Victoria .... 50 28 .641 —
Spokane ..... 45 37 .549 7
Vancouver ... 39 34 .534 8½
Lewiston .... 36 41 .468 13½
Tri-City .... 37 43 .463 14
Salem ....... 36 43 .456 14½
Yakima ...... 37 45 .451 15
Wenatchee ... 36 45 .444 15½
VANCOUVER, [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 11]—“That was our best shot, wasn’t it?”
There was a smile on Bill Schuster’s face when he spoke. It was almost as if his Capilanos had won 1-0 instead of losing by that score to the Victoria Tyees.
“If we played them all like that, we’d win up the year playing .700 baseball,” Bill added.
One of the greatest mid-week crowds in the still-brief history of the new Capilano Stadium sat three nine tense innings. There were close to 4000 fans there—officials may it 3600, but with passes and all, it looked like a 4000 house.
PITCHERS DUEL
What they say, they liked.
Bob Snyder and Cal McIrvin hooked up in a pitcher’s duel which will live long in the memories of the fans who saw it. Snyder, in his losing effort, allowed five hits, McIrvin, with his 13th win, four.
Snyder’s performance was almost incredible, even though it was a loser. During the nine innings, the right-hander threw only 87 pitches. McIrvin used 109, well under the per-game average these days, which is about 135.
It wasn’t until the eighth inning that Victoria broke through. They did so on Lou Branham’s leadoff single, Milt Martin’s sacrifice and Jim Clarke’s two-out double down the left field line. It was fair by six inches, but it was the winner.
BOTH HAD CHANCE
Both clubs had their chances. Twice Victoria threatened seriously with a man on third. Once, in the seventh, they had Cece Garriott down at the fair turn with only one out, but Snyder got dangerous Don Pries on an infield “pop” and dittoed Chuck Abernathy.
McIrvin was in hot water in the ninth. With one out, Edo Vanni singled. Then Ritchey flied to centre and Gordie Brunswick walked.
The Caps’ best rbi man, Jim Wert, walked in to take his licks and 4000 fans got up on the edges of their seats and waited. McIrvin was careful, and he made no mistakes. He got Wert on an insider curveball and Jim’s handle tap to second base was turned into an easy forceout.
GAVE EVERYTHING
When McIrvin walked from the mound, his shirt was completely soaked with perspiration. He had given the Caps everything he had, and it turned out to be just good enough.
There weren’t too many spectacular fielding plays, because the pitchers had control of this one and line drivers were few and far between.
DIAMOND DUST—Gordie Brunswick was ought-for-three with just one ball out of the infield in his second try under Seattle general manager Earl Sheely’s eyes … Jimmy Moore, the young Capilano infielder, is due in today … This was the second five-hitter Snyder had lost this year and it evened up his record at 6-6 … Bob Duretto returns to the lineup Saturday night and he’ll replace Sandy Robertson … Paul Jones (1-5) is the Vancouver starter this evening and Garriott will come in with Jehosi Heard … Game time is 8:15.
Victoria ….... 000 000 010—1 5 0
Vancouver … 000 000 000—0 4 0
McIrvin and Martin; Snyder and Ritchey.
KENNEWICK [Herald, July 11] Spokane's pitcher, Gordon Palm, blanked the Tri-City Braves 4-0 Thursday night in a game that started out to be a pitchers' duel.
For six innings, neither team could score. Palm and Tri-City's Ralph Romero had given up five hits at that point. But Romero couldn't keep up the pace in the heat at Sanders Field.
He weakened in the seventh inning and blew up in the eighth.
In the seventh, Spokane's Wilbur Johnson, the first man up hit a double. Palm's sacrifice sent him to third and he scored after Ed Murphey's long fly to center field.
Romero's pitching went to pieces in the eighth. Right fielder George Huffman hit the first ball pitched for a double. Left fielder Bob Byrne also knocked out a double and brought Huffman home.
The next two batters, Ed Bouchee and Jimmy Brown, were hit by pitched balls and the bases were loaded. Catcher Bill Sheets hits at that point. But Romero in the eighth. Right fielder George followed with a single that drove Bryne and Bouchee home, Romero walked another man to load the bases before he was relieved.
Ad Satalich, who relieved him, pitched only two men. He forced Palm to hit into a third-to-home-to-first double play. The next man grounded out.
Palm, who pitched six-hit ball, did not let Tri-City get a man beyond second base. And only two times did a Tri-City runner get hat far. Don Rittenberg got a double in the fifth but Don Lopes walked and Romero hit into a double play.
In the ninth John Kovenz knocked out a double with two away. Clayton Carr flied out to end the game and Kovenz died on second. A total of only four Tri-City men were left on bases.
Romero was in hot water twice. In the sixth, the Indians had men on second and third, with one away. But one batter grounded out and another hit a high foul fly to Vic Buccola to retire the side.
After the game, the Braves left for Salem for a four-game series, before the seventh. In the first inning with the bases loaded and two away, he struck out Brown to retire the side.
Spokane ...... 000 000 130—4 9 0
Tri-City ....... 000 000 000—0 6 0
Palm, and Sheets; Romer, Satalich (6) Kastenbader (9) and Carr. LP-Romero.
SALEM, July 10 — Two Salem pitchers gave up 17 hits as Lewiston defeated the Senators 8-4 in Thursday night's Western International League baseball game here.
The loss was charged to Starter Ray McNulty who was relieved in the seventh inning by Ted Edmunds.
Lewiston picked up two runs in the opening inning—one on Milt Smith's homer and later Bob Williams, who had singled, scored on an error.
Lewiston ... 201 002 030—8 17 0
Salem ....... 000 121 000—4 5 0
Nicholas, Powell (7) and Lundberg; McNulty, Edmunds (7) and Nelson.
WP—Nicholas. LP—McNulty.
ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED
The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, July 11, 1952]
The Gentleman Is a Dope…
The gentleman named Bill Schuster can do no right. He gets more “ink” than any existing baseball manager, but it’s all critical. To the public, he is a bonehead.
Schuster is accused of continually playing for the “big inning,” of taking chances on the bases and of persevering with his start pitcher too long. Indeed, the man must be crazy.
A week ago, two Capilanos found themselves on first and second base (one on each base, that is) with nobody out. John Ritchey, a .327 hitter then, was at the plate. It was the fourth inning.
Fans sensed a bunt. They cried for it. Ritchey hit away and lined into a double play. Schuster is a dope.
For the heck of it, I made a mental note of the situation. It put it into a telegram and sent it to Paul Richards, the Chicago White Sox manager, an amazing baseball tactician and a fellow I met three years ago in Seattle. I noted that Ritchey was a left-handed hitter.
Today, I have the answer. “Every manager in the game today would have Ritchey hitting away. Too early in the game to bunt. Agree Schuster is crazy—like a fox.”
We Laid a Golden Egg
Long ago, the baseball writers (myself included) laid a golden egg on Schuster’s doorstep. It came in the form of the 1952 Capilanos—The Ritcheys, Brunswicks, Trans, Werts, Vannis and what have you. They can hit, run and throw—they can’t be beaten, the writers said.
The golden egg has turned into a white elephant. Schuster has lived every nightmare of bad copy, injuries and overconfidence. His club is dropping out of the bottom of the league. Gad, it’s in third place! There is panic in the streets.
Let us now present some facts, something which has been ignored since this season began.
In 1951 most of the present Capilanos enjoyed fruitful years. On this background they were selected as the team to beat. Nobody is going back on that selection—in my book, at least, they’re still the best. However, the last time we looked, this was 1952. A different year, different everythings, in fact. Fact one.
Fact two. The ’52 Capilanos are, in a way, comparable to the 1950 New York Yankees.
How Times Have Changed
The Bombers won the world championship that year, but accumulated 56 assorted injuries to their cast in so doing. [lines appear not to have been published] his arm doesn’t hold out, then taken gazing into a crystal ball, and don’t ever kid youself that he wasn’t a sort of Houdini to attain that stature of champion.
The Capilanos are following that pattern. Excepting the pitchers, every member of the club has been injured at least once, save Gordie Brunswick. Schuster and Edo Vanni have been out twice with recurring muscular aches.
Even at this mid-way point in the year, the Capilanos have set a new distance record for adhesive tape. They could fill your bath-tub with iodine they’ve used. Outfielders have been used as catchers, infielders as outfielders and trainer Reg Wallis pressed into service as a batting practice pitcher. If his arm doesn’t houd [sic] out, then it’s the writer’s turn, because this year everybody is going to get into the act.
In 1950 they called ol’ Case a genius for bringing his patchwork quilt home in front. They said it would have been a miracle, even if he’d stayed anywhere in the first division.
But this is 1952. Schuster is a dope. Yes sir.
Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore [Tri-City Herald, from July 11, 1952]
DEAL
The Tri-City Braves have all but signed a new pitcher and he is expected to join the team at Salem. General manager Dick Richards isn't naming him yet but the new pitcher belongs to the Phils and has been with the PCL.
At this writing the Braves are now in fourth place but by the time you read this they may be anywhere from there on down. As one person remarked, all you have to do in this league is lose one game and you'll wind up in the cellar. The botton bracket teams have been in and out, like Pappy Yokum swiping turnips.
PHOOEY
George New of Tri-City and Spokane's Ed Bouchee were in a position to make things easy for headline-writing newsmen the other night. There is nothing in this business like referring to a Casey-at-the-bat finish or a Frank Merriwell victory. That is called a "literary allusion" and sportswriters just love using them because it shows what well-read rounded characters we are.
We practically had our headlines' written but the boys let us down. This was the situation:
In the ninth inning there were two down, the tying runs on first and second and upped stepped big Ed Bouchee, Spokane's first baseman. He had belted out two homers the night before. But New had shown that Bouchee could strike -out by fanning him three times in previous trips to the plate.
So there we had it. Would New pull a Frank Merriwell and belt the ball out of the park? Or would he become a Casey at the bat and shatter the air with a mighty blow when the chips were down?
Phooey! He did neither. He hit a dribbling ground ball to first base that Vic Buccola could pick up with his eyes shut.
What an ignominious end to a well-played game.
Schuster is accused of continually playing for the “big inning,” of taking chances on the bases and of persevering with his start pitcher too long. Indeed, the man must be crazy.
A week ago, two Capilanos found themselves on first and second base (one on each base, that is) with nobody out. John Ritchey, a .327 hitter then, was at the plate. It was the fourth inning.
Fans sensed a bunt. They cried for it. Ritchey hit away and lined into a double play. Schuster is a dope.
For the heck of it, I made a mental note of the situation. It put it into a telegram and sent it to Paul Richards, the Chicago White Sox manager, an amazing baseball tactician and a fellow I met three years ago in Seattle. I noted that Ritchey was a left-handed hitter.
Today, I have the answer. “Every manager in the game today would have Ritchey hitting away. Too early in the game to bunt. Agree Schuster is crazy—like a fox.”
We Laid a Golden Egg
Long ago, the baseball writers (myself included) laid a golden egg on Schuster’s doorstep. It came in the form of the 1952 Capilanos—The Ritcheys, Brunswicks, Trans, Werts, Vannis and what have you. They can hit, run and throw—they can’t be beaten, the writers said.
The golden egg has turned into a white elephant. Schuster has lived every nightmare of bad copy, injuries and overconfidence. His club is dropping out of the bottom of the league. Gad, it’s in third place! There is panic in the streets.
Let us now present some facts, something which has been ignored since this season began.
In 1951 most of the present Capilanos enjoyed fruitful years. On this background they were selected as the team to beat. Nobody is going back on that selection—in my book, at least, they’re still the best. However, the last time we looked, this was 1952. A different year, different everythings, in fact. Fact one.
Fact two. The ’52 Capilanos are, in a way, comparable to the 1950 New York Yankees.
How Times Have Changed
The Bombers won the world championship that year, but accumulated 56 assorted injuries to their cast in so doing. [lines appear not to have been published] his arm doesn’t hold out, then taken gazing into a crystal ball, and don’t ever kid youself that he wasn’t a sort of Houdini to attain that stature of champion.
The Capilanos are following that pattern. Excepting the pitchers, every member of the club has been injured at least once, save Gordie Brunswick. Schuster and Edo Vanni have been out twice with recurring muscular aches.
Even at this mid-way point in the year, the Capilanos have set a new distance record for adhesive tape. They could fill your bath-tub with iodine they’ve used. Outfielders have been used as catchers, infielders as outfielders and trainer Reg Wallis pressed into service as a batting practice pitcher. If his arm doesn’t houd [sic] out, then it’s the writer’s turn, because this year everybody is going to get into the act.
In 1950 they called ol’ Case a genius for bringing his patchwork quilt home in front. They said it would have been a miracle, even if he’d stayed anywhere in the first division.
But this is 1952. Schuster is a dope. Yes sir.
Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore [Tri-City Herald, from July 11, 1952]
DEAL
The Tri-City Braves have all but signed a new pitcher and he is expected to join the team at Salem. General manager Dick Richards isn't naming him yet but the new pitcher belongs to the Phils and has been with the PCL.
At this writing the Braves are now in fourth place but by the time you read this they may be anywhere from there on down. As one person remarked, all you have to do in this league is lose one game and you'll wind up in the cellar. The botton bracket teams have been in and out, like Pappy Yokum swiping turnips.
PHOOEY
George New of Tri-City and Spokane's Ed Bouchee were in a position to make things easy for headline-writing newsmen the other night. There is nothing in this business like referring to a Casey-at-the-bat finish or a Frank Merriwell victory. That is called a "literary allusion" and sportswriters just love using them because it shows what well-read rounded characters we are.
We practically had our headlines' written but the boys let us down. This was the situation:
In the ninth inning there were two down, the tying runs on first and second and upped stepped big Ed Bouchee, Spokane's first baseman. He had belted out two homers the night before. But New had shown that Bouchee could strike -out by fanning him three times in previous trips to the plate.
So there we had it. Would New pull a Frank Merriwell and belt the ball out of the park? Or would he become a Casey at the bat and shatter the air with a mighty blow when the chips were down?
Phooey! He did neither. He hit a dribbling ground ball to first base that Vic Buccola could pick up with his eyes shut.
What an ignominious end to a well-played game.
No comments:
Post a Comment