Victoria .... 17 8 .680 ½
Spokane ..... 19 9 .679 —
Vancouver ... 11 10 .524 4
Salem ....... 14 14 .500 4½
Wenatchee ... 13 14 .481 5
Lewiston .... 11 16 .407 7
Tri-City .... 11 17 .393 7½
Yakima ...... 10 18 .357 8½
WENATCHEE, May 20 — Spokane edged Wenatchee 8-6 though being outhit and making four errors afield by taking advantage of every opportunity in a close, crowd-pleasing Western International League baseball game here Tuesday night.
It was the first of a three game series.
John Conant, Spokane hurler, who really has the Indian sign on the Chiefs, having lost only two games to Wenatchee in the last two years, received credit for the win though he was knocked out of the box in the seventh.
Spokane ....... 000 310 301—8 10 4
Wenatchee ..... 012 000 300—6 11 2
Connnt. Roberts (7) and Sheets; Tierney, Kapp (8) and Pocekay.
YAKIMA, May 20 — Don Lundberg's three doubles, good for four runs, gave the Lewiston Broncs a 6-5 Western International League baseball win over the Yakima Bears before 491 fans here Tuesday night.
Lundberg, with four hits during the game, gave the Broncs a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when he clubbed out a two-bagger with two teammates aboard.
The Bears knotted the score at two-all in the bottom of the fifth when Chuck Malmberg walked stole second, raced to third on a bad throw and scored on Gene Klingler's single. Yakima went ahead in the seventh when the Bears scored two runs.
Lundberg doubled again in the eighth, chasing in two more runs, and scored on Sol Israel's single to tie the game 5-5. Connie Perez scored the winning run in the ninth, coming home on Butch
Moran's long fly after he had walked, stolen second and taken third on a wild throw.
Lewiston .... 000 200 031—6 11 3
Yakima ...... 100 011 200—5 7 2
Schulte, Spearman (8), Powell (8) and Lundberg; Stice, Albeni (9) and Donahue.
Tri-City at Vancouver, postponed, rain.
Salem at Victoria, postponed, rain.
Indians Release Third Baseman
SPOKANE, May 20 — The Spokane Indians handed Herb Souell, Negro third baseman his outright release Tuesday. Souell has been in and out of the lineup and leaves with a .264 batting average.
His departure leaves the Indians with only one of the four Negro players who started the season, First Baseman Herb Simpson. Two others were optioned out.
Eric Whitehead’s
FAN FARE
[Vancouver Province, May 21, 1952]
Bob Snyder, the talented right-hander who came “home” to the Capilanos this month from Memphis, means it when he says he is glad to be back in his favorite city.
The slender ace who chalked up a record of 27-7 win record in last year’s WIL campaign is not at all embittered over his failure to click in Double A ball, a step up the ladder from the present WIL category.
“No alibis,” he shrugs. “Just couldn’t get going, that’s all.”
The only work Snyder got with Memphis was a couple of brief relief stints and one start. His only start was ruined by an opening spell of wildness that spawned a pair of walks, a base hit and an eventual return ticket to Vancouver.
What makes a pitcher a runaway sensation in one league and a non-contender just a hitch or two up the ladder? Bob, like a lot of ballplayers and second-guessers both before and after him, has to shrug that one off and mark it down to the eternal mystery of baseball, that strange hodge-podge of fate that mixes talent, perseverance, opportunity and that intangible quality known as “the breaks,” in its own bewildering formula.
True, the hitters in the Southern Association are all a bit sharper and more experienced, and the competition all around is tougher. But not necessarily to the extent of the difference between a terrific Class B (now “A”) 27-7 record and a Class AA flop.
*
Bob himself just shrugs it off as a fairly missed opportunity. And he knows that the door doesn’t open too often to a veteran nudging his thirties.
Could be, though, that Snyder was a victim of the horrendous start by a Memphis club that was picked to walk off with the pennant.
“We left Florida in swell shape,” says Bob, “and arrived in Memphis to open the season when . . . boom! Down came the rain and we’re laid off for a week. We finally win the opener, then lose seven in a row. We win another, then lose another seven in a row.”
Knock off that rainy spell that took the edge of a “rolling” ball club and Snyder might well still be in Memphis, gunning for a winning team.
Snyder has nothing but praise for his Memphis pilot, Luke Appling, the ex-Chisox shortstop and one of the past generation’s better hitters.
*
In sharp contrast to another ex-big league star and manager of our acquaintance, Rogers Hornsby, Appling is extremely popular and easy-going with his players.
This benevolence might well turn out to be Appling’s big weakness as a manager. In which case Luke will probably adopt corrective measures already applied by his local proto-type, Capilano Bill Schuster, who has toughened up considerably after being, quote: “Too blankety soft with those guys last year.”
Just to point up the heart-breaking politics of minor league baseball, Snyder outlines the current case of ex-Cap Dick Sinovic, now up with Chattanooga.
“Dick was really going great, hitting the ball like a million,” recalls Bob, “and then Washington sends down orders to play left-hand hitter Del Jones against all right-handed pitching. (Jones is Washington property). Chattanooga sees only two left-hand pitchers and Sinovic, hitting streak and all, is sitting on the bench practically all the time. You know what that will do to a competitor like Dick.
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from May 21, 1952]
Clay Hooper, manager of the Portland Beavers, (the same guy who figured Vic Buccola couldn’t hit Coast League pitching) certainly has a pair of hitting beauties at the first sack now. Joe Lafata who was kept on when Vic was cut loose has had exactly FOUR hits in 14 trips for a miserable .091 average. Then when it became apparent Lafata couldn’t hack it this year, Portland went into the market and bought Herm Reich. Reich has been doing most of the work at first since he arrived but take a look at his average. Only 23 hits in 113 trips to the plate for a puling .204. And as it stand now the Beavers still owe Tri-City two players to complete the Buccola deal.
MAY BE A GOOD STOPPER
Of the candidates Portland has sent along, only pitcher Dick Waibel has been able to stick. This Waibel may turn out to be one of the better pitchers, too. So far he looks to be the only effective “stopper” that Tri-City can now send in to save a game. Ralph Romero and George New are definitely good starters. Ken Michelson has had flashes of effectiveness but has been bothered with poor support (what Brave pitcher hasn’t) just when it was needed the most.
SLICES OF LIFE. . .SPORTS VIGNETTES
There is one Tri-City Brave who is really sweating out the current road trip...even though he had to stay here. That would be Dick Rittenberg the erstwhile third sacker who has been sidelined with a bum shoulder since he took a slide into third base early last week. With Rittenberg idle Tommy Marier was moved from second to the hot corner. Now the question is, who is to get the full time position when Rittenberg is ready to go. One of the two will obviously be out of a job should the new shortstop, Don Lopes, live up to his advance notice. Lopes hasn’t arrived yet which is causing the front office some concern...he was due here last weekend. When he does arrive the plan is to shift Des Charouhas to second.
Pitcher Al Porto who drew the pink slip from Tri-City Sunday night returns to his home in Burbank (California, that is) where he’ll rest up his arm and then try to hook on with another team.
GRABBING FROM THE SPORTS BAG
Jim Tang in the Victoria Colonist: “With all clubs trying out a variety of rookies and second-year men the WIL has been a pitcher’s nightmare in early season play. No less than 369 errors were made in the first 99 games.”
Charlie Boren in the Lewiston Tribune: “Sidelight on the Western Union Telegraph strike. The Broncs had Roy Welmaker, a lefthander recently released by Hollywood in the fold. . .for a while. He made a deal by telephone then stopped at Portland enroute from California. The Beavers of Portland grabbed him and Lewiston couldn’t do anything about it. A telegram signed by Welmaker indicating his acceptance of the Broncs offer would have been as good as a contract, but a phone call just wouldn’t stand up.”
Lopes Wants More Money
[Modesto Bee, May 21, 1952]
Shortstop Don Lopes, sold by the [Modesto] Reds to Tri City over the weekend, still was in town last night.
Don is reluctant to report to the class A Western International League club. He wants a raise in salary first and is dickering with club officials. The ex-San Jose State graduate might look for a high school coaching job. The Pittsburgh Pirates did not consider him a prospect.
NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
It's Confusing; Pinch-Hitter For A Pinch Hitter
AUSTIN, Texas, May 20—A pinch-hitter batted for a pinch-hitter in a Big State League Game here Tuesday night and baseball veterans said they never heard of it in Texas before.
It was in the sixth inning of the Austin-Longview game with Austin staging a six-run rally.
Ricardo Dieguez batted for pitcher Jim Logan and struck out. They batted around and when it came Dieguez' turn again. John Andre batted for him and got on first through a fielder's choice.
MAY BE A GOOD STOPPER
Of the candidates Portland has sent along, only pitcher Dick Waibel has been able to stick. This Waibel may turn out to be one of the better pitchers, too. So far he looks to be the only effective “stopper” that Tri-City can now send in to save a game. Ralph Romero and George New are definitely good starters. Ken Michelson has had flashes of effectiveness but has been bothered with poor support (what Brave pitcher hasn’t) just when it was needed the most.
SLICES OF LIFE. . .SPORTS VIGNETTES
There is one Tri-City Brave who is really sweating out the current road trip...even though he had to stay here. That would be Dick Rittenberg the erstwhile third sacker who has been sidelined with a bum shoulder since he took a slide into third base early last week. With Rittenberg idle Tommy Marier was moved from second to the hot corner. Now the question is, who is to get the full time position when Rittenberg is ready to go. One of the two will obviously be out of a job should the new shortstop, Don Lopes, live up to his advance notice. Lopes hasn’t arrived yet which is causing the front office some concern...he was due here last weekend. When he does arrive the plan is to shift Des Charouhas to second.
Pitcher Al Porto who drew the pink slip from Tri-City Sunday night returns to his home in Burbank (California, that is) where he’ll rest up his arm and then try to hook on with another team.
GRABBING FROM THE SPORTS BAG
Jim Tang in the Victoria Colonist: “With all clubs trying out a variety of rookies and second-year men the WIL has been a pitcher’s nightmare in early season play. No less than 369 errors were made in the first 99 games.”
Charlie Boren in the Lewiston Tribune: “Sidelight on the Western Union Telegraph strike. The Broncs had Roy Welmaker, a lefthander recently released by Hollywood in the fold. . .for a while. He made a deal by telephone then stopped at Portland enroute from California. The Beavers of Portland grabbed him and Lewiston couldn’t do anything about it. A telegram signed by Welmaker indicating his acceptance of the Broncs offer would have been as good as a contract, but a phone call just wouldn’t stand up.”
Lopes Wants More Money
[Modesto Bee, May 21, 1952]
Shortstop Don Lopes, sold by the [Modesto] Reds to Tri City over the weekend, still was in town last night.
Don is reluctant to report to the class A Western International League club. He wants a raise in salary first and is dickering with club officials. The ex-San Jose State graduate might look for a high school coaching job. The Pittsburgh Pirates did not consider him a prospect.
NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
It's Confusing; Pinch-Hitter For A Pinch Hitter
AUSTIN, Texas, May 20—A pinch-hitter batted for a pinch-hitter in a Big State League Game here Tuesday night and baseball veterans said they never heard of it in Texas before.
It was in the sixth inning of the Austin-Longview game with Austin staging a six-run rally.
Ricardo Dieguez batted for pitcher Jim Logan and struck out. They batted around and when it came Dieguez' turn again. John Andre batted for him and got on first through a fielder's choice.
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