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."
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."
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