Monday, July 28, 1952

NO LEAGUE GAMES PLAYED

VANCOUVER [News-Herald, July 29]—Wherever baseball is played, the name “Bill Sweeney” is a household word. The Seattle manager has been here, there and everywhere in his 30 years in the game, and though there have been moments (he admits) that he wished he’d taken up knitting, it’s been a pretty good life.
Bill took it pretty easy Monday night while Rainiers clobbered the Capilanos 7-4 before 5850 people who got quite a belt out of watching the Coast leaguers trade punches with their offspring. Sweeney likes to talk mostly about his present Seattle ball club. In the spring he called it “the best I’ve ever managed.”
Since putting foot right into it, Bill has been kidded about that statement often since. The Rainiers roundly picked to win the Coast League pennant by a couple of country miles, are in fourth-place and not particularly pressing.
“I’d say it’s true, though,” the Irishman smiled. “This is a great ball club. It’s potential is better than has been shown. We’ve added pitching the likes of which nobody else in baseball could better. The hitting hasn’t been so pugnacious, but we could get rolling yet.”
In his day, Sweeney was a first baseman. Had quite a few seasons, in fact, with Washington Senators and Detroit. He is, to be truthful about it, on the small side for a first baseman, about 5’, 10” we guessed.
“That’s about it,” he admitted. “I guess maybe I was lucky. Every infield I got myself hooked up with threw the ball low. I didn’t have to go climbing many step ladders.”
Sweeney didn’t impress as the bashful type, but about here Bob Brown insisted that the infield had little to do with Sweeney’s success.
Mighty Sweet Fielder Was Bill
“A mighty sweet fielder, let me tell you,” Bob praised. “And a pretty good hitter, too. No Williams or DiMaggio, but a guy who always got his basehits no matter who was looking.”
Sweeney left the “big show” many, many years ago. He wound up his active career playing for Portland, then caught on with the Los Angeles Angels as manager in 1942. He was to pick up where Arnold (Jigger) Statz left off, and he did a terrific job, winning a couple of pennants in the act.
Shortly after the war, Sweeney switched to Portland, and this was to be the start of a great romance. He hooked up with General Manager Bill Mulligan there to form one of the strongest front-office tandems in the game’s history. At least, that part of it which consisted of the Coast League.
One year, while the two were together, Mulligan won the Sporting News award as the minor leagues’ top executive. He gave Sweeney no small credit for his success.
This is Bill’s first season at Seattle, and like he said before, the ball club is his favorite subject.
“We run into arguments all up and down the Coast on who’s the fastest, who can hit the best and so on,” he said. “The only argument we’ve never had is the one concerning pitching. We’ve got the corner on that market.
Vern May Get Big Chance Yet
“Vern Kindsfather, you people in Vancouver will be interested in hearing, looks great. He’s been my ‘stopper’ all year. He pitches every fourth day and sometimes, in between he even steps out in the late innings and stops a rally. I think he’s already won a couple in relief.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Vern got a real shot at the big leagues next year. The scouts have been nibbling on him already.”
It was a good show last night without being sensational. The Caps got the heebie-jeebies in the first inning when Paul Jones tried so hard to impress the Rainiers that he missed the boat on everything, including the plate. However, when Paul settled down he got by nicely.
Seattle scored four right off the bat in the first on two walks, two Vancouver muffs, and two hits, one of them [George] Vico’s double. An error by Maddern when he opened the gate on John Ritchey’s single and let it roll all the way to the wall, cost Seattle two third-inning runs and the 4-4 tie. Then the Rainiers went to work.
- -
VANCOUVER, B.C., July 28 — Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast league defeated the Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International League 7-4 in an exhibition baseball game Monday night.
Seattle took a four-run lead in the first inning and coasted home.
Catcher Claude Christie and outfielder Al Lyons starred at the plate for the Rainiers. Christie batted in four runs, while Lyons rapped out the longest hit of the game, a triple in the ninth.
Paul Calvert was the winning pitcher.
Seattle …..... 400 010 101—7 13 1
Vancouver .. 022 000 000—4 5 2
Calvert and Christie; Jones, Fletcher (8) and Ritchey.

TACOMA, July 28—Victoria defeated a team of All-Stars at Tacoma, 8-3, Monday night.
Ken Lehman, formerly with the Coast League Hollywood Stars, was the pitching star — for 5 2-3 innings. Lehman, an Army corporal awaiting discharge at Fort Lewis, gave up only one hit until the last of the sixth when the Tyees exploded for five runs.
Lehman, property of the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization, will join Montreal in the International League after his discharge next week.
Victoria ….. 000 005 120—8 9 1
Tacoma …. 100 010 100—3 6 4
Gard, Gunnarson (6), Wisneski (7), Heard (9) and Martin, R. Bottler (9); Lehman, Drummond (8) and Spurgeon, Rose (8).

Abel Starts Fight Probe
Tacoma, July 29—Robert Abel, president of the Western International League, said Tuesday he has "reams of material" from both sides on the "stitched eyebrow" case and will investigate fully. Mr. Abel plans to leave for Wenatchee Wednesday to begin his investigation.
Dick Richards, manager of the Tri-City Braves team, and utility player Laurie Monroe were parties to an argument in which Monroe received a four-stitch cut over one eye.
The WIL president also reported he had ruled against Spokane in two recent protests.
In one, Spokane charged that Victoria had used a player not on its roster and Abel said he found that the man had been legally listed by the Victoria club.
The other was a protest that Salem was violating the league salary limit and Abel said he "quashed that in no uncertain terms. There was no basis whatever for such a ridiculous charge."

Carr Released, Lewis Signed
[Tri-City Herald, July 29, 1952]
The Tri-City Braves announced Monday the signing of a new catcher and the release of Clayton Carr.
Carr, a 22-year-old University of Washingtan student, had been playing as No. 2 catcher to Nick Pesut. Carr was released because "he lacks a throwing arm."
The new catcher on the Braves staff is Glenn Lewis of Tulare, Calif. He reported at the Braves' office Monday.
Carr, who played in 30 games and hit .234, is the second player to be released recently. Frank Mataya, outfielder, was given his walking papers Saturday.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmour
[Tri-City Herald, July 29, 1952]
FROM THE DUGOUT

George New sure has tough breaks. He pitches a two-hit game and loses because that is the night the Tri-City batters can't come through on the scoring end.
Bob Greenwood, on the other hand, pitches a two-hitter and what happens—everybody on the Tri-City team including. Bob takes a crack at knocking the ball all over the park.
Nick Pesut is getting to be the Braves best victory barometer. The other night he got up to go out to the field and said: "I feel like we're going to win this one." The Braves did.
Joe Scalise, is feeling good. He says he is beginning to hit like he oughta.
The addition of Ray Hamrick has done a lot for Tri-City's infield. And it looks good to see Des Charouhas in left field again.

Sunday, July 27, 1952

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 65 32 .670 —
Spokane ..... 54 48 .525 13½
Vancouver ... 48 43 .524 14
Salem ....... 47 49 .490 17½
Lewiston .... 47 51 .480 18
Yakima ...... 46 54 .580 20
Wenatchee ... 42 56 .429 23½
Tri-City .... 41 57 .418 24½

SPOKANE, July 27 — Spokane unlimbered its biggest bats of the season Sunday as they swept a hit-heavy Western International League baseball double header from Lewiston, taking the opener 15-3 and the nightcap 11-2.
In the nine-inning opener, the Indians lashed out 12 singles, seven doubles, two triples and a home run in their 22-hit attack against three hapless Bronc burlers.
Lewiston jumped on Spokane starter Frank Chase for three quick runs in the first inning. The right-hander then settled down and shut out the Broncs and brought his season record to 9-9, as he fanned five and walked only two batters.
The Indians' prize southpaw rookie, Jack Spring, picked up his first win of the season in the second as he limited Lewiston to two hits while Spokane rapped out 12.
First Game
Lewiston ..... 300 000 000— 3 7 2
Spokane ...... 400 342 02x—15 22 1
Nicholas, Bowman (3) and Lundberg; Chase and Sheets.
Second Game
Lewiston ..... 101 000 0— 2 2 1
Spokane ...... 035 012 x—11 12 1
Powell, Schulte (3), Clancy (3) and Helmuth; Spring and Sheets.

SALEM, July 27 — Salem and Wenatchee split a Western International League doubleheader here Sunday, Wenatchee losing the first game 4-2 but snapping back to win the nightcap 2-1.
Wenatchee's first run in the second game came in the third inning on a hit batter, a groundout and Lyle Palmer's single.
In the eighth inning Ross McCormack scored on a double steal.
Connie Perez homered for Salem's lone run in-the second game. He also connected with a circuit blow in the sixth of the opener.
Highlight of the game was an error by Salem Manager Hugh Luby at second base. It was his first in 53 consecutive games. During those games he handled 144 putouts and 183 assists without a bobble.
The previous Western International League record was held by Frank Kolski, Yakima, who in 1941 went 28 games without an error.
Wenatchee's first run came in the second inning on three successive singles by Dick Adams, Bud Hjelmaa and Laurie Monroe. Doubles by Monroe and Ben Guerrero accounted for another in the fourth.
Hjelmaa was sidelined for the second time in three weeks when he pulled some ligaments in his throwing arm. He had just returned to action following recovery from a broken nose, suffered when he was struck by a batted ball.
First Game
Wenatchee .... 010 100 0—2 8 0
Salem ........... 001 012 x—4 8 1
Dasso, Bauhofer (8) and Pocekay; McNulty and Nelson.
Second Game
Wenatchee .. 001 000 010—2 5 1
Salem ......... 000 001 000—1 7 0
Stltes and Robinett; Francis and Thrasher.

KENNEWICK, July 27 — Bob Greenwood limited Yakima to two hits Sunday night while his teammates rapped out 12 safties off five opposing hurlers to post a 14-1 baseball victory in the wrapup game of their Western International League series here.
One of the basehits allowed by Greenwood came in the first inning after three walks and accounted for the Bears' only tally.
Greenwood also aided his own cause with an eighth inning double which drove in three of the five runs scored in the frame off rookie John King.
Yakima .... 100 000 000— 1 2 1
Tri-City ... 204 210 05x—14 12 0
Thompson, Garrett (3), Donnelly (4), King (8), Savage (8) and Donahue; Greenwood and Pesut.

ONLY GAMES PLAYED

Has Lost 18, ERA Is 2.1
WENATCHEE, Aug. 1—Frankie Dasso of the Wenatchee Chiefs is the unanimous local choice as candidate for the title of "hard luck pitcher of 1952" in the Western International League.
His mates failed for the 14th time Sunday to get him more than two runs and he dropped a 4-2 decision to Salem, his 18th loss of the season.
Dasso could beat the WIL record for losses in a season — set at 23 by Yakima's Bob Drilling in 1948 — and still lead the league in strikeouts. His present won-lost record is 7-18, but he has an earned run average of 2.10 and has struck out 140 men.
Frankie holds the Coast League title for strikeouts, whiffing 258 for San Diego in 1944.

Saturday, July 26, 1952

W L Pct GB
Victoria .... 65 32 .670 —
Vancouver ... 48 43 .524 14
Spokane ..... 52 48 .520 14½
Lewiston .... 47 49 .490 17½
Salem ....... 46 48 .489 17½
Yakima ...... 46 53 .465 19½
Wenatchee ... 41 55 .427 23½
Tri-City .... 40 57 .413 24½

VICTORIA [Colonist, July 27]—Victoria Tyees marked time yesterday in their relentless march to the W.I.L. pennant, but still gained standing with their closest pursuers two games closer to the end of the schedule without denting the league-leader’s 14-game bulge.
Getting rid of a bad game in the afternoon, the Tyees bounced back from a 12-3 lacing to win the series finale from the third-place Spokane Indians, 3-1, under the lights at Royal Athletic Park.
Meanwhile, Lewiston’s helpful Broncs managed a split at Vancouver to take the series from the Caps, 4-1. The Broncs stopped the Capilano surge cold in the series to help add three games to Victoria’s lead.
TYPICAL COMEBACK
Last night’s comeback was typical of the Tyees. The Indians, smarting from three straight losses, were jubilant after winning yesterday’s first game and confident of a sweep. They got good pitching from Gordie Palm and they played good baseball, but the Tyees, featuring Jehosie Heard and manager Cec Garriott, had already forgotten the afternoon debacle and were at their best once more.
Last night’s game featured two oddities—two men sharing a time at bat both getting thrown out of the game for protesting called strikes in what eventually became Heard’s 10th strikeout and “the case of the vanished home run.”
What still remains [a] mystery happened in the sixth inning—the peak of that daylight-dark period in every night game which often decides games. Palm, pitching extremely well, was jealously guarding a 1-0 lead and had two out when Bob Moniz sent a short fly to right field. Pat Simmons didn’t see the ball and Moniz, with heads-up base-running, got himself a triple.
WHERE DID IT GO?
Garriott stepped up and took a tremendous clout at a low pitch. He hit it solidly and it took off for pastures in distant right field. Simmons again lost the ball—and so did everyone else. It seemed headed over the fence but the fence at that spot was a long way from the plate and no one is certain whether or not it made it. Business manager Reg Patterson is going to try to satisfy his curiosity today by conducting a search inside the park to see if he can find the missing pellet.
In any event, the wallop became Garriott’s 12th home run—he hit one in the afternoon—and it provided Heard with all the runs he needed for his 15th win in 21 decisions.
TWO FOR ONE
Simmons was also a key figure in the strike-and-you’re-out episode in the eighth. He said something which must have been unpleasant when plate umpire Art Jacobs called a 1-0 pitch a strike and was sent packing. Bill Sheets took over as a pinch-hitter with a 1-1 count, fouled off a pitch, then started to swing at Heard’s next offering. He attempted to check himself, but Jacobs rightly ruled he had “broken his wrists” and called him out. Sheets got his money’s worth before parading off to the showers with Simmons and a third teammate, who was also uncomplimentary from the bench.
There wasn’t much in the afternoon game after the fifth inning. Bill Prior set the Indians down in order for four innings rather impressively but lobbed the ball into the bleacher fence trying for a force-out at third base in the fifth to set the stage for a five-run uprising which erased the 1-0 lead he was protecting.
The Indians took advantage of two errors on one play by Eric Gard, on in relief after Prior was taken out for a pinch-hitter, to make it a rout with another five runs in the eighth. The Tyees got to John Conant for 12 hits but they were scattered over eight innings and chances were lost when the game was close by unsuccessful base-running which saw three runners cut down at second base.
DIAMOND DUST: Prior’s loss was his first of the season after three straight wins … Jim Brown missed by two the league record for second basemen when he handled 13 chances in the first game against the Indians … The Tyees now hold an 11-4 edge over Spokane for the season and have won 17 of their last 21 games … John Treece, a year older now, received a cake from the Booster Club prior to the night game … This apparently is Cec Garriott’s lucky year. He not only won a bicycle in the amateur baseball fund drive but hit the jackpot—and good—on a trip to Lewiston when he gambled three silver dollars in a slot machine … Tacoma interests are reportedly eyeing the Wenatchee franchise for next season. The Chiefs are not doing well on the field or at the box office … League president Bob Abel had little to say as he sat in on both games and seemed most concerned with the assault charge filed against Tri-City business manager Dick Richards for hitting Laurie Monroe when the Wenatchee outfielder requested game passes …Ed Murphy is a Spokane resident and operates a tavern in the Inland Empire. One of his bartenders is Bob Costello, the studious-looking righthander who used to fire the ball past W.I.L. hitters.
First Game
Spokane ..... 000 050 250—12 13 0
Victoria ...... 000 100 200—3 12 4
Conant and Sheets, Hinz (9); Prior, Gard (8) and R. Bottler.
Second Game
Spokane ..... 000 100 000—1 7 0
Victoria ...... 000 002 10x—3 8 0
Palm and Hinz; Heard and Martin.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 28]—The Capilanos cleared their decks on regular WIL baseball play today [Monday], preparatory to greeting the Coast League Seattle Rainiers with what he been described as “the big one” for local ball followers.
The Rainiers will fly into town this afternoon, will catch a couple of hours rest in their hotel, then meet the Caps in an exhibition at Cap Stadium tonight at 8:15. All reserved seats are sold out, but upwards of 500 rush seats go on sale at 6:30 when the box office opens. A crowd of close to 7000 is expected.
This is the first time since 1942 that the Rainiers have visited their farm holding in Vancouver, and oddly enough, they are still looking for their first victory over the Caps.
In three tries so far, Vancouver has come out on top each time. They were all benefits, these exhibitions, one to aid a fund to increase Canada’s Air Force strength, one for the Queen’s Fund and another for luxuries for crew members of the Navy frigate “Capilano.”
It was Bob Brown who recalled in 1941, school “marm” Ernie Kershaw curve-balled the Rainiers into submission. That was a Capilano club which boasted Red Sox protégé Al Lingua as its leading hitter.
Then, in ’42, Red Adams pitched a Vancouver [win] over Seattle with the help of a solid attack centered around Bill Brenner, Maury Donovan, Mel Mallory, Roy Paton and Clarence Maddern.
Maddern comes back for this one, but he’s on the opposite side of the fence this time in a Rainier uniform. Bob Hall, another former townie, will be the Seattle starter and behind him will be quite an array of long-ball punch and speed. Walt Judnich and Al Lyons supply a lot of the power, Artie Wilson, Bob Boyd and K. Chorlton most of the speed.
It will be a great coming out baseball part, to be sure, and for the occasion, Edo Vanni, the Vancouver leader, will trot out Paul Jones as his starting pitcher. “I’m going to try to go all the way with Paul, too,” Edo said. “I want those Seattle fellows to have a good look at the kid. He’s got it.”
Saturday, the Caps warmed up to this invasion by snapping a losing streak with a 7-3 second game win over Lewiston. They had lost their fourth in a row in the opener, 2-0.
Rookie Tom Lovrich pitched his fourth win of the year in the nightcap, calling for help in the eighth from Van Fletcher when he got plumb tuckered out. A 12-hit attack, led by Jesse Williams, Gordon Brunswick and Len Tran, highlighted the victory and the defensive display of Jimmy Moore at first base ran it a close second. Moore switched from the outfield to first base as a substitute for Jim Wert and looked like a million dollars around the bag.
The Caps were the victims of four-hit shutout pitching by Dale Thomason in the first game and another piece of their own questionable strategy. They had a chance to break the scoring ice in the first inning when Moore doubled and Williams followed with a single. Moore, however, was allowed to try and score all the way from second and was thrown out at the plate by twenty feet. Then, in the sixth inning when Lewiston scored both its runs, the Broncs led 1-0 and ad a man on second and third with one out.
Charlie Mead was the next batter and instead of disposing of the dangerous lefthander and walking him to fill the open base to get the double play set up, Vanni ordered Ed Locke to pitch to the ‘old pro’. Charlie banged a single into centre field to score the second run, then Artie Wilson and Glen Tuckett, both right-handed hitters, both popped out.
First Game
Lewiston ….. 000 002 0—2 7 1
Vancouver … 000 000 0—0 4 1
Thomason and Helmuth; Locke and Ritchey.
Second Game
Lewiston ….. 030 000 020—5 8 3
Vancouver … 011 140 01x—8 12 1
Schulte, Clancy (4), Brenner (5) and Lundberg; Lovrich, Fletcher (8) and Duretto.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, July 27]—The Tri-City Braves dropped both ends of a doubleheader Saturday night to the Yakima Bears in a Western International League
game at Sanders Field. The scores were 1-0 and 8-6.
George New lost a heartbreaker in the first game. He struck out 12 and gave up but two hits.
The Bears got their lone score in the sixth inning when Ernie Schuerman walked. Then Jerry Zuvela got to first on New's error and John Albini walked.
Dano Lodigiani knocked out a long, fly ball to center field and Schuerman scored after the catch.
Ken Wright, the winning pitcher held Tri-City to four hits. He gave up but one base, on balls and the Bears made no errors.
The game marked the first appearance of Ray Hamrick, infielder signed by the Braves recently. Hamrick comes here from San Francisco in the PCL.
The second, game was a wild swinging affair with the Braves outhitting the Bears 14-11, even while losing the game.
Yakima's big inning was the sixth. Zuvela lead off with a hit and Noren walked, Albini flied out and Lodigiani was hit by the pitcher to fill the bases.
Then Joe Scalise dropped a long fly Wall and Zuvela scored. A single by Mike Donahue scored Noren and Lodigiani.
In the second inning Yakima got a run whan Noren hit and Albini walked. Lodgiani got a hit scoring Noren.
Wining pitcher, Ted Shandor; losing pitcher, Ralph Romero,
The Bears' third-inning score came when Zuvela got a homer.
In the fourth Albini led off with a double. He was sacrificed to third and Richardson's single drove him in. They picked up their seventh inning score on a single by Zuvela, another by Noren and one by Albini. Zuvela attempted to make it home but he was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Des Charouhas.
Lodigiani got a hit, however, to score Noren.
Tri-City got their scores in second frame on singles by Tommy Marier and Nick Pesut. Hamrick grounded out scoring Marier.
In the third, Ralph-Romero doubled, Charouhas flied out and Vic Buccola walked. John Kovenz knocked out a triple scoring both Romero and Buccola.
In the sixth inning, Hamrick hit, Lopes got a single and Des Charouhas scored them both with a triple.
First Game
Yakima ...... 000 001 0—1 2 0
Tri-City ... 000 000 0—0 4 2
Wright and Donahue; New and Pesut.
Second Game
Yakima ..... 021 103 100—8 11 0
Tri-City .... 013 002 000—6 14 0
Shandor, Del Sarto (6) and Donahue; Romero, Britton (9) and Pesut.

SALEM, July 26—Wenatches exploded for four runs in the fifth inning for a 6-2 Western International League baseball victory over Salem here Saturday night.
Dave Dahle, who went the distance for Wenatchee, limited Salem to seven hits in his 12th win this year. He struck out six and walked one.
A double by Laurie Monroe, singles by Walt Pocekay and Lyle Palmer, three walks, a sacrifice and a fielder's choice, accounted for the Wenatchee surge in the fifth.
They added another in the seventh on two singles and an error and another in the ninth on a single by Pocekay and a triple by Bud Hjelmaa.
Manager Hugh Luby collected three of Salem's hits.
In Sunday night's doubleheader, Bill Stites (7-11) and Chuck Oubre (11-5) will pitch for Wenatchee. For Salem it will be Ray McNulty (12-10) and Vince DeBiasi (0-1).
Wenatchee ... 000 040 101—6 11 3
Salem .......... 000 100 010—2 7-1
Dahle and Pocekay; Hemphill, Edmunds (5), DeGeorge (9) and Thrasher.
LP-Hemphill.

Mataya Released
[Tri-City Herald, July 27, 1952]
The Tri-City Braves announced Saturday night that Frank Mataya, who has been playing left field in recent games, has been released. Manager Dick Richards said with the signing of Ray Hamrick, his staff would have to be reduced by one. Mataya is a rookie.

Abel To Probe Richards-Monroe Fight
Wenatchee Men File Complaint
[Tri-City Herald, July 26, 1952]
Robert Abel, president of the Western International league, said Saturday night he will deal with the Dick Richards-Laurie Monroe fisticuffs "myself."
Abel also revealed he has received a formal complaint asking disciplinary actions. It was signed by Wenatchee left-fielder Laurie Monroe and his manager, Dick Adams.
The investigation involves a fist fight between Monroe and Richards in the offices of the Braves last week. Monroe went to the Braves' offices to ask for some passes. He was refused. Heated words were exchanged and Richards struck Monroe. Monroe retaliated and gave Richards a black eye.
Mr. Abel said last night he has asked Richards for a report on exactly what happened. He further asserted "I won't let these quarrels go outside of the league."
He said he will leave for Salem, where the Wenatchee Chiefs are playing, on Monday to question the player's there. He will be in the Tri-City area near the end of the week.
The telegram sent to Abel from the Wenatchee men read:
"Regarding the incident July 24 in Tri-City involving player Laurie Monroe and Dick Richards.
Monroe asked for four passes. Richards refused, Monroe stated, "What a poor businessman you are." Richards struck Monroe over the left eye inflicting gash which required four stitches.
"There was no cursing until after the scuffle. The game was held up four minutes pending Monroe's return from the hospital.
"Monroe played game although suffering dizzy spells. Wenatchee requests disciplinary action."
Richards said he would welcome Abel's investigation. He asserted the usual procedure in requesting passes was for the manager to call for them. He reiterated that Monroe was profane and abusive.
He further asserted that the pass trouble started when Tri-City played Wenatchee in the last series at their home field. Richards and Mrs. Charles Gassawisy, wife of the playing manager of the Tri-City team was refused a box seat by the Wenatchee manager.
Therefore, Richards said, "I instructed my staff not to give any passes to the Wenatchee squad when they came here.
Meanwhile, Richards has not received any word of legal action taken against him.

Pass Irks Richards Request
WENATCHEE, Washington, July 26 (BUP)—Laureen Monroe, outfielder of the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Western International League, has filed assault charges against Dick Richards, business manager of the Tri-City Braves.
A complaints filed by Monroe at the Benton County Courthouse said Richards hit Monroe after the outfielder requested free tickets before the Wenatchee-Tri-City game here last night at Tri-City. Monroe later played in the game.

Ritchey Still Top Hitter In WIL
John Ritchey, Vancouver, with a .347. average, again is the leading batter in the Western International League, according to statistics compiled by Howe News Bureau.
Cece Garriott, Victoria, spurted to take the lead in runs with 78. Three of his runs during the week came on homers which also gave him the lead in that department with 10.
Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee, again leads in total bases with 105, but he was tied for the lead in hits, at 115 apiece, by Melvin Wasley, Spokane.
Milt Smith, Lewiston, stole six bases during the week, to make his total 28 and to tie him for the lead in that department with Ed Murphy, Spokane.
Other department leaders held their positions. They are: Des Charouhas, Tri-City, 11 triples; Charles Mead, Lewiston, 29 doubles, and Grannie Gladstone, Victoria, 72 runs batted in.
Cal McIrvin, Victoria, the league's leading pitcher, got credit for one victory during the week to make, his record, 134.
TEAM BATTING
 G   AB  R   OR   H  TB   2B 3B HR SH SB  BB  SO PCT
Victoria
90 3075 528 436 867 1175 174 19 32 54 79 479 381 282
Vancouver
84 2890 443 351 792 1031 112 38 17 52 53 409 311 274
Spokane
93 3073 442 418 839 1061 112 31 16 73 84 415 447 273
Lewiston
89 3027 479 505 826 1153 146 29 41 46 65 454 389 273
Yakima
93 3117 489 503 829 1133 148 39 26 63 75 489 474 266
Salem
89 2972 392 375 769  984 124 32  9 44 52 403 432 259
Wenatchee
91 2996 385 522 727  936 115 26 14 53 46 362 440 243
Tri-City
91 3001 421 469 712  935 103 30 20 70 76 514 487 237

TEAM FIELDING
              W  L T DP TP DP   PO    A   E PCT
Salem ...... 42 47 0 102 0 11 2300 1076  96 972
Tri-City ... 39 52 0  67 1 12 2345  940 123 964
Vancouver .. 45 39 0  95 0  8 2212 1003 122 963
Victoria ... 60 30 0  85 0 13 2367  990 135 961
Yakima ..... 43 50 0  96 0 16 2410 1061 154 958
Wenatchee .. 38 53 0  76 0 13 2343  954 162 953
Lewiston ... 42 47 0  69 0  9 2303  984 162 953
Spokane .... 51 42 0  90 0  9 2403 1024 173 952

BATTING
Players With 200 times at bat
                    AB  R   H RBI Pct
Ritchey, Van ..... 271 62  94 50 .347
Wasley, Spo ...... 337 64 115 66 .341
Pocekay, Wen ..... 338 61 115 42 .339
Luby, Sal ........ 300 46  99 35 .330
Hjelmaa, Wen ..... 303 46  98 42 .323
Murphy, Spo ...... 356 64 114 39 .320
Moniz, Vic ....... 345 73 110 42 .319
Pries, Vic ....... 312 59  99 53 .317
Duretto, Van ..... 262 38  83 37 .317
Donahue, Yak ..... 306 44  95 44 .410
Lodigiani, Yak ... 239 36  74 29 .310
Charouhas, TC .... 349 60 107 50 .307
Nelson, Sal ...... 267 38  82 45 .307
Garriott, Vic .... 315 78  96 68 .305
Kanelos, Spo ..... 271 41  82 29 .303
Perez, Sal ....... 333 61 106 53 .300
Smith, Lew ....... 327 77  98 42 .300
Adams, Wen ....... 281 38  84 33 .299
Helmuth, Lew ..... 221 29  66 39 .299
Brunswick, Van ... 252 38  75 55 .298
Vanni, Van ....... 296 52  87 27 .294
Branham, Vic ..... 219 48  64 21 .293
Taormina, Yak .... 262 43  76 56 .290

PITCHING
With five or more decisions
                     W  L  IP  H  BB  SO
Gunnarson, Vic ..... 5  1  54  61 16  26
McIrvin, Vic ...... 13  4 162 126 59  90
Lorino, Vic ....... 17  5 183 183 79 114
Roberts, Spo ....... 7  3  71  69 45  51
Oubre, Wen ........ 11  5 131 115 82  61
Heard, Vic ........ 13  6 155 137 69 125
Nicholas, Lew ...... 9  5 121 120 68  67
Guldborg, Van ..... 10  6 147 123 84  96
Shandor, Yak ....... 8  5 115 128 40  42
Brenner, Lew ...... 11  7 153 162 46  67
Greenwood, TC ...... 7  5 103  76 77  80
Bishop, Spo ....... 11  8 152 150 55  59
Romero, TC ........ 12  9 167 150 95 106
Del Sarto, Yak ..... 8  6 138 152 67  68
Snyder, Van ........ 8  6 117 128 48  51
Hemphill, Sal ...... 8  6 115 105 51  55
Conant, Spo ........ 9  7 145 153 43  71
Fletcher, Van ...... 9  7 140 146 29  56
Dahle, Wen ........ 10  8 126 136 45  64
Palm, Spo .......... 7  6 104 100 89  63
Marshall, Spo ...... 8  7 165 149 85 107
Wright, Yak ........ 8  7 117 139 78  61
McNulty, Sal ...... 11 10 178 192 68  83

Friday, July 25, 1952

W L Pct GB
Victoria .... 64 31 .674 —
Vancouver ... 47 42 .528 14
Spokane ..... 51 47 .520 14½
Salem ....... 46 47 .495 17
Lewiston .... 46 48 .489 17½
Yakima ...... 44 53 .454 20
Tri-City .... 40 55 .421 24
Wenatchee ... 40 55 .421 24

VICTORIA [Colonist, July 26]—Knowing they were about to lose Cal McIrvin to the Portland Beavers, Victoria did the best they could about it there weeks ago by buying the contract of Carl Gunnarson from the Vancouver Capilanos, hoping that the veteran southpaw would at least partially compensate for the loss of McIrvin.
McIrvin left the club with a 13-4 record and wound up his W.I.L. hitch with two consecutive shutouts over the Caps but the Tyees kept on rolling. Last night at Royal Athletic Park they marked up their 11th win in 13 games without McIrvin by defeating the Spokane Indians for the third straight time, 5-3.
PERFECT CONTROL
It was Gunnarson who stopped the Tribe this time. The veteran, pitching cleverly and with perfect control, survived one bad inning to record his fourth win in five decisions since joining the Tyees and gave himself a 6-2 performance record for the season.
His victory was the 16th in the last 19 games for the W.I.L. leaders and his nine-inning chore was the 57th route-going performance by the Victoria staff in 95 games.
It also extended the Tyees’ lead to a discouraging—to other clubs—14 games as Lewiston Broncs picked on the Caps for the third straight time, 7-3. The loss dropped Spokane far enough back that their first-division status is being seriously threatened. Salem is only 2½ games behind in fourth spot and Lewiston is pressing, half a game behind Salem.
ONE INNING ENOUGH
The Tyees had trouble with knuckle-balling Dick Bishop last night. Easy to hit but hard to score on, Bishop scattered eight hits in the first six innings so judiciously that only Granny Gladstone’s 10th home run hurt. He was leading, 2-1, going into the eighth, but he never survived that disastrous frame as the Tyees drove him to cover and treated Bob Roberts, Spokane relief ace, roughly for the second time in the series.
A leadoff single by Bob Moniz, Cec Garriott’s double and a walk to Don Pries loaded the bags with no one out and brought on Bishop, who walked Gladstone to force in the tying run. John Treece, who hit the ball hard last night but in tough luck, scored a second runner with a long fly ball. Jim Clark followed by playing what proved to be the winning run with a solid two-base wallop to left-centre.
GREAT DEFENSE
The game was probably won in the fourth, when the Indians could do no better than two runs on two long doubles and three well-tagged singles. An accurate throw by Garriott and Milt Martin’s blocking a home plate cut down the speedy Ed Murphy trying to score from second on a single to help Gunnarson out of his only trouble. A second-inning double and two ninth-inning singles were the only other Spokane hits as Gunnarson regained mastery and faced only 17 hitters in the last five frames.
Spokane ….. 000 200 001—3 8 0
Victoria …... 000 010 04x—5 11 2
Bishop, Roberts (8) and Sheets; Gunnarson and Martin.

VANCOUVER, [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 26]—A rather old baseball bugaboo called ‘depth’ has jumped up and bitten the Capilanos.
It cost them their third straight loss to Lewiston Friday night as they fell before Bill Brenner’s knuckleball and an awful lot of Bronco basehits, 7-3.
The alarming thing about it all is not the three consecutive losses. Rather, it’s the Capilano pitching, which in the past two days has taken a turn for the worse.
SHORT ON MOUND
The fact of the matter is, Edo Vanni has used up so much of his pitching talent that he has left himself thin in the game’s most important department—the mound.
Including last night’s game, Vanni has used eight pitchers in the last three ball games.
Lewiston certainly found Vancouver pitching to their liking last night as they pounded 16 hits to all corners of the field.
HAD ROUGH START
Brenner got off to a rough start, giving up two runs in the first inning and another in the second. From there on, however, he put his knuckler where he wanted and the Caps could do little about it. Meanwhile, neither Bud Guldborg, Bob Snyder nor Billy Whyte could keep any semblance of peace in the ball park while Lewiston was at bat.
Tonight the Caps face the Broncs twice more in a double header starting at 7 o’clock. Ed Locke goes in game one for Vancouver and either Van Fletcher or Tom Lovrich in the other.
DIAMOND DUST—A distinguished visitor walked into the park last night, Bob Howsam, the general manager of the Western League Denver Bears … Bob and his promotions are responsible for making Denver a near record-breaker in minor league attendance this year … They’ve attracted 315,000 people in 43 games so far … They’re the ones, incidentally, who brought the “strike zone” uniforms into vogue … They are uniforms with a batter’s strike zone clearly marked on the chest and knees … Bob Brown announced that the rush seat sale for Monday’s extra special attraction aganst Seattle would open at 6:30 … He’s sold out of reserved seats, but there are 5000 rush seats still awaiting first comers Monday.
Lewiston …... 001 131 100—7 16 2
Vancouver … 210 000 000—3 9 2
Brenner and Lundberg; Guldborg, Snyder (5), Whyte (8) and Ritchey.

SALEM, July 25 — Bob Collins held Wenatchee to three hits as Salem won a Western International League baseball game 2-0 here Friday night.
Manager Dick Adams collected two of the Wenatcbee hits—one in the second inning and the other in the ninth. Walt Pocekay got a single in the fourth.
A double by Bill White and a single by Dick Bartle in the second inning accounted for Salem's first run. In the eighth Gene Tanselli singled and was scored on a single by Bill Spaeter after he was advanced on a sacrifice.
Wenatchee ... 000 000 000—0 3 1
Salem .......... 010 000 01x—2 8 1
Dasso and Pocekay; Collins and Nelson.

KENNEWICK, July 25 — Sparked by John Albini's two successive home runs, Yakima's Bears hammered out a 7-1 win over the Tri-City Braves Friday night in the opener of a four-game Western Interantional League series.
Albini, Yakima center fielder, drove in four runs, getting his first homer in the first inning with two mates aboard and his second round-tripper in the third with the sacks empty.
Tri-City got its only run off Pitcher Bob Savage in the second frame when Joe Scalise doubled, moved up on an infield error and scored when Don Lopes hit into a double play.
Savage went all the way for the Bears.
Yakima ….. 411 000 100—7 12 1
Tri-City …. 010 000 000—1 9 1
Savage and Donahue; Brittain, Satalich (1) and Pesut.

Thursday, July 24, 1952

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 63 31 .670 —
Vancouver ... 47 41 .534 13
Spokane ..... 51 46 .526 13½
Salem ....... 45 47 .489 17
Lewiston .... 45 48 .484 17½
Yakima ...... 43 53 .448 20
Tri-City .... 40 54 .426 23
Wenatchee ... 40 54 .426 23

VICTORIA [Colonist, July 25]—Victoria Tyees splashed a long way up the pennant stream last night. Booming along in their best style, the W.I.L. leaders swept a twin bill from the reeling Spokane Indians at Royal Athletic Park, 5-4 and 3-1, while Lewiston Broncs co-operated by bringing Vancouver Capilanos’ six-game winning streak to a rude halt. The Broncs won a pair, 6-1 and 5-3 at Vancouver.
Results of the two double-headers boosted the Tyees 13 games in front of the Caps, who are half a game ahead of Spokane. The Indians are now 15 games out on the losing side and rapidly losing consideration as a contender.
ENJOYABLE NIGHT
About 2,200 paying customers, most of whom stayed right through the last putout, put in an enjoyable four hors and 48 minutes. They saw John Marshall fail for the third successive time to stop the Tyees, Granny Gladstone win the first game with a two-out ninth-inning single which gave Bill Prior his third successive win, and the Bottler brothers, Bill and Ron, form a promising battery in the finale. And they enjoyed to the fullest to discomfiture of the Indians, who went down to their eighth and ninth defeats at the hands of the Tyees in the 12 games played between the two clubs.
The series continues tonight with a single game and winds up tomorrow with afternoon and evening games. Carl Gunnarson will be looking for his fourth win as a Tyee and his club’s 16th triumph in its last 19 games tonight. He will probably be opposing by knuckleballing Dick Bishop.
The only Victorian who had any reason to be unhappy was Ben Lorino. The hard-working southpaw sought his 18th win in the first game and lost it only because of an extremely dubious call at first base in the ninth, when Milt Martin apparently picked off Ed Bouchee, who had singled to lead off the inning.
Bouchee went to second as Jim Clark came up with a great throw to nip Wilbur Johnson at first base. Pinch-hitter Pat Simmons then singled in the winning run and when Ed Murphy followed with a single, manager Cec Garriott called on Prior.
Prior make less than six pitches as he disposed of Sam Kanelos on a fly and Bob Huffman on a tough chance which Clark converted into the third out with a fine throw. The victory went to Prior when Gladstone singled through the middle of the infield with the bags loaded to plate Lu Branham, who started the rally with a single, with the winning run.
Two talented young righthanders hooked up in a battle for the second decision and Victoria’s Bill Bottler, ably handled by 18-year-old brother Ron, walked—literally, that is—off with his third successive verdict.
Bottler and Chase each allowed but three hits but Bottler, who had walked 11 in each of his two previous starts, passed only four last night. Meanwhile, Chase walked 11 Tyees, hit Don Pries twice and uncorked a wild pitch before going out in the sixth with the bags loaded for the third time.
WELL-PLACED HITS
The Tyees won it in the third when they scored four runs on two well-placed two-run singles by Garriott and Gladstone and four bases on balls. Bottler set the Indians down in order in four innings and ran into trouble only in the fourth and fifth, when he walked two men in each frame. He lost his shutout when Bill Sheets doubled after two bases on balls and scored on an error by John Treece.
Gladstone emerged as the batting star of the evening by driving in three runs in each game to run his league-leading total to 80. He had a double and three singles in five trys [sic] in the first game, a two-run single and a bases-loaded walk in the second.
DIAMOND DUST: Bill Bottler struck out a man in each of the seven innings he pitched … Interested spectators at the game were Mr. And Mrs. Russell Garriott, parents of the Victoria manager, Lucielle Phillips, a sister, her husband, and nephew Jean, aged 11. They motored from Oreana, Illinois, and will stay in Victoria until the Tyees hit the road again Monday … Spokane catcher Bill Sheets was tossed out of the first game for some choice remarks following a fourth ball to Garriott … Vancouver Capilanos are reported seeking the services of Lilio Marcucci with first baseman Jim Wert injured … Garriott, who sent in $10 to the amateur baseball drive, contributed another $10 after he became the winner of one of the two bicycles given away … Frank Chase only needs control and a better let-up pitch to become a star and Bill Bottler can definitely be ranked as a prospect … Bill Prior, as usual thinking little of his own record, practically begged the official scorer to credit his victory to Lorino, was a bit disconsolate when he was told it couldn’t be done.
First Game
Spokane …. 100 200 001—4 10 0
Victoria ….. 004 000 001—5 13 3
Marshall, Robertson (9) and Sheets, Hinz (3); Lorino, Prior (9) and Martin.
Second Game
Spokane …. 000 300 0—3 3 0
Victoria ….. 040 001 x—5 3 1
Chase, Spring (6) and Sheets; W. Boettler and R. Boettler.

VANCOUVER, [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 25]—Charlie Mead came back to haunt the Capilanos Thursday night with a bat which exploded Lewiston into a twin sweep over the Capilanos, 5-1 and 5-3.
It broke a six-game Vancouver winning streak and seriously injured Edo Vanni’s hopes of cutting another few notches off Victoria’s already whopping lead.
Take Mead away from the Broncs last night, and the Caps would have been in both games right up to their necks. However, Charlie has been an important factor in the success of Bill Brenner’s boys all year and last night was no exception.
Charlie exploded a bases-loaded double in the first inning of the first game and the two resultant runs were all that was necessary in the 5-1 win. Tom Lovrich was the loser, but before the game had ended Vanni had everybody but the bat-boy in there trying to get something boiling.
In the second game Bob Snyder and Joe Nicholas were all locked up in a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning when Mead popped a 350-foot homer over the right field wall and it was good for three runs and the ball game.
Vancouver tried to get back into the right with a strong ninth inning upheaval, but Nicholas put out the threat before it really got rolling. Vanni got himself kicked out by umpire Einor Sorenson for beefing on a called strike, the first time Edo has gone thw ay of all managers since he took over leadership of the club.
GO AGAIN TONIGHT
Tonight the same clubs go at it again, with the Caps trying to get another win streak started. If they do, it will be at the expense of Lewiston’s most successful pitcher, none other than Bill Brenner, a refugee from the “tools of ignorance.”
Bill, of course, has always been a catcher in this game of baseball, but because he had little depth on the mound in Lewiston this year, he turned to the mound. It has been a successful change-over for him, as his 13 wins will testify.
Tonight he goes ahead No. 14 in what will be his first effort on a Vancouver field against his old buddies. Bill will be opposed by John Guldborg.
DIAMOND DUST—Jim Wert sat out both ends of the double-header with his injured throwing hand well-bandaged … he will be out of the lineup for a few days … Vanni was very critical of the umpiring after the double loss, and said it cost him at least two runs … Bob Williams hit a first-game homer for the Broncs … The losses were Lovrich’s first and Snyder’s seventh.
[Mead hit five for eight in the two games, batted in five runs, three of them with a homer, and made 11 putouts in centre field].
First Game
Lewiston …….. 203 000 1—6 8 0
Vancouver …. 000 100 0—1 7 0
Bowman, Powell (4) and Lundberg; Lovrich, Whyte (3), Fletcher (5), Jones (7) and Ritchey.
Second Game
Lewiston ….. 000 110 030—5 10 0
Vancouver … 001 001 001—3 6 0
Nicholas and Helmuth, Lundberg (5); Snyder and Ritchey.

SALEM, July 24 — Salem made it a clean sweep of a three-game series here when it defeated Yakima 8-7 in Thursday night's Western International League baseball game here.
Each team used four pitchers. The loss was charged to Bud Savage who went in in the seventh for Yakima. Bud Francis, Salem's new rookie, pitched his fourth win against no losses.
Yakima's first inning runs came on a homer with one aboard by Jerry Zuvela. Two more came in the second on two walks and hits by Mike Donahue, Jack Thompson and Chuck Malmberg.
Four hits in the sixth accounted for Yakima's three sixth inning runs, Zuvela driving in two.
Yakima ...... 220 003 000—7 13 1
Salem ....... 200 023 01x—8 11 2
Wright, Thompson (1), Donley (6), Savage (7) and Donahue; DeBiasi, DeGeorge (2), Edmunds (6), Francis (7) and Nelson.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, July 24] John Kovenz got a bases-loaded homer Thursday night but it wasn't Hjelmaa enough to give Tri-City a victory.
The Braves dropped the Western International League game to Wenatchee by a score of 12-7. Every Tri-City pitcher got into the game except the manager, Charlie Gassaway.
The win gave the Chiefs two out of three games in the series. The Braves will open a four game series tonight with Yakima.
Kovenz got his homer in the sixth inning off Bill Stites who reiieved pitcher Charles Oubre. The four-master scored Frank Mataya, Vic Buccola and Tommy Marier, who got his on hits and; walks.
At the time the 370-foot smash evened up the game 7-7.
Wenatchee came back in the top of the eighth to score five runs. Bill Kostenbader got one away and then walked two men. A hit by Lyle Palmer scored Ben Guerrero and sent Stites to second.
Kostenbader was relieved by George New. Then Ernie Valasquez knocked out a triple to score Guerrero and Stiles. Walt Pocekay's single scored Valasquez.
It should have ended there but an error on Don Lopes, Tri-City shortstop, permitted Pocekay to score. The next batter grounded out and the last one flied out to end the inning.
Tri-City got their first inning scores when Buccola walked. Kovenz knocked out a triple to bring him in and Des Charouhas got a double to score Kovenz.
Their other tally in the sixth inning came before Kovenz's homer. Joe Scalise tripled and came home on Mataya's single.
The Wenatchee team got three of their runs in the first inning on singles by Ernie Valasquez, Pocekay, Dick Adams, and Bud Hjelmaa.
They scored again in the second when Oubre and Palmer walked and Valasquez and Adams got singles. Their sixth inning tallies came on walks, an error on Marier, an error on Mataya and a hit by Valasquez.
Kovenz got three hits for four times at bat Valasquez got four for five.
The lost was charged to Kostenbader Stites who also hurled relief the night before, was the winning pitcher.
Wenatchee ….. 320 002 050—12 11 1
Tri-City …....... 300 005 000—7 8 4
Oubre, Stites (4) and Pocekay; Romero, Satalich (6), Kostanbader (7), Greenwood (8), New (9) and Pesut.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore [Tri-City Herald, July 25, 1952]

I am wondering what kind of a record, if any, John Kovenz set the other night when he stole four bases in one game. I have searched the files and can find lifetime totals and season totals for individuals and season totals for teams. So far, no individual totals for one game. Anyhow, I don't expect to see four bases stolen by one player in one game again for a long time.
John, by the way, had a golden opportunity to make it five stolen bases. Tommy Marier was on third and John was on first in the eighth inning. Manager Charlie Gassaway held John on first, however, because Des Charouhas, who was at bat, normally hits out through the second base area.
John caught it from the Umpire Ziruolo the other night while John was waiting his turn at bat in the on-deck circle. John apparently said something that the ump didn't like.
I normally don't question an ump's decision but I do dislike their recent tendency to be too thin-skinned. Some of the boys are getting so free and easy about ousting players that soon the old-fashioned rhubarb will be gone.
LIAR
The presidents of the leagues should tell the boys in black to ease off. Ousting a player should be pretty well limited to pushing the ump or saying or implying that the ump is paid off.
I read recently where in a southern league, an umpire ousted a player for "lying."
The deal came about like this:
The pitcher threw a ball that was a called strike. The batter's manager came out to the batting box and asked the batter, "Was that a strike Charlie?"
Charlie said no and the ump shouted, You're a liar" and ordered Charlie out of the game.
I have never heard a responsible fan assert that an ump was dishonest and the records of umpires in organized ball bear out the fans' faith in them. Most comments from fans and players deal with certain physical impairities supposedly common among umpires.
Let's have more umps play the role of villians in the melodrama—that's part of the game.
FAN
While on this, subject of umpires, I note the following sign scrawled on the door of the umpires dressing room at Sanders: "Please leave your Seeing Eye dog outside."
Vic Buccolla's [sic] No. 1 fan was at the game Wednesday night. I don't know who the boy is but although the play may be anything from a fly ball to left field to a homer over right field, the lad rears up and shouts, "Throw it to Bucoll-ee."
One night during the last series, the boy was calling them right. He kept up his shouts through one inning and in the inning Buccolla made all three of the putouts.
Does Deputy Sheriff Mel Garrett ever get to see a complete game at Sanders Field? Seems like every night that after about the second inning, the public address system blares out: "Deputy Sheriff Garrett, call the Kennewick police chief."

Wednesday, July 23, 1952

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 61 31 .663 —
Vancouver ... 47 39 .547 11
Spokane ..... 51 44 .537 11½
Salem ....... 44 47 .484 16½
Lewiston .... 43 48 .473 17½
Yakima ...... 43 52 .433 19½
Tri-City .... 40 53 .439 21½
Wenatchee ... 39 54 .419 22½

VICTORIA [Colonist, July 24]—Victoria’s baseball Moses recieved dozens of gifts during the pre-game ceremonies at ”Cec Garriott Night” last night, but the most welcome one of all came two hours and 18 minutes later. It was a 6-4 triumph over the Lewiston Broncs which gave the Tyees a 1-1 series split and increased their W.I.L. lead to 11 games, largest margin of the season.
Murky skies and a little rain almost up to game time sliced at least 2,000 off the attendance indicated by pre-game ticket sales but the turnout of 1,700 was a fine tribute in view of the weather conditions. Garriott received a real ovation and the businesslike manager, although held hitless, escaped the traditional jinx which haunts honored players by contributing a sparkling catch and making a clean steal of home.
HEARD KEY FIGURE
Jehosie Heard was the key figure for the winners. The popular colored southpaw had one bad inning after pitching scorless baseball for the first five, then tightened up to protect his early lead. It was his 14th win in 20 decisions and his 12th complete game in 18 starts. It was also the 55th complete game turned in by the Victoria pitching staff and the Tyees 13th win in their last 16 games.
Heard, who added to his imposing strikeout total with nine whiffs, was helped by Garriott’s fine running catch which saved at least one run in the first inning, a good play by Don Pries on a hard smash and a brilliant play by Jim Clark, the shortstop wizard. Clark raced behind the pitcher’s mound in the seventh inning to pick up Snag Moore’s roller with his bare hand and got his man at first with a snap throw.
MADE OWN TROUBLE
Bob Schulte, Lewiston’s starter, looked as if he might be tough until he made his own trouble in the third by walking Milt Martin and hitting Lu Branham. Steady Bob Moniz plated both with a right-field triple. Garriott walked and went all the way to third as Moore bottled Granny Gladstone’s run-scoring single. Garriott then stole home with the fourth run so neatly that the napping Schulte didn’t even made the throw to the plate.
Martin provided what proved to be the winning run with his fourth home run in the fourth inning. Heard scored an insurance run after leading off the sixth with a single, coming across on Pries’ single after two sacrifice bunts, one of which was booted, put him on third.
DIAMOND DUST: Garriott made a find little speech of thanks after receiving his gifts: “I can’t say when I’ve been happier. I’ve been playing baseball for 17 years and nothing like this ever happened to me before,” he said, drawing a laugh as he continued with, “I understand that you people haven’t had much like with your teams before. I didn’t promise anything when I came and I don’t promise anything now but I think we’ll finish in the first division.” … Tyee pitchers couldn’t keep Artie Wilson, Bronc outfielder, off the bases in the two-game series. Wilson had three singles and two walks in Monday’s game, made it six hits in a row by singling twice before hitting his three-run homer in the sixth. His streak was finally stopped in the eighth inning but he got on base for the ninth straight time when John Treece was charged with an error on his bounder … Charlie Mead, veteran outfielder, was tossed out of the game in the fourth inning for being uncomplimentary after umpire Einar Sorenson called him out on strikes … The rain during the past two days was not the million dollar rain as described, only a $998,000 rain. It cost the Tyees about $2,000 … The Broncs can be dangerous on occasion when their hitters are functioning but they haven’t the consistent pitching or the defensive ability to threaten and will probably wind up sixth or lower … Chuck Abernathy, again bothered with his leg troubles, is back on the disabled list along with Bill Wisneski, reported victim of a sore back. That leaves the Tyees with their 17-play limit … with about 29 games left to play, the Tyees have already reached last season’s attendance figures.
Lewiston .... 000 004 000—4 7 3
Victoria ...... 004 101 00x—6 7 1
Schulte, Clancy (4) and Lundberg; Heard and Martin.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 24]—This is the age of miracles, but a lot of people will tell you there was nothing miraculous about the Capilanos’ double 3-1 victories over Spokane Wednesday at Cap Stadium.
For one, there’s Bob Brown, who always felt the Caps had the ‘stuff’ to win, and who is pretty proud of the job Edo Vanni is doing trying to make the boss a good forecaster,
Two solid pitching performances, one apiece by Van Fletcher and Paul Jones, meant an important “double” over the rambunctious Spokanes and meant, also, a leap into second place in the WIL standings. The wins were Nos. 5 and 6 in a row for Vancouver.
Fletcher, after three weeks of being denied, finally reached his 10th win of the year with a six-hitter in the first game. Jones picked up his fourth of the year with a four-hitter, and if you’ve ever got the idea by now that the pitching was masterful, indeed it was.
There is, of course, no difference in the personnel of the Caps now than there was two weeks ago. Their latent success has merely been a story of “intangibles.”
Hustle has been one of the biggest things, and confidence in themselves to do the job they were sent out to do another. They had neither of these things during the Schuster regime.
The Caps got only eight basehits for themselves in that first game, but they got them when they counted the most. That, also, is something new.
Fletcher gave Spokane a 1-0 lead in the second, then Vancouver tied it in their half of the same inning on a base on balls and following singles by Ray Tran and Fletcher.
The winners came in the third and there was strategy involved which made it not merely a matter of the physical. John Ritchey singled with one out to start it. On the first pitch, Vanni flashed the hit-and-run and John took off for second. Brunswick laid the wood down on the pitch and his 400-foot drive to the left centre field fence went for two bases and a run batted in. It was the winning run, as it turned out.
Jones never looked back in his second game conquest.
His attack staked him to two runs in the third inning on a pair of bases on balls, Brunswick’s infield out and Jim Moore’s clutch single. From there Paul pitched himself a near perfect game. He didn’t walk a man, faced only 28 batters and left but one Spokane runner stranded.
First Game
Spokane …… 010 000 0—1 6 0
Vancouver … 011 100 x—3 8 1
Conant and Sheets; Fletcher and Ritchey.
Second Game
Spokane …… 000 010 000—1 4 0
Vancouver … 002 010 00x—3 7 0
Palm and Sheets; Jones and Ritchey.

SALEM, July 24 — Held to three hits by Ray McNulty, Yakima was shut out 3-0 by Salem in a Western International League baseball game here Wednesday night.
The victory gave Salem a 2-0 margin in the three-game series here.
The three hits off McNulty were two singles by Jerry Zuvela, and another single by Mike Donahue.
Connie Perez slapped put a two-run homer for Salem in the first inning.
The game was Luby's 50th at second base without committing an error.
Yakima ...... 000 000 000—0 3 0
Salem ....... 200 001 00x—3 6 0
DelSarto and Donahue; McNulty and Nelson.

KENNEWICK [Herald, July 24]—The Tri-City ended an eight-game losing streak by defeating the Wenatchee Chiefs 7-2 Wednesday night in the Western International League battle-of-the cellar.
The win moved the Braves' one game out of last place. The game at Sanders Field saw:
Center fielder John Kovenz steal four bases.
Third baseman Tommy Marier hit one home run and miss getting another in the seventh inning by a few short feet.
Pitcher Bob Greenwood knock out a double drive in two runs to clinch his own all game.
Coming to bat in the first Tri-City found themselves one run behind Vic Buccola took a swing at the first pitch thrown by Frank Dasso and flied out. Marier then stepped up and swung at Dasso's second pitch. He belted the ball 350 feet over the left-center field wall.
John Kovenz was walked and he stole second. Des Charouhas also drew a walk and Kovenz advanced to third on Nick Pesut's long fly to center field.
Then Charouhas took off for second. Wenatchee catcher Walt Pocekay pegged the ball to the second baseman who immediately threw back to home. But Kovenz, who had dashed for home, slid in safely.
Tri-City got another run in the sixth frame. Charouhas singled. Pesut hit a ground ball to the pitcher who bobbled it and Charouhas and Pesut were safe Joe Scalise laid down a bunt that sent the runners to second and third.
Frank Mataya got a single that scored Charouhas. Pesut also attempted to score on the hit but Nick was thrown out at the plate.
The fourth inning was the big one for the Braves. It started with Pesut getting a single. Another error on the pitcher, this time Bill Stites, moved Pesut to second and Scalise pulled up on first. Mataya popped out and Lopes flied out to make it two away.
Then pitcher Greenwood stepped up. With two strikes on him, he caught hold of the the ball and smacked it out to the left-center field wall. Both Pesut and Scalise scored.
An error on Wenatchee shortstop Ernie Valasquez on the throw in moved Greenwood to third. Buccola belted out a triple to score Greenwood. A single by Kovenz brought Buccola home.
The Chiefs got their first inning run when Valasquez hit a ground ball to third and Marier dropped it. Valasquez attempted to steal second. Pesut's throw was wild and Valasquez moved to third. A hit by Lyle Palmer drove him home.
In the fifth inning Palmer and Pocekay drew walks. A single by Dick Adams scored Palmer.
Greenwood gave up seven hits, walked seven and struck out nine. Dasso who was yanked at the end of the third inning, struck out two and walked five. Stites, who was charged with the loss, gave up seven hits, struck out two and walked three.
The Braves will meet the Chiefs again tonight in the third game of the five-game series. Ralph Romero is probable starting pitcher for Tri-City.
Wenatchee .... 100 010 000—2 7 3
Tri-City ......... 200 001 04x—7 9 2
Dasso, Stites (4) and Pocekay; Greenwood and Pesut.

Infielder Hamrick To Join Tri-City Braves' Staff
[Tri-City Herald, July 25, 1952]
A longtime friend of Manager Charlie Gassaway is flying here to beef up the Tri-City Braves' infield.
The new player is Ray Hamrick who has been with Oakland and San Francisco in the Pacific Coast League. He is a veteran infielder with 12 years playing. Injuries have cut the Tri-City infield recently. Bob Rittenberg is out of the lineup with a shoulder injury and Tommy Marier, who has taken Rittenberg's place at third, is also suffering with a bad shoulder.
Gassaway feels that Hamrick will be the top infielder in the WIL. The new player hit oveer .300 when playing in the Southern League.
He is from Nashville, Tenn.—Gassaway's home town. Gassaway took Hamrick to his first spring training at Nashville 12 years ago.

Tuesday, July 22, 1952

W L Pct GB
Victoria ... 60 31 .659 —
Spokane .... 51 42 .548 10
Vancouver .. 45 39 .535 11½
Lewiston ... 43 47 .478 16½
Salem ...... 43 47 .478 16½
Yakima ..... 43 51 .457 18½
Tri-City ... 39 53 .424 21½
Wenatchee .. 39 53 .424 21½

SALEM, July 22—Salem, led by Bob Nelson who collected three hits, handed Yakima an 8-6 defeat in Tuesday night's Western International League game here.
Yakima opened the scoring in the first inning. Earl Richmond doubled and Chuck Malmberg singled for one run.
Five more runs in the fifth put Yakima ahead 6-2 but Salem snapped back with six runs in the six inning to win. Yakima's five runs came on an error and hits by Richmond, Len Noren, Ken Richardson and Mike Donahue.
Ted Shandor, Yakima starter, was knocked out of the game in the sixth inning after five hits and three errors.
Yakima …. 100 040 000—6 13 3
Salem …… 020 006 00x—8 11 2
Shandor, Savage (6), Garrett, (7) and Donahue; Hemphill, Edmunds (5) and Nelson.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, July 22]—Des Charouhas and Nick Pesut each got a hit Tuesday night but they were the only Trl-City batters who did against the tight pitching of Wenatchee's Dave Dahle.
The tall hurler struck out 11 Braves batters and gave up only four walks in the Western International League battle over who gets to stay out of the cellar.
The Chiefs and the Braves will clash again tonight at 8 p.m. If the Chiefs win they will push the Braves into the bottom spot.
In the game Tuesday night, Dahle held the Braves hitless going into the fourth. Then he walked Vic Buccola, the Tri-City first baseman and Charouhas, the second baseman.
Catcher Pesut ripped out a searing single just over second base to bring Buccola in.
Tri-City didn't come close to scoring again until the last of the ninth. Then, with one away, third baseman Tommy Marier walked. John Kovenz filed out, Charouhas hit a high ball to right center field, but the Wenatchee outfielders who play Charouhas deep, were unable to get under it and Charouhas went to second. Marier holed up at third. Pesut's high fly ended the game.
While Tri-City batters swung hard and got little for their efforts, the Wenatchee Chiefs accumulated their three runs in the third, fifth and eighth innings.
In the third, Ernie Valesquez walked and stole second, Bud Hjelmaa, the second baseman, drove him in with a single.
The Chiefs started off the fifth inning with a hit by Ross McCormack. A single by Lyle [sic] sent Palmer to third.
Then Walt Pocekay, the catcher, hit a long foul-fly bill into the corner of right field. Joe Scalise, the right fielder, scooted over and caught it. McCormack scored after the catch.
The Chiefs' last tally came when Palmer got his second hit of the evening in the top of the eight. He went to second on a pass ball. Pocekay popped out to Pesut.
Hjelmaa hit a ground ball to Charouhas who fumbled it for a second and then threw to first where Buccola dropped it for an error.
Hjelmaa stole second but catcher Nick Pesut picked Palmer off third base on the play.
The next batter, Dick Adams was intentionally walked to put men on first and second. Left fielder Laurie Monroe knocked out a single to bring in Hjelmaa.
Tri-City's George New was charged with the loss. The hurler struck out eight batters, gave up seven hits and four walks.
SPORTS NOTES—Manager Charlie Gassaway isn't too happy about the Braves' recent road tour so he has taken them off the 40-hour week. Batting practice is the order of the
day from now on until things pickup... The boys were at it yesterday. They don't wear their uniforms for these practice sessions. Shorts are the costume and what a knobby-kneed bunch of characters they are... Bob Rittenberg is recovering from an injured shoulder he received on the road trip. He may be out of the lineup for a few more days... How long does it take a man to get back in action after having his nose broken. For rugged Nick Pesut, two days' rest are enough.
- - -
KENNEWICK, July 23 (AP) — Dave Dahle allowed only two hits while striking out 10 Tri-City players Tuesday night as Wenatchee won a Western International League baseball
game, 3-1.
Dahle was robbed of a shutout when he walked two men out of four who got passes from him during the entire game — in the fourth inning. Nick Pesut, Tri-City catcher singled to bring in the lone run for his team.
Wenatchee started the scoring in the third inning. Ernie Valasquez walked and came home on single by Bud Hjelmaa. In the fifth, Ross McCormack singled and moved to third on Lyle Palmer's single. Walt Pocekay then hit a foul fly to right field and McCormack came home after the catch.
The Chiefs got their final tally in the eighth on a single, an error a walk and a single in that order.
Wenatchee ….. 001 010 010—3 7 0
Tri-City ……..... 000 100 000—1 2 3
Dahle and Pocekay; New and Pesut.

Spokane at Vancouver, postponed, rain.
Lewiston at Victoria, postpoined, rain.

But Listen!
ALF COTTRELL
[Vancouver Province, July 23, 1952]

There were still puddles on the Capilano Stadium infield, but the drizzle had stopped. A mid-afternoon sun peeped tardily through the clouds.
In the office they were telling those who phoned that the evening game hadn’t as yet been called off. In there, too, a pair of baseball men leaned over the outer counter.
St. Louis Cardinal scout Tony Governor, heavyweight of the pair, thoughtfully studied the scorecard of the previous night’s game. Alongside, just as thoughtfully studying the end of his cigar, was the Capilanos’ manager-elect, Edo Vanni.
The Cardinal scout put his scorecard on the counter, then placed his pencil against a name.
“Let’s run ‘em down, Edo. Which ones can run and throw? Which ones you figure can make triple-A ball?” said Governor. He is apparently a fellow who likes to know about people, whether they are up for grabs or not.
Scads of ‘Em
Reaching into his weather-stained windbreaker for a match, Vanni said he had a flock of guys who would make Triple-A.
“Like who?” asked the scout.
“Well cross off me. I’m just a guy that likes to play ball. But I don’t know who else you’re going to cross off.”
“How about Brunswick?”
“I figured you would ask. He ain’t a Triple-A prospect. Forget him if you’re looking for Triple-A prospects. He’s a major league prospect.
“Fletcher now, I don’t know how far he will go,” Vanni went on. “But I do know he will go as far as Triple-A, and Duretto can play Triple-A ball.”
“How about Wert?”
“He can play it. Big Jim ain’t never had the breaks he rated. Williams can play up there. Locke? Any time he starts putting his mind to it he is going straight to the big leagues.
Ghastly Boot
The scout asked about Johnny Ritchey. General manager Bob Brown, coming out of the inner office at that moment, said a lot of Triple-A clubs made a ghastly mistake last fall in not drafting the Capilano catcher.
“That right? Who you got can throw, Edo?” asked the scout.
“Well, Duretto can throw real good. Ritchey, Williams, Wert, the Trans . . . they can all throw. But Brunswick, he can go back, put one hand on the scoreboard and cut the plate in two,” said Vanni, his face and cigar glowing in unison.
“This Brunswick can run like a hound dog with a can tied to his tail,” he went on. “He is $100,000 in anybody’s bank. Just a big kid, see. Ain’t been around long. But he likes to play ball.
“That’s all I ask,” Vanni said. “A kid that likes to play ball. I don’t want guys that just think they can play ball. All I ask is good competitors.”
Edo’s Credo
Somewhere along the line, he said, kids get discouraged. The fans are “on” them. The manager is “on” them. The kid decides he can’t play ball . . . never could play ball.
“That’s when you got to step in and tell a kid he is just a helluva ballplayer. Pump the old juice into him. Sell him the buildup them or he is beat.”
”That’s how it is. I played this game,” said the scout.
“I know it,” said Vanni. “I was raised the wrong side of the tracks. Nobody ever helped me.” For a moment his eyes went around the room, as if someone might be wanted to challenge this.
“But I liked baseball. When I quit liking it I’ll quit playing.”
“And I like the bunch of kids I got. We’ll play the game as if we like to play it. We’ll hustle. And if we lose we’ll come back the next night hustling again. And if we lose that one too, well be right back the next night, hustling some more.”

Monday, July 21, 1952

W L Pct GB
Victoria ... 60 31 .659 —
Spokane .... 51 42 .548 10
Vancouver .. 45 39 .535 11½
Lewiston ... 43 47 .478 16½
Salem ...... 42 47 .471 17
Yakima ..... 43 50 .460 18
Tri-City ... 39 52 .428 21
Wenatchee .. 38 53 .417 22

VICTORIA, July 21 — The Lewiston Broncs made it five in a row Monday night as they handed the Victoria Tyees a 9-5 trimming in the first game of a three game series.
Manager Bill Brenner went the route to record his 12th win in 19 decislons in a game in which errors figured prominently in the scoring.
The Broncs broke through for four runs in the third inning when Brenner led off with the first of his two doubles, Milt Smith walked and Jim Robinson. Snag Moore and Artie Wilson followed with singles.
The Tyees scored three unearned runs in their half of the same in mng when Bob Moniz hit a three-run homer after an error by Smith prolonged the inning. An error by Robinson enabled the Tyees to tie it up in the fourth.
There was no further scoring until the eighth when an error by John Treece started a four-run Lewiston uprising. Pitcher Carl Gunnarson threw Bob Williams' sacrifice bunt into right field to put runners on third and second and both scored when Granny Gladstone booted Charlie Mead's single around singles by Wilson and Don Lundborg around a sacrifice and Brenner's second double completed the four-run inning Moore homered in the ninth for Lewiston's last run.
The loss went to Gunnarson. It was his second of the season and his first in a Victoria uniform after three straight victories.
Lewiston …. 004 000 041—9 12 2
Victoria ….. 003 100 010—5 6 3
Brenner and Lundberg; Gunnarson, Gard (8) and Martin.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 22]—Under the “Vanni Regime” strange things are happening for the Capilanos. Monday, for instance, they won “at home” against Spokane, 4-3, and with a late inning come-back.
But that wasn’t all. It seems even in victory there is unhappiness and strife and last night Vanni had his hands full with Ed Locke, one of his pitchers.
Locke was a Vancouver reliever in this one, coming on in the seventh when it got a little hot and heavy for Bud Guldborg.
Until the ninth, Ed got along fine and was working on a 4-2 lead. Then he got wild, walked George Huffman, gave up a single to Mel Wasley and walked Ed Bouchee to score the bases. Vanni conferred with Ed twice, but let him stay in. Ed got Jimmy Brown on a pop-up but the third Spokane run scored after the catch.
Then came double trouble. Locke went to two balls and a strike on Bill Sheets and Edo hauled him out of there for Paul Jones. Paul got Sheets on a foul fly, purposely walked Wilbur Johnson, then retired pinch-hitter John Conant on a line drive right at Gordon Brunswick.
It was a victory, and a big one. But Locke was unhappy.
He sought Vanni out after the game and said he didn’t think the new boss had given him a “fair shake.”
HAD SHARP WORDS
There were sharp words and once, Vanni even hollered “we won, didn’t we. Who do you care about, the team or yourself?”
For a while it went back and forth, but out of it came a mutual understanding which will likely do Locke a lot of good. It was Vanni who expressed that his every decision was for the good of the club—or so he hoped. It was Vanni who pointed out that Locke had a great future in baseball—all the way to the top if Eddie wanted it that way—and when the two parts it was Locke who stuck out his hand and said, “I’m sorry, boss. I walked out of turn. I got hot and I’m sorry.”
So, strange things are happening under the “Vanni Regime.” A week ago—well, who knows?
This was a fantastic victory for Vancouver, and their fourth straight, incidentally. It was accomplished on one of the most unbelievable “big innings” you’d ever hope to see, the sixth.
VANNI SAFE
With one out, Vanni was safe on Johnson’s error. Williams flied out for the second out, but Ritchey singled sharply to right and took second when outfielder George Huffman juggled the ball. Meanwhile, Edo kept right on running for the plate, and he was safe, too, when third baseman Sam Kanelos took Huffman’s relay and tossed wild to the plate.
Brunswick doubled against the left field wall and Ritchey scored. Wert was safe when pitcher Dick Bishop dropped the first baseball’s throw at the gateway, and Brunswick scored as Len Tran lifted an easy pop-up back of second base and Jimmy Brown fell down trying to get it. It added up to three runs on three hits and FOUR errors. It was so funny that Spokane manager Don Osborn actually got a kick out of out. “If I’d had a shotgun, I would have gone out and shot that baseball. The thing was alive!”
Tonight the same clubs go at it again. Van Flecther (9-6) will be going for the Caps against cagey John Conant with second place still very much at stake.
- - -
VANCOUVER, B.C., July 21—Vancouver Capilanos jumped to within 1 1/2 games of the second place Spokane club Monday night when they dumped the Indians 4-3 in a Western
International League baseball game here.
Indians' Dick Bishop was credited with the loss and Bud Guldborg with the win.
It wasn't through lack of effort on Bishop's part that Spokane lost Vancouver got three runs in the sixth due primarily to four errors in the Spokane outfield. Spokane out hit Vancouver 2 to 1 but left 15 men on base.
It is the 10th win of the season for Guldborg.
About 2,700 people watched the first of the three game series.
Spokane ....... 100 000 101—3 10 5
Vancouver .... 000 003 10x—4 5 0
Bishop, Roberts (7), Spring (8) and Sheets; Guldborg, Locke (7), Jones (9) and Ritchey.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED.

Eric Whitehead’s
FAN FARE
[Vancouver Province, July 22, 1952]
Had the honor last night of sharing a box-seat at Capilano Stadium with a Governor from California.
As a Governor, this gent is strictly unique. He is probably the only governor from California or from anywhere else at this hysteric moment whose ulcer hasn’t a private wire to the Democratic convention hall in Chicago.
In fact, about the only bit of convention news that might excite him professionally would be an authentic report that Estes Kefauver could go to his left, hit curve-ball pitching, and is exempt from the U.S. draft.
Name and credentials of this gentleman: Mr. Tony Governor, West Coast scout for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tony is up here for a look-see at some future major league talent, be there such a blessed commodity in our humble midst.
Last night, after bowing twice at sunset in the general direction of Boss Fred Saigh in St. Looie, Tony viewed a few Class A delegates for nomination in the Big Show. One player who came in for a careful double-take: Cap outfielder Bob Duretto.
The Rise and Fall of Duretto
Tony was very interested in Duretto’s recent road-trip record, a record that would interest most anyone with an ear to the soothing lilt of statistics.
Look at it: After a two-week layoff caused by a torn leg muscle, Duretto gets in for a series against Victoria, then hits the road for a week, hitting around .290. A week later he returns hitting .330 after (against Spokane) getting four-for-five, three-for-four and two-for-four; then (against Wenatchee) two for five, six for seven and of-for-three!
That adds up to seventeen hits in 28 times at bat—a colossal surge in any man’s league. Twice along the way his picked up six consecutive hits, the last time at Wenatchee, when he popped up first time at bat then laced out six-for-six.
So last night, with opportunity alias Tony Governor peering calculatingly over his shoulder, Duretto hit for the well-known collar, had little to do afield and looked as inept as any one of ten thousand ballplayers rapidly going nowhere.
Which only goes to show how Dame Fortune can grin cunningly at a struggling ballplayer for days and then boot him slyly in the pants when his friends are looking.
They Don’t Like ‘em Dainty
However, Governor will be around for two full series. He’s too shrewd a lad to deal off a player after one fast shuffle. And there are a few more players he wants to watch over the next few summer evenings.
Governor, true to the normal big-league party-line, is a pushover for that most elegant of all baseball commodities: power at the plate.
“In the majors,” he murmured, pointing approvingly at Gordie Brunswick’s modest .295 with eight home-runs, “they like a guy who can get that ball out of there once in a while.”
But Duretto, bad night or not, still caught his eye—if only for sentimental reasons.
“Look out there,son,” he called to Tony, jr., (one of two spry young offspring present with Momma Governor), “there is your daddy—25 years ago.”
Turning Back the Clock
And he pointed to a young Duretto, taking his cut in the batter’s box.
“I was just that size and heft,” reminisced Tony, “hit left, too, and swung just about like that. Man, that was a million years ago.”
No quite a million.
Governor played outfield on the PCL Oakland club of 1925-26. Along with some pretty ball players such as Lynn Lary and Jimmy Reese, later a brilliant Yankee keystone combo; catcher Ernie Lombardi, later the gamed St. Louis Cardinal “schnozz”; and infielder Johnny Burgess, who went to the Giants.
That was the club that finished in the second division in ‘25, was booked for the same spot or lower in ’26—but won the pennant was 14 games.
“That,” signed Tony—who hit .324 at leadoff that year, “was the hustlingest club I ever did see. But say . . . that reminds me, he went on, “I saw Cece Garriot’s Victoria club in Yakima . . . man, there’s a real hustling club . . .”
And look where they are. Shades of Oakland, ’25-’26!

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Batboy Bats; Umpire Fired

FITZGERALD, Ga., July 20—The president of the Georgia State League today fired rookie umpire Ed Kubick and fined Fitzgerald manager Charlie Ridgeway for allowing its Negro batboy to play in a game in Statesboro on Sunday.
The Negro, 12-year-old Joe Relford, also known as Joe Louis, was inserted into the game by Ridgeway, with the score 13 to 0 in favour of Statesboro, when and Elks’ Night crowd in that city kept yelling, “Put in the batboy.”
The Fitzgerald manager finally submitted after receiving the approval of Kubick, with the understanding the Pioneers would have to forfeit should they win because of using an intelligible player.
Ridgeway sent Relford into the game in the top of the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter for his club’s leading hitter, Ray Nichting. After taking a ball, the batboy grounded out sharply to third, then went to centre field, where he fielded one grounder cleanly and made a sensational catch of a line drive against the fence. He was loudly cheered.
League directors met today, and president Bill Estroff called the incident “a travesty of the game.”
He denied the fact that the batboy was a Negro, the first to play in the Class D circuit, had anything to do with his decision, and that it was because Relford was an ineligible player.
Estroff ordered Ridgeway suspended for five games and fined $50.
Ace Adams, former major league pitching star and owner of the Fitzgerald club, will act as manager, a role which he gave up only two weeks ago to give more attention to front office affairs.

Sunday, July 20, 1952

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 60 30 .667 —
Spokane ..... 51 41 .555 10
Vancouver ... 44 39 .530 12½
Salem ....... 42 47 .471 17
Lewiston .... 42 47 .471 17
Yakima ...... 43 50 .462 18½
Tri-City .... 39 52 .428 21½
Wenatchee ... 38 53 .417 22½

YAKIMA, July 20—Victoria's league-leading Tyees took a doubleheader from the Yakima Bears here Sunday night, squeezing out a 1-0 win in the first game and romping to
an 8-2 victory in the second.
First Game
Victoria ..... 000 100 0—1 5 0
Yakima ...... 000 000 0—0 2 1
Lorino and Martin; Del Sarto and Donahue.
Second Game
Victoria ..... 100 230 300—8 12 1
Yakima ...... 010 001 000—2 4 6
Bottler and Martin; Thompson, Garrett (6), Wright (7), Donley (9) and Donahue.

SPOKANE, July 20 — The brilliant three-hit pitching of Frank Chase gave Spokane the rubber game of the Salem series Sunday night as the Indians downed the Senators 2-0 in a Western International League baseball game.
Salem ........ 000 000 000—0 3 0
Spokane ..... 100 001 00x—2 3 2
Edmunds, DeGeorge (8) and Nelson; Chase and Sheets.

WENATCHEE [Vancouver News-Herald, July 21]—Capilanos turned on the heat Sunday night in the first game of a scheduled double-header against Wenatchee and when the first inning was tolled the Vancouver crew had set a season’s record for high score.
It was a total of 22 runs and good enough for a pathetically-easy 22-2 victory. Three Wenatchee pitchers faced the Vancouver boys and they came within two hits of tying their own record for the most bases in a single game.
They got 29 and the record is 31, established last season.
Winning pitcher for Vancouver was Bob Snyder. And after the fourth inning he had nothing to worry about. That was when the Caps rolled across seven runs to add to the two they had already scored. They got another 12 in the final two innings.
Meanwhile, Bob Brown returned in advance of the club Saturday and was loud in his praise for acting-manager Edo Vanni when Vancouver beat Wenatchee 8-6 in the 10th inning Saturday night.
“Edo has always been accepted in this game as a quick thinker,” Bob said. “It was not just a question of whether or not he could transform that clear thinking into the split-second decisions required of a manager. Well, he seems to have passed the test.”
Saturday, the Caps were in danger of blowing a ball game in the ninth inning when Vanni trotted in from right field and put on his think-tank.
Ed Locke was the pitcher and Lauri Munroe, left-handed hitter, was due to hit for Wenatchee. There were men on first and second and one out. After a short talk, Vanni called lefty Bill Whyte in from the bull-pen and Bill did the job of getting Munro out on four pitches. Then Vanni got Whyte out of there and inserted right-handed Paul Jones to pitch to right-handed hitting Dick Adams.
Vanni and the “new” Capilanos return to Cap Stadium Monday night for a three-gamer against Spokane.
First Game
Vancouver ….. 100 171 007—22 29 1
Wenatchee …. 100 000 010—2 8 3
Snyder and Ritchey; Stites, Moore (5), Palmer (8) and Robinett.
Second Game
Vancouver ….. 010 302 0—6 8 3
Wenatchee …. 200 000 0—2 6 1
Lovrich and Ritchey; Oubre, Bauhofer (4) and Robinett.

LEWISTON, July 20 — The sixth place Lewiston Broncs pulled away from the seventh place Tri-City Braves Sunday night by winning both ends of a Western International doubleader, taking the opener 2-1 and the nightcap, 7-2.
First Game
Tri-City ...... 000 100 0—1 4 1
Lewiston ..... 010 001 x—2 5 1
Romero and Pesut; Thomason and Lundberg.
Second Game
Tri-City ...... 100 000 001—2 5 0
Lewiston ..... 110 003 20x—7 11 2
Greenwood and Pesut; Nicholas and Helmuth.

Saturday, July 19, 1952

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 58 30 .659 —
Spokane ..... 50 41 .549 9½
Vancouver ... 42 39 .516 12½
Salem ....... 42 46 .477 16
Yakima ...... 43 48 .473 16½
Lewiston .... 40 47 .460 17½
Tri-City .... 39 50 .438 19½
Wenatchee ... 38 51 .427 20½

YAKIMA, July 19 — Victoria turned the tables on the rising Yakima Bears Saturday night, leading all the way to win a Western International League baseball game, 5-3.
The Bears used up three pitchers in a futile attempt to stem the Canadians.
Victoria's big and game clinching inning was the fourth. Cece Garriott reached first on an error and went to third on Don Pries single. Granny Gladstone hit a fly to center to score Garriott and Chuck Abernethy singled to move Pries to third.
John Treece sent a fly to center and scored Pries, then Abernethy came in on Bill Prior's single Wright went to the showers and John Albini pulled Yakima out trouble when he hauled in Jim Clark's towering fly to center field after a long run.
Prior kept Yakima fairly well in check scattering his eight hits. One of the Bear blows was Jerry Zuvela's eighth inning homer, over the right field wall.
The series, now tied at 1-1, concludes Sunday with a doubleheader.
Kenny Wright and Bob "Stretch" Garrett, two of three Yakima pitchers in Saturday night's game against Victoria, are both former Whitman College hurlers. Wright had a trial with the San Francisco Seals, and Garrett moved to Yakima from the Wenatchee Chiefs, with whom he started the 1952 season.
Victoria ...... 100 300 100—5 10 3
Yakima ....... 100-010 010—3 8 2
Prior and Martin; Wright, Garrett (4), Savage (8) and Donahue.

WENATCHEE, July 19 — Vancouver capitalized on Wenatchee errors Saturday night to win a 10-inning Western International League baseball game, 8-6.
The score was tied at 6-all going into the extra frame when Bud Hjelmaa's faulty handling of the ball allowed Ray Tran to reach first Tran scored on manager Edo Vanni's single and Vanni came home on another single by Jesse Williams to sew up the game.
Vancouver ….. 000 400 110 2—8 12 0
Wenatchee …. 000 400 011 0—6 11 3
Fletcher, Locke (3), Whyte (8), Jones (9) and Ritchey; Dasso and Robinett.

SPOKANE, July 19—The Salem Senators unleashed a 19-hit attack Saturday to defeat the Spokane Indians, 10-3, in the first game of a twi-night Western International League baseball doubleheader.
A crowd of 2,200 fans saw the Senators ruin John Conant's fifth bid for his 10th WIL victory this season.
Leading Salem's assault was outfielder Bill White with four hits in six attempts for tthree runs batted in.
Ray McNulty went all the way on the mound for the Senators, picking up his-11th win of the season.
The owner of the Spokane team, Roy Hotchkiss, protested the game claiming Salem was playing with a club whose monthly salaries exceeded the $5,200 WIL limit.
The Spokane front office was given 12 hours to file an official protest with league headquarters.
The Indians came back to win the second game, 5-1, as John Marshall scattered five hits in a seven-inning complete game.
First Game
Salem ........ 120 014 011—10 19 0
Spokane ..... 000 030 000— 3 9 3
McNulty and Nelson; Conant, Spring (6) and Sheets.
WP — McNulty (11-10); LP — Conant (3-7).
Second Game
Salem ....... 000 010 0—1 5 0
Spokane .... 100 301 x—5 12 0
Hemphill, Francis (5) and Nelson; Marshall and Sheets.

LEWISTON, Idaho, July 19—Charlie Mead's big bat cracked out one run and two doubles Saturday to lead the Lewiston Broncs to an 11-5 win over the Tri-City Braves in a Western International League night game.
Mead's homer came in the bottom half of the seventh inning when the Broncs were trailing, 4-5. His extra-base clouting drove in four runs, scoring four himself
on a perfect three for three performance at the plate.
Also hitting for the distance was Tri-City's Don Lopes. The blow came with one on in the fourth.
Larry Powell recorded his seventh win of the season against eight losses after relieving starter Bob Schulte in the seventh.
Tri-City ........ 010 300 100—5 10 3
Lewiston ...... 302 000 33x—11 9 1
Britton and Pesut; Schulte, Powell (7) and Lundberg.
WP — Powell (7-8); LP — Britton (0-1).

Portland Signs Helbig of OSC
PORTLAND, July 19 — The Portland Beavers Saturday signed their third local baseball prospect in recent weeks, picking up Dwane Helbig, who attracted much notice as a hard-hitting outfielder for Oregon State College.
Helbig, a sophomore who also played football at college, will be sent to Victoria of the class A Western International League.
He is a Portlander, as were the Bottler brothers — Pitcher Bill and Catcher Ron — who were signed up by the Beavers previously.
All three signed with provisions that they would get a cut of the money If they are sold to tbe majors.

Vancouver's Ritchey Again At Top of WIL in Hitting
John Ritchey, Vancouver, is again the leading batter in the Western International League, according to weekly averages compiled by the Howe News Bureau.
The Vancouver catcher has a .350 average, which represents a gain of six points during the week.
Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee, again in second place with a .343 average has added the lead in hits, with 108, to his lead in total bales with 156. Pocekay and Charlie Mead, Lewiston, also have moved into a tie with Grannie Gladstone, Victoria, for the lead in doubles. Each has 24.
Gladstone again leads in runs batted in with 68.
Milt Smith, Lewiston, collected one homer during the week to make his total for the season nine. This gives him the sole lead in the department.
Bob Moniz, Victoria, last week's leader in hits continues to lead in runs with 70. Des Charouhas, Tri-City, again leads in triples with and Ed Murphy, Spokane, in stolen bases with 25.
Cal McIrvin, Victoria, the league's leading pitcher, received credit for one victory during the week to make his record 12-4.

 G  AB    R  OR  H   TB   2b 3b HR SH SB  BB  SO Pct.
Victoria
81 2777 480 408 783 1061 158 17 27 47 70 433 352 284
Lewiston
81 2778 437 462 760 1060 130 28 38 43 53 403 340 274
Spokane
86 2845 408 387 765  972  99 30 16 65 77 382 410 269
Vancouver
76 2595 387 314 697  920 100 36 17 48 46 370 277 269
Yakima
86 2904 457 470 774 1052 137 36 23 60 69 446 436 267
Salem
83 2754 365 356 705  907 199 31  7 43 50 387 400 256
Lewiston
85 2705 366 470 684  877 133 22 12 53 44 344 404 245
Tri-City
84 2768 390 423 651  855  95 26 19 65 70 482 454 235

                W  L T DP TP PB  PO    A    E PCT
Salem ........ 39 44 0 98  0 10 2153 1024  89 973
Tri-City ..... 38 46 0 60  1 12 2180  833 116 964
Vancouver .... 40 36 0 87  0  7 2005  917 114 962
Victoria ..... 52 29 0 73  0 11 2139  900 125 960
Yakima ....... 40 46 0 89  0 14 2227  986 139 959
Wenatchee .... 37 48 0 69  0 13 2184  896 146 955
Lewiston ..... 38 43 0 62  0 26 2099  892 144 954
Spokane ...... 47 39 0 84  0  9 2223  948 160 952