Saturday, August 11, 1951

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.

Thursday, August 9, 1951

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

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.

Kewpie Dick Returns?

Barrett Ready to Pitch; A’s May Add Moundsman
[Victoria Colonist, July 4, 1951]
Will Dick Barrett, the deposed manager, come back to haunt Victoria Athletics as a pitcher before the end of the season?
Indications are that the roly-poly veteran will try to do just that—if he can convince some other club he can be of help.
Barrett worked out with the Yakima Bears before Monday afternoon’s game at Royal Athletic Park. He refused definite comment after the game, saying that he couldn’t say anything for a day or two, but strongly intimated he intends to do some pitching, something he failed to do for the A’s.
“You can get your life I’ll be pitching,” he said in a tone that boded no good for the A’s.
MAY GO TO CAPS
Barrett and his family left Victoria yesterday and it is believed he was bound for Yakima, where Vancouver Capilanos are now playing. A report has it that he would like to hook on with the Caps, where he will be playing for Bill Schuster, a former teammate at Seattle.
In the meantime, business manager Reg Patterson was trying hard to find a needed seventh pitcher for the A’s and believes he might have his man today. He is seeking the services of Bill Carr, a righthander recommended by a former W.I.L. owner.
Carr, who refused to go to the Pioneer League this year, has reportedly been playing semi-pro ball. He played with Pittsburgh and Marysville in the Far West League last season, where he compiled the fifth-best earned run average—3.71. Carr saw action in 43 games, pitching 232 innings. He won 16, lost 12 and completed 14 games. He struck out 96 and walked 77.
TWO NEW MEN
It was learned that Yakima, bolstering to try to get out of the W.I.L. basemen, has added two proven players. San Francisco Seals have returned Ernie Domenichelli, steady righthander who had a 13-6 record for the Bears last season. The second player is Cliff Alberson, slugging outfielder who has played with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels.

Kewpie Dick Fired

Athletics Fire Barrett; Sturgeon New Manager
By JIM TANG [Victoria Colonist, June 26, 1951]
In a sudden if not unexpected move, Victoria Athletics yesterday morning removed Dick Barrett as manager and replaced him with Bob Sturgeon, former major and Coast League infielder who joined the club June 8.
The decision was made Sunday night when club directors were polled individually at the request of Club president J.V. Johnson, who was attending the W.I.L. meeting at Spokane. Directors voted unanimously for the change.
It has been felt before this that the managerial situation would be discussed at a meeting of directors yesterday afternoon and those close to the club were certain that Barrett would be asked to resign. Johnson’s move from Spokane was unexpected and, although he refuses to discuss the reason, it is reported it was prompted by with other club owners at the league meeting.
TWO MONTH TRY
Barrett was removed after a two-month tenure in his first try at managing. He left the club with a 26-40 record and only a half-game out of the basement. While the club did not perform up to expectations for the former Coast League star, there were other circumstances which helped bring about his dismissal.
Chief of these was probably his failure to get into shape to fulfill his obligation as a playing manager. A popular performer in his playing days, Barrett also failed to win fan support and his impromptu talk to the paying customers last week when a good crowd turned out to honor Lilio Marcucci was a big factor. Directors felt that at least part of the drop in attendance was the fault of their manager.
SIXTH IN SIX YEARS
Sturgeon, who could turn out to be an excellent choice, becomes the sixth manager of the A’s in the six years of existence and the third to take over in mid-season. Laurel Harney was replaced by Ted Norbert after a few weeks of the 1946 season, and was in return replaced by Earl Bolyard mid-way through the 1948 season. Marty Krug was at the helm last season.

IT BEATS ME

By JIM TANG [Colonist, June 26]
Replacement of Dick Barrett as manager of the Victoria Athletics yesterday highlights the singular lack of success enjoyed (?) by the Victoria Baseball and Athletic Co. Ltd. in its choice of field leadership.
Barrett became the fifth manager in six seasons when he was signed last year. Although results are not in yet on the sixth, only Ted Norbert proved to be at least close to a success and his firing, dictated by the New York Yankees, may have been a mistake. The big fellow didn’t win any pennants but he was at least the most personally popular field manager the club has had up to Bob Sturgeon. Many fans have been clamouring for his return since early season.
Just why the A’s shouldn’t do better at selecting their managers is a matter for conjecture and there has been plenty of that. Business manager Reg Patterson has been roundly blamed in many quarters but it should be pointed out that he could no reason to think that Marty Krug was to run into fan resistance or that Barrett wouldn’t fill the bill. Both had good baseball background and both came highly recommended.
It should be said in Patterson’s defence here that whatever mistakes can be attributed to him, he has not interfered with management of the club on the field, reports to the contrary notwithstanding. In fact, the reverse has been sometimes true.
Letting Barrett go was a tough decision. The club is in financial difficulties and a change is going to cost money. But after considerable thought, the directors believed it would cost them more if they didn’t make the change.
A popular and colorful figure as a player, Barrett could not win over the fans as a manager. They felt that the A’s were a better club than their record indicated and they blamed the manager. There was considerable resentment at Barrett’s failure to be a playing manager and considerable criticism of his handling of pitchers. Rightly or wrongly, many customers believe that more could have been done with John Marshall, who reported badly out of condition and remained that way until the day the club grabbed at the chance to get their investment back.
There had been thought of a change for the past two weeks. The club thought of bringing in another playing manager and gave some consideration to bringing back Norbert. However, in Sturgeon they had a player with the necessary experience and a fellow who made a fine impression with his attitude on a losing club. With the full support of the players and the fans, Sturgeon can prove the right answer.
Random Harvest
Art Thrasher, the A’s new catcher, will join the club today or tomorrow. He will be a welcome addition, but will have quite a fight on his hands to unseat Milt Martin, who has filled in nobly since Lilio Marcucci left. Including last night’s game, the husky youngster has batted .370 in his role as first-stringer and his receiving has improved with his batting average. . . . John Nenezich, no favorite of Victoria fans, is now umpiring in the Coast League . . . Jim Moore, second baseman of the A’s last season, saw his first action with Vancouver Capilanos on Sunday.