WIL Baseball — 1952

1952 Final Stats

2008-02-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

Pocekay Takes WIL Batting Title;
Lorino Pitching Crown
[Victoria Colonist, Sept. 21, 1952]
Batting at a fast clip during the final weeks of the Western International League schedule, Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee catcher, boosted his season’s average to .352 to success Vancouver’s John Ritchey as the league’s batting champion.
Pocekay finished seven points ahead of the Vancouver catcher, who took the runner-up spot with an 11-point margin over Spokane outfielder Mel Wasley. Wasley’s average was .334 , six points ahead of Bob Moniz, who paced Victoria Tyees and took fourth place in the over-all standings.
Pocekay also dominated the individual departments. He had the most hits, 203; the most total bases, 281; and the most doubles, 45.
TOP SLUGGERS
Tyees dominated the slugging department with Grannie Gladstone and Cec Garriott setting the pace. Gladstone drove in 126 runs and hit 15 home runs. Garriott led in round-trippers with 17 and was runner-up in R.B.I.s with 112. Wasley was the only other player to join the 100 R.B.I. mark, finishing third with 106.
Milt Smith of Lewiston edged out Moniz for run-scoring homers with 126 to the Victoria outfielder’s 120. Des Charouhas of Tri-City led in triples with 15 and Ed Murphy retained his stolen base crown with 46.
DOMINATE HURLING
Victoria hurling dominated the pitching statistics. Ben Lorino was the leader with 24 victories (according to Howe News Bureau statistics released yesterday) and seven losses but teammate Leroy Han was the nominal leader with a 4-1 record. Teammate Carl Gunnarson was runner-up with a 12-5 record.
Lrino posted the most victories and pitched the most innings, 281. Bob Roberts of Spokane appeared in the most games, 50. Ray McNulty, Salem, pitched the most complete games, 26; Frank Dasso, Wenatchee, had the most losses, 28, a new league record; George New, Tri-City, walked the most batters, 209, and shared strikeout honours with Victoria’s Jehosie Heard at 216 each. Frank Chase, Spokane, hit the most batters, 15, and was tied with Keith Bowman of Lewiston for the most wild pitches, 16.
TEAM BATTING
      G AB   R   OR   H   TB   2b 3b HR SH SB BB SO Pct.
Vic 148 4993 832 720 1397 1886 264 33 53 93 131 772 666 .280
Lew 152 5119 819 854 1405 1948 237 39 76 84 93 733 682 .274
Spo 153 4994 768 634 1356 1723 187 51 26 132 137 668 746 .272
Van 141 4696 712 616 1274 1660 182 63 26 97 97 688 495 .271
Yak 152 5042 780 801 1332 1800 221 59 43 115 123 783 775 .264
Sal 152 5016 650 654 1292 1703 216 60 25 81 97 654 701 .258
T-C 148 4898 695 742 1230 1621 183 50 36 112 128 785 804 .251
Wen 152 5013 637 872 1232 1557 195 38 18 74 67 618 675 .246

TEAM FIELDING
              W L T DP TP PB   PO    A   E Pct.
Salem ...... 74 78 0 166 0 17 3924 1798 174 .970
Vancouver .. 72 68 1 151 0 15 3651 1600 192 .965
Tri-City ... 67 79 2 113 1 19 3842 1452 208 .962
Victoria ... 93 54 1 127 0 19 3871 1553 220 .961
Yakima ..... 73 79 0 151 0 23 3929 1705 232 .960
Spokane .... 90 63 0 161 0 11 3914 1696 237 .959
Lewiston ... 70 82 0 123 0 40 3874 1640 260 .955
Wenatchee .. 58 94 0 109 0 21 3869 1522 258 .954

                   AB   R   H TB 2b 3b HR SB RBI Pct.
Pocekay, Wen .... 576 97 203 281 45 6 7 8 80 .352
Ritchey, Van .... 447 96 154 200 24 8 2 27 76 .345
Wasley, Spo ..... 560 108 187 234 28 5 3 16 106 .334
Moniz, Vic ...... 570 120 187 247 32 6 5 25 83 .328
Hamrick, TC ..... 198 29 65 83 10 2 1 4 27 .328
Bouchee, Spo .... 321 68 102 152 19 5 7 4 46 .318
Lodigiani, Yak .. 396 54 126 152 13 2 3 6 66 .318
Smith, Lew ...... 542 126 172 265 33 12 12 42 73 .317
Luby, Sal ....... 502 74 159 208 27 5 4 12 54 .317
Williams, Lew ... 382 71 118 173 23 1 10 1 70 .309
Palmer, Wen ..... 330 57 102 119 15 1 0 5 45 .309
Pries, Vic ...... 482 84 148 180 23 3 1 13 78 .307
Charouhas, TC ... 557 92 171 238 31 15 2 19 84 .307
Kovenz, TC ...... 397 67 121 175 19 7 7 33 76 .305
Brenner, Lew .... 115 17 35 48 10 0 1 0 12 .304
Perez, Sal ...... 577 102 174 258 27 9 13 22 81 .302
Hjelmaa, Wen .... 508 71 151 185 25 3 1 10 76 .297
Vanni, Van ...... 488 82 145 177 20 6 0 6 44 .297
Gladstone, Vic .. 550 81 162 259 40 6 15 19 126 .295
Noren, Yak ...... 403 58 119 164 21 9 2 10 72 .295
Kanelos, Spo .... 511 82 150 188 18 10 0 13 66 .294
W. Bottler, Vic .. 31   7   9 12 1 1 0 0   6 .290
L. Tran, Van .... 481 84 139 184 18 6 5 17 60 .289
Brunswick, Van .. 436 70 126 203 17 12 12 9 90 .289
Garriott, Vic ... 490 111 141 226 34 0 17 23 112 .288
Branham, Vic .... 438 89 126 155 16 2 3 21 41 .288
Moran, TC ....... 472 53 136 185 28 2 5 2 81 .288
Nelson, Sal ..... 412 54 118 153 19 8 0 5 56 .286
R. Bottler, Vic .. 98 17 28 35 4 0 1 1 11 .286
Wilson, Lew ..... 558 103 159 213 26 2 8 17 74 .285
Duretto, Van .... 459 62 131 185 29 8 3 6 67 .285
Helmuth, Lew .... 418 59 119 174 15 5 10 3 69 .285
Adams, Wen ...... 491 63 139 177 25 2 3 6 60 .283
Wert, Van ....... 527 75 149 180 14 7 1 3 82 .283
Donahue, Yak .... 498 60 140 172 22 2 2 2 71 .281
Albini, Yak ..... 422 78 118 196 23 8 13 24 72 .280
Murphy, Spo ..... 590 108 165 208 21 4 5 46 64 .280
Helbig, Vic ...... 97 13 27 39 9 0 1 2 14 .278
Clark, Vic ...... 483 63 134 161 18 3 1 3 50 .277
Abernathy, Vic .. 386 60 107 143 23 2 3 3 67 .277

                   G CG W L IP   R   H BB SO HR WP
Han, Vic ........ 10 4 4 1 67 49 56 64 51 1 9
Lorino, Vic ..... 43 24 24 7 281 122 281 125 168 5 4
Gunnarson, Vic .. 28 8 12 5 147 88 181 43 60 4 1
Shandor, Yak .... 28 20 17 8 213 115 237 72 83 1 4
Brenner, Yak .... 43 20 21 11 272 123 273 72 116 6 2
Roberts, Spo .... 50 1 11 6 95 39 94 60 61 3 4
Conant, Spo ..... 35 16 18 10 247 101 253 75 137 2 4
Francis, Sal .... 26 4 9 5 120 56 106 74 50 9 6
Heard, Vic ...... 44 18 20 12 269 108 219 122 216 7 6
Greenwood, TC ... 30 23 16 10 220 78 148 152 165 3 8
Lovrich, Van .... 20 8 6 6 125 60 120 71 64 7 4
Whyte, Van ...... 21 1 3 2 61 38 78 29 21 1 2
Marshall, Spo ... 41 15 13 9 252 117 232 135 153 7 7
Oubre, Wen ...... 28 14 13 9 191 105 186 120 76 4 7
Savage, Yak ..... 27 11 9 7 133 54 122 51 68 1 4
Guldborg, Van ... 32 14 15 12 212 110 224 120 139 5 9
Palm, Spo ....... 34 7 10 8 150 91 151 121 85 2 5
Bishop, Spo ..... 35 19 16 13 251 102 265 90 89 6 3
Chase, Spo ...... 43 8 16 13 218 133 193 150 144 15 13
Spring, Spo ..... 21 5 6 5 90 41 88 60 84 3 4
Fletcher, Van ... 34 15 12 10 199 84 207 53 79 4 4
Dahle, Wen ...... 35 18 18 15 245 152 280 77 120 2 5
McNulty, Sal .... 37 26 19 16 277 118 301 114 134 4 2
Del Sarto, Yak .. 42 14 13 11 237 132 222 135 117 5 7
Romero, TC ...... 34 27 17 15 277 148 279 152 168 4 3
Snyder, Yak ..... 40 22 14 14 240 111 242 90 106 6 12
Nicholas, Lew ... 34 12 11 11 187 114 193 109 105 10 2
Hemphill, Sal ... 36 12 11 11 184 92 184 83 80 4 7
Schulte, Lew .... 36 11 10 10 170 108 137 157 178 13 9

1952 All-Stars

2008-02-29T16:31:00.000-08:00

WIL All-Stars
SPOKANE, Sept. 24—Pennant-winning Victoria placed three players on the Western International League 1952 all-star team. Selected last week by the league’s sportswriters and scorekeepers.
Cecil Garriott, Victoria playing-manager, was named an all-star outfielder and manager of the year.
The team: John Ritchey, Vancouver, catcher; Bob Greenwood, Tri-City, right-handed pitcher; Ben Lorino, Victoria, left-handed pitcher; Dick Adams, Wenatchee, first base; Hugh Luby, Salem, second base; Jim Clark, Victoria, shortstop; Dario Lodigiani, Yakima, third base; Garriott, Victoria, Mel Wasley and Eddie Murphy, both Spokane, outfield; Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee, utility.

1952 Attendance

2008-02-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

W.I.L. Attendance Down 69,035
[Victoria Colonist, Sept. 24, 1952]
Stepping up a class from “B” to “A” failed to help the Western International Baseball League at the gate this season.
Official figures released yesterday by league president Bob Abel disclosed that attednace dropped about nine percent from 1951 this season. The official paid attendance of 646,120 is the lowest in seven post-war seasons. The 1951 attendance was 715,555. The difference is 69,035.
GAIN 52 PER CENT
Only a 52 per cent gain in Victoria, the replacement of Lewiston with Tacoma and a small increase at Yakima prevented a far-worse let-down.
Victoria, which won its first championship, outdrew Spokane and was second only to Vancouver. The pennant-winning Tyees could not do better than 105,948 but this was a gain of 36,098 from 1951.
Lewiston didn’t have a particularly successful season with only 62,366 to show for a first-year club. This, however, was a gain of 19,903 over the attendance at Tacoma for the last season.
Yakima Bears, who got away to a disastrous start, showed a gain of 4,025 but their attendance of 64,044 hardly indicates that it was a successful financial season.
BIG DISAPPOINTMENTS
Vancouver and Spokane were actually the big disappointments. While Vancouver led the league with 119,533 it was long way from the 200,000 predicted for the Capilanos’ first full season in their spanking new park and 44,494 less than last season.
Spokane’s failure to draw more than 104,500 was most surprising of all. The Inland Empire centre is counted on for around 150,000 each season and it had a contending club which finished second. The loss from 1951 was 41,329.
Salem dropped more than 20,000 and Tri-City and Wenatchee both lost more than 15 per cent of their 1951 total and must be counted as dubious entries for 1953.
MEETING FRIDAY
League officials get together at Seattle Friday to discuss the problem and they privately admit it is a grave one, They are now almost unanimous in their belief that only the entry of Calgary and Edmonton will enable them to survive and the Alberta cities will be a prime topic of discussion.
Attendance figures follow:
1952 1951 change
Vancouver ..... 119,533 164,027 -41,494
Victoria ...... 105,948 69,850 +36,098
Spokane ....... 104,500 145,739 -41,239
Salem .......... 83,047 103,976 -20,929
Yakima ......... 64,044 60,019 + 4,025
Lewiston ....... 62,366 42,463 +19,903
Tri-City ....... 54,022 64,599 -10,577
Wenatchee ...... 52,660 64,482 -11,822
TOTALS ........ 646,120 715,153 -69,035

Closing Day, Sunday, September 14, 1952

2008-02-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

FINAL STANDINGS
W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 94 55 .631 —
Spokane ...... 91 64 .587 6
Vancouver .... 72 69 .511 18
Salem ........ 74 78 .487 21½
Yakima ....... 73 79 .480 22½
Lewiston ..... 71 82 .464 25
Tri-City ..... 67 79 .459 25½
Wenatchee .... 58 94 .382 37½

YAKIMA, Sept. 14—Yakima's defending champion Bears swept a season-ending doubleheader with the Wenatchee Chiefs Sunday, 5-4 and 9-1, but their drive for a first division berth in the Western International League fell half a game short.
A crowd of 1,300 saw the windup of the Class A circuit's schedule here.
The Bears took all four games of the final series with Wenatchee, but their Garrison finish was not good enough to overcome Salem, which clinched fourth place with an 8-7 last-game win over Tri-City at Kennewick.
Frankie Dasso, the league's losingest pitcher with 26 setbacks, was the Wenatchee goat in Sunday's regulation opener.
Playing in right field, Dasso lost Ken Richardson's high fly in the sun with two away in the sixth to let in two runs. Mike Donahue's double and Jack Thompson's single brought in two more. That tied it at 4-all.
Yakima got its winning run in the seventh when, with two out, Len Noren fanned but got to first base when catcher Rip Robinett let the ball roll behind him. Noren scampered home a moment later when Dasso lost sight of John Albini's towering fly in the sun again and dropped it.
The seven-inning nightcap was a breeze for the Bears. Bob Savage (9-7) went the route for Yakima.
Thompson (14-16), who took over for Tom Del Sarto in the sixth, was the first game winner.
First Game
Wenatchee ... 003 001 000—4 6 2
Yakima ......... 000 004 10x—5 9 0
Dahle and Robinett; Del Sarto, Thompson (6) and Donahue.
Second Game
Wenatchee .... 100 000 0—1 4 1
Yakima .......... 102 060 x—9 11 2
Bauhofer, Kapp (6) and Robinett; Savage and Donahue.

KENNEWICK, Sept. 14 — Salem's Senators clinched fourth place in the Western International League Sunday with an 8-7 victory over the Tri-City Braves in a wild game that ended the season for both clubs.
The Senators scored all their runs off three Tri-City pitchers, driving starter George New and reliefer Bill Kostenbader to cover during the barrage. Dave Brittain finished up.
The big frame saw Salem capitalize on five hits, two errors and two walks. Three of the blows were for extra bases. Art Thrasher drove home two runs with a double and Jim Deyo shoved across one with his two-bagger. Bob Nelson's triple brought in Deyo.
Tri-City came within one run of catching up in the seventh when Des Charouhas rapped out his second homer of the season with a mate aboard.
Ray McNulty went all the way for the Senators. New was the loser.
Salem ...... 000 800 000—8 9 0
Tri-City .... 001 004 200—7 14 2
McNulty and Nelson; New, Kostenbader (4), Brittain (4) and Pesut.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED.

Saturday, September 13, 1952

2008-02-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 94 55 .631 —
Spokane ...... 91 64 .587 6
Vancouver .... 72 69 .511 18
Salem ........ 73 78 .483 22
Yakima ....... 71 79 .472 23½
Lewiston ..... 71 82 .464 25
Tri-City ..... 67 78 .462 25
Wenatchee .... 58 92 .387 36½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 14]—Victoria baseball fans gave the pennant-winning Tyees a fine send-off last night. A crowd of more than 2,200 turned out at Royal Athletic Park for “Player Appreciation Night” as the Tyees shared gifts from the club, fans, business firms and the Booster Club. Unfortunately, the Tyees failed to leave the right kind of memory.
Minus regulars Cec Garriott, Granny Gladstone and Jim Clark, the W.I.L. champions looked anything but as they blew a 4-0 decision to the Spokane Indians. They could only manage three hits off three Spokane pitchers, each working three innings, and they were charged with seven errors, their worst defensive display of the season. Missing was the dash and hustle which carried them to the top and kept them there.
It was different in the afternoon, when about 1,000 paying customers saw the Tyees take a 3-2 decision in a 10-inning game playing in an hour and 27 minutes to assure themselves of a series split and a 13-9 margin over the second-place Indians for the season.
The split left the Tyees six games ahead of Spokane, six places and 30 games ahead of the dismal showing of 1951 Athletics.
A comparison of 192 and 1951 standings shows that Spokane, Vancouver and Salem retained their first-division status. The Tyees replaced the Wenatchee Chiefs, who slumped from fourth to last, in the top four.
With players of both clubs invariably going for the first good pitch, the afternoon game moved along at the fastest pace of the season as Carl Gunnarson and Dick Bishop hooked up in an interesting mound battle.
BIG PUZZLE
The Tyees twice took one-run leads but the Indians tied it in their next turn both times. Bishop finally lost it because regular third-baseman Sam Kanelos was given a rest and his replacement, Pat Simmons, found the hot corner a bit of a puzzle.
Simmons, who had previously made two errors, played Lu Branham’s high hopper into a hit to put the first Tyee on the bags in the 10th. Bob Moniz sacrificed and Branham raced all the way to third when Simmons left the bag uncovered. Don Pries broke it up by blooping a single over a drawn-in infield.
Jehosie Heard went after his 21st win under the lights and wound up with his 12th setback.
The Indians won it in the first inning, when singles by Sam Kanelos and Bill Sheets around a walk to George Huffman plated their only earned run. An outfield error gave them a second run in the same inning and they added two more in the sixth, when three errors followed a lead-off single. Heard contributed the first, and crucial, boot.
John Marshall pitched the first three for Spokane and had almost a gay time before manager Don Osborn sent him packing, evidently not at all pleased with the clowning. Jack Spring and Gordon Palm divided the other six innings. The victory went to Spring because of the rule which states that the starting pitcher must work five innings to be credited with a win.
First Game
Spokane .... 001 001 000 0—2 8 2
Victoria ..... 010 010 000 1—3 11 1
Bishop and Sheets; Gunnarson and R. Bottler.
Second Game
Spokane .... 200 002 000—4 5 2
Victoria ..... 000 000 000—0 3 7
Marshall, Spring (4), Palm (7) and Sheets, Hinz; Heard, B. Bottler (9) and R. Bottler.

VANCOUVER [Dick Beddoes, Sun, Sept. 15]—Vancouver Caps Saturday finished the Western International League season largely as they began it—on a losing note.
They were beaten 9-6 by Wenatchee Chiefs when the schedule opened last April, and were dumped 4-1 and 10-0 by Lewiston Broncs in Saturday’s finale.
Between April and September they won oftener than they lost—72 to 69—but that record was a shabby one for a team which Cap officials touted as “the best in Vancouver history” in the spring. Caps again led the WIL in attendance, if it’s any consolation (and it is). When final figures are in, general manager Bob Brown expects the total to nudge 125,000. It might have been as high as 150,000, he claims, if 10 rained-out games had been played.
Ritchey Makes Strong Bid
Saturday’s skirmishing meant little to anyone, except Johnny Ritchey, who was bidding for his second straight WIL batting title.
His bid was a strong one on [unreadable]unting to three-for-six of the doubleheader. Final averages won’t be available for a week, but Ritchey’s bulge, if any, over Wenatchee’s Walt Pocekay, will be slight.
It meant something, too, to Lewiston manager Bill Brenner. He pitched the last seven innings of the night game, gaining credit for his 21st win. No other righthander in the league won that many games.
FROM OUR TOWER—Veteran Ray Tran drew his outright release before the Caps closed shop last Saturday … Ed Locke and Jesse Williams plan to play winter ball in Santo Domingo.
[NOTE.. There was no “all position” stunt in either of the last two games. Duretto played left field in both and Brenner didn’t appear in the first game.]
First Game
Lewiston ...... 100 030 000—4 9 0
Vancouver ... 100 000 000—1 6 1
De George and Lundberg; Locke, Lovrich (2) and Leavitt.
Second Game
Lewiston ...... 016 200 100—10 17 0
Vancouver ... 000 000 000—0 6 1
Schulte, Brenner (3) and Lundberg; Fletcher, Aubertin (3), Locke (5) and Leavitt.

YAKIMA, Sept. 13—Yakima laced the hapless Wenatchee Chiefs 6-1 in a Western International League base ball game Saturday night, piling up the wide margin despite getting only one more hit than the Chiefs.
Wenatchee got its lone run in the first inning when Ross McCormack singled and Walt Pocekay, the league's leading hitter, tripled.
Pocekay got a triple and a double in three at bats.
Wenatchee .... 100 000 000—1 7 1
Yakima .......... 121 000 11x—6 8 1
Stites, Dasso (5) and Robinet; Shandor and Donahue.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Sept. 14]—The Tri-City Braves split a doubleheader with Salem Saturday night. They won the first game 6-3 and lost the second, 6-2.
The second game loss dropped the Braves to seventh place after they had enjoyed an overnight stand in sixth. The Braves had moved to sixth place Friday night by defeating Salem in the series opener.
The loss also ended any chance of tying for fourth place position. Lewiston pumped ahead of Tri-City by one-half same when they defeated Vancouver twice Saturday night.
If the Braves win today they can take sixth by two percentage points.
First Game
A triple by John Kovenz and a homer by Des Charouhas in the fifth inning gave the Braves the victory in the first game against Salem Saturday night.
Salem was leading 3-1 when the Braves came up to bat. Glen Lewis then drew a base on balls. Vic Buccola got his second hit of the evening to send Lewis to second. Satalich's sacrifice advanced the runners.
Lewis scored when Don Lopes grounded out. Ray Hamrick was hit by a pitched ball to again put two men on. Then Kovenz hit boomed a triple out to left-centre field to score both runners.
The clincher runs came when Charouhas hit his homer scoring Kovenz. Although Charouhas leads the league in triples wilh 15, it was his first home run ol the season.
Salem had started the scoring in the second inning with Jim Deyo doubling and Ray MeNulty also getting a double to score him.
In the third they added one when Hugh Luby walked, was sent to third on Connie Perez' single and scored when Art Thrasher hit into a double play.
Their other run came in the fifth. Luby doubled and came home when Perez tripled.
It was the ninth win for pitcher Ad Satalich.
Second Game
In the second game Salem jumped into an early lead and never was headed as they coasted to a 6-2 victory behind the five-hit pitching of Bud Francis.
The lead was threatened once and then a Brooklyn-like play pulled him out of the hole.
Salem had a 2-0 lead going into the last of the fourth when Don Lopes singled for the Braves' first hit. Ray Hamrick then tripled down the right field line scoring Lopes. Kovenz was out and Charouhas walked.
Marier attempted a squeeze bunt but Hamrick did not break for home. Marier was thrown out at first and on the return throw Hamrick was trapped. He eventually beat the ball back to third only to find Charouhas there ahead of him. Hamrick was ruled safe but Charouhas was tagged for the final out.
Salem moved up 3-1 in the fifth, had the margin cut to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth and then salted the game away with two runs in the seventh and one in the ninth.
Bob Greenwood went the route for the Braves and gave up 11 hits walked six and struck out four. It was his 10th loss, to go with 16 victories.
First Game
Salem ...... 011 010 0 3 8 0
Tri-City .... 001 050 x 6 6 0
Collins, Edmunds (5) and Nelson; Satalich and Lewis.
Second Game
Salem ...... 001 110 201 6 11 1
Tri-City .... 000 101 000 2 5 1
Francis and Nelson; Greenwood and Pesut.

Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee, with a .352 average, again is the leading batter in the Western International League, according to statistics compiled by Howe News Bureau.
Pocekay also continues to lead in hits with 193, in total bases with 268 and in doubles with 44.
Other departmental leaders also held their positions. They are: Milt Smith, Lewiston, 123 runs; Des Charouhas, Tri-City, 14 triples; Cecil Garriott, Victoria, 17 home runs; Grannie Gladstone, also of Victoria, 120 runs batted in, and Ed Murphy, Spokane, 45 stolen bases.
Ben Lorino, Victoria, the league's leading pitcher, received credit for two more victories during the week to give him a record of 24 wins and only six losses.
TEAM BATTING
G AB R OR H TB 2b 3b HR SH SB BB SO Pct.
Victoria
143 4833 803 699 1347 1821 256 31 52 92 131 754 635 .279
Lewiston
147 4952 802 822 1367 1900 232 38 75 81 92 713 636 .276
Spokane
149 4877 752 625 1328 1688 184 49 26 127 136 646 722 .272
Vancouver
137 4571 700 604 1244 1621 178 62 25 96 95 668 487 .272
Yakima
145 4828 752 774 1281 1734 213 57 42 112 118 748 740 .265
Salem
146 4781 620 626 1230 1624 206 58 24 75 96 632 669 .257
Tri-City
141 4684 655 715 1166 1523 173 44 32 105 123 755 778 .249
Wenatchee
145 4778 622 841 1178 1489 187 35 18 71 65 598 647 .247

TEAM FIELDING
W L T DP TP PB PO A E Pct.
Salem ....... 70 75 0 161 0 17 374? 1721 168 .970
Vancouver ... 70 66 1 147 0 15 3543 1560 189 .964
Tri-City .... 62 77 2 112 1 19 3659 1398 201 .962
Victoria .... 90 52 1 126 0 18 3748 1504 213 .961
Yakima ...... 69 76 0 145 0 23 3755 1624 227 .960
Spokane ..... 88 61 0 158 0 11 3824 1658 233 .959
Lewiston .... 68 79 0 117 0 40 3748 1579 255 .954
Wenatchee ... 57 88 0 105 0 19 3697 1451 252 .953

Club Sale Pledges Grow
More Than $10,000 Pledged
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 14, 1952]
The Buy-the-Braves Movement leaped ahead during the last of the week and sponsors of the drive said, about $10,000 is known to be pledged.
The figure does not include all the amounts pledged since no effort has been made so far to call the sheets in.
The move is sponsored by the Tri-City Athletic Association. They hope to get enough money pledged to show the directors of the Western International League that the people of the area will buy the baseball club. The Association directors will meet with the League at Seattle, September 26.
No definite figure has been set but it is believed that about $60,000 will be needed to buy the club and provide necessary operating capital.
If the drive nets that amount it will be possible to not only buy stock held by the present owners but will also pay for obligations that must be assumed if the
minimum cash amount is obtained.
Connoll, the smallest of the four cities seeking pledges to buy the club, is way out in front on a per capita basis.
Harold Matheson, president of the Athletic Association, said Steve Johnson of Connell has received pledges totaling $4,000, But since Matheson talked to Johnson, it has been reported that the amount collected there is considerably higher.
In Kennewick, no move has been made to collect the pledge sheets but reports put the amount there at well over $2,000.
Richland, which kicked off with an initial $1,700 has added another $2,800 bringing their total up to $4,500.
In Pasco, the first pledge sheet turned in contained more than $1,000. Amounts varied from the minimum price per share of $50 up to $500.
[list of names not re-posted]

Tyees Hurry to Get Home; All Would Like To Return
[Victoria Colonist, Sept. 14, 1952]
It’s been a long W.I.L. season and Victoria’s championship Tyees are wasting no time in getting started for home, although they agreed to a man they enjoyed playing here and would not mind another season if they don’t get a chance to move up the baseball ladder.
By Tuesday only Don Pries, who left last night with Bill Prior on an up-Island trip in search of some big salmon, will be left on Vancouver Island. A few of the more-leisurely type will stay as long as ’48 hours after the season.
On their way to join the Portland Beavers for the last week of the Coast League season are southpaws Jehosie Heard and Ben Lorino and outfielder Bob Moniz. Teammate Granny Gladstone preceded them last week but it is doubtful if they will see too much action. The Beavers are in a tough struggle for fourth place and may only rely on their regulars.
OFF TO CARACAS
Heard will leave immediately for Caracas after the Coast League season ends to pitch winter ball in the Venezuelan League. He may be joined later by Lorino and Lu Branham, both contemplating the trip. Lorino, however, will head for his North Hollywood home as soon as possible and may yet be on the spot when he becomes a father for the first time. Branham goes straight to his Los Angeles home, leaving Tuesday with Bill Wisneski and Chuck Abernathy. The little colored speedster is also considering a job and winter baseball in the Los Angeles area.
Abernathy has nothing definite planned for the off-season. “I’m just going to play the horses,” he said when asked. Wisneski, who resides in Bel, Cal., has nothing definite planned but hopes to get a winter job helping in playground activities.
BACK TO SCHOOL
It’s back to school for Ron and Bill Bottler, Dwane Helbig and LeRoy Han, all planning to major in physical education. Helbig will spend some time at his Portland home before going back to Oregon State College. Bill Bottler will continue his studies at Portland Univesity so he can stay at home but brother Ron with return to the University of Oregon. Han, who finished his senior high school season just before reporting to Victoria, will enroll at Clark Junior College in his home town of Vancouver, Wash.
Milt Martin leaves today for his home in Vancouver, Wash. He places to take a week or more off to “catch some of those big salmon in the Columbia River” before going to work for an oil company.
Pries will leave for his Alameda home later this week. He may again play winter baseball and is undecided whether to work for a beverage company or take employed at Golden Gate race track.
CAR SALESMAN
Manager Cec Garriott leaves by plane with his family for his home in Gardena. He plans to got back to work as a car salesman for the winter, will probably be back next season if Victoria still has a club and if he doesn’t get a chance to move up the managerial pole. The latter, off his fine work this season, must be said to be a definite possibility.
Moniz will probably play winter baseball in Oakland, is undecided about winter employment.
John Treece leaves today for Salinas, where he will work until Christmas. The Treece family will then take up residency in Seattle, where Treece will be employed as a pattern-maker for an automobile company.
HELPS VANCOUVER
Carl Gunnarson and Bill Prior won’t be far away. Prior will soon be back as a pressman at the Queen’s Printers, while Gunnarson will be a frequent Victoria visitors this winter. The veteran has been appointed trainer for the Vancouver Canucks and will be applying the liniment instead of receiving it. He doesn’t know about next season. “This is a young man’s game,” he said last night but one would need healthy odds to bet that he won’t be wheeling that baseball up to the plate next season.
Business manager Reg Patterson will probably spend the winter figuring out how to pay the club’s bills.

It Beats Me
By Jim Tang
[Victoria Colonist, Sept. 14, 1952]

You can’t judge a team, particularly a team like the Victoria Tyees, by the players it takes to its spring training camp.
The Tyees started training at Salinas in late March. On April 2, they had 25 players in camp. Only eight were left when it clinched its first pennant last Monday. What happened to the others? Let’s start at the beginning and review the building of a championship team.
On April 2 the Victoria players included the following: Catchers Milt Martin, Joe Yanchuk and Maisoe Bryant; pitchers Ignacio Villareull, George Randolph, Don Troy, Ben Lorino, Jim Propst, John Valerie, Bill Wisneski and Larry King; infielders Don Pries, Lu Branham, Cliff Prelow, Dick Bartle and Bill Barron; outfielders Cec Garriott, Bob Moniz, Rufus Johnson, Harvey Allen, Ernie Sites, George Dargel and Granny Gladstone and unknown quantities Walter Towns and John Healy, willing to try any position.
Villareull, Troy, Bryant, Prelow, Johnson, Barron, Dargel, Healy, Yanchuk and King didn’t get out of Salinas with the Tyees. Bartle was told to Salem where he was a good season; Randolph, Allen, Sites and Valerie were released after the season opened and Jim Propst went home with a sore arm after being sold to Salt Lake City conditionally and returned.
Martin, Pries, Lorino, Moniz, Gladstone, Branham, Wisneski, Towns and Garriott stayed with the club, although Wisneski saw his last action on July 18, and Towns, who left last month to join the armed forces, never broke into a box score after July 8.
Picked from 43
Since April 2, the Tyees have had 18 other players and the present roster was selected from a total of 43 players.
The club began to take shape gradually. First-baseman Chuck Abernathy and catcher John Wilburn were obtained from Vancouver in exchange for pitcher Jim Hedgecock, who never reported. Wilburn didn’t stick around long but Abernathy, although bothered with injuries throughout the season, made a valuable contribution.
At about the same time, the club made the deal which probably helped the most of all. It came to terms with shortstop Jim Clark and received special permission from the National Association to sign him. Permission was needed because Clark was given his release at the end of the 1951 season and never went through the baseball draft.
Just before the club broke camp, it signed John Treece, a Salinas resident, to round out the infield. Portland Beavers sent along southpaw Jehosie Heard and catcher Lilio Marcucci in time for the opener, Cal McIrvin in time to pitch his first game on May 3.
Southpaw Eric Gard was signed on and chipped in with four straight route-going pitching jobs before he slumped and was released. Outfielders Bernie Anderson and Dane Pettit got a chance and were released. The same thing happened to pitchers Joe Rajeski and Len Chenard.
When Portland recalled McIrvin, the Tyees moved to plug the gap by signing righthander Bill Prior and purchasing Carl Gunnarson, veteran lefty, from Vancouver Capilanos. Marcucci was released in mid-season and replaced by Ron Bottler, 18-year-old college rookie. Along with him came brother Bill, a righthander, Dwane Helbig and, a little later, LeRoy Han, another youngster, fresh out of high school.
With the club today are: Martin, Ron Bottler, Abernathy, Branham, Clark, Pries, Treece, Garriott, Moniz, Helbig, Lorino, Heard, Gunnarson, Prior, Bill Bottler and Wisneski. Gladstone left to support Portland early last week.
One Never Knows
That’s quite a change from April 2 but just as hard to judge in training camp as the final make-up of a team is what to expect from that make-up. There are bound to be surprises—pleasant and disappointing.
Who could tell that Jim Propst, expected to be the mound leader and sought by almost every club in the W.I.L., and several other leagues, would win two games? Or that Lilio Marcucci would turn out to be a rather disinterested player, only a shadow of the catcher who started so well the previous season?
On other other hand, no one looking at past record could figure that Ben Lorino would lead the league in pitching 25 wins. Or that Bob Moniz would consistently hit around .333 and wind up at .330. There was no pre-season line on Heard, who won 20.
Looking back is always interesting and I couldn’t resist the urge to see what I had written about the club last April. This was the year I had determined to be more subdued—the lessons of three previous training-camp trips still fresh—but it didn’t quite last. The say the season opened my enthusiasm got a bit out of control: “Don’t sell the Tyees short,” I wrote. “The outfit assembled by manager Cec Garriott at Salinas definitely has possibilities. The addition of two or three of the right kind of players in the right spots could put it up among the leaders or, maybe, at the top.”
Yep, it sounds good now. But it wouldn’t sound too bad if we had finished with Lewiston, either. I guess I’m learning.

Friday, September 12, 1952

2008-02-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 93 54 .633 —
Spokane ...... 90 63 .588 6
Vancouver .... 72 67 .518 17
Salem ........ 72 77 .483 22
Yakima ....... 70 79 .470 24
Tri-City ..... 66 77 .462 25
Lewiston ..... 69 82 .457 26
Wenatchee .... 58 91 .389 36

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 13]—It was “Pennant Raising Night” at Royal Athletic Park last night and even the weatherman cooperated to make it a complete success. The only item which marred the evening was the absence of W.I.L. president Bob Abel, unexpectedly called to Tri-City at the last moment—presumably on more pressing league matters.
A crowd of more than 1300 paid turned out for the ceremony, the first of its kind in W.I.L. history here. They applauded heartily as club-president Arthur Cox and manager Cec Garriott raised the huge 20-foot pennant, made especially for the night by a Victoria firm, to the top of the centre-field flagpole.
And the weatherman provided a breeze of just the right strength to keep it proudly waving throughout the game.
HAN IN FORM
The game was a success, too. Fittingly enough, 18-year-old LeRoy Han, who pitched the pennant clincher Monday night, stopped the Spokane Indians cold with three hits to register his fourth win in five decisions, 4-2. It squared the season-ending series at 1-1 and assured the Tyees of a seasonal edge over their nearest rivals.
Han was in top form although a bit wild. The big youngster had a live fast ball and made up for 10 bases on balls by setting 11 Indians down on strikes.
He was in trouble in five of the first six innings but went into the seventh with a two-hit shutout because he was unbeatable in the clutch. He lost the shutout when a blooping single to left field followed two bases on bases and an infield out which moved the runners up. But he should have been out of the inning unscored on, the Tyees messing up what should have been an inning-ending double play just before Pat Simmons hit his run-scoring single.
GREAT IN CLUTCH
Han stuck out Bill Sheets with two out and two runners on in the first inning. He whiffed Frank Chase with runners on second and third and one out in the second and escaped unscathed when Bill Prior, who started the game in centre-field, came up with a great catch of Ed Murphy’s long drive. Han left two runners stranded in the fourth and the bases loaded in the fifth. Ed Bouchee led off the sixth with Spokane’s second hit, a triple, but remained on third base as Han took Wilbur Johnson on a high hopper to the pitcher’s mound and struck out Chase and Murphy.
He retired the last seven men in order after Spokane scored.
The Tyees scored twice in the second on a walk to Chuck Abernathy, singled by Dwane Helbig and Bill Prior, and an error by Bouchee. Their winning run in the third came on a single by Abernathy, a double by Helbig and an infield out and their eighth-inning insurance tally was the result of Prior’s second hit and Milt Martin’s double.
DIAMOND DUST—With Granny Gladstone in Portland and Cec Garriott, Jim Clark and Ron Bottler all sidelined with injuries or illness, the Tyees started with Bill Prior in centre-field. When Don Pries, who opened at shortstop was tossed out for protesting a call at third base by plate umpire John Luksik, Prior took over at third, John Treece moved to shortstop and pitcher Ben Lorino moved to centre-field … Victorian Gordie Perkins handled the base-umpiring chores last night in the absence of Micky Hanick, who as been bothered for two week with a pulled muscle. It was Luksik’s 16th consecutive game behind the plate … Lorino, who has an arm classed as “slightly” sore, is getting a good rest so that he will be at his best for his chance with the Portland Beavers next week … Bob Brown, head man of the Vancouver Capilanos, sent a congratulatory telegram for the big occasion … Jim Clark had a try at broadcasting last night, giving part of the play-by-play account for Bill Stephenson … In addition to Prior, Treece and Mel Wasley came up with fine defensive plays … Don Hopp, the new righthander signed by the Beavers, won’t likely see action this season, being optioned down too late to become eligible.
Spokane .... 000 000 200—2 3 1
Victoria ..... 021 000 01x—4 8 0
Chase, Roberts (8) and Sheets; Han and Martin.

VANCOUVER [Sun, Sept. 13]—Right-hand John (Bud) Guldborg gained a reputation with Vancouver baseball fans this season as a better cusser than he was a pitcher. Friday night, he did a bit of both in hobbling Lewiston Broncs for his 15th win [6-3].
Cap Stadium fans discovered months ago that Guldborg blew his roof in fancy style when the opposition made menacing gestures. Like in the third inning last night when the Broncs scored one run off four hits and one error, committed appropriately enough, by Guldborg.
He muttered several choice adjectives then. Choice enough and loud enough to burn the ears off spectators seated as far away as the left field bleachers.
But he got out of the jam and came on to win when his mates rallied for five runs in the fifth. Guldborg struck out six and walked four, hit safely twice and delivered a neat sacrifice bunt.
It was only his third win before the home fans, who have also seen him lose 10 times. He apparently cussed less and pitched more on the road, where he won 12 games.
Johnny Ritchey, Caps’ most valuable player, and Bob Duretto, their most popular, responded graciously to honors conferred upon them.
Ritchey hit three-for-four to keep alive his chances of overtaking Wenatchee’s Walt Pocekay for his second straight WIL batting title.
- - -
VANCOUVER [News-Herald, Sept. 13]—Bud Guldborg paid his third visit to the winner’s circle in Capilano Stadium Friday with an 11-hit, 6-3 victory over Lewiston. If it doesn’t sound like a brilliant pitching effort, it’s likely because it wasn’t.
Guldborg has put together quite an amazing season. His record, after last night’s loss, is 15 wins and 12 losses. Of the 15 victories, only three have been pitched at home, 12 on the road. Of his losses, every one but one has been handed to him at home!
It should be the other way around, naturally, because Bud pitches half his baseballs in his own beautiful back yard. It just happened that he got the idea early in the season he couldn’t win here, and then went out and proved it.
LEWISTON LED
For awhile, it looked as if he was going to get beaten again last night as Lewiston led 2-0 going into the fifth. Then the Caps erupted, when three bunts fell in safely for basehits, for five runs and the ball game. Eleven men went to the plate in the unorthodox inning and starter Jim Clancy had to have help to get out of the park alive.
Apart from Guldborg, most everyone was concerned with John Ritchey. The catcher, who is in a deaths struggle with Walt Pocekay of Wenatchee for the batting title, was honored as the Caps’ most valuable player last night. Then he showed us why.
TWO MORE LEFT
John had a three-for-four evening which didn’t hurt his chances for the title at all. He had today’s two games (2:30 in the afternoon, 8:15 at night) left and hasn’t much ground to make up to win it all.
Bob Duretto was named the Caps’ most popular player. He received an honorarium, too. And he played a whale of a ball game in right field, making a second-inning grab of Charlie Mead’s foul liner which stood the fans on their ears.
DIAMOND DUST—The 1952 baseball season winds up with two games, 2:30 and 8:15 under the lights … Appropriately enough, Bill Brenner will pitch for Lewiston and he’ll probably be looking for his 21st win at night … Edo Vanni has picked on Ed Locke and Van Fletcher to pitch the two games … If Fletcher’s hand isn’t right, it will be Tom Lovrich at night … John Cox of Penticton, B.C., was the lucky fan who won a wrist watch in a home-plate drawing made by Bob Duretto last night.
Lewiston ....... 011 000 010—3 11 2
Vancouver .... 000 051 00x—6 9 1
Clancy, Nicholas (5) and Lundberg; Guldborg and Ritchey.

YAKIMA, Sept. 12 — Bunched hitting and timely walks gave the Yakima Bears a 4-3 Western International League baseball victory over the heavier hitting Wenatchee Chief Friday night.
Wenatchee ... 100 010 100—3 10 0
Yakima ......... 200 200 00x—4 8 0
Kapp and Robinett; Savage and Donahue.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Sept. 14]—Nick Pesut's home run with two men on gave the Braves a 7-6 victory over Salem Friday night.
It was Pesut's second homer of the season. His first one was a bases-loaded smash.
For Salem, Connie Perez paced their hitting with a homer and a double.
Salem was leading 4-2 going in to the bottom of the fifth. Then singles by Dave Brittain, Des Charouhas, Vic Buccola and a double by Tommy Marier pushed two runs across.
It was then that Pesut homered.
Ralph Romero, pitching for the Braves, boosted his win record to 17.
Salem ....... 001 122 000—6 10 1
Tri-City ..... 011 050 00x—7 11 3
DiBiasi and Nelson; Romero and Pesut.

FOLLOW THE SUN
With Erwin Swangard
[Vancouver Sun, Sept. 13, 1952]

The curtain rings down quietly, and I suspect rather mercifully, on Operation Capilano today.
Even the most charitable critics will have to declare it a failure when measured in the terms of effort and talent expended on it.
Our Caps of the Western International Baseball League play their last two games of the season today and I for one hope ye baseball fans turn out en masse to say goodbye.
My reason for this appeal is twofold:
1. There should be considerable soul-searching in the Cap front office this winter and the result will probably be that some of the current faces will not be with us next season.
2. In their own frustrated way the Caps gave us some pretty good entertainment even if they did fail to be the type of ball club which could capture and hold it’s [sic] fans.
Better or Worse?
Frustration is the most appropriate noun I can think of to describe the atmosphere which must pervade the inerts of the Little Mountain baseball palace today.
The ultra-loyal fan, God bless him, will argue with me: “What’s the matter with the Caps? They finished in third place, didn’t they? Not every club of eighth can finish in first place.”
I hate to say this, but Caps in my opinion didn’t finish third because they were much better than the other five clubs but rather the other five clubs were much worse.
The 1952 Capilanos will be remembered as the club which could have been tops, but failed miserably to rally the spirit of which championship teams are made.
On Paper Tops
On paper they were supreme, on the diamond they were barely above average.
Being logic let’s us ask why?
First of all we must deal with tangible reasons. Caps had a real bad start. They were plagued by an early epidemic of injuries probably due to the fact that spring training was a farce because the weather wouldn’t co-operate.
Management felt Bill Schuster, who last year chased the power-laden Spokane Indians down to the wire, was unable to instil the heart and mishandled the players badly.
You may remember the blue Monday Schuster received his walking papers.
He did, ostensibly because he said publicly that the Caps would be lucky to finish third. That, of course, was not the primary reason. Everybody and his dog knew—that management was dissatisfied with his strategy and tactics.
Who Was Right?
Maybe it sounded good at the time.
Does it sound so good right now?
When he was abdicated Caps trailed Victoria by a mere eight games. They were in second place and still in contention.
Now they are in third place, 17 games behind the pennant winners who emergency triumphant because they found the spirit among a group of average players the Caps lacked among a group of alleged stars.
Edo Vanni who succeeded Schuster can hardly be blamed.
Management will say the damage was done before Vanni took over.
I would say our Caps didn’t have it this year and thus pass the ball back to where it belongs:
THE FRONT OFFICE

Thursday, September 11, 1952

2008-02-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 92 54 .630 —
Spokane ...... 90 62 .592 5
Vancouver .... 71 67 .514 17
Salem ........ 72 76 .486 21
Yakima ....... 69 79 .466 24
Lewiston ..... 69 81 .460 25
Tri-City ..... 65 77 .458 25
Wenatchee .... 58 90 .392 35

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 12]—History will be made at Royal Athletic Park tonight and Victoria baseball fans who had to wait seven long years for the moment, shouldn’t pass up a chance to sit in on it. In years to come it might well be a good bedtime story to tell the grandchildren about the raising of the first W.I.L. pennant in Victoria.
Yes, it’s “pennant-raising night” tonight as the Tyees break with tradition and hoist the banner of success only four nights after it was officially theirs.
Such affairs are usually left for the following season and club officials hasten to explain that the hurry is not actually occasioned by any doubts that there will be a following season. With nothing left but to finish out the schedule, there is the understandable urge to give the fans an added attraction.
The ceremony will take place before the game with league president Bob Abel making a special trip from Tacoma to officiate.
It was “radio appreciation night” last night and the prize-giving helped attract a crowd of 1,000 fans. But the weatherman was not among the appreciative and cut baseball action short after five innings.
CONANT AT BEST
It was probably just as well. Spokane’s John Conant was at his best and he was receiving plenty of batting support from his teammates. He was leading, 9-0, when the game was called and from the way things were going, a full nine innings would only have made it worse.
Conant, who invariably hits his peak form near the end of the season, has seldom been better. Only a slashing single to right field by John Treece to lead off the fifth prevented hi from registering the second no-hit game at Athletic Park in two nights, although base-umpire Micky Hanick gave him a big assist in the second. Chuck Abernathy hit a bouncer to shortstop Wilbur Johnson and appeared to have the throw beaten by almost a step but he was called out.
CONTROL TROUBLE
Meanwhile, the Indians had no trouble with Bill Bottler, who again had control trouble. The young righthander walked nine men before Bill Prior was called in to help him out in the fifth. The Indians didn’t waste any of their eight hits at they took full advantage of the generosity to pile up a big lead, batting around in both the second and fifth innings.
The loss moved Spokane within five games of the leaders but only three games are left. Tonight’s game will be followed by the usual split doubleheader tomorrow and that’s it. The season’s final game will be “Player Appreciation Night” with gifts for the fellows who brought Victoria this flag and a chance for a fan to win a $550 oil burner—installed—to be given away by the Booster Club.
Spokane .... 031 14—9 8 0
Victoria ..... 000 00—0 1 2
Conant and Sheets, B. Bottler, Prior (5) and R. Bottler.

KENNEWICK, [Tri-City Herald, Sept. 12] — The Tri-City Braves made it three in a row Thursday night by defeating the Yakima Bears, 6-4.
George New did the pitching for Tri-City, whose control gives manager Charlie Gassaway ulcers. He walked seven Bear batters. He gave up eight hits—one of them John Albini's homer in the fourth with a man on.
Tonight the Braves will open a series with Salem. A feature of the game will be the appearance of Jackie Price, top baseball clown. The series will end Sunday with the season-ending game then being played starting at 2 p.m.
The win Thursday night puts the Braves one half game out of fourth place and one game out of fifth. If they can possibly win all four from Salem, they can possibly tie for fourth place.
The Braves jumped off to an early lead. Des Charouhas walked in the second and Tommy Marier singled to send Charouhas to third. Joe Scalise hit into a double play but Charouhas scored.
The big inning was the third. Vic Buccola was walked. Don Lopes' triple to left-center scored him and Lopes scored when Dave Brittain doubled. An error, a single by Charouhas, and a double by Marier brought in two more runs.
The Bears picked up three runs in the fourth. Chuck Malmberg walked and went to third when Jerry Zuvella [sic] doubled.
Len Noran [sic] grounded out but Malmberg scored. It was then that Albini homered down the left-field foul line.
The Braves ended their scoring with one insurance run in the eighth. Charouhas walked and was sacrificed to second. Joe Scalise' hit to score him.
Yakima picked up one run in the ninth with Dario Lodigiani pinch-hiting for Tom Del Sarto, getting a walk. A triple by Zuvella brought him home.
Dave Brittain, a pitcher, paced the Braves hitting with a double and a triple in four times up. Brittain was playing left field in a shift that saw Charouhas at second, and Lopes at shortstop.
Ray Hamrick, regular shortstop, was out of the lineup because of spike injuries in his left forearm.
Yakima's score in the fourth broke a 21-inning streak in which the Bears were unable to score off the Braves.
The attendance Thursday night was 290.
Yakima ......... 000 300 001—4 8 1
Tri-City ........ 014 000 01x—6 1 1
Del Sarto, Donley (3) and Donahue; New and Lewis.

SALEM, Sept. 11 — The Salem Senators wound up their home Western International League season here Thursday night, losing 5-4 to Wenatchee.
The season’s attendance at Salem was 95,645.
Wenatchee ..... 100 200 200—5 11 0
Salem ............ 004 000 000—4 11 3
Dahle and Robinett; Edmunds and Thrasher.

Lewiston at Vancouver, postponed, rain.

SPORTS NOTES
By Gil Gilmore

[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 12, 1952]

The next week should tell the tale.
The Tri-City area must decide now whether it wants to keep a Class A baseball club. The decision will depend upon the outcome of the current drive to Buy-the-Braves.
There is no longer two ways about it. Dick Richards, present manager and majority stockholder, can't move from here without first getting the league directors' permission. But Richards can easily get permission to move the franchise if the area shows no inclination to buy the club.
Sept. 26 will be the deadline. The time to act is now. The Athletic Association, which is pushing the drive, realizes it has a tough row to hoe. They expect large investors will be few. They see little possibility of finding a financial angel. Therefore, they are turning to the people of the area to get the job done.
It's going to take hundreds of $50 one-share sales to put the drive across. Baseball fans from every economic class must invest if the club is to stay here.
In some respects, it is better that way. It will mean a greater group will own a share of the club and the community, it will also show that Richards is wrong—that the Tri-Cities want good baseball.
INVESTMENT
The men behind the drive point out this is no charity movement. It is an investment. Like any investment it carries a risk but it also promises a return on the dollar. The small gate in recent weeks is the cause of many things. But even Richards concedes any ball club could make a go of it here in a few short years.
Buying the Braves is also another kind of an investment—an investment in the Tri-City area. The area is big enough and populated enough to support the club. The Tri-Cities are continuing to grow.
But if the franchise is moved from here now, it will be long, if ever, returning. Like Tacoma, the Tri-Cities will find themselves sitting on the outside hoping for another chance.
Pledge sheets are available. The members of the Athletic Association will be be around. When they come, sign up. We are up now with two away in the last of the ninth.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Customer's Take Exceeds Solons'
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 11—J. A. Resendez, one-time semi-pro pitcher, finally cashed in on a trip to the mound.
He was selected by lot from the 695 customers at the Sacramento-Oakland, Pacific Coast League doubleheader Thursday night to try to tote "all the money you can carry" from the mound to home plate.
Resendez lugged a sack of coins the required 60 feet, 6 inches. The sack disgorged $446.78 in pennies, nickels, dimes etc. to dollars.
The promotion stunt was a money-loser for the Sacs. The Oaks swept the twin bill and received 40 per cent of the approximate $700 gate.

Wednesday, September 10, 1952

2008-02-27T04:37:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 92 53 .634 —
Spokane ...... 89 62 .589 6
Vancouver .... 71 67 .514 17½
Salem ........ 72 75 .490 21
Yakima ....... 69 78 .469 24
Lewiston ..... 69 81 .460 25½
Tri-City ..... 64 77 .454 26
Wenatchee .... 57 90 .388 36

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 11]—Jehosie Heard, who failed in two previous attempts to notch his 20th victory of the season finally gained it last night and made it an occasion never to be forgotten.
Unperturbed by a shoddy defense in the opening inning, Heard set down Lewiston Broncs without a hit at Royal Athletic Park to pace Victoria Tyees to an 11-2 triumph and give then a 2-1 series edge.
The victory kept the league champion Tyees six games in front of the Spokane Indians, who edged Vancouver Capilanos, 4-3, at Vancouver last night.
INDIANS HERE
The Indians open a four-game series with the Tyees at Royal Athletic Park tonight to wind up the W.I.L. season. Bill Bottler will get the starting assignment for the Tyees with John Conant his likely mound opponent. It will be Radio Appreciation night with no radio broadcast of the game.
Heard began inauspiciously last night by walking Milt Smith to open the game. Snag Moore then grounded to Jimmy Clark, who threw into the dirt at first, leaving both runners safe.
Jake Helmuth then tried to advance the runners with a sacrifice bunt but Heard could not pick up the ball, enabling Helmuth to take first and fill the bases.
Butch Moran grounded to Clark, who threw to Lu Branham at second to force Helmuth but Smith scored on the play. Branham attempted to complete a double killing at first but his throw was in the dirt, enabling Moore to score also. Moran attempted to go to second and was thrown out by Chuck Abernathy.
BIG MAN AT BAT
Heard also played a part in the Tyees attack. He hit three singles in four trips, was hit on the head with a pitched ball and scored three runs.
It was his first no-hitter and the first of the season in the W.I.L. Heard was unaware of his performance until after the game was over.
Heard struck out six to boost his season’s total to 210 and walked four. The nearest thing to a hit after the first inning was a smash in the seventh to Don Pries, who left the ball go through his legs at shortstop.
Tyees evened the count in the third when they tallied twice on singles by John Treece, Heard, Branham and Bob Moniz.
WINNING ASSAULT
They won it with a six-run outburst in the fourth. Singles by Abernathy, Ron Bottler, Heard and Pries, a hit batsman, and a triple by Treece chased Keith Bowman and brought in Larry Powell. Powell hit Granny Gladstone, walked Abernathy and threw a wild pitch to force in the final two runs before retiring the side.
First baseman Butch Moran took over the hurling duties for the rest of the game and did a creditable job except in the seventh when Tyees scored their final three runs. Heard was hit on the head, Moniz tripled and Gladstone followed with a double.
Lewiston .... 200 000 000— 2 0 1
Victoria ...... 002 260 30x—11 14 4
Bowman, Powell (4), Moran (5) and Lundberg; Heard and R. Bottler.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Sept. 11]—What is left of local baseball fandom is viewing with alarm what is happening to John Ritchey, who is striking to retain his WIL batting championship and is getting little but the aches for his troubles.
Wednesday, John went ought-for-four in his bid against a guy he usually hits like he owns. That would be John Marshall, a tough hombre for most but a first cousin to Mr. Ritchey these past two seasons.
John sort of evened up on Ritchey last night as he beat the Caps 4-3 through a combination of some heavy stick-work in the early innings and a little peculiar Capilano strategy in the late going.
HE’S SLIPPING
Ritchey struck out once, grounded out weakly and twice lined out. In two night he hasn’t shown a hit in six tries and the race against Walt Pocekay of Wenatchee is not showing the dividends Ritchey intended.
John says he’s tired, and it might be so. He has caught a lot of baseball and swung a lot of
35-ounce sticks. However, so has Bill Sheets, who last night caught his 145th game of the year and who will set a record in this department before he is through for the season.
Bob Snyder didn’t have too much as he tried to beat a club he rarely has any trouble with, and instead of coming up with his 15th win, Robert had to take his 13th loss on the chin. George Huffman and Mel Wasley each drove in a pair of runs to provide Marshall’s winning streak but Snyder might have gotten off the hook had it not been for the Caps’ peculiar eighth-inning rally, which fizzled.
ODD STRATEGY
With two out and Gordie Brunswick on first, Bob Duretto crashed a liner against the right field wall for a double. Brunswick scored the third Vancouver run but Duretto, representing the tying run, got the “come on” sign from third base coach Tom Lovrich and got himself thrown out from here to there trying to make it. After that Vancouver never had another scoring opportunity. It might have been that they didn’t deserve one, for they tossed away a pretty good try.
DIAMOND DUST—Instead of Popular Player Night coming this evening, it will be held Friday night and along with it, the Caps most valuable player will be named and honored … Lewiston and Bill Brenner will be in town this evening and for the rest of the week … It appears fairly certain that on Saturday night, Bob Duretto and Brenner will play every position on the diamond in a special sort of stunt which is almost unheard of in baseball … Both players will start the game by pitching … Brenner hasn’t been asked yet, but he’s never turned down a good gag yet … Bud Guldborg goes for the Caps tonight against the Broncs in a single game at 8:15.
Spokane ..... 101 020 000—4 11 2
Vancouver ... 000 100 110—3 8 1
Marshall and Sheets; Snyder, Whyte (5) and Ritchey.

SALEM, Sept. 10 — Salem, though held to two hits by Pitcher Bill Stites defeated Wenatchee 1-0 in Wednesday night's Western International League baseball game here.
Stites pitched no-hit ball for seven innings.
Wayne Peterson touched him for the first safety in the seventh and in the eight Bob Nelson's single to centre let in the winning tally.
Wenatchee ... 000 000 000—0 9 1
Salem .......... 000 000 01x—1 2 0
Stites and Robinett; McNulty and Nelson.

KENNEWICK, [Tri-City Herald, Sept. 11] — Another record was set at Sanders Field Wednesday night.
The 170 persons who were there—the lowest number in the history of the field—saw Ad Satalich pitch the Braves to a six-hit shut-out out over the Yakima Bears. Meanwhile, Tri-City picked up four runs off Yakima pitcher Jack Thompson.
Tonight the Braves will open end the series with Yakima. Then Salem will come here for the final series of the season. The final game on Sunday will be played at 2 p.m.
The scoring Wednesday night started in the second inning. Des Charouhas got a single—his first of three hits fro the night. Tommy Marier drew a base on balls and Vic Buccola's sacrifice advanced both runners.
Charouhas scored when Nick Pesut grounded out.
Marier scored in the third. He drew a walk and went to second when Buccola grounded out. Joe Scalise doubled to bring him home.
The fifth inning tallies came when Ray Hamrick was safe on a fielder's choice. He moved to second on a sacrifice and Marier walked. A double by Charouhas scored him. Marier walked and then Vic Buccola's single brought Charouhas home.
Satalich found himself in real trouble only once during the game. In the fourth inning, a double and two walks loaded the bases. Then Mike Donahue popped out. Pitcher Thompson was fanned to end the inning.
Satalich struck out eight, three of them in the eighth inning.
Len Noran, Yakima first baseman, got two for four to lead the Yakima hitting.
Charouhas' three for four paced the Braves' hitting. Don Lopes picked up three for five.
Hamrick, the Tri-City shortstop, was spiked in the forearm in the third inning. The injury happened when Thompson attempted to steal second.
Pesut's peg was good and Hamrick took the ball in a semi-horizontal position to tag Thompson out. However, the pitchers spikes raked Hamrick's forearm when pitcher slid into second.
Hamrick's arm was stiff Wednesday night but he is not expected to be out of the lineup.
Yakima ....... 000 000 000—0 6 0
Tri-City ...... 010 120 00x—4 10 1
Thompson, Shandor (5) and Donahue; Satalich and Pesut.

Buy-The-Braves Backers Facing Time
Need Mass Effort To Purchase Club
[Tri-City Herald, September 11, 1952]
Backers of the Buy-The-Braves drive are racing against time today to get enough pledges of financial support for the purchase of the ball club.
Pledge sheets are being distributed to more people. The sheets say the amount pledged will be due six months after Oct. 1.
Thursday officers of the Tri-City Athletic Association clarified their role in the proposed purchase. They said they were sponsoring the drive for money because they were the logical organization to do so.
They said that if the drive is a success and the stock is sold, a success and the stock is sold, a meeting of all stockholders will be called to determine organization policies. The association will still control their one-seventh of the club.
The officials emphasized that none of the money pledged need be paid now. The minimum amount for a share is $50. The backers assert it is obvious that the support must come from all levels. They are depending on a mass response to put the drive over.
It is their hope to get a sufficient number of pledges by Sept. 26. That is a date for a meeting of the Western International League board of directors.
It is the intention of those behind the drive to take the pledges to the meeting to show that the Tri-City area wasn't to keep the club.
If the backers fail to get the needed pledges, the board will probably permit the franchise to move elsewhere.
It is expected that about $60,000 will be needed for the purchase of the club. The present owners are Dick Richards, Arnold Sanborn, Del Kidder and Vern Johnson.

SPORTS NOTES
By Gil Gilmore
[Tri-City Herald, September 11, 1952]

The drive to buy the Tri-City Braves has started and the initial response has been good. Now's the time to get set for the long pull.
Officially, there is no deadline on the drive. But unofficially, you can set Sept. 26 down as the day of decision. Here's why.
On that date the Athletic Association officials will journey to Seattle to attend the Western International League board Of directors' meeting. At that meeting, important decisions will be made concerning the Tri-City franchise.
If the Athletic Association members go there showing pledges and other responses indicating tnat the people of the Tri-Cities are interested in keeping the club, then the possibility of permitting the franchise to move is very small.
However, if the Athletic Association officials have little to show, the directors may be inclined to agree with Dick Richards — that the Tri-City area is not a good baseball area—and Richards will be permitted to sell his shares elsewhere.
A good indicator of a town's importance is the size of the ball club. We have a peculiar situation here in that there are three—or better yet four—towns which
by uniting behind the club make up one. And a class A area like the Tri-Cities and Connell deserves to have a Class A club.
It is going to take cash to keep the club here — cash in $50 lumps. So if you are interested in buying a share of tha Braves, contact Harold Matheson of Pasco, Kit Campbell and Bob Philip of Richland; Clarence Hayes and Steve Johnson of Connell, and Howard Beste and Harry Owens of Kennewick.
All of these men have pledge cards and they are looking for people to fill them out and sign up.
JOB WANTED
Is there anyone in need of some help during the last couple of weeks of this month.
I have one baseball pitcher with a 16-14 record who will need a temporary job. He is Ralph Romero, Tri-City Braves hurler, and if possible he would like to get into some type of recreation work. If not, he will take anything.
Normally Ralph would leave for his home in San Jose, Calif. when the season ends Sept. 14. However, Ralph recently became a father and he intends to hang around 1he Tri-City area for a couple of weeks so his wife and child will be in condition for the trip.
Baseball players' salaries end with the season. Therefore, Ralph would like to have a job for a couple of weeks beginning about Sept. 15. If you have anything you can either contact me or see Ralph.

Tuesday, September 9, 1952

2008-02-27T03:20:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 91 53 .633 —
Spokane ...... 88 62 .587 6
Vancouver .... 71 66 .518 16½
Salem ........ 71 75 .486 21
Yakima ....... 69 77 .473 23
Lewiston ..... 69 80 .463 24½
Tri-City ..... 63 77 .450 26
Wenatchee .... 57 89 .390 35

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 10]—Bill Brenner, likeable manager of the Lewiston Broncs, is one of the most remarkable figures in baseball.
A catcher throughout his playing career, and a good one although often hampered by injuries, Brenner took up pitching at a time in his diamond career when most players are ready to call it a day.
Managing at Yakima last season he got into 41 games behind the plate and started to try his luck on the mound. He appeared in nine games and managed a 2-4 record.
Moving to take over at Lewiston this season, he became a full-fledged pitcher and his is the success story this season in the W.I.L.
Last night at Royal Athletic Park he appeared in his 41st game on the mound and he became the season’s second 20-game winner by pitching his club to a 5-3 victory over the Victoria Tyees. The man he defeated was Ben Lorino, the league’s first 20-game winner, who was seeking his 26th triumph.
GOOD CONTROL
Brenner has pitched 20 complete games and 264 innings and figured in 30 decisions. His pitching is a lesson to aspiring youngsters. He is not fast and has no great repertoire, but he has head and heart and control. He walked only 66 men in his first 237 innings and he improved that last night by issuing only one base on balls.
Brenner held the Tyees to five well-scattered hits for seven innings while his team gave him a 5-0 lead. He faltered in the eighth inning, when he gave up four of the 10 hits he allowed, his lone base on balls and the Tyees’ three runs, but he pitched coolly out of the jam to save No. 20.
His win kept his club safely in sixth spot and retained for him a chance to lead it into the first division. The Broncs trail fourth-place Salem by three and a half games.
ERROR COSTS WIN
Lorino, who had a bit of a rocky going in the middle innings, lost it, as it turned out, on two unearned runs in the third inning. An error by Don Pries set the stage for the rally and the Tyees could only get back the single run scored by Lewiston in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
The series concludes tonight with either Bill Bottler or Jehosie Heard due to pitch for the Tyees. One of the season’s better crowds is expected with the appearance of Johnny Price, baseball’s leading one-man act, as an added inducement.
DIAMOND DUST—Don Hopp, the 19-year-old righthander recently signed by the Portland Beavers, is with the Tyees and has been getting a workout in the bullpen during the last two games. Recently voted the outstanding semi-pro player in Oregon, he will likely get a chance to show his wares before the season is over … Infielder John Treece rejoined the Tyees when they returned home Monday with all differences settled … Tyee players report that Cal McIrvin is to be sold to the Spokane Indians at the end of the season … With Ron and Bill Bottler, Dwane Helbig, LeRoy Han and Hopp almost certain to be here next season, the Tyees can look forward to a good club again. There is also every chance that the other Portland-owned youngsters such as Frank Chase, Adolph Satalich and Dick Waibel will be sent here. Granny Gladstone and Jim Clark came up with fine defensive plays last night.
Lewiston .... 002 111 000—5 10 0
Victoria ...... 000 000 030—3 10 1
Brenner and Lundberg; Lorino and Bottler.

VANCOUVER [Dick Beddoes, Sun, Sept. 10]—Edo Vanni removed his working clothes at Cap Stadium Tuesday night and said, cautiously; “Looks like we’ll finish a good, strong, raging third.”
The Vancouver Cap manager has learned to be cautious in his forecasts about Vancouver’s final position in the Western International League. In earlier prophecies Vanni had ‘em finishing a good, strong, raging first, and, later, a good, strong raging second.
Even now, in the last week of the season, Vanni could be wrong. Salem Senators are still threatening Caps’ third place, acting like they want Vancouver to finish a good, strong, raging fourth. Perish the thought!
Both teams won last night, Vancouver clipping Spokane Indians and Salem sinking Wenatchee Chiefs. Scores in both games were 2-1.
Results left the Caps ahead by 4½ games with each club having five games to play.
Caps hustled, too. Especially pitcher Ed Locke, who earned his 10th win of the year after batting Dick Bishop for nine innings. Locke struck out eight, walked one and gave up six hits.
Otherwise strong pitching dominated the fine, fast game—fastest game of the year locally at one hour and 40 minutes.
Bob Snyder pitches the last Spokane game tonight, beginning at 8:15. Lewiston Broncs arrive Thursday for a four-game series, which concludes Saturday with an afternoon-night doubleheader.
FROM OUR TOWER—Bob Brown does not fancy stunts but he may resort to one during the Vancouver-Lewiston series which seals off the season this weekend at Cap Stadium. He would like one player from each team to play one inning at every position, making it rough on scorers but entertainment for fans … Nobody but Bob Duretto could handle it for the Caps, and Bill Brenner would be a logical choice for Lewiston … Brenner has gone especially well at one position this season, namely pitching. Last night, in Victoria, he won his 20th game.
- - -
Gordie Brunswick was the big gun in the Vancouver attack as he cracked out his 12th homer of the season in the fourth and later scored the winning run after getting
aboard on a walk and coming home on Jim Wert's long triple.
Spokane ....... 000 100 000—1 6 1
Vancouver .... 000 100 01x—2 7 0
Bishop and Sheets; Locke and Ritchie.

SALEM, Ore., Sept. 9 — The Salem Senators scored two runs in the 11th inning to defeat Wenatchee 2-1 in a Western International League baseball game here Tuesday night.
After Wenatchee tallied its lone run in the top of the llth, Salem came back with the game-winning rally. A single by Catcher Bob Nelson scored Dick Bartle. Then Wenatchee Pitcher Frank Dasso walked Art Thrasher and Gene Tanselli to force in Jim Deyo with the winning run.
It was Dasso's 26th loss of the season. Bud Francis, who went in for Salem in the 11th, was the winning pitcher.
Wenatchee scored after singles by Lyle Palmer and Walt Pocekay and two bases on balls, forcing in Palmer.
Wenatchee ..... 000 000 000 01—1 7 1
Salem ............ 000 000 000 02—2 11 1
Oubre, Dasso (7) and Pocekay; Collins, Francis (11) and Nelson.

KENNEWICK, [Tri-City Herald, Sept. 10] — Ray Hamrick's bases-loaded homer sewed it up good Tuesday night while Bob Greenwood twirled a three-hit 8-0 shutout for the Tri-City Braves against the Yakima Bears.
Only twice during the game did the Yakima Club get a man in scoring position. The first time came in the eighth when Ernie Sheurman hit and moved to second on a sacrifice.
In the ninth Len Noran hit and moved to second when John Albini walked. Both then advanced on a wild pitch.
Then Greenwood struck out former teammate Frank Mataya to end the game.
The Braves led off with the scoring in the first inning. They picked up two runs on Don Lopes' walk, another walk, this time Hamrick, and a single to Des Charouhas.
Another run was scored in the fifth. John Kovenz singled and came home on Vic Buccola's double. Then came the clincher, Joe Scalise got a hit. Greenwood walked and Lopes got a hit. Hamrick came up and poled the ball over the left field wall for a grand slam.
The Braves picked up another run in the eighth. Des Charouhas led off with a triple—his 15th of the season—and scored on Buccola's long fly to right field.
The game was played before 219—the smallest crowd in the history of Sanders Field. Low temperatures kept many people home.
Greenwood always had control of the game. Although he was playing with a slight leg injury, the lanky hurler fanned five, and walked but three.
One of the hits was a scratch single.
The Bears used two pitchers, Ken Wright, who was touched for Hamrick's homer, and Stretch Garrott, a tall boy wiyh a breaking curve.
Yakima ...... 000 000 000—0 3 0
Tri-City ..... 200 014 01x—8 10 0
Wright, Garrett (7) and Donahue; Greenwood and Pesut.

Ball Club Purchase Drive Underway
Richland Man Pledge $1,700
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 10, 1952]
The drive to obtain money to purchase the Tri-City Braves is under way and $1,700 in pledges were raised in the first two days in Richland.
Dwight Hendricks, Richland businessman and baseball enthusiast, who announced that amount had been obtained, said the response had been overwhelming in Richland. He said if Pasco and Kennewick get the same response, the drive should be a success.
The drive is being backed by the Tri-City Athletic Association, owners of Sanders Field, the home of the Braves. The Association also owns one-seventh of the ball club.
The other six-sevenths of the club, owned by Dick Richards, Arnold .Sanborn, Vern Johnson and Del Kidder of Seattle, was put up for sale last Wednesday after the owners announced they could no longer lose money caused by the small attendance.
The Athletic Associaton has an option to buy the club before it can be sold to anyone else or moved elsewhere.
Harold Matheson, president of the Athletic Association, said the bulk of the present stockholders in the association have said they will be hippy to maintain their stock interests if a new organization is formed.
This means the association has an initial pledge of from $40,000 to $50,000 toward buying both the field and the club. Most of the money invested in the field comes from bonds, which will be affected by the sale.
The association feels it is necessary to raise about $60,000 to purchase the club and have necessary operating capital.
Since the Tri-City Herald, which supported the plan of bringing the Braves to the Tri-City area, feels that the retention of the club will be a definite asset to the Tri-Cities, the paper will support a drive.
As part of the support, the Tri-City Herald will publish the names of all those who purchase stock in the organization. The following persons account for the $1,700 in pledges:
Russell Blakeny, C. G. Neilson, Dwight Hendricks, Robert Davis, Lee L. Azure, E.W. Brien, Otis Low, Fred Koker, Keith Pulliam, D.L. Smith, Connie Phillips, D.M. McElrath, Ira Linn, E.C. Smith, B.J. Bennett, W.O. Warder, J.L. Rogers Jr., L.C. Goodwin, J.R. Pareill, G.R. Hasack and M.D. Hogue.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 10, 1952]

I wonder what happens when the two Western International League Canadian teams play each other. Vancouver and Victoria fans must show up at the games equipped with camping equipment and a stock of food.
With Cecil Garriott trotting in from center field and Edo Vanni loping in from right four or five times an inning, the Canadians are a patient lot.
In the there-oughta-be-a-law department, I suggest (1) limiting managers to infielders, pitchers and catchers; and (2) penalizing a team for too many time outs in one inning.
MARATHON
Seems as if every time the Braves have a special night they have a marathon game out at Sanders. On Eagles night, it ran up to midnight. On Elks night, things were worse. In the first game of the double-header, the pace was two innings an hour for the first three frames.
Then things picked up but it still took 2½ hours for a seven-inning game.
Of the 914 fans who started out to see that double-header, only the 14 were left when the second contest ended the following day. The ball club should give those hardy individuals an "I'm-a-Braves'-Fan-to-the-Bitter-End" certificate.
The second game moved along a lot faster. But in the second, Vancouver hurler Bud Goldberg gave up only eight scattered hits and never was in hot water. Consequently, there was no five-minute delays after every pitch while Vanni made the long march in from right field.
BICYCLE
Between games, the Elks gave away several gifts to boys including a new bicycle. For a while, the officials couldn't find the lucky winner. Finally one fan, thinking of the Vancouver manager's trips in from the outfield in the first game, quipped: "Give it to Vanni!"
Vanni didn't get the bike. But Edo, who can enter into the spirit of horseplay, got on and tried a short ride.

Monday, September 8, 1952

2008-02-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria ..... 91 52 .636 -
Spokane ...... 88 61 .591 6
Vancouver .... 70 66 .515 17½
Salem ........ 70 75 .483 22
Yakima ....... 69 76 .476 23
Lewiston ..... 68 80 .459 25½
Tri-City ..... 62 77 .446 27
Wenatchee .... 57 88 .393 35

VICTORIA [Colonist, Sept. 9]—Winning it as champions should—with steady pitching backed by solid and timely hitting and errorless defense, the Victoria Tyees last night became champions of the Western International Baseball League.
Playing before less than 500 fans, only 326 of them paying customers, who sat huddled under the roofed grandstand, the Tyees trimmed the Lewiston Broncs, 11-3, at Royal Athletic Park last night to put it beyond mathematical doubt. No matter what happens in the remaining games this week, Spokane Indians can come no closer than two percentage points.
The Tyees have six games left, two with Lewiston and four with Spokane. The Indians are due to play three against Vancouver Capilanos before moving in here on Thursday to complete the season. They were rained out at Vancouver last night.
HAN HURLS CLINCHER
To Leroy Han, 18-year-old rookie righthander not long out of Vancouver (Wash.) High School, fell the honor of pitching the pennant clincher.
Han, who had added incentive in the person of a cute Yakima visitor sitting in the stands, turned in what was probably his best game of the season as he recorded his third win in four decisions.
He walked only four Broncs, struck out six and spread eight hits over five innings, never allowing more than two in a single frame. He was in trouble in the first, third, fifth and sixth but bore down each time to get the last two outs, once with the bags loaded and three times with two runners aboard. He set down the last eight men he faced in order.
BRANHAM STARRY
The Broncs jumped into a 2-0 lead. Lu Branham, who was to enjoy his biggest night of the season with five hits and a walk, sliced the margin in two with a third inning home run and then the Tyees sent Sal DeGeorge packing with a six-run fifth inning.
Branham started it with a walk. Bob Moniz singled and Don Pries bunted the runners along. Granny Gladstone scored them with a looping single to left. Chuck Abernathy singled, Dwane Helbig doubled, Jim Clark was walked intentionally, Ron Bottler singled and Branham followed suit after Han had struck out.
The Tyees jumped on Larry Powell for four more runs in the seventh just to make it certain.
QUIET ELATION
There was only quiet elation in the dressing room after the game as the Tyees received congratulations from fans and club officials. Despite the late Spokane drive, the lengthy Victoria lead had made the pennant only a matter of time and the players took it in stride although there was evident relief that it was now definitely theirs.
Club officials are hoping for better weather so they can wind up with better crowds for the six remaining games of the season.
BIDS FOR RECORD
Tonight there is the prospect of a fine pitcher’s battle. Ben Lorino, who can tie the league record for victories with two starts left and may break it if he gets a chance in relief in a close game, will go after his 26th win tonight. Opposing him will be Lewiston manager Bill Brenner, who, somewhat amazingly for a retired catcher, will be seeking his 20th triumph.
Tonight there will be Johnny Price and his matchless baseball act, a must for all baseball fans. Thursday is “Radio Appreciation Night,” Friday will be “pennant-raising night” and Saturday night it will be “Player Appreciation Night.”
Lewiston ...... 101 001 000— 3 8 2
Victoria ...... 001 060 40x—11 17 0
DeGeorge, Powell (5) and Lundberg, Helmuth (8); Han and R. Bottler.

Spokane at Vancouver, postponed, rain.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

Schuster Was ‘No Surprise’
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8—It wasn’t exactly an accident, or a last minute decision.
So said Manager Fred Haney of the Hollywood baseball club in telling Monday about the surprise appearance, and game winning pinch hit, by veteran Bill Schuster for the Stars against Portland last Saturday.
Schuster, gone from the Pacific Coast league for two years, suddenly bobbed up in a Hollywood uniform and won the game.
Haney disclosed that he warned Schuster 10 days before that he might be called for active service and Schuster spent the time working out here while Hollywood was on the road.
Then came the day for Bill to sign, and next day came the moment for his surprise appearance. “Call it luck, call it anything, but it paid off,” Haney said.

Sunday, September 7, 1952

2008-02-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 90 52 .634 —
Spokane ..... 88 61 .591 5½
Vancouver ... 70 66 .515 17
Salem ....... 70 75 .483 21½
Yakima ...... 69 76 .476 22½
Lewiston .... 68 79 .463 24½
Tri-City .... 62 77 .446 26½
Wenatchee ... 57 88 .393 34½

SALEM, Sept. 7 — Victoria and Salem split a Western International League doublehender here Sunday. Victoria winning the 11 inning opener 7-4 and Salem bouncing back to win the second game 3-1.
Victoria took the five game series 3-2.
Singles by Carl Gunnarson, Cece Garriott and Bob Moniz, a sacrifice and a walk, all off Salem Pitcher Vince DiBiasi accounted for the three 11th inning runs in the first game.
Granny Gladstone homered and doubled in six tries at the plate and brought in three runs, while Jim Deyo had three RBIs for the losers.
Salem won the second game on three Victoria errors in the fourth inning when three runs were scored.
Ted Edmunds struck out ten in going the distance for the win, walking four, and allowing an unearned run on a ground out by pinch-hitter Jimmy Clark in the seventh. He also singled in a run.
None of the runs in the game were earned.
First Game
Victoria .... 010 100 020 03—7 14 1
Salem ...... 010 200 001 00—4 8 2
Prior, Gunnarson (9) and Martin, Bottler (8); DeBiasi and Nelson.
WP—Gunnarson.
Second Game
Victoria ..... 000 000 1—1 3 3
Salem ....... 000 300 x—3 7 2
B. Bottler, Gunnarson (4) and R. Bottler; Edmunds and Nelson.

SPOKANE, Sept. 7—The Spokane Indians celebrated their last home game of the season Sunday night by crushing the hapless Wenatchee Chiefs, 11-4, in a Western International League baseball game.
While the Indians were treating themselves to a 16-bit slugfest Frank Chase handcuffed the Chiefs with only three hits. It was his 16th win of the season against 12 losses.
The Chiefs opened the scoring in the first inning but Spokane came back with a run in the second to tie the score. The Indians pulled one run ahead in the third and engthened it to three in the fourth.
The Indians erupted for five runs n the fifth inning on doubles by Ed Bouchee and Sam Kanelos, singles by Bill Sheets and Eddie Murphy, and three Wenatchee errors.
Wenatchee ... 100 000 003— 4 3 3
Spokane ...... 011 251 10x—11 16 2
Dahle, Stites (5) and Pocekay, Robinett; Chase and Sheets.

KENNEWICK, Sept. 7—The Vancouver Capilanos swept a pair here on Sunday to conclude a Western International League series, winning over the Tri-City Braves 13-2 and 11-1.
In the seven-inning opener, which took two hours just to play the first five innings, Bob Duretto singled in three runs, while Edo Vanni and Jesse Williams had a pair of hits for Vancouver. Ray Hamrick had three for the Braves.
Duretto was a hitting star in the night game, with two homers and a single. Leavitt and Moore had two hits each, while Leavitt batted in three runs.
Winning pitcher Bud Guldborg struck out 11.
Ray Hamrick batted in the lone Tri-City run without a hit.
First Game
Vancouver ... 400 540 0—13 11 1
Tri-City ....... 130 003 2—9 9 3
Aubertin, Loverich (2), Snyder (7) and Ritchey; New, Satalich (1), Brittain (7) and Pesut.
Second Game
Vancouver ... 300 021 320—11 11 1
Tri-City ....... 001 000 000— 1 8 1
Guldborg and Leavitt; Romero and Pesut.

YAKIMA, Sept. 7 — The Yakima Bears trounced Lewiston in both ends of a doubleheader Sunday 7-6 and 6-4, coming from behind in both games with late-inning rallies.
A triple by John Albini after a man had walked and singles by Ted Shandor and Chuck Malmberg after two more walks in the sixth inning of the seven inning nightcap accounted for four runs and the ball game.
First Game
Lewiston .... 010 011 003—6 9 3
Yakima ...... 100 000 501—7 11 1
Clancy, Powell (7), Bowman (8) and Lundberg; Savage and Donahue.
LP—Bowman.
Second Game
Lewiston .... 003 010 0—4 10 0
Yakima ...... 020 004 x—6 5 2
Schulte and Lundberg; Shandor and Albini, Donahue (6).

Saturday, September 6, 1952

2008-02-26T02:50:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 89 51 .636 —
Spokane ..... 87 61 .581 6
Vancouver ... 68 66 .507 18
Salem ....... 69 74 .483 21½
Lewiston .... 68 77 .469 23½
Yakima ...... 67 76 .469 23½
Tri-City .... 62 75 .453 25½
Wenatchee ... 57 87 .396 34

SALEM [Victoria Colonist, Sept. 7]—Victoria Tyees gained ground backing up last night and could arrive home tomorrow for their last two series as the 1952 W.I.L. champions.
Twice unable to hold three-run leads, the Tyees bowed to Salem Senators, 8-7, at Salem last night. But Spokane Indians also went down, finding the last place Wenatchee Chiefs too tough for the second straight game and losing, 4-3.
That combination of events left three as the magic number for the Tyees—on the presumption that each club has nine games left. Any combination of three Victoria wins or Spokane defeats would ensure the pennant for the Victorians.
COULD TAKE IT EASY
And so, if the Tyees could sweep today’s afternoon double-header from the Senators and Spokane should again lose to Wenatchee, the Indians’ pursuit would be over and the Tyees could take it easy during their last seven games. Even if they if they lost all of them and Spokane cleaned up in its last week, the Tyees would be in. That would wind them up with a 91-58 record. Spokane could do not better than 95-62, which would mean a tie in games, but a .611-.605 margin in percentage points.
And even if the Indians have a game to pick up at Vancouver it would make no chane. Winning that one would only bring them within three percentage points although they would actually be a half game ahead.
HEARD HAS TROUBLE
Jehosie Heard, who is having his troubles in attempting to become a 20-game winner, failed again last night although he escaped being charged with the loss. He had control trouble and was far from his best as he dissipated 3-0 and 4-2 leads before manager Cec Garriott hurriedly yanked him in the seventh in favor of Bill Bottler after he had walked the first batter and pitched one ball to the next.
As it turned out, Garriott may have been a bit hasty. At least Bottler was no improvement as he completed loading the bags and then gave up a three-run double to Hugh Luby to tie the score. He lost it in the ninth when Ben Lorino was unable to stop the rally started against Bottler.
TYEES LEAD
Singles by Bob Moniz and Garriott around an error gave the Tyees one run in the first. They went ahead, 3-0, in the second inning on singles by Dwane Helbig, Milt Martin, Lu Branham and Moniz divided around a sacrifice by Heard but lost a chance to add to their lead when Bill White cut down Martin at the plate.
Heard, hit hard from the start, ran into trouble with two outn in the Salem second when four bases on balls and a double plated two runs. Fourth-inning singles by Heard, Moniz and Pries made it 4-2 but Bill Spaeter’s triple tied it when the Senators got their turn in the same inning.
Granny Gladstone tripled in two runs and scored the third after an outfield fly as the Tyees moved in front, 7-4, in the seventh, but the Solons once more came right back.
HEMPHILL GETS WIN
Jack Hemphill, who set the Tyees down in order in the eighth and ninth, started the rally, which gave him the win, with an infield single. Luby bunted him to second and Lorino came on to relieve Bottler after Connie Perez had been intentionally passed.
Lorino walked Spaeter, unintentionally, to load the bags. He got Bill White to force Hemphill at the plate but Dick Bartle broke it up with a single.
Spokane fell victim to Bob Bauhofer, entering 3-16. Two-run ninth gave him fourth win. Four consecutive singles off John Conant sent the Spokane ace down to defeat.
Victoria ...... 120 100 300—7 15 3
Salem ........ 020 300 301—8 9 1
Heard, Bottler (7), Lorino (9) and Martin; McNulty, Edmunds (7), Hemphill (8) and Thrasher.

SPOKANE, Sept. 6—Spokane's "surge" turned into a slump Saturday night as the second-place Indians tripped over the Western International league's cellar-dwelling Wenatchee Chiefs for the second straight time as they absorbed a 4-3 loss.
Wenatchee's Bud Bauhofer, had been able to win only three iof 19 Prevlous starts, was helped into his fourth win on his teammates' ninth inning spluge.
In the fatal final inning, Bud Hjelmaa, Dick Adams, Larry Monroe and pinch-hitter Frank Dasso singled in succession to push across two scores and end Spokane's lead for good.
Center Fielder Eddie Murphy opened the game in style for Spokane when he sent a homerun ball over the 376-left field fence in the first inning.
Wenatchee Catcher Walt Pocekay scored both of the Chief's first two runs after getting on the base path with a single in the second and a double in the fourth inning. Monroe drove in the run in the second and Manager Adams the fourth inning tally.
Spokane came up with another home run in the fifth, when Jimmy Brown lined one over the wall.
Brown scored for Spokane again in the seventh when he doubled, moved to second on a wild pitch and came home on Bill Sheets' single.
John Conant made his WIL record read 17-10 by taking the loss.
Wenatchee ... 010 100 002—4 12 0
Spokane ....... 100 001 100—3 10 0
Bauhofer and Pocekay; Conant and Sheets.

YAKIMA, Sept. 6 — Rookie Chuck Donley set down the Lewiston Broncs with eight hits Saturday night to give the Yakima Bears an 8-3 Western International League baseball victory.
The win gave Donley a 3-4 record.
Yakima jumped on Lewiston starter Joe Nicholas for four runs in the first inning and was never headed. Nicholas walked the first man to face him and then gave up three singles good for two runs and a pair of outfield flies good for another pair.
Lewiston .. 001 020 000—3 8 1
Yakima .... 402 100 01x—8 10 2
Nicholas, Bowman (4) and Lundberg; Donley and Donahue.

Vancouver at Tri-City, postponed, high winds.

Murphy Picked Most Popular
SPOKANE, Sept. 7—Fleet-footed centrefielder Eddie Murphy of the Western International League Spokane Indians has been voted the team's "most popular player" by more than 15,000 fans.
Murphy was presented with a full set of golf clubs and bag during fifth inning ceremonies in the Wenatchee-Spokane game Saturday night.
The award was won last year by Edo Vanni, now manager of the Vancouver Capilanos. Murphy was also voted the honor in 1950.

Walt Pocekay Regains WIL Lead In Batting
Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee, has regained the batting lead in the Western International league, according to weekly averages compiled by Howe News Bureau.
Pocekay raised his average three points during the week to .355 while John Ritchey, Vancouver, who led last week, slipped four points tp .352 and second place.
Pocekay also continues to lead in hits with 183, in total bases with 256 and in doubles with 42.
Milt Smith, Lewiston, replaced Bob Moniz, Victoria, as the leader in runs 'tor the only change in jthe specialized departments. Smith scored seven runs during the week to Moniz' four. For the season Smith has 112 and Moniz 110.
Holdover leaders, besides Pocekay, are; Des Charouhas, Tri-City, 14 triples; Cecil Garriott, Victoria, 16 home runs; Grannie Gladstone, also of Victoria, 111 runs batted in, and Ed Murphy, Spokane, 43 stolen bases.
Ben Lorino, Victoria, the league's leading pitcher, racked up his 22nd victory during the week. He has only six losses.

TEAM BATTING
G AB R OR H TB 2b 3b HR SH SB BB SO Pct.
Victoria
133 4478 749 647 1250 1692 237 29 49 85 125 716 585 .279
Lewiston
138 4657 747 772 1277 1777 219 37 69 77 88 674 595 .274
Vancouver
127 4235 636 541 1155 1501 169 57 21 90 92 599 447 .273
Spokane
140 4580 699 592 1236 1569 173 44 24 116 126 618 675 .270
Yakima
136 4358 700 729 1203 1636 205 54 40 106 109 700 702 .265
Salem
136 4474 574 570 1141 1504 188 53 23 66 87 587 633 .255
Wenatchee
136 4491 596 798 1110 1413 181 34 18 69 62 562 607 .247
Tri-City
132 4377 607 659 1081 1418 158 43 31 96 115 709 732 .247

TEAM FIELDING
W L T DP TP PB PO A E Pct.
Salem ....... 66 70 0 152 0 17 3501 1604 157 .970
Vancouver ... 65 62 0 135 0 13 3291 1457 174 .965
Tri-City .... 59 72 1 105 1 18 3421 1310 186 .962
Victoria .... 86 46 1 119 0 17 3486 1405 198 .961
Yakima ...... 63 73 0 136 0 20 3524 1523 210 .960
Spokane ..... 81 59 0 151 0 10 3590 1551 223 .958
Lewiston .... 64 74 0 107 0 38 3540 1503 238 .955
Wenatchee ... 54 82 0 100 0 17 3472 1358 240 .953

Friday, Sept. 5, 1952

2008-02-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 89 50 .640 —
Spokane ..... 87 60 .591 6
Vancouver ... 68 66 .507 18½
Salem ....... 68 74 .479 22½
Lewiston .... 68 76 .472 23½
Yakima ...... 66 76 .465 24½
Tri-City .... 62 75 .453 26
Wenatchee ... 56 87 .392 35

SALEM [Victoria Colonist, Sept. 6]—At an early morning hour this morning it appeared as if the Victoria Tyees had increased their lead to six games and practically assured themselves of this city’s first championship.
The Tyees edged past the Salem Senators, 9-8, in a knock-down, drag-out affair that went 11 innings to start a double header on the right track. They were leading, 8-2, in the fifth inning of the nine-inning finale with Ben Lorino well on his way to his 25th win and the Senators with their third pitcher in action.
STREAK ENDED
If the Tyees hold their lead, and they should, they will be six games ahead and 10 up on the losing side, a spot which would mean that their four-game series with the Indians next week will be meaningless if they can break even with Salem and Lewiston in their next six games.
Returning to action of Granny Gladstone, sidelined for two games because of a muscle injury, made the difference last night. Inserted into the line-up at shortstop as manager Cec Garriott benched Jim Clark when Salem opened with lefthander Bob Collins, Gladstone drove in the winning run and figured in two tallies.
He doubled in the second and scored the first run when Milt Martin followed with a two-ply blow. Gladstone started a two-run fourth with a single. A double by Dwane Helbig and outfield flys by Martin and Abernathy drove the run across.
HAN FINDS TROUBLE
LeRoy Han ran into trouble after three hitless innings and the Senators jumped ahead with a five-run rally in the fourth. Connie Perez tripled to start it. Han got two out, then walked Dick Bartle and Bob Nelson, gave up a single to Jim Deyo and walked Tom Galli. This brought on Carl Gunnarson and pinch-hitter Art Thrasher, who tripled in last there runs.
The Tyees stormed again in the sixth by scoring four times after two were out. A walk to Helbig started it. Then Abernathy doubled and Gunnarson, Lu Branham, Bob Moniz and Garriott singled.
Gladstone’s boot set up the tying runs for the Solons in their last turn at bat and forced extra innings. The Tyees went ahead in the eighth, Abernathy doubling and coming around on Gunnarson’s sacrifice bunt and Moniz’ outfield line drive. Again the Solons came through as manager Hugh Luby singled in the tying run with two out.
GLADSTONE ATONES
Garriott started off the 11th with a single, played for the single run by having Pries bunt, and second when Gladstone slapped out his third safety. The Senators threatened again with two out by loading the bags but Gunnarson got the dangerous Nelson to hit into a force play.
It was the 10th win of the season for the seasoned southpaw, who lost a tough 4-2 decision in Spokane Wednesday night.
First Game
Victoria ...... 010 204 010 01—9 15 1
Salem ........ 000 500 210 00—8 11 0
Han, Gunnarson (4) and Martin; Collins, Edmunds (5), Hemphill (6), DiBiasi (9) and Nelson.
Second Game 7 Innings
Victoria ...... 023 032 0—10 10 0
Salem ........ 002 000 2— 4 11 1
Lorino and Bottler; Francis, Collins (4), Hemphill (5), Rick (7) and Thrasher.

SPOKANE, Sept. 5—The surging Spokane Indians snapped their Western International League win streak at 12 Friday night when they tripped on the lowly Wenatchee Chiefs 2-0 after winning the first game of their double-header 4-0.
First Game
Wenatchee ..... 000 000 000—0 6 4
Spokane ......... 011 101 00x—4 8 1
Dasso and Pocekay; Palm and Sheets.
Second Game
Wenatchee ..... 110 000 0—2 9 0
Spokane ......... 000 000 0—0 5 8
Stites and Pocekay; Spring, Roberts (6) and Sheets.

KENNEWICK, Sept. 5 — Vancouver threw away a Western International League baseball game Friday night as Tri-City capitalized on Capilano errors for a four-run eighth inning to win, 6-4.
Tri-City went into the eighth, trailing 2-3, when Des Charouhas walked with one away. Tommy Marier grounded to third baseman Ray Tran who threw wild to first. Vic Buccola singled to load the bases and Nick Pesut was hit by Cap pitcher Bob Snyder to bring in the first run of the inning.
The angry Tran charged in from third protesting the umpire's ruling. After a short shouting match, he returned to third. Joe Scalise hit another grounder to Tran and again the throw was wild — this time to home plate, allowing Marier to score. Bob Greenwood sacrificed Buccola home and Don Lopes ended the scoring with a single that scores Scalise.
Up until then, Snyder appeared to have it easy. He had come on in the second inning for Van Fletcher after the latter got him on the finger with a pitched ball by Bob Greenwood to bring in a run. Snyder came in to protect a 1-0 lead, later saw it tied 2-2, then led again 3-2 when Bob Duretto dynamited a 370-foot homer in the seventh.
The Caps got one back in the ninth, but Greenwood got the side out without further damage. It was his fourth win over the Caps this year against one loss and his 15th of the season.
Duretto and Jim Wert had three hits each for Vancouver.
Vancouver ..... 011 000 101—4 9 5
Tri-City ..... 000 101 04x—6 9 1
Fletcher, Snyder (2) and Leavitt; Greenwood and Pesut.

YAKIMA, Sept. 5 — Manager Bill Brenner of the Lewiston Broncs hurled five-hit ball Friday night to give his team a 6-2 victory over the Yakima Bears.
It was Brenner's 19th win of the season. He has lost nine.
Tagged with the loss was Kenny Wright, who took over in the first inning. He now has a 9-10 record.
Lewiston ....... 200 000 103 — 6 7 2
Yakima ......... 100 001 000 — 2 5 2
Brenner and Lundberg; Del Sarto, Wright and and Albini.

Thursday, September 4, 1952

2008-02-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 87 50 .635 —
Spokane ..... 86 59 .593 5
Vancouver ... 68 65 .511 17
Salem ....... 68 72 .486 20½
Lewiston .... 67 76 .469 23
Yakima ...... 66 75 .468 23
Tri-City .... 61 75 .449 25½
Wenatchee ... 55 86 .390 34

SPOKANE, Sept. 4 — Eddie Murphy's 10th-inning single to left field drove in the winning run that gave Spokane its 11th straight Western International League victory Thursday, an 8-7 decision over Victoria.
It also gave the Indians a clean sweep of their three-game series with Victoria and moved them within five games of the league-leading Tyees.
Bill Prior took his third relief loss in less than a week.
Manager Cec Garriott elected to go with Bill Bottler to start and the rookie righthander wasted no time in losing the 2-0 lead Garriott’s single have him in the first inning. Nervous, he walked the first four men he faced and Prior came on with one run in, the bags loaded and no one out.
Bill Sheets greeted him with a two-run single but he settled down to retire the side without further damage.
A double by Garriott, an error by the usually-reliable Ed Murphy and a single by Dwane Helbig tied it in the third. The Tyees went ahead in the fifth when Chuck Abernathy walked for the third time with two out and Prior and Lu Branham, who had three hits, followed with singles.
Then the Tyees handed Spokane four runs in their turn. Jim Clark dropped Murphy’s foul fly and the centre fielder doubled. Don Pries booted another foul fly and Sam Kanelos stayed at bat to draw a walk. George Huffman bunted and catcher Ron Bottler, trying for the force at third, threw the ball into the dirt to load the bags.
Mel Wasley tripled in three runs and Bill Sheets singled in Wasley.
Fighting back, the Tyees tied it in the seventh when Chuck Abernathy connected for his third home run, aa tremendous 380-foot clout to centre, with Helbig safe on an error, and Bob Moniz, who had doubled, on the bags. That drove John Marshall to the showers but it proved to be a mistake. Frank Chase came on to blank the Tyees the rest of the way.
Prior breezed along until he got two out in the 10th. Then Ed Bouchee singled and Wilbur Johnson walked. This was followed by the big break of the game, a badly-hit “bleeder” down the third-base line by Chase which went for a single. Murphy more than made amends for his error by lining a single to left field on a 3-2 count to end one of the season’s finest series, decided by scores of 2-1, 4-2 and 8-7.
Victoria ....... 201 010 300 0—7 11 3
Spokane ...... 300 040 000 1—8 9 3
Bottler, Prior (1) and R. Bottler; Marshall, Chase (7) and Sheets.

LEWISTON [Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 5]—The Capilanos got an awful lot of sweet pitching out of fireballing Dick Aubertin and an assist from the rain here Tuesday as they shut out the Lewiston Broncs, 2-0.
Aubertin, in winning his first game in a Vancouver uniform, allowed but four hits, the same as given up by Bronco Sal DeGeorge. However, DeGeorge was the victim of three early-inning errors by his teammates and the Caps picked up single runs in the first and second to win it.
It was the last Lewiston home game of the season and 1700 fans turned out to brave a game which was dampened throughout by drizzling rain.
It fell almost from the start and it seemed almost impossible for the clubs to get in even the minimum five innings. However they made it barely and the Capilanos, after losing the first two games of the series, salvaged the last and maintained their hold on third place in the WIL standings.
The Caps now move on to Tri-City where they play a weekend set of four games, one tonight, another single Saturday and two Sunday.
Then they return to Vancouver for their final stand of the 1952 baseball season.
They open the week against Spokane in what very well might be an important series for both clubs. The Caps are trying to stave off the challenge of the Salem Senators while the Indians are taking one last run at first place Victoria. The Caps win up the week, and the season, against Bill Brenner’s Lewistons.
Vancouver …… 110 00—2 4 0
Lewiston …….. 000 00—0 4 3
Aubertin and Ritchey, Leavitt (5); DeGeorge and Helmuth.

WENATCHEE, Sept. 4 — The Yakima Bears made it three straight over Wenatchee Thursday night downing the Chiefs 4-2 in Wenatchee's final home game of the 1952 Western International League baseball season.
The Bears went out in front in the first inning when Earl Richmond walked and was doubled home by Jerry Zuvela.
The Chiefs came back in the second inning to grab the lead but Zuvela tied it in the third with a home run over the right field wall.
The teams played scoreless ball until the eignth when Len Noren who had singled and reached third on a fielder's choice scampered home on Manager Dario Lodigiani's single to put Yakima ahead to stay.
Yakima ........ 101 000 011—4 6 2
Wenatchee ... 020 000 000—2 8 2
Del Sarto, Thompson (3) and Atwell; Oubre and Pocekay.

Tri-City at Salem, postponed, rain.

Broncs' Boss Is Promoted
LEWISTON, Idaho, Sept. 4 — Bill Brenner, player manager of the Lewiston Broncs in their return to the Western International Baseball League this season, Thursday was
named general manager for the 1953 campaign.
President James B. McMoningle of the Lewiston baseball club made the announcement.
He said a "substantial" salary increase was given Brenner in recogmtion of his greater value to the club and for the additional duties he will perform, McMonigle said.
Brenner has pitched 18 victories for Lewiston against 11 losses. He will assume most of the duties of business manager in addition to directing his club on the diamond.
Breaner, 31, will enter his 13th year of baseball in 1953 and will start his eighth season as a manager.

Braves Return; Four Pitchers Recalled
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 5, 1952]
The up-for-sale Tri-City Braves returned home today to open an 11-game stand which will wind up the season. They will open a series tonight against Vancouver.
Whether the Braves are sold to jlocal inierests or move away, it will be the last time at Sanders for some of the players.
All four of the starting piichers have been recalled by their contract owners--Bob Greenwood and George New by Baltimore; Dave Brittain and Ralph Romero by the Phils. The recalls become effective at the end of the season.
The four players will report to assigned spring training camps. Their return here will depend upon decisions made then. It is believed that Greenwood and new are certain to move to triple A leagues.
The Braves recent road trip wasn't as successful as the last one. They won three games, dropped six, and played on tie--the only such games in the league this year.
Had the reams won the tie and the games they lose by one run, they would be riding a winning streak. They were defeated four of those six times by one run. Four games, including the tie, went into overtime.
Two games, including the one Thursday against Salem, were rained out.

Spokane Catcher Sets New Record
SPOKANE, Sept. 5 — A new Western International League record for consecutive games caught in a single season was set Thursday night by Catcher Bill Sheets of the Spokane Indians. It was his 141st.
Frank Volpi had held the old mark of 140, established 13 years, ago with the Vancouver club.

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 5, 1952]
Problem of the Weakest Link…

There is but one week of baseball left on the WIL bill of fare, and nobody will boast it has been a successful year for the Capilanos. Or, for that matter, the WIL as a whole.
It has been a year of transition for the league in which they have unsuccessfully tried to tell us that this now is now Class A baseball that we are watching, If it has been, we will vote to go back to Class “B.”
No chain its stronger than its weakest link, it has been said, so following this line of reasoning, what is currently wrong with the WIL?
Some say it is Wenatchee and Tri-City and the small towns like them. It is bad, they say, to associate ourselves with these bush leaguers. Bring on Calgary and Edmonton.
Some say it is the crazy rookies in which each club is forced to carry eight limited service players. Bring on the veterans, the hand-me-downs from the Coast League.
Are these the weakest links in our chain? We hardly believe so.
Consider this question. Are we prepared for a real Class A league, even including Edmonton and Calgary?
On the basis of the past performance charts, which is what we must go by, we hardly think so. It appears as if the problems of the WIL haven’t changed a bit from those they had four years ago, and which have been popping up annually ever since. It is a problem of government.
Where is our Government?…
We point to the head of the class in solving the mystery of the weakest link and discover that after all is said and done the problem is so glaring that it has been overlooked.
Robert B. Abel was hired years and years ago to the presidency of the Western Interntional League. It is not a richly remunerative job—in other word if you had to depend upon it alone for your bread and butter, you’d have to slide it right thin.
However, Abel has been the WIL’s man, the WIL’s government.
Now we ask you to consider five points.
Why are the WIL’s umpires continually on the hot seat? It is an established fact that the WIL entertains more arguments and more fines in the period of the baseball season than any other league in captivity. Are we on the Coast so hard to get along with?
Why is it that Vancouver—and Spokane and Victoria, for that matter, too—finds itself cast into the same back yard as Wenatchee, Kennewick and Lewiston? Isn’t balance one of the duties of the league’s front office? Do the Yankees of New York find themselves entertaining Hoboken?
It would seem that before the WIL makes its first stride toward progress and proper “A” rating that it must appoint or elect a government that will give it stature.
It would necessarily follow that the president of the WIL would not be a fly-by-night affair where the salary could only demand part-time duties.
For once, baseball (at least in this neighborhood) could be worse than take a page from the Pacific Coast Hockey League’s set-up. The PCHL, or Western League if you will, hired Al Leader to be their chair many years ago, informed him he was to cast aside all other means of employment and paid him a salary where he could well afford to accept. This would seem to be a likely example for the WIL to follow.
Umpires still a nasty tumor…
It is Bob Abel’s claim and conviction that he has done as much as he could for this league on the time and monies which have been allotted to him. We aren’t permitted to know much about the workings of the WIL to argue this point.
However, the umpire question is prevalent. It has become a tumor to the WIL and it will have to be extracted.
Abel claims he has no time to travel around the country seeking out good officials. He gets what he can by telephone and on other people’s say-so. There is no argument here, either.
It is also Abel’s claim that there is nothing wrong with the umpiring in the WIL. Here, of course, is where we are brought to wondering about Mr. Abel.
In front of our tired old eyes we have see a baseball bounce off a fence and into an outfielder’s glove. We have watched for an umpire to signal for an “out.” We have watched umpires stand at right angles to the plate and claim they can give an accurate account of balls and strikes as they split the corners. We have watched too many boners to enumerate.
The WIL directors might well be advised to consider these points before they talk of expansion or improvement. Calgary and Edmonton, yes, and abolishment of the limited service rule as it now stands, certainly, but what about your government, gentlemen?
“A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.”

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 5, 1952]
It's up to the local organizations now. If the Tri-City area wants a Class A ball club someone should get busy and scout up the cash for buying up the Braves' franchise.
I've felt this is a good baseball area and maybe, with some kind of a local ownership, The Braves can again make a go of it here.
Off hand, I can think of no one better suited to buy the club than the Athletic Association. They already have a fairly good investment in the club and stand to lose the money they have invested in the park if the Braves leave.
The Athletic Association is playing the quiet role, though. They were to make the announcement that the club was up for sale a month ago but took no action. Consequently, the Braves officials decided to go ahead.
RICHARDS
Dick Richards is a man who says he is going to enjoy the rest of this season. Richards' reason: He isn't unaware that everyone is blaming him for the failure of the Braves to make a go of it here, in fact, some of them have a habit of calling him at odd hours and telling him so.
Consequently, Richards feels now the critics have their chance. The club is up for sale and they can buy him out.
It has often been brought up to me that if Richards would leave, attendance would pick up. I have some doubts. Few baseball fans have anything to do with the business manager of a ball club so it's hard to see how mat would affect attendance more than a couple of hundred.
And I have heard of business managers whose methods are a lot more unpopular with the fans than Richards, yet their attendance is high.
One thing about Richards. If a job isn't available when he moves into an area, he will create one. And there are few who can match his sign painting ability.
SANBORN
Arnie Sanborn is more than hopeful the Braves will stay here. Unlike many who are connected with the club, Arnie considers himself a local product and will remain in this area whatever happens. And as he puts it, he would like the club to stay here if for no other reason than to provide him a place to see a ball game once in a while.
Arnie also hopes that if a local group buys the club, that Manager Charlie Gassaway will be with the new owners. He said Gassaway as manager ups the chances of renewing the working agreement the Braves have with the Phils.
The men higher up in organized ball like Charlie's training of young players. This is the time for the shift in sports seasons and at least locally you could probably set the official date for Sept. 13. That's midway between the first local football games and the end of the WIL play.
The Braves return to Sanders Friday and they will be here until the end of the season Sept. 14. Scheduled are series with Vancouver, Yakima and Salem.

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1952

2008-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 87 49 .640 —
Spokane ..... 85 59 .590 6
Vancouver ... 67 65 .506 18
Salem ....... 68 72 .486 21
Lewiston .... 67 75 .472 23
Yakima ...... 65 75 .464 24
Tri-City .... 61 75 .449 26
Wenatchee ... 55 85 .393 34

SPOKANE [Victoria Colonist, Sept. 4]—Victoria Tyees no longer have to worry about Vancouver Capilanos in the Western International League pennant chase but Spokane Indians are giving Tyee manager Cec Garriott many anxious moments.
The Indians racked up their tenth straight victory at Spokane last night by defeating the Tyees, 4-2, to pull within six games of the Garriottmen.
Tyees have 13 games remaining—five with Spokane, five with Salem and three with Lewiston—and are 10 games ahead on the losing side, however. The Indians have five left with Victoria, three with Vancouver and four with Lewiston. Any combination of four Tyee victories or Spokane defeats will give the Tyees the pennant.
CAPS ELIMINATED
Capilanos, who absorbed a 20-8 drubbing at Lewiston last night, are now 16 games on the losing side and mathematically eliminated.
Spokane scored three runs after two were out in the sixth inning to take last night’s game and hand Carl Gunnarson his fifth setback against nine victories. Dick Bishop scattered seven hits to win his 16th decision against 10 setbacks.
Garriott put Tyees ahead with his 17th home run—a 350-foot smash over the right field wall in the first inning—and the lead stood up until the fifth when Jim Brown singled, advanced on an infield out and scored on Bishop’s single.
GLADSTONE HURT
Bob Moniz doubled in the sixth and scored on a single by Dwane Helbig to put Tyees out in front for a second time. Helbig replaced Granny Gladstone in right field in the second inning when Gladstone was forced to leave the game with a pulled muscle.
With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Mel Wasley singled, Bill Sheets walked and Brown singled to drive in Wasley with the tying run. Sheets and Brown moved up on the throw to the plate, scoring on Larry [sic] Bouchee’s single.
Spokane will send John Marshall against Tyees tonight in an attempt to sweep the three-game series. Garriott is expected to counter with Ben Lorino.
Victoria ....... 100 001 000—2 7 1
Spokane ...... 000 013 00x—4 10 1
Gunnarson and R. Bottler; Bishop and Sheets.

LEWISTON [Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 4]—The onrushing Spokane Indians won their 10th WIL baseball game in a row Wednesday and crept to within six games of the lead by beating Victoria 4-2. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Capilanos suffered their worst defeat of the season, 20-8, at the hands of the Lewiston Broncs.
The Indians, backed by superlative pitching by Dick Bishop, scored three runs in the sixth inning to overcome the league-leaders for the second night in a row.
In Lewiston, the free-swinging Broncs bashed Vancouver pitching to all corners of the field as they went on their most devastating slugging spree of the season.
The Capilanos, only in the game for the first part, merely had to sit back and take it on the chin as Lewiston lashed out with everything from singles to home runs. Don Lundberg, Bob Williams and Milt Smith hit homers for the winners, Lundberg’s coming in the second inning with the bases loaded,
Bob Snyder, the first of four Vancouver pitchers, was the loser, his 14th this year.
--
Outfielder Gordie Brunswick and infielder Ray Tran shared the hurling duties for the Caps after the second inning when the Broncs salted away the victory with an 11-run splurge, including a grand-slam homer run by Don Lundberg—against Snyder and Bill Whyte in the second. Bob Williams homered with one on in the sixth and Milt Smith smashed a third round-tripper for the Broncs in the seventh.
Vancouver ....... 310 041 000—8 13 0
Lewiston ......... 211 021 20x—20 19 1
Snyder, Whyte (2), Brunswick (3), R. Tran (7) and Ritchey, Leavitt (3); Schulte and Lundberg, Brenner (8).

WENATCHEE, Sept. 3 — Yakima dropped Wenatchee 7-2 behind six-hit hurling by Bob Savage Wednesday night to take a 2-0 edge in the three-game Western International League baseball series.
Len Noren drove in three of Yakima's seven runs.
Yakima ........ 011 030 200—7 11 3
Wenatchee .. 002 000 000—2 6 2
Savage and Albeni; Dahle, Stites (7) and Pocekay.

SALEM, Sept. 3 — Tri-City evened its Western International League baseball series with Salem at one-all Wednesday night by trouncing the Senators 10-4.
Tri-City got to Salem Pitcher Ray McNulty for seven hits good for five runs in the first three innings and coasted in from there.
Vic Buccola got four for four, all singles, and Ray Hamrick rapped out three hits for Tri-City, one of them a double. The teams meet here again Thursday night.
Tri-City .... 023 200 210—10 16 2
Salem ...... 000 000 211— 4 13 2
Satalich and Pesut; McNulty, Hemphill (3), Rick (6), and Nelson.

Beavers To Call Up 6 From Willy
PORTLAND, Sept. 3—The Portland Beavers intend to call up six players from Victoria of the Western International League Sept. 13, after the WIL closes.
The players are pitchers Jehosie Heard, Bill Bottler and Leroy Han, catcher Ron Bottler and outfielders Granny Gladstone and Dwane Helbig.

Local Interests Sought To Buy Braves
Owners To Sell Out; Cite Poor Attendance
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 4, 1952]
The long-expected move to sell the Tri-City Baseball Club became official Wednesday.
Arnold Sanborn, president, said it was decided at a meeting of the owners that the only answer to the poor attendance problem was to sell out.
The sale would include six-sevenths of the equipment, concessions and 10 players.
The other one-seventh of the club is owned by the Tri-City Athletic Association, owners of the bill park.
No sale price has been set on tbe Braves but Sanborn said "We will be easy to deal with." He said it is his hope that local businessmen or interests will purchase the club.
If a move is started here to buy the club, Sanborn said, he would like to own a share of it. He added he felt Vern Johnson also would stay in the Tri-City area with the club. He said the working agreement with the Philadelphia Phils would probably be renewed if a sale is made.
The Phils enabled the club to have pitchers Ralph Romero, George New. Bob Greenwood and Dave Brittain.
Sanborn said the owners face little choice but to sell, go broke, or move elsewhere. Attendance has been running about 500 a night with few large crowds to help over the rough spots. Concessions have been tbe financial mainstay of the club.
If the owners are unble to sell here, permission undoubtedly would be granted to move
the franchise elsewhere.
Sanborn pointed out that 40 or 50 businessmen could buy the club without putting too much of a financial load on any of them. Some of the purchase price would include long-term committments that do not require payment now.
The 10 players included in any sale will be Nick Pesut, Vic Buccola Tom Marier, Ray Hamrick, Des Charouhas, Joe Scalise, Bill Kostenbader. Glen Lewis, Don Lopes, and Manager Charlie Gassaway.
Sanborn feels thaat this group is a nucleus of a strong club with pitchers the greatest need. He added however, that the agreement with the Phils will take care of have pitchers Ralph Romero that weakness.

Tuesday, September 2, 1952

2008-02-19T02:53:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 87 48 .644 —
Spokane ..... 84 59 .587 7
Vancouver ... 67 64 .511 18
Salem ....... 68 71 .489 21
Lewiston .... 66 75 .468 24
Yakima ...... 64 75 .460 25
Tri-City .... 60 75 .444 27
Wenatchee ... 55 84 .396 34

SPOKANE, Sept. 2 — The Western International league bunting looked a little closer for Spokane Tuesday night after they took a tightly-pitched 2-1 decision from Victoria in the first game of a crucial series.
The win was Spokane's ninth straight and cut Victoria's first-place margin to seven games.
The Indians, who passed Vancouver in the closing weeks last year to take the pennant, retained a mathematical chance of repeating against Victoria in 1952. Both the Indians and the Tyees have 13 games on their schedule, six of them against each other. Spokane also must play last place Wenatchee and third place Vancouver.
Victoria has games with Salem and Lewiston, in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Jehosie Heard started for Victoria but was relieved in the eighth by Bill Prior.
Spokane won the game in that inning when Prior hit Wilbur Johnson with the bases loaded to force in the deciding marker.
Heard pitched six-hit ball during his stint on the mound, while John Conant, picking up his 17th win, allowed only five safeties.
Victoria ...... 000 000 010—1 5 1
Spokane ..... 100 000 01x—2 6 0
Heard, Pryor (8) and Bottler, Martin (8); Conant and Sheets.

LEWISTON [Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 3]—The Capilanos have already mathematically blown themselves out of a chance for the 1952 WIL championship and the day of reckoning is close at hand when they no longer will be able to reach second place. At least that’s what the arithmetic says.
Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to Lewiston, brought about when the Broncs rallied for three runs in the eighth, placed the Caps 10 full games behind Spokane with but 13 left on the schedule.
Therefore, a combination of four Vancouver losses or Spokane victories will settle the second place issue beyond doubt. That is unless the Caps are able to make up any of their nine rained out home games and with the schedule such a tightly fitting pattern, it seems inconceivable.
HOLD OFF SALEM
Right now, Edo Vanni and his boss, Bob Brown, are mainly concerned with holding off the Salem challenge and finishing in third place.
The Senators are just three games behind now, and the Caps have the worst of the schedule. Vancouver plays here tonight again and Thursday moves on to Tri-City for the weekend, then returns home next week for a tough week against Lewiston and Spokane.
Last night, Tom Lovrich looked well away for his ninth win of the season.
HAD EARLY LEAD
The Caps got him an early lead when they went to work on Jim Clancy and scored four runs in the first two innings. Even when the Broncs rallied with two in the third and two in the fourth, Vancouver surged ahead and were leading 6-4 in the eighth. But that’s when it happened.
Lovrich got into some self-made trouble in the eighth and Ed Locke came in to bail him out. Then in the eighth, the Broncs struck for three quick runs off Locke, making him a loser for the 12th time this season.
Vancouver ...... 310 010 010—6 11 2
Lewiston ........ 020 200 03x—7 12 3
Lovrich, Locke (7) and Ritchey; Clancy, Nicholas (9) and Lundberg.

SALEM, Sept. 2—When Fred Merkle of the New York Giants failed to touch a base and helped lose a pennant, he was a goat. Dick Bartle of the Salem Senators missed a base Tuesday night but wound up a hero.
With the bases loaded in the first inning, Bartle blasted a triple—except that he forgot to touch second. However, he chased home three runs to help Salem take a 4-2 decision over the Tri-City Braves.
Tri-City's first run came in the sixth inning on successive singles by Don Lopes, Ray Hamrich and Des Charouhas. In the eighth inning Lopes singled and Hamrich doubled for another run.
Tri-City .... 000 001 010—2 8 2
Salem ...... 300 000 10x—4 7 1
Romero and Pesut; DeBiasi and Nelson.

WENATCHEE, Sept. 2—Hitting safely four limes in five trips, including an inside-the-park homer, Len Noren was the big thorn in the side of the Wenatchee Chiefs as the Yakima Bears won their Western International League series opener here Tuesday night, 5-1.
Noren's round-tripper, with Jerry Zuvela on base, capped the Yakima scoring and accounted for the final pair of runs in the seventh.
He lashed the ball down the left field line, and it rolled to the wall as Bud Hjelmaa made a flying dive and missed.
Yakima .......... 101 100 200—5 10 1
Wenatchee .... 000 010 000—1 8 0
Shandor and Donahue; Bauhofer and Pocekay.

PCL Recalls 15 On Option
SEATTLE, Sept. 1 — Fifteen optioned farm hands including seven now playing in the Western International League are being recalled by the Pacific Coast League SeattLe Rainiers, General Manager Earl Sheely said Wednesday.
Five are to report before the Coast League season ends Sept. 21 and three others to report next spring.
They are Gordon Brunswick, outfielder; Van Fletcher and Tom Lovrich, pitchers and Don Lundberg, catcher, all with Vancouver in the WIL League, and George Vico, first baseman with Indianapolis in the American Association.
Others to report next spring include Dale Thomason, pitcher for Lewiston in the WI league; and Len Tran, infielder, and Jim Meyers, both with Vancouver.

Monday, September 1, 1952

2008-02-18T22:41:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 87 47 .649 —
Spokane ..... 83 59 .585 8
Vancouver ... 67 63 .515 18
Salem ....... 67 71 .485 22
Lewiston .... 65 75 .464 25
Yakima ...... 63 75 .457 26
Tri-City .... 60 74 .448 27
Wenatchee ... 55 83 .399 34

VICTORIA, [Colonist, Sept. 3]—The Victoria Tyees wound up their home stand by breaking even with the Salem Senators but faulty time keeping may have cost them.
The Tyees won the first game of a holiday doubleheader, 4-3, with Bill Prior ending a ninth-inning rally preserve Ben Lorino’s 24th win.
The second game was supposed to have a 6 o’clock time limit. It was scheduled for seven innings but a five-run Victoria rally in the sixth sent it into overtime. The ninth inning started a few minutes past six as the umpires waved the teams onto the field. The scoreboard clock was at least five minutes slow and it is presumed that this was the clock used by Russ Kimpel.
The Senators scored two in the ninth to win it as manager Cec Garriott appeared to be in too much of a hurry to change pitchers and brought in Lorino to Prior’s resume after the first man had singled. Lorino, who had fans buzzing about a no-hitter in the first game before obviously weakening, couldn’t hold the Solons. One bad pitch, which hit a batter with a 0-2 count, was the turning point.
First Game
Salem ....... 000 000 003—3 7 2
Victoria ..... 031 000 00x—4 8 1
Edmunds, Hemphill (8) and Thrasher; Lorino, Prior (9) and R. Bottler.
Second Game
Salem ..... 200 031 002—8 11 1
Victoria ... 000 015 000—6 7 3
Francis, Edmunds (6), Hemphill (6) and Nelson; Han, Prior (6), Lorino (9) and Martin Bottler (6).

YAKIMA, Wash., Sept. 1 — The Spokane Indians Monday completed their sweep of a six-game Western International League series with the Yakima Bears by taking both ends of a Labor Day baseball doubleheader, 9-7 and 12-6.
The Indians broke a 6-6 tie in the seventh inning of the first game, shoving across three runs on Ed Bouchee's triple, two intentional walks, an error and Eddie Murphy's single.
John Marshall who choked off a Yakima threat in the ninth inning to save the opener for Frank Chase, turned in a masterful relief job in the seven-inning nightcap to gain credit for the win.
Marshall blanked the Bears in the last six frames after they had scored all their six runs in the first inning off Gordie Palm and Jack Spring.
Spokane tied it up at 6-6 in the second inning, then broke through for four more runs in the fourth on five hits and added two insurance tallies in the seventh.
Bouchee led the attack in the second game with a triple and two singles. Dario Lodigiani, Yakima manager, got a double and two singles to top his club at the plate.
First Game
Spokane ..... 006 000 300—9 11 3
Yakima ....... 201 030 100—7 10 3
Chase, Marshall (9) and Sheets; Thompson, Donley (3), Del Sarto (7) Garrett (8) and Donahue.
Second Game
Spokane ... 240 400 2—12 17 1
Yakima ..... 600 000 0— 8 10 2
Palm, Spring (1), Marshall (2) and Hinz: Wright, Del Sarto (4) and Donahue.

VANCOUVER, Sept. 1—The Vancouver Capilanos split a pair Monday with the Tri-City Braves, losing in the afternoon, 7-5 and winning at night, 2-1.
In the second game, the Caps beat Bob Greenwood for the first time this year behind Van Fletcher and assisted by Ray Hamrich’s two-run fifth inning error and four double plays by his mates.
Fletcher recorded his 12th victory, settling down after a wild first inning to pitch five-hit baseball.
Home runs by Gordie Brunswick and Joe Scalise were the features of the afternoon game.
John Kovenz had three hits and Larry Marier, two, for the Braves.
First Game
Tri-City ........ 010 050 100—7 12 3
Vancouver .... 002 100 002—5 6 0
Brittain, New (4), Satalich (9) and Pesut; Guldborg, Locke (5) and Ritchey.
Second Game
Tri-City ........ 000 100 000—1 5 1
Vancouver .... 000 020 00x—2 4 0
Greenwood and Pesut; Fletcher and Ritchey.

WENATCHEE, Wash., Sept. 1——Hard-luck Frankie Dasso set a Western International League record Monday for losses in a single season as he suffered his 24th setback in the opener of a Labor Day twin bill.
The Wenatchee hurler went all way as the Chiefs were defeated, 3-1, by the Lewiston Broncs. The Chiefs came back to take the nightcap, 10-6, with a nine-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth.
A slim holiday crowd of 516 was on hand.
Dasso s dubious record cracked the mark of 23 defeats which Bob Drilling posted with Yakima in 1948.
Lewiston's Bill Brenner, who went the distance to win the first game, was charged with the loss in the second after taking over in Wenatchee's nine-run sixth. The Chiefs cashed in on five hits and four Bronc errors in their big inning.
Lewiston had taken an early lead with five runs in the second on five hits, including Charlie Mead's third homer of the series. Bill Stites weathered the Bronc
attack in the second and was nicked for only one more run as he gained the win.
First Game
Lewiston ......... 010 000 020—3 11 2
Wenatchee ...... 000 100 000—1 7 1
Brenner and Lundberg; Dasso and Robinett.
Second Game
Lewiston ......... 050 000 1— 6 10 4
Wenatchee ...... 000 019 x—10 9 0
Powell, Brenner (6) and Lundberg; Stites and Robinett, Pocekay (6).

Sunday, August 31, 1952

2008-02-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 86 46 .652 —
Spokane ..... 81 59 .579 9
Vancouver ... 66 62 .516 18
Salem ....... 66 70 .485 22
Lewiston .... 64 74 .464 25
Yakima ...... 63 73 .463 25
Tri-City .... 59 73 .447 27
Wenatchee ... 54 82 .397 34

YAKIMA, Aug. 31 — The Spokane Indians gave their pennant stock another shot in the arm Sunday, sweeping both ends of a Western International League twin bill from the Yakima Bears, 6-2 and 8-6.
Dick Bishop, although giving up 10 hits, took credit for the first fame win. Bill Roberts, who took over for rookie Jack Spring in the third, got credit for the second game.
The Tribe cinched the first game in the sixth with four runs on four singles, a walk and a bit batter. Bishop's two-run single was the big blow. The Bears got their two tallies in the seventh on three singles and an outfield fly.
The Indians got off to a fast start in the second, scoring four unearned runs in the second inning.
The Bears put across two in the second and a brace in the third to knot the score at four-all but Spokane marked up three in the fifth and one in the seventh to insure the win.
Jerry Zuvela made a one-man try at winning the game for the Bears in the fifth with a two-run homer over the right wall.
First Game
Spokane .... 002 004 000—5 8 0
Yakima ...... 000 000 200—2 10 2
Bishop and Hinz: Del Sarto, Donnelly (6) and Donahue.
Second Game
Spokane .... 040 030 1—8 12 1
Yakima ...... 022 020 0—6 9 2
Spring, Roberts (3) and Sheets; Savage and Donahue.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 31 — The Lewiston Broncs smashed out 19 hits in the second game of a Western International League baseball doubleheader here Sunday to defeat Wenatchee, 16-3, and split the twin bill. Wenatchee won the opener, 4-3.
Milt Smith was the big gun for Lewiston, both in defeat and in victory.
In the opener, he swatted out three for three and had three for four in the afterpiece.
Butch Moran, the hustling Bronc sacker got four for four in the second game, including a two-run double. Charlie Mead homered for Broncs in the second game, a two-run affair.
The second game Tvas never in doubt after the first frame, when the Broncs got four runs.
Dave Dahle, who went the distance for Wenatchee in the opener, won the game for the Chiefs in the last of the ninth, rapping out a baseline single that scored Laurie
Monroe with the winning run.
First Game
Lewiston ....... 003 000 000—3 7 0
Wenatchee ... 000 002 101—4 8 1
Bowman and Lundberg; Dahle and Pocekay.
Second Game
Lewiston ...... 402 504 1—16 19 1
Wenatchee .. 000 020 0— 3 5 4
DeGeorge and Lundberg; Oubre, Kapp (4), Stites (6) and Pocekay, Robinett (4).

VANCOUVER, VICTORIA, idle due to Lord's Day Act in B.C.

SF, Yakima Feud Over Pitcher
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1—The San Francisco Seals are in a squabble with their Yakima, Wash., farm club over its refusal to sell the parent team a southpaw pitcher, Seal General Manager Damon Miller disclosed today.
Miller said President Frederick Mercy of the Yakima Bears of the Western International League vetoed San Francisco's proposal to buy Tom Del Sarto, who has won 13 games for the Bears.
Mercy told Miller the deal was out of the question since Yakima is fighting for fourth place, which means $50 for every player.
Miller said he proposed then that Mercy either sell San Francisco his 25 per cent interest in Yakima or buy thE Seals' 75 per cent. The Yakima president promised to discuss this later.
The Seals down to six hurlers need Del Sarto to replace Bill Bradford, who was severely spiked Saturday. Miller said Yakima Field Manager Dario Lodigiani already had OK'd the deal.
Last spring, Seal owner Paul Fagan promised to call up no Yakima players unless he was positively compelled to do so, Mercy said.

Saturday, August 30, 1952

2008-02-17T02:26:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 86 46 .652 —
Spokane ..... 79 59 .572 10
Vancouver ... 66 62 .516 18
Salem ....... 66 70 .485 22
Yakima ...... 63 71 .470 24
Lewiston .... 63 73 .463 25
Tri-City .... 59 73 .447 27
Wenatchee ... 53 81 .396 34

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 31]—Victoria Tyees actually moved a small step closer to clinching the W.I.L. pennant yesterday although they lost a half game of their lead and could only break even in two games with the Salem Senators at Royal Athletic Park.
With the schedule rapidly running out on the persistent Spokane Indians, the Tyees are still 10 games out in front and 13 ahead on the losing side. As far as can be ascertained from the jumble that is the W.I.L. schedule, the Tyees have only 19 games left and the Indians, who have played six more, must have less than 19. On that basis, the Tyees need only win eight of their remaining games to make it certain.
Salem, still hopeful of a third-place finish, eased to a 6-0 victory yesterday afternoon behind the good pitching of Ray McNulty. The Tyees came back under the lights to take full advantage of bases on balls and the steady pitching of Bill Bottler to romp to a 14-4 win.
McNULTY TOO GOOD
The Tyees could do nothing with the clever McNulty. They did pick up five hits but they were scattered over as many innings and they never threatened except in the fourth inning, when they loaded the bags with two out. It was the only time they managed to get a runner as far as third base.
Meanwhile, the Senators made good use of their hits as they sent Carl Gunnarson down to his fourth defeat—third as a Tyee. They used two of their seven hits off the veteran southpaw for a first-inning run, then put together two singles and a pair of doubles for three in the fourth.
Jehosie Heard gave up the last two runs in the ninth.
DIFFERENT TALE
It was different in the nightcap after Bottler straightened himself out. The rookie righthander was saved by a double play in the first after walking the first two batters, then pitched himself out of a bad jam in the second with only two runs scoring.
From there, he was at his best. Between the second and ninth, he gave up only a scratch infield single, Salem’s fourth hit, his own error, and two bases on balls gave the Senators their last two runs in their last turn but Bottler, who got Hugh Luby to pop out and Connie Perez to strike out in the second with the bags loaded whiffed the last two hitters.
He wound up with eight strikeouts, almost balancing the nine walks he issued. The win was his sixth in nine decisions.
Meanwhile, the Tyees gave Bottler a big working margin in the first three innings by tallying four times in the first and chasing six runners across in the third.
BROTHER HELPS
In both instances, a bases-loaded, two-out double did the damage. Catcher Ron Bottler helped the family cause in the first when he doubled off the top of the centre field fence, missing his second home run by a foot after three bases on balls. Cec Garriott climaxed the game-winning third with a three-run double, which gave him 102 runs batted in for the season.
Starter Bob Collins, a wild left-hander, went out in the middle of the uprising. Rookie Wayne Rick finished up acceptably although his own error helped the Tyees two three runs in the fifth.
Two catches in right field by Granny Gladstone highlighted the defensive play.
DOUBLEHEADER WINDS UP HOME STAND
Victoria Tyees wind up their second-last home stand tomorrow afternoon with a holiday double-header against Salem Senators, starting at 1:30.
Fans will have the chance of watching the two top lefthanders in action for the league-leading Tyees. Ben Lorino will be seeking his 24th victory in one game while Jehosie Heard is almost certain to be sent out for his 20th in the other.
Opposing them will be Bud Francis, who lost the first game of the series and either Vince DiBiasi, who throttled the Tyees Friday night, or Ted Edmunds, Salem relief ace.
The Tyees will leave immediately for Spokane, where they start a three-game series Tuesday which could well decide the pennant. From there, they go to Salem to wind up their away-from-home activity with doubleheaders Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Then it’s home and the end of the schedule. Four games against Lewiston will be followed by four against Spokane in the season’s final series and though it would add zest, everyone hopes the Tyees will be in by then.
First Game
Salem ....... 100 300 002—6 11 0
Victoria ..... 000 000 000—0 5 1
McNulty and Thrasher; Gunnarson, Heard (8) and Martin.
Second Game
Salem ....... 020 000 002— 4 4 2
Victoria ..... 406 013 00x—14 12 1
Collins, Rick (3) and Nelson; B. Bottler and R. Bottler.

YAKIMA, Aug. 30 — John Marshall scattered seven hits, effectively Saturday night to pitch the Spokane Indians to a 7-3 win over Yakima in a Western International League baseball game.
Marshall held the Yakimans fairly well under control, except for the three-run eighth inning when he allowed three hits. He also walked nine men but his teammates pulled him out of three holes with double plays.
Spokane's first four hits produced four runs. The initial tally came in the opening inning on a walk and a double by Mel Wasley. In the third, they added three more. Jim Brown doubled across two of them after Wasley singled and Ed Bouchee was hit by the pitcher. Brown then scored on Wilbur Johnson's single.
Spokane .... 100 301 020—7 9 2
Yakima ...... 000 000 030—3 7 0
Marshall and Sheets; Shandor and Donahue.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Sept. 2]—Anything and everything went at Cap Stadium over a holiday weekend of baseball, when the Capilanos won a marathon from Tri-City 11-10 Saturday night.
It was supposed to be a doubleheader, but the second game only reached the end of the second when the curfew rolled in and umpire John Luksik sent the boys home to bed.
Fantastic was hardly the word for the Saturday game (scheduled for seven) as the two clubs traded the lead back and forth as if it were a hot potato.
STARTED POORLY
First the first seven innings of the four-hour long “fantasia,” it was one of the worst baseball games on record. The Caps kicked in six errors in this part of it and a bevy of pitchers from both sides walked a total of 27 men.
Tri-City led at one time, 8-3, then the Caps came to life and led in the sixth 9-8 when Joe Scalise dropped a two out fly ball with the bases loaded. All three runs scored and it looked as if Vancouver had backed into a soft victory.
However Tri-City tied it in their seventh and went one ahead which, naturally, left it up to the Caps and they made a Scotchman’s picnic out of it with one run in their seventh.
SNYDER TAKES OVER
Then it went on from there with Bob Snyder, the third Vancouver pitcher, and Dave Brittin, the fifth Brave tosser, trading pitches back and forth. From here until the 14th, the game changed complexion and was a thriller-diller.
Snyder picked up his 14th win in the 14th when Edo Vanni tripled and Gordon Brunswick squeezed him home with a bunt.
The clubs started the second game and the Caps led 4-0 when Luksik called it a night at the end of the second. The funny part of the whole thing is that Ray Tran belted a three-run, inside-the-park homer in the second and because the game didn’t last five innings, it won’t be entered into the records.
3RD OF CAREER
It was Ray’s second home run in five years with the Caps and third in his entire Organized Baseball existence, which is just short of 10 years.
- - -
VANCOUVER, Aug. 30—A Western International baseball game scheduled for seven innings grew and grew tonight as Capilanos edged the Tri-City Braves 11-10 in 14 innings.
The marathon crowded out what was to have been a doubleheader.
The Caps were leading 4-0 after two innings of the second contest when the game was halted by the 11:55 p.m., curfew in effect here Saturday nights.
All the scoring but for the winning run was done in the first seven innings of the first game. Relief pitchers finally got the matter under control and it turned into a pitching battle.
Vancouver won the opener in the last of the 14th when, with one out, manager Edo Vanni tripled to right and Jim Wert walked. On a squeeze play, Gord Brunswick bunted to the pitcher and Vanni scored.
Sloppy baseball in the early innings was featured by most of the 27 bases on balls the game produced. A three-run homer by Ray Tran was the biggest blow.
Tri-City ......... 212 300 200 000 00—10 15 2
Vancouver ..... 120 123 100 000 01—11 12 6
Romero, New (5), Kostenbader (7), Satalich (7), Brittain (10) and Lewis, Pesut (6); Cade, Aubertin (5), Snyder (8) and Ritchey.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 30 — The Lewiston Broncs trounced Wenatchee's downtrodden Chiefs, 13-3, in a Western International League baseball game Saturday night.
Lewiston scored once in the second inning and six times in the fourth to sew up the tilt. The scoring splurge started when Butch Moran doubled, Art Wilson went to first, on an error, Glenn Tuckett doubled, Don Lundberg singled and Milt Smith cleaned it up with a 400-foot homer over the center field wall. Snag Moore homered to bring in the last run of that inning. Charlie Mead also rapped out a round-tripper.
The two teams meet in an afternoon game Sunday to cut down the financially hard-pressed Wenatchee team’s light bill.
Lewiston ..... 010 610 050—13 15 0
Wenatchee .. 101 000 100— 3 6 3
Schulte and Lundberg; Stites, Kapp (5) and Robinett, Pocekay (9).

Ritchey Leads WIL Batting Race
John Ritchey, Vancouver catcher and defending, batting champion, again took over the lead in the Western Internation League batting race, according to statistics compiled by Howe News Sureau.
High up on the list is Dave Brittain who is pacing Tri-City's batters. The 6-foot 4-inch hurler is hitting .348. However, he doesn't qualify for the batting title as he only has 22 at-bats.
Ritchey with an abundance of base hits, 20 for 35 times at bat to be exact, raised his average to .356, a gain of 22 points to top last week's leader, Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee catcher, by four points. Pocekay is hitting at a .325 clip.
Pocekay continued to lead in hits with 172; total bases, 244; and doubles with 41.
Bob Moniz of Victoria took over the leadership in runs scored with 106 for the only change in the specialized field.
Other leaders are Des Charoubas of Tri-City with 13 triples. Ed Murphy of Spokane in stolen bases with 42; Mgr. Cecil Garriott of Victoria tops the home runs sluggers with 16 while teammate Grannie Gladstone continued to hold top spot in runs batted in with 103.
Ben Lorino, Victoria ace, continued as top man in the pitching department registreing his 20th and 21st victories during, the week against only six losses, and is well on his way to setting a club record for won and lost percentage.
TEAM BATTING
G AB R OR H TB 2b 3b HR SH SB BB SO Pct.
Victoria
126 4244 712 619 1188 1610 223 29 47 79 114 660 545 .280
Vancouver
119 3984 596 511 1092 1421 160 53 21 87 86 566 427 .274
Lewiston
128 4300 675 731 1169 1622 198 36 61 68 85 634 565 .272
Spokane
133 4340 647 564 1165 1475 161 40 23 109 122 584 651 .268
Yakima
129 4303 667 679 1137 1554 197 53 38 99 103 684 677 .264
Salem
129 4255 547 528 1094 1441 176 51 23 65 82 547 590 .257
Tri-City
127 4211 590 637 1048 1378 153 42 31 92 110 677 696 .249
Wenatchee
129 4265 571 738 1055 1351 174 34 18 68 62 535 679 .247

TEAM FIELDING
W L T DP TP PB PO A E Pct.
Salem ....... xx 66 0 146 0 16 3327 1520 144 .971
Vancouver ... xx 58 0 127 0 13 3087 1368 162 .965
Tri-City .... xx 69 0 99 1 18 3287 1266 181 .962
Yakima ...... xx 68 0 128 0 19 3344 1438 199 .960
Victoria .... xx 44 0 112 0 16 3288 1341 191 .960
Spokane ..... 75 58 0 141 0 10 3410 1489 217 .958
Lewiston .... 58 70 0 101 0 37 3286 1386 220 .955
Wenatchee ... xx 77 0 97 0 16 3289 1288 225 .953
WILfan note: the microfilm is damaged so I can't read the win column. However, the loss column doesn't any league standings (Aug. 24 matches except for Lewiston.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore
[from Tri-City Herald, Aug. 31, 1952]

The Tri-City Braves have a working agreement with the Philadelphia Phils but it doesn’t always work. For example, Ben Lorino, pitcher for the Victoria Tyees who racked up his 23rd win the other day, was sold to the Tyees by Don McShane, director of the minor leagues for the Phils.
Back when Lorino won his 21st victory, McShane was in the stands. After the game he asked the pitcher “What are you trying to do, show me up?”
Lorino really showed McShane up when a few days later he came to Sanders and shut out the Braves 4-0. Why doesn’t the Braves have this pitcher on their staff? Well, Lorino had to prove he was good. Before he started piling up victories, the general opinion was that the boy didn’t have it.
Lorino himself doesn't think he can go any higher in baseball because he says he hasn't got a fast ball. However, his opinion is strictly a minority one around the WIL.
OUCH
George New, the Braves’ lefty who had a bad night in more ways than one a week ago really missed the boat when he was taken out after six innings of pitching against Victoria. Earl Sheely, owner of the Seattle Rainiers, was in the box seats. Now it comes out Sheely was over here to look over George.
But that was the day George gave up six hits, five runs and walked four. He was the winning pitcher but Ad Satalich did the hurling for the last three innings.
The result: Sheely is no longer interested in George.
’Twould been better had George lost while, pitching one of his two-hitters.

Friday, August 29, 1952

2008-02-17T01:40:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 85 45 .654 —
Spokane ..... 78 59 .569 10½
Vancouver ... 65 62 .512 18½
Salem ....... 65 69 .485 22
Yakima ...... 63 70 .474 23½
Lewiston .... 62 73 .459 25½
Tri-City .... 59 72 .450 26½
Wenatchee ... 53 80 .398 33½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 30]—Although they sported a healthy lead at the time, Victoria Tyees had to do something when Portland Beavers recalled Cal McIrvin after he won his 13th last July 14.
Their first step was to purchase Carl Gunnarson, the ageless southpaw, from Vanxcouver. Their second was to put Bill Prior, lean home-grown righthander, on their active list. McIrvin has not been missed.
When McIrvin left, the Tyees were 53-29 with an eight-game bulge over Spokane Indians and a 10½ game edge over Vancouver. Without McIrvin, the W.I.L. leaders have compiled a 32-16 record, lead Spokane by 10½ games and the Caps by 18½, and Victoria’s first pennant needs only mathematical clinching.
REPLACEMENTS DO WELL
McIrvin’s replacements have won 13 games and lost but six with Gunnarson 7-2 and Prior 6-4. But it should have been 14-5, with Prior at 7-2. His 3-2 loss to Salem in 10 innings at Royal Athletic Park last night was about as tough as they come.
Matched against Vince DiBiasi, the cunning ex-Coast League veteran, Prior was never better. He started out by whiffing the first three hitters he faced and went into the ninth with a three-hit shutout and leading, 2-0, because DiBiase tossed a sacrifice bunt into right field in the seventh.
Then it started. With one out, Dick Bartle was fooled on a third strike but he topped the ball down the third base line and easily beat it out for a scratch single. Prior walked Jim Deyo and Bob Nelson smashed a hit back through the middle.
Cec Garriott, taking his eye off the ball to take a look at the base runners, let it go through and both Bartle and Deyo scored. Prior had no double with the next two batters but lost it in the next inning when he made his own trouble by walking Bill Spaeter with two out and wild-pitched him into scoring position.
Bill White was put on first but Bartle got himself a real hit this time to plate Spaeter with the tie-breaking run.
It was an unhappy ending to another of the pitchers’ battles which are becoming more usual as the season nears its close. Both Prior and DiBiasi gave up six hits but the Tyees couldn’t get more than one an inning and scored their two runs on a walk, DiBiasi’s heave to right field and an infield out. Prior struck out eight and walked seven.
It will be Carl Gunnarson and Bill Bottler, in that order, for the Tyees in today’s two games, The Senators will counter with righthander Ray McNulty and southpaw Bob Collins … Granny Gladstone has only 14 home runs according to official league statistics and not 15 as was thought … Ben Lorino has yet to receive credit for that early-season relief win at Yakima and is listed with 22 wins instead of 23 … Bill Spaeter saved the game for the Solons last night with a sparkling fifth-inning catch of Lu Branham’s fly near the right-field foul line. It ended the inning with John Treece already across the plate with the run that would have won … Likeable Dick Bartle is having a good season with Salem and at .281 could still finish a .300 hitter … Other good defensive plays last night were turned in by Don Pries and Jim Deyo, Salem centrefielder, who robbed Jim Clark in the fifth … Treece broke out of his slump with two hits … plans are reported underway for a “Player Appreciation Night” and it is needed. Just over 1,300 fans have turned out for the last two games, hardly appreciation for the fine baseball played all season by the Tyees.
Salem ...... 000 000 002 1—3 6 1
Victoria .... 000 000 200 0—2 6 1
DiBiasi and Nelson; Prior and R. Bottler.

YAKIMA, Aug. 29 — The Spokane Indians jumped off to a three-run lead in top of the first Friday night and were never headed as they toppled the Yakima Bears, 6-3, in a Western International League baseball game.
Spokane ....... 301 001 010—6 7 1
Yakima ......... 010 001 100—3 9 2
Conant and Sheets; Savage, Thompson (2), King (6), Del Sarto (8) and Donahue.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 30]—The Capilanos broke out in a rash of extra basehits Friday night, won themselves a ball game 7-1 over Tri-City and preserved their third place hold over Salem.
It was close for a while, but the Caps got a break in the sixth when pitcher Ad Satalitch threw away an easy out at first base. That error cost him two runs and Vancouver scored two more before the inning ended. As far as the ball game was concerned, it ended right there.
Ed Locke was the winner, his 10th of the year, and it was one of his fancier efforts. Ed was powerfully quick last night and had the Braves on his hip most of the way.
CROWD IMPROVED
The crowd—at Picture Night at the stadium—was improved. About 1500 took this one in and that was almost 1000 more than Thursday.
As the Caps come into their closing days of baseball at home, attendance is an important thing. Right now the figure is right around 120,000. It’s not what was expected at the start of the year when a 200,000 season was considered the target, but considering the weather and the way the pennant race is dragging, it’s not bad.
Victoria, for instance, will only draw about 115,000 for their pennant winner this year—and they must be thinking right now that it doesn’t pay any more to have a cinch winner than it does to have a permanent loser. The Tyees just can’t seem to hit the happy medium.
IMPORTANT ISSUE
Attendance will be an important thing at the coming league meeting in Seattle next month. It will be brought up, for instance, that something will have to be done against Wenatchee. Maybe Tri-City, too.
Because the two prairie towns, Calgary and Edmonton, are now hovering in the background, it well could be that the league fathers will look upon this year’s weak sisters [ ] drastic measures.
DIAMOND DUST—The Caps and Braves play two tonight starting at 7 o’clock … Newcomer Jerry Cade, a lefthander, pitches the first game for the Caps and Van Fletcher goes out for again for his 12th win in the second game. Monday (Labor Day), the same clubs wind up the six-game [ ] fair with two more … It will be at 2:30 in the afternoon and 7 o’clock at night with Bob Snyder and John Guldborg likely pitching for the Caps.
- - -
VANCOUVER, Aug. 29 — The Vancouver Capilanos grabbed sufficient margin for victory in the first inning Friday night as they chilled the Tri-City Braves 7-1 in a Western International League baseball contest.
The outcome left the teams holding a victory apiece aftcr two games of a six-game series.
Vancouver broke out for two runs in the first on a double by manager Edo Vanni, a triple by Gord Brunswick and a single by John Ritchey.
Not satisfied, the Caps added four more runs in the sixth on three hits, a walk and a two-base error by pitcher Ad Satalich. They scored again in the eighth.
Nick Pesut's single, a walk, a fielder's choice and an infield grounder gave the
Braves their lone run in the fifth.
Tri-City ........ 000 010 000—1 3 2
Vancouver .... 200 004 01X—7 10 1
Satalich and Pesut; Locke and Ritchey.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 29 — Lewiston bunched its seven hits nicely Friday night to defeat Wenatchee, 3-1, in a Western International League baseball game.
The Broncs sewed it up in the third, scoring twice on Bill Brenner's single, a walk and a two-run triple by Snag Moore. They added their third tally in the eighth on a walk, single and long fly.
Lewiston ....... 002 000 010—3 7 2
Wenatchee .... 000 000 100—1 6 0
Brenner and Lundberg; Dasso and Pocekay.

Thursday, August 28, 1952

2008-02-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 85 44 .659 —
Spokane ..... 77 59 .566 11½
Vancouver ... 64 62 .508 19½
Salem ....... 64 69 .481 23
Yakima ...... 63 69 .477 23½
Lewiston .... 61 73 .455 26½
Tri-City .... 59 71 .454 26½
Wenatchee ... 53 79 .402 33½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 29]—So close to the W.I.L. pennant that any combination of Victoria wins and Spokane defeats totalling nine would make it a mathematical certainty, Victoria Tyees are showing no signs of letting up and are still playing the kind of baseball which has put them on top.
They were at their best last night at Royal Athletic Park in handing the Salem Senators a 7-3 setback in the first game of a six-game series.
Minus shortstop Jim Clark, the league’s best, for the second straight game, the Tyees functioned as smoothly as ever with outfielder Granny Gladstone at Clark’s post and Dwane Helbig in Gladstone’s usual right field spot.
PRIES ASSISTS
And it was Gladstone, with a big assist from the versatile Don Pries, who backed Ben Lorino’s steady pitching to overcome a 3-0 deficit with some timely hitting.
Lorino, who still has a chance to tie or better the league record of 27 victories, set last season by Bob Snyder, picked up No. 23 last night on the strength of two tremendous home runs by Gladstone and a two-run double by Pries.
Not in his top form in the early innings, Lorino dropped behind as the Tyees had trouble with rookie Bud Francis. But the big lefthander, who has now won nine of his last 10 decisions, improved as the game wore along. He wound up by striking out the side in the ninth and with 10 whiffs more than balancing his unusually large number of bases on balls.
TYEES CROSSED UP
Francis, who wriggled off the hook in the first inning when the Tyees got a bit crossed up on the bases, made trouble for himself in the sixth by walking Bob Moniz and Cec Garriott to open the inning. Perhaps a bit too anxious to get ahead of Gladstone, he came down the middle with the first pitch and it became home run No. 14 for the colored infielder-outfielder. It was a line smash over the centre-field fence.
With one on in the seventh, Moniz singled and sped to third as Garriott followed with a hit to right field. Pries then came through with a hit-and-run double, which was lined through the spot just vacated by second-baseman Connie Perez, on his way to cover the bag as Garriott broke with the pitch.
Garriott came in behind Moniz and Pres scored ahead of Gladstone when No. 15 disappeared somewhere across Pembroke Street.
BATTING SPREE
Gladstone’s five runs batted in increased his league-leading total to 111 and his current batting spree has seen him pick up 10 hits—including three doubles and two home runs—in 19 trips in the last four games.
Salem gives it a try again tonight with Vince DiBiasi, late of the Portland Beavers, likely to prove a tough customer. The Tyees will counter with Bill Prior, who will be seeking his seventh win.
DIAMOND DUST—John Treece, who is having troubles at the plate, came up with several sparkling defensive plays last night. The Victoria third-baseman is now hitless in his last 19 times and has only two hits in his last 48 trips … Bill Starr, president of the San Diego Padres, was among the fans the last two nights. He is watching some farmhands with the Salem Senators and doing a bit of scouting … Interference, probably unintentional, by Connie Perez, cost the Tyees two first-inning runs last night. Called out on strikes, Perez stepped in front of catcher Ron Bottler, who was trying to catch Gene Tanselli stealing. Bottler, who has been winging them out regularly, threw this one into the dirt … Bill White, appearing against his old club for the first time here, hit a triple, double and single … Granny Gladstone handled 15 chances perfectly in two games at shortstop … Cec Garriott called for an intentional base on balls for the first time this season here in Wednesday’s first game and the strategy worked twice.
Salem ...... 200 100 000—3 7 1
Victoria .... 000 003 04X—7 9 1
Francis, Edmunds (7) and Thrasher; Lorino and R. Bottler.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 29 — An over-enthusiastic Wenatchee fan dropped a black cat in front of Frank Chase as he toiled on the mound for Spokane Thursday night.
But the would-be cure all backfired and the Indians dropped the Chiefs 8-6 in the wrap-up game of a Western International League baseball series.
The Chiefs had the bases loaded three times with none out. Chase managed to get the
side out each time.
Spokane ........ 012 103 100—8 12 1
Wenatchee .... 010 001 103—6 11 3
Chase, Marshall (9) and Sheets; Dahle, Kapp (8) and Pocekay.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 29]—It’s getting around to all-star time in baseball again and a fellow who throws baseballs for the WIL’s lowest entry is making a serious bid for recognition as the league’s best right hander.
This would be Bob Greenwood, who beat the Caps Thursday on three hits, 4-1, for his 14th win of the year. In fact, every time Bob pitches against Vancouver, the magic number seems to be three.
This was his third win in as many tries and all three have been accomplished on three-hitters.
COMES FROM PHILS
Greenwood comes to the Braves by courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies, as do three other of Tri-City staff.
He is a lazy fellow by nature and this has been against him in his brief tenure in Organized Baseball. They have said that because he doesn’t seem to have any ambition, he naturally will not go anywhere.
That could be, but don’t tell it to the Caps. Every time he has pitched against the Townies he has looked like a cross-section of Feller-Reynolds-Raschi-Newcombe. He is big and he is fast. He gets the ball over and pits it right where he wants it.
NO OFFENSIVE
The 14 victories Greenwood has accomplished for the Braves this year have been more of an achievement than you’d think. Tri-City is terribly weak on the offensive. They haven’t a good long-ball hitter in the bunch (but who has) and they don’t have too many hitters, period.
So Greenwood every time he wins, has to pitch himself a peach of a baseball game. He has done it 14 times while losing only eight. And as we said, that’s all-star rating in any man’s book.
Again last night Greenwood found himself in tough. He was up against Tom Lovrich, admittedly on one of Tom’s poorer nights. However, Tom is tough even when he’s poor and it remained for Nick Pesut’s double and Vic Buccola’s triple to produce two second-inning runs. There were two more in the seventh when Lovrich got wild and walked himself right out of the game.
By then Greenwood had his victory in the bag.
DIAMOND DUST—Tonight, which is Picture Night at the ball park, Ed Locke goes for the Caps. Everyone who turns out for the game gets a free, autographed picture of the Caps … Game time is 8:15.
- - -
VANCOUVER, B.C., Aug. 28 — Unable to snare more than three hits off wily Bob Greenwood, the Vancouver Capilanos bowed to the Tri-City Braves Thursday night in the opener of a six-game Western International League baseball series.
The victory was Greenwood’s 14th against eight defeats. Tom Lovrich, one of three Vancouver hurlers to see action, was the starter and loser. He now has an 8-5 record.
About 800 fans saw Tri-City take a two-run edge in the second on
five stolen bases, a double by Nick Pesut and a triple by Vic Buccola. Tom Marier was hit by the pitcher.
Tri-City ........ 020 000 200—4 6 0
Vancouver .... 000 100 000—1 3 3
Greenwood and Pesut; Lovrich, Guldborg (7) Aubertin (8) and Ritchey.

LEWISTON, Aug. 28 — The Broncs and the Bears took turns at exploding for seven-run innings in their Western International League game Thursday with Yakima finally squeaking by Lewiston in the ninth for an 11-9 win.
Yakima .... 200 000 702—11 15 1
Lewiston .. 001 710 000— 9 10 2
Thompson, Donley (4) and Donahue; DeGeorge, Powell (7) Bowman (8) Thomason (9) Schulte (9) and Lundberg.

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, August 29, 1952]
Question and no answer …

The phone rang and the voice said there had been an argument and would we settle a bet? “I say the Capilanos are in a Class C league,” the voice croaked. “My pal says they’re higher. Which is it?”
A very posing question.
According to the book, the Western International League attained Class A status at the major-minor league meetings last December after living in a phony Class B cloak since their inception in 1939 [sic].
However, did my friend want the classification according to the “book” or according to the calibre of play?
It is the opinion, for instance, of the average well-versed follower of the WIL that the 1952 brand of baseball is not 65 percent of what it was in ’51.
Consider the factor of hitting a case in point.
The league this season is absolutely void of power hitters. The long ball has become as rare as the no-hitter.
Right now, the two power men in the league are Wenatchee’s Walt Pocekay (5’ 11”, 180 pounds) and Victoria’s Cec Garriott (5’ 9”, 165 pounds).
Pocekay has accumulated 225 total bases in his 157 hits in both departments. Garriott is the home run leader with 14.
Where are the power boys…
How do these marks compare with previous years, even when the WIL wore its Class B sheepskin?
Well, in 1948, Archie Wilson totalled 408 bases with his hits and in 1949 Jim Warner socked 43 homers.
The Wilsons and Warners were once common-place in this league. Nearly every club had at least one tremendous long-ball threat and to list them individually would take a long weekend and more space than we are allotted.
However, just offhand, we can recall fellows like Dick Greco, Dick Sinovic, Jack Harshman, Smead Jolley and Wes Schulmerich, all of whom hit a baseball as if they were mad at the thing. And what has happened to this type of player?
Consider another case in point, the pitching this season.
The league reader is a rambunctious fellow named Ben Lorino, who has won 20 games and eaten his weight in umpires.
It is strange, indeed, that Lorino should enjoy such success this year, even considering he has a superb defense at his back and attack which is quite adequate.
However, Lorino rarely ever got his head above .500 in the won and lost column before 1952. They gave up on him in the Pioneer League towards the end of last season and the story goes that Victoria bought him for $100. You can buy a milk wagon pony for the same price or make an instalment on a model T Ford—if you get what we mean.
Pliz, call off your bet…
Take nothing away from Lorino, though. He has been Victoria’s big stopper. It’s just that it makes you wonder what has happened to a league when a fellow like this can come along without a warning.
I know what you’re thinking right now, too. It’s about Bob Snyder, who won 27 last season and has only managed 13 so far this year.
Remember this if you’re going to throw Bob in my face. He has lost two fve-hitters and a seven-hitter and these should have been winning efforts. Instead of 13-10, his record could easily be 16-7 and that would be comparable to his 1951 performance, considering his missed the first month of play.
What happened, of course, was the “limited service” rule the league adopted where each club was forced to carry eight players in this category.
It is a bad rule, but the fathers thought it was necessary because of ballooning salaries. In 1951 the league had a rule allowing each team a $4000 a month salary maximum for a 17-player roster. It was found that one team ignored the law so ingraciously that their payroll reached $8000 per month.
So they brought in the rookie rule, but they overdid it.
It has been a year filled with mental errors and mistakes in common fundamentals. The baseball has been highly entertaining, but at times, highly agonizing.
It is one thing to watch a professional get caught between hops, and quite another to watch a professional forget to cover a base. Physical errors we can take, mistakes of the mind no one can put up with.
Therefore, next year, the limited service rule likely will be remodelled. Not entirely thrown out, but minimized until they have reached a happy medium.
But, friend, as far as that calibre of baseball question is concerned, why don’t you just call off the bet? The answer, I’m afraid, is a little elastic.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[from Victoria Colonist, Aug. 29, 1952]
How often do pinch-hitters come through? Not often, if W.I.L. games at Royal Athletic Park this season are any criterion.
A recent report that Washington pinch-hitters went on a streak of 28 tries without a hit prompted some research and the results were surprising.
In 62 games played here this season pinch-hitters have produced five hits in 45 attempts, drawn three bases on balls and been knicked by the pitcher once. They failed to influence the result of one game, bated in only four runs, of which three came on a home run, and the combined batting average of .122 would make almost any pitcher blush.
Victoria Tyees have used 27 pinch-hitters and only five of them managed to get on base—three of them by hits, one on a base on balls and one because he got in the way of a pitch. Twelve Victoria pinch-hitters struck out, two grounded out and eight flew or popped out. Not one of the unsuccessful 22 managed even so much as to advance a base-runner and not one of the 27 drove in a run.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 29, 1952]
When Ray Hamrick joined the Tri-City Braves a month ago it was secretly hoped that he could spark the team to a few victories. The Braves then were in their worst slump. They had just returned from a road trip where they had dropped seven of nine starts.
Now it’s about time to see how much Ray has helped the team. Ray is a .330 hitter. His fielding is the sharpest of any seen around Sanders Field. But how much has he helped the Braves in terms of percentage points?
Here are some figures: When Ray joined the club the won - lost percentage was .426. It is now .450. Since Hamrick came here the Braves have won 18 games, lost 16 and tied one—up to but not including Thursday night’s game. That is a percentage of .529 for the last few weeks. If they had had that percentage all season, it would put the Braves above Vancouver but below Spokane in present league standings.
The Braves have been playing like a first-division club for over a month now. But the early season deficit is too much to overcome although they stand a reasonably chance to move up.
So, whether Ray has sparked the team or not, at least things have improved since he has been around.
ONE RUN
One run seems to make the difference with the Braves lately. They took a 17-4 shellacking two weeks ago, then won a 4-0 shutout and were in turn shut out, 4-0. Since then they have won seven games by one point, lost two by one point and tied another. Four of the games went into overtime.
CRITIC
A. Hewes of Benton City is a loyal Braves’ booster with some criticism to offer. Like me, he feels this is a good baseball and and writes:
“In my younger days I was a baseball tramp and have warmed the benches in some of the better clubs. I’ll say this. I never saw a place where more people, male and female, talked baseball than right here.
“A good hardworking, well managed club would triple attendance without being in the first division. I don’t expect a win every time but I do like heads up baseball, and I seldom miss a game unless they are playing when I’m on shift.
“My gripes are as follows:
“No enough action in the bullpen. Pitchers are left in too long.
“Hitters are not properly coached. The fine act of bunting has been overlooked.
“In the first part of the season, not enough stress was put on the pivot or double play combination.
“The signal system is wide open.”

Wednesday, August 27, 1952

2008-02-16T23:35:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 84 44 .656 —
Spokane ..... 76 59 .563 11½
Vancouver ... 64 61 .512 18½
Salem ....... 64 68 .485 22
Yakima ...... 62 69 .473 23½
Lewiston .... 61 72 .459 25½
Tri-City .... 58 71 .450 26½
Wenatchee ... 53 78 .405 32½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 28]—Some of the season’s best baseball was on show at Royal Athletic Park last night but it took a long time to play.
Tri-City Braves, not at all looking like the seventh-place club they are, gave the league-leading Victoria Tyees quite a tussle in a W.I.L. doubleheader which was scheduled to make up for Monday’s rained-out game.
EXTRA INNINGS
The Tyees won the first one, 3-2, after 12 innings of scintillating play but had to accept a 2-2 tie in the finale, which also went into extra innings. It was called at the end of eight innings because of the curfew which prohibits the start of an inning after 12:50 a.m. It was 12:54 when pinch-hitter Ron Bottler became Victoria’s third out in the eighth.
As the scores would indicate, good pitching was the order in each game, the pitchers were backed by fine defensive work. The Tyees again were guilty of failing to hit with men on the bags, leaving a total of 27 men stranded in the last two games.
Jehosie Heard, in the first game, and LeRoy Han probably came up with their top pitching performances of the season for Victoria but they caught of couple of dogged opponents in Ralph Romero and George New.
Heard had to be at his best to finally come up with his 19th win and break a personal five-game losing streak. He was a bit shaky in the early innings but settled down after the fifth and seemed to get stronger as they game went along.
GOOD IN CLUTCH
The little colored southpaw pitched seven and a third innings of hitless ball after John Kovenz’ fifth-inning double gave the Braves a 2-0 lead. He gave up his seventh hit in the 12th and did his greatest pitching in the 10th and 11th, when he struck out the last two batters in each inning with two runners aboard. He took 15 on strikes altogether to run his season’s total to 194.
Meanwhile, Romero was in more trouble but grittily pitched out each time until the fatal 12th. Opposing managers, playing as if it was the seventh game of the world series, used every strategy possible and there was the unusual number of seven-five by Tri-City intentional bases on balls.
Romero got off the hook several times before he was finally landed with the Tyees bunting him out of his 17th win. Jim Clark tied the score in the sixth when he laid down a perfect bunt with two out to score Granny Gladstone from third.
BRANHAM HERO
In the 12th, Gladstone led off with a single and the bases were quickly filed as Ron Bottler and Clark beat out bunts for hits. Romero promptly struck out John Treece and Heard and got two strikes on Lu Branham. But the little colored infielder, who had stolen two bases and hit two doubles previously, lined a hit to right field.
Han was staked to a 2-0 lead in the second game but made trouble for himself with bases on balls. He had a no-hitter going for four and two-thirds innings, then walked two Braves with two out in the fifth. Don Lopes scored Tri-City’s first run with a hard single through shortstop. The tying run came in the sixth when a base on balls, a single and an outfield fly allowed Des Charouhas to complete the circuit.
Han set down the last seven men he faced but the Tyees, although getting men in scoring position in both the seventh and eight, couldn’t score again and the 18-year-old righthander had to accept a no-decision verdict for his well-pitched two innings.
The result kept the Tyees 11½ games ahead of Spokane Indians, who had an easy 11-1 romp at Wenatchee.
First Game
Tri-City ..... 010 010 000 000—2 7 2
Victoria ..... 001 001 000 001—3 14 0
Romero and Lewis, Pesut (10); Heard and R. Bottler.
Second Game
Tri-City ..... 000 011 00—2 2 0
Victoria ..... 200 000 00—2 6 1
New and Pesut; Han and Martin.
(Game called due to curfew, not to be replayed)

WENATCHEE, Aug. 27 — George Huffman paced the Spokane Indians to an 11-1 Western International League baseball win over Wenatchee Wednesday night. The win evened the series at 1-1 with the rubber tilt set for Thursday night.
Huffman drove in five runs with a triple and two doubles in five times up. Other heavy hitting included Ed Bouchee's solo homer in the third for Spokane.
Spokane ......... 401 103 002—11 11 0
Wenatchee ..... 001 000 000— 1 10 2
Spring and Sheets; Stites, Bauhofer (6) and Pocekay.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News Herald, Aug. 28]—In these waning hours of the 1952 baseball season, it again has fallen upon an ‘old pro’ to emerge as the best pitcher on the Capilano baseball club. A title this gentleman has held for many years now, incidentally.
The description, of course, could fit only Bob Snyder. Call him “old dependable” or “old reliable” if you will, but he is quite a guy nevertheless.
Bob won his 13th game of the season Wednesday 10-0 after the Caps got themselves beaten in the opener of the doubleheader 10-3.
TIED WITH GULDBORG
The 13 wins tied Bob with Bud Guldborg as the winningest pitcher of the club. It also extended the right-hander’s winning streak to three games and left the impression with a lot of people that the fellow is no worse a pitcher than he was last year in winning 27. Luck has been the difference.
Most of Bob’s luck this season has been bad. It might even surprise a lot of people to know that there are those who feel Bob is pitching in even better form than in 1952 but the fickle lady has left his side.
Snyder gave up but six hits in accomplishing this shutout, and allowed only two men to get as far as third.
TWO BAD ONES
His attack broke loose in big second and fifth inning orgies, three in the second and six in the fifth. There were no hitting heroes, because everybody got into the act in the 13-hit assault.
It was just the reverse in the first game, though there wasn’t as much hitting.
Dick Aubertin, making his first start in a Capilano uniform, found the change of scenery hadn’t corrected his old jinx—the base on balls. Dick walked six, three of them in the first inning as the Salems scored five times and more or less ended it right there.
Aubertin stayed around until the fourth when Billy Whyte came in to bail him out. However, Whyte was little better and the Senators went on their merry way while the Caps could do little with lefty Bob Collins.
DIAMOND DUST—Tom Lovrich pitches for the Caps tonight as they open a six-game set with Tri-City … Newcomer Jerry Cade, the lefthander, will pitch his first game for Vancouver in one of the Saturday games.
First Game
Salem .......... 500 212 0—1 6 2
Vancouver .... 100 200 0—3 7 2
Collins and Nelson; Aubertin, Whyte (1) and Leavitt.
Second Game
Salem ........ 000 000 000—0 6 3
Vancouver .. 030 061 00x—10 13 1
Hemphill and Thrasher; Snyder and Ritchey.

LEWISTON, Aug. 27 — Lewiston's ace relief hurler, Jim Clancy, took to the mound in a starting role Wednesday night and held his former Yakima teammates to six hits as Broncs evened their Western International league series with the Bears with a 9-2 win.
Yakima ...... 000 000 011—3 8 2
Lewiston .... 002 120 04x—9 14 3
Albini, Garrett (6), King (8) and Donahue; Clancy and Lundberg.

Tuesday, August 26, 1952

2008-02-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 83 44 .654 —
Spokane ..... 75 59 .560 11½
Vancouver ... 63 60 .512 18
Salem ....... 63 67 .485 21½
Yakima ...... 62 68 .477 22½
Lewiston .... 60 72 .455 25½
Tri-City .... 58 70 .453 25½
Wenatchee ... 53 77 .408 31½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 27]—Victoria Tyees walked to a 9-6 decision over Tri-City Braves at Royal Athletic Park last night to extend their W.I.L. lead over Spokane’s second-place Indians to 11½ games.
The Indians, hoping that their series against last-place Wenatchee would enable them to gain ground, got a rude shock when the Chiefs erupted for six runs in the eighth inning to grab a 7-6 verdict.
FORCED INTO IT
The Tyees appeared a bit reluctant to pick up the win last night. Their first batter reached base in seven of the eight innings they batted as three Tri-City pitchers handed out 15 bases on balls, made two wild pitches and hit a batter, but they were trailing when the Braves insisted in the eighth.
Victoria pitchers handed out nine walks, eight of them by starter Bill Bottler, to make a total of 24 for the two hours and 53 minutes of baseball. Record books list 26 bases on balls, in a game between Yakima and Wenatchee in 1947, as the high, but it is believed that this was smashed earlier this season.
Bill Bottler started for the Tyees and was staked to a 6-1 lead in the second inning. But his own lack of control and a couple of slips by his teammates helped the Braves to slice into their lead and finally move ahead, 8-6, with four runs in the sixth.
A bad throw by manager Cec Garriott with an easy double play at second base gave Tri-City a run in the fifth and Jim Clark’s attempt to get the lead runner at second instead of taking the out at first became responsible for three of the Braves’ four runs in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Tyees passed up scoring chances in every inning by failing to hit. They didn’t hit in the eighth either, but the Braves weren’t to be denied this time.
FINALLY DO IT
Bill Kostenbader, who had somehow pitched five scoreless innings after relieving starter Dave Brittain in the second, opened by walking Garriott and Don Pries. Granny Gladstone then laid down a perfect bunt, which went for a hit, to load the bags.
The Braves called on George New, their erratic southpaw who leads the W.I.L. in giving up walks and is second in strikeouts. New struck out two of the five men he faced—but then he walked the other three to force in three runs.
The win, his sixth in nine decisions, went to Bill Prior, second of Victoria’s three pitchers. Prior was unhittable after giving up singles to the first two batters he faced. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth and reliable Carl Gunnarson had no trouble protecting the lead in the ninth.
DIAMOND DUST—It will be LeRoy Han and Jehosie Heard for the Tyees in tonight’s doubleheader. Ralph Romero will pitch one game for the Braves. George New was scheduled for the otger but he worked part of an inning last night … Five of Tri-City’s eight runs and four of Victoria’s nine were put on base by walks last night … Chuck Abernathy was out of action again with a recurrence of his leg trouble and Don Pries took over at first base in his usual steady style … Jim Clark returned to the line-up after a sore neck put him on the sidelines Saturday night and catcher Milt Martin, who received a mild concussion in a collision with Jim Wert Saturday, was in uniform last night and may catch one of tonight’s games … Ron Bottler tossed out two would-be base stealers last night with fine throws … Plate umpire Russ Kimpel missed one in the sixth when he called Don Pries out at the plate … Catcher Nick Pesut failed to make a tag after taking taking the outfield throw but Kimpel made his call too soon and was not in position to see the play as Pries crashed into the burly catcher.
Tri-City ..... 102 014 000—8 10 1
Victoria ..... 150 000 03x—9 10 2
Brittain, Kostenbader (2) New (8) Satalich (8) and Pesut; B. Bottler, Prior (6), Gunnarson (9) and R. Bottler.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 26 — Wenatchee lowered the boom in the eighth inning with a splurge of six runs that included a three run single to defeat Spokane, 7-6, Tuesday night
in a Western International League baseball game.
A freak play in which three Wenatchee runners crossed the plate on Frank Dasso's bases-loaded single highlighted the inning.
Spokane ........ 100 040 001—6 12 1
Wenatchee .... 010 000 06x—7 3 2
Bishop, Roberts (8) and Sheets; Oubre and Pocekay.
WP-Oubre. LP-Roberts.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 27]—Van Fletcher has become convinced in his strivings for his 11th victory of this baseball campaign that there is only one way to win a ball game. That is to shutout the other side—the worst you can get this way is a tie.
But for an eighth inning error by Jesse Williams and a resultant unearned run, Fletcher did his part and pitched the shutout. However, he could have been more generous and still won for the Caps scored six in the first inning and won 6-1.
This was Fletcher’s seventh try for number 11, which to everyone but him is listed as a lucky number.
SALEM WAS CLOSE
It came at an opportune time, too, for the Salems were just two and a half games behind the Caps and third place before this series started and could have left town ahead of the townies. Now, that much is impossible.
Tonight, for instance, the clubs play a doubleheader starting at 7 o’clock and even if the Caps roll over and die—which Edo Vanni says is extremely unlikely—they will still maintain their third place grip.
Fletcher looked something like the pitcher who started off the season like a lion. He was quick and he was accurate.
McNULTY GENEROUS
Meanwhile, the Caps’ offensive never had it so easy. They caught Ray McNulty, the ace of Hugh Luby’s staff, in one of Ray’s generous moods. The 16-game winner gave up four bases on balls and a single in the first inning before he was taken out. Then Vancouver got another walk and three more hits off Ted Edmunds (all of this with two out) and it counted for six runs and a baseball game.
Salem outhit the Caps 7-5 but the townies out-walked Salem 8-1. There was the story right there—there is still no devised defense against the base on balls—baseball’s most deadly poison.
For this doubleheader tonight, Vanni is going to introduce the Caps’ new right-hander, fire-balling Dick Aubertin. A colorful customer with a big fastball, Richard has only to get the ball over the plate to win. And there we go talking about that base on balls again. In the second game, Bob Snyder will pitch.
DIAMOND DUST—Friday when Tri-City is here, Bob Brown is going to try something new at his ball yard. He calls it Picture Night and everyone who walks through the turnstiles gets an autographed picture of the Capilanos.
- - -
VANCOUVER, B.C., Aug. 26 — The Vancouver Capilanos catapulted to a 8-1 Western International League baseball victory over the Salem Senators Tuesday night on six first-inning runs.
The Caps gained the runs off four hits, two errors and four bases on balls. All the hits were singles. The Senators earned their lone run in the eighth when Bob Nelson.went to second on a fielder's choice and was singled home by Gene Tanselli.
Salem ......... 000 000 010—1 7 1
Vancouver ... 000 000 00x—6 5 1
McNulty, Edmunds (1) Rick (8) and Nelson; Fletcher and Nelson.
LP-McNulty.

LEWISTON, Aug. 26 — The Yakima Bears pounded Lewiston starter Dale Thomason for five runs in the first three innings and then coasted to a Western International league series-opener win over the Broncs Tuesday night 6-5.
Tom DelSarto notched his 13th win as he scattered five hits at
Lcwiston.
Yakima ....... 113 000 001—6 10 2
Lewiston ..... 200 010 011—5 5 2
DelSarto, Savage (8) and Donahue; Thomason, Brenner (3) and Lundberg.
WP-DelSarto. LP-Thomason.

‘ONLY THING TO SAVE LEAGUE’
Salem Manager Supports Addition of Prairies
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, August 27, 1952]

Add one more name to the list of baseball officials who feel that Edmonton’s and Calgary’s addition to the WIL is not only a good idea, but a necessary one. The name is Hugh Luby, playing manager of the Salem Senators.
Luby, during Monday’s rainout with the Caps, had a long session with Bob Brown, general manager of the Vancouver club and ‘father’ of the enrollment of the prairies thought. The topic, of course, was the possibility of Edmonton and Calgary coming into the league.
“When the idea was first advanced a couple of years ago,” Luby said, “I admit I didn’t like it. However, if we don’t move ahead with the times we are going to collapse, and this is our change. I see that now.”
Luby said that transportation difficulties were his main objection in the first place, but that has since been overcome by airplane.
“A number of ball players refuse to fly because of silly fears or superstitions,” Luby explained. “That is not a point to consider. People, at one time, were frightened to death by a monster on wheels that they called the automobile.
“As a matter of fact,” Luby went on, “I was just sitting here figuring additional transportation costs and including Calgary and Edmonton in the scheme when you asked me about those clubs.
“I figure that it will cost $2000 for a round trip from Salem through the prairies and back home. That’s more than it costs us now, but look at the additional revenue we would get from having those clubs in.”
Luby’s idea was to set up a sort of transportation pool system with each club putting in a similar percentage.
“Nobody would go broke with that idea and at the end of the year I’ll bet our splits from having Calgary and Edmonton in would increase enough to more than make up the travel differences. Yes, the idea is not only worth considering right now, it demands it!”
Luby went on to speak of what kind of a set-up would be most satisfactory to the WIL including the prairie entries.
“Bob (Brown) assures me he is going after the idea of bringing in the prairies for next season. He is so serious about it, he told me they should be in even if we have to go to 10 clubs. I’ll tell you this much—as far as an individual is concerned, I endorse the idea thoroughly. As far as the Salem club is concerned, I see no reason why we shouldn’t vote right along with Vancouver. After all, it will be beneficial to us, too.”

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Bristol Comes Up With New No-Hit Hurler
BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn., Aug. 27.—If your life's ambition is to pitch a no-hit baseball game, just join the Bristol team of the Class D Appalachian League. Everybody seems to get into the act with Bristol.
Last night it was Frank Ramsay's turn. The 19-year-old southpaw came up with Bristol's filth no-hitter of the season—a sparkling 1-0 gem against Bluefield.
The no-hitter not only was Bristol's fifth of the season, it was the second in two nights. Only 24 hours earlier, Bill Bell had blanked the same Bluefield Club without a hit. The no-hitter was Bell's third of 1951.
Rocket Ron Necciai started it all back on May 13 when he twirled a no-hitter and struck out 27 men in the process.
Only a few nights later, Bell came through wifn a 1-0 no-hit win over Kingsport. Bell followed this up four nights later with a 4-0, no-hit triumph over Bluefield. And the 18-year-old righthander from Goldsboro, N.C., pitched a hitless 1-0 win over Bluefield here Monday night.
Ramsay, from Rocky Hill, Conn., walked five, hit one batter and struck out nine last night. It was the 14th triumph against 10 defeats for the 19-year-old left hander.
All of which led to Thompson's sigh of relief. Bristol still has two games to play—but they're not in Bristol.

Monday, August 25, 1952

2008-02-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

Salem at Vancouver, postponed rain
Tri City at Victoria, postponed, rain.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

SPORTS NOTES
By Gil Gilmore
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 26, 1952]

A number of people have asked me if the Tri-Cities will have a Western International League club here next year.
There seems to be little doubt that Dick Richards, business manager and majority stockholder of the Braves, would like to pull out of the Tri-City area and take the team with him. Richards, who has been counting his sagging gate receipts, contends this "just isn't a baseball area."
As I wrote before I believe this is a good baseball area and I don't think Richards will pull out because, there is no place to go that has the potential of this one.
NOT ALONE
And I'm not the only one who thinks so. A WIL franchise cannot be moved from one area to another without the consent of eight members of the league board of directors. Robert Abel, president of the league, said on his visit here that he has found no inclination on the part of any member of the board to permit Richards to move the franchise.
Abel apparently told George Redmond, sports editor of the Yakima Republic and Herald, the same thing. And George adds that the directors feel there is nothing wrong with the Tri-City area that a front-running club wouldn't cure.
The WIL directors and managers will meet Sept. 26 and it is expected that Richards will attempt to swing the franchise away from here then. But his first job will be to convince the board the franchise needs moving. He will use this season's 500-a-night attendance figures to back his argument.
It's always possible that the board may be convinced but if they are not, what then?
ARGUMENT
Well, Richards is not a man, who will lose money for long. And he has stated he will sell any material property he owns if he can do so at a profit. So he is left with a difficult choice. Selling a seventh-place club at a profit will take some shrewd salesmanship. To keep the club and lose money also hurts. The best bet, Dick, is to hope for a 1953 pennant contender.
Redmond, by the way, sits in an ideal spot to watch league activities. Yakima seems to be the place where east ain't east and west ain't west and the' twain are always meeting.
In fact, in recent days, the roads to Yakima have been cluttered with galloping WIL high moguls.
Richards was over there. He and Don McShane, director of minor leagues for the Philadelphia Phils, got their heads together over what the Tri-City boss calls "league business." The Phils have a working agreement with the Braves.
Richards says that although the Phils will drop three clubs from their chain before. next next year, the Tri-City Braves club is not one. He adds the Phils are willing to renew the working agreement with the Braves next year. And that is where developments hang now.
The two undoubtedly talked over the sale, trade, recall and ouster of various players but havsh't reached any specific agreements yet.
THANKS
Nick Pesut has asked me to extend his thanks to firms and fans for the gifts he received at Eagles night at Sanders Field. He meant to thank every one the night he received the gifts but he couldn't quite bring himself up to talking in the mike.
Crowds don't bother big Nick when he has a ball in his hand or when he is crouched behind the plate with his catcher's gear on. But speechmaking before a 1600 persons a little out of his line.

Sunday, August 24, 1953

2008-02-16T03:16:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 82 44 .651 —
Spokane ..... 75 58 .564 10½
Vancouver ... 62 60 .508 18
Salem ....... 63 66 .488 20½
Yakima ...... 61 68 .473 22½
Lewiston .... 60 71 .458 24½
Tri-City .... 58 69 .457 24½
Wenatchee ... 52 77 .403 31½

SPOKANE, Aug. 24 — The smallest crowd of the season turned out Sunday night to see Spokane put on their biggest inning of the season as they split the four-game Western International league Lewiston series by downing the Broncs 15-4 in the final contest.
About 200 fans watched 15 Indians whoop to the plate in the fourth inning as Spokane added to their four-run lead with 10 big counters. Four Lewiston pitchers paraded to the mound, and three to the showers, in the frantic fourth.
Bronc centerfielder Artie Wilson connected with four of the 11 scattered hits given up by winning Pitcher John Conant.
Spokane's battering third baseman Sam Kanelos led the Indian attack with a triple, double and single in his first three trips, followed by two walks and one ground-out Slammin' Sam also batted in three Tribe runs.
Lewiston ...... 000 001 021— 4 11 1
Spokane ....... 310 (10)10 00x—15 13 2
Nicholas, DeGeorge (4), Clancy (4), Powell (4) and Lundberg; Conant and Sheets.

SALEM, Aug. 24 — Salem and Yakima split a Western International League doubleheader here Sunday, Salem winning the 16-inning opener 3-2 and losing the nightcap 7-4.
Yakima won the four-game series 3-1.
In the second game Yakima won on five runs in the third inning. They came on a walk, an error, a hit batter, singles by Len Noren and Mike Donahue and a double by Dario Lodigiani. Yakima picked up two more runs in the sixth on a walk, a double by Ted Shandor and a single by Ernie Schuerman.
Salem collected four runs to the seventh inning on five hits. The bases were loaded on the final out.
In the first game Jim Dayo's single with the bases loaded in the 16th inning accounted for the Salem victory.
First Game
Yakima .... 020 000 000 000 000 0—1 10 0
Salem ..... 001 100 000 000 000 1—3 10 0
Savage and Donahue; De Biasi, Edmunds (16) and Nelson.
Second Game
Yakima .... 005 002 0—7 8 2
Salem ..... 000 000 4—4 10 2
Shandor and Donahue; Collins, Edmunds (3), Rick (4) and Thrasher.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 24 — The Tri-City Braves boomed out with a four-run fifth inning Sunday to defeat the Wenatchee Chiefs, 7-6, and sweep the four-game Western International League series.
Four singles and Tom Marier's two-run double gave the Braves all the runs they needed in the big fifth.
Wenatchee jumped off with two runs in the first on Ross McCormack's double, a walk, a wild pitch by George New and Bud Hjelmaa's single. Tri-City swarmed back with three in the third. Des Charouhas' two-run triple the big blow.
The Chiefs tried to come back after Tri-City's four-run fifth, but every try fell short. The Chiefs got three, in the sixth on singles and three walks and another in the eighth on an error and a single.
New, who was lifted for Ad Satalich in the fifth, was the winner.
Dave Dahle was the loser.
Wenatchee ..... 200 003 010—6 7 1
Tri-City .......... 003 040 00x—7 10 2
Dahle, Kapp (5) and Pocekay; New, Satalich (5) and Lewis, Pesut (7).

VANCOUVER, VICTORIA, IDLE due to Lord's Day Act.

Saturday, August 23, 1952

2008-02-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 82 44 .651 —
Spokane ..... 74 58 .561 12
Vancouver ... 62 60 .508 18
Salem ....... 62 65 .488 20½
Yakima ...... 60 67 .472 22½
Lewiston .... 60 70 .462 24
Tri-City .... 57 69 .452 25
Wenatchee ... 52 76 .406 31

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 24]—Bob Abel, president of the W.I.L., had his sleep interrupted last night by a telephone call by irate officials of the Victoria Tyees and he will have a telegram waiting for him when he reaches his office tomorrow morning.
The Tyees officially protested the umpiring of Herman Ziruolo during last night’s game with the Vancouver Capilanos and no one in the crowd of 1,600 who saw the travesty will doubt their justification.
GOOD EARS
Ziruolo, who has had his troubles this season, ran into a sackful last night—mainly because he appears to spend more attention listening in the dugout for remarks than he does to his umpiring.
He was at odds with players of both teams in the two series games he worked behind the plate for his ball and strike calls. His first trouble last night was with the Caps, who objected to some of the decisions from the dugout and were threatened with mass banishment.
PAINFUL FOUL
It started with the Tyees in the third inning, when it appeared Don Pries was hit on the hand by a pitched ball and Ziruolo ruled the ball had hit the bat first.
Disagreement became more obvious in the eighth when Vancouver pitcher Tom Lovrich, attempting to score on a single standing up, was blocked off the plate by catcher Ron Bottler but called safe.
Bottler protested sturdily to no avail but didn’t get the thumb until the inning was over. His banishment caused a near riot with Ben Lorino, who had to be held back by teammates, leading the mass protest and finally joining Bottler in the clubhouse on orders from Ziruolo.
EMPTY BENCH
With the Tyees at bat in the ninth, Ziruolo cleared the Victoria dugout and there was another prolonged upheaval. There was more to come.
Trailing 10-6, going into their last turn at the plate, the Tyees had scored a run and had two runners on the bags with two out. Carl Gunnarson, who relieved Jehosie Heard, had to bat for himself and he was the victim of Ziruolo’s last two disputed decisions.
Gunnarson first hit a ball to left field which Victoria manager Cec Garriott, coaching at third, declared landed right on the foul line. Ziruolo called it a foul, then ended the game on the next pitch by calling Gunnarson out on a pitch which appeared to be wide of the plate.
The Tyees again stormed in and fans rushed ton the scene, along with four sturdy policemen, who stood guard outside the umpires’ dressing room. It was lucky they were on hand.
Abel is reporting to be going to Vancouver to have a walk with Ziruolo Monday and if nothing else, the strongly-worded Victoria protest should result in a reshuffling of assignments and prevent Ziruolo and partner Red Eiler from returning on Thursday for the Salem series.
RED SAVED
Eiler, incidentally, escaped the storm but he was guilty of the most glaring call of them all when he waved Granny Gladstone out at first base in the seventh with Jim Wert taking the shortstop’s throw several feet off the bag at first base. That one took the Tyees out of an inning in which they managed to score three runs anyway.
The final score in the night game was 10-7, giving the Caps a series split and a 12-12 standoff with the league leaders for the season. The loss went to Jehosie Heard and it was the fifth in a row for the little southpaw, who now has an 18-11 record.
Ben Lorino won his 22nd in the afternoon game, 8-2, when he received the benefit of three timely double plays. The big lefthander was not in his usual form and was tagged for 10 hits but he was tough in the pinches.

VICTORIA [Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 25]—“In 52 years of baseball, I’ve never seen anything like it!”
Bob Brown, the general manager of the Vancouver Capilanos, was trying to explain the riot he had watched in Victoria Saturday night as the Caps were beating Victoria, 10-7.
“It’s a wonder somebody wasn’t killed. I’ve never seen a donnybrook which approached this one!”
The umpires, Herm Ziruolo and Red Eiler, were at the centre of it, which you’d naturally expect.
SMALL TROUBLE
“The fellows had a terrible series,” Brown explained. “You could almost smell the trouble coming. When it did, Royal Athletic Park became a turmoil. Everybody was trying to get at Ziruolo and the poor fellow must have thought his number was up.”
Ziruolo had called a decision against the Caps, then when Ray Tran argued, he reversed his call. The whole Victoria team, led by pitcher Ben Lorino, came off the bench in dispute.
“Lorino went crazy,” Brown said. “He argued quietly for awhile, then just blew up. He tried to get at Ziruolo and his team-mates tried to stop him. There were some punched thrown and a lot of shoving. Lorino tore the sleeves of Ron Bottler, a team-mate who was trying to hold him down. Finally, they had to tackle Ben and force him into the club-house.”
FANS AFTER UMPS
The park became a madhouse of fans trying to tear the wire screen down and get onto the field. Finally, the police had to intervene and give the umpires an escort.
“When I left the park well after the game ended,” Brown went on, “there were still about 400 fans waiting at the gate for the umpires. Some of them looked mighty mean, too. It was a very touchy spot to be in.”
Most everybody forgot about the baseball when the lid blew off.
BALL GOOD, TOO
But what had gone before had been exciting, too. Victoria won in the afternoon 8-2 behind Lorino, then the two clubs tore into each other at night with the Caps coming out on top in the ball game 10-7 behind Tom Lovrich.
Everyone, however, had a good word for John Ritchey—and remember, this was a day when words of praise were forgotten in the bitterness against the officials.
Ritchey, who had a four-for-four Friday night, did exactly the same thing Saturday afternoon. Then he went three-for-four in the night game in a desperate bid to pick up ground he lost in defense of his WIL batting title. On the week, Ritchey batted .675 in his tremendous resurgence.
DIAMOND DUST—The Caps, after their exciting road trip, return to Vancouver tonight [Monday] for a week-long stand against Salem and Tri-City … They play Salem tonight starting at 8:15 and the series will be a battle for third place … The Caps have their new left-hander, a 19-year-old youngster named Jerry Cade.
He played for Harvey Storey’s semi-pro club in Seattle and was much south after by scouts … He and Dick Aubertin will be eligible to play Tuesday, but both have already joined the club … Edo Vanni is still weak from his bout with ptomaine poisoning but returned to Vancouver with the team … Jesse Williams has recovered from his injury, too, and is ready to play … Len Tran hit his fifth homer of the year in Victoria Saturday night.
(First game)
Vancouver .... 010 001 000—2 10 0
Victoria ........ 103 003 01X—8 11 1
Guldborg and Ritchey, Leavitt (8); Lorino and Martin, R. Bottler (6).
(Second Game)
Vancouver .... 100 030 132—10 14 2
Victoria ........ 102 000 301— 7 10 3
Lovrich and Leavitt; Gard, Gunnarson (3) and R. Bottler, Helbig (9).

SPOKANE, Aug. 23 — The Lewiston Broncs swept both ends of a Saturday Western International League baseball twin-bill by defeating the Spokane Indians, 9-6. 4-0.
Pitcher-Manager Bill Brenner pitched effective ball in the second game to win.
The winners scored their four runs in the filth inning on three singles, three walks, one of them intentional, one sacrifice and a wild pitch.
First Game
Lewiston ..... 033 002 001—9 11 1
Spokane ..... 500 100 000—6 5 3
Powell, Schulte (1) and Lundberg; Chase and Hinz.
Second Game
Lewiston ...... 000 040 0—4 7 1
Spokane ...... 000 000 0—0 5 1
Brenner and Lundberg, Marshall and Sheets.

SALEM, Aug. 23 — Jack Thompson kept Salem in complete check Saturday night as he hurled Yakima to a 3-0 Western International League victory.
Thompson gave up only five hits and never allowed Salem to threaten seriously.
Meanwhile his opposing pitcher, Bud Francis, got off to a shaky start, walking one man, then letting fly with a wild pitch, and finally issuing a run-producing single to Jerry Zuvela in the first inning.
Francis settled down thereafter until the seventh inning, when Ken Richardson of Yakima doubled and scored on a single by Mike Donahue. Donahue went to second on the throw to the plate, and scored a minute later on Earl Richmond's single.
A double-header is scheduled for 2 p.m. (PST) tomorrow, but neither announced starting pitchers.
Yakima ..... 100 000 200—3 8 0
Salem ...... 000 000 000—0 5 1
Thompson and Donahue; Francis and Thrasher.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 24]—The Tri-City Braves won both ends of a doubleheader Saturday night from the Wenatchee Chiefs 5-4 and 4-3.
The Braves took the first game in the bottom of the seventh on a double by Vic Buccola and Ray Hamrick's single which, brought Buccola home.
They took the second game when the Braves' big catcher Nick Pesut duplicated his Friday night, feat of driving in the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh.
In the first game, the-Braves led 3-0 going into the fifth. Then Lyle Palmer hit. Buddy Hjelmaa walked to move Palmer to second.
On a sacrifice attempt, Dick Adams hit a ground ball to Bob Greenwood who threw Palmer at third.
But Laurie Monroe came through with a booming triple to score both Hjelmaa and Adams.
The Chiefs tied up the game in the sixth when Greenwood walked three men and gave ip one hit followed by Monroe's single. Then Frankie Dasso and Bud Bauhofer both drew walks to score Adams.
The Braves got their first and second inning runs when Lopes and Hamrick got clean hits. Then Des Charouhas grounded cut to first and Lopes came in. He was followed by Tommy Marier who also grounded out to first but Hamrick scored.
The second inning run was scored when Buccula walked and was sacrificed to second by Greenwood. A double by Lopes scored Buccola.
The Chiefs had led off the second game scoring on hits by Lyle McCormack, Palmer and Hjelmaa which gave them two runs. They got another run in the second when pitcher Bill Stites hit and Palmer brought him in with a double. Meanwhile in the bottom of the second the Braves came back for two runs when Charouhas and Marier walked. Joe Scalise got a hit to bring in Charouhas and Pesut hit to score Marier.
The Braves went out ahead in the eighth when Buccola got on on a fielder's choice and relief pitcher Bill Kostenbader got a single.
Then Hamrick doubled to bring them both in.
In the top of the ninth Wenatchee forced the game into extra innings when Palmer hit and Pocekay got his third hit of the evening to score the runner.
Wenatchee came close in the 10th when Frankie Dasso got to third on a series of hits and sacrifices.
He tried to score on a hit to left field but Kovenz pegged straight to the plate.
Pesut took the throw and blocked the plate like a football tackle to put the runner out.
Pesut's single in the 11th drove in Scalise who got to first on a hit and moved to score on an error on the outfielder Dasso.
First Game
Wenatchee ..... 000 201 0—3 4 1
Tri-City .......... 210 000 1—4 6 0
Bauhofer and Pocekay; Greenwood and Lewis.
Second Game
Wenatchee ... 210 000 001 00—4 13 2
Tri-City ........ 020 000 200 01—5 9 0
Stites and Pocekay; Romero, Kostenbader (2), Brittain (10) and Pesut.

Pocekay Moves Back On Top In WIL Hitting
Walt Tocekay, Wenatchee, has moved from second to first in the Western International
League batting race weekly averages compiled by Howe News Bureau reveal.
Pocckay has a .350 average, which reflects a gain of 10 points during the week. Mel Wasley, Spokane, who led last week, is second with .339.
Catcher Pocekay also continues to lead in hits with 157, in total bases with 225 and in doubles with 37.
Other departmental leaders also held their positions. They are: Milt Smith, Lewiston, 102 runs; Des Charouhas, Tri-City, 13 triples; Cecil Garriott, Victoria, 14 home runs; Ed Murphy, Spokane, 40 stolen bases, and Grannie
Gladstone, Victoria, 99 runs batted in.
The unchanged 19-6 record of Ben Lorino, Victoria, still is the best among the league's pitchers.
TEAM BATTING
G AB R OR H TB 2b 3b HR SH SB BB SO Pct.
Victoria
118 3990 677 580 1126 1523 214 27 43 74 108 612 506 .282
Vancouver
109 3664 562 463 1004 1315 149 51 20 79 79 519 393 .274
Spokane
125 4104 600 530 1107 1397 152 36 22 100 115 540 612 .270
Lewiston
119 4018 627 662 1085 1505 184 34 56 64 84 594 522 .270
Yakima
121 4038 639 657 1075 1476 185 51 38 87 95 632 632 .266
Salem
120 3972 516 507 1025 1353 167 49 21 61 74 512 562 .258
Tri-City
119 3952 555 608 982 1293 144 40 29 83 107 644 653 .248
Wenatchee
119 3912 516 685 950 1217 152 32 17 63 61 495 549 .243

TEAM FIELDING
W L T DP TP PB PO A E Pct.
Salem ....... 57 63 0 131 0 16 3081 1408 137 .970
Vancouver ... 58 51 0 121 0 11 2847 1277 156 .964
Victoria .... 78 40 0 105 0 14 3079 1264 178 .961
Tri-City .... 52 67 0 87 1 16 3068 1168 176 .960
Yakima ...... 56 65 0 123 0 19 3126 1353 190 .959
Spokane ..... 71 54 0 130 0 10 3206 1405 201 .958
Lewiston .... 54 65 0 93 0 35 3067 1295 207 .955
Wenatchee ... 49 70 0 93 0 14 3043 1203 212 .952

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[from the Victoria Colonist, Sunday, Aug. 24, 1952]

Don Fracchia, who will be remembered as the hard-throwing third baseman of the 1950 Wenatchee Chiefs, has switched to the pitching mound with considerable success. Latest available figures show him with an 11-11 record in the class “A” Western League … Cec Garriott disdains the use of the international base on balls and no one can be critical with the results he has obtained from the Tyees this season … Vancouver Caps, who won 40 and lost 36 under Bill Schuster, have a 20-23 record under Edo Vanni and a 2-1 record for Ray Tran, who handled the club in the series which just concluded here last night … Steve Mesner, the veteran ex-major leaguer who handled the shortstop duties for Spokane last season, is leading the Pioneer League in hitting with .356 in the latest averages … And wasn’t that a disgraceful display of officiating at last night’s game? It may or may not have lost the Tyees the decision, for the Caps suffered too, but it was certainly inept.
W.I.L. Rumblings
One hears that Dick Richards, who has already operated teams at Wenatchee and Yakima, is now anxious to move his franchise from Tri-City to a fourth town. And while this is only one of many rumors, the statement from Wenatchee that the Chief would definitely be back next season makes it possible there won’t be any changes or, at the most, one. The W.I.L. would dearly love to have Calgary and Edmonton in but a 10-team league is hardly feasible and Edmonton’s John Ducey, “Mr. Baseball” in the Alberta capital, says he wants no part of the W.I.L. while Lewiston and Salem are league members because of all the travelling involved. Lewiston may only be a two-year proposition but the Broncs have done well enough this season to stick around for a second and Salem is getting by under enthusiastic home ownership. However, the death of club president Donald Young in that tragic fishing accident off the Oregon coast yesterday is a body blow to the club. There is also the possibility Calgary and Edmonton may become part of a Western Canada league. The semi-pro circuit in operation this season—Saskatoon, North Battleford, Moose Jaw, Regina and Estevan—did well at Saskatoon, North Battleford and Moose Jaw and the addition of the two big Alberta cities and, perhaps, Lethbridge, could make a fine class “C” league.

Side-Lines
By H. Sherm Mitchell
[Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Aug. 24, 1952]
Tri-City Baseball Future Uncertain
Comes now a second Western International League franchise holder with red ink dripping from his fountain pen.
Hardly had Wenatchee fans once more gone to the aid of their club's treasury, assuring a 1953 entry, when Dick Richards, general manager of the Tri-City Braves, let out a war whoop to the effect that attendance is insufficient to make ends meet.
The significant fact appears to be that Wenatchee has been wallowing in eighth place and Tri-City is currently seventh.
Fans apparently demand a winner and are not content to see well-played games, especially those their home squad drops.
If every league could eliminate its second division by a smart juggling of figures, we'd probably have no attendance problems and every team would make money.
It's on the Move
Richards has talked right out about the possibility of moving his franchise unless close to 90,000 fans pay their way into the 70 home games at Kennewick's Sanders Field this season. Dick is a past master at moving franchises. To date he has operated in Yakima, Wenatchee and Tri-City. Rumor has it Eugene, which lost out in pro ball when the Far West League failed to punch in for 1952, would like a Willy membership. Such a shift would restore the balance between East and West sides. This year the morning side of the Cascades leads with five entries— only one of which, Spokane, is in the top quartet in the standings.
The Tri-City situation evidently has been discussed with Bob Abel of Tacoma, president of the loop, for he has called a meeting of directors September 26 in Seattle to give them opportunity to approve or reject plans for revising the membership again.
Lewiston a Freshman, Again
Lewiston had a Willy league entry more than a decade ago, dropped it and for 1952 took over when Tacoma, third largest city in Washington, pulled out because of its proximity to Seattle, home of a baseball team just one shade under major league status.
During the lush war years Bremerton was a member of the circuit, but it, also, is too handy to Seattle to support a team in Class A.
Everett has adequate population, but is only a hoot and a holler from the metropolis and never has indicated serious interest m the Willy loop.
Despite its second division rating, Lewiston is popular at home, and, wisely, employs a couple of local lads in the lineup.
Fan support of the team, however, is not excessive from the Lewiston municipality. The folk who drive in from outlying towns, often a sizable distance, are said to be keeping the turnstiles revolving.
A Semi-Pro Prospect
In the event of Richards' pulling out his Tri-City franchise, the prospect for semi-pro ball in the Southern Inland Empire would boom.
The Tri-State League of four towns might concievably be expanded to six or eight, with representation from Richland, Kennewick and Pasco and a possible Hermiston area entry.
This season's experience has been highly satisfactory in Baker, La Grande, Pendleton and Walla Walla, so far as quality baseball is concerned. The Tri-City area could, and doubtless would, support a program such as was available here this summer, and see a lot of tiptop baseball at a fraction of the cost of a Class A circuit with a 140-game schedule covering five months.

Friday, August 22, 1952

2008-02-15T20:26:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 81 43 .653 —
Spokane ..... 74 56 .574 11
Vancouver ... 61 60 .504 18½
Salem ....... 62 64 .492 20
Yakima ...... 59 67 .468 22
Lewiston .... 58 70 .453 25
Tri-City .... 55 69 .444 26
Wenatchee ... 52 74 .413 30

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 23]—Among the more than 2,400 fans who turned out at Royal Athletic Park last night to welcome Victoria’s league-leading Tyees back from an extended road trip was Bill Svilich, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers. When the “baseball” action was over, two hours and 38 minutes later, Svilich must have wondered how the W.I.L. managed to get a class A rating and what has kept the Tyees on top.
Obviously tired from a schedule which calls for teams to play doubleheaders at night in such faraway places as Tri-City and Salem, then embark on an all-night bus trip to play the next night at Victoria, the Tyees and Vancouver Capilanos played like somnambulists they had every right to be.
BOB ONLY NAPPING
Bob Snyder, ace Vancouver righthander, woke up after the first inning and managed to stagger through to his 12th win, a 12-5 affair in which only three of the 17 runs were earned. It squared the season’s series between the two clubs and sliced Victoria’s lead to 10 games.
Things looked promising at the start with Snyder and Carl Gunnarson, a couple of cagey veterans who specialize in control, doing the pitching. Neither could find the plate with any consistency. Snyder walked nine Tyees and hitting one while Gunnarson put seven Caps on first in the five innings he pitched.
FIVE ERRORS
But Snyder, who had men on the sacks in every inning but the second, had only himself to contend with. The Tyees could only pick up six scattered safeties and they made things miserable for Gunnarson and his relief, Bill Prior, with five errors.
Both dependable Jim Clark and Lu Branham booted easy double play ground balls as they shared four errors while Granny Gladstone kicked in with a bad throw. Only two of the eight runs charged against Gunnarson and one of the four given up by Prior were earned.
CAPS, TOO
An error by shortstop Ray Tran with two out in the first inning gave the Tyees five runs with Snyder walking four and hitting Don Pries to help the Tyees to their five runs. They got no more even failing with the bags loaded and no one out in the fifth.
DIAMOND DUST—Manager Cec Garriott did his best to win Thursday’s second game at Lewiston, twice tying the score by hitting his 16th home run and then stealing home … No less than nine scouts, on hand for American Junior Legion regional playoffs, saw the Tyees play in their recent series in Yakima. Among them was Don (Philadelphia Phils) McShane, who sold Ben Lorino to the Tyees. “What are you doing, trying to show me up?” McShane asked Lorino, proud owner of 21 victories … Lorino will go after No. 22 this afternoon with Jehosie Heard out for his 19th in tonight’s season finale with the Caps … Tyee president Arthur Cox was bragging after the game that he had “told off” an unsuspecting reporter for failing to carry out his “orders.” Nothing like good press relations … Dick Aubertin, who could go to the top with control, was signed by Seattle after drawing his release from Salem and is now with the Caps … Johnny Price, baseball’s best side attraction, will be on hand for the September 10 game against Lewiston … Booster Club members shared 42 prizes last night but they did not include the oil heater. A mix-up resulted in the erroneous report. The heater will be given away during the last game of the season … Edo Vanni, manager of the Caps, suffering from ptomaine poisoning and, perhaps, too much of the Salem Senators, missed last night’s game and the Caps won for Ray Tran, who took over as acting manager … Jim Clark, with two scintillating plays, Chuck Abernathy and Gordie Brunswick turned in last night’s outstanding defensive plays … Look for Cal McIrvin to rejoin the Tyees and Ben Lorino to be sold soon for delivery after the season.
Vancouver ..... 111 051 003—12 13 2
Victoria ......... 300 000 000—3 6 5
Snyder and Ritchey; Gunnarson, Prior (6) and R. Bottler.

SPOKANE, Aug. 22—Spokane's prize rookie evened up his pitching record Friday night as the Indians broke the Lewiston Broncs with a 12-4 victory in the opening game of the Western International league series.
Lewiston .... 000 211 000— 4 7 1
Spokane ..... 140 030 21x—12 12 3
DeGeorge, Bowman (2) and Lundberg; Spring and Sheets.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 22 — Nick Pesut's screaming single down the right field baseline in the last of the 11th gave the Tri-City Braves a Western International League baseball win over the invading Wenatchee Chiefs here Friday night.
Wenatchee .... 000 004 000 00—4 10 1
Tri-City ......... 110 010 000 01—5 10 2
Oubre and Pocekay; Satalich and Pesut.

SALEM, Aug. 22—Tom DelSarto cut Salem down, allowing only four hits, as he pitched Yakima to a 3-1 Western International League victory Friday night.
Yakima ...... 003 000 000—3 7 0
Salem ....... 000 000 100—1 4 1
DelSarto and Donahue; Hemphill, Edwards (9) and Thrasher.

Thursday, August 21, 1952

2008-02-15T03:20:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 81 42 .659 —
Spokane ..... 73 56 .566 12
Vancouver ... 60 59 .504 19
Salem ....... 62 63 .496 20
Yakima ...... 58 67 .464 23
Lewiston .... 58 69 .457 25
Tri-City .... 54 69 .439 27
Wenatchee ... 52 73 .416 30

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 21]—The Tri-City Braves won the second game of a doubleheader with Victoria, 5-4, Thursday night in what turned out to be almost a private battle between the experienced manager and the younger, less experienced pitcher.
The pitcher, Dave Brittain won, but he needed his own power at the plate to pull the Braves through.
The Braves had dropped the first game 4-0.
In the nightcap the Braves were put in front 3-1 going into the top of the seventh. But Cecil Garriot, the Victoria manager, wasn't licked yet. With one man on he caught one of Brittain's pitches and sent the ball out of the park to tie up the game.
Brittain wasn't to be outdone. He caught the first pitch thrown in the bottom of the eighth for a 360-foot homer to put the Braves ahead again.
It was Garriott's turn to score again in the top of the ninth. Through a series of walks and stolen bases, the bases were loaded with Garriot on third.
The old hand played it cagey and when Brittain lapsed for a quick second, Garriot cut loose and stole home.
In ihe bottom of the ninth, Brittain came through to win his game Vic Buccola got on on a walk and moved to third when catcher Ron Bottler overthrew second.
Then Dave got a clean single that brought Buecola home.
Dave got two hits for three official times at bat. Two of Tri-City's earlier scores were partly the result of perfect sacrifices by the big pitcher.
The game was enlivened by rhubarbs with umpire Einer Sorenson. At the end of the fifth Milt Martin starting catcher for the Tyees was booted out of the game. He had to be forcibly pushed out by his teammates. An interference ruling on Granny Gladstone brought Garriot charging from the dugout and he argued, long and loud.
The Tyees touched George New for nine hits to score four in the seven-inning opener.
The Braves could garnish only three off of Bill Bottler. The longest hit ball of the game was a double by Lew Branham in the fifth.
First Game
Victoria ..... 101 110 0—4 9 0
Tri-City ..... 000 000 0—0 3 0
B. Bottler and R. Bottler; New and Pesut.
Second Game
Victoria ..... 100 000 201—4 6 1
Tri-City ..... 110 010 011—5 7 1
Han, Prior (6) and Martin, R. Bottler (6); Brittain and Lewis.

SPOKANE, Aug. 21 — The biggest crowd of the year turned out Thursday night to watch Yakima even its Western International league series wifh Spokane with a 7-4 victory over Spokane.
A crowd of 4386 saw the Indians jump into a four-run lead in the first inning which vanished when the Bears came back for single tallies in fourth and fifth, three in the seventh and two in the eighth inning to take the game in a run.
The W.I.L. game was preceded by a three-inning game between the old-timers and the Indians. Manager Don Osborn stopped the old boys cold to score a 1-0 win but the Bears were a different proposition.
Yakima ........ 000 011 320—7 10 3
Spokane ...... 400 000 000—4 6 0
Shandor and Donahue; Bishop, Roberts (7), Chase (8) and Sheets.

SALEM [Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 22]—The Capilanos, still in the midst of one of their worst 1952 slumps, came up with some badly needed pitching held Thursday when the Seattle Rainiers optioned right-hander Dick Aubertin to them.
Aubertin won’t be eligible to play until Monday when the league’s 17-player limit becomes invalid and clubs can carry any amount of players. He will join the team, however, in Victoria tonight.
Dick is a fast-balling right hander with a world of ‘stuff.’ He has played with Spokane and Salem in this league and both times was let go because of control troubles.
WITH ST. LOUIS
Recently he has been with the St. Louis Browns chain, but Seattle signed him as a free agent after Dick had bough his outright release from the Browns.
Since then, Aubertin has been pitching batting practise in Seattle and has been under the tutelage of Bill Sweeney, Seattle manager, and his coach, Babe Herman. Both feel he has good enough stuff to reach the Majors if he was ever able to curb his wildness. And both have a hunch that they have come a long wait in solving his difficulties.
Seattle also promised additional pitching held by the end of the week. The Rainiers said they intended to send along a left-hander before the weekend, but didn’t indicate who it would be.
Caps could have used some pitching support Thursday night in the first game of a double bill with Salem Senators.
Two pitchers, which included Gordie Brunswick for five innings, gave up 11 hits and a 11-2 decision to the hometown Salem crew.
Newcomer Jim Myers started. But he lasted only until the third. Then Gordie came in and from then on Salem saw nothing.
But Salem had done its damage. Four runs came across in the first and another seven in the second. Caps got one back in the sixth and the second in the seventh.
- - -
SALEM [Vancouver Province, Aug. 22]—Hugh Luby’s Salem Senators are even, in spades, with Vancouver for a four-game series loss they suffered early in the season to the Capilanos.
When the Caps came to town Tuesday, they were six games ahead of the fourth-place Senators. Today, after their fifth straight loss, they are exactly one game up on the Solons.
MYERS BEATEN
The five-game sweep included two doubleheader victories. Second twin win came Thursday, Salem taking the first 11-2 and the second 4-2.
In the seven-inning opener Vancouver starter Rookie Jim Muers, but he was yanked in the third after the Senators jumped on him for 11 runs.
The two were scored by Vancouver and were driven in by Jim Wert and John Ritchey.
DOUBLE-PLAYS HELP
In the nine-inning finale, Pitcher Jim [sic] McNulty scored his sixteenth victory of the season for the Senators. But he had to be pulled out of a bad jam in the eighth by Ted Edmunds. He was also aided by four double-plays.
Vancouver’s runs came on a walk and a double by Bob Duretto in the fourth and singles by Ed Locke and Jim Wert in the seventh.
The Caps, who lost infielders Jesse Williams and Len Tran via injuries in the Salem series, move on to Victoria tonight for a three-game series. Bob Snyder will pitch for Vancouver tonight.
First Game
Vancouver ...... 000 001 1—2 8 1
Salem ............ 470 000 0—11 11 0
Myers, Brunswick (3) and Leavitt; DiBiasi and Thrasher.
Second Game
Vancouver .... 000 100 100—2 12 0
Salem .......... 101 011 00x—4 9 0
Locke and Ritchey; McNulty, Edmunds (8) and Nelson.

LEWISTON, Aug. 21 — The Wenatchee Chiefs got revenge for a 4-2 loss to the Lewiston Broncs in the first game of their Western International league doubleheader Thursday
night by whamming out 17 hits in the nightcap for a 13-4 victory.
Laurie Monroe hit a bases-loaded home run and drove in six runs in the finale.
First Game
Wenatchee ..... 200 000 0—2 8 0
Lewiston ........ 120 100 x—4 7 1
Dasso, Dahle (4) and Pocekay; Thomason and Lundberg.
Second Game
Wenatchee ..... 500 220 040—13 17 0
Lewiston ........ 000 120 100—4 13 2
Stites and Pocekay; Nicholas, Powell (2), Clancy (6) and Lundberg.

Pasco-Kennwick Eagles Enjoy Big Night But Someone Loses Upper Plate
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 20, 1952]
The Pasco and Kennewick Eagles had a big night Thursday at the Tri-City-Victoria doubleheader.
They cheered the hometown boys, booed the ump, gave presents to three of the veteran ballplayers, and somebody left the upper plate of their false choppers in a mug in the tavern.
No one has asserted that those teeth came from an Eagles jaw. But on the other hand, no one ever lost an upper plate at the ball park until the Eagles had their night.
At last accounts the teeth, were still there and any baseball fan who has been having trouble eating lately might check up.
The night was set aside to honor Vic Buccola and Nick Pesut. The two players were both made members of the lodge. Nick and Mrs. Pesut were given presents by firms and members of the lodge. Mrs. Buccola was not present but flowers were wired to her.
Braves Manager, Charlie Gassaway, was on the receiving end of the gift-giving, too. The wig-wagging third base coach was given a chair so he could use his feet as well as his hands to signal steals, hit and runs, and slide, brother, slide.
All three of the players came through to give the Eagles a show. Buccola got one of the three Tri-City hits in the first game and another in the second. He also drew three walks, and scored the winning run.
Nick didn't do so well at the plate but he gave a good demonstration of why not too many steal bases on him. In the first game, Nick pegged out four would-be Victoria base-stealers.
To the cheers of the crowd, Charlie stormed over to first and engaged in a three-minute verbal hassle with Ump Russ Kimpel when a Brave was pegged out at first.
It didn't change, the unpopular decision but the crowd of 1,610 enjoyed it.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmore
[Tri-City Herald, Friday, Aug. 22, 1952]

Nick Pesut, the Braves’ veteran catcher, has faced many a tough pitcher in his 12years of baseball but the toughest one of all wasn’t a tobacco-chewing husky with a fast ball.
In fact, the toughest he faced was a pitcher that had curves both over the plate and elsewhere.
The matter came up the other night when Nick and pitcher George New were having some friendly verbal repartee on their relative merits at the plate and on the mound.
Nick asserted he could get a hit off George if he ever had to face him. George was equally confident that Nick would never reach first base. Just when Nick was going strong, some scoundrel in the group brought up that matter of Nick Pesut and the Portland softball pitcher back in 1948.
STRIKEOUT
Nick, it seems, was not only struck out by the softball pitcher, but the pitcher was a woman at that. She was Betty Evans, ace hurler for Erv Lind's florist team of Portland, Ore.
The deal came about like this. Softball in general and women’s softball in particular wasn’t doing so good.
An arrangement was made whereby Betty would face eight Pacific Coast League sluggers—one of them Nick—in a pre-game exhibition. Nick was then with the Sacramento Solons.
There were 8,000 people in the stadium that day—and, ah, the humiliation of it all—big Nick struck out. Betty pitched just three times to Nick. But let him tell about it.
“This gal wound up and let go with one right down the center. I saw it coming and took a swing. The ball stopped right in front of my bat, stuck out its tongue, and dropped like it was rolled off the end of the table.
“She wound up again and this time I was set. She brought her arms up in front of her, swung them back, and then let the ball go—but this,time it came from her left hand. That thing curved a foot and a half.
“I didn’t even get to swing at the third pitch. The ball just went sailing by and the ump called me out.”
HE'S NOT ALONE
Nick had the satisfaction of knowing he wasn’t disgraced alone. Betty also struck out Charlie Silvera, Herman Reich and Frankie Zak of the Beavers, and Vince Castino of the Solons.
Eddie Basinski got a weak roller to the infield and Ted Jennings hit a hot one dpwn the third base line. Roy Helger did the best of them all. He clipped out a solid double.
“She made jackasses of us all,” Nick remarked.
After Nick’s story, George was more confident than ever he didn’t have to fear Nick at the plate.
George, incidentally, is feeling better now that he has tucked a couple of wins under his belt. Up to Thursday night's game George had 14 losses chalked against him—and 11 of them were by less than three runs.
In his last seven losses, five of them were by one point. Worse yet, George has a seven-inning the game hanging fire which he wishes was settled.
TIE GAME
The game was with Vancouver and it is supposed to be played over or finished this season. However, no one seems to know just when that will happen. As things stand now, George isn’t credited with some strikeouts he racked up in the game and some of the other players have not received credit for some hits.
LEAVING
If it is your intention for George or Bob Greenwood to pitch for Tri-City again you had better make it a point to get out and see them soon. It’s pretty certain neither of the boys will be in class A ball next year and they are not on the downgrade either.
COURTS
Tonight’s the night Wanatchee comes to town both to play baseball and maybe settle the Dick Richards-Laurie Monroe fight in the Court of Charles Morebeck, justice of the peace. But the bets are in this corner that nothin’ happens.

Wednesday, August 20, 1952

2008-02-15T02:40:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 80 41 .661 —
Spokane ..... 73 55 .570 11½
Vancouver ... 60 57 .513 18
Salem ....... 60 63 .488 21
Yakima ...... 57 67 .460 23½
Lewiston .... 57 68 .456 25
Tri-City .... 53 68 .438 27
Wenatchee ... 51 72 .415 30

KENNEWICK, [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 21] — Not one Tyee runner got beyond second base Wednesday night when Tri-City's Bob Greenwood pitched four-hit ball, to shut out the Victoria nine.
At the plate all of the Braves except Greenwood got one or more hits to pile up six runs and take the second game,of the four-game series.
Tonight the Braves will play a doubleheader with the Tyees. George New will pitch the seven-inning opener and Dave Brittain will hurl the nightcap.
It is also Eagles night, and they will honor the Braves' big catcher, Nick Pesut, and first baseman Vic Buccola. The Walla Walla Eagles drill team will perform between the games.
In Wednesday night's game it was the booming bat of Ray Hamrick who got three for four, some excellent bunting, and Buccola's triple that gave the Braves the victory.
Hamrick nicked Tyee hurler Jehosi [sic] Heard in the fourth innning for a double. John Kovenz followed with a hit to send. Hamrick to third. Tommy Marier hit a long fly to center field and Hamrick scored after the catch.
The Braves got, their second run in the fifth when Glenn Lewis singled. Greenwood bunted and Heard threw wild trying to force Lewis out at second. Another hit by Hamrick, this time a single, brought Lewis home.
Heard who allowed eight scattered hits in eight innings, was taken out of the game in the top of the ninth when Chuck Abernathy pinchhit for him. Bill Prior took over the mound in the eighth and the Braves touched him for four hits and four runs.
It was Hamrick again who led off the scoring spree. He got a clean single.
Then followed a series of bunts all done so well that the Braves were able to build up a good margin of safety.
Kovenx laid down the first one and beat it out. Des Charouhas put down the second and was thrown out but Hamrick and Kovenz advanced to second and third. Marier put down a bunt which scored Hamrick, moved Kovenz to third and Marier beat it out to first.
Kovenz came home on a wild pitch and Joe Scalise walked. It was then that Buccola really sewed it up with a triple that bounced off the wall in left-center field Marier and Scalise both scored.
The Victoria team was never able to get going off Greenwood pitching. They got men on second and first in the first inning or walks but the runners were left stranded.
Twice when they got men on first, the runners were thrown out trying to steal off Lewis..Another time with men on first and second the side was retired when a batter hit into a double play,
Heard, the starting hurler, showed excellent control and gave up but one walk in his eighth innings of pitching.
- - -
KENNEWICK, Aug. 20—Bob Greenwood pitched the Tri-City Braves to a 6-0 shutout win over Victoria in a Western International League baseball game here Wednesday night. Greenwood limited the Tyees to four hits.
Granny Gladstone got two of Victoria's hits but none of the Canadians reached third base.
The Braves got the game-clincher in the fourth inning on doubles by Ray Hamrick and John Kovenz and a long fly by Tommy Marier.
They added another in the fifth and four in the eighth.
The eighth inning outburst followed the replacement of Jehosie Heard on the mound for Victoria by Bill Prior who allowed all the damage. The four runs were scored on a single, two bunts, a sacrifice, a walk and a triple, the last by Vic Buccola.
Victoria ....... 000 000 000—0 4 1
Tri-City ....... 000 110 04x—6 12 1
Heard, Prior (8) and Bottler; Greenwood and Lewis.

SPOKANE, Aug. 20—Spokane took double revenge on Yakima for a first games of the series loss by taking both ends of a Western International League doubleheader Wednesday night.
The Indians chased in six runs in the sixth inning and added two more in the eighth to down the Bears 8-3 in the first game of a doubleheader at Spokane, then took the seven-inning nightcap 2-1.
Spokane has won 21 of its last 28 games but still trails first-place Victoria by 11½ games.
First Game
Yakima ...... 010 001 001—3 8 3
Spokane .... 000 006 20x—8 7 1
Thompson, Garrett (6) and Donahue; Conant and Sheets.
Second Game
Yakima ...... 000 100 0—1 7 1
Spokane .... 010 100 x—2 6 0
Savage and Donahue: Palm, Roberts (7) and Hinz, Sheets (7).

SALEM [Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 21]—The Capilanos’ ever-slumbering bats slept through nine more innings of baseball here Wednesday as Salem swept to its third straight victory over the Caps, 3-1.
Last night it took the Capilanos nine full innings before they solved the right-handed slants of Salem rookie Bud Francis.
Then, and only then, did the Vancouver attack wake up. It started with a walk and then successive singles by Ed Locke and Bob Duretto supplied the losers’ only run. In the meantime, Salem manager Hugh Luby had brought Jack [sic] Edmunds in from the bullpen and he put out the fire quickly.
BUD EFFECTIVE
Salem wasn’t too effective with their bats, but they did make their six hits off Bud Guldborg good for three runs. And that was good enough.
Salem scored first in the fifth inning and then put together three of their hits for two more runs in the seventh.
Francis, a 20-year-old rookie who has only been with the Senators a short while, kept a fast ball and faster breaking curve in the right spots as the Caps vainly tried to get something going.
In all, Vancouver managed four hits off the combined offerings of Francis and Edmunds.
TWO TONIGHT
Tonight, the same clubs wind up the series with a doubleheader. Edo Vanni will pitch Locke (9-11) and his new-found rookie prospect, Jim Meyers, who will be making his first start in the WIL.
Then the Caps move on to Victoria where they will play a single game Friday night and another doubleheader Saturday.
Vancouver .... 000 000 001—1 4 1
Salem .......... 000 010 20x—3 5 0
Guldborg and Ritchey: Francis, Edmunds (9) and Thrasher.

LEWISTON, Aug. 20—Wenatchee came out swinging in their Western International league game with Lewiston Wednesday and didn't stop until they had racked up 17 hits for 13-6 victory.
Bronc manager Bill Brenner came in in the sixth and shut out the Chiefs for the last
three innings, but the damage had already been done.
Wenatchee now has a 2-1 edge in the series.
Wenatchee ...... 300 325 000—13 17 1
Lewiston ......... 020 003 010— 6 11 4
Dahle and Pocekay; Schulte, Clancy (1), Powell (5), Brenner (6) and Lundberg.

Leuschel Resigns Broncs' Position
LEWISTON, Idaho, Aug. 20 — Bill Leuschel has resigned as business manager for the Lewiston Broncs of the Western International League.
Leuschel said Wednesday night the resignation will be effective at the end of the season. He has handled the Broncs' business affairs since the club re-entered the league last winter.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
First Double No Hit Game in PONY Loop History Record by Phils,
Batavia; Etchberger Has No-No, Mitchell No Hitter, Phils Win, 1-0
— — — — —
Speier Scores Only Run for Phils in 8th
[The Era, Bradford, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 22, 1952]
Two no-hitters, one, however, with a trace of a taint, were recorded in the PONY league last night as the Bradford Phillies defeated the Batavia Clippers, 1 to 0. Frank Etchberger had the no-no while Jim Mitchell up no hits and one run, and that one unearned. It marked the first time in the history of the league that a double no-hit game had been hurled in the PONY.
For Etchberger, currently the hottest hitter on the tough Phillies pitching staff, it was his 13th victory against 13 losses. He has won his last five in a row.
The 'taint' on Mitchell's no-hitter came about through a change of mind the part of the official scorer for the Clippers. The 'hit' in question came about in this fashion:
Tommy Keane, Bradford's rightfielder, in the seventh inning, smashed a line drive into leftfield. Howie Jennings, Clipper leftfielder, started in for the catch and then is said to have dropped it.
However, he immediately started to move again and started back when he saw that he misjudged the ball. He managed to get his glove on the ball and it glanced off his glove and roled toward the wall. The scorekeeper immediately marked it down in the book as a double for Keane. Later, after the game, he reversed his decision and marked down an error for Jennings.
Bradford won the game in the eighth inning without the benefit of a hit. Jack Speier led off with a walk, the only one given up by Mitchell. [Richard] Duignan sacrificed Speier to second and a wild pitch by Mitchell sent the Bradford thrd sacker to third. With the Batavia infield playing up close to stop the run at the plate, Bradford's Bill Brown smashed one to short that was bobbled by Manager George Genovese and Speier scored.
In the top of the ninth, Mitchell forced [George] Pack, Keane and [Anthony] Iammetteo to ground out and now the big Bradford hurler had the brunt of the night's work on his shoulders.
Dale Johnston, who failed to start at short for the first time since the season opened, replaced Jimmy Thompson, who had been removed for a pinch hitter in the eighth, in the ninth and played a big part in the no-no. Etchberger forced Genovese to ground out, Johnston to Minotti. [David] Brennan slashed one just over second but Johnston came up with a great play and threw the speedy Brennan out at first. [Vernon] Piver went out the same way.
Etchberger fanned six and walked five and Mitchell fanned seven and walked one. Mitchell set the Phils down in order until the fifth when he hit Lou Minotti to break the string. The Clips had one on in the first, two in the third, fourth and seventh, all on walks.
The no-no game was the second pitched in the Batavia Park since 1943 when Jim Vedder of Jamestown blanked the Clips.

Tuesday, August 19, 1952

2008-02-15T02:09:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 80 40 .667 —
Spokane ..... 71 55 .563 12
Vancouver ... 60 56 .517 18
Salem ....... 59 63 .484 22
Yakima ...... 57 65 .467 24
Lewiston .... 57 67 .460 25
Tri-City .... 52 68 .433 28
Wenatchee ... 50 72 .410 31
[Note there are no ½ games in the standings; a rarity this late in the season.

KENNEWICK, Wash., [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 20] — Tri-City's Ralph Romero walked only six Tuesday night but a couple of those free passes at the wrong time gave the Victoria Tyees a 4-3 victory in the 10-inning game.
Tonight Bob Greenwood will take the mound against the Victoria nine in the second game of the four-game home series.
The two teams played an equally-matched errorless game Tuesday night.
The winning tally came in the top half of the tenth when center fielder Cecile Garriot [sic], manager of the Victoria team, walked. Then a single to left field by Granny Gladstone, Victoria's fleet-footed right fielder, drove Garriot in with the winning run.
It was the 22nd victory for league-leading Ben Lorino. The vin put the Tyees 12 games out in front of Spokane in the Western International League.
Romero's other inopportune walk came in the eighth inning when the Braves were then out in front 3-1. It was Don Preiss [sic], the Tyees third baseman, that got that free pass but it was again Gladstone that did the real work.
Gladstone caught hold of Romero's pitch and sent it sailing over the 380-foot mark on the left center field wall. The two tallies tied up the game.
The Braves also had their home run hitter in second baseman Don Lopes who slapped out a low-altitude homer in the seventh with one on base.
The Braves had picked up the earlier tallies in the fourth and fifth frames. In the fourth, John Kovenz, left fielder, walked. Des Charouhas, center fielder, bunted and beat it out for a hit.
Tommy Marier sacrificed to send Kovenz to third and Charouhas to second. Kovenz scored on Joe Scalise's long fly to left field.
In the fifth inning Romero led off with a high fly ball to short right field. Gladstone sped in attempting to make a shoestring catch but he was unable to get under it.
The speedy right fielder had so much momentum he also almost met Romero who wheeled up at second base.
A single by Ray Hamrick, shortstop, scored Romero.
The Tyees' other run came in the third inning when Lew Branham got to first on a fielder's choice. Bob Moniz' hit sent him to third and he scored on Garriot's fly to left field,
Lorino was the winning pitcher; Romero the losing pitcher but the two were almost equally matched in the scoring columns. Each went the distance.
Lorino faced 37 batters, Romero 35. Lorino gave up nine hits, Romero 7. Lorino gave up three runs, all earned; Romero, four, all earned... Lorino struck out three, Romero two. Lorino walked three but Romero walked six — the difference in the game.
Victoria ..... 001 000 020 1—4 7 0
Tri-City ..... 000 110 100 0—3 9 0
Lorino and Martin; Romero and Lewis.

SPOKANE, Aug. 19—The sagging Spokane Indians tangled with the Yakima in a Western International league pitcher's duel Tuesday night which exploded in the ninth inning as the Bears won 2-0.
Yakima scored twice on a pair of walks, a hit batter, an error and one of the four hits given up by Frank Chase.
DelSarto, the winning hurler, also pitched a four-hitter.
Yakima ....... 000 000 002—2 4 0
Spokane ..... 000 000 000—0 4 1
DelSarto and Donohue; Chase and Sheets.

SALEM [Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 20]—Van Fletcher lost his sixth straight bit in search of his 11th win of this baseball campaign here Tuesday when he dropped a tough 2-0 verdict to Salem in the first game of a doubleheader.
The Caps lost the second game also, behind Tom Lovrich, 3-1.
The Vancouver right-hander allowed only single runs in the first and sixth innings in his seven-hitter, but he was more than matched by lefty Bob Collins, who tossed a six-hitter at the Caps for the victory.
Fletcher did break one jinx, though. Prior to the game, he had been batted out of the box in his last six starts, but last night, they couldn’t get near him.
Collins pitched a near-perfect game. Only once did he allow a Vancouver runner yo get as far as third base, this in the fifth inning when Ed Locke doubled and moved up on Jesse Williams’ outfield fly. That was as close as they came to scoring, though.
Fletcher was almost as stingy. The run he gave up in the first came on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Bill Spaeter doubled and Bill White singled him home, but in between Fletcher had all his stuff.
Fletcher balked twice in his losing effort but neither time did it figure in the scoring. His wild pitch cost him a run and he walked two.
Collins, on the other hand, walked only one and worked his way out of many three-and-one counts.
DIAMOND DUST—The same clubs play a single game tonight with Bud Guldborg (13-9) pitching for the Caps … There will be another doubleheader Thursday with Ed Locke (9-11) and Jim Meyers (0-0) pitching for Vancouver.
First Game
Vancouver...... 000 000 0—0 6 0
Salem ........... 101 001 x—2 7 0
Fletcher and Ritchey; Collins and Thrasher.
Second Game
Vancouver .... 000 000 100—1 5 0
Salem .......... 200 010 00x—3 7 1
Lovrich and Ritchey; Hemphill, Edmunds (7) and Nelson.
WP-Hemphill. LP-Lovrich.

LEWISTON, NO STORY
First Game
Wenatchee ..... 201 011 0—5 10 1
Lewiston ........ 000 002 1—3 4 2
Oubre, Stites (7) and Pocekay; Bowman, Clancy (3), DeGeorge (6) and Helmuth.
WP-Oubre. LP-Bowman.
Second Game
Wenatchee ..... 000 000 030—3 8 4
Lewiston ........ 222 012 01x—10 12 0
Dahle, Knapp (5) and Pocekay; Brenner and Lundberg.
LP-Dasso.

Wenatchee To Keep Baseball
SPOKANE, Aug. 19 — The Spokesman Review said Tuesday that the president of the Wenatchee Chiefs in the Western International league had announced that the city would have baseball next season and that no more 1952 home games would be moved from the Wenatchee ball park.
The Review quoted Arthur Pohlman as saying, “A group of about 200 fans has offered to underwrite any financial loss we may take this year. We will have baseball in Wenatchee again next year and it'll be the Chiefs again.”
Pohlman had said last week Wenatchee might be forced to drop out because of financial reverses. Fans attended a meeting called by Pohlman in an effort to save the club and chipped in $2,600 to meet last Friday’s payroll.
The four-game series with Vancouver was scheduled at home but was moved to Vancouver where attendance is up and the Chiefs received 50 per cent of the gate.

Monday, August 18, 1952

2008-02-14T22:49:00.001-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 79 40 .664 —
Spokane ..... 71 54 .568 11
Vancouver ... 60 54 .522 16½
Salem ....... 57 63 .475 22½
Yakima ...... 56 65 .463 24
Lewiston .... 56 66 .459 24½
Tri-City .... 52 67 .437 27
Wenatchee ... 49 71 .408 31½

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 19]—The Capilanos took off across the Rockies Monday on the first leg of a suicide schedule which might well make or break their chances of regaining second place in the WIL.
It took them just one hour and 40 minutes last night to subdue Wenatchee 5-2 in one of the better-played games of the year. It was a family night crowd and 2760 which watched this; about 1225 of these paid but all of them enjoying it.
But more about this “suicide schedule.” Vancouver meets Salem twice tonight, then they “dog it” with only a single game Wednesday. There will be another doubleheader Thursday, a long haul to Victoria and a single game Friday and two on the Island Saturday. It adds up to eight games in five days, and by the time this weekend is reached every one of the Caps is liable to be seeing baseballs in his slumber.
COULD BE GOOD
With just a little but of a break, the club could make it a glorious road trip. It they start off right so that Edo Vanni doesn’t have to ruin his pitching itinerary, they’ll be almost as good as in second place, for although they are six games behind, Spokane is fumbling around badly.
Last night, the old pro, Bob Snyder, snapped his string of three straight losses and hung up his 11th win of the campaign. Wenatchee got almost twice as many hits as the caps—it was 11-6 in that department—but the Caps came back with three, mostly on Jim Wert’s triple way down in the right field corner, scoring Vanni and Len Tran.
Vancouver got a couple more in the second on Ed Locke’s triple, a walk, error, Snyder’s single and Len Tran’s infield out. Then it was up to Snyder.
Bob wasn’t in too great trouble at any time, for he lived by the old adage of getting the first man out in every inning. After that he allowed the Wenatchees to have a little fun on the bases, but as soon as somebody reached third, the party ended.
DIAMOND DUST—Both the new rookies, Jim Meyers and catcher Jim Leavitt, will see plenty of action on this tough road haul … Edo Vanni was in Seattle Sunday to see his new baby and while there visited the Seattle ball park and asked both Bill Sweeney and Earl Sheely to let him have a couple of players this coming Monday … After Monday the 17-player limit is over and clubs can carry any amount of material … Vanni would particularly like to have K. Chorlton down to finish out the season.
Wenatchee ..... 100 001 000—2 11 1
Vancouver ...... 320 000 00x—5 8 0
Stites and Pocekay: Snyder and Ritchey

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, August 19, 1952]
About eccentric people…

We had mentioned to Edo Vanni that Bud Guldborg might be a little eccentric. The Vancouver pitcher had just been relieved in the late innings of a game with Wenatchee and had run off the field as if his wife had given him the night out.
“He probably has a touch of it at that,” Edo consented, “maybe just the slightest touch. But let me tell you about a fellow who was really eccentric.”
The fellow, it turned out, was named Bill Schuster. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. He had a long Coast League career with Los Angeles and Seattle. He played a few years for the Chicago Cubs, then when the string ran out on him, be became a minor league manager. In a city named Vancouver, we believed it was.
In 1939, and ’40, we had great ball clubs under Jack Lelivelt,” Vanni began. “Jack died suddenly in the winter of ’41 after winning two pennants. Some people said it was Schuster who drove Jack to an early grave, but I thought Lelivelt always handled Bill pretty well.
“Bill Skiff inherited out third great club in ’41, and though he’d been in baseball all his life, he apparently never ran across a man like Schuster. Skiff could never figure him out.
“There was a succession of events, all prompted by Schuster, which made Skiff believe he was in a three-ring circus instead of a ball park.
Hasn’t changed a bit…
It started one day in Hollywood when Schuster was on first base and Babe Herman, then in the twilight of his careers, was holding the bag. There was a throw over to first and Herman dropped the ball. Before he was able to bend over and pick it up, Schuster had grabbed the thing, put it in his pocket and started running around the bases. As he reached home plate, he held up the ball for the umpire to see and chuckled, ‘See what I got, ump!’ The umpire didn’t appreciate the humor of it. He kicked Bill out.
A short while later, Schuster was sitting on our bench when we were at bat and there was a close play at the third. The umpire called the runner out, and Schuster leaped off the bench like a shot.
He travelled in a straight line for the ump, then just before he got to him, slid at his feet. What Bill didn’t know, however, was the grass was wet, and when he slid, he took right off and dumped the umpire on his backside. The fellow had to go to hospital for there days, and Schuster was tossed out once more.
“Skiff was getting pretty impatient with all this, but he didn’t crack until one day, when we were leading by about 10 runs, Schuster hit an easy tap back to the mount. Then, instead of running for first, Bill lit out for third.
“I thought Skiff was going to drop with surprise. By the time Bill got close to the third base coaching box, Skiff had recovered. He told Bill he had better go all the way around because it was going to cost him $25, and he had better make it worthwhile.
Kept it in the family…
“These things kept happening until Schuster had been tossed out of eight ball games in a row! It was probably a Pacific Coast League, Pete Coscarart, our utility infielder, had played 12 games all year [ ], and nine of them were for Schuster after he’d been ejected.
On the ninth day, we built a terrific early league. Schuster had been particularly docile and we figured he was going to break his streak of getting the thumb at eight in a row.
“In a way, I suppose you could say he did,” Vanni offered. “He was in the on-deck batter’s circle late in the game when the umpire called a doubtful strike on the hitter. Schuster walked up to protest and got a few hot words. He almost nearly warmed up, when Skiff arrived at the plate and tapped Schuster on the shoulder.
“Bill,” he said, “go on back to the dugout.”
“I can’t, I’m up next,” Schuster protested. “Did you see what this blind soandso called on us?”
“I saw everything,” Skiff squawked. “Now go on back to the dugout. You’re not batting next.”
”Whaddya’ mean!” Schuster yelped. “The ump hasn’t kicked me out.”
“No, but I have,” Skiff grinned. “You going to get it from somebody pretty soon, so I might as well kick you out and fine you, too. That way we’ll keep the money in the family.”
”There,” Vanni concluded, “was a real eccentric fellow.”

Sunday, August 17, 1952

2008-02-14T22:27:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 79 40 .664 —
Spokane ..... 71 54 .568 11
Vancouver ... 59 54 .522 17
Salem ....... 57 63 .475 22½
Yakima ...... 56 65 .463 24
Lewiston .... 56 66 .459 24½
Tri-City .... 52 67 .437 27
Wenatchee ... 49 70 .412 31

LEWISTON, Aug. 17— Lewiston and Tri-City stayed stationary Sunday night in their Western International league second division battle as the Broncs won the doubleheader opener 3-0 and the Braves took the nightcap, 4-1.
Tri-City Pitcher George New allowed Lewiston but three hits and no earned runs in the nine–inning second contest. The Broncs pushed across their only tally on a single, two walks and two series in the fourth.
Ex-WSC star Tom Marier hit a home run in the fifth with one on to score the two runs which broke the Broncs’ back.
Dale Thomason shut out Tri-City in the seven-inning opener as he allowed but four hits, four walks and struck out three Brave batters.
Bob Williams boomed out a one aboard home run in the first inning and the Broncs were never threatened as they added to their safety margin with the final run in the third.
First Game
Tri-City ...... 000 000 0—0 4 1
Lewiston ..... 201 000 x—3 10 2
Greenwood and Lewis; Thomason and Helmuth.
Second Game
Tri-City ...... 000 021 001—4 6 2
Lewiston ..... 000 100 000—1 3 3
New and Pesut; DeGeorge and Lundberg.

SPOKANE, Aug. 17 — Spokane and Salem split a tightly-played Western International league doubleheader Sunday night, with the Indians winning the first game 4-3 and the Senators taking the second contest 2-1.
Lefty Jack Spring, who was hurling for Washington State College last spring, held Salem to four hits, but lost his own game when a balk scored Connie Perez from third in the eighth inning of the nightcap.
Spring and Ray McNulty hooked up in a real pitcher's duel in what was scheduled to be a seven inning second game, as the Salem hurler was four-hit stingy too and allowed Spokane but one run, in the second inning.
The nine-inning opener wag a thriller down to the last pitch with Spokane spurting to their one-run victory margin with a three-tally burst in the last of the ninth.
Salem Pitcher Vince DiBiasi starved the Indians on a meager five hits through eight innings, but took to the showers when Jimmy Brown, Ed Bouchee and Wilbur Johnson greeted him with successive singles.
Ted Edmunds took to the mound for Salem, muffed a sacrifice bunt and then watched a broken-bat hit by Sam Kanelos chase the tying and winning runs across the plate.
First Game
Salem ...... 011 000 010—3 11 2
Spokane ... 010 000 003—4 9 2
DiBiasi, Edmunds (9) and Nelson; Bishop and Sheets.
Second Game
Salem ...... 000 100 01—2 4 0
Spokane ... 000 010 00—1 4 2
McNulty and Thrasher; Spring and Sheets.

ONLY GAMES PLAYED

TEAM BATTING
Victoria
3842 663 567 1096 1487 210 25 43 66 104 587 487 .285
Vancouver
3508 537 445 962 1262 142 49 20 73 72 501 382 .274
Lewiston
3757 601 627 1024 1425 176 33 53 61 81 5566 485 .273
Spokane
3811 561 498 1035 1306 142 36 19 91 109 505 564 .272
Yakima
3869 622 637 1044 1436 182 48 38 81 89 594 596 .270
Salem
3714 493 483 964 1272 159 46 19 59 62 490 523 .260
Tri-City
3696 520 572 910 1207 140 38 27 78 98 611 608 .246
Wenatchee
3711 473 641 894 1147 143 31 16 61 57 459 524 .241

TEAM FIELDING DP PB PO A E Pct.
Salem ....... 124 14 2886 1337 124 .971
Vancouver ... 116 11 2721 1218 150 .963
Victoria .... 101 14 2957 1219 168 .961
Tri-City ..... 82 16´2885 1113 164 .960
Yakima ...... 119 19 2970 1284 182 .959
Spokane ..... 116 10 2975 1295 185 .958
Lewiston ..... 87 33 2848 1208 192 .955
Wenatchee .... 90 15 2890 1145 201 .953

BATTING
AB R H RBI Pct.
Bouchee, Spo ...... 195 45 70 29 .359
Wasley, Spo ....... 415 77 143 76 .345
Brenner, Lew ....... 73 9 25 7 .342
Pocekay, Wen ...... 424 72 144 62 .340
Ritchey, Van ...... 329 74 111 60 .337
Moniz, Vic ........ 418 95 140 61 .335
Hamrick, TC ........ 72 11 24 9 .333
Luby, Sal ......... 372 56 123 43 .331
Nicholas, Lew ...... 58 10 19 9 .328
Noren, Yak ........ 257 38 84 46 .327
Kovenz, TC ........ 257 50 83 57 .323
Schuerman, Yak .... 203 43 54 24 .315
Lodigiani, Yak .... 292 44 91 45 .312
Murphy, Spo ....... 440 81 136 49 .309
Charouhas, TC ..... 427 68 132 63 .309
Pries, Vic ........ 359 67 111 58 .309
Smith, Lew ........ 396 95 122 50 .308
Adams, Wen ........ 352 50 107 41 .307
Perez, Sal ........ 422 75 128 72 .303
Garriott, Vic ..... 393 91 119 90 .303
Richardson, Tac .... 66 11 20 8 .303
Branham, Vic ...... 298 69 90 28 .302
Hjelmaa, Wen ...... 359 51 108 48 .301
Williams, Lew ..... 286 46 86 52 .301
Runs batted in--Gladstone, Vic., 94; Garriott, Vic., 90; Mead, Lew., 80.
Home runs--Garriott, 14; Gladstone, Perez, Sal., Albini, Yak., 11 each.
Triples--Charouhas, TC., 13; Tanselli, Sal., 10.
Doubles--Pocekay, Wen., 34; Mead, Gladstone and Garriott, 30.
Hits--Pocekay, 144; Wasley, 143; Moniz, 140.
Total bases--Pocekay, 211; Gladstone, 198; Gariott and Mead, 191.
Runs--Mead and Smith, Lew., 95, Garriott, 91.
Stolen bases--Murphy, Spo., 38; Smith, 35, Kovenz, TC., 27.

Saturday, August 16, 1952

2008-02-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 79 40 .664 —
Spokane ..... 70 53 .569 11
Vancouver ... 59 54 .522 17
Salem ....... 56 62 .474 22½
Yakima ...... 56 65 .463 24
Lewiston .... 55 65 .458 24½
Tri-City .... 51 66 .436 27
Wenatchee ... 49 70 .412 31

YAKIMA [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 17]—Bill Prior, lanky Victoria righthander who turned down a chance to turn pro with the New York Yankee organization four years ago and who has been a part-time performer for Victoria’s W.I.L club for several seasons, came up with his standout pitching performance at Yakima last night.
Unbeatable in the clutch and almost unhittable, Prior held the hard-hitting Bears to two hits in the first game of a doubleheader to turn in his first professional shutout, 2-0.
The Tyees lost the second game, 4-3, when Milt Martin’s bad throw sent in the winning run, but they added a game to their lead, extending it to 11 games, when Salem brought Spokane’s surge to an abrupt end.
Getting excellent pitching help from rookie Bud Francis and Ted Collins, the Senators dumped the Indians twice, 7-3 and 4-2.
Vancouver’s Capilanos, practically out of pennant contention, held their pace, 17 games behind, by getting no better than a split with last-place Wenatchee.
GREAT IN CLUTCH
Prior had a no-hitter with one out in the fifth and he had to be good with his teammates having trouble with Bob Savage, former major-leaguer with Philadelphia Athletics. He struck out five and his strikeouts came when he was threatened.
He whiffed Mike Donahue in the third with a runner on the bags. He struck out dangerous Kenny Richardson to open the fifth but Donahue ruined his no-hit hopes with a triple. Savage tried twice to lay down a squeeze bunt, fouling the first time and missing the second time for strike three. Ron Bottler grabbed the ball and put it on the charging Donahue for a double play.
In the fourth, Eddie Schuerman led off by reaching second base when Don Pries dropped his infield pop fly. Prior went to work, struck out Jerry Zuvella, a tough lefthanded hitter, got .327-hitting Len Noren on an easy roller, walked John Albini, and then forced Dario (.312) Lodigiani to hit to Lu Branham.
With two on the bags and two out, Prior got out of his last jam by blowing a third strike past Albini.
MONIZ HELPS OUT
Bob Moniz, making a real bid for the batting title, drove in both Victoria runs but Prior even had a hand in those. He bunted Ron Bottler, who had walked, to second, moved up on Branham’s bunt, and scored as Moniz came through again.
No information, other than the score and the fact that the loss went to Jehosie Heard, was available on the second game.
[Bill Bottler started for Victoria. He gave up two hits but walked ten in six innings of work, and tripled in Victoria’s run in the seventh inning. Granny Gladstone doubled in Victoria’s other two runs in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3. They were the only extra-base hits of the game].
First Game
Victoria .... 001 000 1—2 7 2
Yakima ..... 000 000 0—0 2 0
Prior and R. Bottler; Savage and Donahue.
Second Game
Victoria .... 000 000 120—3 4 4
Yakima .... 010 001 101—4 4 2
B. Bottler, Heard (7) and Martin; Shandor and Donahue.

First Game
Salem ....... 012 100 102—7 12 1
Spokane .... 100 100 001—3 9 3
Hemphill, Francis (1) and Thrasher; Conant, Palm (9) and Hinz, Sheets (9).
Second Game
Salem ....... 001 100 2—4 4 1
Spokane .... 100 100 0—2 5 1
Collins and Thrasher; Marshall and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 18]—There were a lot of interesting little baseball sidelights at the Stadium, where the Capilanos clobbered Wenatchee 10-2, then got a fair going over themselves in the second game, 8-5.
There was the point, for instance, regarding who was going to be the home team. Wenatchee held this honor Friday night because the series, though being played here, was scheduled for Wenatchee and had only been transferred because of the Chiefs’ financial embarrassment.
On Saturday, it was agreed to “let” the Caps become the home club for the remainder of the series (it concludes tonight with a Family Night session at the Stadium at 8:15).
BALLS COST MONEY
Why? Well, the home team must furnish the baseballs and Wenatchee found that the balls cost them $30 out of their split on Friday. Thus, they figured as how they weren’t getting anywhere in their battle with the almighty dollar and graciously allowed the Caps to be the home team—and pay for the baseballs. The cost Saturday night was about $50, but there were 2637 people there it was easy to take.
There was the interesting picture of Bud Guldborg, the Caps’ biggest winner, go down to an inglorious second game defeat at the hands of the Wenatchees.
CHIEFS BAD MEDICINE
It turns out, in fact, that of all the clubs Bud fears in this league, he holds poor old Wenatchee in the greatest dread. He scoffs at the idea of pitching against Victoria, for he figures he can beat the league leaders just by throwing his glove on the field. But Wenatchee, the cellar-dwellers, he just can’t beat.
Guldborg got himself a fat 4-0 lead in the second inning of this game and handed it right back. The Chiefs belted him around until they got him out of there in the seventh and eventually won it, 8-5.
On top of all this, there was a rather comical closing incident to the 10-2 first game. The Caps were having their last “at bats” in the eighth when Bob Duretto punched a long fly ball towards the right field fence.
COULD HAVE EARNED
Frank Dasso gave chase to it and got a glove on the drive. It bounced out, however, hit the fence with a wallop everyone in the park heard and then bounced back into Dasso’s glove.
Base umpire Ray Jacobs immediately raised his thumb for an “out” call, and the whole park came down with the titters. Jacobs later admitted, “I might have kicked that one.” Sort of an overstatement, would you say?
DIAMOND DUST—Ed Locke picked up the first game victory, his ninth of the year, too … Bob Snyder will pitch for Vancouver tonight in the closing game of the series … Dad pays and the rest of the family gets in free on this Family Night arrangement … John Ritchey was hit on his bad ankle in the second game and withdrew in favor of the Caps’ new rookie catcher, Jim Leavitt.
[In the opener, John Ritchey knocked in four runs with a pair of singles, while Edo Vanni had a double and two singles, and Ed Locked tripled and singled. Lyle Palmer doubled and singled with for Wenatchee in the finale. Ray Tran had a two-run single in the second inning].
First game
Wenatchee ... 000 002 0—2 5 0
Vancouver .... 630 010 x—11 12 1
Bauhofer, Kapp (2) and Pocekay; Locke and Ricthey.
Second game
Wenatchee .... 003 011 300—8 11 2
Vancouver ..... 040 001 000—5 8 2
Dahle and Pocekay; Guldborg, Locke (6) and Ritchey, Leavitt (8)

LEWISTON, Aug. 16 — Tri-City outlasted Lewiston in a grueling, run-for-run, 13-inning Western International League ball game Saturday night and squeezed a 5-4 victory.
Brave pitch Ralph Romero went the entire distance for Tri-City as he gave up 11 hits, fanned 13 and issued five walks, including three intentional passes.
Both teams scored one run-in the third inning. Tri-City equaled Lewiston's sixth inning run with a counter in the eighth and both clubs pushed across two tallies in the 10th.
The Broncs loaded the bases with two out in the 13th and then saw the threat disappear when Snag Moore hit into a force-out.
The Braves' winning run came when Joe Scalise stole home after arriving at third on a series of walks and sacrifices.
Tri-City ...... 001 000 010 200 1—5 12 3
Lewiston .... 001 001 000 200 0—4 11 2
Romero and Pesut; Nicholas, Powell (1), and Helmuth, Lundberg (8).
LP-Powell.

Friday, August 15, 1952

2008-02-12T02:58:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 78 39 .667 —
Spokane ..... 70 51 .579 10
Vancouver ... 58 53 .523 17
Salem ....... 54 62 .466 23½
Yakima ...... 55 64 .462 24
Lewiston .... 55 64 .462 24
Tri-City .... 50 66 .431 27½
Wenatchee ... 48 69 .410 31

YAKIMA [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 16]—Victoria Tyees came storming back from behind at Yakima last night to hand the Bears a 9-4 defeat in the first game of a four-game series and spoil a going-away party for Ken Wright, a 21-year-old righthander.
Wright, scheduled to leave today for induction into the U.S. Army, was given a “night” and, after he had collected his gifts, was sent out to tame the W.I.L. leaders.
He escaped being charged with the loss but left under fire in the seventh inning, unable to hold a 4-1 lead his mates had given him in the fifth inning. The loss went to Chuck Donley as the Tyees took advantage of bases on balls to go ahead with a five-run uprising.
BEN HELPS HAN
LeRoy Han, 18-year-old righthander, who pitched creditably until he last lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh, received credit for his second win. But it was Ben Lorino who protected it fro him with a three-inning relief stint in which he gave up only one hit and blanked the Bears.
Victory enabled the Tyees to retain their 10-game margin over the battling Spokane Indians, who made it 11 out of 13 and 18 out of 21 by downing Salem Senators, 5-1.
Vancouver Capilanos, surprised 8-5 by the Wenatchee’s crippled Chiefs in the first of the series transferred to Vancouver, dropped 17 games off the pace.
MONIZ SETS PACE
Bob Moniz, who led Victoria hitters with a double and two singles, drove in Han, who had walked and moved up on Lu Branham’s sacrifice, to tie the score at 1-1 in the top of the third.
The Bears scored a second run in their half, then took a 4-1 lead wgen Han helped matters along with a wild throw on a bunt single.
Moniz, moving to third on two errors, scored on Granny Gladstone’s single in the sixth to move the Tyees closer and they won it in the seventh.
Walks to Ron Bottler, pinch-hitter Lorino and Branham loaded the bags with no one out to start it all.
MONIZ AGAIN
Moniz delivered a two-run double, Cec Garriott walked to load the bags again and Don Pries singled in two more runs. That brought on Yakima’s third pitcher of the inning, southpaw Del Sarto, to the relief of Chuck Donley, who started his chore by walking Branham.
The inning’s fifth run scored when Gladstone’s pop fly was dropped behind second base.
Lead-off singles by Garriott and Moniz, a sacrifice by Pries, a long line drive by Gladstone, hauled down deep in the outfield, and Chuck Abernathy’s single plated the final two Victoria runs in the ninth.
The series continues tonight with Bill Prior and either Lorino or Bill Bottler schedule to see action in the doubleheader.
Victoria ........ 001 001 502—9 9 1
Yakima ......... 011 020 000—4 7 4
Han, Lorino (7) and Bottler, Martin (7); Wright, Donley (7), Del Sarto (7) and Donahue.

SPOKANE, Aug. 15—The Spokane Indians kept up the Western International league surge Friday night as they downed Salem 5-1 to run their win streak to five straight and 18 in the last 21 games. Frank Chase scattered nine hits wisely to stop the Senators.
Salem ....... 000 100 000—1 9 3
Spokane ... 200 002 10x—5 8 1
Edmunds, Francis (8) and Nelson; Chase and Sheets.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, August 16]—Wenatchee has been rumored on its way out of the WI baseball league, and if it happened within the next five minutes it couldn’t be soon enough for the Capilanos.
The team which gives Vancouver a terrible run for it every time out clobbered the Caps Friday 8-5 on a five-run seventh inning in which was handed Tom Lovrich—of all people—his come-uppance.
The amazing spectre of watching the youngster walk into the ball game in a relief role in the seventh became even more amazing when the boy couldn’t get anybody out. Before the side was retired the Chiefs had their five runs and a 7-4 lead. Lovrich later became the loser for the third time this year.
Van Fletcher had started and looked in a fairly good spot for his 11th win with a 4-2 lead going into the seventh. But he walked the first man and Edo Vanni got him out quickly. And that’s where the trouble started.
Lyle Palmer and Ross McCormack each had a four-hit night and it was Palmer’s seventh inning double, driving in two runs, which proved to be the winning blow.
Tonight the clubs will play two more starting at 7 o’clock and Vanni will send Bud Guldborg (12-8) and Ed Locke (8-11) out to bend their elbows. The clubs wind up the series Monday night with an 8:15 single game, then the Caps hit the road for Salem.
Wenatchee .... 100 010 51x—8 10 1
Vancouver ..... 000 120 101—5 10 2
Dasso, Stites (8) and Pocekay; Fletcher, Lovrich (6) Whyte (7) and Ritchey.

LEWISTON, Aug. 15-Lewiston Pitcher Bob Schulte wasn't satisfied to throw four-hit ball at Tri-City Friday night, he also tallied the winning run as the Broncs downed the Braves 3-2 in a Western International League baseball game.
The slender southpaw struck out 13 to more than make up for his eight bases on balls.
Tri-City ..... 000 000 020—2 4 1
Lewiston .... 000 110 01x—3 8 1
Brittain and Lewis; Schulte and Lundberg.

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[from the Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 16, 1952]

The Canuck hockey club already has two applications for the job as trainer this coming sesason, Carl Gunnarson and Reg Wallis … Carl handled the chore last year while Reg, who had trained the local club the previous four years, was managing the Penticton rink … Bill Schuster, deposed Capilano manager, has finished his holiday in Buffalo and returned to his home in Los Angeles … His successor, Edo Vanni, got talking about what a colorful guy William was as a player in Seattle the other night and came up with a few priceless stories. The best, we thought, was Vanni’s story of how good Schuster was at pulling the hidden-ball trick.
Bill liked head where it was
“We were playing Hollywood one night and the Stars had a fellow named ‘Poochie’ Poochinelli on second … He was a 6’3” 220-pounder and about the most powerful guy I ever saw in baseball. Schuster pulled the hidden-ball trick on him one night and when Poochie took his lead-off, Bill danced over to the bag and hollered, ‘Hey, Poochie, look what I got,’
“Poochinelli just looked at him right in the eye and growled, ‘Schuster, if you tag me with that ball, I’ll punch your head off!” Bill just stepped aside and let the big guy touch the bag safely.
“’Mind,’ Schuster said, ‘I wasn’t afraid of that big ape. But we were so far ahead anyways...!’”

Thursday, August 14, 1952

2008-02-12T02:09:00.001-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 77 39 .664 —
Spokane ..... 69 51 .575 10
Vancouver ... 58 52 .527 16
Salem ....... 54 61 .470 22½
Yakima ...... 55 63 .468 23
Lewiston .... 54 64 .458 24
Tri-City .... 50 65 .435 26½
Wenatchee ... 47 69 .405 31

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 15]—Bob Snyder found that the amazing succession of scoreless innings the Capilanos were tossing at Victoria was bound to an abrupt end sooner or later. And it did with Bob the victim—Thursday at the Stadium, as the Tyees won 3-1.
It was a game where one pitch meant the difference one way or the other. As luck would have it—bad luck for Robert—Snyder was a victim of the one pitch, a seventh inning “gopher ball” which he served up to Cece Garriott and which was good for two runs.
Garriott gave it quite a ride, about 350 feet over the right field wall, and it was the ball game right then and there.
ANOTHER 5-HITTER
Snyder pitched another of his masterpieces, and lots it. There times this year he has pitched five-hitters and lost. Last night’s was the third and Bob can lay blame for his 11th defeat to just about the same fact—his attack bogged down.
Carl Gunnarson was as cunning as ever for the Tyees. He gave up only one run when John Ritchey and Gordie Brunswick singled and Len Tran drove in the former on a fly ball. Then the “Gunner” was as tight as old man Scrooge the rest of the way.
All of the news from Cap Stadium wasn’t bad last night, however.
NEW PITCHER
After weeks and weeks of searching the Caps finally came up with a new pitcher to aid their badly overworked staff. He is a left-hander, Jim Meyers from Seattle. Just a youngster, the boy has never been in pro ball before, but he has been pitching for Mike Budnick’s semi-pro club down there. The boy comes on Rainier vice-president Torchy Torrance’s recommendation and he’ll be worked into the Capilano lineup just as soon as Edo Vanni has a chance to see what he’s liable to do.
Tonight it’s going to be Van Fletcher going for the Caps as they move into new series with Wenatchee. “Fletch” missed his turn last night in order to get an extra night’s rest, the theory being the big fellow hasn’t been working well on his routine of every four days on the mound, so why not change the routine?
DIAMOND DUST—Wenatchee and the Caps play the regular Saturday night doubleheader and then hold over for a single game Monday … The latter will be “family night” at the Stadium … Pop, as usual, pays but the rest of the gang gets in free.
- - -
VANCOUVER, B. C., Aug. 14 — Manager Cecil Garriott led his Victoria Tyees to a 3-1 Western International League baseball win over the Vancouver Capilanos Thursday night with a seventh-inning homer.
The Tyees were trailing 1-0 in the seventh when Lu Branham doubled. Then, with one out, Garriott broke a long hitless streak by knocking the ball over the right field wall.
Victoria added to its margin with a run in the ninth. The Victoria win ended the four-game series a two games apiece.
Victoria ........ 000 000 201—3 5 0
Vancouver .... 000 001 000—1 8 0
Gunnarson and Bottler, Martin (8); Snyder and Ritchey.

LEWISTON, Aug. 14 — The Spokane Indians kept up their end-of-the-season surge Thursday night as they swept a four-game series with the Lewiston Broncs by taking the final game 7-5.
Although Lewiston managed to get 12 base hits as compared with nine for Spokane, the Broncs fumbled away the win on five miscues. Bronc manager Bill Brenner started on the mound and took the loss as Spokane talled two runs in the first inning, one in the seventh and one in the ninth on a series of errors combined with scattered hits.
The Indians' second baseman, Jimmy Brown, was the big bat for the Tribe as he rapped out two singles and drove in three runs in four trips.
Spokane ...... 201 001 301—7 9 0
Lewiston ..... 000 410 000—5 12 5
Bishop, Roberts (S) and Sheets; Brenner, Powell (9) and Lundberg.
WP—Roberts. LP—Brenner.

YAK1MA, Aug. 14 — The Yakima Bears scored twice in the final inning to take a 2-1 Western International League baseball decision from the Salem Senators Thursday night.
Salem hurler Ray McNulty saw his neat four-hitter melt away when Yakima batsmen came alive after trailing 1-0 since the third inning.
Yakima's Earl Richmond opened the ninth with a single to center. Jerry Zuvela followed with another single to right field wihich got by Bill Spseter and rolled to the fence. Richmond romped home to tie it at 1-1.
McNulty purposely passed the next two batsmen and Ken Richardson hit into a double play. However, Salem catcher Bob Nelson hobbled a pitched ball, allowing
Len Noran in with the winning run.
Salem scored its lone tally in the third when Nelson walked and came home on a double by Gene Tanselli.
Salem ..... 001 000 000—1 6 3
Yakima .... 000 000 002—2 4 0
McNulty, and Nelson; Thompson and Donahue.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 14 — The Wenatchee Chiefs staged a five-run outburst in the sixth inning Thursday night to edge the Tri-City Braves 9-8 in the wrap-up game of a West
ern International League baseball series.
The Chiefs took the series 2-1 as Ed Kapp earned his first win of the season. Kapp took the mound in the fifth after Charlie Oubre pulled a muscle in his pitching arm.
Tri-City started early chalking up two runs in the first on two singles and an error A single by Walt Pocekay and another by Buddy Hjelmaa set up Wenatchee scores in the second, Pocekay tallying on a wild pitch and Hjelmaa on a long fly.
Five hits including a two-on circuit clout put Tri-City ahead with five runs across the plate in the third, and two singles and an error scored another Brave run in the fourth.
Three straight bases on balls by Bob Greenwood set up a two-run single by Ben Guerrero in the fifth for Wenatchee.
With one away in the sixth Wenatchee manager Dick Adams poled an inside pitch for a 390-foot home run and set the stage for the Chiefs' scoring splurge. Greenwood yielded five straight walks and two more runs before Adolph Satalich took over the mound. Pocekay singled to drive in another counter and tie the score and Hjelmaa walked to put the Chiefs out in front.
Tri-City ......... 205 100 000—3 15 0
Wenatchee .... 020 025 00x—9 7 2
Greenwood, Satalich (6) and Pesut: Oubre, Kapp (5) and Pocekay.
WP—Kipp. LP—Greenwood.

Pay Deadline Met by Chiefs
WENATCHEE, Aug. 14 — Wenatchee's Western International League baseball club will meet its Aug. 15 payroll, thanks to donations of more than $2,600 by local ball fans.
A "Keep the Chiefs" drive was in high gear Thursday after a meeting of 300 fans heard a report on the financial difficulties of the eighth place club.
Mayor Arthur H. Pohlman, president of the locally-owned team, said in addition to needing $3,000 to meet Friday's payroll, the club is $14,000 in the red.
Fans responded with cash and cheques, and then formed a One Dollar A Year club to continue the remainder of the season. Tacoma and Bellingham were reportedly interested in the franchise, if Wenatchee should fold.
"All debts must be paid by the first of the year or we are out of business," Pohlman said.

Note: portions of the column below are unreadable due to the newspapers being bound and the left-hand side of the column being in the gutter when a picture was taken of the paper.

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 15, 1952]
Not Acting Any Longer

Bob Brown paused long enough to say that it would be quite all right to deduct the “acting” from Edo Vanni’s [] as acting manager of the Capilano ball players. In other words, Vanni is now the manager, lock, stock and [] barrelful.
[]wasn’t to say, Mr. Brown hastened to add, that Vanni had necessarily become the new leader, too. But there are enough hints in the connection to lead us to believe that this may well turn out to be the case.
Before, it left us with an [] of what had gone before [] what might happen in the future. An analysis, you might say, whether this appointment would be good or bad thing for the Capilanos.
Almost since his reign began, he has killed his Capilanos with kindness. He frequently calls his players “my kids” and offers the suggestion that they are hustling better than any other club in the league. The term “my kids,” we might add, is applied to Jesse Williams, Bob Snyder and Ray Tran as well as the others, proving that age isn’t everything.
Vanni has kept no doghouse such as Schuster did. Bill usually had his full; or at least always managed to have one tenant.

It Was Well Kept Doghouse
Ray Tran constantly found himself in the doghouse. Nobody found out why, but he was there. John Ritchey had his turn and Bud Guldborg and Len Tran all managed to sneak in for the weekend. It wasn’t the best way to run a happy home, and there are those who will tell you that it was certainly never dull.
Undoubtedly, Schuster mishandled the duties of his management. He was hired to teach the youngsters the fundamentals and provide the winning [] for everybody to ride [] to a championship.When [] neither, he was allowed [] his vacation in Buffalo.
Vanni, since he has come along, has been running a glorified baseball clinic, in which he claims everybody is learning the right way to play baseball. “If we lose a game,” he explained, “we hold a meeting and try to determine why, so it won’t happen again. My kids are learning, and so am I. It’s fun, really.”
Frequently, Schuster aimed for the ‘big inning’ in spacious Capilano Stadium because, possibly, he had read the papers and noticed he had a powerhouse of sorts.
Vanni disbelieves this theory, though he hastens to add that this is not a criticism of Schuster’s tactics. “Bill would have been our manager today if he’d been able to get into the lineup each day.”
Another Great Emancipator?
However, when Edo got the job, he took one look at the fences (335, 415 and 335 respectively from left to right) and decided that one run would be good enough most of the time to win. Thus, he [] parlayed the hit-and-run, the sacrifice and the steal into a single run and found that more often than not he come up with two or three.
None of this, of course, could have been accomplished without the resurgence of Gordie Brunswick and Len Tran, particularly, and the arrival of Tom Lovrich. The first two have either drive in or scored [] runs while the latter has treated them with as fine a [] of pitching jobs as you’d [] in Yankee Stadium of Allie Reynold’s turn.
The fact is neither Tran, Brunswick, nor Lovrich were doing much of anything under Schuster and they are producing in spades now. Vanni’s “kids”, in other words, must have something.
There was the thought once that Vanni was being too careful with his players and that he would die the same death that most “nice guys” do in this cut-throat game. That was before the Paul Jones Case.
Vanni might well turn out to be the Great Emancipator for the Capilanos, just as Marty Marion was when he relieved Rogers (Legree) Hornsby in St. Loo. However, look what has since!

Wednesday, August 13, 1952

2008-02-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 76 39 .661 —
Spokane ..... 68 51 .564 10
Vancouver ... 58 51 .532 15
Salem ....... 54 60 .474 21½
Lewiston .... 54 63 .462 23
Yakima ...... 54 63 .462 23
Tri-City .... 50 64 .439 25½
Wenatchee ... 46 69 .400 31

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 14]—What they are all asking today is: “How much is Tom Lovrich worth on the baseball market?” And about the most significant way to answer it would be to sign a blank cheque, making room for at least five figures.
The “gee-whiz” college student from the University of Southern California mesmerized Victoria 3-0 at Cap Stadium Wednesday in another terrific pitching performance.
Lately, they’ve all been terrific for Tommy. He started by shutting out Wenatchee 10 days ago, then allowed Yakima only one run in a full nine innings.
SECOND SHUTOUT
Last night he tossed up his second shutout in three tries and his overall record for the season reads seven wins, two losses and an earned-run-average of 2.31. He has allowed but one run in his last 29 innings of pitching and if that isn’t something to write home about then don’t bother corresponding.
The only thing that is left to do is to figure of what is best for the boy in the immediate future. Should he be promoted to Coast League ball next year, or would another year in the WIL prove more valuable? Bob Brown points to the latter, but the Seattle Rainiers, who own his contract, may disagree. Only time will tell.
The Caps gave Lovrich a run in the fourth inning on Gordie Brunswick’s single, a stolen base, and Jim Wert’s single. They added another in the fifth and their last in the eighth when Brunswick plastered a 415-foot triple to the centre field wall.
STRUCK OUT 7
That was more than Lovrich needed. He struck out seven, walked five, and gave up only two hits in the most solid but of pitching any Capilano has turned in this year.
DIAMOND DUST—Tonight, these same clubs conclude this delightful series when Bob Snyder faces ex-Capilano Carl Gunnarson in what has the earmarks of a fair-country deal … Wenatchee comes to town Friday, plays twice Saturday and the last game Monday.
Victoria ......... 000 000 000—0 2 0
Vancouver ..... 000 110 01x—3 7 0
Heard, Lorino (8) and Martin; Lovrich and Ritchey.

YAKIMA, Aug. 13 — Yakima nosed out Salem, 1-0, in a short and low-hit game Wednesday night as the Bears took their second Western International League baseball game in a row.
The contest took a mere 90 minutes.
The lone run came in the sixth inning when Earl Richmond, Jerry Zuvela and John Albini singled successively. The trio of bingles constituted three-fourths of those hit by the Yakimans in the game. Salem likewise was limited to four safeties.
The Senators loaded the bases in the seventh inning but a double play by way of home plate wiped them off.
Jim Dale singled and Art Thrasher made first on an error. Bob Nelson walked and Vince DiBiasi popped out. Gene Tanselli then hit a fast, hot one directly to Tom Del Sarto for the game-ending double play.
Salem ....... 000 000 000—0 4 1
Yakima ...... 000 001 00x—1 4 1
DiBiasi and Nelson; Del Sarto and Albini.

LEWISTON, Aug. 13 — Everbody got into the act in a Western International league doubleheader Wednesday night. Spokane made it three in a row over Lewiston by taking
the opener 6-2 and squeezing by the nightcap 8-7.
Both teams paraded pitchers and pinch-hitters onto the field, with a total of 26 men used in the first game and 28 in the second.
The Broncs jumped into a four-run, first inning lead which held until the eighth inning when Spokane scored 3 runs to add to their one run scored in the sixth.
First Game
Spokane ...... 000 000 24—6 9 3
Lewiston ...... 001 001 00—2 7 1
Spring, Palm (6), Chase (7) and Sheets, Hinz (8); DeGeorge, Powell (7), Clancy (7) and Lundberg.
Second Game
Spokane ..... 000 001 034—8 11 2
Lewiston ..... 400 000 003—7 6 0
Marshall, Roberts (7), Palm (8), Chase (9) and Hinz; Thomason, Powell (8), Bowman (9), Clancy (9) and Helmuth.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 13—Rapping out 16 hits from the offerings of Wenatchee hurlers Bill Stites and Ed Kapp, Tri-City's Braves drubbed the Chiefs 10-6 Wednesday night to square the Western International League baseball series at a game apiece.
Wenatchee drew first blood, scoring a single run in the second inning. Tri-City came back with two in the third, and scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.
In the sixth, the Braves tallied on three singles, a sacrifice and a double by left fielder Glen Lewis. They kept their bats hot in the seventh picking up three more tallies on four singles.
Third baseman Tom Marier topped the hitters with three singles in four trips to the plate.
George New tossed a six-hitter for the win, which evens the series at a game piece with the third and final game being played tonight.
Tri-City ......... 002 003 320—10 16 4
Wenatchee .... 010 010 022—6 6 3
New and Pesut; Stites, Kapp (8) and Pocekay.
LP-Stites.

Sports Notes
by Gil Gilmour
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 15, 1952]

One of the things being cooked up for the Tri-City Braves when they return from their road trip is Eagles night. It will be August 21 and the Eagles of Pasco and Kennewick will honor players on the team.
It is also Nick Pesut and Vic Buccola night and the two veteran players will be in for a surprise, the Eagles promise.
The Eagles also have plans for some gag acts and will give presents to some other players. I hear they have just the thing for Manager Charlie Gassaway.
Anyhow, the presence of the Eagles Lodges from the two cities will be a welcome sight out at Sanders and I hope all of them can make it and give the Braves a much-needed boost.
SMITTY
In the press box after every game at Sanders, the boys all gather around Godfrey Smith, the scorekeeper, and try to speed him up with his final figures. The gang wants to get the things off to various points and go home and go to bed.
Now Smitty has plenty of troubles but calculating in the runs batted in are about the biggest problem. After packing them down in a double-check of his scorebook Smitty hands each of the boys a sheet and we all clear out.
But now new troubles are proposed for Smitty. The runs-batted-in figures have never been too satisfactory a yardstick, everyone agrees, but so far no one has come up with a really better system.
However, in the Sporting News, Wilbur Wood, former sports editor of the New York Sun, analyzes some of the proposals for changing computations.
He considers as most feasible one proposal for changing the runs batted in to runners advanced.
The proposed system would work like this:
As each man comes to bat, count the number of possible bases that runners and batsman can be advanced toward home. Since it is easier to drive a man in from third to home, the men on base should, be counted as follows: Runner on third, 1; runner on second, 2; runner on first, 3; and the batter four.
Thus when a batter comes up with the bases loaded he will have a chance for ten points. If he singles with the bases loaded, and drives in the runners on second and third, he will score three of 10 possible points and get a runners advanced average of .300. If he homers, he gets 10 for 10 or 1.000.
PUNISHMENT
Most important, if he strikes out, pops out, or leaves all the runners stranded, he will be punished for failing to come through in the clutch.
Other essentials in the proposed system. If he singles with none on he gets a 1 for 4 rating. Suppose he comes up with one to bat and there is a man on first, and then hits a single sending the runner to third. His statistical chance was seven and he made a single his total would be three—one for himself and two for the runner.
The Sporting News doesn't suggest it, but it seems to me that if the batter hit into a double play he should get a negative figure.
I haven't figured that one out yet—but if we are going to make things rough on Smitty we might as well get all the way.
TRADITION
Before you think that these proposed changes in statistical computations are earth-shaking upsets of baseball tradition, remember that the system of compiling averages is like Topsy, it just grew.
The first ones were made by Henry Chadwick in 1859 and carried average runs per game for players. In 1876 the first batting averages received official recognition and pitcher's won-and loss ratings came into use in the 1880s.
Runs batted in was used for some time but they were not compiled officially until 1920.

Tuesday, August 12, 1952

2008-02-10T05:27:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 76 38 .667 —
Spokane ..... 66 51 .564 11½
Vancouver ... 57 51 .528 16
Salem ....... 54 59 .478 21½
Lewiston .... 54 61 .470 22½
Yakima ...... 53 63 .457 24
Tri-City .... 49 64 .434 26½
Wenatchee ... 46 68 .411 31

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 13]—When a ball player isn’t hitting, they say he’s not much good for anything. However, Jim Wert, sort of disproved the theory Tuesday at Cap Stadium when his one defensive gem saved a 2-0 victory for the Capilanos.
Wert has been having trouble in spades with his bat. For him this has been a year he would just as soon forget. A .330 hitter with 115 rbi’s in Spokane last season, Jim stands at .275 and 61 rbi’s with the Caps right now, and neither figure is impressive.
But Jim hasn’t let down in the field. There was a situation in the seventh inning last night which threatened the Caps 2-0 lead dangerously.
The Tyees had the bases loaded with only one out and cleanup hitter Granny Gladstone at the plate. Ed Locke had been called in from the bullpen to relieve a tiring Bud Guldborg and the first two pitches Ed tossed were balls.
Then he came through the middle with a fastball. Gladstone swung and hit a grounder right at shortstop Jesse Williams. It had double play written all over it as Jesse flipped to Len Tran for one. Then Tran wheeled and threw to first, and 2100 fans gasped. His throw was low, and into the dirt, One run was already across, and another rounding third on the way.
Wert reached way out and down, dug his gloved hand out of the dirt and came up with half a pound of gravel—and the ball. That one play, more than any other, saved the Caps and a great 2-0 victory.
The two runs had come in the sixth inning after Guldborg and Bill Bottler had duelled impressively all the way. Bottler allowed Edo Vanni to reach third and Williams second, and it was the closest the Caps had come to scoring all night.
Along came Gordie Brunswick and he smoked a double down the left field line and it was good for both runs. It only remained for Wert’s one great play and a touch of classy relief pitching by Locke to preserve that win.
DIAMOND DUST—The win was Guldborg’s 13th … Tom Lovrich, the sensational collegian, goes tonight against the Tyees while Cece Garriott counters with his ace, Jehosi Heard … Carl Gunnarson pitches for Victoria Thursday. Len Tran kept pace with Brunswick and hitting streak with a perfect two-for-two night.
Victoria ..... 000 000 000—0 8 3
Vancouver .... 000 002 00x—2 5 1
Bottler, Prior (7) and Martin; Guldborg, Locke (7) and Ritchey.

LEWISTON, Idaho, Aug. 12 — Spokane pitcher John Conant brought his total wins to a baker's dozen Tuesday night, pitching four-hit ball as the Indians downed Lewiston 3-1 in Western International League baseball.
The Broncs took the lead in the first inning with one run on two singles and two errors, their only run of the game.
Spokane ...... 000 110 001—3 7 3
Lewiston ..... 100 000 000—1 4 1
Conant and Sheets; Nicholas and Lundberg.

YAKIMA, Aug. 12 — The Yakima Bears cashed in on the wildness of starting pitcher Ted Collins Tuesday night to defeat Salem's Senators 6-5 in the first game of a Western International League baseball series.
Collins, who shut out the Bears on his last appearance here, walked ten men in five innings on the mound, and set the stage for five Yakima runs.
Salem whittled at the lead but the Bears scored what proved to be the winning run in the eighth on a pair of singles and a sacrifice.
Salem ...... 000 020 102—5 11 1
Yakima ..... 203 000 01x—6 10 1
Collins, Edmunds (5), Rick (8) and Nelson; Savage and Donahue.

WENATCHEE, August 12 — The Wenatchee Chiefs, wallowing deep in the Western International League cellar, outlasted Tri-City 10-6 in a slugfest opening a three-game baseball series here Tuesday night.
Led by catcher Walt Pocekay, who had three singles and a double in five trips, the Chiefs tagged Brave hurler Ralph Romero for 17 base hits.
But the Braves racked up 15 hits off Wenatchee's Dave Dahle, who earned his 14th victory of the season.
The Chiefs had two big innings.
In the fifth, they scored four times on consecutive singles by Ben Guerrero, Lyle Palmer, Pocekay, Bud Jones, Dick Adams and Laurie Monroe.
The Braves tied the game with single runs in the fifth and eighth innings but the Chiefs put it beyond reach with another four run splurge in the bottom of the eighth.
Tri-City ......... 110 021 010— 8 15 1
Wenatchee .... 200 040 04x—10 17 3
Romero and Pesut; Dahle and Pocekay.

Chiefs' Fans Aid Club
WENATCHEE, Aug. 12 — Baseball fans chipped in $2,800 Monday night in opening a drive to save the Wenatchee club from a financial strikeout. The cash is to meet the Friday payroll.
The fans were told $40,000 will be needed to assure Wenatchee's team in the Western International League in 1953.
Mayor Art Pohlman, who also is club president, described the Wenatchee Chiefs as just about as low financially as in the WIL standings — where they are in last place, 30 games off the leader's pact.
$14,000 In Debt
He said the baseball corporation is $14,000 in debt. Manager Dick Adams said it will take $40,000 to clear the club's debts and handle the signing of the class A league caliber of players for 1953.
Pohlman said all debts will have to be paid by the first of the year or the club will be out of business in this city of 14,000.
About 200 fans attended the open meeting with the stockholders. After expressing support of the baseball team, they filed up to drop $2,000 into the kitty. Most of them took preferred stock for their cash.
Not First Time
In addition, a $1-a-year club was started. Fans will get membership by payment of a dollar yearly.
Contributors came from many walks of life. A garage mechanic chipped in $100. A grandmother joined the $1 club for herself and four children.
The average attendance at Wenatchee games has been around 600.
It isn't the first time Wenatchee has been plagued by baseball finance headaches. Its WIL franchise was lost to Tri-Cities in 1949. Fans raised $39,600 in 1950, at a time when apple market conditions were poor, to pick up the Bremerton franchise and re-enter the league.

Richards Trial Date Is Set
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 12, 1952]
Dick Richards, general manager of the Tri-City Braves, will face third degree assault charges August 22 in the justice of the peace court of C. T. Morbeck in Kennewick.
The charges were filed by Laury Monroe, Wenatchee ball-player, after he and Richards got in a fight over some pauet in Richard's office.
The trial date is the day the Wenatchee Chiefs open a three-game series with the Tri-City Braves at Sanders Field. The fight took place July. 24 in the office of the Braves manager.
Richards is free on $25 bail.

Monday, August 11, 1952

2008-02-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 76 37 .673 —
Spokane ..... 65 51 .569 12½
Vancouver ... 56 51 .523 17
Salem ....... 54 58 .482 21½
Lewiston .... 54 60 .474 22½
Yakima ...... 52 63 .452 25
Tri-City .... 49 63 .437 26½
Wenatchee ... 45 68 .398 32

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 12]—Open letter day in the old baseball forum. This, to Earl Sheely, general manager of the Seattle Baseball Club, the upstairs affiliate of our Capilanos.
Dear Earl:
GO ON HOME!
We hate to be so blunt about this thing, but it’s all in the spirit of being a good Vancouver citizen. It just seems to me that every time you come to town, the Capilanos hit the rocks. Matter of fact, it’s about the only thing they do hit.
Take that 4-1 loss Monday night to Victoria. Now you don’t think the Caps had some ulterior motive for looking as bad as that?
GORDIE IS ONE
We’ll tell you about this ulterior motive. It’s all your fault.
Last time you were here, you said you wanted to look at Gordie Brunswick. You did. While you were here, Gordie went ought-for-one million, or thereabouts, then one night you left your box seat and went out for a coffee. You were gone 30 seconds and in that absence Brunswick socked a home run.
Last night you came back for no reason at all. And what did the Caps do?
Edo Vanni dropped a fly ball in the third inning and Victoria scored two runs on account of it.
MORE and MORE and MORE
HOW ABOUT JOHN
John Ritchey, about the best-throwing catcher in the league, allowed three base runners to steal on him, and one after he called for a pitch out. His throwing was so bad we had to look twice to see if he was maybe trying out his left arm.
In all, the Caps made four errors and got only five hits off Ben Lorino, who became the WIL’s first 20-game winner this year. Now, Earl, you don’t believe these things just happen do you?
Admittedly, Lorino had pretty good stuff last night. He might have beaten any club in this league. But what was wrong with the way Snyder pitched? Bob allowed only eighth hits and but for the four errors it would have been a ball game all the way.
BOB DOOR SHUT
Victoria scored in the third times, twice on that horrible gesture Vanni made at a fly ball. After that, Bob just shut the door on them, allowing only a single run in the sixth.
You must admit, Earl, that on pitching like that the average ball club will win nine out of every 10 games. Unless there is an ulterior motive.
You’re a fine fellow, Mr. Sheely, and you’ve done a lot toward bettering baseball. Nut just for laughs, stay out of our city, huh?
DIAMOND DUST—Just under 3000 people attended this opener of a four-game set … Actually, there were 2843 paid … Vanni will shoot with Bud Guldborg, his big winner, tonight in another 8:15 classic … Carl Gunnarson is due for the Victorians Wednesday or Thursday, but Bill Bottler is scheduled to oppose Guldborg tonight … Sheely leaves for Seattle this afternoon.
- - -
VANCOUVER, B. C., Aug. 12 — The Victoria Tyees showed the kind of baseball that keeps them on top of the Western International league Monday night toppling the third place Vancouver Capilanos 4-1.
Victoria Pitcher Ben Lorino allowed only five hits.
A triple by Catcher Bill Martin, a single by Bob Moniz, two Vancouver errors and a base on balls gave the Tyees three runs in the third.
The first game of a four games series was attended by 2,600 fans.
Victoria ........ 003 001 000—4 8 0
Vancouver .... 000 000 100—1 5 4
Lorino and Martin; Snyder and Ritchey.

ONLY GAME SCHEDULED

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News Herald, Aug, 12, 1952]
Strained Press Relations…
It grieves me to have to report this, but the relations between the press and the Capilano Baseball Club have hit a new low in the year 1952.
It would take a keen eye to notice the trend, but inch by inch in the past five years, the press has been losing more and more of its privileges.
During Bill Brenner’s heydey, relations reached their peak, then they ebbed. Frequently Bill called on the worn out bellows of the writers to pitch a turn of batting practise for him. In 1948—a bad year for all—one of the writers was so effective in his pitching turn that nobody got as much as a loud foul off him, and for fear of an inferiority complex setting in amongst his batsmen, Brenner stopped the practise.
Yes, we got along fine in those days. One series, we recall, the Capilanos visited Victoria and a writer decided to put on a baseball uniform and get a different angle of the story that night, by watching the game from the dugout.
As it happened, the umpires had a lot of hair-line decisions to call and the Caps got the worst of them all. The ‘barbering’ from the bench was something awful.
Once We Had It Pretty Good…
Carl Gunnarson, particularly, ‘got on’ Hughie Day, the base umpire, and Hughie was an umpire always noted for his quick temper.
The first time he heard Carl, he raced over to the bench and threatened to clear everybody out unless the “barber” owned up. When nobody admitted the sin, Day looked carefully up and down the bench, noted the strange face of the writer, thought he had seen him some place before but passed it off. The writer had interview day just a week before, as a matter of fact.
A couple of innings later, Gunnarson got going on Day again. This time Hughie meant business.
He came to the bench and gave us 10 seconds to tell him who was handing out the taunts. On the 9th second, the writer, realizing he might be able to save the Caps some bench strength, stick out a paw and said, “okay, it was me, ump.”
Day looked the fellow up and down carefully once more, but again his memory failed to click. “Okay, smart guy,” he yowled, “get outta the ball game.” We had our fun in those days.
Late in the 1947 season, a new baseball writer walked onto the scene. He hadn’t covered the game before and didn’t understand the many peculiar traits each ball player has.
We were allowed in the dressing room after the game then, and one night when the new writer walked in, Bob Hall, a loquacious sort of gut, popped off. Bob had lost a tough one, and, no doubt about it, he wasn’t going to play ball for the Caps any more. Not in this “lousy soandso ball park with the 275-foot right field fence anyway!”
Five minutes after he popped off, Hall was happy. He no more meant it than to fly out the window, but by this time the new writer had flown the coop with an exclusive for his paper. We were barred from the dressing rooms shortly after,
Clancy Just Isn’t Enough…
It’s been that way the past four years. We enjoyed a few moments of freedom with Bill Schuster, for he was a loveable old guy who liked to see his name in print. Long hours we spent in the dugout with William talking over this and that.
Now, with Edo Vanni the lead dog, we aren’t even allowed in the dugout. There is a big sign there which says “Players Only,” and Edo, of course, will tell you that he didn’t have a thing to do with it. It’s just another scheme to keep the gamblers away.
Lately, the writers have consoled themselves by lying in wait for certain visiting clubs. We know, for instance, that the welcome mat is out whenever Lewiston and Dr. Brenner hit town. And so it is with Spokane and Don Osborn and Yakima and Dario Lodigiani. As a result, more and more of late, we have been leaning toward the visit, and get some interesting feature stuff out of him, too.
However, as you can see, the trend has been away from the Capilanos. In another year or two, we likely won’t even know the first names of our players—and probably, we won’t care.
We have a press room, where we can sit and interview. Frankly, I find it very boring to probe into Clancy Loranger’s life story each night.

Sunday, August 10, 1952

2008-02-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 75 37 .670 —
Spokane ..... 65 51 .575 12
Vancouver ... 56 50 .528 16
Salem ....... 54 58 .482 21
Lewiston .... 54 60 .474 22
Yakima ...... 52 63 .452 24½
Tri-City .... 49 63 .437 26
Wenatchee ... 45 68 .398 31½

KENNEWICK, Aug. 10 — The Tri-City Braves broke loose with two three-run innings Sunday night to win a 6-2 Western International League baseball game from the second-place Spokane Indians.
The Indians, held to six hits by Braves hurler Adolph Satalich, could get their scoring machine going only in the eighth and ninth frames. They scored one run in each inning.
The Braves opened their end of the scoring in the first with three runs on two singles and doubles by Ray Hamrick and John Kovenz.
The Braves scored their other three tallies in the eighth on a walk, a sacrifice, an error and doubles by Nick Pesut and Don Lopes.
Spokane .... 000 000 011—2 8 0
Tri-City ..... 300 000 30x—6 8 1
Chase, Palm (8) and Sheets; Satalich and Pesut.

SALEM, Aug. 10 Salem and Lewiston split a Western International League doubleheader here Sunday night, Lewiston winning the opener 5-4 and dropping the nightcap 4-3.
Don Lundberg and Snag Moore led the Lewiston hitting attack in the first game. They both collected base hits for a run in the third inning. Lundberg's double after two walks accounted for two more in the fourth. Moore doubled behind three walks for two runs in the fifth.
Connie Perez drove in three of Salem's four runs with two doubles and a triple.
Lewiston picked up two tallies in the eighth on base hits by Jake Helmuth, Rob Williams, Art Wilson and Glenn Tuckett.
First Game
Lewiston ...... 001 220 0—5 8 2
Salem .......... 000 004 0—4 7 1
DeGeorge, Powell (6) and Lundberg; McNulty and Nelson.
Second Game
Lewiston ..... 100 000 020—3 9 1
Salem ......... 101 100 10x—4 7 2
Brenner and Lundberg; Francis and Thrasher.

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

Saturday, August 9, 1952

2008-02-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 75 37 .670 —
Spokane ..... 65 50 .565 11½
Vancouver ... 56 50 .528 16
Salem ....... 53 57 .482 21
Lewiston .... 53 59 .473 22
Yakima ...... 52 63 .452 24½
Tri-City .... 48 63 .432 26½
Wenatchee ... 45 68 .398 31½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 10]—It’s the fellow who does the hitting who gets baseball’s headlines but the fellow who saves his club runs on the field is important just as often.
Yesterday at Royal Athletic Park, he was more important.
Held to six hits by Wenatchee’s Bill Stites in the afternoon game, Victoria Tyees won it, 3-0, because two fine defensive plays saved them at least four runs. They got 12 hits and seven runs in the series finale under the lights, but sloppy defensive play enabled the crippled Chiefs to salvage one game—11-7—out of the five-game series and prevented the Tyees from adding a full game to their W.I.L. lead.
Spokane’s second-place Indians and Vancouver’s third-place Capilanos failed to take advantage of a chance to move up, both being rather lucky to gain doubleheader splits with Yakima and Tri-City respectively.
Carl Gunnarson, the ageless southpaw who seems to get better with the passing years, proved again the wisdom of his purchase from the Caps in yesterday’s first game.
PERFECT CONTROL
Showing perfect control of a fine curve, Gunnarson came up with his first shutout of the season and his sixth victory in seven decisions since joining the Tyees. But he was in trouble in four of the last five innings after settling down the first 10 Chiefs he faced and only a combination of his cool clutch pitching and two good plays by first baseman Chuck Abernathy prevented the Chiefs from making it a sweep.
The Chiefs, who picked up eight hits, put two runners on the bags in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings and their first two hitters on third and second with no one out in the fifth and seventh. But they couldn’t upset Gunnarson.
The Victoria southpaw retired the side in the fifth with a strikeout, a pop-up, and an easy infield roller got the first two outs in the seventh on a pop foul and a short fly to right field and the third when Abernathy made the second of his standout plays.
ABERNATHY STAR
Stites grounded to third-baseman John Treece, who uncorked a high throw. Abernathy got his six-feet, four inches high off the ground to drag it down and touch Stites before he got to the bag with the tying runs on their way to the plate. In the fifth, Abernathy made a backhanded catch of Walt Pocekay’s smashing line drive just instead the bag with runners on first and second to deprive the Wenatchee catcher of at least a double and the Chiefs of at least two runs.
Incidentally, Abernathy went hitless in three trips.
The Tyees blew a 5-0 lead in the night’s game as the crippled Chiefs finally caught up with the percentage and got some of the breaks for a change. The Tyees might have had a second shutout with more alert play but they wound up soundly licked.
LeRoy Han, the 18-year-old rookie righthander, had a four-hit shutout going into the sixth but ran into a six-run inning resulting from a wild streak and a missed chance at a double play.
HEARD TAKES LOSS
Shooting for two wins, Garriott send in Jehosie Heard in relief but the little colored southpaw didn’t have it last night and with the help of his teammates, blew a 7-6 lead and a chance for his 19th win. Instead, he took his seventh setback.
Han had two out and only one Chief on the sacks when he suddenly lost control in the sixth to walk three batters in a run and force in Wenatchee’s first run. Two doubles and a single completed the damage but the Chiefs should have been blanked. With one out and a runner on first, Laurie Monroe lined to Jim Clark, who had a chance to get the runner off first. His throw was a bit into the path of the runner and Abernathy was grounded as he failed to shift in time and the parade was on.
UNEARNED RUNS
The Tyees went ahead in the sixth with two runs but two singles around a wild pitch and a sacrifice tied it for the Chiefs in the seventh and they won it in the eighth with three unearned runs after Granny Gladstone missed a catch in right field after a long run.
Wenatchee manager Dick Adams hit a two-run double for the winning runs as second-guessers had one of their few chances to doubt Manager Cec Garriott’s strategy. Adams came up with one out and runners on first and third but Heard pitched to him although the next two hitters were lefthander Monroe and pitcher Frank Dasso, playing in the outfield.
GARRIOTT RESTS
Altogether, it was one of the Tyees’ poorer showings and it was coincidental with the first time Garriott failed to start a game this season. He benched himself in favor of Duane Helbig, pinch-hitting in the eighth and getting a dubious call on a third strike.
Defensively, the feature of this game was a sensational catch by Jim Clark, who went far into left-centre to pull down a Texas Leaguer.
First Game
Wenatchee .... 000 000 000—0 8 2
Victoria ......... 100 100 01x—3 6 2
Stites and Pocekay; Gunnarson and R. Bottler.
Second Game
Wenatchee .... 000 006 131—11 14 1
Victoria ......... 002 302 000— 7 12 3
Kapp, Bauhofer (4), Stites (6) and Pocekay; Han, Heard (6), Prior (9) and Martin.

VANCOUVER [News-Herald, Aug. 11]—The Capilanos lay 16 games behind front-running Victoria in the race for the WIL baseball championship, and on the face of it, the four-game series between the two which starts tonight would rate just another “so what:”
However, if you look a little deeper, you will find interesting proportions coming out of this meeting. It will be the first time the clubs have gotten together since Edo Vanni took over leadership of the Vancouver club and Edo, if it matters, insists his boys are the best.
Too, on this four-game set, may well rest Bob Brown’s decision to go after the “B.C. Championship” post-season series between the two.
Vanni is going after this series as if his life depended on it. His managerial career, at that, may well be under fire for the first time since he took over. All eyes will be on Edo’s running game which, to this date, has been both thrilling and productive.
An old campaigner and grand competitor, Bob Snyder, will shuffle out to the hill tonight to open for the Tyees. And according to Vanni all Bob has to do is “hand in there” and Gordie Brunswick will look after the rest.
Saturday, the Caps split with Yakima, winning a seven-inning first game after one extra inning 6-5 when Vanni punched out a single to score Len Tran in the eighth. Ed Locke picked up the win, his seventh, and although he gave up five runs, only one was earned.
Then, Yakima tied into Van Fletcher, who is having his troubles in spades these days.Van lost it 6-2 as Tom Del Sarto held Vancouver to three hits and got over a shaky late-inning finish.
DIAMOND DUST—Brunswick came within inches of his 11th homer in the first game when he exploded a 380-foot double off the left-centre field wall in the first inning … Locke tripled twice in this game to help his own attack and one was a 410-foot bomb dropped over the centre field’s head … Len Tran doubled in the eighth inning of the second game, but when he forgot to touch first base, the hit was taken away from him … 3784 people attended the doubleheader.
First Game
Yakima ……... 000 050 00—5 9 1
Vancouver … 200 021 001—6 7 2
Thompson and Donohue; Locke and Ritchey.
Second Game
Yakima ……..... 040 000 200—6 11 0
Vancouver ..... 000 000 200—2 3 0
Del Sarto and Albini; Fletcher, Whyte (2) and Duretto.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 9]—The Tri-City Braves split a doubleheader with Spokane Saturday night at Sanders Field.
They dropped the seven-inning opener 1-0 when pitcher Bob Greenwood walked a run in in the top half of the seventh. The Braves went on to take the nightcap 4-3 but Spokane threatened dangerously in the top of the ninth.
In the first game, both teams were scoreless going into the seventh. Then in the top half Bouchee was walked, and Johnson attempted to bunt. Bouchee was thrown out but Johnson was safe.
Pitcher Jack Spring sacrificed Johnson to second to leave two away. Then Greenwood walked Ed Murphy, Sam Kanelos and George Huffman to send in the winning run.
Victory still looked possible in the bottom half of the inning. Vic Buccola was walked. He moved to second on Greenwood's sacrifice and Ray Hamrick popped out.
Don Lopes was called out on strikes — two of them, called by ump Hal Sorenson. The decision was unpopular with the fans and throughout the second game, the officials were greeted by chorus of boos.
Police had to chase three men away from the ump's dressing rooms between the games.
Greenwood was in trouble once before the seventh. In the fourth inning, Mel Wasley got a hit and moved to second on Bill Sheets bunt. Greenwood attempted to throw to second but the ball went to center field.
Wasley holed up on third and Sheets went to second. Brown then walked to load the bases and Bouchee struck out. Johnson hit a ground ball to shortstop Ray Hamrick who pegged Wasley out at the plate. Then Spring struck out to end the threat.
The Braves threatened in the second. Tommy Marier walked but was thrown out when Joe Scalise hit a ground ball. Nick Pesut got a hit and Vic Buccola walked to load the bases. Then Greenwood struck out to end the inning.
In the second game, Dave Brittain pitched steady ball until the ninth frame. Then he walked Jim Brown, Bouchee and Johnson.
Pat Simmons, batting for Dick Bishop, singled and drove in two runs.
George New was called in to take over the mound and he retired Murphey out one run came, in on the play. The next two batters, Kanelos and Huffman, flew out to and the threat and the game.
Defensively, beautiful catches by Hamrick and Des Charouhas helped Brittain get his win. Hamrick snagged his in the top of the fourth when Wasley hit a Texas leaguer in his direction.
Charouhas made his in the top of the fourth. Wasley was walked and Sheets hit a fly to right-center field. Charouhas made a diving catch, flipped the ball to right fielder Scalise, who pegged to Buccola on first which caught Wasley way off base.
Meanwhile, the Braves picked up one run in the sixth when Kovenz got a hit and he was scarifice to second by Charouhas. Marier was walked and Pesut singled to bring in the run.
In the seventh, Hamrick and Lopes each got singles and Kovenz walked. Marier rapped out a single to score Hamrick and Lopes. Scalise nit a ground ball to third and the throw to first was dropped, allowing Kovenz to score.
First Game
Spokane ….. 000 000 1—1 3 0
Tri-City …... 000 000 0—0 4 3
Spring and Sheets; Greenwood and Pesut.
Second Game
Spokane …… 000 000 003—3 5 1
Tri-City …….. 000 001 30x—4 14 2
Bishop and Sheets; Brittain, New (9) and Pesut.

SALEM, Aug. 10—Bill White singled in the 10th inning to drive in a run and give Salem an 12-11 victory over Lewiston in Saturday night's Western International League baseball game here.
Lewiston had tied up the game in the sixth inning by, scoring, eight runs. They came on an error, three walks, two singles by Jack Helmtith, a double and a single by Milt Smith, and singles by Charley Mead, Glenn Tuckett and Snag Moore.
Salem's big inning was the second when seven runs were scored.
The two teams meet again Sunday in a night doubleheader. Sal DeGeorge (5-7) and Bill Brenner (14-8) will pitch-for Lewiston. For Salem it will be Ray McNulty (14-2) and Bud Francis (4-2).
Lewiston ….. 012 008 000 0—11 19 1
Salem …….... 272 000 000 1—12 13 1
Schulte, Bowman (2), Clancy (8) and Lundberg; Hemphill, Francis (3), DiBiasi ( ) and Nelson.

SPORTS NOTES
By Gil Gilmour
[from Tri-City Herald, Aug. 10, 1952]
SAD

Its a sad situation when the hometown team has to play in foreign parks to make enough cash to stay in the business. But that is apparently what is going on now at Wenatchee.
Dick Richards, whose gates are even smaller than Wenathcee's, says it won't happen here because it isn't fair to the loyal 500 who do attend the game. But Dick still hints broadly about moving elsewhere.
I doubt if it will happen though, for the simple reason there isn't an "elsewhere" to go that has the potentialities of the Tri-City area. As residents here become more settled they will adopt the old "hometown" loyalty and the hard core of faithful fans will be considerably darger even if the Braves are again at the bottom of the standings.
And if the potentialities of the area aren't developed, the Braves management should start kicking, themselves instead of dismissing the Tri-Cities as a poor baseball area.

Friday, August 8, 1952

2008-02-09T13:47:00.001-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 74 36 .673 —
Spokane ..... 64 49 .566 11½
Vancouver ... 55 49 .529 16
Lewiston .... 53 58 .477 21½
Salem ....... 52 57 .477 21½
Yakima ...... 51 62 .451 24½
Tri-City .... 47 62 .431 26½
Wenatchee ... 44 67 .396 31½

VICTORIA. B. C., Aug. 8 — The Victoria Tyees won their third straight Western International League game from Wenatchee Friday night, 10-5, slapping the Chiefs behind the six-hit pitching of Bill Prior, Victoria righthander.
Prior had a three-hitter going into the ninth, when three hits plated the final Wenatchee run. It was the tall right-hander’s fourth win in six decisions and his third complete game.
The Tyees had no trouble with the injury-riddled last-place team, taking an early lead and adding to it with timely hitting and the help of three Wenatchee errors, a hit batter and nine bases on balls.
Granny Gladstone, leading the league in runs batted in, added four to his total with a double and two singles.
The Tyees left 14 runners stranded.
Wenatchee ... 000 001 101— 3 8 3
Victoria ........ 210 002 41x—10 15 1
Bauhofer and Pocekay, Prior and Martin.

KENNEWICK, August 8 — A three-run fifth inning gave the Spokane Indians all the edge they needed Friday night as they took their Western International League series opener with the Tri-City Braves 3-2.
Lefty George New, who started for the Braves, was charged with the loss, although he limited the Tribe to six hits and his teammates connected for 11. Four Spokane twin killings wiped out every threat the Braves could muster until the last of the ninth when they scored twice.
The Indians now have 116 double plays in 113 games.
Spokane's three runs in the fifth came on singles by Wilbur Johnson, George Huffman and Mel Wasley and a walk.
In the last of the ninth, the Braves threatened to send the game into overtime when they put two runs across with only one out, but Bob Greenwood, running for Nick Pesut, was chopped down at the plate when he tried to score from second on Glen Lewis' single to right.
The win was Spokane's eighth in a row.
Spokane ..... 000 030 000—3 6 0
Tri-City ...... 000 000 002—2 11 1
Marshall, Roberts (1) and Sheets, New and Pesut.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 9]—Gordie Brunswick, with his smoking-hot bat, is stealing a lot of thunder which might otherwise go to his team-mates.
Friday, the Capilanos beat Yakima 7-1 behind some scientific pitching by young Tom Lovrich, and actually Tom’s job was good enough to earn him headlines.
However, Brunswick came along in the third inning to spank out his 10th homer of the year, and there more or less lies the success of the Capilanos this past week. Gordie has been red-hot at the plate.
This homer was a beautiful thing to see. It was a line drive all the way, hit so low that if it had been right at an infielder he conceivably could have made a play on it. However, as the ball rolled along its way, it gained height and by the time it reached the left field wall 340 feet away it had enough to squeak over. And, as the saying goes, it was still going up.
There have been a lot of pros and cons about Brunswick’s hitting or lack of it this season. He changed his stance, for one thing. Then he felt he wasn’t getting enough “wrist” into his swing, so he raised his bat off his shoulder.
In the end, Gordie realized the only real trouble lay in the fact he was taking too many pitches. Nowadays, if you put the ball close to the plate for him, he’ll be swinging.
This was his second homer in as many nights and he easily leads the club in that department with 10. He is in contention for the league lead, and in the past week, has wrestled the club’s “rbi” leadership from John Ritchey. As we write this Gordon has 72 for the year and is about the only fellow on the team with a chance to crash the charmed “100” circle.
Lovrich again pitched a whale of a ball game. For eight of the nine innings he was working on his second shutout but he weakened [] little here and on some [] made trouble and gave up Yakima’s only run. It was Tommy’s sixth win of the season,
Yakima used up three pitchers—the last of which was infielder Kenny Richardson—trying to stop the Caps.
DIAMOND DUST—The same two clubs play two tonight starting at 7 o’clock … Van Fletcher (10-8) and Ed Locke (6-11) go for the Caps … Next week Victoria comes for four games then Wenatchee finishes out the series Friday, twice Saturday and Monday … This was the []ies supposed to be scheduled for Wenatchee, but it has been moved up here.
- - -
The Bears, who tried three pitchers with no great success, got their lone run in the eighth when Len Noren singled, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by
Catcher Pat Donahue.
Yakima ........ 000 000 010—1 7 2
Vancouver ... 022 021 00x—7 10 1
Donley, Garrett (4), Richardson (6) and Donahue; Lovrich and Ritchey.

SALEM, Aug. 8 — Three unearned runs in the eighth inning and two tallies in the ninth gave Lewiston a 5-3 victory over Salem Friday night in the opener of a four-game Western International League series here.
The game tied Lewiston and Salem for fourth place in league standings.
The eighth inning runs came on two walks, two errors and a single by Pinch-hitter Bill Brenner, Lewiston manager.
Snag Moore and Charles Mead singled and Artie Wilson doubled for the two final inning Lewiston runs.
Prior to the game, a team composed of players' wives and children defeated Mayor Al Louck's City Hall Gang, 6-0, in a three-inning exhibition on United Salem Night.
Lewiston ... 000 000 032—5 9 1
Salem ....... 110 100 000—3 9 2
Thomas, Clancy (8) and Lundberg, Collins, McNulty (8) and Nelson.

Thursday, August 7, 1952

2008-02-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 73 36 .670 —
Spokane ..... 63 49 .560 11½
Vancouver ... 54 49 .524 16
Salem ....... 52 56 .481 20½
Lewiston .... 52 58 .473 21½
Yakima ...... 51 61 .455 23½
Tri-City .... 47 61 .430 25½
Wenatchee ... 44 66 .400 30½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 8]—Showing a complete reversal of form from Wednesday night and finding Wenatchee’s injury riddled Chiefs not even a reasonable facsimile of Yakima’s hard-hitting Bears, Victoria’s Tyees added to their W.I.L. lead at Royal Athletic Park last night as they swept a double-header from the trailers 7-2 and 7-3.
The double win boosted the Tyees 11½ games ahead of the second-place Spokane Indians, who completed a series sweep over Salem and 16 games ahead of the third-place Vancouver Capilanos, who also found the Bears more than they could handle.
PATCHWORK TEAM
The Chiefs presented a patchwork line-up which had only the batterymen and outfielder Ross McCormick in their usual positions. First-baseman Bill Stites completed the outfield, second-baseman Buddy Hjelmaa was to be found at first base, outfielder Laurie Monroe held down the keystone sack, third baseman Mike Guerrero moved over the shortstop and outfielder Lyle Palmer handled Guerrero’s old job.
Just the same, it took excellent pitching by Jehosie Heard and Bill Bottler and an overall improvemet to beat the handicapped Chiefs who had southpaw Dave Dahle and veteran righthander Frank Dasso ready for the league leaders.
Heard chalked up his 18th victory in 24 decisions and his seventh straight in the nine-inning opener as he held the Bears to five hits. Bottler, knocked out in his last two starts, pitched a four-hitter in the seven-inning finale to record his fourth win in six decisions.
SOUNDER DEFENSE
The Tyees were bolstered by the return to action of Lu Branham, their peppy second baseman. Branham’s return enabled manager Cec Garriott to return John Treece to third base and take Bob Moniz from the hot corner and put him back in left field. The result was a far tighter defense, which may have won the second game when Branham pivoted a difficulty double play in the sixth inning, when the Chiefs had one run in, the bases loaded and Bottler on the ropes.
Branham also contributed offensively, getting three hits in the two games, batting in one and scoring four.
CONSISTENT ATTACK
Moniz and Garriott did the most damage at the plate as the Tyees, hitting consistently, picked up 25 hits. Moniz had a home run, double and single in the first game and a double in the second and batted in four runs. Garriott batted in one runs in the first game as he picked up three singles and two runs in the second with a single and a bases-loaded bases on balls.
The five-game series continues tonight with a single game and ends tomorrow with afternoon and evening games. Bill Prior has been nominated to do the Victoria pitching tonight and the local righthander will be seeking his fourth win.
First Game
Wenatchee .... 001 010 000—2 5 1
Victoria ......... 200 022 01x—7 15 1
Dahle and Pocekay; Heard and R. Bottler.
Second Game
Wenatchee .... 002 001 0—3 4 3
Victoria ......... 110 500 x—7 10 0
Dasso and Pocekay; Bill Bottler and Martin.

SALEM, Aug. 8—Spokane made a clean sweep of a three-game Western International League series, defeating Salem, 5-1, here Thursday.
The Indians got four runs in the third inning on hits by Wilbur Johnson, John Conant, Ed Murphy, Sam Kanelos and Mel Wasley. Hits by Wasley and Bill Sheets accounted for the other score in the sixth.
Connie Perez, Salem outfielder, won a home-run hitting contest over Mel Wasley prior to the game, 4-3. But in the game, Wasley rapped out three hits in four tries while Perez was held hitless.
Spokane ... 004 001 000—5 12 2
Salem ...... 000 000 010—1 7 1
Conant and Sheets; DiBiasi and Nelson.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, Aug. 8]—As they are nearing their greatest hour of need—the WIL’s stretch run—the Capilanos found themselves two more baseball players short after Thursday night’s 7-5 loss to Yakima.
One is Jesse Williams, the shortstop who jammed his thumbs in the third inning, then gamely finished the game without reporting an injury. Now, he’s going to have to rest for a few days from what appears to be a dislocation.
The other is Paul Jones, the pitcher. Today, Paul was to be reinstated to full and active duty after his insubordination sentence. However, that’s going to be hard to do as Paul has jumped the ship.
Some of his team-mates feel Paul has gone home, others are sure he has headed eastward across Canada and will wind up playing semi-pro ball. No matter where he has gone, he’s of no further use to the Caps, and although the Capilanos could suspend him indefinitely from Organized Baseball, they will probably not bother and merely release him outright.
None of this is going to help Vancouver in whatever chances they have of catching Victoria. Luckily enough, Jimmy Moore is around and he’ll fill in in the infield while Williams is out.
The bothersome Yakimas went to town in a big way in the third inning last night, scored five runs for themselves and won a ball game then and there.
Slowly the Caps tried to creep back into contention. They got up to 6-4 when Len Noren’s innocent-looking seventh-inning single took a bad hop over Gordon Brunswick’s head and went for a run-scoring triple. That took just about all the air out of the Caps.
Brunswick, incidentally, had another great night. In the past week, the big fellow has found himself with the bat, and last night he crashed his 9th homer of the year and two singles in four trips.
DIAMOND DUST—The same clubs meet again tonight at 8:15 with Tom Lovrich (5-2), the Caps’ red-hot collegian going against Mr. Lodigiani’s crew. … Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead, of comic strip fame, were introduced before the game … They’re playing an engagement at the Cave … Baby Alexander got right into the swing of things by grabbing a vendor’s uniform and selling peanuts while his folks watched the game.
Yakima ........ 105 000 100—7 13 1
Vancouver ... 011 020 100—5 10 3
Shandor and Donahue; Snyder and Ritchey.

KENNEWICK [Herald, Aug. 8]—Tri-City's big, burley catcher, Nick Pesut, was the hero of the game Thursday night after he broke up the game with a bases-loaded homer in the third inning.
The series then put the Braves out in front 6-4, and they were never again seriously threatened in taking a victory from the Lewiston Broncs 10-5.
The win gave the Braves two out of three of the series. Tonight they will open a series with Spokane. This season, Spokane has beaten the Braves 10 times to six wins for Tri-City.
The two teams have won three apiece in series at Sanders Field.
Big Nick was feeling good all the way around Thursday night. Although he was playing with his injured throwing hand wrapped in bandages, he pegged out two runners who attempted to steal second after the batsmen struck out.
He also snagged two high pop foul flies back near the screen. Besides the homer, Nick's first of the season, he got two more singles and only a brilliant stop by second baseman Glen Tuckett kept him from getting four for four. His hit in the seventh inning drove in a run to bring his total for the night to five.
The way the game started things looked bad for the Braves. Lewiston scored in the first when Milt Smith walked and got to second on Snag Moore's grounder. Smith scored when Gabby Williams singled.
Tri-City came back for one run in the bottom of the inning after Don Lopes balked and was driven in by John Kovenz' triple.
Then Lewiston had their big inning. With none away, Arty Wilson singled. Glenn Tuckett stepped up and belted the, ball out of the park. He was followed by Bob Lundberg who did the same.
Ralph Romero, the Tri-City hurler, clamped down and then and the next batter flied out and the next two struck out to end the inning.
But the Braves bounced back in the bottom of the third. Ray Hamrick doubled and Joe Nicholas, former Tri-City hurter, walked three men to bring in one run. It was then that Pesut got his homer.
From then on it was all Tri-City's game although the Broncs picked up one run on in the sixth on the Lopes' error, a hit by Wilson and another by Tuckett.
The Braves picked up two runs in the fourth when Hamrick got his second double and Don Lopes scored on Del Charouhas' single.
Tri-City got a lone run in the seventh when Marier walked, Scalise singled and Pesut singled.
In the eighth inning, Charlie Mead hit a fly ball deep into center field. Charouhas sped back for it and hauled the ball in. But in doing so, the center fielder smashed into the boards and was knocked out.
The Tri-City team raced out to center field to give Charouhas aid. He recovered and played the rest of the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, Charouhas knocked out a triple to score Kovenz for the Braves' final tally.
Altogether the Braves collected 11 hits and made two errors, Romero who went the distance, yielded nine hits. The Broncs made no errors.
Lewiston ... 130 001 000—3 9 0
Tri-City .... 105 200 11x—10 11 3
Nicholas, Clancy (3), Schulte (4), Bowman (6) and Lundberg; Romero and Pesut.

Wenatchee Cancels Series At Home
WENATCHEE, Wash., August 7—The cellar-dwelling Wenatchee Chiefs of the Western International Baseball League are having money troubles and will play at least one of their remaining home series on the road, their president said Thursday.
Arthur Pohlman, president, said the team will play in Vancouver Aug. 15, 16 and 18, instead of at home, as scheduled.
The Chiefs just aren't drawing crowds this year, he said, while the Capilanos who are, have promised them expenses and a 50-50 split of the gate to play the August series in Canada.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmour
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 9, 1952]

When Robert Abel, president of the Tri-City Western International League, dropped into town the other day, Tri-City Brayes officials let him know that they aren't too enthusiastic about other teams in the league playing exhibition games with the Coast League teams.
Last week, Salem played an exhibition with Portland and 4,500 came out to see the game. So the next night when Salem played a league-scheduled game, only a few hundred fans showed up which cut the take of the visitors.
The Braves officials say they were caught in a similar deal one time at Salem and they want no part of it again.
In the WIL the visiting team gets 40 per cent of the gate or $200, whichever is higher, but the Braves officials say they can't keep a team on the road for $200 a day.
Under league rules such exhibitions are forbidden unless the next scheduled WIL team grants permission. Presumably, Salem got this permission.
INVESTIGATION
Abel was here to finish up his investigation of the Dick Richards—Larry Monroe fight and although he did not say what action he has in mind, he left no doubt that he was annoyed by the whole thing.
He also made it clear that Wenatchee Manager Dick Adams was intent on pushing the thing as he told me he would do the night of the fight. And apparently, Monroe, the ball player whose forehead was cut in the fracas, isn't about to let the matter drop.
Abel has asked the Wenatchee club to forget about the charges filed in Kennewick against Richards and wants the row kept within the baseball family. This will
probably be done although some time ago the Wenatchee World quoted Adams as saying ,the case would be pressed the next time the Chiefs come to the Tri-Cities.
Wenatchee comes here again Aug. 22-24. The Braves play there next Tuesday, and although there will more than likely be fireworks at the series, it would be a good time for everyone to get the thing peacefully ironed out.
CLINIC
Manager Charlie Gassaway had come up with the idea of starting a baseball clinic for fans. Charlie is none too happy about the criticism leveled at him for his use of squeeze play tactics.
In particular was the example of the other night. The Braves were one run behind and had a man on first. John Kovenz, a top hitter and also an excellent bunter, came up to bat and fouled hs first attempt.
A group of the fans set up a howl and placed blame on Gassaway. As it turned out Gassaway's tactics worked and he now has the satisfaction of knowing he was right.
Kovenz laid the next pitch down and the runner moved to second from where he eventually scored to tie up the game. Playing the percentages may not be the most, dramatic baseball but it's usually the smartest game.
ROOKIES
Gassaway, incidentally, is long on veterans and short on rookies. Officially Gassaway is on the sick list. If he recovers from his shoulder injury and takes his place in the lineup, he will have to take one of the veterans—in this case, Ray Hamrick out of the lineup.
All of the players on the regular lineup are either veterans or limited service men.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Necciai Joins Pirate Squad
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 7 — A tall, skinny lad who had to crouch to get out of the airplane without bumping his head arrived here Thursday night to begin his major league career.
Ron Necciai, right hand strikeout sensation of the minor leagues, is slated to put on a Pittsburgh Pirate uniform Friday. If everything goes according to plan the 20-year-old 6 foot, 5 inch hurler will make his first start against the Chicago Cubs here Sunday.

Wednesday, August 6, 1952

2008-02-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 71 36 .664 —
Spokane ..... 62 49 .559 11
Vancouver ... 54 48 .529 14½
Salem ....... 52 55 .486 20
Lewiston .... 52 57 .477 21
Yakima ...... 50 61 .450 23
Tri-City .... 46 61 .430 25
Wenatchee ... 44 64 .407 28½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 7]—Victoria Tyees, who are usually dishing it out, last night found out what it was like to be on the receiving end—and how they found out.
Playing before a “Family Night” crowd, estimated at more than 2,500, including 1,356 who paid, the Tyees absorbed their worst set-back of the season as the hit-happy Yakima Bears romped to a 25-4 triumph in the series finale.
It was the last appearance of the Bears here this season and they left a lasting memory as they copped their second series at Royal Athletic Park.
Sixth in the W.I.L. standings only because of their early-season slump and no pitching depth to go with their powerful batting order they have assembled, the Bears, who had eight righthanded hitters in their batting order, practically ruined the earned-run averages of two Victoria southpaws.
LORINO VICTIM
Ben Lorino, who started seeking his 20th victory and took his sixth setback instead, and Carl Gunnarson, were the unfortunates. Lorino was tagged for 12 hits and 11 runs in five innings and Gunnarson was charged with 14 runs as the Bears crashed out 15 hits in his four-inning stint.
Although Bobby Shantz might have had trouble with the Bears last night, it’s only fair to point out Lorino didn’t have the best of luck. He picked a runner off first base in the first inning but no one covered first base in the ensuing rundown and the runner got back safely. Two runs resulted from that lack of alertness, which might have been charged to Lorino.
STARTED PARADE
Then in the fifth with the score only 5-3 against him, Lorino saw two routine fly balls fall for doubles when they were lost in the lights, a badly-hit roller for an infield hit and John Treece drops a fly ball as the first four Bears reached base.
Then the parade started. It was 11-3 when the fifth was over and a discouraged Lorino mercifully went in for an early shower. But Gunnarson had to stay to the bitter end, giving up three runs in the sixth and seventh innings, six in the eighth and another pair in the ninth as the Bears ran the legs off an overworked Victoria outfield trio.
THE TALLY
When a harried scorekeeper finally balanced his scorebook, he found:
That the Bears had made 27 hits good for 42 bases—four hits and 19 bases short of the league records.
That first-baseman Len Noren missed a league record by two by batting in seven runs with three doubles and three singles.
That shortstop Ernie Schuerman had a perfect night at bat with three doubles, three singles and a walk in seven trips and had scored six runs.
That Schuerman and Noren had tied a league record with three doubles in one game.
That every man who started for the Bears had made two or more hits and bated in at least one run and that all but catcher Mike Donohue had scored two or more runs.
That outfielder John Albini, who likes to hit at Royal Athletic Park, had batted in five runs with his third and fourth home runs here.
INDIANS, CAPS GAIN
The trouncing cost the Tyees a game to each of their two closest pursuers as both Spokane Indians and Vancouver Capilanos won. However, the W.I.L. leaders have a great chance to make up ground in the ensuing three days.
Tonight, the trailing and injury-riddled Wenatchee Chiefs move in for five games in three days, starting with a double-header. Jehosie Heard and Bill Bottler will pitch for the Tyees tonight.
Yakima ..... 202 163 382—25 27 0
Victoria .... 002 100 100— 4 8 2
Thompson and Donahue; Lorino, Gunnarson (6) and Martin, Bottler (7).
LP-Lorino.

SALEM, Aug. 6—Spokane made it two in a row over Salem here Wednesday night, defeating the Senators 5-2 in a Western International League game.
Spokane opened the scoring in the third when Mel Wasley doubled following a Salem error. In the fourth, George Huffman drove in another run following Ed Murphy's
single.
Two walks, an error and Sam Kanelos' double finished Spokane's scoring. Walks helped Salem score its two runs.
Frank Chase, the winning pitcher, spaced eight hits.
Spokane ... 001 102 000—5 12 0
Salem ...... 001 100 000—2 8 2
Chase and Sheets; Edmunds, Francis (8) and Nelson.
LP—Edmunds.

VANCOUVER [News-Herald, Aug. 7]—The Capilanos won their third ball game in a row at the Stadium 9-8, and another one of those hair-raising ninth inning situations made it a mighty interesting evening.
However, there are more important things than little rallies, going on in these games. Perhaps un-noticed by fans and maybe players alike, is a battle for the 1952 WIL batting crown which is reaching tense proportions,
At present the interested figures are John Ritchey, Spokane’s Mel Wasley and Wenatchee’s Walter Pocekay. John is the defending the title he won in ’51 by leading the pack again with a .344 mark. Wasley is a step back at .341 and Pocekay is in third at .338.
All of them are making noises as if they don’t intend to give up this fight without a battle. During this three-game series, Pocekay has gone bat crazy, amassing seven hits in 12 trops to move in on his competitors. Ritchey, out with an injury for the first two games, came back last night with two-for-four and his pinch-single Tuesday gave him three-for-five on the set.
It is a most interesting situation and could get even more so before it comes up for settlement on September 14, the WIL’s closing day.
Pocekay, for instance, was a pain in the neck to the Caps all night Wednesday, his three-for-five accounting for three Chiefs runs. He drove in two and scored on and his ninth-inning single helped along a rally when the Chiefs drove from 9-5 to 9-8 and had the tying and winning runs on base.
Vanni had to use all of his strategy in this inning when Wenatchee chased across its three runs and loaded the bases with two out. John Guldborg left in favor of Billy Whyte, and when Bill got Laurie Monroe, a left batter, Vanni waved to the bullpen and got Ed Locke in there to pitch to Wenatchee’s right-handed power. It worked when Buddy Hjelmaa flied out, but it was close.
Neither club had much trouble getting basehits. Wenatchee had 14, the Caps 11 but Vancouver once more found themselves scoring without the slightest bit of trouble. Gordie Brunswick was a demon in this department, his four hits accounting for three rbi’s.
DIAMOND DUST—The smallest night crowd of the year saw this one, only 1025 … It should be different tonight.
- - -
VANCOUVER, B. C., Aug. 6— The Vancouver Capilanos survived a shaky ninth inning Wednesday night to take a 9-8 Western International Baseball league victory from the Wenatchee Chiefs.
The Chiefs scored three runs in the ninth to come within a run of the Caps, and when the last out was registered, Wenatchee had the bases loaded.
In winning, Vancouver swept the three-game series. The Caps play host to Yakima starting Thursday night while the Chiefs will try their luck against Victoria.
Wenatchee got its ninth-inning runs on singles by Walt Pocekay, Lyle Palmer and Ben Guerrero, two bases on balls and a Vancouver error.
Longest blow of the game was a triple by Len Tran. Pocekay, the Wenachee catcher, hit three for five, including two doubles.
Credit for the win went to Bud Guldborg, who was yanked in the ninth. Ed Kapp was the loser.
Wenatchee ...... 200 020 013—8 14 3
Vancouver ...... 203 012 10x—9 11 1
Kapp, Stites (4) and Pocekay; Guldberg, Whyte (9) Locke (9) and Ritchey.
WP-Guldborg. LP-Kapp.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 7]—A double by Ray Hamrick and single by Don Lopes brought in the winning and tying runs to give the Braves a 4-3 victory over Lewiston Wednesday night in a last-of-the-ninth thriller.
Tonight Ralph Romero will take to the mound at 8 p.m. for the Braves when they seek their second win of the series.
Wednesday night the Braves were one run behind going into the bottom of the ninth. The first bater up, George Lewis, struck out. But Vic Buccola, who played first base despite his neck-injury, got on on a single. Then Hamrick, who was hltless in his four previous times at bat, stepped-up and hit the ball down the right field base line.
Buccola easily, made it to third and kept right on for home when Charlie Gassaway, who was coaching third, saw that Lewiston shortstop Milt Smith was going to pause on the relay in.
Buccola came home standing up. Hamrick holed up at second.
The next batter, Don Lopes, stepped up and hit out a single down the third base line to bring Hamrick in with the winning run. It was Lopes' third hit of the evening in his four times at bat.
There were a total of seven errors in the game and Tri-City bobbles played a part in two of Lewiston's scores.
The Broncs got their first run when Charlie Meade walked. Arty Wilson attempted to sacrifice. Pitcher Bob Greenwood scooped it up and made a wild throw to second. Mead went to third. Bob Lundberg was intentionally walked to fill the bases.
Mead scored when pitcher Sal DeGeorge hit a ground ball down to Buccola who saw it was too late to catch the runner coming in for home.
The Broncs second run came in when Wilson singled, and moved to second when Des Charouhas in center field fumbled while trying to get at the ball. Wilson attempted to steal third and George Lewis' throw was wild. Wilson then came on home.
The Broncs got their last run in the top of the ninth on a double by Milt Smith who moved to second when Snag Moore grounded out. Smith scored after the catch of Jake Helmutn's long fly ball to center field.
Tri-City got their earlier two runs in the fifth and eighth frames. In the fifth, Lewis doubled off the right field wall, He moved to second on Buccola's single and scored after the catch of Hamrick's long fly to left field.
The Braves picked up their other run when Lopes singled and moved to second on John Kovenz' sacrifice bunt. Lopes then took a long leadoff until he tempted DeGeorge into making a play for him. DeGeorge did. The throw was wild and went out to center field. Lopes moved to third. He scored after the catch of Charouhas' fly to right field.
Greenwood gave up six hits. He struck out eight. Greenwood got his usual double in the third inning but the next three batters were unable to bring him in.
Tri-City got eight hits off DeGeorge, three of them in the winning inning.
Robert Able [sic], president of the Western International League, attended the Tri-City-Lewiston game Wednesday night. Abel was in the Tri-City area to investigate the Dick Richards-Larry Monroe fight of a few weeks ago. Abel laid he had received eight
reports and win make his decision soon.
Lewiston ...... 000 101 001—3 6 3
Tri-City ....... 000 010 102—4 8 4
DeGeorge and Lundberg; Greenwood and Lewis.

BOB BROWN’S BRAIN CHILD
Tyee-Cap Playoff?
By KEITH MATTHEWS [News-Herald, Aug. 7, 1952]
Bob Brown is dreaming up a BC Championship baseball series involving his Capilanos and the Victoria Tyees as a post-season plumb for baseball followers.
With no playoff in the Western International League this season [] with the present [] ing its final stages []over September 14), []the weather will [] good enough to add another week’s baseball onto the schedule if it’s done right away.
“What would be better,” he questioned, “than a series between Victoria and Vancouver for the championship of British Columbia?”
The thought is still in its []nt stages, but there is little doubt that Bob will go ahead with the plan and try to persuade the Tyees to play. And if he goes about it in his usual shrewd manner, then Bob stands a very good chance of realizing his goal.
For one thing, Victoria owes Mr. Brown and the Caps a large-sized favor. It was Vancouver who agreed to allow Victoria to take home the entire proceeds of a 4500 gate in Victoria recently, to help the Islanders defray some overdue debts.
Too, Reg Patterson, the Victoria general manager, has looked to Brown, a great deal in the past for advice. Reg just got himself started as a front office executive in baseball a few years back, and several times, Bob has advised him to change paths and thereby save Reg a lot of embarrassment and a little money.
It all adds up, therefore, that when and if Brown and Patterson start negotiating for the series, it’s [sic] chances are hopeful.
“The players would get almost all the proceeds,” Bob explained. “We would start the series on Monday, September 15 in Victoria and open there with three games. Then come back here for three with the remainder, if necessary, going to the Island. It would likely be a four-out-of-seven affair.”
While he was on the subject of discussing the future Bob said he hopes to renew his efforts to coax Calgary and Edmonton into the league for the 1953 season.
“More than ever before, I feel we must have both these clubs in our league. Even if we had to go to 10 teams to admit them, I believe we should make that stipulation. Our attendance would increase by leaps and bounds, just as hockey’s has since they brought in prairie interests.”
Brown intends to bring up the matter of Calgary and Edmonton at a forthcoming WIL meeting and this time, he promises, he’s going to press the issue until every other franchise holder is sold on its advantages. At this meeting, it is felt, the troublesome Wenatchee franchise will be thoroughly investigated, and it would surprise nobody if the Chiefs moved their lot into Tacoma for the 1953 season.

Sports Notes
By Gil Gilmour
[Tri-City Herald, Aug. 7, 1952]

Dick Richards, general manager of the Tri-City Braves, is making noises like a man who plans to leave town. He says attendance totals are so poor at Sanders Field that everyone is losing money and the club can't continue to operate for long that way.
Richards hasn't said exactly what he has in mind but he has asserted that "something's going to happen" and "you can draw your own conclusions."
The baseball season's end is still a month away but more and more players are talking about what they will do when the season is over. Charlie Gassaway, whose managerial troubles have turned a few more of his hairs grey, says he is planning about a month's vacation.
Nick Pesut, the Braves' battered catcher, is looking for some volunteer labor. It seems Nick wants to get the inside of his Sacramento home painted and he wants a couple of congenial ball players to assist with the job. So far, he hasn't been able to snooker and idle players into the project. He says no wages go with the job—"I'll fill yer belly and that's good enough."
When it comes to getting hurt in baseball, the catcher is in the toughest spot. A few days. ago. Nick was bashed in the face with a foul-ball while in the on-deck circle but that could happen to any player.
Now Nick has a "split" which is an occupational hazard confined almost exclusively to catchers. A split is caused by a ball hitting one finger and bending it back until the web between it and the next finger splits open.
Nick's most recent one is a rough looking thing that required three stiches. The tips of two fingers are curled and the whole hand is swollen.

Tuesday, August 5, 1952

2008-02-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

W L Pct. GB
Victoria .... 71 35 .670 —
Spokane ..... 61 49 .555 12
Vancouver ... 53 48 .523 15½
Salem ....... 52 54 .491 19
Lewiston .... 52 56 .481 20
Yakima ...... 49 61 .445 24
Tri-City .... 45 61 .425 26
Wenatchee ... 44 63 .411 28½

VICTORIA [Colonist, Aug. 6]—LeRoy Han was credited with his first victory in professional baseball last night at Royal Athletic Park but the 18-year-old former high school star from Vancouver, Wash., will undoubtedly hope that win No. 2 will come a lot easier.
Han went the full nine innings to even his season’s record at 1-1 but the complete game was entered in his personal record only because the Tyees had one of their night nights at the plate and Cec Garriott, no doubt thinking of the six games yet to be played this week, exercised unusual restraint.
The Tyees scoring 12 runs in a wild fourth inning, finally came out on top, 17-13, to end their “losing streak” at two games and square the series with the Yakima Bears at 1-1.
ONE MISTAKE
Han’s pitching, however, was much better than the score indicates. The big youngster sailed along smoothly with a five-hitter for the first seven innings and only one serious mistake—a pitch which Jerry Zuvela hit out of the park with a teammate aboard in the third inning. Han showed a good fast ball and curve and should only improve steadily as he gains experience.
Bothered somewhat by a blister on his pitching hand and obviously tiring, he was blasted hard in the final two innings as the Bears lashed out for eight hits and nine runs and made things slightly uncomfortable. It might have been much closer had no Dario Lodigiani, apparently giving up on the game, taken considerable of his punch out of his line-up by substituting for Zuvela, second-baseman Chuck Malmberg and himself in the middle of the game.
BIG INNING
Trailing 4-2, the Tyees really erupted in the fourth as they sent 17 men to the plate, 10 of them before the Bears could make the first out.
Granny Gladstone opened by drawing a base on balls off pitcher Tom DelSarto. Milt Martin singled him to second and when Han laid down a perfect bunt, which went for a hit and loaded the bags, the parade was on.
Jim Clark walked to force in a run. Duane Helbig, who was to wind up the scoring with a three-run homer, singled in a second. Bob Moniz was hit by a pitched ball to force in a third. Garriott, who hit his 14th home run with Moniz on the bags in the first, singled in two more and that hit brought on Bob Garrett for DelSarto.
WASN’T OVER
John Treece greeted Garrett with a double and Chuck Abernathy followed with a single. Up for the second time, Gladstone flew out and Martin struck out, but it wasn’t over. Han walked, Clark singled and Helbig hit for four.
It looked safe by the three unearned runs the Tyees scored in the eighth, when the Yakima infield booted three times, loomed increasingly big as the Bears came up with their late rallies.
Yakima .... 012 100 054-13 13 5
Victoria .. 200 (12)00 03x-17 15 1
DelSarto, Garrett (4) and Donahue; Han and Martin.

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, News-Herald, Aug. 6]—The “patchwork quilt” Wenatchee calls a ball club received another kick in the face Tuesday at Cap Stadium when shortstop Ernie Valasquez fractured his leg trying to complete a double play.
And so it has gone since the start of the season for the Chiefs. It’s been one injury after another for them; the fans in their hometown are staying away in such huge numbers that’s almost a certainty the franchise will have to be shifted next year-
The latest in this sequel of hard luck stories, this concerning Valasquez, found the little shortstop taking a flip from his keystone partner Lyle Palmer for the first double play. They had Len Tran, barrelling in from first, dead to rights but Len played out the string as he should and tried to break up the twin killing.
He broke it up with a rolling block, catcher Valasquez as the little fellow was pivoting in the air for his throw to first.
The game was held up for five minutes while doctors came out of the stand and examined the youngster. Then they removed him on a stretcher and took him into St. Paul’s Hospital where it was found that his left leg was broken in two places, one third below the knee.
At the time the Caps led 2-1, then they saw their lead diminish and positively fade away as the Chiefs, with pitchers playing the outfield, and outfielders playing the infield, fought back and led 4-2.
It couldn’t last, however, as Vancouver scored two in the seventh, then won a ninth-inning battle of inside strategy for the 5-4 verdict.
It was here that Bob Snyder was walked and Edo Vanni’s grounder was kicked away by Bill Stites, a pitcher forced to play second base. Then Jesse Williams was purposely passed, but Vanni countered this acute bit of thinking by putting in John Ritchey to hit for Ed Locke. Ritchey singled, and that was the ball game. The same clubs play the last game in the series tonight at 8:15 with John Gulborg (11-8) going for Vancouver.
[Locke had a triple and two doubles for Vancouver while Walt Pocekay smacked a double and three singles for Wenatchee].
Wenatchee ... 100 201 000—4 9 2
Vancouver ... 110 000 201—5 8 0
Monroe and Pocekay: Fletcher, Snyder (6) and Duretto.

SALEM, Aug. 5 — Spokane batters, who had scored three runs in the fifth inning, exploded for six more in the sixth to defeat Salem in a Western International League baseball game, 9-6, here Tuesday night.
The first three Spokane runs came on two walks, and base hits by Bill Sheets, Wilbur Johnson and Sam Kanelos.
Two errors, a hit batter, a walk and five base hits gave Spokane six more. Connecting for the hits were George Huffman, Ed Bouchee, Sheets, Johnson and Dick Bishop.
Spokane .... 000 036 000—9 10 1
Salem ...... 011 120 001—6 10 4
Bishop and Sheets; McNulty, Hemphill (6) and Nelson.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Aug. 6]—The injury-riddled Tri-City Braves will take to the field tonight against Lewiston—short one more player than they were Tuesday night when they took a 17-4 shellacking.
Bob Greenwood, the Braves' leading pitcher, will be on the mound tonight.
But who will take to first base is the problem. Vic Buccola is laid up with a stiff neck. Bob Rittenberg,who used a fielder's glove while playing first Tuesday night,
left for Wichita, Kans., after the [unreadable line]son of Portland were purchased by the Wichita Indians.
Other Braves who are sick or injured although some are still playing include: Nick Pesut, catcher, who has a bad split on his throwing hand; John Kovenz, injured a[unreadable]e; Tommy Marier, flu; and pitcher George New, flu.
There were a couple of bright spots for the Braves in Tuesday night's slugfest.
George Lewis, the young catcher who is filling in for Pesut got three hits for four times at bat in his debut at Sanders Field.
Defensively, he snagged a difficult pop fly off the screen. On another occasion two Lewiston runners wound up on third. Lewis pursued one of them almost to second base and then threw to Don Lopes who tagged the Bronc out.
Lopes, whose hitting has increased steadily in recent weeks, got three clean singles for three times at bat.
But the absence of Buccola was felt in the first inning of the game.
Milt Smith, the Lewiston shortstop, knocked out a triple. Then Snag Moore hit a grounder to pitcher Dave Brittain. Brittain scooped it up but his throw to first was wild.
Smith came all the way around to score and Moore pulled up at second. Brittain's wild throw was one that Vic Buccola would have snagged had he been in the game.
Tri-City's second of five errrors came when the next man up, Jake Helmuth, hit a ground ball between [unreadable] Don Lopes' ankles. Moore came home on the error.
Lewiston continued to pile up runs in the second inning when Bill Brenner caught hold of Brittain's inside pitch and knocked the ball over the fence for the first of three Lewiston home runs. They picked up-two. more runs that inning when Smith was hit by a pitched ball, Moore doubled, and Gabby Williams walked.
Charlie Mead then hit a high pop fly back of second base. Lopes and Ray Hamrick moved over under it but neither player knew who was going to take it. The result: Hamrick made a last-minute stab but it was too late and he was charged with the error. Meanwhile, two more runs came in.
Tri-City was still in the ball game up to that point. They picked up two runs in the second on Marier's home and hits by Lewis and Lopes. They got another pair of runs in the next inning when Des Charouhas doubled and was driven in by Lewis' single. Lopes singled sending Lewis to second and the catcher scored on Brittain's single.
But fro[unreadable] on Lewiston steadily pulled away from the Braves. They scored in the fourth when [unreadable]d, went to second on a wild pitch, and came home on
Meade's single.
A homer by Glen Tuckett added another run in the fifth. Another homer, this one by Jake Helmuth, with Moore on base, accounted for two runs in the sixth.
The Broncs added their insulting blows with five runs in the seventh.
John Kovenz dropped a fly in left field to put Tuckett on base; Lundberg singled sending him to second. Larry Powell, who relieved [unreadable] laid down a bunt.
Ad Satalich, who had relieved Brittain, picked it up and threw wild at third allowing Tuckett and Lundberg to score. A single by Smith again put two men on base and another single by Moore drove Powell home.
The inning ended after Gabby Williams got a double to bring in Moore.
The final tallied came in the ninth when two Lewiston men walked and Smith doubled to bring in three runs.
Lewiston ... 230 312 503—17 16 1
Tri-City ... 032 000 000— 4 13 5
Brenner, Powell (3) and Lundberg; Brittain, Satalich (6), Kostenbader (5) and Lewis.

Lopes' Secret Is Out
[Tri-City Herald, August 6, 1952]
Have you bad trouble hitting lately? Can't you keep your eye on the ball? Well, brother, you are too late. Doc Bob Rittenberg has left to..
Rittenbarg is the guy who took a bad case of a .210 hitter—Don Lopes to be exact—and now Don is hitting the old ball. What's tht secret—eye exercises.
It came about this way:
Rittenberg, who isn't much of a hitter himself, went to an eye specialist to have his vision checked. The doc told him either to wear glasses or take some eye exercises. Rittenberg preferred eye exercises.
About this time Lopes came loping by and since he was having trouble himself, he quickly took advantage of the eye exercise advice. Whether the two players split Rittenberg's bill or if Don just got a free ride hasn't been determined.
It any case, Lopes began to hit the ball. He has steadily increased in recent days and last night he got three for three. He drew walks the other two trips to the plate which show he has got the old eye on the ball.
But if you are having trouble seeing, you are out of luck. Rittenberg has left for Wichita where he will play in the Western League—and he has taken his eye advice with him.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang
[from Victoria Colonist, Aug. 6, 1952]

It’s not quite true that the Victoria Tyees haven’t been supported by their home-town fans this season. After all, official W.I.L. attendance figures through June disclosed that Victoria was leading the league. And, although the club will probably finish behind Vancouver and, perhaps, Spokane at the gate, Victoria will be far ahead of both of them on a comparative basis.
Then, too, it seems certain that the claim that there has been a lack of support is refuted by the attendance figures which disclose that the Tyees have already outdrawn the 1951 Athletics and have 25 games left in which is add to the difference. The average attendance per game, and this counts in two doubleheaders, is 1,546—more than the 1,500 minimum usually sought for clubs in this classification. It is doubtful if six of the 32 teams playing Class “A” baseball will be able to match Victoria’s attendance figures and it’s a fact some Class “AAA” clubs would be glad to get Victoria attendance.
However, the foregoing evidence on behalf of Victoria baseball fans is a little illusory.
No club could remain in Class “A” baseball long on an independent basis with the 1951 Victoria attendance, the main reason the club is still having trouble financially.
Tremendously increased operating costs have not been met with a corresponding increase in admission prices and an average attendance of 1,500 is no longer enough to break even unless every league city reaches the figure. Only three W.I.L. clubs have a chance to average 1,500 this season and road trips are costing the Tyees money.
Lagging attendance in other cities is no excuse for insufficient support in Victoria, where there are far less competing attractions and climate and park site are ideal. It must be remembered, too, that only one club in eight is a winner and Victoria is in the select 12½ per cent.
The blunt fact is that Victorians, as club officials feel, are not giving the Tyees the support to which they are entitled. The Tyees are probably the most entertaining club the W.I.L. has had in its seven post-war seasons. It may not be the best club, or the best Victoria club, but it plays the best baseball—running, alert percentage baseball that has blended good speed, fine defence ability and consistent, if not sensational hitting into a winning team that has been on top all but a few days of the season.
And blunt, too, is the fact that unless attendance picks up things are going to be almost as tough as they were last winter. This is uour club. It is a winner, it has been well managed in the business office and on the field and it is community owned and a community asset. Where, oh were, are you fellows—you griping, ridiculing fellows who hollered for so long that you wanted this kind of a team before you lent your support? Still staying at home?

WILFan note: the microfilm reel isn't entirely readable for the story below. Those portions are in ( ) and generally consist of five or fewer words. But you can probably get the gist of the column.

The Sports Herald
Keith Matthews
[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 6, 1952]
Comparing The Hitters…

John Ritchey has already won one WIL batting championship, and appears to be well on his way to a second. Everywhere he performs, you hear the question asked about the young man from San Diego: is his a good hitter or is WIL pitching just to his liking?
Bob Brown, with his background of 52 years in the game ( ) sat back and analyzed ( ) thoroughly. ( ) that in order to be ( ) break up his 52 years into three classifications. ( ) that they were: (1) ( ) the old Northwest League ( ) the semi-pro league ( ) existed here before and ( ) war, and (3) the modern age, which he called the present day classification.
“I have run into many outstanding hitters during the Northwest League days,” Bob ( ). “It seemed that everyone I sent up from our circuit to the big leagues was a pitcher. There was Dutch Reuther, Vean Gregg—well, I’ve been over the list many time before for you.
“The best hitting, I guess, was Dode Brinker. He was a big fellow, worse a size 13 shoe, I believe. But he could move and he could hit that baseball!”
“Dode used to bat from a crouch, and that proved to be his undoing in the big leagues. You know, they still believe up there that a stand-up hitter is the only thing, and no matter how many Musials, Jolleys and Ruths come along to disprove it, they still believe a crouch hitter is a freak.
Dode Was A Capable Lug…
“When Brinker first went to the White Sox, they tried to make him stand up. He couldn’t hit the side of a barn, and he came back to me.
“( ) than a year, Dode ( ) crouch was breaking down the fences again. He hit the longest singles I ever saw in my life—400 feet on the fly and he’d beat the ball by sliding into first base!
The Philadelphia Nationals gave him a chance but they made him stand up, too. He never could hit that way and that’s why he ended up playing for me for 11 years. If they’d left him along in his crouch, they might have been raving about his feats, yet.”
How did he compare with Ritchey, though?
“John is a natural-born hitter,” Brown enthused. “He has the best pair of eyes I’ve ever seen in baseball, bar none. He is a hitter who will attract attention of the big league scouts because of his stand-up style. I believe he’ll go father than Brinker, so I guess you must say he’s the better of the two.
That brought Bob around to his semi-pro days at old Athletic Park. To most people, this was but an amateur league lost in the glamour of the “big show” and the Coast League. To those who were closely acquainted with Bob’s semi-pro baby, it was a powerful Class B league, at least.
“Ray Orteig was the best hitter to come out of the bunch,” Bob figured. He had powerful wrists and he didn’t have to have a particularly good eye. He could hit the bad ball just as far as most batters hit “their pitch.”
“There were a lot of good hitters in that league then,” Bob reminded us. “That semi-pro rating doesn’t take a thing away from some of the fellows who played then.”
John Could Go All The Way…
“Dario Lodigiani was a very fine hitter. I rate him just a notch belong Orteig. Maybe if I thought about it longer, I’d hand Lodi my vote, but ( ) has proven himself ( ).
Now, it came down to what Bob called “the modern age.” ( ) of course, John Ritchey ( ) the man, He won Bob’s ( ) over a powerful field of competitors. Such as Smead Jolley, Archie Wilson, Jack ( ) Gil McDougald and Clarence Maddern.
“Ritchey is a hitter without a weakness. That is not to say he doesn’t make mistakes, but I sincerely believe John has no ( ):
“Possibly, Johnny takes too many pitches. Every hitter has what we call a ‘hitting zone.’ ( ) though a ball may be ( ) a little outside or inside that zone, as long as ( ) a plane with their ( ) they should go after it. John has such good eyes that if the ball is a hair outside the plate he won’t flick a muscle. I believe if he went after some of those balls, he’d get even more hits than he does now. Goodness gracious, what would the pitchers say then?
“We have had an unusual amount of scouts visit our park this year and I’ve asked the same question of every one of them. How about Ritchey as a hitter?
“Without exception, they’ve all looked at me and grinned. ‘Bob,’ they say, ‘the boy is one in a million!’
Two or three clubs have made overtures on Johnny already. The number is increasing by day, and each time John gets another hit, the price goes up a bit. By the time the season ends, we’ll have a nice sale on Ritchey, then you’ll realize what an impression he’s made with his bat.”
It was figured long ago that Ritchey should have been in the Coast League this year. More than ever, now, we felt certain that this would be his destiny in 1953.