless pitching that featured the entire series between the Caps and the Bears. The different was one inning, the fourth.
That frame, a walk to little Al Jacinto started Snyder’s downfall. Mike Baxes followed with a single, and Jerry Zuvela brought them both home with a tremendous triple that rolled deep into centre field. A long fly by Will Tiesiera scored Zuvela with the game’s final run, as Snyder got the next two men and stayed out of trouble thereafter.
LONG BLOW
Baxes had scored Yakima’s first run, coming up with the new stadium’s second inside-the-park homer in the opening inning. John Ritchey got the first one recently. Baxes’ blow rolled right to the centre field wall, some 400 feet from home plate.
The Caps square it in their half of the first, Gordie Brunswick tripling to deep left and scoring on Ritchey’s outfield fly.
Barrett, long-time pitching mainstay of Seattle’s Coast League club, and a veteran of a couple of sojourns in the majors, had things under control from there in. He tired toward the end, though, and in his capacity as acting manager brought on left-hander Ted Savarese in the ninth.
TRAN OUT
Ted gave up a single and a walk, but the Brownies couldn’t score—not even for manager Bill Schuster, who was celebrating birthday No. 37.
The Caps played without shortstop Ray Tran, who was spiked on the foot. He’ll be out for a few days.
WILfan note: The standings mentioned in this story are after Sunday's games. There was no Sunday paper in Vancouver in those days, so Saturday's game story was in Monday's paper.
Yakima ........ 100 300 000—4 5 0
Vancouver ... 100 000 000—1 7 0
Barrett, Savarese (9) and Tiesiera; Snyder and Ritchey.

SALEM, Aug. 4 — Salem batsmen knocked Wenatchee hurler Lou Tost out of a Western International league ball game Saturday night by collecting 10 hits in a 9-run third inning. Salem went on to win the game 13 to 3. The victory gave Salem a half-game edge over Wenatchee for third place in league standings.
Wenatchee .... 100 200 000— 3- 7-5
Salem ........... 209 100 01x—13-16-0
Tost, Gassaway (3) and Roberson; Bevens and McKeegan.

VICTORIA, B.C., Aug. 4— Ben Jaffey's pinch hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night gave the Victoria Athletics a three-two win over the Tri-City Braves, in a Western International League game played here. The victory gave the A's a four game series sweep.
In the bottom of the ninth inning Marve Dierks walked and advanced to second on Milt Martin's sacrifice. Bill Dunn struck, setting the stage for pinch hitter Jaffey who lined a 400 foot drive over Clint Cameron's head in right field for an inside the park home run. The A's scored their first run in the third inning when Martin tripled and came in on Dunn's single.
Tri-City scored one in the first on three singles, and the second in the second inning when Charlie Peterson doubled and scored on Spaeter's single.
Winning pitcher John Tierney (8 and 13) and taking the loss was Lou McColium (10 and 13).
In the afternoon game Victoria came from behind a three-run deficit to defeat Tri-City 8-5.
Victoria got to starter Ken Michelson in the fifth inning, scoring three runs on three singles, two walks and an error, and then scoring the winning and insurance runs in the sixth. Three runs were scored on doubles and three bases on balls.
Gene Thompson hit a two-run homer for the A's in the first inning. But the batting star of the game was Buddy Peterson of the Braves, who clouted three homers, in the first, third and fifth innings. His final circuit blow came with one mate aboard.
A's note: Bob White has rejoined the Boise team in the Class C Pioneer League. He had asked to be released from Victoria so he could play regularly . . . John Hack, former Victoria infielder who is now in the Pioneer League, has been fined $25 and suspended indefinitely for striking an umpire.
First Game
Tri-City ..... 000 000 0—0-1 2
Victoria ..... 300 030 x—6 7 0
Costello, Stone (6) and Pesut; Osborn and Thrasher.
Second Game
Tri-City ..... 111 020 000— 5 12 2
Victoria ..... 200 033 00x— 8 9 0
Michelson, Stone (6) and Pesut; Propst, Lorino (5) and Thrasher

Friday, August 3, 1951

2007-12-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 71 40 .640 —
Spokane ..... 69 39 .639 ½
Wenatchee ... 55 52 .518 16
Salem ....... 55 53 .509 16½
Tri-City .... 48 63 .432 23
Victoria .... 48 64 .429 23½
Tacoma ...... 46 62 .426 23½
Yakima ...... 46 65 .414 25

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 4]—The Capilanos most valuable mist-season purchase turned out to be a right-handed pitcher named Ron Smith.
Friday night at Capilano Stadium before 6000 people Ronnie righted the faltering Capilano ship by pitching a brilliant 1-0, 11-inning shutout.
It came after the Caps had dropped the opening game of the doubleheader, 3-2, to the troublesome Yakima Bears.
Ron’s foe in this unbelievably well-played baseball game was none other than Bill Brenner, who used to be the league’s best catcher but who is now making a bid for additional pitching honors.
Brenner went right along with Smith pitch for pitch and had it not been for Chuck Abernathy, the game might still be going.
It was Abernathy who delivered the big hit in the 11th.he came up with Charlie Mead on first one out and doubled into the right field corner. It was Chuck’s fifth hit of the game. Brenner purposely walked Ray Tran to fill the bases, but Smith fooled the strategy by executing a perfect squeeze bunt which scored Mead with the winner.
The split put Vancouver alone in first place, one percentae point ahead of Spokane, 7-6 loser to Tacoma last night.
DIAMOND DUST . . . Carl Gunnarson lost the first game, his seventh of the season, to Larry Powell of the Bears . . . the same clubs play tonight, one game at 8:30 and Bob Snyder will be going for his 21st win . . . the popular Vancouver righthander incidentally will be honoured with Bob Snyder Night . . . Monday, when the Caps open against Tri-City here, it is Penticton night at the ball park.
First Game
Yakima ............ 001 003 0—3 10 0
Vancouver ....... 002 000 0—2 4 0
Powell and Tiesiera; Gunnarson and Ritchey.
Second Game
Yakima ............... 000 000 000 00—0 5 1
Vancouver .......... 000 000 000 01—1 9 0
Brenner and Tiesiera; Smith and Ritchey.

SPOKANE, Aug. 3—The Spokane Indians dropped into second place in the Western International league baseball standings Friday night by losing a 7-6 decision to the Tacoma Tigers.
Tacoma ....... 100 001 212—7 11 3
Spokane ...... 001 003 020—6 9 4
Knezovich, Mishasek (1) and Lundberg; Conant, Roberts (2), Marshall (9) and Sheets.

SALEM, Aug. 3 — Wenatchee edged Salem 3 to 2 in a Western International league ball game here Friday night marked by a wild demonstration of fans and Salem players over a ruling by umpire Dick Valencourt. He called a balk on Salem pitcher Sal DeGeorge.
DeGeorge protested and was ejected from the game. Then fans began throwing things onto the field.
Salem players were ordered off the bench when they too began throwing things onto the diamond.
During the melee, 1,000 signatures were collected asking WIL league president Bob Abel, Tacoma, not to send Valencourt to Salem again.
Wenatchee ....... 000 020 010—3 7 2
Salem .............. 000 100 010—2 5 0
Raimondi and Roberson, DeGeorge, Lew (5) and McKeegan.

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 4]—As a manager, Victoria Athletics’ Bob Sturgeon has been a huge success in Victoria.
Sturgeon and his charges returned home yesterday after a disastrous road trip which all but eliminated them from the W.I.L. Shaughnessy plyoffs and promptly looked like another ball club.
END LOSS STREAK
Playing against Tri-City Braves, who had just won four in a row from them, the A’s delighted about 2,000 paying customers at Royal Athletic Park by sweeping both ends of a doubleheader.
Bill Osborn tossed a one-hitter at the Braves in the seven-inning opener to record the first shutout of his professional baseball career, 6-0. In the wind-up, the Victorians backed Jim Hedgecock with some snappy infield play and timely hitting to come out on top, 13-7, with the slim southpaw just breezing after he had a huge lead.
AT HOME, .714
The double win left the A’s with a 15-6 record at home under Sturgeon, but their road record in the same period reads 7-18. It gives Sturgeon a .478 overall rating as a manager, an improvement over Dick Barrett’s .394 pace.
It was two tired teams who took to the field last night. Both clubs had played nine games in the last six days with the A’s finding time somehow to shift from Salem to Tri-City and from Tri-City to Victoria, two long jumps, between games.
After today’s afternoon-evening bill, it will be 11 games in seven days, quite a chore for the Victoria mound staff, which consists of five pitchers and first baseman Hal Jackson.
SPOILED EARLY
Osborn gave up a line single to lead-off batter Sam Kanelos in the first inning and that was all. Kanelos was immediately wiped out on a double play and the only other Brave to reach first base was Bill Edelstein, who waslked in the third. No runner reached second base.
Gene Thompson gave Osborn all the margin he needed in the first inning when he hit his third home run of the season with Jim Clark, hit by a pitched ball, and Marv Diercks, who had singled, on the bags.
GRAND SLAM HOMER
It was another home run which sewed it up in the finale. The A’s scored four runs off Cy Greenlaw in the third to take a 4-1 lead, made it almost certain with five more in the fourth. Greenlaw was replaced during the second uprising by Dick Stone, who came in with one out, one run in and the bags loaded. He got Milt Martin to ground to Kanelos, forcing the runner at the plate. Then Bill White stepped up and clouted the first pitch out of the park for four runs.
White went back to right field when Ben Jaffey was sidelines with a mild attack of tonsillitis and immediately posed a problem for Sturgeon by batting in six runs on his grand slam clout, a double and a single.
CLARK HELPS
Also in the limelight offensively was the hustling Clark, who had a triple, which touched off a four-run rally, three singles and two bases on balls in the second game and who reached base legitimately nine times out of ten in the last two games. Don Pries had three hits in the last game, got to first eight times out of ten changes in both games.
Defensively, Pries, Clark and Bill Dunn, who replaced Sturgeon at second base in the second game, all came up with two or more fielding gems.
WANDERING BOY
Meanwhile, business manager Reg Patterson announced for the tenth time that Bill Carr, the phantom righthander, is en route, should report today. To fill out the roster, the A’s have signed Bill Prior to a contract, will have the rangy righthander ready in case he is needed—or Carr again failed to show.
First Game
Tri-City ........ 000 000 0—0 1 2
Victoria ........ 300 030 x—6 7 0
Costello, Stone (6) and Pesut; Osborn and Thrasher.
Second Game
Tri-City ............... 001 201 003—7 15 0
Victoria ............... 004 601 30x—13 15 2
Greenlaw, Stone (4), Edelstein (8) and Pesut; Hedgecock and Martin.

Thursday, August 2, 1951

2007-12-02T04:16:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane ...... 69 38 .645 —
Vancouver .... 70 39 .642 —
Salem ........ 55 52 .514 14
Wenatchee .... 54 52 .509 14½
Tri-City ..... 48 61 .440 22
Tacoma ....... 45 62 .421 24
Victoria ..... 46 64 .418 24½
Yakima ....... 45 64 .413 25

WENATCHEE, Aug. 2— Tommy Breisinger whiffed thirteen Spokane batters Thursday night as the Wenatchee Chiefs defeated the Indians 7-2.
Breisinger contributed a two-run single in the second to aid his cause. Will Hafey pounded a bases-empty home run in the seventh for Wenatchee.
Spokane ........ 000 000 101—2 7 1
Wenatchee .... 040 100 20x—7 12 0
Bishop, Aubertin (5) and Sheets; Breisinger and Roberson

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, Province, Aug. 3]—A pair of Bills had quite a night for themselves at Capilano Stadium Thursday.
The two Bills who earned the right to celebrate were Yakima’s manager Bill Brenner, and the Bear’s lanky left-hander, Bill Boemler.
Early in the game Brenner, the former Capilano field boss, learned that his wife Nancy had made him a daddy for the first time. The statistics from Yakima: a boy (a right-hander), three and a half pounds (he was a couple of months early), both mother and son doing well.
Father was looking rather pleased Thursday night, too, what with the new from the home front and the way his boy, Boemler, was performing.
McGUIRE GETS DOUBLE
Boemler, who is built something along the lines of the Empire State Building, was just wild enough to keep the Capilanos loose, and wound up with a brilliant one-hitter. Bob McGuire got the lone Vancouver hit, a double to left field in the third, and if still another Bill, left-fielder Andring, hadn’t misjudged the ball originally, it might have been a no-hitter. Andring made a valiant recovery, but the ball was hard hit and got away from him, rolling to the fence.
Closest the Brownies got to scoring was in the second, when Boemler gave u three of his eight walks. But with nobody out, Abernathy hit into a double play on a line-drive and the Yakima southpaw got the next batter.
Losing pitcher was Sandy Robertson, who came up with his top performance of the year. Showing form reminiscent of last year, when nobody could beat him, Sandy scattered eight hits. The single Yakima run came across in the ninth, when Will Tiesiera singled, was sacrificed along, and scored from second on Phil Steinberg’s single.
CUFF NOTES—The loss didn’t hurt the Caps too much. Spokane Indians dropping a 7-2 decision to Wenatchee . . . It’s a double-header at Cap Stadium tonight, with Carl Gunnarson and Ronnie Smith slated to pitch for Schuster’s hirelings . . . First game goes at 7 p.m. . . . Pitcher Bob Brunner was released and has returned home to Iowa.
- - - -
VANCOUVER [Dan Ekman, Vancouver Sun, August 3]—That’s an eighth-place club he’s dragging behind him, but just for today Bill Brenner is the happiest baseball manager in the Western International League.
The reasons? A cinch—within a two-hour span last night, he was presented with:
1. A seven pound baby boy, by his wife Nancy at Memorial Hospital Yakima.
2. A brilliant one-hit shutout victory over the Capilanos by pitcher Bill Boemler.
FIRST CHILD
The child is Bill’s first, and the win was Yakima Bears’ first in five starts against the Caps this week. Luckily for the locals, though, Spokane Indians once again accommodated them by losing 7-2 to Wenatchee Chiefs. Thus, the Tribe and our guys are still running a dead heat at the top of the standings.
Brenner, still lovingly remembered as the former Vancouver boss, got a big hand from the 2,500 spectators at Capilano Stadium when the happy event was announced, and the Stadium Sum-phonie promptly broke into “Rockabye Baby.” Thus began a giddy round of buffoonery, featuring Cap manager Bill Schuster and Yakima pitcher-coach Kewpie Barrett.
Schuster started it by stuffing a pillow under his belt to emulate Barrett’s profile. Kewpie countered next inning by appearing with his knee swathed in bandages and limping out to the coaching box with the help of a cane. Schuster, whose injured leg really isn’t THAT lame, finished off the vodvil turn by donning a towel in diaper as a salute to new poppa Brenner.
With all this competition, Boemler’s brilliant pitching job went almost unnoticed until the ninth inning, when folks suddenly began to realise he had a one-hitter. Left-fielder Bobby McGuire got the only Cap blow, a line-drive into the left field corner which Yakima’s Bill Andring just might have pulled in had he started earlier.
TRIFLE WILD
Occasional failure to find the plate was Boemler’s only hazard. He walked eight, and very nearly threw the game away in the ninth after the Caps worked Dick Sinovic around to third.
With two away and a two-one count on Chuck Abernathy, Boemler threw one into the dirt. But Yakima catcher Will Tiesiera somehow came up with the ball and discouraged Dick.
Boemler then calmly struck out Abernathy to cinch his 11th win against 10 losses.
CAP-SIZING—Sore-armed Vancouver pitcher Bob Brunner has been given his unconditional release . . . Replacement Vern Kindsfather is driving from Memphis, likely won’t be here until Monday . . . Carl Gunnarson and Ron Smith are the Caps mound selections for tonight’s doubleheader, which starts at seven.
Yakima .......... 000 000 001—1 8 1
Vancouver ..... 000 000 000—0 1 0
Boemler and Tiesiera; Robertson and Ritchey.

TACOMA, Aug. 2—Butch Moran, Tacoma Tigers' first baseman, drove home five runs Thursday to lead the Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the Salem Senators.
Moran's double in the fourth sent home one run and knotted the score at t-1. He tripled home two more counters in the fifth and added a two-run single in the seventh.
Salem ...... 001 000 010—2 8 1
Tacoma .... 000 130 20x—6 10 0
Wilkie, Schmidt (7) and McKeegan; Kipp and Lundberg.

KENNEWICK [Herald, Aug. 3]—With a streak of four straight wins and a two-game bulge over Victoria, the Tri-City Braves tonight open their last campaign of the Western International league season in Canada.
They'll be meeting Victoria first and then go to Vancouver before returning to Sanders field on Aug. 10.
If the Braves can make out as well in the Northern province against the A’s as they were able to do here they should be back within striking distance of the playoffs. Last night's 1-0 shutout made it four in a row over Victoria who won only the first game of the series.
For winning hurler Augie Zande, it was his second shutout victory of the year and moved his won-lost record to 6-8. Although he gave up eight hits the control pitcher kept them well spaced allowing no mere than two hits in any one inning and then giving the A’s that many only twice.
Sam Kanelos got the credit for driving in the winning run. Clint Cameron started it off by lashing out a double to open the second inning. Then with two out Kanelos lofted a high fly well back of first base that fell in safely as the A’s gathered around it. Cameron, off and running with the pitch, scored easily and Kanelos got to second on one of the easiest doubles of the year.
It was a tough one for Ben Lorino to lose. The Victoria moundman gave up but seven hits. Although Tri-City threatened again in the fourth when Neil Bryant reached third there were two out at the tie and Lorino got Kanelos for the final one of the panel on a fly ball to right field.
Clint Cameron deserved a big chunk of the credit for Zande’s victory too. The Tri-City right fielder made a hard driving running catch of a line by Milt Martin down the right field foul line. With a runner on a base, the blow, had it fallen in safely, could easily have tied up the ball game.
The Brave Infield engineered four doubleplays behind Zande to erase any and all threats the A’s were able to manufacture. Nick Pesut started two of them when after taking the strikeout pitch he fired down to Buddy Peterson at second to cut down the attempted base theft Peterson also figured in the other two that came in the fifth and eighth.
Zande closed out the game by striking out the first two A’s to face him giving him six whiffs for the evening. Kanelos erased the final batter on an infield putout to Vic Buccola.
The game was played before 1,792 eager fans and was sponsored by the Kiwanis clubs of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland. The three service clubs livened things up by presenting pre-game entertainment and award, ing many prizes to the audience throughout the game.
Victoria .... 000 000 000—0 8 0
Tri-City .... 010 000 00x—1 7 0
Lorino and Martin; Zande and Pesut.

Eric Whitehead’s FAN FARE
[from Vancouver Province, Aug. 3, 1951]

Our embattled Capilanos picked up what just about amounts to pennant insurance Thursday when they latched on to Vern Kindsfather, the pigeon-toed kid with the big curve ball.
The return of the prodigal son, who labored here as a rookie back in ’49, is also happy news for the front office, wherein nestles the company safe. For Kindsfather is one of the most popular pitchers to show here in years, overshadowed only, perhaps, by hometown boy Sandy Robertson.
It also augurs well for the Brownies’ sprint down the WIL stretch that in Kindsfather they are also getting a contented pitcher. At least as contented as any pitcher who was been booted out of the Coast League after predictions of a glittering major league future.
In Seattle just a few weeks ago, prior to his release to the Memphis Chicks of the Southern Association, Vern told your correspondent that if he was to be discarded by Hornsby—as seemed imminent—he would prefer to come back to Vancouver for a new start.
Rajah to the Rooster
But with the Chicago White Sox (they were the sensations of the majors, remember?) holding a $35,000 option on Kindsfather, he went where they pointed: to the Chisox Double-A farm, Memphis Chicks. It is quite likely that Chisox pilot Paul Richards, who is very high on Kindsfather, had something to do with the recent decision to let Kindsfather “find himself again” back in Vancouver, where he made his first pro start.
Kindsfather never blamed Seattle boss Rogers Hornsby for his failure to click in his sophomore year with the Rainiers, but he was visibly disgruntled over the Rajah’s lack of personal interest and encouragement when the going was tough.
Here, under the voluble and demonstrative Schuster, the direct antithesis to the silent, long-wolf Rajah, the kid who failed in his first try at the big time should start climbing all over again.
Add him to Bob Snyder, George Nicholas and Pete Hernandez, and you come up with a quartet of starters that should cause every other manager in the WIL to gnaw his lineup in sheer envy.
Somebody has to go to make room for Kindsfather.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from August 3, 1951]

Passing through here in time for that double victory at Sanders Field Wednesday night was Bob Able [sic], the top man of the Western International League. While coffee-cupping following the game Able confirmed a couple of our suspicions. First there will be no franchise from this league moved to Canada unless two of them go north. The long jump to either Calgary or Edmonton would make it necessary to have teams in both cities.
Further Able said that as far as he knew there had been no “firm” offer from either of those Canadian cities to buy the Tacoma franchise which is on the block for $25,000. One Calgary businessman is reportedly ready to field a team in this league IF the franchise is for free. The franchise by the way is nothing more than a piece of paper. The park, players and equipment all come afterwards.
For instance if you wanted to take over Tacoma, including the park and about seven or eight ball players you'd have to shell out something like $125,000. . .which isn’t peanuts even in these dollar inflated days.
Despite the fact this league is class A in everything but name, Able said he seriously doubted the league directors would “up” the present B classification. The league president pointed out that the principal objection on the part of the club owners is that jumping to A would cost the customer more. Grandstand prices would climb to $1.25 and box seats to $1.50 and up.
TAKING IT ON THE CHIN
From that it can be gathered that you’ll probably see a definite effort to return the league to a true B status. Here's why. This year the league boosted the ticket price 12 percent to meet the increased cost of operation . . . but operation costs today are 30 percent above what they were last season. That’s a difference of 18 percent which the clubs are having to absorb, and most of them are taking it up via the red ink route.
Here's a “for instance” of the rising costs in putting a baseball team on the road. Instead of the 35 cents a mile the chartered buses used to cost the handle now is 56 cents. Start figuring some of the distances the teams travel and you’ll see what we mean. Most of the operation costs such as traveling, meal money, equipment, etc., are such that they can’t be pared. That leaves exactly one place where they can be cut . . . the player’s salaries. Cut those and the teams will lose a lot of ball players. But that is what’s in the offing. However in order to do it the league will have to return to regulation class B style. Until now the owners haven’t been able to agree to that. But with most of them losing money don't be surprised if that’s what comes before the next season rolls around.

Wednesday, August 1, 1951

2007-12-02T03:28:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB.
Spokane ..... 69 37 .631 —
Vancouver ... 70 38 .648 —
Salem ....... 65 51 .519 14
Wenatchee ... 53 52 .505 15½
Tri-City .... 47 61 .435 23
Victoria .... 46 63 .422 24½
Tacoma ...... 44 62 .415 25
Yakima ...... 44 64 .407 28

WENATCHEE, Aug. 1—The Spokane Indians erupted for eight runs in the second inning to hang a 15-0 shellacking on the 4th-rung Chiefs on Wednesday night.
Righthander John Marshall held complete mastery over Wenatchee as his Spokane teammates pounced on Charley Gassaway and Al Treichel for 17 hits and nearly as many runs.
The outcome was never in doubt after eight Indians paraded across the plate in the second. Ken Richardson drove in three of the runs with a pair of doubles and bombed a bases-empty homer in the ninth.
The Spokane-Wenatchee series stands all square at one all.
sweep at Yakima, 5-3.
Spokane ........ 083 210 001—15-17-1
Wenatchee .... 000 000 000— 0- 8-2
Marshall and Sheets; Gassaway, Treichel (2) and Robinson.

YAKIMA [Vancouver Daily Province, August 2]—The news was all good for Capilano baseball fans today.
Their favourite WIL team made it a clean sweep of their four-game series with the Bears at Yakima Wednesday to remain in a virtual tie with Spokane Indians for top place. The Indians walloped Wenatchee 15-0.
And capping the Brownies’ performance was the announcement today by General Manager Bob Brown that Vern Kindsfather, star righthander with the 1949 club, is on his way to rejoin the Capilanos.
Vern, a big winner for the ’49 team, was a freshman sensation in the Class AAA Coast League last season, and on the strength of his performance, Chicago White Sox bought him for delivery next spring.
But Vern couldn’t get started this season, and was recently shipped to Memphis of the Double-A Southern Association. When the Memphis team got pitcher Marv Rotblatt from the Chisox, they agreed to let Kindsfather return to the west coast. He’s here on option from Seattle.
Kindsfather is expected to arrive this weekend, and will be ready to join the Caps’ mound corps on the firing line next week.
George Nicholas pitching victory No. 12 in beating his Yakima “cousins” Wednesday, and Bill Brenner’s Bears will provide the opposition again tonight when the clubs repair to Capilano Stadium. Game time is 8:30 p.m.
Pete Hernandez will likely face the Yakima squad, and he’ll be hoping for batting support like Nicholas got in the fourth last night. Ahead 2-1 at the time, the Caps exploded as follows: Dick Sinovic homered, Charlie Mead tripled, Reno Cheso singled and Ray Tran doubled to sew up the game.
Vancouver .. 101 200 010—5-11-1
Yakima ....... 001 000 020—3- 8-1
G. Nicholas and Ritchey; DelSarto, Savarese (4) and Tiesiera.

TACOMA, Aug. 1—The hometown Tigers made it two-out-of-three over the Salem Senators with a 5-2 win on Wednesday night.
Young Hal Dodeward, who was shelled out in the first inning the night before, came back to handcuff the Solons on five hits.
Salem ......... 000 020 000—2-5-3
Tacoma ...... 100 000 22x—5-9-0
Monroe and McKeegan; Dodeward and Watson.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 2]—Everything happened to John Tierney, Victoria hurler, last night at Sanders Field.
He toiled for five innings in the opener of the doubleheader only to be charged with the 7-3 defeat. And his brief one-third inning appearance in the regulation nightcap cost him that one too when Al Spaeter poked a single into left field to beat the A's 11-10.
The clean sweep of the twin bill made it three in a row for the Tri-City Braves in their current encounter with Victoria and lifted them up to fifth in the Western International league race.
Tonight the two teams wind up the series in a Kiwanis-sponsored game. The service clubs from the three cities are also presenting a full program of pre-game entertainment. All Kiwanis proceeds will be used for youth activity funds.
There was nothing hard for the Braves in winning that first game last night. Joe Nicholas back on the mound after a long absence never looked faster. And he had a lot of help too. In fact Buddy Peterson continuing his amazing assault on any and all kind of pitching put the victory in Nicholas' kit bag in the first inning. He did it in typical fashion too by smashing one of Tierney's pitches well over the left field fence. The blow chased Al Spaeter and Vic Buccola to the plate in front of the Tri-City shortstop.
Ken Michelson, who relieved starter Jack Brewer midway in the after game, didn't have it as easy though. Only one pitch away from an easy 10-8 decision Michelson served up a gopher ball to Victoria's Bill Dunn. The circuit clout tied up the game 10-10 in the top of the ninth.
Sam Kanelos laid the foundation for Michelson's third victory of the season when he led off in the bottom of the 9th with a single. Bill Edelsteln laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt along the first base line and Kanelos breezed over to second. Michelson drew a pass and then Spaeter broke the A's back with a rifle shot single into left field.
The 1,100 fans also got a sample preview of what to expect in the way of pre-game entertainment tonight between the twin bills. And the general consensus was, "Let's have more of the same."
BBAVES BRIEFS: Sam Kanelos added two more stolen bases to his credit last night, one in each game. . .Clint Cameron, the walkingest man in the WIL, got four free passes from the Victoria mound staff.
The reason Bob Sturgeon, the A's pilot, uses first sacker Hal Jackson on the mound so much is because he only has five pitchers on his present staff. A reliefer, Bill Carr, is supposed to be coming, but hasn't arrived yet.
Ths same Jackson mentioned above was married in Richland yesterday afternoon.
Buddy Peterson lifted his batting average even higher last night with five safe blows in seven trips. . .There was a total of five unearned runs in the two games.
First Game
Victoria ...... 020 010 0—3-7-1
Tri-City ...... 302 020 x—7-8-0
Tierney, Osborn (6) and Martin: Nicholas and Pesut.
Second Game
Victoria ...... 100 043 002—10-13-0
Tri-City ...... 001 080 011—11-18-5
Propst, Hedgecock (5), Jackson (6), Tierney (9) and Thrasher; Brewer, Michelson (5) and Pesut.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 2, 1951]

The sad part about the current decline at the Sanders Field gate, (444 on Monday, 698 on Tuesday) is that the Braves keep all of the home receipts instead of the customary 60-40 split. Had the attendance been up over the 1000 mark it would have helped the red ink situation quite a bit. However, the front office is trying to overcome the apparent reluctance on the part of the fans by bringing in special attractions.
Everyone has a special reason to attend tonight’s final game in the Victoria series. It is being sponsored by the Kiwanis clubs of the three cities and their share of the gate will be used for Kiwanis youth activities. This service club has long been in the fore-front on promoting recreational and other worthwhile youth programs. It will cost you a dime more for tonight’s game . . . but it will be well worth it.
OPINIONS ON UMPS
What do some of the pitchers who toiled in the big show think of the umpiring here in the W.I.L. “Well,” commented one, “I’d say the big difference is that down here and in the coast too, you can't get a low strike. One that breaks around the knees. They will give you a high strike though, hut those high ones are apt to be belted out or the park. But those low strikes, if the umpires would give you those you’d find a lot less hits in some of these games because the batters world have to go after the hall or be called out. And if they go after them they’re almost certain to hit the ball into the dirt.”
Our conversationalist eased back against the dugout for a moment. “Another thing,” he went on, “it’s my idea that a man should meet certain qualifications before he can be an umpire. You’ll probably laugh when I mention it, but actually they should have eye tests. After all eyesiqht is the most important thing to umpiring . . . just as it is to the player. Then too there should he a minimum heighth for umpires.” The ex-major leaguer gestured in the direction of Nick Pesut. “You take a backstop as big as that guy and when a small umpire gets behind him there must be times he can’t see the ball if Nick raises up to take the pitch. I’d say no umpire should be smaller than 5-feet, 10-inches.
MORE PAY DUE UMPIRES TOO
“There's one other angle that should be given consideration too, I believe,” he continued. “You take a close play at home or on the bases. In order to call those right an umpire needs Quick, accurate reflexes. That should also he a ‘must.’ However, I realize that if you put up all those requirements an umpire who passes them should he well paid. But if they'll make it worthwhile to pet those men I think you'd find a lot less squawking by both the fans and the players alike about the umpiring. And what I said here,” wound up the ex-big timer, “goes for most every league outside of the majors.”
Interesting words those. Particularly that part about umpires here not calling those low strikes. That low strike cutting the outside corner is the toughest of them all to hit. In fact that’s where a good “control” hurler makes his pitches count, getting the tough batters out in the clutches.
FABER’S DOING RIGHT WELL
Seems like every time they offer a prize in the Salem baseball park Dick Faber is certain to win it. His latest was $25 for six hits in one series ..... and seven of his nine home runs were hit in the Solons park earning him seven hams for his winter's larder. Al Lightner of the Statesman says too that Mrs. F. is expecting a little Faber in October. When Dick played here last season the family numbered three so now it will be four.

Tuesday, July 31, 1951

2007-12-02T02:34:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 68 37 .648 —
Vancouver ... 69 38 .645 —
Salem ....... 55 50 .524 13
Wenatchee ... 53 51 .510 14½
Victoria .... 46 61 .430 23
Tri-City .... 43 81 .425 23½
Yakima ...... 44 63 .411 25
Tacoma ...... 43 62 .410 25

YAKIMA, July 31—Bob Snyder became the first 20-game winner in the Western International Baseball League Tuesday night as he pitched the Vancouver Capilanos back into a virtual first-place tie with Spokane Indians.
An unearned run in the top of the seventh inning scored Dick Sinovic to give Snyder win No. 20 against five defeats, a classy 1-0 victory over Yakima Bears.
Snyder allowed four hits, walked one and struck out six.
Dick Barrett took the loss.
Veteran Bud Beasley, who combines comedy with talent, won the abbreviated opener 1-0 by spacing his hits.
Beasley was presented with his 1-0 lead in the fourth inning as Ray Tran scored on an out by Chuck Abernathy. He didn’t have too much trouble with the last-place Bears until the seventh inning.
Yakima loaded the bases with nobody out but Beasley got second baseman Al Jacinto to hit into a double play, Beasley to Ritchey to Abernathy.
Bill Brenner came up to pinch-hit, but manager Bill Schuster yanked Beasley in favour of righthander Ron Smith. Brenner immediately sent up Bill Andring to pinch-hit and Smith threw just three pitches as Andring went down swinging to end the game.
The win was Beasley’s fourth against no losses.
Schuster was beaming following the twin victory. “My pitchers,” he explained, “are hitting their stride in this warm weather. Now if my hitters would only hit…”
The Caps wind up the four-game series against Yakima tonight, returning to Capilano Stadium Thursday night to face the Bears in another four games. Carl Gunnarson is scheduled to pitch the opener.
Vancouver .... 000 100 0—1-4-0
Yakima ......... 000 000 0—0-9-0
Beasley, Smith (7) and Ritchey; Powell and Tiesiera.
Vancouver .... 000 000 100—1-5-1
Yakima ......... 000 000 000—0-4-1
Snyder and Ritchey; Barrett and Tiesiera.

WENATCHEE, July 31—The Spokane Indians, in front of second-place Vancouver by two games 48 hours ago, dropped their series opener with the Wenatchee Chiefs, 14-9 on Tuesday night.
Spokane ....... 000 000 063— 9-12-1
Wenatchee ... 011 130 80x—14-17-3
Palm, Wyatt (5), Richardson (8) and Sheets; Tost and Roberson.

TACOMA, July 31—The Salem Senators split with the Tacoma Tigers on Tuesday night. The Solons won the opener, 6-1, on the combined three-hit pitching of Ray McNulty
and Sal De George. The Tigers came back to cop the Vesper games, 1-0, on Gary Clark's two-hitter. The victim was hard-luck Bill Bevens, the former New York Yankee, who gave up only four safeties. The nine-inning game was completed in an hour and nine minutes—a league record.
First Game
Salem ...... 400 002 0—6-9-0
Tacoma ... 000 001 0—1-3-0
McNulty, De George (2) and McKeegan; Dodeward, Mishasek (1) and Watson.
Second Game
Salem ......... 000 000 000—0-2-0
Tacoma ...... 100 000 00x—1-4-2
Bevens and McKeegan; Clark and Watson.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 1]—Manager Charlie Petersen found one sure method to halt a losing streak last night. All he has to do is send out a pitcher that the other team can't beat. He tried the system and found it not wanting when Lou McCollum registered his third victory of the Western International league season over Victoria. The 9-6 decision snapped a six-game losing streak for the Tri-City Braves.
It also snapped a personal losing streak of four games for the lanky right handed veteran as he chalked up his 10th of the year.
Petersen will send submariner Joe Nicholas (4-6) and Jack Brewer (4-8) to the Braves mound for tonight's doubleheader. Bill Sturgeon, Victoria's pilot, named John Tierney (6-11) and Jim Propst (9-8) as his choices.
Tonight's twin bill will also be featured by a trampoline act between the two games. Mark Smith "The Bowery Bouncer" headlines the all-star act.
The A's pecked away at McCollum for four runs over the first five innings as the game got under way at 8:35 p. m. following a fashion show held on the infield.
But the Braves came back strong in the sixth to go ahead 5-4. Buddy Peterson started things rolling with his seventh home run of the season. His blow chased Al Spaeter in from first and brought Peterson's runs hatted in total for the season to 79. Clint Cameron and Neil Bryant followed with doubles.
Then with two out Sam Kanelos rapped a single to score Bryant and came in himself when McCollum rapped a sharp one into left field. The irony of McCollum's single was that pitcher Bill Osborne had purposely passed left hander Bill Edelstein to get at McCollum.
THEY WON IT HERE
Victoria came back in their seventh with two singles and a triple by Art Thrasher to go ahead 6-5 but it was a short lived lead. Four successive singles by Peterson, Cameron, Bryant and Pesut knocked Osborne from the box and cost reliever Hal Jackson, who moved to the mound from first base, the ball game, as the Braves counted another pair.
Five successive walks, in the eighth, three by Jackson and two by Bill Dunn gave Tri-City two more before a fast double play ended the base walking marathon.
BRAVES BRIEFS: Vic Buccola took McCollum out of a hole in the fifth when he dug Peterson's throw out of the dirt to complete a twin killing and also take Victoria out of the inning.
Nick Pesut and Al Spaeter teamed up on a pair of perfect throws in the seventh to halt a rally by the A's. With runners on first and third Pesut fired to Spaeter as Sturgeon lit out for second. Spaeter took Pesut's throw in front of second and whipped it back to the plate to nail Thrasher trying to score from third.
Buddy Peterson made a beautiful back handed stop of Merv Diercks single in the third. . .Ben Jeffe homered for the A's. Other long blows were Bill Edelstein's fence rattling triple and Thrasher's three-bagger.
Victoria ..... 111 010 200—6-14-1
Tri-City ..... 000 005 22x—9-11-1
Osborn, Jackson (7), Dunn (8) and Thrasher; McCollum and Pesut.

Holder Leads WIL Pitchers
TACOMA, Wash, Aug. 1—Idle for a full month, Spokane's Jim Holder remains out in front in the Western International league pitching race, with a 9-0 won-lost record.
A strong second in games through Sunday, July 29, was Pete Hernandez, Vancouver, with an 11-2 season's performance. Bob Snyder, Vancouver, with a record of 19 wins aginst 5 losses was third (Snyder posted his 20th victory last night.)
Lefthanders continued to dominate in strikeouts. Tom Briesinger, Wenatchee, has whiffed 149 batters, while Tacoma's Bob Schulte and Victoria's Jim Propst have retired 113 and 107 on strikes.
John Marshall of Spokane has issued the most warks with 138.
SO BB W L PCT
Holder, Spok ..... 46 72 9 0 1.000
Hernandez, Van ... 45 70 11 2 .846
Snyder, Van ...... 83 69 19 5 .792
Barrett, Vic-Yak . 81 38 6 2 .750
Raimondi, Wen .... 45 58 7 3 .700
Bishop, Spok ..... 48 73 13 6 .684
McNulty, Salem ... 61 53 12 6 .667
Rockey, Spok ..... 51 58 8 4 .667
Tisnerat, Van .... 34 51 6 3 .667
Bevens, Salem .... 93 69 15 8 .652

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug, 1, 1951]

Of this year's crop of Tri-City Braves only one seems certain to drive in 100 or more runs. Buddy Peterson, who had 77 listed to his credit going into Tuesday's game should turn the trick barring any accidents. There are two other likely prospects in Neil Bryant with 63 and Clint Cameron with 60. Only Vic Buccola with 57 can be considered within striking distance of 100 and Buccola, hitting second most of the season, isn't expected to deliver that kind of a job, Not that he can't, but hitting second behind the slow pitchers and catchers, it's a near impossible task.
However, Cameron and Bryant, hitting fourth and fifth in that order, may pull the job off . . . though it does look a bit doubtful. Currently the pair have been averaging about one RBI for each two games. That rate wouldn't be enough with only 38 games left to play at this point. The one factor in their favor is that both outfielders have been coming along well, in this latter part of the season.
That was a painful story Victoria unfolded for Tri-City fans Monday night. And it was made more so when you realize that it was a couple of players Victoria recently bought to bolster their team who did a great deal of the damage. More specifically we refer to shortstop Jim Clark and right fielder Ben Jeffe. They each drove in two runs, while Clark personally crossed the plate four tunes and Jeffe once. Between them they thus accounted for a total of nine runs, without which the Braves would have won 4-3, instead of losing 12-4.
This long slump for the Braves, two wins out of l5 starts, has produced a lot of questions . . . and answer by the die-hard fans. For our money the best comparison though is to the Salem team of last year. They, you'll recall, started out at the near-top of the league and eventually slumped to the bottom. And for the same reason Tri-City has nose dived . . . inability to find the right players to bolster the team when it became apparent the one on the field wasn't strong enough to stand up with most of the rest of the league.

Monday, July 30, 1951

2007-12-01T04:57:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 68 36 .654 —
Vancouver ... 67 38 .638 1½
Selem ....... 54 49 .524 13½
Wenatchee ... 52 51 .505 15½
Victoria .... 46 60 .434 23
Tri-City .... 44 61 .419 24½
Yakima ...... 44 61 .419 24½
Tacoma ...... 42 61 .408 25½

YAKIMA, July 30—Vancouver's Capilanos began their bid Monday night to regain the league lead as they whipped the seventh-place Yakima Bears, 9-2, in the first game of a week long home-and-home series.
The win moved the Caps back to within a game-and-a-half of the idle Spokane Indians who open a three-game series at Wenatchee Tuesday night.
Vancouver, which was ousted from the top by Spokane last Friday, exploded for eight runs against Yakima in the first two innings. Pete Hernandez, who went all the way for the Caps gave up only six hits. Four of them came in the fifth inning.
Two runs in the opening frame, plus six more of the same in the second inning, was all Vancouver needed. In the second, they converted six hits into six runs.
Catcher John Ritchey paced the Vancouver attack with three hits in five trips to the plate. Charlie Mead was the only other Capilano to get more than one hit. He collected two for four.
Bill Brenner, former Vancouver manager and catcher, has turned pitcher. Monday night, he relieved starter Dave Anderson in the second inning after the Caps' six-run onslaught. He kept things pretty well under control for the rest of the game, but Yakima couldn't get the hits they needed to overcome the Caps' large lead.
The sparse crowd enjoyed some of the Schuster wit. In the eighth inning, he appeared on the third base coaching lines with a pillow stuffed underneath his uniform.
“I was just trying to emulate Kewpie Dick Barrett,” said a serious Schuster. “Barrett replied by dumping a glass of orange juice down my neck.”
Vancouver .. 260 000 010—9-10-2
Yakima ....... 000 011 000—2- 6-3
Hernandez and Ritchey; Anderson, Brenner (2) and Tiesiera.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, July 31]—Successful in only two of their last 15 starts the Tri-City Braves last night continued their dangerous skid toward the bottom of the Western International league. Only one game now separates the Braves tied with Yakima for seventh, from the low-rung Tacoma Tigers.
Here's how that plunge, which started on July 17, has moved Tri-City toward the lower depths. At Salem, lost three straight. At home, lost three of four to Salem. At home, lost two of three to Spokane, and at Wenatchee, lost four straight.
Victoria's 12-4 victory last night made it six straight defeats for the Braves, their longest losing streak of the season. It was played before 444 fans; the smallest crowd to witness a game since Tri-City opened Sanders Field in 1950.
Tonight Lou McCollum who holds two victories thus far over that A's, and hasn't been beaten by them yet, will be out to stap the Braves losing streak Facing him on the Victoria mound will be Ed Osborne with a 10-9 record.
For a while last night it looked as though Tri-City might pull the game out of the fire. That came in the fourth when Manager Charlie Petersen, playing in place of the ailing Bill Edelstein, rapped a double to drive in two runs. Then Al Spaeter followed with a single to plate two more and tie the game up 4-4.
FASHION SHOW TONIGHT
But Tri-City hopes went out of the park on Hal Jackson's four-master for Victoria in the seventh with one teammate aboard the sacks. Jackson's circuit clout plated Gene Thompson ahead of him. Thompson had just reached first on a single that scored Jim Clark. Those three runs decided the issue.
The four added by the A's in the eighth and one more in the ninth were superfluous.
Bob Costello went the distance for Tri - City and was charged with his seventh loss of the season. Other than their four-run stint the Braves never seriously threatened Jim Hedgcock's victory. Aside from Charlie Petersen's double the rest of the eight hits by the Braves were of the one-base variety.
Unfortunately the same thing can't be said for Victoria's blows. They collected eight extra-bases; Jackson's home run a triple by Ben Jeffe and six doubles. Don Pries and Jim Clark each got a pair while Gene Thompson and pitcher Hedgecock registered the others.
Tonight is also "Fashion Show" night at Sanders Field with the lovelies in all their finery to be presented starting at 7 p.m. The half - hour or more fashion parade was well received by fans last season and a heavy turnout is expected again tonight.
Victoria .... 001 300 341—12-17-1
Tri-City .... 000 400 000— 4-9-1
Hedgecock and Thrasher; Costello and Sheets.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

TACOMA, July 31 — Vancouver's John Ritchey continues to set the pace in the Western International league batting race with a .364 average in games through Sunday, but indications are cropping up that his won't be a runaway romp to the willow title.
Ritchey fared poorly at the plate last week, collecting only five hits in 24 trips and shedding 13 percentage points in the process. As a result, his lead was shaved to 17 points.
Runner-up is Dick Sinovic, Vancouver outfielder, down six points to .347, while the third spot belongs to Carl (Buddy) Peterson, Tri-City shortstop, whose nine-point climb to .345 stamps him as a solid threat in the chase. Peterson spaced 14 hits in 32 times at bat during the week to move into contention. The Tri-City short-patcher also increased his runs-batted-in total to 77, good for a second-place tie with Tacoma's Butch Moran behind Sinovic's top aggregate of 84. Running a strong fourth is Jim Wert of Spokane with 76. Peterson clubbed 12 tallies across in seven games, while Wert added 13, of which seven were produced in two contests.
Wenatchee's Will Haley lengthened his already healthy lead in the home run derby by adding three more circuit blows for a total of 18, just twice as many as his nearest rivals, Salem's Dick Faber, Tri-City's Vic Buccola and Victoria's Bill White, all with nine.
The leaders, as released today from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president:
G AB H RBI HR AVE.
Ritchey, Van ........ 97 316 115 55 6 364
Sinovic, Van ....... 103 404 140 84 5 .347
B. Peterson, T-C .... 90 339 117 77 6 .345
Mesner, Spok ........ 93 350 116 87 3 .331
Richardson, Spok. ... 88 307 101 74 7 .329
Baxes, Yak ......... 104 382 125 46 3 .327
Chorlton, Tac ....... 55 217 71 28 1 .327
Moran, Tac ......... 103 411 133 77 3 .324
Vanni, Spok ........ 104 449 145 49 1 .323
Brunswick, Van ...... 87 346 110 58 3 .318

Sunday, July 29, 1951

2007-12-01T04:14:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 68 36 .654 —
Vancouver ... 66 38 .635 2
Salem ....... 54 49 .524 13½
Wenatchee ... 52 51 .505 15½
Victoria .... 45 60 .429 23½
Tri-City .... 44 60 .423 24
Yakima ...... 44 60 .423 24
Tacoma ...... 42 61 .408 25½

SPOKANE, July 29—The Spokane Indians boosted their league lead to two full games over Vancouver by handing the Capilanos a 6-3 defeat for their third win of the key four-game series between the two contenders.
The front-runners, who are making it a two-team race, entered the series tied for first place after the Caps had paced the pack since the start of the season.
Spokane's fleet-footed Eddie Murphy pilfered two more bases Sunday to bring his season's total to 73 — just four short of the league record and more thin tht combined efforts of players on any other team in the circuit.
The four-game series here was played before a three-day record crowd of 16,481.
The loss went to Ron Smith, purchased last week from Victoria. He yielded four runs before being yanked in the fourth in favour of Bob McLean.
Gordon Brunwick smacked a two-run homer in the fifth for Vancouver, whiile Charlie Mead singled in the Caps' final run in the eighth with one of his three hits.
Jim Wert and Larry Sheets each batted in a pair of Indians.
Vancouver .. 000 020 010—3- 9-2
Spokane ..... 202 020 00x—6-14-0
Smith, McLean (4) and Ritchey; Conant and Sheets,

SALEM, July 29 — Salem took both ends of a doubleheader from Victoria Sunday night to capture a four game home series 3 to 1. The Senators won the opener 9 to 3 and the nightcap 4 to 2.
Salem manager Huge Luby batted in four runs and Dick Faber brought in three in the opener. Both teams had ten hits, three by Faber, but Richie Myers double for the Senators was the only one that went for extra bases.
In the finale, Larry Monroe and Aldon Wilkie held Victoria to four singles, but combined on six walks.
First Game
Victoria ..... 100 200 0—3-10-1
Salem ....... 400 014 x—9-10-3
Propst, Jackson (5) and Martin, Thrasher (4); De George and McKeegan.
Second Game
Victoria ...... 000 011 000—2-4-0
Salem ........ 030 000 01x—4-8-0
Lorino and Thrasher; Munroe, Wilkie (6) and McKeegan.

TACOMA, July 29 — Bill Boemler's three-hit pitching enabled the Yakima Bears to defeat the Tacoma Tigers 4-2 in the second game of a Western International league doubleheader Sunday night Yakima also won the seven-inning opener, 5-4.
First game
Yakima ...... 000 320 0—5-9-2
Tacoma ..... 101 020 0—4-6-0
Del Sarto and Brenner; Kipp, Mishasek (4), Knezovich (6), Clark (7) and Lundberg.
Second game
Yakima ...... 120 000 100—4-10-1
Tacoma ..... 200 000 000—2- 3-1
Boemler and Tiesiera; Schulte, Knezovich (7) and Lundberg.

WENATCKEE, July 29—Mike Kanshin pitched seven-hit ball Sunday night as Wenatchee took a 6-2 verdict over Tri-City in the second game of a Western International
league doubleheader after taking an easy 10-5 win in the opener. The victory gave Wenatchee a clean sweep of the four-game series.
Walt Pocekay's base-cleaning triple and homers by Lyle Lake and Jim Marshall provided the punch.
First Game
Tri-City ........... 000 050 0— 5 7 1
Wenatchee ...... 121 600 x—10 10 0
Greenlaw, Michelson (3) and Pesut; Treichel and Roberson.
Second Game
Tri-City ........... 000 110 000— 2 7 0
Wenatchee ...... 010 300 11x— 6 10 3
Zande and Pesut; Kanshin and Roberson.

Saturday, July 28, 1951

2007-12-01T03:23:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 67 36 .650 —
Vancouver ... 66 37 .596 1
Salem ....... 52 48 .520 14
Wenatchee ... 50 51 .495 16
Victoria .... 45 58 .437 22
Tri-City .... 44 56 .431 22½
Tacoma ...... 42 59 .416 24
Yakima ...... 42 59 .416 24

SPOKANE, July 28 — Vancouver put together four singles, a sacrifice, an error, a fielder choice and one walk on the first inning tonight for four runs and were never behind as they beat Spokane 8 to 3 in the first game of a night double header.
Spokane threatened in the 6th inning but Vancouver's Gunnarson cut off the rally at three runs. He finished the day with a seven-hitter.
Gordon Brunswick swatted a single and a double for Vancouver.
The win put the Capilanos back into a first-place tie with the Indians, but they weren't there long. Spokane bounced back in the second game to win 13 to 5 and again take over undisputed ownership of the top spot.
The Indians chased George Nicholas in the sixth inning of the nightcap. Spokane led 6-3 before Jerry Barta could put out the fire.
Caps had previously moved ahead 3-0 after five innings.
First Game
Vancouver ....... 410 030 0—8 11 0
Spokane .......... 000 003 0—3 7 2
Gunnarson and Ritchey; Wyatt, Palm (2), Aubertin (4) and Sheets.
Second Game
Vancouver ...... 110 010 002— 5 11 2
Spokane ......... 000 006 340—13 12 1
Nicholas, Barta (8), Beasley (8) and Ritchey; Bishop and Nulty.

WENATCHEE, Wash., July 28—Will Hafey's big bat boomed out a triple and a single at just the right times tonight to provide Wenatchee with a 6 to 4 victory over the visiting Tri-City Braves in a Western International league game.
Hafey's single to lead off the fourth inning was the spark that set of a two-run rally and put the hosts out in front for the first time. Tri-City had scored once in the first to take the lead.
Then, the powerful slugger delivered a bases-loaded triple in the fifth to put the game on ice.
Tri-City came back with a solo in the eighth. The Braves almost pulled the game out of the fire in the top of the ninth. They pushed across two runs and had the bases loaded. But with two out, catcher Nick Pesut was thrown out on a close play at third to end the game.
Walt Raimondi, although relieved in the eighth inning by Charlie Gassaway, was credited with his seventh win against four defeats. Jack Brewer took the defeat.
Tri-City .......... 100 000 012—4 12 0
Wenatchee ..... 000 231 00x—6 10 1
Brewer, Michelson (5), Stone (8) and Pesut; Raimondi, Gassaway (8) and Roberson.

TACOMA, July 28 — A wild pitch by Dick Barrett allowed the winning run to cross the plate as the Tacoma Tigers defeated the Yakima Bears 5-4 tonight in a Western International league baseball game.
Barrett uncorked his wild pitch after Yakima had tied up the ball game at 4-4 in the top of the ninth on Jerry Zuvela's double, a walk and a single by Will Tiesiera.
K. Chorlton opened Tacoma's ninth inning by singling for his fourth hit in five times at bat and moved to second when John Kovenz sacrificed and was safe on a bad throw. Both runners moved up when Ted Savarese made a bad throw attempting to pick Chorlton off second.
Butch Moran was then walked intentionally by Savarese and Sarrett came in to pitch for Yakima. Barrett then delivered his wild pitch and the winning run crossed the plate.
Yakima ........ 010 100 002—4-9-5
Tacoma ....... 200 000 021—5-8-0
Savarese, Barrett (9) and Brenner, Tiesiera (9); Clark Knezovich (9) and Lundberg.

SALEM, July 28—John Tierney turned on his former teammates at Salem Saturday night to pitch Victoria Athletics to an 8-2 triumph which squared the series at 1-1
A crowd of over 3,000 saw the A’s give Bill Bevens, former major league righthander, some of the roughest treatment he has received in a lengthy diamond career.
Bevens pitched hitless ball but suddenly ran into a barrage of six successive hits in the fourth as the A’s ran wild to score six times in one of their greatest concentrations of power this season.
Don Pries led off by spoiling any hope of a no-hitter. Ben Jaffey singled and Gene Thompson, continuing his hitting splurge, doubled in both runners.
Hal Jackson singled, Marv Diercks singled, and Art Thrasher, who had four hits, tripled. He scored after manager Bob Sturgeon flew to the wall in centre field. When Tierney followed with a double, Salem manager Hugh Luby became convinced Bevens had lost his stguff and called on Ludwig Lew.
Lew did well after the fifth inning, when another base-hit flurry after one was out scored two runs. Thompson, Jackson and Diercks singled and Thrasher doubled in quick succession.
Tierney held the Solons to four hits for his sixth win, and was never in serious trouble.
Victoria ..... 000 620 000—8-15-2
Salem ....... 000 001 010—2- 4-0
Tierney and Thrasher; Bevens, Lew (4) and McKeegan.

Northwest Sports Beat
By JACK HEWINS [AP Seattle Sports Writer]

SPOKANE, July 28 —Take it from that sly operator, Dave Stidolph, enticing crowds into a baseball park is not all beer and skittles—nor even all baseball.
What the game needs is not so much a good nickel hot dog, intones Stidolph, as a capable four-bit fan dancer. Base hits are crowd pleasers but it takes a bit of circus atmosphere to put a head of cream on the income from the baseball farm.
That's what our man Stidolph says and he’s publicity director and thinker-upper of added attractions for the Spokane Indians of the Western International league. These here now Indians undoubtedly will lead the Willy loop in attendance again this term, as they have done ever since Hunky Shaw started the wheels churning to set up the circuit.
With straight baseball, says Dave, Spokane draws about 2,000 of the faithful. That's a ripe round number for class B baseball, but it would put Spokane about 33,000 underneath its four-year average of 200,000. It’s a sharp club, running a neck-and-nose race with Vancouver so 2,000 must he about all baseball can do here under its own steam in 1951.
“Just let us toss in a high wire act or a topnotch baseball comedian.” reports the Dave, “and the average jumps to 3,000 paid admissions. We’ve paraded bathing beauty contest winners, jugglers and mimics, held a square dance night at the park and introduced our own club in shorts.
“A good act will cost around $200. As it brings in 1,000 additional admissions it’s money well spent.”

Friday, July 27, 1951

2007-12-01T02:40:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Spokane ..... 66 35 .635 —
Vancouver ... 65 26 .644 1
Salem ....... 52 46 .520 13½
Wenatchee ... 49 51 .489 16½
Tri-City .... 44 57 .436 22
Victoria .... 44 58 .431 22½
Yakima ...... 42 59 .416 24
Tacoma ...... 41 59 .411 24½

SPOKANE, July 27—The Spokane Indians took the lead in the Western International league baseball standings Friday night by topping the Vancouver Capilanos 4 to 2 before Ferris Field's largest crowd in the last two seasons.
An overflow crowd over 6,000 watched the Caps kick away the game with a comedy of errors that could well have been set to music. And what happened to Vancouver pitcher Bob Snyder was not exactly his fault: he allowed only one earned run in trying for his 20th win of the year.
Two errors in the sixth, however, set up three runs for Spokane. First, Bob McGuire dropped a fly ball.
Then, to compound the muff, Ray Tran, in a run-down play, pitched the ball into the grandstand.
Big John Marshall was the winning pitcher, although Bob Roberts relieved him in the eighth inning to halt the Capilanos with no hits and no threats from that point. Marshall gave up eight walks, hit a batter, and was touched for all four Vancouver hits in seven innings.
Loser was Bob Snyder who was handed his fifth defeat this season against 19 victories.
Vancouver's only runs came in the seventh as Chuck Abernathy and Jim Moore walked and Snyder singled to load the bases. Bob McGuire's short hit scored Abernathy, and Moore came in on an infield out.
Earlier, in the sixth, John Ritchey opened with a triple but he was left right where he stood. Dick Sinovic and Charlie Mead struck out with their bats comfortably on their shoulders. Gordon Brunswick was caught out on a long fly to centre field.
In the eighth, the Caps had men on first and second, but they, too, were left stranded.
Vancouver ... 000 000 200—2 4 4
Spokane ...... 000 013 000—4 8 0
Snyder and Ritchey; Marshall, Roberts (2) and Sheets.

SALEM, July 27—Ray McNulty pitched a six-hitter as Salem defeated Victoria 8 to 1 in a Western International League game Friday night before a crowd of over 4,000.
McNulty wasn't bothered too much after his mates climbed on Victoria's Bill Osborn for six runs in the first two innijngs. The losers had six hits, none of which figured in the scoring. Two walks, an infield out and an outfield fly was the extent of Victoria's scoring.
Dick Faber's three-run homer in the four.run scored inning was the blow which ruined Victoria's hopes.
The Senators have won 11 of 16 games against the A's this season.
Victoria ....... 001 000 000—1 6 0
Salem ......... 204 010 10x—8 10 0
Osborn and Thrasher; McNulty and McKeegan.

WENATCHEE, July 27— The Wenatchee Chiefs overcame an early Tri-City lead Friday night and went on to defeat the Braves 8 to 6.
Tri-City vaulted to a four-run lead in the second but the Chiefs came back with five runs in the bottom of a wild third inning high-lighter by a rhubarb and a bases-loaded triple by Lyle Palmer. Nick Pesut and Bill Edelstein of Tri-City were tossed out of the contest when the umps ruled Buddy Hjelmaa had been hit with a pitched ball. Palmer then followed with his triple.
The payoff blow was Will Hafey's home run in the fifth with one aboard — his 17th of the season. Hafey also singled home the final Wenatchee run in the sixth. Vic Buccola with two triples did the long-range hitting for Tri-City.
Tri-City ......... 040 020 000—6 12 5
Wenatchee .... 005 021 00x— 8 12 3
McCollum, Berriesford (6) and Pesut, C. Petersen (5); Treichel, Breisinger (3) and Roberson.

TACOMA, July 27—Hal Dodeward, 19-year-old righthander from Port Orchard, pitched three-hit ball Friday night to lead the Tacoma Tigers to a 2-1 verdict over the Yakima Bears.
Yakima ...... 000 100 000—1 3 0
Tacoma ..... 100 000 01x-2 7 1
Powell and Tiesiera; Dodeward and Lundberg.

Eric Whitehead’s FAN FARE
[from Vancouver Province, July 28, 1951]

A Lucrative Coincidence
In a very happy arrangement of fate, the two richest bush league baseball clubs in business are clashing this weekend under the ultimate in ideal circumstances.
The two clubs, Spokane and Vancouver, are far and away the best drawing cards in the Western International League—and out outpulling probably 75 percent of the twons this of Double-A ball. Going into the current series at Spokane deadlocked, away out on top of the loop, the Caps and Indians are all teed up for what could well be an all-time WIL three-day stand attendance record.
The Spokane club, with its spacious 6000-seat park, already holds the WIL season mark (more than 200,000) and the single game record (10,000 in the old park, since burned.)
If this series were here instead of Spokane, prospects would be just as bright for a new series’ mark. After all, when the Caps can draw 3000 to 4000 a night going against fifth-place Victoria…!
But by an unfortunate quirk of the schedule, Spokane is almost washed up with Vancouver for league appearances this season—apart from three games to close the regular season Sept. 3-4.
If by some mysterious finagling with the dates it can be arranged that these two be deadlocked for that series…
However, even so, Front-Office Czar Bob Brown is still developing happy little callouses on his currency-flipping finger. He’ll pick up the usual 40 percent of Spokane receipts this weekend.
Incidentally, the only team in the WIL that doesn’t abide by this common 60-40 home-and-away percentage deal is Victoria. This self-inflicted arrangement must have caused the Victoria management to look very ruefully at the well-filled out stands at Cap Stadium all this week.

Thursday, July 26, 1951

2007-11-30T23:56:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 65 35 .650 —
Spokane ..... 65 35 .650 —
Salem ....... 51 48 .515 13½
Wenachee .... 48 51 .485 16½
Tri-City .... 44 56 .449 21
Victoria .... 44 57 .436 21½
Yakima ...... 42 58 .420 23
Tacoma ...... 40 59 .404 24½

KENNEWICK, July 26—Gordon Palm, Spokane's youthful righthander, snapped off a three-hitter Thursday night to lead Spokane to an easy 9-0 victory in a Western International league baseball game.
Palm scattered the three hits—all singles—in the first, fourth and fifth innings while three double plays by Spokane's infield backed up his pitching.
Spokane exploded for five runs in the third on two singles, three walks and a two-run error. In the fourth, Spokane added three more runs on two singles, a walk and a double by Ken Richardson. Dick Stone, Tri-City reliefer, hurled good ball after the damage had been accomplished off starter Bob Costello.
Spokane ...... 005 300 100—9 10 2
Tri-City ....... 000 000 000—0 3 1
Palm and Nulty; Ccstello, Stone (4) and Pesut.

VANCOUVER [Erwin Swangard, Sun, July 26]—Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International Baseball League left by air today for a “crucial” date with the Spokane Indians.
They left reinforced by durable Ron Smith, the pitcher they beat at Little Mountain Stadium Thursday night.
But let us hasten to record here that Victoria Athletics’ loss was by no means Ronnie’s fault. He was the victim of some queer circumstances.
Ron took over from southpaw Jim Hedgecock after the latter received his walking papers in the fifth inning from base umpire Red Eilers for arguing too long and too vociferously about a call on first base.
CAPS HITLESS
Until the ninth Ron had the Caps hitless, a rather unique achievement for a right handed pitcher. With one away Bob McGuire sliced a liner into right field and hustled all the way to third while Ben Jeffey chased the ball into the corner.
Manager Bill Schuster ordered Ray Tran to squeeze McGuire. Tran lunged at the slider and missed completely as McGuire came racing to the plate. Unfortunately, catcher Milt Martin only got a piece of the ball. It dropped beside him, allowing McGuire to charge across the plate.
As General Manager Bob Brown and Schuster distributed plane tickets, they announced that Bob Snyder would start at Spokane tonight, to be followed by George Nicholas and Carl Gunnarson in Saturday night’s double-header. Smith probably will go Sunday.
STILL TIED
Spokane won again at Tri-City last night to keep intact the leadership with Vancouver.
The Smith deal, which has been hanging fire for several days, was closed right after the game. It was a straight cash transaction. Purchased price was not disclosed.
First baseman Hal Jackson of Victoria sat the game out. He was fined $15 and suspended indefinitely for Wednesday night’s fracas with Umpire Nels Pearson. Victoria manager Bob Sturgeon was fined $15 by Abel, also.
Victoria ....... 110 000 000—2 7 2
Vancouver ... 001 100 001—3 6 1
Hedgecock, Smith (5) and Martin; Hernandez and Ritchey.

WENATCHEE, July 26 — The Wenatchee Chiefs splurged to four runs in the sixth inning Thursday night to hand the Tacoma Tigers a 6-2 defeat.
Tacoma ........ 001 001 000—2 7 2
Wenatchee ... 001 004 00x—5 10 1
Knezovich, Mishasek (7) and Lundberg; Tost and Roberson.

YAKIMA, July 26—Dick Barrett pitched eight-hit ball Thursday night to lead the Yakima Bears to a 3-2 triumph over Salem.
Salem ...... 001 001 000—2 8 0
Yakima ..... 100 020 00x—3 11 0
Wilkie and McKeegan; Barrett and Tiesiera.

On the SUNBEAM
With JACK DE LONG [from Vancouver Sun, July 26, 1951]

There’s only room for one at the top of any ladder. There’s no such thing as a permanent in baseball league leadership.
That’s why the series between our Capilanos and Spokane Indians over in the Washington city is pretty certain to be a rugged affair.
I’m going to stick my neck out and predict the Caps are in undisputed position of first place where the dust settles after this crucial series.
Schuster the rooster will have more feathers to preen if Caps came through—Indian feathers.
Shame On You
Did you, ball fan, only cheer
When Caps were sailing in the clear?
And do you now when Caps must fight
To hold that lead, so very slight,
Haul out your hammer and let go
A foul blow that is so low?
Shame on you.
• • •
Were you the kind who called it grand
When Ritchey hit on in the stand
And whooped it up for Sinovic
When Dickey waved his mighty stick?
But now when Caps need you the most
You never cheer but only roast?
Shame on you.
• • •
Tell me, ball fan, did you not boost
When Caps were perched high on the roost
And praise both Tran and Charlie Mead
For hanging on to Snyder’s lead?
But now when things are getting rough
You rave that Schuster’s just a bluff?
Shame on you.
• • •
And did you, ball fan, loudly boo
When a grounder bounced off Brunswick’s shoe?
To let the winner cross the plate
And seal the Capilanos’ fate.
Are you the sort, let’s you’re rare
Who razz when Cap infielders err?
Shame on you.
• • •
So now good ball fan, drop that hammer
It’s time to cheer and not to yammer.
Dick Sinovic will find his eye.
And bop that apple in the sky.
But if you only cheer the win
And think to lose, a terrible sin,
Shame on you.

Wednesday, July 25, 1951

2007-11-30T06:57:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 64 35 .646 —
Spokane ..... 64 35 .646 —
Salem ....... 51 47 .520 13½
Wenatchee ... 47 51 .480 16½
Tri-City .... 44 55 .444 20
Victoria .... 44 56 .440 20½
Yakima ...... 41 58 .414 23
Tacoma ...... 40 58 .408 23½

VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Province, July 26]—Victoria Athletics debated Vancouver Capilanos out of first place in the Western International League Wednesday night.
The A’s conducted a prolonged debate with umpires Red Eiler and Nels Pearson in the closing innings at Capilano Stadium, just long enough to let Caps pitcher Sandy Robertson cool off and allow the Victorians three runs in the ninth, enough to win 6-4.
While the Brownies were blowing this one, Spokane was bowing 5-4 to Tri-City, with the result that Vancouver and Spokane are still tied atop the league.
BALK STARTS IT
The debate broke out after plate umpire Eiler had called the third balk of the evening in the eighth against the Victoria pitching staff.
The resultant Victoria protests, carried over two innings, resulted in Athletics manager Bob Sturgeon and first baseman Hal Jackson being banished from the game.
Jackson was ejected when he argued with Pearson in an angry burst of temperament, after which Pearson ordered the Victoria bench cleared [in the ninth]. The tactic left Robertson, pitching for his third win against one defeat, cooling off, and the Cap management blames this for the sudden letdown in the ninth.
CAPS LEAD EARLY
Caps appeared to have the ball game in hand after their early-inning lead. They scored three times in the second inning, batting around on Charlie Mead’s triple, successive singles by Charlie Abernathy, Jimmy Moore and Sandy Robertson, and Bobby McGuire’s double.
They added a fourth run in the third on Abernathy’s single and Moore’s double.
Victoria scored once on Ben Jeffe’s single and Gene Thompson’s double in the third, and got to Robertson for two runs in the seventh.
They won in the ninth when Bill White, the six-foot five-inch giant, whose identical twin, Bob White, is also a member of the club, hit for Jackson and drove the game-winning single into left field.
Caps Note: It’s a son for Reno Cheso. The Capilano second baseman became a father Wednesday when his wife gave birth to a boy in a San Francisco hospital. Cheso was with her for the event.
Victoria ....... 001 000 203—6-11-0
Vancouver ... 031 000 000—4 -9-2
Robertson, Gunnarson (9) and Ritchey; Osborn, Loreno (2) and Thrasher.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, July 26]—“That was my greatest thrill in baseball,” said a surprisingly calm Buddy Peterson in the clubhouse of the Tri-City Braves last night.
The young, powerfully built shortstop ran a comb quickly through his hair. “In the Texas league I once played in three consecutive extra-inning games but those 15 innings we just finished were the longest I've ever played.” He paused for a moment.
“I've always wanted to finish a ball game like that. . .with a home run to win a long tight game. . .guess every player hopes for that. Well, that was it tonight and if it never happens again this one has been well worth it.”
But Peterson had more than a 15th inning home run over the left field fence to be proud of in the 5-4 victory over Spokane last night. He had also rifled a single deep into left center field to “save” the game for the Braves in the bottom of the 13th inning after Spokane had gone ahead. And his two blows accounted for four of the Tri-City runs.
Even though he won the game pitcher Dick Stone wasn't happy. “I wish Cy Greenlaw could have this one,” said Stone. “He was out there on the hill for more than 14 innings and pitched a terrific game. I wish there was some way I could give it to him.”
CY WAS GREAT
And Stone was right. The big easy pitching southpaw had labored for 14 1-3 innings before he ran into trouble when Jim Wert doubled and Jim Brown reached first on a walk. Buzz Berriesford then came out of the Braves bull pen. He walked Bill Sheets to load the sacks and had delivered two wide pitches to Bob Roberts when Manager Charlie Petersen trotted in from his right field position and signalled Stone to the hill.
Stone's first two pitches to Roberts were low and wide and what would have been the winning run in the form of Wert was forced across home plate leaving the sacks still clogged.
But Murphy hit into a fast moving doubleplay that went Kanelos-Pesut-Buccola.
Clint Cameron, out with a pinched shoulder muscle, opened the 15th as a pinch hitter or Stone. He drew a pass from Roberts and moved to second on Al Spaeter's sacrifice. Buccola went down on strikes for he second out and then Peterson belted the ball out of the park to break up the ball game.
GOOD CLUTCH FIELDING
Both Greenlaw and Stone got beautiful fielding assistance in he clutches from their team mates. Buccola delivered two gems. In the 14th he grabbed Steve Mesner's hot liner down the first base line and rifled a throw to Kanelos at third to trap Murphy in a hot box. Kanelos fired to Murphy who tagged Peterson to still that threat.
Buccola's play on the 15th inning twin killing was another of the kind you read about but seldom see. He literally dug the ball out of the dirt right in front
of the oncoming base runner's feet. Buddy Peterson added his touch in the third when he tore up several yards of ground skidding on his chest as he dove to grab Edo Vannl's low hard hit liner. With Murphy on second on the play it would have been a cinch run for Spokane had the ball got past Peterson.
Manager Charlie Petersen also turned on a display that gave the fans a brief glimpse of how he could go get 'em 10 years ago when he raced deep to his right to haul down Ken Richardson's long fly ball for the third out in the eighth leaving an Indian runner to die on third. Charlie also got three hits in six trips Including a double.
LONGEST ONE YET
John Conant tolled on the mound for Spokane for 14 1-3 innings also before he was relieved by Bob Roberts who got charged for the defeat. In winning the game Stone pitched to but one man, Murphy, who hit into the double play. Roberts officially pitched to four to lose the thriller.
It was by far the longest game yet played in Sanders Field. Several others had gone 12 innings. . .Murphy, league leader in base stealing, was cut down by Nick Pesut in the first inning but got his 64th of the season in the third.
Spokane went ahead in the 13th, 3-1, on a double by Mesner, a walk to Richardson and singles by Wert and Brown. The Braves again sent the game into extra innings on Peterson's single that scored Greenlaw and Al Spaeter.
Spokane ... 000 100 000 000 201—4-12-0
Tri-City .... 000 001 000 000 202—5-14-2
Conant, Roberts (14)and Sheets; Greenlaw, Berriesford (15), Stone (15) and Pesut.

WENATCHEE, July 25—Bob Schulte, southpaw, pitched brilliant two-hit ball Wednesday night to lead Tacoma to a 7-0 victory over Wenatchee.
Both hits allowed by Schulte were of the scratch variety. He struck out 13.
A six-run fourth inning featuring Don Lundberg's two-run homer and triples by K. Chorlton and Mike Catron iced the game for the Tigers. Schulte struck out 13 Wenatchee batters.
Tacoma ........ 000 061 000—7-9-1
Wenatchee ... 000 000 000—0-2-2
Schulte and Lundberg; Gassaway, Kanshin (5) and Roberson.

YAKIMA, July 25—Sal De George put down a Yakima threat in the ninth inning Wednesday night to lead the Salem Senators to a 2-1 victory over Yakima in a Western International League baseball game.
The Bears scored their lone run in the ninth, by coaxing Phil Steinberg into hitting into a double play.
Salem ..... 001 000 001—2-8-1
Yakima ... 000 000 001—1-5-0
De George and McKeegan; Boemler and Tiesiera.

Pries Stays, Bob Goes
VICTORIA, July 25—Victoria Athletics are not likely to lose the services of hustling third baseman Don Pries.
He reported to Seattle Tuesday for his army medical. He reported that army doctors discovered his asthma half-way through their examination and ordered him to re-join the ball club.
The A's have also released outfielder-first baseman Bob White to make room for Ben Jaffey on the roster.

On the SUNBEAM
With JACK DE LONG [from Vancouver Sun, July 26, 1951]
Video Vibrations From Tacoma

Western International Baseball League President Robert Abel is a loyal citizen of the U.S.A. who wishes B.C. could annex his home city of Tacoma during the baseball season.
Reason: Some 5,000 Tacoma residents own television sets. Thanks to the CBC and the coast mountain range Vancouver has little television.
More Tacoma people watch baseball games than ever before but not from grandstand or bleachers. They see it in their living rooms, in cosy taverns or at the clubs. And Tacoma fans don’t want their own team play. They pass up our good Class B ball for triple A Pacific Coast League, via video from Seattle.
Science is playing an ironic game in Tacoma. Everybody thinks about baseball in Tacoma, but not about the baseball games in Tacoma.
• • •
The situation is anything but funny to the Tacoma Club, which has been put up for sale by the parent San Diego club,
Some solution will have to be found or many minor league clubs will fold, Mr. Abel says. He thinks a partial solution might lie in a kickback of the portion of television fees collected by clubs permitting games to be televised.
• • •
President Abel stopped briefly in Vancouver to confer with Cap business manager Bob Brown on WIL playoffs.
He had heard nothing new on the mooted entry of Calgary and Edmonton to the WIL next season. One thing is definite. The Tacoma club will be sold. It is still possible that it may be purchased by Tacoma sportsmen.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from July 26, 1951]

Whether he knew it or not an unnamed Tri-City Brave (for obvious reasons) certainly knew whereof he was speaking the other day. It was just an idle conversation speculating on when the drought of runs was going to end. That was just after Tri-City had counted but four in three games. Anyhow, our unnamed companion pointed out that the pitching which worked well through those three games, was about due to hit a slump. Sure enough, the batters go out and club 15 hits for 10 runs and we still get beat on Spokane’s 19-hit, 12-run total. Some days you just can't make a nickel.
This attendance problem takes odd turns now and then. For instance the Braves have played to more fans on the road this year than they have at home. True, part of that total comes from Spokane and Vancouver where those top teams are drawing exceptionally well. But the main truth of the matter is that fans in other cities like to see the Braves. On the road they are known as a colorful club. Yakima is a good case in point. The Bears aren’t going anywhere in particular this year. Yet when the Braves were there recently the series total ran well into four figures.
Joe Nicholas, who took a turn at the mike during Tuesday night’s game here, has decided to stick with pitching. What prompted his decision was his observation that “Ken Richardson slid into second with a stand-up double.” Anyway you look at it that isn't easy.
JOTS AND DOTS . . . HERE AND THERE
That home run Clint Cameron hit over the centerfield wall Tuesday night was as hard a hit ball as we’ve seen this year. The wind helped it some but even at that he certainly pickled Dick Aubertin’s waist high fast ball.
HOP, SKIP AND JUMP FOR JACK
Some of the players in the WIL who live in the Sacramento area are planning on forming a barnstorming team for a winter tour of California.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Same Player In Games Far Apart
HOLLYWOOD, July 25— The name of Johnny [Spider] Jorgensen appears today in box scores for two baseball games played 2700 miles apart.
The odd circumstances came about this way:
On June 17, Jorgensen appeared as a pinch hitter in a game between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh, but the contest was called in the eighth inning with the score tied, and it wasn't completed until yesterday.
Since then Jorgensen to the Giants sent Oakland of the Pacific Coast league, with whom he performed here tonight.
WILfan note: Of course, Spider had a fine PCL career, and moved with the Oaks to Vancouver in 1956.

Bob Sturgeon

2007-11-30T05:41:00.000-08:00

SURPRISING LAST STOP
Athletics Boss Has Confidence
By DAN EKMAN [Vancouver Sun, July 25, 1951]
When you’ve been 14 years in baseball, the hard, uncompromising code of the business is something you’ve come to accept and live with.
You know your years are few, that even the “fixtures” really don’t last long. When you’re fighting your way up from the deep bush, time is on your side; but even when you make it to the majors, you know that younger ball players, fast and hard-hitting, are ready to take your job.
Sooner of later, someone does. And when you start the long slide back to the bushes, you neither ask for nor expect any favors. You simply figure to play out the string and call it a career.
And that’s exactly how it was on June the fourth with Bobby Sturgeon. As a handsome, almost boyish-looking 31, he was an old man in baseball who’d reported to the Victoria Athletics, mostly to fill out a half-finished season; full-time work in the radio-television sales field back home in Long Beach, California, looked like his next stop.
But three weeks later things suddenly began to happen. With the A’s just half a game out of the Western International League basement, and with slumping crowds forcing them to the financial wall, the front office decided on drastic changes. They fired manager Dick Barrett and named “old man” Sturgeon to take his place. Bobby’s still recovering from the shock.
• • •
But the rigors of convalescence apparently haven’t marred his baseball wisdom. Since he took over on June 25, the A’s have staged at least a mild comeback, winning 16 of their 31 starts and getting into sixth place. If they can continue to play .500 ball on the tour [unreadable] which started here last night, Sturgeon believes they have a good chance to make the first division.
Nobody in Victoria has the articulate, candid Californian whether he’ll be back next year, but he’s grateful even for this stopgap appointment.
“I’d always hope to wind up as a manager,” he confesses, “and I guess that hope was all that kept me in the game these last few years.”
• • •
“But boy, never expected it to happen in Victoria! I was sure this was a routine job that I didn’t even bring my wife and young son along. I wish now that I had, because quite frankly I like the feeling of being a manager, and I’d like them to share in it.”
Sturgeon’s three-year Navy hitch was the only interruption to a baseball career which started back in 1937. He was a stripling 16-year-old when he reported to Albuquerque of the Arizona-Texas League, but he hit a man-sized .335. That average was good enough to send him to Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League and thereafter he moved up quickly through Columbus of the American Association and Jersey City of the International League.
• • •
In 1941, he made it with the Chicago Cubs and stayed through 1947. “I was never a star, or anything close to it, in the majors,” he’ll tell you matter-of-factly. “But I did have a good year with Chicago in 1946, when I hit .296.”
There are more desirable talks of management than coming in cold to take over a seventh-plate club. But Sturgeon has no complaints; in fact, he’s “very, very pleased.
“I’ve got a fine bunch of fellows,” he says. “Many of them are almost my own age, but they’re all willing to learn, and they’ve shown me every courtesy. I couldn’t ask for more.”
• • •
His theories on management? “Well, the longer you’re in baseball the more you learn, but common sense is still your best guide. I believe in percentage baseball, and I also think you must let your players know you have confidence in them.
“One more thing—I think hustle makes up for a lot of deficiencies. I know I always worked hard at playing baseball, and it paid off for me. I feel sure it’s going to pay off for our club this year, too.”

Tuesday, July 24, 1951

2007-11-29T22:05:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 64 34 .653 —
Spokane ..... 64 34 .653 —
Salem ....... 50 47 .515 13½
Wenatchee ... 47 50 .485 16½
Tri-City .... 43 55 .439 21
Victoria .... 43 56 .434 21½
Yakima ...... 41 57 .418 23
Tacoma ...... 39 58 .402 24½

VANCOUVER [Don Carlson, Province, July 25]—If red-headed ballplayers symbolize fighting spirit, Vancouver Capilanos can be thankful today for theirs.
The two carrot-tops in the Caps’ regular line-up, Charles ‘Ab’ Abernathy and Ray Tran, provided the 12th inning one-two punch Tuesday night that gave Vancouver a 4-3 win over Victoria. The win kept them in their first-place tie with Spokane in the Western International League.
Abernathy’s double, and Tran’s single scoring him, with two out in the 12th, kept the Caps from dropping out of the lead for the first time this season, as Spokane was busy whipping Tri-City 12-10 in the central Washington town.
For each of them, it was their only hit of the long, well-played game. Combined, the provided a happy climax for the hard-pressed Caps, who today lose Reno Cheso, the brilliant little second baseman, for an indefinite period.
Cheso is flying to San Francisco to be with his wife, who is expecting a baby.
Nicholas Wins No. 11
The ball game was a pitching duel between George Nicholas, Capilano righthander now apparently recovered from his back injury, and Victoria’s John Tierney, who started wild, but settled down to pitch ably.
It was Nicholas’ 11th win against 6 defeats. Each struck out four batters. Nicholas walked one, Tierney six. Their effectiveness was illustrated by the men left on bases: by Athletics 8, by Capilanos 13.
The game was peppered with good, solid extra-base hits and some fielding gems.
Bobby McGuire, Caps’ hustling little left fielder, gathered two assists. He threw out Bob Sturgeon in the seventh trying to steal third after Bill Dunn had flied out to him; and in the ninth he and Ray Tran combined to stop Sturgeon trying to stretch a single into a double. Both cut off potential Victoria runs.
Great Outfield Catches
Dick Sinovic made a great diving catch in centre field of Ben Jeffe’s drive in the tenth, with two men on and only one out, and Charlie Mead went miles in the twelfth to haul down Jeffe’s drive against the right field wall.
Victoria got all their runs when Nicholas weakened in the fourth, combining two triples (Gene Thompson and Hal Jackson), a double (Dunn) and Mel [sic] Martin’s single.
Cap manager Bill Schuster had the Brownies hustling for this crucial win. In the seventh, Sinovic and Mead pulled a double steal, Sinovic getting into third ahead of the ball.
The series resumes at the Stadium tonight, 8:30 p.m
Victoria ......... 000 300 000 000—3-10-1
Vancouver ..... 110 001 000 001—1 -9-2
Tierney and Martin; Nicholas and Ritchey.

KENNEWICK, [Tri-City Herald, July 25]—After scoring four runs in three games. . .and failing to win, the Tri-City Braves went on the warpath last night and collected 10 runs in a single game, but they didn't win that one either. The Spokane Indians simply followed suit and slugged it out with the Braves to take the 2 hour 57 minute game, 12-10.
The two teams will resume the battle tonight with John Conant (9-9) slated to take the mound for the visitors. Either Cy Greenlaw or Jack Brewer were to be the choice of Manager Charlie Peterson But following Brewer's four-inning stint last night, it was more than likely that's the Braves southpaw would get the starting call.
The wealth of runs and basehits apparently was too much for the Tri-City club last night, enjoying a 7-0 lead going into the top of the third they were looklng down the wrong of the 9-7 count at the end of the fifth.
Both teams had a "big" inning when they batted completely around, the Braves had theirs in the second whon they scored five runs and the Indians took theirs in the fifth.
There were 12 extra-base blows in the wind-swept game and Tri-City got the lion's share. Buddy Peterson led the attack with a home run in the flrst, and triples in the second and sixth. This massive attack drove in half of the Braves runs. Clint Cameron also homered for Tri-City with one of the hardest hit balls yet seen at Sanders Field. Cameron's four-master was also the first to clear the center-field wall in the two years the paik has been used. A previous home run had gone over the score board. That was hit by Larry Neal of Wenatchee last season.
PITCHERS GET BELTED
Neither Augie Zande or Ken Wyatt who started on the mound were around for the finish. The Braves big second frame derricked Wyatt and that fatal Indian fifth made a fast user of Lifebuoy out of Zande.
Fire-balling Dick Aubertin took over for Spokane and Jack Brewer came in to the stem the Spokane attack. Aubertin's sharp breaking curve kept the Tri-City club fairly well throttled as the Braves picked up four runs, two of which were charged to errors.
The high winds also apparently blew some dust jn the umpires eyes. Art Jacobs missed one at first when he railed Edo Vanni safe at first after Vic Buccola had slid into the bag well ahead of the base runner.
Ed Murphy, the fleet and fast base stealer of the league, moved his personal count up two more last night when he swiped second and third after getting a free pass from Ken Michelson who worked the last inning for Tri-City. Murphy scored the final run of the came on a long fly ball to center field.
Vic Buccola and Nick Pesut put together the fielding gem of the night. Steve Mesner tried to charge through the hefty Brave backstop and came up with the usual result, He was out. Buccola started the fast play on a hopper down the first base line, Mesner trying to score from third.
The grounds keeper accounted for one run at least last night, when a hopper by Ken Richardson hit a rock and bounced high over Buddy Peterson's head for single that would have been an out.
Spokane .... 002 070 201—12-19-4
Tri-City ..... 250 000 210—10-15-2
Wyatt, Aubertin (2) and Sheets; Zande, Brewer (5), Michelson (9) and Pesut.

YAKIMA, July 24—Salem's Bill Bevens twirled his 15th win of the season as he pitched the Senators to a 4-1 triumph over the Bears.
Bevens struck out nine men but bases on balls kept him in constant trouble. He walked eight men in nine innings.
Salem ......... 102 000 001—4-8-0
Yakima ....... 000 000 001—1-9-0
Bevens and McKeegan; Del Sarto, Anderson (9) and Tiesiera.

WENATCHEE, July 24—Southpaw Tommy Breisinger, Wenatchee southpaw, choked off a threat in the ninth inning Tuesday night as Wenatchee scored a 5-2 victory over the Tacoma Tigers in a Western International league baseball game.
Tacoma ......... 100 000 001—2- 7-3
Wenatchee .... 101 000 30x—5-10-4
Kipp and Lundberg; Breisinger and Roberson.

9-0 Is Best WIL Record
TACOMA, July 25 — Idle for the third straight week because of a shoulder injury, Spokane's Jim Holder remains the Western International league's leading pitcher with a 9-0 season's won lost record.
Next in line are a pair of Vancouver stalwarts, Pete Hernandez at 10-2 and Bob Snyder at 19-4. Hernandez won his lone start during the week, while Snyder picked up a victory and was charged with a defeat.
Left-handers maintained their monopoly on strikeout honors with Wenatchee's Tom Breisinger continuing to set the pace with 130, up 14 from a week ago.
Next in line were Jim Propst of Victoria with 106 and Bob Schulte of Tacoma with 97.
John Marshall, Spokane righthander, issued a dozen more walks to increase his total to 130 while Schulte and Breisinger were next in the errant elbowing department with 110 and 108, respectively.
The leaders, as released today from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president:
IP SO BB W L PCT
Holder, Spok. ...... 106 48 72 9 0 1.000
Hernandez, Van. .... 116 42 62 10 2 .833
Snyder, Van. ....... 207 82 56 19 4 .826
Barrett, Vic-Yak. ... 50 28 35 5 2 .714
Bevens, Sal. ....... 173 80 69 14 7 .667
Bishop, Spok. ...... 174 48 68 12 6 .667
Rockey, Spok. ...... 109 51 58 8 4 .667
Roberts, Spok. ...... 64 49 43 8 4 .667
Tisnerat, Van. ..... 104 34 51 6 3 .667
Raimondi, Wen. ...... 94 42 51 6 3 .667

On the SUNBEAM
With JACK DE LONG [Vancouver Sun, July 25, 1951]
Vancouver Capilanos took a hairline decision from Victoria last night. That’s all that saved manager Bill Schuster’s hair.
Before the encounter, the Rooster vowed:
“I haven’t pulled out my hair yet but I will if we don’t win tonight.”
Sun artist Ted Dill depicts the horror that nearly was before Bill’s hair was saved by that hair-raising triumph in the 12th inning.
How mean can people get? Cap outfielder Dick Sinovic and some of his mates dropped into a Granville Street emporium for some ice cream yesterday afternoon. Behind a shielding partition the baseballers heard this conversion:
How Some Folks Talk
Question: “Were you at the game last night?”
Answer: “Yes.”
Question: “Who won?”
Answer: “Oh, Victoria won.”
Question: “How bad can those Caps get?”
• • •
Dick Sinovic is still telling people what he told those fellows through the partition. I think the shopkeeper had to call the fire department.
I also think Sinovic was right in telling those people off. After all, Caps are no worse than portioning first place in the WIL standings.
• • •
Marine marvel: Victoria seems to have discovered a Sturgeon who is no fish.
Pathetic follow-up: At least Vancouver baseball fans were speaking about Sturgeon with baited breath.
• • •
Here are several reasons why fans pay more to watch baseball games:
Before the war official baseballs cost $12 per dozen.
1951 price: $24 per dozen (Twelve to 18 balls are lost at every game at Cap Stadium.) The best Louisville bats cost one dollar each before the war. Today’s price: $4.15 per bat.
First grade home uniforms (shirt, trousers and socks) cost $30 per outfit before the war. Price per outfit in 1951: $69. Best calfskin spiked shoes sold to clubs before the war at from $7.50 to $9 a pair. Cost this season: $23 to $27 per pair.
• • •
Business manager Bob Brown gave me the inflationary statistics yesterday and then said the worst feature is that quality in general is down.
For example, the only thing that doesn’t break about the post-war bats is the price. Handles are thinner and there is such a big demand for quality ash that bats are harder to buy.
• • •
It pays to be a sport, especially when you home-town Capilanos are losing ball games.

Monday, July 23, 1951

2007-11-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 63 34 .649 —
Spokane ..... 63 34 .649 —
Salem ....... 49 47 .510 13½
Wenatchee ... 46 50 .479 16½
Tri-City .... 43 54 .443 20
Victoria .... 43 55 .439 20½
Yakima ...... 41 56 .423 22
Tacoma ...... 39 57 .406 23½

VICTORIA, July 24—Victoria Athletics whitewashed Vancouver 2-0 Monday night to force the Capilanos to share their Western International league baseball lead with Spokane Indians.
Jim Propst got the shutout, besting Bob Snyder who was going for his 20th win.
Athletics, who threw three pitchers into the battle, got their runs in a fifth-inning flurry.
Marv Diercks, who got a life when plate umpire Red Eiler apparantly missed a third strike on a 2-2 count, opened by singling. Bob Sturgeon missed one bunt attempt, and fouled off the next pitch on a try for a run-and-hit play. Anticipating the same play, Snyder tried to make a pitch out, but Sturgeon reached across the plate and poked a blooper into right field.
Coming in fast, Charlie Mead let the ball get by, Diercks racing all the way in and Sturgeon winding up on third base. Jim Clark dropped a single in left field to score his manager with the other run.
Propst pulled out of a tough spot in the seventh when he opened by hitting Reno Cheso and Chuck Abernathy followed with a single. The little southpaw got his man at third on Jim Moore’s bunt, got Snyder to fly out and Bob McGuire to ground out.
However, Propst ran into his usual eighth-inning troubles. With one out, Gordie Brunswick and Mead walked around a double by Dick Sinovic to load the bags. Then Sturgeon pulled one of out his hat. He brought in Bill Osborn to pitch to Cheso, who fouled out to Don Pries.
With the lefthanded Abernathy up next, Sturgeon replaced Osborn with southpaw Jim Hedgecock, who got Abernathy to pop up to Clark, then sailed through the ninth inning, despite allowing the tying runs to get on base.
Capilanos got eight hits, only one less than Victoria, but sloppy playing ruined their hopes of keeping an exclusive hold on the WIL lead. Vancouver had a monopoly on first place since the start of the season.
Vancouver ..... 000 000 000—0-8-3
Victoria ......... 000 020 000—2-9 0
Snyder and Cheso; Propst, Osborn (8), Hedgecock (8) and Martin.

Cap Catcher Holds Pace In W.I.L
TACOMA, July 24—For the fifth straight week, Vancouver's John Ritchey remains the pace-setter in the Western International league batting race, it was revealed in figurges released today from the office of Robert B. Abel, W-I president.
Ritchey's average fell off three points to .377 during a week in which he collected only three hits in 13 times at bat, but most of his rivals slipped more sharply, with the result that he held a 24-point lead over the runner-up, teammate Dick Sinovic, who climbed five points to .353.
Sinovic retained his runs-batted-in leadership with a season's total of 80, Butch Moran of Tacoma is the runner-up with 74, while Reno Cheso of Vancouver was 67 for third place.
Will Haley, Wenatchee outfielder, clouted four homers during the week to increase his league-leading total to 15. Next in line are Vic Buccola of Tri-City with nine and Dick Faber of Salem and Jerry Zuvela of Yakima with eight apiece.
The leaders:
G AB H RBI HR Ave.
Ritchey, Van ....... 90 292 110 50 6 .377
Sinovic, Van ....... 95 371 131 80 5 .353
Neal, Wen .......... 83 303 106 45 4 .350
Peterson, T-C ...... 83 307 103 65 4 .336
Moran, Tac ......... 96 383 128 74 3 .334
Richardson, Spok ... 81 279 93 66 7 .333
Baxes, Yak ......... 97 337 117 44 3 .328
Mesner, Spok ....... 86 333 105 63 3 .325
Pries, Vic ......... 97 370 120 44 3 .324

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from July 24, 1951]

Now even Sanders Field has turned against the Tri-City Braves. It used to be that they could return home after a bad road trip and be almost certain of getting In some solid licks at the opposition while they were bandaging their wounds. But those pesky Salem Senators ended all that by trouncing our Tribe 3-1 after taking three straight over in Oregon.
Arriving, tonight for a aeries of three are the Indians from Spokane. In their previous trip here they took three of the four games home. But tonight is also the game the Braves are supposed to win. That is if you believe in their current habit of winning every fourth one. Should they get by Spokane tonight it might be a good omen for the future too. Certainly the tide which has flowed so relentlessly over them lately is bound to ebb one of these nights. We've a feeling this is it.
Well it certainly looks as though Wenatchee did hit the skids when they lost Catcher Len Neal. They took an awful pasting from Yaklma, so bad in fact it lifted the Bears right off the cellar floor and let Tacoma slide in. And, just as predicted Victoria's acquisition of two new players gave them such a good shot in the arm they halted the league leading Vancouver Capllanos twice on Saturday. We'd also like to predict at this point that the Caps' are now hitting their long awaited slump but we've waited for that to happen too long now. So long in fact that either way would no longer be a surprise.
JOTS AND DOTS. . . HERE AND THERE
When Buddy Peterson slammed that bases loaded home run Friday night it was the second of the year here. . . but the first for the Braves . . . Bob Costello and Dick Stone are now the only hurlers left who have won more than they have lost . . . Tri-City completed their regular game number 100 Sunday night . . . and that century mark is the same one all the players are shooting at, hoping to drive in that many runs before the season ends.
HOW THE ATTENDANCE LOOKS
As of July 4 here's how the attendance looked throughout the WIL. You'll note Trl-City's is roughly 3,000 less at that point than in 1950. With only two more weekend stands at home the total for the year will be about 10,000 less than last season.

1951 1950
Vancouver ... 84,134 Vancouver ... 51,244
Spokane ..... 75,095 Spokane ..... 52,242
Salem ....... 52,464 Salem ....... 37,158
Victoria .... 39,308 Victoria .... 63,930
Wenatchee ... 37,017 Wenatchee ... 56,083
Tri-City .... 34,432 Tri-City .... 39,173
Yakima ...... 25,918 Yakima ...... 60,146
Tacoma ...... 23,790 Tacoma ...... 35,754
Total .......374,221 Total ....... 39,000 [sic]
MAYBE IT IS A DEAD BALL
Thanks to Jim Tang of the Victoria Colonist here are some interesting figures which would tend to support the theory that the baseball now in use is deader than it has been in the past. In 1948 the league had 520 circuit blows; 666 in 1949 and 429 in 1950. Yet at the present pace the total this season will be miserly 323. Tang's research also brought out that there are fewer extra basehits in 1951 which would also tend to support the dead ball theory.
It isn't the pitching because the average number of hits per game thus far is 19.17, third high over a four-year span. Runs scored also compared favorably with other seasons. Tang also points out that there are more low-score games this year than in the past. (As witness the 4-1, 3-2 and 2-1 here last weekend).
Now we know that the ball is dead . . . but how are we going to prove it? Got any ideas, if so we'll give them a whirl and let you know.
P.S. Note also only 429 last year when the league changed to the ball they are now using.

Sunday, July 22, 1951

2007-11-29T07:21:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 63 33 .656 —
Spokane ..... 63 34 .649 ½
Salem ....... 49 47 .510 14
Wenatchee ... 46 50 .479 17
Tri-City .... 43 54 .443 20½
Victoria .... 42 55 .433 21½
Yakima ...... 41 56 .423 22½
Tacoma ...... 39 57 .406 24

TACOMA, July 22— The Spokane Indians swept a Western International league baseball doubleheader from the Tacoma Tigers Sunday, 5-2 and 3-2 to move to within a half game of the league lead.
First Game
Spokane ..... 000 202 1—5-9-0
Tacoma ...... 100 001 0—2-5-1
Marshall, Roberts (7) and Sheets; Knezovich and Watson
Second Game
Spokane .... 000 000 003—3-6-1
Tacoma ..... 001 001 000—2-7-0
Bishop, Roberts (8) and Nulty; Clark and Lundberg.

KENNEWICK [Herald, July 23]—Manager Charlie Peterson shouldn't have any trouble in finding a pitcher for tomorrow night's opener at Sanders Field against the onrushlng Spokane Indians. It's getting so the Braves only win every fourth game in their battle to stay in the playoffs of the Western International league.
Last night's 2-1 loss in ten innings to Salem was the third straight defeat so Tuesday's game will be the fourth. The one the Braves have been winning. The current hex started at Yakima where Tri-City dropped three and then picked up a pair. At Salem they lost three straight, came back home and won the fourth. Salem closed out by winning the last three to take six of the seven games.
The Braves lumber hasn't made it any easier for the hurling staff either. Of those last three Tri-City collected but four runs or slightly more than one per game.
It was the same story last night when willing Lou McCollum lost to Ray McNulty in the tenth. McCollum did all he could by slashing a double to center in the third and scoring on Vic Buccola's through-the-box single.
Tri-City had their chances to win before Sam Kanelos' bobble put the Senator's winning run on in the tenth. They left two base runners stranded in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
Ray McNulty, who garnered his 11th victory of the season also scored the winning run in the tenth. He reached first when Kanelos' throw to Buccola was too high. Before Vic could recovered the ball McNulty had swung on down to second. He moved to third on an infield out and romped in on Gene Tanselli's single to right.
McNulty killed off any Brave hopes of coming back in the bottom of the tenth by getting Al Spaeter on a fly ball to left field and then forcing Buccola and Buddy Peterson to pop up to the third baseman.
Peterson easily came up with the fielding gem of the night when he raced hard to his right and backhanded Richie Meyers low liner otf his shoe tops in the fifth.
Spokane will play a mid-week series here and then the Braves swing up to Wenatchee. They return for another mid-week series, this time against Victoria, and then again hit the road a
week as they make their final swing into Canada.
Salem ....... 100 000 000 1—2-3-1
Tri-City ..... 001 000 000 0—1-6-4
McNulty and McKeegan; McCollum and Pesut.

First Game
Yakima ......... 001 305 0—9-13-1
Wenatchee ... 003 000 1—4- 8-1
Savarese and Tiesiera; Raimondi, Breisinger (6) and Lake.
Second Game
Yakima ......... 011 001 310—7-9-1
Wenatchee ... 001 110 020—5-9-1
Powell and Tiesiera; Kanshin, Tost (7), Treichel (9) and Roberson.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from July 23, 1951]
During the three games Salem took from the Tri-City Braves over the past unhappy weekend they scored the grand total of nine runs. And of those nine, four of them were driven in by the combination of Jim McKeegan (3) and Dick Faber (1). Both were with the Braves last year and just to add a modicum of salt to the gaping wound, Tri-City would probably have had both back this season If it hadn’t been for that unfortunate tieup the club made with the St. Louis Cardinal organization.
What changes in a year. In 1950 the Braves welcomed the Salem team like long-lost cousins. It was just like putting money in the bank to play the Senators then. But now the Tri-City dances to the tune the Senators want to play . . . six of the last seven have gone into their well-lined coffers.
No doubt the 819 fans who took in last night’s game will hang the “goat” tag on Sam Kanelos for his 10th inning error which permitted the winning run to get on base. However, if you'll turn the coin over, there's another picture on the other side. In the seventh, eighth and ninth innings the Braves left runners on two bases. A timely blow in any of those frames would have given Lou McCollum the victory he so well deserved instead of defeat.
A COSTLY LESSON
In a nutshell, and as we see it, the entire season adds up to this: There isn’t a team in the league that kept the Braves out of the playoffs, or for that matter out of the pennant.. Everything that has been lost was lost in Lindsay, Calif., and St. Louis. It has perhaps been a costly lesson . . . more costly than anyone ever dreamed. The only consolation to be gained from it is that maybe it was a lesson well learned. Certainly it’s been well taught.

Saturday, July 21, 1951

2007-11-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

W L PCT GB
Vancouver ... 63 33 .656 —
Spokane ..... 61 34 .642 1½
Salem ....... 48 47 .505 14½
Wenatchee ... 46 48 .489 16
Tri-City .... 43 53 .448 20
Victoria .... 42 55 .433 21½
Tacoma ...... 39 55 .415 23
Yakima ...... 39 58 .400 24½

VICTORIA [Colonist, July 22]—Just like any other club, Vancouver Capilanos can be stopped by good pitching.
The W.I.L. leaders ran into a double dose of it yesterday at Royal Athletic Park and saw their lead sliced as Victoria Athletics took both ends of the usual afternoon-evening Saturday fare, 8-1 and 3-1.
HELPS PLAYOFF CHANCE
Results moved the A’s closer to fifth place and closed the gap separating them and the first division to five games they also gave the A’s their second series win at Victoria over the Caps and left them with a 5-6 record for the season against the pace-setters, the best showing of any team against Bill Schuster’s hard-hitting club.
As is almost always the case when a club gets good pitching, the A’s could do little wrong yesterday as Bill Osborn and Jim Hedgecock silenced Vancouver bats with some fine moundwork.
Osborn, coming right back after being hit hard in his last two starts, pitched what was probably his best game of the season to record his eighth victory in 14 decisions.
The quiet righthander, hitting the corners with what appeared to be a slider, worked ahead of the hitters throughout and was in charge all the way. He gave up but eight hits and five of those were of blooper singles.
Meanwhile, his teammates got their hits when it counted. They scored their first six runs on five safeties, three of them doubles, as they took full advantage of Jerry Barta’s wildness.
Hedgecock ran into tougher opposition under the lights with Carl Gunnarson, veteran southpaw, a tough-luck loser. All four runs were slightly tainted and the two wronghanders might be pitching yet but for the breaks which usually decide the close ones.
Gunnarson had a slight edge, giving up only six hits and two bases on balls, but Hedgecock had better support as the Caps could only score once on seven hits and five walks. Two of the hits off Gunnarson were bunts, one was a lost-in-the-lights double and a fourth was a fluke single which plated the game’s first run. Hedgecock gave up his first hit in the fourth, Gunnarson with two out in the fifth and the game was scoreless until the seventh.
ERROR DECIDES IT
Victoria scored first when Bob McGuire lost Gene Thompson’s long fly and it fell for a double. Bill White blooped a single on the foul line behind first base and Thompson sprinted home.
A dubious call on a stolen base at second base put McGuire in position to score on Dick Sinovic’s double in the eighth and tie it up. But an error let the A’s through for the winning runs in their half.
BUNT PAYS OFF
Dunn opened by beating out a perfect bunt. Hedgecock followed with another bunt and Gordie Brunswick threw low to second base and all hands were safe as Jim Moore juggled the ball. Jim Clark laid down another bunt, which forced Hedgecock but sent Dunn to third to score after Don Pries had flied to deep centre. Marv Diercks provided an insurance run by following with a triple.
FINE DEFENSE
Turning point of the game came in the fourth inning when Brunswick led off with a single and was called safe at second on a fielder’s choice as Sinovic grounded to Pries. Hedgecock then took most of the pressure off with a great move which trapped Sinovic off first.
It was one of the many fine plays turned in by the A’s. They came up with two double plays in the finale and one in the afternoon to erase as many threats, and Bill White made two magnificent catches in right field. He probably saved the bacon in the ninth inning of the night game when he made an almost unbelievable grab of Reno Cheso’s lead-off bid for what would have been a triple. The ball was hit to deep right and White just speared it after leaping high against the fence.
NO. 10 FOR SOUTHPAW
It helped give Hedgecock his tenth win and it was the second game in a row in which he limited the opposition to a lone run.
Manager Bob Sturgeon took the day off, installing Bill Dunn at second base. Dunn fielded well and although he made only one hit, it was the one which started the game-winning rally in the mazda encounter. Attedance for the two games was approximately 3,000.
Vancouver .... 000 000 010—1-7-1
Victoria ......... 000 000 12x—3-6-1
Gunnarson and Cheso; Hedgecock and Martin.

TACOMA, July 21 — Behind effective pitching by John Conant, the Spokane Indians tonight rolled over the Tacoma Tigers 11-4 in a Western International league ball game.
The Indians' victory, plus Vancouver's double defeat, left Spokane but 1½ games away from the league-lead.
Conant was in trouble in only one inning — the fourth — when the Tigers put together five hits for three runs. However, Spokane unlimbered a 13-hit attack to stay out of trouble.
Jim Wert with four hits in five tries including a triple, and with three stolen bases, was the biggest thorn in the side of the Tigers.
Spokane ...... 003 024 002—11-13-2
Tacoma ....... 000 300 010— 4- 9-1
Conant and Sheets; Miller, Schulte (6) Mishasek (6), Kipp (8) and Watson.

KENNEWICK [Herald, July 22]—Jim McKeegan lined a single through the box in the top of the ninth inning for the Salem Senators last night to drive in Bill Spaeter with the winning run in the nightcap of a twin bill. Salem won the first game 4-1 and won the last game 3-2.
Aldon Wilkie, crafty lefthander, gave a brilliant display of his pitching prowess in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the bases full of Braves, and only one out, Wilkie got Vic Buccola on a pop fly to the infield and turned out the lights at Sanders field by forcing Buddy Peterson on a fly to the outfield.
Although the Braves outhit the Senators 8 to 7, five of the Salem blows went for extra bases, including one triple and four doubles.
Tri-City pushed out ahead in the fourth inning when Neil Bryant singled and scored on a triple by Sam Kanelos. Kanelos followed Bryant to the plant on Nick Pesut's single.
Thus the score stood 2-1 for Tri-City going into the top of the ninth inning. Glen Stetter opened with the third double of the game for Salem and Bill Spaeter followed with another that chased Stetter in.
Then with two out McKeegan lined his single. The two teams wind up their series tonight with a single game at 7:30 o'clock.
Al Spaeter sent the Braves ahead in the opening inning of the first game when he tripled and scored on Buddy Peterson's long fly ball.
Jim McKeegan, the Senator's young red-headed backstop who played with the Braves last year, tied it up in the second inning when he belted one over the left field wall.
Salem iced the game in the third inning when Richie Myers led off with his second successive single. Bob Costello then walked Gene Tanselli, it was Costello's first walk of the game. With one out, Peterson bobbled Glen Stetter's roller and the sacks were clogged with Senators.
Costello then issued his second free pass of the inning to Bill Spaeter with Meyers walking in from third. Dick Bartle then rifled a single to plate Pancelli and Stetter. That was all for Costello. Jack Brewer got the next two men out to retire the side.
Brewer held the Senators well in check giving up but one hit and striking out five over the rest of the seven inning game.
Sal De George counted his 10th victory of the season. He held the Braves to five well scattered hits.
First Game
Salem ....... 013 000 0—4 5 0
Tri-City ... 100 000 0—1 5 2
DeGeorge and McKeegan; Costello, Brewer (3) and Pesut.
Second Game
Salem ........ 010 000 002—3 7 0
Tri-City ..... 000 200 000—2 8 0
Wilkie and McKeegan; Greenlaw and Pesut.

WENATCHEE, July 20—Bill Boemler set the Wenatchee Chief s down with two hits tonight as the Yakima Bears blasted Wenatchee 11-2 in a Western International baseball game.
Lil Arnerich, Wenatchee second baseman, got the first hit off Boemler — a scratch single In the fifth. Will Hafey, Wenatchee outfielder, poled a home run as the first batter in the bottom of the ninth.
Meanwhile, Boemler's teammates unloosed an 18-hit barrage which coupled with seven Wenatchee errors, enabled Yakima to coast home.
Yakima .......... 004 301 210—11-18-0
Wenatchee .... 000 010 001— 2- 2-7
Boemler and Tiesiera; Treichel, Breisinger (5) and Roberson.

Hewins Fragments
By Jack Hewins
[AP Seattle Sports Columnist, from Sunday, July 22, 1951]
Until they can train John Conant to pitch every night it looks like sad times for the Spokane Indians in Yakima’s Western International league game.
In one string of 24 games there Spokane won only two, and Conant pitched ‘em both. From the date of his July 14, 1948, decision to his July 17, 1951, victory, Yakima took 14 in a row from the Tribe in Parker Field.
• • •
This is a pitchers’ year in the WIL, with records (at last look) like Bill Bevens’ 14-7 for Salem, Bob Snyder’s 19-3 for Vancouver and Jim Holder’s 9-0 for Spokane.
• • •
Shortly after he was tossed out of a game in Salem, Vancouver manager Bill Schuster showed up wearing an umpire’s cap and claimed he’d been made an honorary ump by the arbiter (name of Valencourt) who gave him the heave-ho.