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.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 1951
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
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
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]
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 21, 1951]
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.
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.
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
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]
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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]
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.
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.
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