Victoria ..... 44 24 .647 —
Spokane ...... 41 32 .562 5½
Vancouver .... 34 29 .540 7½
Lewiston ..... 33 35 .485 11
Salem ........ 33 37 .471 12
Wenatchee .... 33 39 .458 13
Tri-City ..... 31 40 .437 14½
Yakima ....... 30 43 .411 16½
VICTORIA [Colonist, July 3]—Wenatchee’s crippled sixth-place Chiefs are as tough as any of them when they get pitching and the Chiefs have had it twice during their current five-game series at Royal Athletic Park to earn an even split with Victoria’s Tyees in the first four games.
The Chiefs split last night’s twin bill when Frank Dasso pitched them to a 5-1 victory in the seven-inning finale after the Tyees had romped away with the opener, 16-7.
GUNNARSON TO START
The series ends tonight with Carl Gunnarson, the veteran left-hander purchased from Vancouver, due to get his first start for Victoria. The Tyees then head to Spokane and a holiday doubleheader tomorrow followed by a single game Saturday and two on Sunday. They return home Monday to face Yakima in a three-game series and then head off on a rugged road trip with the possibility of playing 13 games before returning home July 21.
They face Vancouver in five games, are scheduled for three in Lewiston and four at Yakima, with every possibility a game may be made up at Lewiston.
Fans last night were treated to the unusual spectacle of seeing the leading pitchers on the opposing clubs both clobbered. The Chiefs started Charlie Oubre, who went into the game with an 8-2 record which included two victories over the Tyees and the Tyees countered with Ben Lorino, a four-time loser seeking his 13th win.
GRAND SLAM HOMER
Lorino got it with the help of timely hitting by his teammates, which featured Chuck Abernathy hitting his first home run of the season with the bases full to climax a five-run first inning.
The Victoria southpaw didn’t hit his best stride until the sixth, giving up 11 hits and seven earned runs in the first five innings. But he was unbeatable from there and the Tyees made it safe by scoring seven runs off two relief pitchers after reaching Oubre for nine before he left the scene at the start of the sixth inning.
The willing Lorino came right back to pitch five fine innings in the second game but his effort was wasted with Dasso staying in charge in one of his better performances.
The former Coast League strikeout king showed he still had enough of his sizzling fasy ball to be troublesome when he has his control. He had it last night and took nine Tyees on strikes while scattering six hits well enough to do a minimum of damage.
The Chiefs, after seriously threatening in the first two innings, jumped on Bill Wisneski for four straight hits in the third. The rookie righthander walked the next hitter and hit the sixth man to face him before Lorino arrived with three runs in, the sacks loaded and no one out. Lorino walked in the fourth run of the inning before retiring the side with a neat bit of pitching.
DIAMOND DUST: Wenatchee is without Walt Pocekay, league-leading hitter, who has a split finger, and lost manager Dick Adams, the other half of their one-two punch, Tuesday, with a pulled muscle … Granny Gladstone was hit on the elbow in Tuesday night’s game and had to sit out the second game last night. His arm is sore … Cal McIrvin wasn’t officially told he was returning to Victoria until 11 a.m. Tuesday and just made it by plane [in time to start that night’s game]. Bob Drilling has been suspended for his refusal to report to the Tyees. Don Pries is playing although his injured ankle is still troublesome. The Tyees have lost eight of their last 12 games but only a game and a half of their lead in that span. Vancouver has a 6-6 record and Spokane a 5-6 showing in the period.
Fred and Ed Montague, New York Giant scouts, were in the stands Tuesday … Lilio Marcucci is showing definite signs of become the hitter he was last season, the burly catcher hitting the ball hard in recent games … Ripley Robinett, talkative second-string catcher of the Chiefs, claimed during last night’s game that Lorino was pitching him “just right.” In six trips against the big southpaw, he struck out five times, and grounded out to the mound … Moniz has come up with some fine defensive play in left field during the series and Gladstone may have turned the tide in Tuesday’s first game with a sensational first-inning catch.
First Game
Wenatchee …. 103 030 000—7 12 6
Victoria …..….. 502 110 34x—16 14 2
Oubre, Bauhofer (6), Stites (7) and Robinett; Lorino and Marcucci.
Second Game
Wenatchee …… 004 001 0—5 10 1
Victoria ……..… 001 000 0—1 6 0
Dasso and Robinett; Wisneski, Lorino (3) and Marcucci.
SALEM, July 2— It took 10 innings for Spokane to defeat Salem 6-5 in a Western International League baseball game here Wednesday hight.
Spokane's first inning pair of runs came on a walk and singles by Ed Murphy. Mel Wasley, Ed Bouchee and Jim Brown.
Wasley scored another in the fifth. He singled and came in on an infield out and another single by Jim Brown.
Wilbur Johnson's grounder, an error, George Huffman's base hit that broke the bat and Wasley's single accounted for two more in the ninth.
Salem batters collected two home runs. Bill Spaeter put Salem ahead 4-3 with his in the sixth. Connie Perez tied the score at 5-all with his eighth inning circuit blow.
Spokane won the game in the 10th inning on a walk, Sam Kanelos' single and an outfield fly.
The two teams meet again Thursday. Jack Spring (1-3) will start for Spokane. For Salem it will be Sal DeGeorge (4-4).
Spokane ….. 200 010 002 1—6 12 1
Salem …...... 010 102 010 0—5 11 3
Conant, Roberts (8), Chase (9), Palm (10) and Sheets; McNulty and Nelson.
VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, July 3]—Bill Schuster said he would move heaven and earth in an effort to persuade General Manager Bob Brown to put him back on the active list and into the Capilanos’ starting lineup for tonight’s game.
The decision came shortly after the Caps had lost their fifth game in a row and third in succession to bottom place Yakima, 6-4, Wednesday at the Stadium.
“This is not a reflection on the job my boys did tonight,” Bill explained. “Two great plays, one by Lodigiani and the other by the Yakima left-fielder, beat us. However, I want to pitch Ed Locke Thursday, and he leaves a vacancy in left field.”
Schuster’s plan is to place Bob Duretto on the inactive list where he would have to stay for 10 days at a minimum.
DURETTO’S BAD KNEE
“The kid’s all swollen after he tried to catch Tuesday night,” Schuster said. “I don’t think he could play for 10 days, anyway, I’m aching to get into the lineup.”
Schuster went through his first rigid workout in months last night before the game started. He gave his ouchy knee a thorough test, running from first to third, sliding and fielding ground balls during batting practise.
“The knee is fine,” he announced. “I need conditioning, mind you, but the knee is sound. It tried everything on it tonight (Wednesday) and it passed the test with flying colors.”
BROWN HAS FEARS
Brown, though, has certain fears about restoring Schuster to active duty.
“What would happen,” he asked, “if Bill got in the lineup and I put Duretto on the active list. Then , say, Bill’s knee went out again—my ball club would be ruined. I’ll have to sleep on it. It might be that Schuster will be in left field tomorrow, though.”
The 6-4 defeat, as Schuster pointed out, might have been different but for those two tremendous fifth inning plays. Edo Vanni had opened the inning with a walk, then Ed Locke powered a line drive into deep left infield. John Albini misjudged the ball, but in a desperation move lunged at the ball when it had gone a foot past him. He made a sensational recovery with a one-handed catch.
Then John Ritchey blistered a one-bounce liner down the third base side and Dario Lodigiani, while ducking away to protect his head from a bad hop, made a one-handed pickup and forced Vanni at second.
However, it might also have been different had the Caps been able to produce as little as an outfield fly in the right place. Twice they left runners on third base when only one was out. Jesse Williams failed to drive in Len Tran in the sixth in this situation, grounding to short. Then Jim Wert bounced to first in a similar situation in the seventh. Those two runs would have made a lot of difference,
BONUS BABY SHOWS
Van Fletcher started for Vancouver and just didn’t have a thing. He was out of there in the second and picked up his fifth loss. Paul Jones relieved and did a good job and when he was lifted for a pinch-hitter, the 1900 fans had a chance to look at bonus baby Tom Lovrich, fresh from the USC campus and recently signed by Seattle.
Tom was nervous and made several mistakes through inexperience. But he showed a good fast ball and a fair curve and he got both pitches over. It looks as if he’ll help once he learns to make his 6 ft. 5 ½ in. as effective as it looks from the sidelines.
- - -
VANCOUVER, July 2 — The Vancouver Capilanos Wednesday night suffered their fifth loss in succession at the hands of a second division club, dropping a 8-4 game to the Yakima Bears.
The Bears got four of their run in the second inning on singles by Len Noren, Dario Lodigiani, Pat Donahue and a double by Ernie Schuerman.
Vancouver catcher John Ritchey whacked an inside-the-park home in the first with one on to give the Caps an early but short-lived lead.
About 1,900 fans were on hand for the game. Fourth and final game of the series — which now stands 3-0 in favor of Yakima — will be played Thursday night.
Yakima …..... 040 010 010—6 11 1
Vancouver … 201 001 000—4 9 2
Wright, Savage (6) and Donahue; Fletcher, Jones (2), Lovrich (7) and Ritchey.
KENNEWICK, [Herald, July 3]—The Lewiston Broncs swung hard Wednesday night but Tri-City hurler George New threw them where they weren't.
And when it was over 13 of the Lewiston's batters struck out. New's teammates came through in the hitting column to give the Braves a 7-5 victory.
The pitcher set a new record for striking out batters at Sanders Field. The previous record was 12 and that was set by New four weeks ago.
New kept the fans on the edge of their seats while he pulled himself out of the pinches. His performance included:
Striking out two batters with two men on base and one away in the third inning.
Striking out two with the bases loaded and one away in the third inning.
Striking out one, walking three to load the bases, and then striking out the last two batters in the seventh.
Topping off the evening's work by striking out two in the last of the ninth.
New yielded seven hits and gave up 11 walks.
His teammates started off their scoring in the first inning. With two away Des Charouhas got his first of three hits for the evening. John Kovenz hit a ball to the
shortstop, Milt Smith. Smith dropped it to put two men on.
Then catcher Nick Pesut rapped out a clean single to score Charouhas and Kovenz.
In the third inning the Braves' batters came through with Charouhas again leading off with a hit. He was thrown out on a fielder's choice which left Kovenz on first. Pesut flied out but right fielder Joe Scalise got a hit that sent Kovenz to second.
Bob Rittenburg slammed out a double that scored Scalise and Kovenz.
First baseman Vic Buccola led off in the fourth inning when he got on first on Smith's second error. Tom Marier and Charouhas got hits to load the bases. Kovenz hit a ground ball to the shortstop who threw Charouhas out at second while Buccola scored and Marier went to third.
Then Pesut hit a long fly ball to right field and Marier scored after the catch.
Tri-City's final run came in the fifth frame with Don Lopes getting a hit with one away. New's sacrifice sent him to second and he was driven in by Vic Buccola's
triple that bounced off the rightcenter field wall.
Two of Lewiston's scores came in the third when the first three batters walked to load the bases. Catcher Jake Helmuth hit a single that drive [sic] in two runs. A sacrifice and two strikeouts retired the side.
In the eighth, Smith got a hit and was driven to third when
Lewiston …….. 000 200 030—5 7 2
Tri-City ….…... 202 210 00x—7 9 1
Nicholas, Clancy (5), Brenner (6) and Helmuth; New and Pesut.
EMPIRE CRUMBLING?
Schuster Calls Special Meeting
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, July 3, 1952]
Bill Schuster, who had been hearing rumors that his empire is crumbling about him, called a special clubhouse meeting Wednesday before the scheduled Vanouver-Yakima baseball game.
Bill made no bones about the fact that there was some dissention on the team, and the meeting was held to head off any serious rift.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t call it dissention,” he later qualified. “The team has lined up into several factions, and each has been blaming the other for our troubles. It won’t do and must stop!”
There were no dissenting votes from any individual, though Bill didn’t expect any under such circumstances. “It’s not hard to tell where the likes and dislikes lay,” he explained. “That doesn’t matter, however, as long as the and pulls together as one and not as a bunch of individuals. I hear Casey Stengel and Joe DiMaggio never got along, but they forgot their grievances when the umpire yelled play ball. That’s what I’m after.”
In the main, this was the text of Schuster’s speech.
“I don’t care how many of you fellows dislike how many others. But for gosh sake, forget these petty quarrels as soon as the game starts. Remember this—you will be governed in other leagues on your results in the WIL. Look after yourself out there. Make your job a good hustling 100 percent try and be satisfied that you did everything in your power to win a ball game. Then, you don’t have to worry what anybody else thinks.”
The Caps agreed they probably had been carrying a few feuds onto the field, and agreed, too, that it hadn’t turned out well for them.
The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, July 3, 1952]
Caps and Their Troubles…
You are a manager and your team is playing .548 baseball. It should be good enough because it’s a winning brand, but it’s not because everyone has said the club is a champion, not just a winner. So what do you do?
You look back and reason this might have started long, long ago … long before you even became a manager ... maybe it was that rainy day in Seattle when you were wearing a Los Angeles uniform.
The umpires insisted the game would be played then, even though the field was knee deep in mud … you didn’t like the idea, but had to go along with it, though not without putting in your two-bits worth … you hauled out a pair of bats and a rain “slicker,” sat down in the third base coaching box and made like you were rowing your way over a lake … for it, you got tossed out of the game
Your name is Bill Schuster and you’re a colorful guy … everywhere you go, sports writers are writing about you because they say you’re a screwball …they call you the “clown Prince” of the Coast League and the other players sneer at you, but when you look at that weekly pay-cheque, you have the last sneer.
As the years go by, you mellow but never lose your flair for comedy … you’re getting smarter and Charlie Graham, once the president of the Los Angeles Angels, even said you were the smartest ball player he had ever met … it was quite a mouthful of praise, because Charlie had met them all—DiMaggio, Williams, Reese, Dressen, Stengel and son on … but you were the smartest of them all.
Combination of Elements …
Now it is 1951 and you have signed to manage the Vancouver Capilanos … it’s a great chance, because Vancouver is a winning city and they have just completed a losing year … everything points to a fine season … you can’t miss.
One year goes by, and you have missed … not by much, mind you, but just enough … however, second place is accepted as a good job on your part and 1952 will be another year.
It looks real fine, too, in the spring of ’52, because your boss, Bob Brown, has put together a team he calls “the finest I’ve ever had” … all you have to do it put them through their paces and they become champions … presto!
Only it doesn’t happen quite like that … the rain starts to fall and your club is slowly rounding into condition … injuries pop up to key players and you find all your strength in a hospital bed.
Your players know they are good … they are champing at the bit, trying to get underway … they are undoubtedly trying too hard … the pressure is on them, and they become un-nerved … they argue amongst themselves … dissention is close at hand.
Your name is Bill Schuster and you have been hired to stop these things … you had a pitcher once named George Nicholas … when he pitched, the whole club was on edge … he was like an old woman: he fretted, fumed and when an infielder kicked one, George gave the guy what for … some of those infielders are still with us, but George isn’t.
More Hustle Would Do…
One of your pitchers the other day blew his top because a ground ball took a bad hop and hit Jesse Williams in the chest … the bases were loaded and it cost the pitcher two runs, but wasn’t his fault, oh no, somebody else allowed those runners to get on base in the first place, and so what it the ball did hit Williams in the chest? … why didn’t he just expand the thing and get the man at first, anyway?
When you write it down, as I have, it sounds foolish … it usually is when a ball player pops off, because when the guy really looks into it closely, he’s only being sore at himself, but taking it out on somebody else.
Your name is Bill Schuster and you read the other day where you were in danger of losing your job … you haven’t been running the club properly, it was said, and you were losing your team’s confidence.
It would be folly to say that even Bill Schuster was managing without mistakes … you have made your share, but can’t most of them be traced to the fact that your team on paper looks like a tremendous run-scoring machine? … on the field, it just hasn’t been, so why kid yourself any longer?
Sometimes a run in the hand is worth more than a flock in the bush, and so far we’ve been leaving an awful lot of ours in the bush … maybe the “big inning” just isn’t for this club … after all is said and done, maybe this is just a team which had better bunt and hit and run, then fall back on its defence.
As far as your job is concerned, you’re in a cut-throat racket … show me one manager in the game today who isn’t on a produce of else ultimatum, whether his name is Bill Schuster or Casey Stengel.
There is, in other words, nothing wrong with your team which a little less rain and a little more hustle won’t cure.
You look back and reason this might have started long, long ago … long before you even became a manager ... maybe it was that rainy day in Seattle when you were wearing a Los Angeles uniform.
The umpires insisted the game would be played then, even though the field was knee deep in mud … you didn’t like the idea, but had to go along with it, though not without putting in your two-bits worth … you hauled out a pair of bats and a rain “slicker,” sat down in the third base coaching box and made like you were rowing your way over a lake … for it, you got tossed out of the game
Your name is Bill Schuster and you’re a colorful guy … everywhere you go, sports writers are writing about you because they say you’re a screwball …they call you the “clown Prince” of the Coast League and the other players sneer at you, but when you look at that weekly pay-cheque, you have the last sneer.
As the years go by, you mellow but never lose your flair for comedy … you’re getting smarter and Charlie Graham, once the president of the Los Angeles Angels, even said you were the smartest ball player he had ever met … it was quite a mouthful of praise, because Charlie had met them all—DiMaggio, Williams, Reese, Dressen, Stengel and son on … but you were the smartest of them all.
Combination of Elements …
Now it is 1951 and you have signed to manage the Vancouver Capilanos … it’s a great chance, because Vancouver is a winning city and they have just completed a losing year … everything points to a fine season … you can’t miss.
One year goes by, and you have missed … not by much, mind you, but just enough … however, second place is accepted as a good job on your part and 1952 will be another year.
It looks real fine, too, in the spring of ’52, because your boss, Bob Brown, has put together a team he calls “the finest I’ve ever had” … all you have to do it put them through their paces and they become champions … presto!
Only it doesn’t happen quite like that … the rain starts to fall and your club is slowly rounding into condition … injuries pop up to key players and you find all your strength in a hospital bed.
Your players know they are good … they are champing at the bit, trying to get underway … they are undoubtedly trying too hard … the pressure is on them, and they become un-nerved … they argue amongst themselves … dissention is close at hand.
Your name is Bill Schuster and you have been hired to stop these things … you had a pitcher once named George Nicholas … when he pitched, the whole club was on edge … he was like an old woman: he fretted, fumed and when an infielder kicked one, George gave the guy what for … some of those infielders are still with us, but George isn’t.
More Hustle Would Do…
One of your pitchers the other day blew his top because a ground ball took a bad hop and hit Jesse Williams in the chest … the bases were loaded and it cost the pitcher two runs, but wasn’t his fault, oh no, somebody else allowed those runners to get on base in the first place, and so what it the ball did hit Williams in the chest? … why didn’t he just expand the thing and get the man at first, anyway?
When you write it down, as I have, it sounds foolish … it usually is when a ball player pops off, because when the guy really looks into it closely, he’s only being sore at himself, but taking it out on somebody else.
Your name is Bill Schuster and you read the other day where you were in danger of losing your job … you haven’t been running the club properly, it was said, and you were losing your team’s confidence.
It would be folly to say that even Bill Schuster was managing without mistakes … you have made your share, but can’t most of them be traced to the fact that your team on paper looks like a tremendous run-scoring machine? … on the field, it just hasn’t been, so why kid yourself any longer?
Sometimes a run in the hand is worth more than a flock in the bush, and so far we’ve been leaving an awful lot of ours in the bush … maybe the “big inning” just isn’t for this club … after all is said and done, maybe this is just a team which had better bunt and hit and run, then fall back on its defence.
As far as your job is concerned, you’re in a cut-throat racket … show me one manager in the game today who isn’t on a produce of else ultimatum, whether his name is Bill Schuster or Casey Stengel.
There is, in other words, nothing wrong with your team which a little less rain and a little more hustle won’t cure.
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