WIL Baseball — 1947

Caps’ Post-Mortem

2008-09-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, Sept. 13, 1947]
Just one more column for the year, the boss said. We must say goodbye to our readers (the boss must have meant friend Percy.)
Well, Percy, you should be happy that the Caps won that pennant for us. Yeah, it was a long struggle, but did you see those attendance figures? 117,000 for Cap Stadium. What a year we would have had in that new ball park, eh, Perc?
But I’ll tell you something, pal. Some guys are never happy. The boss received a letter from a fan the other day who was just overwhelmed about the Capilano triumph. He sarcastically wrote that we did it by .001 of a percentage point. Hard to please ‘em all I guess, huh, P.?
They gave us quite a build up in Victoria, too, Percy. Said we backed into the pennant. You know, everytime they come up with something like that I think they are aiming at me. They love me in Victoria you know, Perc.
They have a guy in Victoria named Pete Saltaway, or something. He’s a sports writer, I think. He’s been having fun kicking the Caps and me around all year. Wonder what he’s thinking now?
Then another gent from Victoria accuses us of belittling those Athletics over there. He says we must have been born in a telephone booth, Percy, and you know that’s not true.
Why, I could think of many nice things to say about Victoria. Remember, Perc, they won the pennant for us. Good fellows on that Island, but I hear they are going to fire their manager, Ted Norbert. They certainly don’t get along like you and I, eh, Percy?
Let me tell you something else, pal. There’s going to be a fair ball club representing this city next season. Len Tran and Buddy Hjelmaa will be back for another year, probably their last before they hit triple-A.
Bill Reese is destined for that first sack again and Bill Brenner will be No. 1 man behind the bat again. That’s the start of a pretty fair infield.
The outfield may be a little weak. Right now it’s just a guess. Paul Carpenter, at 31, figures he’s nearing the end of the line. But if he thinks he has a chance to become a manager someday he’ll fill that centre field spot for us.
We don’t know about Charley Mead. He had a terrific year, Percy, and we just don’t know. I’ll tell you this much, there [unreadable line].
Pitching may be a little weak, too. Jim Hedgecock will be sold to Seattle. That’s for sure, Percy. Bob Hall and Bob Snyder should catch on with the Rainiers and Carl Gunnarson may either be drafted or bought next spring.
But watch out for this Orrin Snyder, Perc. They say the kid is dynamite. He’s Bob’s younger brother, you know. But the kid is a first baseman, and he can play shortstop or the outfield, too. Down in the West Texas league the kid hit 25 homes and had a .317 batting average.
There will be deals, of course. The old master, Bob Brown, will look after that. And, say, Percy, that Bill Brenner proved himself quite a canny operator for such a young squirt, didn’t he?
The Rainiers wil1 send some help, too. Sometimes, I’ll admit they need a little jab to wake them up. But they usually get around to giving us a hand before the season ends.
Here’s another thing you can mark down, P. We’ll have a new league president next season. All the club owners have a little mad on at Bob Abel, the present boss.
They didn’t like Abel’s schedule of 154 games, which was crowded into a telephone booth (the same one I was born in.) His schedule should have been two weeks longer for the 154 games. His decisions always made someone sore, and after all it’s the club owners who will decide their leader this winter.
My guess, if you want it Percy, is that they’ll hire a full-duty gent and keep him on the job all season. They’ll have to pay the guy about $5000, but it’ll be worth it. Don’t be surprised, either, if the schedule goes back to the old 145 games.
One thing more, Percy. When New Year’s comes around, let’s make a resolution not to cast dirty adjectives at Victoria any more.

Post Season News

2007-06-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

Portland Buys Salem players
PORTLAND, Sept. 8 — Three members of the Salem Senators of the Western International Baseball League have been bought by the parent Portland Beaver Club of the Pacific Coast League and six others on option have been recalled.
George Emigh, business manager for the Senators, said catcher Bill Beard, outfielder Eddie Barr and shortstop Bud Peterson were purchased and will report to the Beaver Club tomorrow.

WI League Attendance Just Short of Million
TACOMA, Sept. 9 —President Robert B. Abel of the Western International baseball league, reported Tuesday that paid attendance fell just short of the 1,000,000 mark this year.
He said the eight teams drew 981,083 patrons, compared to some 800,000 last year. Spokane led with 270,752, more than double second place Victoria's 130,332. Vancouver, B. C., drew 117,098 and Tacoma was fourth with 113,783.
Other attendance figures were Salem 102,889; Yakima 87,237: Bremerton 86,496 and Wenatchee 72,496.

W.I. All Star Team Chosen

2007-06-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

TACOMA, Sept. 7 —Spokane's second-place Indians landed four positions to dominate the Western International league all-star team picked by official scorers and announced here by Robert B. Abel, president of the circuit.
Tribe players named were pitcher Bob Costello, Shortstop Buddy Hicks, Third Baseman Bob Morgan and First Baseman Herb Gorman, the latter sharing honorary occupancy of the initial sack with Victoria's Jack Harshman when they wound up tied in the balloting.
Tacoma's Earl Kuper, the league's leading hitter, gained the catching berth, Art Lilly of Yakima was picked at second base; Frank Mullens of Vancouver, Ed Murphy of Bremerton and Bill White of Victoria were the outfield selections; and Wandell Mosser of Salem was chosen as the team's left-handed pitcher.
Bob Hedington and Glen Stetter of Tacoma were named utility infielder and outfielder, respectively, while Jack Wilson of Salem was the scorers' pick for the managerial post.
Costello's selection was the nearest thing to an unanimous choice, the big Spokane right-hander receiving seven out of eight votes, while Kuper and Mossor were the next most popular picks, each getting six votes.

Final Standings and Stats for 1947

2007-06-24T05:01:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
              W L Pct. GB
Vancouver .. 86 66 .566 --
Spokane .... 87 67 .565 --
Bremerton .. 86 68 .558 1
Salem ...... 80 68 .541 4
Victoria ... 80 72 .526 6
Tacoma ..... 72 81 .471 14½
Wenatchee .. 59 92 .391 26½
Yakima ..... 59 95 .383 28

INDIVIDUAL BATTING
Player              G AB R   H 2B 3B HR SB RBI Ave.
Kuper, Tac.       114 378 83 143 28 14 9 2 96 .389
Mastro, Vic.      119 446 116 168 35 8 17 24 103 .377
Mead, Van.        150 572 118 202 33 4 25 10 133 .353
Williams, Wen.    150 555 130 196 46 8 19 15 116 .353
Gorman, Spo.      145 574 112 202 45 7 12 6 139 .352
Stetter, Tac.     117 446 82 156 40 4 5 2 78 .350
Hooper, Vic.      135 491 119 171 27 12 15 19 84 .348
Carpenter, Van.    41 138 37 48 12 1  3 5  39 .348
Garaghty, Spo.     31 92  24 32  2  2 0 1 13 .348
Hedington, Tac.   145 584 114 198 39 16 14 4 115 .339
Clift, Yak.        72 169 54 57 14 1 7 4 36 .337
Phillips, Spo.     84 301 53 101 19 5 11 10 63 .336
Hicks, Spo.       146 574 114 192 29 13 5 6 101 .334
Mohr, Van.        147 642 139 211 25 6 7 38 63 .333
Brenner, Van.      82 229 33 76 14 0 12 0 49 .332
Constantino, Yak. 54 155 22 51 4 1 2 1 23 .329
Goldsberry, Yak. 117 439 99 144 33 7 6 15 97 .328
Mullens, Van.     146 572 124 186 23 5 33 37 135 .325
Kubiak, Sal.      144 536 98 174 19 4 1 23 80 .325
Tedeschi, Tac.    148 591 133 191 25 16 14 24 79 .323
Barr, Wen.-Sal.   129 460 95 148 27 9 11 19 103 .322
Beard, Sal.       132 433 66 139 20 6 5 8 87 .321
Beringhele, Yak.   79 298 50 95 13 3 0 4 51 .319
Clough, Tac.       58 151 29 48 11 1 6 0 26 .318
Wilson, Sal.       23 22   2   7 2 0 0 0   5 .318
Kramer, Spo.       21 60   4 19 4 0 0 0   9 .317
Wasley, Wen.      137 544 59 170 38 6 9 11 105 .313
Greco, Tac.       133 447 73 140 25 6 21 0 102 .313
White, Vic.       151 666 112 207 47 6 18 7 118 .312
Murphy, Bre.      154 590 105 184 30 5 15 51 109 .312
Dalrymple, Wen.    77 242 42 75 11 1 5 1 44 .310
B. Jensen, Vic.   151 580 101 178 38 15 11 10 129 .307
Maul, Brem.       148 564 99 173 27 11 10 9 84 .307
Harshman, Vic.    152 484 134 179 31 10 36 16 142 .306
Ahearn, Bre.       39 72 13 22 2 2 1 0 12 .306
Moore, Yak.-Sal. 138 479 83 146 29 5 9 3 81 .305
Andrade, Wen.     121 446 80 136 30 5 14 10 91 .305
Greenhalgh, Wen. 108 433 101 32 27 9 8 19 53 .305
Hjelmaa, Van.     140 564 107 174 26 5 5 8 75 .303
Volpi, Bre.       120 393 48 118 11 2 6 1 75 .300
L. Tran, Van.     147 531 91 157 33 5 7 18 87 .296
Donnan, Spo.      123 470 75 138 27 9 8 2 69 .294
Paton, Tac.       113 417 67 122 17 3 10 1 72 .293
Miller, Tac.      119 493  84 144 20 3 4 7 52 .292
Donovan, Tac.     115 408 64 119 22 5 11 8 53 .292
Morgan, Spo.      149 535 116 155 32 18 6 16 100 .290
Peterson, Yak.    142 492 80 142 21 2 3 6 79 .289
Gilson, Tac.       44 52 11 15 2 1 0 0   5 .288
Rose, Wen.         26 49   8 14 7 0 1 0   6 .286
Simon, Yak.        66 144  33 41 7 1 0 1 22 .285
Estes, Van.-Wen.  139 545 96 155 26 3 9 7 82 .284
Frost, Wen.        56 92 19 26 7 0 4 0 20 .283
Stumpf, Van.      117 380 31 107 10 2 5 1 59 .282
Harris, Yak.      126 424 89 119 25 2 13 7 77 .281
Bushong, Bre.     149 564 102 157 16 2 0 8 46 .278
Estrada, Van.-Br. 111 431 60 120 16 2 3 7 48 .278
Hall, Van.         36 83 13 23 8 3 2 0 21 .277
Nunes, Sal.       141 544 96 149 ? ? 6 12 68 .275
McCormack, Spo.   119 399 70 110 22 7 2 2 75 .276
Schmees, Spo.     138 532 109 147 27 26 20 6 109 .276
C. Peterson, Sal. 134 528 85 145 18 14 5 24 53 .275
Patterson, Vic.   146 525 122 144 27 16 20 6 109 .274
Krug, Sal.        133 452 78 124 26 8 1 15 54 .274
Barisoff, Bre.    145 524 80 143 24 13 9 8 103 .273
Reese, Bre.-Van.  133 454 84 121 18 5 8 25 76 .273
Anske, Vic.        49 150 22 44 5 2 0 1 16 .273
Matson, Bre.       30 110 24 30 6 0 2 1 10 .273
DeVaurs, Bre.     136 545 80 146 24 9 4 22 63 .268
Miller, Spo.       28 30   4   8 0 0 0 0   0 .267
Cavalli, Vic.     130 492 69 130 27 7 20 8 96 .264
Phillips, Yak.    137 473 67 125 24 3 12 5 94 .264
Rhyne, Wen.        98 262 46 69 13 6 1 4 30 .263
Robertson, Van.    21 38   7 10 2  0 2 0   5 .263
Lilly, Yak.       156 591 141 155 31 6 8 23 76 .262
Haskell, Wen.     148 568 103 149 26 5 10 24 81 .262
Gedzius, Bre.     153 508 90 133 21 1 6 4 77 .262
Spaeter, Sal.     133 513 84 134 21 6 1 8 43 .261
Sullivan, Bre.     24 69   6 18 5 0 0 1   7 .261
Forsythe, Spo.     24 27   3   7 0 0 1 0   6 .259
Fortier, Van.      26 35   9   9 2 0 0 0   2 .257
Zinn, Wen.         73 254 41 65 8 2 9 9 36 .256
Clifford, Tac.     73 224 17 57 10 1 1 2 25 .254
Sinovic, Sal.      79 177 21 45 4 5 4 0 27 .254
Robinson, Yak.    112 425 75 107 20 2 12 4 77 .252
Righetti, Vic.    141 487 66 122 21 4 10 1 81 .252
Winter, Wen.      131 452 71 113 22 6 11 18 77 .250
Latino, Spo.       34 60   9 15 0 0 2 0   9 .250
Norbert, Vic.      39 52 13 13 2 1 2 2   8 .250
R. Jensen, Vic.    22 24   0   6 0 0 0 0   4 .250
Bufflap, Spo.     108 355 66 88 13 1 0 1 52 .248
Wallenstein, Yak. 64 117 20 29 2 0 1 7 14 .248
Lowman, Bre.       58 158 22 39 9 0 5 1 28 .247
Anderson, Van.-Sa. 32 65 10 16 6 1 1 0 10 .246
Bartolomei,Sa.-T. 127 428 73 104 25 3 10 5 71 .243
Tinsley, Tac.      17 33   3   8 1 0 0 0   4 .242
Mohler, Sal.       12 29   5   7  0 0 0 0   2 .241
Barnes, Yak.      122 473 93 112 11 6 2 15 38 .237
Ronning, Brem.     82 270 34 64 14 4 2 3 41 .237
Gunnarson, Sa.-Va. 35 102 15 24 3 1 0 2   6 .235
G. Peterson, Sal. 13 17   2 4 0 1 0 0   1 .235
Morgan, Tac.       31 65   9 15 3 0 1 0   3 .231
O'Neill, Spo.      63 197 24   4 8 0 0 2 22 .228
Chetkovich, Tac.   40 79 12 18 0 0 1 0   8 .228
Dunn, Spo.         47 184 32 41 11 1 0 0 14 .223
Snyder, Van.       41 90   6 20 3 0 0 0   5 .222
Samson, Spo.       35 81 14 18 1 0 1 0 13 .222
Hedgecock, Van.    41 101 14 22 3 0 3 0 11 .218
Romple, Yak.       33 51   6 11 2 0 0 0   7 .216
McCollum, Wen.     37 81 12 17  1 0 2 0 10 .210
Jonas, Van.        29 74 11 15 2 1 2 0 12 .203
Woop, Vic.         26 50   7 10 3 1 0 0 6 .200
Ward, Yak.         26 50   7 10 3 1 0 0   6 .200
Stephens, Van.     11 43 10   8 0 0 0 0   3 .178
(note - Nunes figures not all available; Woop and Ward have same stats through the newspaper source)

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING
                    G W L Pct. IP H   R   BB SO HB WP
Forsythe, Spo.     21 5 1 .833  57 70 43 20 28 0 1
Lazor, Sal.        30 16 6 .727 203 219 119 87 81 6 7
Sullivan, Bre.     22 13 5 .722 178 164 70 50 97 9 4
Gunnarson, Sa.-Va. 30 16 7 .696 226 274 146 88 105 4 1
Hall, Van.         31 15 7 .682 235 235 154 173 216 10 8
Werbowski, Spo.    30 17 8 .682 203 219 130 83 110 3 4
Costello, Spo.     34 21 10 .677 251 265 154 129 202 3 6
Hedgecock, Van.    38 21 10 .677 236 242 132 117 161 5 2
Lowman, Bre.       30 16 8 .667 213 212 93 68 98 5 0
R. Jensen, Vic.    14 4 2 .667 48 57 51 49 48 0 3
Mossor, Sal.       31 18 10 .643 230 198 108 128 216 1 5
Marshall, Bre.     39 16 9 .640 199 186 119 141 159 4 6
Walden, Tac.       35 19 11 .633 260 271 133 109 115 1 6
Wyatt, Sal.        38 17 10 .630 262 250 136 114 153 7 18
Romple, Yak.       32 8 5 .615 131 152 100 97 95 2 12
Saltzman, Van.      5 3 2 .600 35 38 21 21 20 1 4
Blankenship, Vic. 46 13 10 .565 205 216 123 97 126 2 6
Samson, Spo.       29 13 10 .565 186 192 111 114 105 5 10
Mitchell, Vic.     31 15 12 .556 197 195 117 124 105 5 10
Ahearn, Bre.       35 11 9 .550 175 207 116 86 90 4 7
Cordell, Yak.      23 11 9 .550 140 149 85 75 105 3 8
Vivalda, Wen.      40 17 14 .548 252 306 185 107 115 5 4
Kasparovitch, Vic. 35 14 12 .538 232 227 111 92 107 5 5
Robertson, Van.    19 7 6 .538 91 117 76 43 57 3 7
Snyder, Van.       41 16 14 .533 247 293 147 84 160 1 3
Latino, Spo.       33 10 9 .526 165 196 119 82 33 5 4
Woop, Vic.         40 16 15 .516 265 255 154 181 252 5 14
McCollum, Wen.     35 13 13 .500 207 243 146 84 165 3 4
Johnston, Bre.     31 11 11 .500 201 220 116 86 74 4 1
Chetkovich, Tac.   36 12 12 .500 192 219 148 111 76 3 1
Jonas, Van.        11 4 4 .500 58 75 45 36 26 2 0
Kittle, Bre.       35 13 15 .481 216 192 84 69 130 7 8
Morgan, Tac.       21 11 12 .478 174 209 130 77 55 10 1
Kramer, Spo.       20 7 8 .467 150 199 94 49 77 2 0
Gilson, Tac.       37 8 10 .444 153 200 116 67 44 3 3
Frost, Wen.        35 7 10 .438 151 205 143 115 73 4 2
Anderson, Va.-Sa. 38 10 13 .435 176 185 129 131 114 2 10
Simon, Yak.        40 9 12 .429 141 144 107 127 111 2 9
Spitzer, Spo.      31 6 8 .429 141 144 107 127 111 2 9
Condon, Wen.       34 7 10 .412 151 221 138 53 38 8 3
Greco, Tac.        12 3 4 .429 53 54 40 43 44 1 4
Prior, Vic.        11 2 4 .400 42 39 37 48 20 1 5
Wallerstein, Yak.  48 7 11 .389 172 255 175 128 131 3 10
Strait, Yak.       32 7 11 .389 143 214 132 98 68 2 8
Brysch, Yak.       37 5 8 .385 121 180 121 80 50 4 8
Nowels, Yak.       34 8 13 .381 152 199 160 127  81 8 14
Greenlaw, Tac.     43 7 12 .368 177 234 146 81 130 5 6
Miller, Spo.       29 4 7 .364 99 109 79 82 65 4 1
Cronin, Wen.       18 4 7 .364 104 140 79 29 67 3 1
Arnold, Vic.       21 4 7 .364 74 91 69 41 60 3 3
T. Rose, Wen.      26 5 10 .333 119 109 109 138 92 5 10
Sporer, Sal.       31 5 10 .333 96 89 71 79 59 8 3
Bryant, Van.       25 4 8 .333 165 141 79 37 52 3 1
Day, Wen.          11 2 4 .333 55 75 42 27 22 1 0
Tinsley, Van.      17 3 7 .300 87 96  69 56 37 3 3
G. Peterson, Sal. 12 2 5 .286 41 69 62 35 19 0 1
Sinovic, Sal.      30 5 13 .278 133 166 97 70 81 3 6
Ward, Yak.         25 4 13 .235 134 174 125 89 72 7 11
Osborne, Wen.      29 3 15 .167 127 178 119 59 68 2 5
Waltho, Wen.        7 0 2 .000 20 32 27 17   7 1 0
Dierick, Sal.       2 0 2 .000   9 10   5 10 10 0 0
B. Barisoff, Bre.   2 0 2 .000   9 15 10 6 1 0 0
Conovor, Bre.       1 0 1 .000 7   6   5   7   8 0 0
(note - Simon and Spitzer have same stats through newspaper source)

Sunday, September 7, 1947

2007-06-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

YAKIMA - The Western International league champion Vancouver Capilanos dropped a doubleheader to the lowly Yakima Stars Sunday night, 9 to 5 and 6 to 2, to finish the campaign a mere one percentage point ahead of the second place Spokane Indians.
The Caps, by virtue of the twin loss, end the season witn a .566 percentage as compared with Spokane's .565.
Carl Gunnarson was chased by a seven-run splurge in the opener, while Keith Simon, the winning pitcher in the first game, smacked a bases-clearing triple in the fifth inning that eluded pitcher Pete Jonas, playing in right field.
(First game):
Vancouver ...... 011 030 0—5 10 1
Yakima ........... 011 007 x—8 13 1
Gunnarson, Bryant (6) and Stumpf; Simon, Romple (7) and Constantino.
(Second game):
Vancouver ........ 100 000 010—2 9 2
Yakima ............. 000 330 00x—6 6 1
Hall and Stumpf; Wallerstein and Phillips.

First game:
Tacoma ........... 001 300 052—11 14 3
Wenatchee ...... 120 010 360—13 19 2
Morgan, Greco (8), Greenlaw (8) and Clifford; Rose, Osborne (8) and Dalrymple.
Second game:
Tacoma ............ 231 120 0—9 11 1
Wenatchee ....... 400 000 0—4 7 1
Walden and Clifford; McCollum, Burd (5) and Dalrymple.

Bremerton at Salem (2), cancelled, rain.
Victoria and Spokane, idle.

Saturday, September 6, 1947

2007-06-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Caps Clinch WI Pennant
YAKIMA, Sept. 6 — "By jingo, we're in!" came the words from Vancouver Capilanos general manager after looking at the calculations on his pad of paper.
The Capilanos, with a major assist from the weather, clinched the Western International league pennant tonight as rain cancelled out Spokane's last bid for the title.
The Indians, a full game and one percentage point behind the Caps their scheduled doubleheader at Victoria washed out while Vancouver's game with Yakima was with also cancelled because of rain.
In fact, all league action was halted by rain today.
The Caps and Stars will play twice Sunday but even a double loss by Vancouver would still give the Canadians a final percentage of .565 as compared with .565 for the Tribe.
However, the clinched wasn't all so assured for awhile today. Spokane management hoped to move today's rained-out double header with Victoria from the British Columbia capital to the Inland Empire city to be played tomorrow. League president Bob Abel gave his blessing. Brown wired a protest to Abel and every team in the WIL. "It's against baseball law," insisted the man who has been in the game for close to 45 years.
But Ruby Robert needn't have worried. For one thing, the players couldn't get plane reservations to arrive in Victoria on time. Even if they had, Victoria Athletics management has already paid its players and many are on their way home.
Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's games, which close out the season, the Indians are assured of second place, one percentage point ahead of the Bremerton Bluejackets. The Bluejackets end the campaign with a doubleheader at Salem.

VICTORIA, Sept. 6 - Victoria Athletics wound up their season tonight at the Douglas Hotel with management entertaining members of the Victoria and Spokane clubs.
J.V. Johnson, president of the team, presented Bill Wright with a wrist watch for his selection by the fans as the Athletics most popular player. Len Kasparovitch received a $50 cheque for his hitting prowess, the righthanded pitcher having socked a single off the scoreboard several weeks ago. Jack Harshman also came in for a presentation, receivinga $25 cheque and a trophy from a Victoria business firm for leading the club in home runs.
Umpire Frank Dehaney left the players in high good humour with a side-splitting take-off on Alan Strange and his difficulty in pacing the low-ceiling Bremerton dugout.
Most of the Victoria players will be on their way home before nightfall. Only Jack Harshman will see further action. The clouting first baseman will join the San Diego Padres immediately and finish out the season with the P.C.L. club.

Rainmaker Is Hero As Capilanos Clinch 1947 Willy Loop Pennant
Hectic Last Days Were Apt Climax To confusing But Amusing Season
By CLANCY LORANGER
News-Herald Sports Editor
[September 8, 1947]
YAKIMA.—And so, kiddies, our heroes drove off the big, bad Indians and lifted the mortgage on the W.I.L. pennant. The fingernail-biting finish of the race was a fitting climax to a season which had the so-called experts running around in circles, and the casual fan somewhat confused by it all. The latter, picking up his paper one day, would find the Caps in the midst of a robust rally that threatened to pinch them into first place any day. A week of so later the Brownies would be floundering in the second division, and having trouble with teams like Wenatchee.
The Vancouverites made two false starts in pursuit of the bunting before they finally did get settled down to the serious business of winning more than the next club.
After dropping the first four games of the season, Brenner and Co., getting fine pitching and some surprising hitting from rookies like Buddy Hjelmaa and Len Tran, set out on a nine-game victory streak that put ‘em right up there with the leaders.
ENTER BREMERTON
Then their pitching collapsed and after breaking even for the early part of May, they ran into their Bremerton nemesis. The Bluejackerts took there in a row at Vancouver, then contributed five straight losses at the Navy Yard city to an eight-game Vancouver losing streak.
A couple of deals got them straightened out early in June. Lefty Carl Gunnarson was picked up from Salem in a trade for Hunk Anderson and Pete Jonas was signed (for half the ball park, ‘twas said). That got the hurling corps in shape again, and our boys were away once more; they won 18 of the next 27 games.
Then the Caps went to Bremerton again—and lost seven straight. Victoria added two more losses, and the club hit the skids—but before the squad dropped completely out of the league bottom, a couple more deals were made—and these moves got the Brennermen on the victory road for keeps. Probably the smarted piece of business was the trade of Jimmy Estrada, who wasn’t doing us much good, for Bill Reese.
ADDITIONS HELPED
Bill Wright, who never did round into shape, was let go, and Reese took over at first base. Reese had long been known as a capable man at the gateway, but you have to watch him day by day to really appreciate him. Reese “made” the infield, and shortly thereafter another man arrived to do the same for the outfield, and to add a needed note of authority in the batting order.
He was Paul Carpenter, a |ball player’s ball player,” without whose light-footed antics in left field and timely swatting in the cleanup spot, the Caps couldn’t have reached the top.
Wish new vigor at the dish, a superior defense, and brilliant pitching from Jim Hedgecock, Bob Snyder and Bob Hall, aided and abetted by Carl Gunnarson and, occasionally, Sandy Robertson and Ron Bryant, Vancouver started their final drive on July 25 with a double triumph in Salem.
ONSLAUGHT STARTED
From there in, not even Bremerton was safe, as the winning streak piled up. A five-game string was topped by a nine-tilt victory whirl, and the boys bettered even that one with 12 triumphs in a row. The record at one stage was 23 wins against four losses, and you don’t stay in the second division with that kind play.
It was a pleasant and profitable season for a lot of Capilano individuals, especially, of course, Bill Brenner, whose scalp was being called for both privately and publicly before the last big uprising.
Bill had a good year as a player, too, despite a bad knee injury, and his presence in the lineup almost nightly the last few weeks contributed no little to his team’s success.
BOYS GOT ROLLING
And a number of fellows who had trouble getting started last year after stints in the armed forces, gents like Jim Hedgecock, Frank Mullens, Bob Snyder and Charley Mead hit their true strides this summer.
The happiest surprises of the season, of course, were the infield kids, Buddy Hjelmaa and Len Tran. Ticketed as spare infielders, the duo established themselves early as regulars and earned their spots all the way.
Of the others, Lee Mohr was inclined to be an individualist, but you can\t overlook his value as a lead-off man or his healthy batting average; and Bob Stumpf, though he hardly lived up to his billing as a big league prospect, made a competent understudy for Brenner.
All in all, it was an interesting, albeint nerve-wracking, season, and any time, you’re passing a rest home, why, drop in.

Spokes Lose Last Chance As Rain Kayoes Double Bill With Victoria
By CLANCY LORANGER
News-Herald Sports Editor
[September 8, 1947]
YAKIMA.—Vancouver Capilanos fought the battle in the Commercial Hotel lobby here Saturday night and emerged with the 1947 Western International League pennant.
Yakima, which has eight inches of rain yearly, came close to its quota Saturday, and washed out the Brownies’ scheduled game with this city’s Stars. And when the rainmaker, definitely on our side, did the same for the Spokane-Victoria doubleheader at the Bremerton-Salem game, the Caps backed into the Willy championship.
With the tension gone today, the Brownies went through the motions in their last two games in a carnival atmosphere that saw everybody, including Larry Manier, get into the act. Relief hurler Manier functioned at first base as the Caps won the first game, 9-5, and then bowed, 6-2 in the second. But nobody cared.
FIRST SINCE 1942
The championship, first for Vancouver since 1942, was actually their second in t[unreadable] years of play, for the WIL ceased operations during the period, 1943-45. It was the first, too, for Manager Bill Brenner, serving first full year as manager.
The 25-year-old backstop took over the club in the last month of the ’46 campaign, and had that time hitting the fastest pace in the league at the finish.
Saturday’s struggle, while it lasted, was the tougher on the winners than a game would have been. When they learned the contest here had been cancelled, they settled down (if you can pacing up and down settling down) to sweat it out.
Finally came word that the games in Victoria were off, and the boys breathed a little easier for even if the Caps had lost both Sunday games, they’d still have finished [ ] percentage points up on Spokane.
But Bremerton still had a mathematical chance of catching the Brownies, so the ads had to worry again. Finally, however, about 7 p.m., the message was flashed from Salem that their game had bowed to the weatherman, too. The Caps were in!
SPOKANE FOILED
At least, they were in for a few hours. Then Bob Abel, president of the W.I.., wired General Manager Bob Brown of the Caps that Spokane had proposed coming to the Inland Empire Sunday with Victoria and playing the games there.
Brown, who, a few hours before, had predicted that Spokane might try something like that, was furious. It was against baseball law, he said—a game starts on a certain day, and finishes on a certain day, regardless—and Abel had no right to even suggest going along with Spokane’s idea. Ruby Robert dispatched a hot telegram to Abel to that effect.
But once again fate—dear fate—stepped in and made things easier for us. Reg Patterson, business manager of the Victoria Athletics, announced that he was unable to get plane reservations to Spokane—and that was that. The Caps were in—definitely.

Victory Rally To Greet Brenner’s Boys Tonight
[Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 8, 1947]
Hold onto those long-distance cheers for the Capilanos, baseball fans, because you’re going to be able to deliver them in person. Yep, Bill Brenner and almost all of his pennant-winners will be back in town tonight, and you’re invited to get in on the royal welcome which awaits them.
At 7:45 tonight, the doors of the Veterans’ Memorial Centre, 636 Burrard, will be tossed open, and from that hour forward, the welkin will get a tremendous beating at the hands of the gathered horde.
A big program has been whipped up to greet our conquering heroes, most important item of which is the presentation of bonuses from the Capilano baseball club.
And the baseball writers are even now working up a few presentations of their own, the nature of which we can’t divulge until they happen. To make sure there won’t be a dull moment, Barney Potts, his orchestra and entertainers, will be on hand to further the fun.
General manager Bob Brown reported last night from Yakima that all but one or two of the pennant winners will return for the salute. And Bob forwarded an invitation to all you baseball fans to be on hand at 7:45 when Peard Sutherland opens the celebration.
[WILFan note: Sutherland was the Assistant PR director of BC Tel at the time]

Friday, September 5, 1947

2007-06-24T04:18:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Standings after games of Friday
W L Pct. GB
Vancouver .. 86 64 .573 --
Spokane .... 87 67 .565 1
Bremerton .. 86 68 .558 2
Salem ...... 80 68 .541 5
Victoria ... 80 68 .541 5
Tacoma ..... 71 80 .470 15½
Wenatchee .. 58 91 .389 27½
Yakima ..... 57 95 .375 30

Vancouver took a full game lead over Spokane in the Western International league's hot pennant race Friday night, but both Spokane and Bremerton retained their mathematical chances for the 1947 title.
Vancouver beat Yakima, 6-1, Spokane lost to Victoria 11-6 and Bremerton beat Salem twice, 2-1 and 9-2 to keep the championship battle a three-way affair for the final two days of play.
Vancouver, a full game ahead of Spokane, has three games left to play, while Spokane has two and Bremerton three - Bremerton is two games behind the pace-setting Canadian club. Vancouver also has the best of the schedule, finishing out its string against eighth place Yakima.

VÍCTORIA, Sept. 5—Joe Blankenship got off to a shaky start before the Victoria Athletics scored four runs in the first inning and went on to an 11-6 victory over the Spokane Indians in the first game of a season-ending three-game series.
Led by Jack Harshman, who snapped out of a slump with a home run — his 36th — a double and two singles in five trips, the A's piled up eight runs in the first three innings and then coasted in as Blankenship hurled hitless ball from the third to the ninth inning, when Spokane scored their final runs. Three Indians runs in the first inning were unearned.
Wally Kramer surrendered six runs before being pulled, and suffered the loss.
Spokane ........ 300 000 003—6 9 3
Victoria ......... 431 002 01x—11 18 1
Kramer, Latino (2) Miller (8) and O'Neill; Blankenship and Anske.

Tacoma ......... 130 000 010—5 19 0
Wenatchee .... 001 013 02x—7 12 1
Greenlaw and Clifford; Vivalda and Dalrymple.

YAKIMA, Sept. 5 - Hal Saltzman shut down the Yakima Stars on five hits and an unearned run as the Vancouver Capilanos pulled off a 6-1 win tonight to move into sole possession of the Western International League race by a game, with two days left in the season.
Frank Mullens had three of the Capilanos' 11 hits, including a double that scored two in the fourth and a single that brought in another. Len Tran doubled twice.
Rowe Wallerstein, normally a pitcher, but playing in left field, singled in Spencer Harris in the second.
Vancouver ......... 120 201 000—6 11 1
Yakima .............. 010 000 000—1 5 1
Saltzman and Stumpf; Ward and Constantino.

First game:
Bremerton ........ 100 100 0—2 5 2
Salem .............. 000 100 0 — 1 3 1
Marshall and Volpi; Diericks and Beard.
Second game:
Bremerton ...... 000 400 002—6 9 0
Salem ............ 001 000 010—2 9 3
Kittle and Ronning; Anderson, Carr (4), G. Peterson (8) and Beard

Clift to Resign as Yakima Stars' Pilot
YAKIMA, Wash., Sept. 5— Harlond Clift announced Friday night he would hand in his resignation as manager of the Yakima Stars effective at the end of the season. The Stars play their final game of the W-I league season Sunday night against the league-leading Vancouver Caps.
"My plans at present are not complete," Clift said. "I expect to move to St. Louis but beyond that I have no definite plans."
Clift, who took over reins as manager of the Stars last season from Spencer Harris, played for the St. Louis Browns lor 10 years prior to returning to what he calls his "home town"— Yakima.

Angels Purchase Tedeschi, Sutak
TACOMA, Wash., Sept 5 — The Los Angeles Angels have picked Pete Tedeschi, centre fielder, and Tom Sutak, infielder, to play with the Pacific Coast League team, the Tacoma Tigers team management announced today.
Choice of Tedeschi and Sutak was made undre the terms of an agreement with permits the Coast League team to select two players from the Western International League Tacoma roster at the end of the season.
Tedeschi is a brilliant fielder and has a batting average this season of .329. Sutak's selection was a surprise, however, as he had done on the voluntary retired list in order to continue his teaching job.

Thursday, September 4, 1947

2007-06-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

W L Pct GB
Vancouver .... 85 64 .570 --
Spokane ...... 87 66 .569 --
Bremerton .... 84 68 .553 2½
Salem ........ 80 66 .548 8½
Victoria ..... 79 72 .523 7
Tacoma ....... 71 79 .473 14½
Wenatchee .... 57 91 .385 27½
Yakima ....... 57 94 .377 29

Vancouver and Spokane remained neck and neck in their race for the Western International league title Thursday night as they prepared to enter their final series of the year.
The Canadians toppled Bremerton 7-4 to slide the Puget Sound nine two and a half games back in third place, while Spokane drubbed Yakima 19-9 and moved within .001 percentage points of the northerners.
Salem retained its' mathmematical chances with a 2-1 edge over Wenatchee, but looked forward with no delight to a five-game meeting with Bremerton.

Yakima ......... 302 001 000—6 6 2
Spokane ....... 203 306 50x—19 17 0
Romple, Strait (4), Wallerstein (6) and Phillips, Constantino (7); Miller, Samson (3) and Bufflap.

BREMERTON, Sept. 4 - The Vancouver Capilanos won for the first time in Bremerton all season, defeating the Bluejackets, 7-4, tonight, as Jim Hedgecock won his 21st game of the season.
He allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out four, and lost his shutout in the eighth when former Cap Jim Estrada smacked the ball into the right-field corner. Pete Jonas, normally a pitcher, was in right, and took his time fielding the ball. Estrada stopped at third, saw the confusion in the outfield, so started for home and was awarded an inside-the-park home run.
They scored three more off him in the ninth, including the final run on Estrada's single.
Lee Mohr led off the game with a single, the first of his four hits, and scored on Frank Mullens' single. Bill Brenner singled him home in the third, and after a single run in the sixth, Mohr's bloop single brought in a pair of runs in the four-run seventh.
The losing pitcher was Joe Sullivan, who only works weekend home games due to his job as a fireman, who dropped to 13 and 4.
Vancouver ........ 101 001 400—7 11 0
Bremerton ........ 000 000 013—4 8 1
Hedgecock and Brenner; Sullivan, Ahearn (7) and Volpi.

Wenatchee ......... 000 100 000—1 6 2
Salem ................. 000 101 00x—2 8 0
Condon and Dalrymple; Lazor and Beard.

TACOMA, Sept. 4 - It was the same old story tonight, as the Victoria Athletics booted away a well-pitched game by Dick Mitchell, who allowed only five hits, but lost to the Tacoma Tigers, 3-2. Dick Greco singled home the winning run in the eighth inning.
Vic Mastro played second base in place of the ailing Leo Righetti with Bill Anske seeing action behind the plate for the first time in several weeks after breaking a finger.
Victoria ......... 020 000 000—2 7 3
Tacoma ........ 000 020 01x—3 5 0
Mitchell and Anske; Tinsley and Kuper, Clifford (5).

Wednesday, September 3, 1947

2007-06-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

W L Pct. GB
Vancouver .... 84 64 .568 --
Spokane ...... 86 66 .566 --
Bremerton .... 84 87 .556 1½
Salem ........ 79 66 .545 3½
Victoria ..... 79 71 .527 6
Tacoma ....... 70 79 .470 14½
Wenatchee .... 57 90 .388 26½
Yakima ....... 57 93 .380 28

TACOMA, Sept. 3 - Slugging outfielder-turned-pitcher Dick Greco batted in three runs with a homer and a single while striking out 10 Victorians to give the Tacoma Tigers a 6-5 win over the Victoria Athletics here tonight.
The A's tries to pull it out in the ninth. They scored a run but Bill White struck out and Jack Harshman popped up to end the threat with the bags full.
Victoria ........ 101 000 021—5 8 1
Tacoma ........ 040 000 02x—6 13 1
Woop, Arnold (8) and Mastro; Greco, Greenlaw (9) and Clifford.

BREMERTON, Sept. 3—Bill Barisoff set a Western International League record last year with 40 home runs. So, it was only fitting that in a rare mound appearance, he should give up home runs. And he and his fellow mounsmnen surrendered five as the Vancouver Capilanos crushed the Bremerton Bluejackets 15-3 tonight.
Charlie Mead had a solo shot to tie the game at 1-1 in the second. Then, the outfielder-turned-pitcher gave up one to pitcher-turned-outfielder, Pete Jonas, playing in right due to an injury to Paul Carpenter, to begin the fourth inning. Bill Brenner added a three-run shot later that inning. Mead stroked a three-run blast in the sixth and Len Tran hit one for three runs in the eighth.
Bob Snyder picked up his 16th victory in going the distance. Barisoff was gone by the end of the fourth in his first pitching appearance of the year.
Bremerton ....... 101 100 000— 3 13 1
Vancouver ....... 010 533 03x—15 13 1
B. Barisoff, Johnston (4), Smith (6) and Volpi, Ronning (8); Snyder and Brenner.

Wenatchee ...... 100 202 000—5 10 2
Salem .............. 000 000 000—0 8 1
Frost and Dalrymple; Mossor and Beard.

First game:
Yakima ........ 010 010 0—2 7 4
Spokane ...... 031 020 x—6 6 3
Cordell and Phillips; Werbowski and O'Neill.
Second game: (called due to curfew)
Yakima ........ 000 000 01 —1 5 5
Spokane ...... 100 213 03 —10 10 0
Nowels and Constantino; Spitzer and Bufflap.

WI All-Stars To Barnstorm
SPOKANE, Sept. 3—Two Western International league all-star baseball teams will compete in post-season games around the circuit this month to raise additional money for players, team managers said Wednesday.
Art Lilly, Yakima Stars second baseman and manager of the Eastern all-star club, said the games tentatively were scheduled to open September 9 and finish in Spokane September 15.
Hub Kittle, veteran Bremerton pitcher, will manage the Western all-stars.
Games will be played in Yakima, Wenatchee, Vancouver, Bremerton, Victoria and Spokane, according to tentative plans.
The managers announced these tentative all-star lineups: Eastern all-stars—Lilly, Yakima,
manager, second base; Charlie Peterson and Spencer Harris, both Yakima; Mel Wesley and Lou Estes, both Wenatchee, and Levi McCormack, Spokane, outfielders; Bud Peterson, Salem, shortstop; Mel Nunes, Salem, third base; Gordie Goldsberry, Yakima, first base; Bill Beard, Salem, catcher, and John Cordell, Yakima; Lou McCollum, Wenatchee; Hunk Anderson and
Ken Wyatt, Salem; and Bob Costello, Spokane, pitchers.
Western all-stars—Kittle, Bremerton, manager, pitcher; Eddie Murphy and Bill Barisoff, both Bremerton; Harry Hooper, Victoria and Frank Mullens, Vancouver, outfielders; Bill Reese, Vancouver, first base; Glen Stetter. Tacoma, second base; Babe Jensen, Victoria, third base; Joe Gedzius, Bremerton, shortstop; Frank Volpi, Bremerton, and Earl Kuper, Tacoma, catchers,
and Bill Hoop, Victoria; Jim Hedgecock, Vancouver and Jim Lowman and Bill Johnston, Bremerton, pitchers.

Tuesday, September 2, 1947

2007-06-24T03:43:00.000-07:00

STANDINGS
W L Pct. GB
Vancouver ... 83 64 .565 —
Bremerton ... 84 66 .560 ½
Spokane ..... 84 66 .560 ½
Salem ....... 79 65 .549 2½
Victoria .... 70 70 .530 5
Tacoma ...... 69 79 .466 14½
Yakima ...... 57 91 .385 28½
Wenatchee ... 56 90 .384 26½

VANCOUVER, Sept. 2 — It was gift night at Capilano Stadium tonight — management gave members of the Vancouver Capilanos engraved wrist watches and the Caps gave the Bremerton Bluejackets seven runs in the fourth inning and an 8-7 Western International League win.
Charlie Mead hit a three run homer for the Caps before Bob Hall got into trouble in the fourth and was replaced by Carl Gunnarson, who gave up three more hits and a couple of walks and seven runs came in. A single and Charlie Bushong's double in the seventh proved to be the difference.
Frank Mullens hit a two run homer for Vancouver in the fifth. The Caps scored twice in the eighth but had a chance for more. Bill Reese, Bill Brenner and Len Tran hit singles in a row to score a run. Pitcher Ron Bryant was sent in to pinch run and got trapped off second for an out. Bob Stumpf then ripped a pinch single and only one run scored. Reliever John Marshall got the next two outs to end the threat.
Bremerton ....... 000 700 100—8 11 1
Vancouver ...... 003 020 020—7 11 1
Ahearn, Lowman (5), Marshall (8) and Volpi; Hall, Gunnarson (4), Hedgecock (9) and Brenner, Stumpf (9).

Victoria ....... 000 100 002—3 7 6
Tacoma ...... 101 111 00x—5 7 2
Kasparovich and Mastro; Walden and Kuper.

Wenatchee ....... 000 000 010—1 7 2
Salem .............. 006 014 00x-11 13 2
Osborn, Waltho (3) Byrd (8) and Dalrymple; Wyatt and Mohler.

Yakima ....... 002 000 005— 7 8 4
Spokane ..... 000 660 16x—19 15 3
Strait, Brysch and Phillips; Costello and Bufflap.

Rainiers Recall 11 Men From Lower Class Loops
SEATTLE, Sept. 2—Seattle's Pacific Coast league baseball club management announced Tuesday night that it is recalling 11 players who were optioned this year to leagues' of lower classification.
Seven of the players are with Vancouver in the Western International League. They will report to the Raimcrs next Tuesday, after the W.I. season ends. The others will not report until next spring.
The seven recalled from Vancouver are: Pitchers Bob Hall, Bob Snyder, Harold Saltzman; Catcher Bob Stumpf; Infielder Leon Mohr; Outfielders Paul Carpenter and Frank Mullens; Infielder Dick Briskey and Pitcher Carl Shapley will be called back from Boise's Pioneer League,
team. The other two are First Baserman John Sturm, who has been player-manager for Ventura in the California league, and Shortstop Joe Kaney, with Lynn in the New England league.

Monday, September 1, 1947

2007-06-24T00:32:00.001-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
STANDINGS after Monday's games
W L Pct. GB
Vancouver .. 83 63 .568 --
Bremerton .. 83 66 .557 1½
Spokane .... 83 66 .557 1½
Salem ...... 78 65 .545 3½
Victoria ... 79 69 .534 5
Tacoma ..... 68 79 .463 15½
Yakima ..... 57 90 .388 26½
Wenatchee .. 56 89 .386 26½

TACOMA, — The Vancouver Capilanos blew a 6-0 lead and fell to Tacoma, 13-8, in the first of two tonight, but came back to win the second one, 5-4.
The Tigers managed to pummel Bob Snyder for 21 hits in the opening game. Earl Kuper and Bob Hedington batted in four runs apiece. Both hit triples, as did Paul Tedeshi.
Len Tran brought home three runs and Bob Stumpf had two RBIs — without the benefit of a hit. In the seven-inning nightcap, Sandy Robertson threw a seven hitter. The Capilanos broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth and managed to stay ahead of Tacoma with a run in the sixth.
Guy Miller batted in three Tigers, Charlie Mead had a double and two singles to bring in three runs, and Lee Mohr had three singles.
First game:
Vancouver ......... 600 000 020—8 7 1
Tacoma ............ 001 235 02x—13 21 3
Snyder, Bryant (6) and Stumpf; Morgan and Kuper.
Second game:
Vancouver ........ 011 021 0—5 13 0
Tacoma ............ 002 011 0—4 7 5
Robertson and Stumpf; Greenlaw, Morgan (7) and Kuper.

First game:
Victoria ........... 001 100 0—2 7 2
Bremerton ....... 000 040 x — 4 6 3
Prior, Jensen (6) and Mastro; Johnston, Marshall (6) and Volpi.
Second game:
Victoria ............ 000 000 000 000—0 4 1
Bremerton ........ 000 000 000 001—1 2 1
Blankenship and Mastro; Kittle and Ronning.

First game:
Spokane ........... 021 000 0—3 7 1
Salem .............. 100 000 0—1 2 1
Kramer and Bufflap; Dierick, Carr (3) and Beard.
Second game:
Spokane ............ 000 121 000—4 10 1
Salem ............... 000 010 000—1 10 2
Latino and O'Neill; Anderson and Beard.

First game:
Wenatchee ......... 412 00(12) 0—19 18 1
Yakima ............... 000 000 0 — 0 4 4
Rose and Dalrymple; Ward, Wallerstein (5), Czarnetski (7) and Phillips.
Second game:
Wenatchee ........... 400 300 000—7 12 0
Yakima ................. 100 001 010—3 14 1
Day, Cronin (9) and Dalrymple; Strait, Simon (1) and Constantino.

Sunday, August 31, 1947

2007-06-24T00:31:00.001-07:00

TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 31 — The Vancouver Capilanos swept the Tacoma Tigers 8-6 and 12-2.
Paul Carpenter was beaned in the second game by Gene Glough. He has a mild concussion and may be out for the season.
Fan Tom Wheedon quickly solicited the Tacoma stands and collected $65.55 for the outfielder.
Pete Jonas started the second game, but was pulled in the four when Tacoma scored three runs. Jim Hedgecock won his 20th.
Hal Saltzman won the second game with a seven hitter in his first start in three weeks. The Caps scored in bunches of four in the first and fifth innings.
First game:
Vancouver ...... 101 400 2 — 8 9 1
Tacoma ......... 100 310 1 — 6 12 5
Jonas, Hedgecock (4) and Brenner; Greco and Kuper.
Second game:
Vancouver ....... 412 140 000—12 14 0
Tacoma .......... 000 001 001— 2 7 4
Saltzman and Stumpf; Gilson, Clough (3), Hedington (5) and Kuper.

First game:
Victoria .......... 000 130 0—4 9 3
Bremerton ....... 012 203 x—8 11 0
Mitchell, Woop (6) and Mastro; Lowman and Volpi.
Second game:
Victoria .......... 310 000 420—10 9 1
Bremerton ...... 303 000 001—5 5 2
R. Jensen, Arnold (3) and Mastro; Sullivan, Conover (1), Smith and Volpi.

First game:
Spokane ........... 000 000 00—0 5 0
Salem .............. 000 000 01—1 4 1
Miller and Bufflap; Lazor and Beard.
Second game:
Spokane ........... 100 230 020—8 10 3
Salem .............. 130 010 200—7 14 2
Werbowski and O'Neill; Wyatt, Sporer (6), Mosser (9) and Beard.

First game:
Wenatchee ........... 100 000 3—4 10 1
Yakima ................. 022 004 x—8 9 0
Frost and Dalrymple; Cordell and Phillips.
Second game:
Wenatchee ......... 213 000 102—9 7 0
Yakima ............... 000 000 000—0 4 3
McCollum and Winter; Knowles and Constantino.

Saturday, August 30, 1947

2007-06-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Standings after Saturday's games
W L Pct. GB
Vancouver .. 80 62 .563 --
Salem ...... 77 62 .554 1½
Spokane .... 80 65 .552 1½
Bremerton .. 80 65 .552 1½
Victoria ... 78 66 .543 3
Tacoma ..... 67 76 .469 13½
Yakima ..... 56 87 .392 24½
Wenatchee .. 53 88 .376 26½

VANCOUVER, Aug. 30 — Charlie Mead clubbed two homers — one of them the grand slam variety in the sixth inning — to power Vancouver to a 6-4 win in the nightcap of a twin-bill over Bremerton and move the Caps past the Bluejackets for first place in the Western International League. Vancouver won the first match 4-2, after scoring three runs in the fifth inning.
Buddy Hjelmaa, rookie shortstop, pulled a tendon during the game and is out indefinitely.
First game:
Bremerton ......... 100 010 0—2 5 1
Vancouver ........ 100 030 x—4 8 1
P. Barisoff and Volpi; Gunnarson and Stumpf
Second game:
Bremerton .......... 100 000 300—4 7 2
Vancouver .......... 000 001 40x—5 9 0
Marshall, Kittle (8) and Ronning; Hall, Bryant (7) and Brenner.

VICTORIA, Aug. 30 — Tacoma and Victoria split a Western International League double-header Saturday, as the Tigers scored all their runs in the first inning to defeat Victoria 3-2 while the Athletics won the night game 7-3.
Vic Mastro and John Cavalli broke up the second game in the fourth inning. Mastro tied the count at 1-1 when he hit for three bases after Bill White singled. Babe Jensen and Jack Harshman both whiffed, but Cavalli parked a home run for another pair of runs.
Singles by Leo Righetti and Pat Patterson around a walk to Len Kasparovitch made it a 4-1 game.
Cavalli then drove in his third and fourth runs in the sixth with a triple and Mastro provided the final count with his circuit blow in the eighth.
In the first-inning of the opener, a bad bounce on an easy grounder back to the mound by Glen Stetter, a wild pitch by Bill Woop and a timely hit by Bob Hedington accounted for all of Tacoma's runs.
The Athletics scored all their runs in the first as well. Jack Harshman doubled them in.
First game:
Tacoma ...... 300 000 000—3 5 1
Victoria ...... 200 000 000—2 7 1
Walden and Clifford; Woop and Mastro.
Second game:
Tacoma ...... 000 100 200—3 7 1
Victoria ...... 000 420 104—7 11 5
Greenlaw, Tinsley (5) and Kuper; Kasparovitch and Mastro.

Spokane ........... 000 100 002—3 5 0
Salem .............. 000 000 000—0 5 1
Costello and Bufflap; Mossor and Beard.

Wenatchee ... 002 410 110—9 15 2
Yakima ......... 000 311 030—8 9 3
Vivalda and Winter; Wallerstein, Brysch (4), Simon (8) and Constantino.
(linescore incomplete)

Friday, August 29, 1947

2007-06-24T00:27:00.000-07:00

W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 80 63 .558 —
Salem ...... 77 61 .558 ½
Vancouver .. 78 62 .557 ½
Spokane .... 79 56 .549 1½
Victoria ... 77 65 .542 2½
Tacoma ..... 66 75 .468 13½
Yakima ..... 56 86 .394 24
Wenatchee .. 52 88 .371 27

VANCOUVER [Keith Matthews, Sun, Aug. 30]—The count is now 19 victories for Jim Hedgecock and eight straight for the Capilanos. And they’re both still riding high.
Last night at Capilano Stadium Hedgecock strutted his dippy-doo as the Caps took their second straight series win from Bremerton in this WIL baseball crucial.
The game went to 10 innings this time, one over part for the course. Fans, in fact, are wondering what baseball par is.
Besides the game itself, which was brilliant and satisfying enough, the strange case of umpire Bill Abbey kept the filled stands in fits.
Abbey could do no right for our fans. In most of the cases Abbey's decisions could have gone either way. He could, you might say, be excused here. But in one instance Bill was definitely at fault.
PASSED BALL
This was in the final tenth, when the Caps rallied around for the winner, with a helping hand from Bremerton pitcher Bill Ahearn, who couldn't find the plate or any of the nearby corners.
Ahearn gave a double to Charley Mead as the rally started. Then he walked Bill Reese and Bill Brenner on nine pitches.
With Len Tran at bat Ahearn tried the little guy with a wide sweeping curve. The pitch bounced off catcher Frank Volpi's glove and rolled to the grandstand.
ABBEY ASLEEP
Enter umpire Abbey. The seet of balls and strikes was caught with his ground rules down and he mad no motion to wave Mead in from third.
Abbey, as a matter of fact, would have let the game go right on had not his partner, Johnny Nenezich, stormed in to inform Bill that the ball game belonged in the record books.
That was the end of it, but the in-between stuff was interesting. The Caps led early as Bill Brenner hit a two-run homer in the second.
Then the Brems got three back in the third as Ed Murphy ripped a double down the left field line. The ball hit awfully close to the foul line which side we won't say. Abbey said it was fair but it wasn't unanimous.
Tongith the Caps go for it all. A double-header, starting at 7:30, will find Carl Gunnarson spinning the short one and Bob Hall the other.
[WILfan note: Bremerton scored three in the third. Bill Barisoff brought home Murphy with an out. Only one was earned ... The Caps tied it in the bottom of the inning when Frank Mullens singled and Ahearn issued three walks in a row (Paul Carpenter, Mead, Reese)].
Bremerton ....... 003 000 000 0 — 3 7 1
Vancouver ...... 021 000 000 1 — 4 10 2
Ahearn and Volpi; Hedgecock and Brenner.

Tacoma at Victoria, postponed, rain.
Spokane at Yakima, postponed, rain.
Salem at Wenatchee, postponed, rain.

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, August 30, 1947]

Johnny Nenezich and Bill Abbey, a pair of WIL umpires who have stirred up some fun in the league this year, told us a fair yarn about this week’s forfeited game in Spokane.
This was the instance, you’ll remember, when Salem loaded the bases on Spokane with none out and the score tied 5-5 in the seventh. A couple of close decisions on the bases sent the Spokes into a fine lather.
“They say umpires neyer draw crowds,” said Nenezich. “That forfeit came in the first of a three-game set. There was only a fair-sized house there the night of the fun but the total attendance was 20,000 for the series. Maybe you think they didn’t come to get their shots at us,” Johnny went on.
“You know eggs cost ninety cents a dozen down there and I’ll be they threw fifty bucks worth at us in that series. That wasn’t all, either. Tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Everybody had their own ideas and ammunition,” laughed Nenezich.
“Bob Abel, the league president, came over from Tacoma to see what the trouble was. He walked across the field to talk to us and got an over-ripe tomato in the back of the neck. Man, was he sore,” Johnny exclaimed.
* * *
Umpires Nenezich and Abbey were particularly put out with the display Spokane centre fielder George Schmess showed.
Abbey said, “That Schmees, who was over 300 feet from third base (that’s where the close decision occurred) thundered all the way in to tell us we missed one. I told him to get back in the field and play ball, and the guy must have swore for ten minutes without repeating himself.”
“When I finally pulled the clock on him and turned my back, Johnny (Nenezich) saw him wind up as it to take a sock at me. That did it. We kicked Schmees out, and along with him Spokane manager Ben Geraghty and first baseman Herb Gorman, Then we cleared the field and forfeited the game to Salem,” Abbey finished.
“The thing that will hurt Spokane and those players is the money angle. The team gets fined an automatic $250 for forfeiting and there were individual fines for Schmees, Gorman and Geraghty of not over $25 by not under $15,” Nenezich finished.
* * *
He probably won’t win any manager of the year awards, but you can’t help but glory in the fact it looks like the Caps have found a manager who will be welcome to stick around for awhile.
Bill Brenner did get away to a slow start. After all, this was a new business for him. But the fans were on his neck, and for a few weeks it looked like Bill’s number was up.
But the guy learns fast. His timing for removing and staying with starting pitchers got better. He discarded some waste players and a only kept those who would be in there punching when he readied this gang for the stretch drive.
Then big Bill asked Bob Brown for one more pitcher, a first baseman and an outfielder. The Hunk Anderson for Carl Gunnarson trade was made. Then Jim Estrada was shipped out for Bill Reese. And finally Brown talked Seattle out of Paul Carpenter.
Now Brenner was ready. He had the players to make the move. It needed only the managerial stroke for the big push.
Then the Caps were in sixth place, thirteen and a half games out of the lead. Now, they are in third spot, a half a game from the front.
Brenner had been a good clutch leader all the time. He is cool and calculating in the c1utch, stabbing inspiration into his mixture of youth and experience. You wouldn’t care to count the number of games that Benner has broken up with clutch hits, home runs or otherwise.
* * *
And the Brenner system is working. The guy is probably the friendliest manager in the world.
Everyone on the team is a “pal” to Brenner. He’s big and tough but just about as malicious as a puppy. His ball club fights to the end for him. And they've been paying off.
There are quite a few fans who think Brenner is a veteran of the game. It is true that Bill has been playing baseball for some time, but his actual age is 25.
Bill was one of Oregon’s football heroes in his college days. Wouldn’t you know it, though, the way he blocks runners from scoring on long throws from the outfield.
Brenner, like any other baseball manager, has pulled some masterful boners this year. But right now he can do no wrong.
One of the Caps, who shall pass anonymous for now, was down in the dumps the other day because he wasn’t playing too much. And when he was playing he wasn’t hitting the ball.
An umpire sympathized with the player and said, “what’s the matter, kid, Brenner not giving you a fair shake?”
The kid shot back, “Not on your life, fella. That’s the fairest, squarest guy you’ll ever meet. He’s just all man, that Brenner is.”

Thursday, August 28, 1947

2007-06-24T00:20:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Standings after Thursday's Games
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 80 62 .563 --
Salem ...... 77 61 .558 1
Vancouver .. 77 62 .544 1½
Spokane .... 79 65 .549 2
Victoria ... 77 65 .542 3
Tacoma ..... 66 75 .468 13½
Yakima ..... 56 86 .394 24
Wenatchee .. 52 88 .371 27

Caps Win Game in Twelfth
VANCOUVER, Aug. 28 — Thanks to the pitching of Bob Snyder, a homer by Bill Reese and timely singles by Bill Brenner and Buddy Hjelmaa, the Vancouver Capilanos shaded Bremerton, 2-1, in 12 innings and moved a 1½ games behind the first-place Bluejackets. The win was the first in a crucial six-game series that could decide the Western International League champion, with only two weeks left in the season.
Snyder ran his string of victories to six straight and his season total to 15, walking one man and giving up ten hits, most of them with two out.
Bremerton scored first and the run was unearned. Paul Carpenter let Frank Volpi's seventh-inning single go for two bases when he juggled the ball in left field. Then Hjelmaa shagged Joe Gedzius' hit, but threw the ball into the dirt and Volpi came home. Reese tied it in the bottom of the inning by lifting one that was last seen travelling toward Cambie Street.
The teams matched zeros until the twelfth when Bill Brenner opened with a single off Harry Johnston, the seventh hit of the game for the Caps. Len Tran sacrificed him to second — all for nought, as Snyder walked. Brenner went to third when Gedzius fumbled Lee Mohr's grounder before Hjelmaa rifled one into the right-field netting to end it.
Bremerton ....... 000 000 100 000—1 10 2
Vancouver ....... 000 000 100 001—2 8 2
Johnston and Volpi; Snyder and Brenner.

Jensen Looks Like Old Self
VICTORIA, Aug. 28 — Bob Jensen took over the mound with two men on and no one out in the first inning, and held the Tacoma Tigers to two runs and five hits the rest of the way for a 6-5 win by the Victoria Athletics tonight. The Western International League strikeout record-holder fanned 11.
He came in as Len Kasparovitch got into trouble early. Guy Miller led off with a sharp single then John Cavalli booted a double-play ball and everyone was safe. Paul Tedeshi singled and Kasparovitch added an error of his own as he threw low to second on Earl Kuper's easy roller. Glen Stetter then slapped another hit into left field to score the second and third runs of the inning and send Kasparovitch into the dugout for the night.
Jensen came in, forced Bob Hedington to ground into a double play and then struck out Maury Donovan.
He whiffed the side in the second and ran his successive strikeouts to six in the third inning.
A walk and a pair of singles gave the visiting nine their first run off Jensen in the fifth and Dick Greco accounted for the other when he drove a change-up over the fence.
A walk, Jack Harshman's double and Bill White's single gave the A's two runs in the second but they were trailing, 5-3, going into the eighth.
Another pass, followed by singles by White and Babe Jensen, scored one run and left runners at first and second. Greco hit Leo Righetti with a pitch and was replaced by Cy Greenlaw, who gave up a long fly to Bob Jensen to tie the game. Pat Patterson followed with a single to give Victoria its final run and the lead.
Tacoma ...... 300 010 100—5 8 2
Victoria ....... 021 000 03x—6 7 3
Greco, Greenlaw (8) and Kuper; Kasparovitch, B. Jensen (1) and Mastro.

First game:
Spokane ....... 000 000 0—0 2 2
Yakima ......... 501 003 x—7 11 0
Miller, Forsyth (3) and Bufflap; Romple and Constantino.
Second game:
Spokane ......... 111 010 1 — 5 9 1
Yakima ........... 002 080 2 — 10 14 2
Werbowski, Kramer (5) and O'Neill; Simon and Constantino.

Salem .............. 202 051 110—12 15 2
Wenatchee ....... 410 150 61x—18 18 2
Anderson, Peterson (2) and Beard; Rose, Frost (3), Condon (5) and Winter.

NON-W.I.L. MINOR LEAGUE NEWS

Bush League Slugger Has Drawn 176 Walks
PHOENIX, Ariz., August 28 —Rightfielder Pete Hughes of the Phoenix Senators of the class C Arizona-Texas league was disclosed Thursday to have received 176 bases on balls to August 27, exceeding the all-time major league record of 170 set by Babe Ruth in 1923.
The 27-year-old lefthanded batter leads the league in home runs with 37 and has a batting average of .381. He has hit 35 two-baggers and seven triples and drive in 160 runs.
(Hughes would later play in the W.I.L. for Victoria)

Why Vancouver is Still in Athletic Park

2007-06-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Before and After
By Ken McConnell
[Vancouver Province, Aug. 27, 1947]
WOULD BUILD STADIUM NOW
Emil Sick, head man with the Rainier Brewing Company of Washington State and its Vancouver subsidiary, “would build a new sports stadium in Vancouver tomorrow,” if he could obtain the materials and the permission of the authorities to proceed with the work.
Earl Sheely, general manager of the Rainiers Baseball Club who is a visitor in the city, told The Vancouver Daily Province of the plans for the new stadium.
“Mr. Sick is eager to build now. He would authorize the work to start tomorrow if he could,” said Sheely.
As a matter of fact the Rainiers themselves want to increase the size of their own ball park in Seattle. They are hoping to make the park’s capacity 20,000. However, the same shortages exist in the Washington city as here and mostly it is the lack of steel which prevents the work being done.
Rainiers, for instance, are certain to see a new attendance mark this year. The present record is 519,000. Already—and they have 14 games at home yet—they have drawn 497,000.
“I think we’ll easily pass the old record,” declared Sheely, “right along we have been averaging between seven and eight thousand fans per game.”
Incidentally, the prices in the Pacific Coast Baseball League are: boxes $1.75; reserved, grandstand, $1.50; general admittance, $1.25 and bleachers 75 cents. The tax is included in these prices.
* * *
Drive for Pennants
Under the present agreement between Rainiers and the Capilanos, there is no obligation on the part of the Rainiers to send players here.
“Naturally we will help as much as we can, but the Capilanos operate independently,” said Seattle’s boss.
The Rainiers have Carpenter, Hall, Mullens, Mohr, Snyder and Stumpf. All of them will get a chance next year and Sheely is particularly interested in Caps’ second sacker Leoo Mohr.
“We will not recall any players until your season is completed,” went on Sheely. “However next year if Mohr does not stick with us—and he has a very good chance—then we’ll send him to a Class AA team.
“If a player is not given a chance to improve himself, he never will. I think Mohr is a fine prospect.”
Los Angeles has the edge at present in the drive for the Pacific Coast League pennant. But Portland’s Lucky Beavers are the hottest club in the league right now, with the best pitching of any club.
“One bad week, though,” cautioned Sheely, “can do any team a lot of harm.”
He was impressed with the possibilities of the Caps continuing their upward thrust in the Western International League.
* * *
He Likes Fishing, Too
Once Vancouver had high hopes of obtaining Sacramento’s franchise in the Coast League. As it turned out, with the fire practically destroying our ball park, we would never have been able to successfully compete in that league.
However it was this same Sheely who went to Sacramento and pulled that club through its roughest season and last year they drew 350,000 fans.
Big—Sheely is six feet, four inches and weighs around 230 pounds—he has been in baseball ever since he was able to walk, back in Illinois. He was a great first baseman.
He started with Spokane, in 1912, suffered a leg fracture and would up with Walla Walla, Wash. He then went to Salt Lake when that city was in the Coast circuit and from there went to the Chicago White Sox in 1920, just after the biggest scandal in baseball’s history nearly wrecked the game and the White Sox as well.
He was with the Sox until 1927 and then went to Sacramento and he was promptly drafted by Pittsburgh. He came back to San Francisco and was drafted by Boston Braves.
Then he played with Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle and ended his playing career in 1934. He was the Boston Red Sox scout for three and now the general manager of the Rainiers.
Yes, he has one other interest outside baseball. He’s a fishing addict.

Wednesday, August 27, 1947

2007-06-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Wednesday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 80 61 .567 --
Salem ...... 77 60 .562 1
Spokane .... 79 63 .556 1½
Vancouver .. 76 62 .551 2½
Victoria ... 76 65 .539 4
Tacoma ..... 66 74 .471 13½
Yakima ..... 54 86 .386 25½
Wenatchee .. 51 88 .367 28½

VANCOUVER, August 27 — Lee Mohr rapped out a triple in the first inning, batted in two runs with a double in the second and beat out an infield hit in the sixth to lead Vancouver to a 7-6 win tonight and a four-game Western International League series sweep.
Mohr also starred in the field as the Tigers made a late attack.
The Caps were leading 7-0 going into the top half of the seventh when Tacoma scored three runs on a walk, two singles and a double. Three more safties in the eighth neetted two more runs.
Left fielder Glen Stetter slapped out a double in the ninth to send Caps' starter Carl Gunnarson to the showers. A single and a fielder's choice brought in Stetter. Sandy Robertson gave up a walk to put the tying run at second, but then made Roy Patton hit a sharp grounder that was turned for a double play, Buddy Hjelmaa to Mohr to Bill Reese, to end the game.
Tacoma .......... 000 000 321—6 16 1
Vancouver ...... 131 011 00x—7 9 0
Morgan, Tinsley (7), Chetkovich (8) and Clifford, Kuper (8); Gunnarson, Robertson, (9) and Stumpf.

Tars Shut Down A's
VICTORIA, Aug. 27 — Bremerton scored five runs in the first and fourth innings in a 12-8 triumph over the Victoria Athletics in a Western International League game here tonight.
Seven of the runs were unearned as the Athletics booted six times. Leo Righetti failed to turn a double play twice and was charged with errors.
The only highlight, as far as Victoria's 2,391 fans were concerned, was a six-run fifth inning. Bremerton starter Hub Kittle came down with Victoria's fielding disease and misplayed Babe Jensen's bouncer. A couple of hits and three walks later, six runs had scored and the A's were threatening for more. But manager Ted Norbert let pitcher Jim Arnold bat for himself with the bases loaded and two out. Reliever John Marshall whiffed him. As it was, Arnold had to come out of the game with a sore finger.
Dick Mitchell was trying for his ninth straight pitching victory, but instead got his tenth loss as he got only one batter out in the first after surrendering five hits.
Bremerton ......... 520 500 000—12 14 2
Victoria ............ 000 062 000— 8 12 6
Kittle, Marshall (5) and Volpi; Mitchell, Arnold (1) Blankenship (6) and Mastro.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 27 — The Wenatchee Chiefs pounded out four home runs in a 12-9 win over the Salem Senators in a Western International League mix-up tonight.
Eddie Barr hit a grand-slam against his former mates in the fourth inning. Bob Moore punched a two-run homer in the first inning, Buddy Peterson and Bill Beard added homers in the seventh and eighth with non one aboard. A three-run homer by Lee Winter sparked a Wenatchee rally in the sixth.
Salem ............... 320 401 110—12 14 1
Wenatchee ........ 000 124 002— 9 11 0
Lazor, Laroy (6), Sporer (9) and Beard; Osborne, Day (2), Burd (6) and Dalrymple.

YAKIMA, Aug. 27 — Spokane handed Yakima a five-run lead in the first inning and went down to an 11-6 defeat at the hands of the Stars in a Western International League game tonight.
The runs came in on an error, three singles, and three consecutive walks by starter Bill Samson. The Indians came within one run with a four-run rally in the fourth, but the Stars packed away the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to regain a five-run margin.
Spokane ........ 010 400 001— 6 11 4
Yakima .......... 501 101 12x—11 11 1
Sampson, Spitzer (7), Latino (8) and O'Neill, Bufflap (7); Strait, Wallerstein (4) and Constantino.

ON THE SUNBEAM
By ALF COTTRELL
[from Vancouver Sun, Aug. 28, 1947]
Jim Took a Ride on the Escalator
When Bremerton Bluejackets drop into Capilano Stadium the fans will be treated to a glimpse, in all likelihood, of a hired hand who recently underwent the interesting experience of being kicked upstairs.
The gentleman in question is Indian, Jim Estrada, the man the Capilanos traded to Bremerton for first-baseman Bill Reese.
The Bluejackets are among those whom the Caps are trying to overhaul, which provides the evidence at which we hinted in our lead.
Attempting to determine which club gt the better of the Reese-Estrada swap is as futile as trying to get insurance on Julius Caesar just before a performance of the play with the same name, or as asking if there is a doctor in the house when Ohsodry is running at Hastings.
Reese has made the Capilano infield look better ever since he joined theclub, due to his agility and masterful handling of that big glove. In fact he has made the Capilano infield, exclamation mark!
We haven’t heard too much about Estrada since he went away, but at the moment he is reported to be playing third base as if he had invented it. I did notice that in a game the other night at Victoria, a cosy little 17-5 pitchers’ struggle, Indian Jimmy poked out the only homer of the game. In addition he got a double and a single.
Over the long haul, possibly, Jim isn’t that kind of a hitter. He would hardly have to be in that swashbuckling Bremerton cast. Such lads as Al Maul, Bill Barisoff, Frank Volpi and Hooks Devaurs can swing the heavy sticks while the Indian goes along with the odd hit-and-run effort, or even a deft sacrifice when required.
The point I wished to make, of course, was that the Caps did Estrada no particular harm when they dealt him his walking papers. Meanwhile, as I have already intimated, the Capilanos and their Bill Reese aren’t feeling any pain, either.

Tuesday, August 26, 1947

2007-06-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Tuesday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 79 61 .565 --
Spokane .... 79 62 .560 ½
Salem ...... 76 60 .559 1
Vancouver .. 75 62 .533 2½
Victoria ... 76 64 .548 3
Tacoma ..... 66 73 .475 12½
Yakima ..... 54 85 .388 24½
Wenatchee .. 51 87 .370 27

"Body" Give Body Blow to Tigers
VANCOUVER, Aug. 26 — Bob 'The Body' Hall snuffed out the Tacoma Tigers with seven safties and struck out 11 as the Vancouver Capilanos won their fifth straight, 6-1, in a Western International League game tonight.
Hall walked three and won his 15th game against five losses. The only batter to give him trouble was Earl Kuper, who hit a round-tripper, a single and a triple.
Len Tran and Buddy Hjelmaa got to Stan Gilson for a homer apiece while Paul Carpenter rapped out a double in the third two bring in two runs.
Tacoma .......... 000 100 000—1 7 2
Vancouver ...... 003 021 00x—6 11 0
Gilson and Kuper; Hall and Brenner.

Woop Checks Tars as A's Come Back
VICTORIA, Aug. 26 — The Victoria Athletics scored three in the eighth to tie the game , then went on to a 9-8, 11-inning win in a Western International League game tonight.
John Cavalli led off the 11th win a slashing double to right field that Bill Barisoff was unable to hold. After bunting foul, John Hooper, who had a double and two singles, pushed a hit over the drawn-in infield and Cavalli scored standing up.
Jim Arnold started the game for Victoria and was given a 2-0 lead when Vic Mastro homered. But he was off to an early showers. Frank Volpi dropped a hit over the centre-field wall after Allan Maul and Barisoff singled, for three runs. A walk to Charlie Bushong and a single by pitcher Jim Lowman brought in reliever Bill Woop, who got off to a rough start. He threw wild to Vic Mastro at the plate, gave up two walks and was victimised by a low throw from third baseman Babe Jensen and three runs scored.
But then Woop gave up a lone run on four hits the rest of the way.
Jensen smacked a two-run homer in the third, and a throwing error by Jim Estrada allowed Jack Marshman to score a run in the third.
Then came the eighth inning, when Cavalli capped the inning with a two-run homer, putting the game into extra innings.
Bremerton ........... 070 010 000 00—8 9 1
Victoria .............. 221 000 030 01—9 15 5
Lowman, Ahearn (8) and Volpi; Arnold, Woop (2) and Mastro.

Weird One at Wenatchee
WENATCHEE, Aug. 26 — The Wenatchee Chiefs scored seven runs on only one hit in the fourth inning tonight to take a 12-6 win over the Yakima Stars in the Western International League tonight.
With one out, Yakima pitcher Larry Ward walked Jimmy Zinn but struck out the next batter for the second out. Three consecutive walks forced in a run and brought in a new pitcher. Rowe Wallerstein forced in two more with another pair of passes and gave way to John Cordell. The latter was reached for a single which plated the fourth run and left the bags still loaded.
Cordell then struck out Lou McCollum but catcher Bud Phillips dropped the third strike. Instead of stepping on the plate to force the third out, he fired the ball to first base. No one was coverting and three more runs counted before the right fielder retrieved the pellet.
Yakima ............ 020 000 022— 6 10 4
Wenatchee ...... 202 700 01x—12 8 1
Ward, Wallerstein (4), Cordell (4), and Phillips, Constantino (7); McCollum and Dalrymple.

Salem .......... 000 002 300—5 14 1
Spokane ...... 020 100 000—3 7 3
Wyatt, Sinovic (9) and Beard; Costello and O'Neill.

Monday, August 25, 1947

2007-06-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Monday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 79 60 .568 --
Spokane .... 79 61 .564 ½
Salem ...... 75 60 .556 2
Vancouver .. 74 62 .544 4½
Victoria ... 75 64 .540 5
Tacoma ..... 66 72 .478 12½
Yakima ..... 53 85 .384 25½
Wenatchee .. 50 87 .365 28

Caps Win Fourth Straight
VANCOUVER, Aug. 25 — Len Tran atoned for a third inning error that allowed three runs by doubling in Charlie Mead with the winning run in the eighth inning, as the Vancouver Capilanos went on to a 5-4 Westren International League win tonight.
Jim Hedgecock recorded his 18th victory in giving up ten hits and striking out six.
The only time he was in trouble was in the third, after the Caps took the lead in the second on singles by Mead and Bill Reese, a timely bunt by Bob Brenner and a fielder's choice. That's when three runs scored on three hits and Tran's error.
Vancouver responded with three of their own in the third. Lee Mohr, Buddy Hjelmaa, Frank Mullens and Paul Carpenter all ripped singles of Gordon Walden, Carpenter's being an infield fly that nobody was able to field. This, plus two errors and a fielder's choice, brought in the runs.
Tacoma tied it in the fifth as Pete Tedeski singled, took advantage of Guy Miller's hit and Mohr's error to round third and came home on a fly ball to centre field.
Reese and Tran rapped doubles one out apart in the eighth to give Vancouver its fourth straight win.
Tacoma ........... 003 010 000—4 10 2
Vancouver ....... 013 000 01x—5 13 2
Walden and Clifford; Hedgecock and Brenner.

Tars Hammer A's
VICTORIA, Aug. 25 — An eight-run eighth inning capped a night of scoring against the Victoria Athletics, as the front-running Bremerton Bluejackets easily won, 17-5. It was Victoria's fourth straight defeat.
Joe Blankenship fell to 9 and 12 and gave up the first seven runs in seven innings on 12 hits. Bob Jensen came in for the last two innings and was battered for four hits and four walks. Seven of the eight runs against him were unearned as brother Babe nooted a ground ball.
Allan Maul had two doubles, a triple and a single in six trips to the plate, scored five times and batted in three runs to lead the Bremerton attack.
John Marshall received credit for his 14th win in 21 decisions, though he walked eight and gave up five runs in 6 1-3 innings. Hub Kittle finished off the game.
Bremerton ........ 013 022 180-17 16 2
Victoria ........... 000 011 300—5 7 5
Marshall, Kittle (7) Volpi; Blankenship, Jensen (8) and Mastro.

Salem .......... 000 500 000—5 8 1
Spokane ....... 002 003 01x—6 11 2
Mosser and Beard; Werbowski and O'Neill.

Yakima .......... 000 120 200—5 11 4
Wenatchee .... 030 705 13x—19 19 0
Nowels, Brysch (4), Zarenitski (8), and Constantino; Vivalda and Dalrymple.

Fred Mercy Sells Yakima Stars to 3 Californians
YAKIMA, August 25 — Frederick Mercy Jr., owner of the Yakima Stars baseball club of the class B Western International league said today that the team has been sold to three Californians including Vernon Johnson, former Oakland pitcher in the Pacific Coast league.
Mercy did not disclose terms of the contract and said the sale is effective at the close of the current season, subject to approval by the league's board of directors.
The other purchasers are Richard Richards of Palo Alto, who negotiated the deal, and Monte Peyl.
Richards, manager of a semi-pro team in the San Francisco area, said "I definitely intend to keep the Western International league franchise in Yakima."
The Stars are currently in seventh place in the league, 24½ games out of first place.

Suspended Spokane Manager, Player, Will Re-Join Club
SPOKANE, Aug. 25 — Western International League president Robert Abel said tonight that Spokane manager Ben Geraghty and outfielder George Schmees, suspended Sunday for their part in an argument which resulted in a forfeited game to Salem, will be permitted to rejoin the Indians Wednesday.
Abel said the two players and first baseman Herb Gorman will be fined an amount to be determined later. Gorman was not suspended. Abel flew here from Tacoma to get first-hand information on the incident.

Ball Shaggers Go On Strike in Victoria For Pay Raise
VICTORIA, Aug. 25 — Ball and scoreboard boys went on an unorganized and almost effective strike just before game time tonight.
The young park employees confronted the business manager of the Victoria Athletics, Reg Patterson, with a demand for a 25 cent per night increase or else.
They were promptly escorted out the front gates but were far from through. Two new scoreboard boys were dispatched to the scoreboard but left under threats of violence from the would-be unionists who had taken up a station behind the fence.
Only when the pickets were sent on their way by police did the hired youngsters venture out onto the board.

Sunday, August 24, 1947

2007-06-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Sunday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 78 60 .565 --
Spokane .... 78 68 .561 ½
Salem ...... 75 59 .560 2
Victoria ... 75 63 .543 3
Vancouver .. 73 63 .541 3½
Tacoma ..... 66 71 .482 11½
Yakima ..... 53 84 .387 24½
Wenatchee .. 49 87 .360 27½

Two Players Suspended, Indians Forfeit Game
SPOKANE, Aug. 24 — The Salem Senators knocked Spokane out of first place in the Western International League tongith by defeating the Indians, 6-2, in the second game of a double-header after being awarded the openr, 9-0, on a ninth inning forfeit.
Spokane manager Ben Garaghty and George Schmees were notified by League Superintendent Robert Abel just before the second game that they had been suspended "until further notice" for their part in an afternoon argument that started a call at third base by umpire Marty Nenzich has been protested.
Scheme Tackled
Indian centre fielder George Schmees was ousted from the game after he started in front the outfield toward the site of the bickering. Schmees then charged the pitcher's box but was brought down by a flying tackle by Spokane pitcher Bill Samson.
Then umpire Bill Abbey threw up his hands and ruled the game a forfeit to Salem. Police were called in to escort the arbiters from the field.
First game:
Salem .......... 000 100 13—5
Spokane ...... 050 000 00—5
Wyatt and Beard; Latino and O'Neill.
(Game awarded to Salem, 9-0, by forfeit in first of the ninth).
Second Game:
Salem ....... 000 010 221—6 11 2
Spokane .... 000 010 010—2 6 0
Anderson, Sinovic (8) and Beard; Miller, Forsyth (9) and Bufflap.

First game:
Yakima ............ 000 000 2—2 4 0
Wenatchee ...... 000 030 x—3 2 1
Cordell and Phillips; Frost and Dalrymple.
Second game:
Yakima ............ 002 303 001 1—10 14 5
Wenatchee ...... 100 220 013 2—11 12 3
Romple, Wallerstein (9) and Constantino, Phillips (5); Day, Condon (4), Burd (5), Rose (6), and Dalrymple.

First game:
Bremerton ............ 001 000 2—3 7 2
Tacoma ............... 001 000 0—1 2 2
Sullivan and Ronning ; Greco and Clifford.
Second game:
Bremerton ......... 020 000 002 — 4 11 2
Tacoma ........... (10)00 101 30x— 15 I3 1
Ahearn, Smith (2) and Volpi, Ronning; Chetkovich and Kuper.

Only games scheduled.

Saturday, August 23, 1947

2007-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Saturday
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 78 59 .569 --
Bremerton .. 77 59 .566 ½
Salem ...... 73 59 .553 2½
Victoria ... 75 63 .543 3½
Vancouver .. 73 62 .541 4
Tacoma ..... 65 70 .481 12
Yakima ..... 53 82 .393 24
Wenatchee .. 47 87 .351 29½

Caps Win a Pair of One-Run Games
VANCOUVER, Aug. 23 — The Vancouver Capilanos handed the Victoria Athletics their 20th and 21st one-run losses of the Western International season with a 5-4 and 1-0 double-header sweep before a packed house at Capilano Stadium tonight.
Two home runs over the looming right field wall, the last by manager Bill Brenner in the bottom of the eighth inning, offset a fighting rally by the Athletics, who tied the count in the seventh.
Dick Mitchell, in trying for his ninth straight victory and 16th of the season, got off to a shaky start when he ran into a bad error and had control trouble in the first inning.
Lee Mohr openeed by beating out a drag bunt and John Cavalli booted Buddy Hjelmaa's ground ball to put Mitchell on the spot. Frank Mullens' fly ball scored Mohr and Charlie Mead lofted a home run after Paul Carpenter had walked and the Capilanos were four runs ahead.
Bill White's smash down the foul line cleared the fence in the fourth for the first Victoria run and the second came in the sixth when White doubled, Jack Harshman singled and Babe Jensen hit a sacrifice fly.
A rousing rally in the seventh saw Leo Righetti, pinch-hitter Bob Jensen and Pat Patterson open with singles to load the bags. A fielder's choice and an outfield fly plated the tying runs.
The Caps' rally in the seventh was marred by an umpire's call. Mullens' hit bounced off the right-field screen and over the fence, but it was ruled a double. Paul Carpenter sacrificed him over, Charlie Mead walked, then the A's got the old strike-him-out/throw-him-out double play when Reese swished at strike three and catcher Vic Mastro gunned down Mead at second.
Brenner then decided things one inning later when he took Joe Blankenship's second pitch over the fence.
Len Kasparovitch and Bob Snyder were cruising along in the second game, matching zeros for eight innings until the ninth. Charlie Mead hit one to Leo Righetti at short, who bboted the ball and the runner was safe. Reese singled to centre and Mead moved to second. Bill Brenner flew out, but a wide curve to Len Tran eluded catcher Vic Mastro and the runners advanced. Tran then rifled a single over second to end the game.
First game:
Victoria ................. 001 101 20—4 14 3
Vancouver ............. 400 000 01—5 7 0
Mitchell, Blankenship (7) and Mastro; Gunnarson, Robertson (7) and Brenner.
Second game:
Victoria .......... 000 000 000—0 7 1
Vancouver ...... 000 000 001—1 7 1
Kasparovitch and Mastro; Snyder and Brenner.

Solons Sink Stars
YAKIMA, Wash., Aug 23 - Two big innings, the fifth and the sveenth, gave the Salem Senators a 13-10 victory over the Yakima Stars in a Western International League series finale tonight to leave the teams each with two wins.
Marty Krug's two-run double in the fifth inning capped a four-run rally and Buddy Peterson's tripled in the seventh frame to put the final touches on a five-run upsurge that later rpoved too much for the Stars to overcome.
Salem ............ 301 040 500—13 13 5
Yakima ........... 301 021 021—10 14 1
Lazor, Mossor (9) and Beard; Simon and Phillips.

Spokane Moves Into WIL Lead
WENATCHEE, Wash., Aug. 23 - George Schmee's home run with none out in the first of the ninth inning broke up a tight ball game and gave the Spokane Indians a 3-2 victory tonight over the Wenatchee Chiefs. The win moved the Tribe into first place in the Western International League by a half game.
The two teams split their four-game series.
Spokane ......... 000 001 011—3 7 1
Wenatchee ..... 001 000 010—2 7 1
Costello and Bufflap, O'Neill (8); Osborne and Dalrymple.

Tigers Drop Tars into Second Spot
TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 23 - Tacoma Tigers knocked Bremerton Bluejackets out the of the Western International League lead tonight with a 2-1 victory.
The Tigers won on a neat sven-hit pitching performance by Julian Morgan, who bested the Tars' Hub Kittle.
Morgan led off with the opening single on a four-hit attack that netted Tacoma its two runs in the fifth inning. Bremerton's lone run came in the eighth when Hooks DeVaurs doubled and scored after two were out on Frank Volpi's bloop single.
Bremerton ....... 000 000 010—1 7 1
Tacoma .......... 000 020 00x—2 12 2
Kittle and Volpi; Morgan and Kuper.

Friday, August 22, 1947

2007-06-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

W L Pct GB
Bremerton .. 77 58 .571 —
Spokane .... 77 59 .566 ½
Victoria ... 75 61 .551 3
Salem ...... 72 59 .550 3½
Vancouver .. 71 62 .534 5½
Tacoma ..... 64 70 .478 13
Yakima ..... 53 81 .396 24
Wenatchee .. 47 86 .353 29

VANCOUVER, Aug. 22 — Bob Hall, hard-throwing righthander, stopped the victory march of the Victoria Athletics here tonight when he threw a five-hitter at the Islanders and struck out 13 batters to give the Vancouver Capilanos a 9-3 Western International League triumph, their second with the A's this week.
Hall struck out 13 and walked two, and slapped out a screaming triple that got a standing ovation of the crowd of 3,000.
The losers scored only in the second and eighth innings. Two singles, a walk and an outfield fly accounted for the second inning tally, while John Hooper's two-run homer accounted for the final Victoria counters. The rally ended when Paul Carpenter pulled off a spectacular catch while rapped around the left-field light standard.
The Caps scored in every inning but the fifth as they pecked away at Bill Woop to hand him his 13th setback. Leon Mohr, the disappearing second baseman, was forgiven by the Vancouver management sufficiently to get into action and picked up three hits.
Victoria ......... 010 000 020—3 5 0
Vancouver ..... 121 201 11x—9 17 1
Woop and Mastro; Hall and Brenner.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 22 — Tom Rose tossed a one-hit shutout in the opening game of a twin-bill, giving the last-place Wenatchee Chiefs a 7-0 win over the Spokane Indians, who dropped to second place in the Western International League with a 12-4 loss in the second game.
Rose fanned five and walked three. The lone hit was a scatch safety over second base.
Lou McCollum scattered six hits in the nightcap after Spokane suffered a scourge of fumble-itis, committing seven errors.
First game:
Spokane ............... 000 000 0—0 1 0
Wenatchee ........... 000 070 x—7 13 1
Samson, Forsyth (5) and O'Neill; Rose and Dalrymple.
Second game:
Spokane ................. 010 100 020— 4 5 7
Wenatchee ............. 103 004 40x—12 10 1
Spitzer, Latino (7) and Bufflap; McCollum and Dalrymple.

First game:
Salem ....... 024 355 0—13 24 1
Yakima ...... 200 010 1— 4 8 0
Mossor and Beard; Brysch, Wallerstein (3) and Constantino.
Second game:
Salem ......... 000 100 310—5 11 2
Yakima ........ 133 100 000—8 12 1
G. Peterson, Sporer (3) Sinovic (8) and Mohler, Beard (8); Strait and Phillips.

First game:
Bremerton ............ 000 000 1— 1 5 2
Tacoma ............... 100 522 x—10 14 0
Johnston, Smith (6) and Ronning; Greenlaw and Clifford.
Second game:
Bremerton .......... 202 130 800—16 19 0
Tacoma ............. 000 000 001—1 7 2
Lowman and Volpi; Gilson, Tinsley (3), Clough (5), Hedington (7) and Kuper.

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, August 23, 1947]

Of course it had to pop up around this time of the year again. We mean that time-honored all-star squabble, when the fans are all sure they have just the best little baseball team in the world right in the backs of their heads.
A couple of fans have written in for our opinion, which we have never deemed important anyway. Another few at the ball park have asked the same question—“who’s the best at this and that position?”
Well, we won’t waste much time with it. Our all-star infield is Jack Harshman (Victoria) first base, Art Lilly (Yakima) second, Guy Miller (Tacoma) shortstop, and Babe Jensen (Victoria) third. Alternates have Herb Gorman (Spokane), Leo Righetti (Victoria), Buddy Hjelmaa (Vancouver) and Bob Hedington (Tacoma), filling respective positions.
The first string outfield reads, naturally, like a pitcher’s lament, Johnny Hooper (Victoria), Frank Mullens (Vancouver) and Bill White (Victoria). Ouch, get that power!
The reserve outfield isn’t bad either. Try Doug Donnan (Spokane), Ed Murphy (Bremerton), and Mel Wasley (Wenatchee), for size.
Catchers, who don’t necessarily have to hit the size of their toenails, although it helps if they do, are supposed to be long on brains. How can you get away from Bill Brenner then,
who, after all, is a manager and should have a working think-tank. Ami if its hitting you want Tacoma’s Earl Kuper should fit in nicely as No. 2 catcher.
* * *
And now the pitching. We have selected two right handers and two left handers. The rights left doubt in our minds, Jim Lowman of Bremerton and Bob Costello, Spokane. The lefties did offer a problem with the Caps’ Jim Hedgecock and Bremerton’s Joe Sullivan sneaking in. But don’t say I didn’t mention Salem’s Wendell Mossor.
The all-star manager is, without the slightest doubt, Jack Wilson, who has worked miracles with the Salem gang with almost nothing. Put Frank DeHaney behind the plate and Johnny Nenezich on the bases and we’ll have a ball game.
You’ll notice that the team is not as much Bremerton and Spokane as it is Victoria. You possibly think, then that we like Victoria for the bunting this year. Well, we do.
Maybe you don’t agree with these selections. You know our address anyway.
* * *
Ma and Pa Mullens are in town to watch Frankie boy perform. And though the Roscoe Rifle isn’t having one of his big streaks, you’ll also notice he’s batting in runs and hitting for extra bases.
Pa Mullens is a baseball fan, Brooklyn style. Not rabid, mind you, but he knows his way around the bases.
He told us in Victoria what we have known and maintained eons ago. Son Frank is not a power hitter. He’s the line drive type, sez Pa Mullens. And If you don't believe it wait until son Frank gets in that big Seattle ball park next year. Yessir, son Frank will hit a million, all line drives, sez Pa Mullens.
Son Frank, incidentaly, has a cousin in the Texas League who is a second baseman and who is a better ball player than our ace, sez Pa Mullens. That we would like to see. Yeah, that would be even worth seeing.
* * *
Bob Stumpf, the big, good natured Cap catcher from the Bronx, was 21 years old last Wednesday. Bronx Bob will never forget his 21st. He went into a protracted hitting slump which is driving him to speaking English.
Stumpf is still worried about Seattle, too. The boys have been kidding him about his ’48 possibilities.
'The other night, Paul Carpenter said to Stumpf, “Hey there, Bob, Earl Sheeley told me before I left Seattle that you were taking Bob Stagg’s place next season. (Stagg is Seattle’s bullpen catcher.)
Stumpf went near crazy. “I won’t report. Migawd, I’d rather play semi-pro. Why, I’ll jump ‘da club, yeah, ‘dat’s what I’ll do.” >

Sports Reel…
[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 22, 1947]
This week’s edition of the Sporting News gives Eddie Carnett, one-time manager of the Capilanos, a fair spread. Eddie was recently one of four players on the Paris (Big State League) nine to receive victory medals fro their navy services in World War II. Eddie looks quite happy in the picture, and incidentally, right below the pix, is an item which relates how Carnett hit into a triple play recently.

Thursday, August 21, 1947

2007-06-23T04:43:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
STANDINGS after Thursday's games
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 77 57 .575 --
Bremerton .. 76 57 .571 --
Victoria ... 75 60 .556 2½
Salem ...... 71 58 .550 3½
Vancouver .. 70 62 .530 6
Tacoma ..... 63 69 .477 13
Yakima ..... 52 80 . 394 24
Wenatchee .. 45 86 .344 30½

A's Nab Wild Battle
VANCOUVER, Aug. 21 — Victoria's hard-hitting Athletics smashed out 19 safe blows and combined them with five Capilano errors here tonight to down the Vancouver Western League entry, 13-12, in the first of a four-game series.
If was the fourth win in five starts for the A's against the Caps.
In a wild game which saw Victoria twice come from behind after taking an early lead to snatch victory. Vic Mastro, Pat Patterson, John Hooper and Bill White led the winning attack.
Mastro lined out two home runs and a single and batted in four runs, Patterson figured in every rally with four hits, including a double, White picked up two triples and drove three runners across while Hooper hatted in three runs with as many singles.
Athletics found the offerings of starting hurler Bob Snyder to their liking. He pitched four balls before the score mounted to 3-0. Patterson singled on the first offering, Hooper followed suit, only to be out at second trying for a double. Bill White tripled and Mastro homered on the next two Snyder deliveries.
Vancouver came back in their half with four tallies to take a short-lived lead, but Patterson againt started the visitors rolling in the second by singling and tearing in all the way from first on Hooper's hit. White got his second triple and Mastro singled him over.
Bob Jensen went to the showers in the fourth inning when two walks and a single loaded the bags and Frank Mullens poled one of his Capilanos Stadium specials over the right field wall — a scant 270-feet away!
Jim Arnold relieved and was reached for the third four-run rally by the Caps in the seventh after Victoria had tied it up in the sixth when Hooper's hit scored Arnold and Patterson, who had walked and doubled.
Down but not out, the A's came back in the eighth with a five-run uprising. Mastro's home run with two out tied the count as 12-12. Jack Harshman singled and all hands were safe when Buddy Hjelmaa booted Babe Jensen's grounder. John Cavalli's single plated the winning run.
Victoria ............ 330 002 050—13 19 0
Vancouver ........ 400 400 400—12 10 5
R. Jensen, Arnold (4) and Mastro; Snyder, Robertson (2), Hedgecock (8) and Stumpf.

WENATCHEE, Aug 21 — The Spokane Indians maintained a half-game lead over the rest of the Western International League on Thursday by doubling the Wenatchee Chiefs, 8-4.
Spokane pushed over four runs in the opening inning on three singles and George Schmees' triple, then sewed up the game with Jack Phillips' homer in the third and consecutive four-basers by Bud Hicks and Bob Morgan with two out in the ninth.
Steve Andrade tripled and singled to drive in three Wenatchee tallies and scored the fourth himself.
Spokane ........... 401 000 102—8 13 0
Wenatchee ....... 000 030 100—4 10 0
Werbowski and Bufflap; Vivalda, Waltho (9) and Winter.

BREMERTON, Aug. 21 — Eddie Murphy's home run after Jimmy Estrada's double broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth inning, enabling Bremerton Bluejackets to down Tacoma, 5-3, in a Western International League game here tonight.
Tacoma ............. 030 000 000—3 9 0
Bremerton .......... 200 010 002—5 10 0
Walden and Kuper; Marshall and Volpi.

YAKIMA, Aug. 21 — Yakima Stars had two four-innings, the fifth and the seventh, in turning back Salem Senators, 11-4, tonight in a Western International League match.
Hank Robinson, with five singles in six trips to the plate, was the big gun in the victors' 15-hit attack. Salem, although garnering 11 base blows, could only manufacture four tallies, half of them driven in by Bob Moore, a former Yakima player.
Salem ............... 002 000 101— 4 11 1
Yakima ............. 301 040 41x—13 15 1
Sporer, Laroy (2), Wilson (6) and Beard, Mosler (8); Ward and Phillips.

Mohr Sorry
VANCOUVER, Aug. 22 — Lee Mohr, the second-baseman whose almost assured call-up to Seattle was suddenly cancelled, has told Vancouver Capilanos General Manager Bob Brown he is sorry he jumped the club after Tuesday's double-header.
He is still in Vancouver, and it remains a question whether Brown will accept the apology and allow him to return.
The Capilanos have obtained Cy Stevens, who batted 0 for 5 tonight, and was charged with an error in seven put-out chances. He had one assist.

Mohr’s Side Has Points To It, Too
By DON CARLSON
[Vancouver Sun Sports Editor, Aug. 22, 1947]
When Lee Mohr, the ex-Marine who plays second base for the Caps “jumped” the club in Victoria Thursday, he committed the supreme faux pas of baseballdom, according to the rules. But before he’s crucified for “disloyalty” to Vancouver, let his side of the affair be heard.
For Mohr, by his act, may stand today at a crossroads of his ball career. By missing Thursday’s game in Victoria, he sinned more grievously, according to baseball’s one-way code, than the clergyman who puffed a Lucky in the pulpit or the plumber who fixed a wall plug.
Let no tears be shed for his owners, the Seattle Rainiers, whose “rights” are protected by the rules which the baseball moguls have conceived for the preservation of “law and order” in the game and which tie up their chattels tighter than Jane Russell’s bodice.
If sympathy is in order in l’affaire Mohr, it seems to this writer it should be given to Mohr himself, who, like the other hired hands in organized ball, became shorn of the kind of bargaining rights most working men guard with burning zeal the moment he signed a Seattle contract last spring.
Mohr came to Vancouver armed with verbal promises from Seattle’s general manager Earl Sheely and manager Jo Jo White that he was on 24-hour recall, and would be brought back to the triple A club instantly [if] injuries occurred in the Rainiers’ roster.
A Tough Lesson
Within the past month Seattle reached the point where its “old men” began hobbling about like the star exhibits at Mayo Bros. But did they remember that springtime promise? No, sir. Instead, they went outside their own organization and bought replacements from other clubs.
Lee Mohr learned a tough lesson from that one. A promise in business—especially baseball—is hardly a promise if it isn’t written down, witnessed, and smeared with the great seal of the high commissioner himself.
Now, where does Mohr find himself? Because baseball is organized as it is, he can’t quit and find himself a job with another boss in the same Coast League. By kicking his heels up here Thursday, he faces a fine and suspension.
But if Seattle wants to fire him this very moment, they can, summarily, and he’s through.
I am not daring to question the soundness of this remarkable piece of baseball logic, which has always seemed to me to be strongly reminiscent of the prevailing laws in that old English era when moppets toiled in the coal mines.
But I am daring to answer criticism of Mohr for what has been described as a “traitorous act” to the Caps in their “pennant drive.”
At 26, Mohr has got to cut corners if he wants to go up in baseball. Some critics don’t think he is triple A calibre. He’s told me thinks he is. That should entitle him to a fairer trial than Seattle gave him in seven games this spring.
Dramatic Fate
Of course, somewhere off-stage, the gentle hands of the Caps’ Robert P. Brown seem to be twirling their thumbs. It wouldn’t be too much of an educated guess to assume that Bob, without a single infield replacement, came up with a ringing, hands-off plea to Sheely last week when the scouts got word that Mohr was going back up.
Brown’s plight, of course, was not Mohr’s fault—but it seems to have been his nemesis.
Mohr’s blow-up has been a dramatic example of the fate to which minor leaguers commit themselves when they sign on the dotted.
And since we can’t change the rules, let’s hold back the razzberries for a boy who’s trying to get ahead in the biggest organized jungle since Barnam.

Wednesday, August 20, 1947

2007-06-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Wednesday
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 76 57 .571 --
Bremerton .. 75 57 .568 ½
Salem ...... 71 57 .555 2½
Victoria ... 74 60 .552 2½
Vancouver .. 70 61 .534 5
Tacoma ..... 63 68 .471 12
Yakima ..... 51 80 .389 24
Wentchee ... 45 85 .346 29½

BREMERTON, Wash., Aug 20 — The Tacoma Tigers rallies for three runs in the ninth to tie the score then scored twice in the 11th to defeat the Bremerton Bluejackets, 7-5, tonight as former outfielder Dick Greco gained credit for his second mound win by pitching five scoreless innings.
Tacoma ............. 001 001 003 02—7 18 2
Bremerton .......... 200 300 000 00—5 10 2
Chetkovich, Greco (7) and Clifford, Kuper (10); Sullivan, Lowman (9) and Volpi.

VICTORIA, August 20 — A glaring errors by John Cavalli on a force play at second base for the third out opened the door as Vancouver went on to score seven times in the fifth inning, en route to a 12-7 Western International League win against the Victoria Athletics.
The A's took a 2-0 lead in the first, scored twice in the third and once more in the fourth to take a 5-2 advantage after Bill Brenner's second-inning clout tied the score.
Then came the fifth inning, when five of the seven runs were unearned.
Bill Reese pounded a two-run homer over the centre-field fence in the sixth to give the visitors an 11-5 margin. The blow came off Jim Arnold, who came on in the chaotic fifth to relieve Joe Blankenship, who was charged with his seventh loss in trying for his 13th win
The Athletics thumped Vancouver lefthander Jim Hedgecock for 10 hits, including a home run, a triple and three doubles.
Vancouver ............ 020 072 010—12 16 2
Victoria ................ 202 100 110— 7 10 5
Hedgecock and Brenner, Stumpf (4); Blankenship, Arnold (5), Fortier (7), Kasparovich (8) and Mastro.

SPOKANE, August 20 — Wenatchee Chiefs battled for 12 innings before dropping a 2-1 decision to the Spokane Indians in a thrilling Western International League encounter tonight. The game was decided when a single followed two walks in the third extra frame.
Wenatchee ............ 000 000 100 000—1 4 4
Spokane ................ 000 100 000 001—2 12 1
Day, Frost (6), Dalrymple; Miller, Kramer (9) O'Neill, Bufflap (9).

SALEM, August 20 — The Yakima Stars, now managed by Spencer Harris, and going nowhere in particular, fought as if the pennant were at stake to gain an even split with the Salem Senators tonight. They lost the first game of a twin-bill by a 4-3 count, but came back to best Ken Wyatt , 4-1, in the second fixture.
First game:
Yakima .............. 001 020 0—3 5 1
Salem ................ 010 200 1—4 6 0
Simon and Phillips; Anderson and Beard.
Second game:
Yakima ............ 120 000 001—4 9 0
Salem .............. 001 000 000—1 8 1
Romple, Nowels (4) and Phillips; Wyatt, Peterson (8) and Mohler.

Dick Gyselman Goes Back To Seattle Rainiers Again
SAN DIEGO, August 19—Sale of Dick Gyselman, veteran Pacific Coast League infielder, to the Seattle Rainiers on a straight cash deal, was announced Tuesday by Bill Starr, president of the San Diego Padres.
Amount of the sale was not disclosed.
The third baseman came to the Padres from Seattle in 1945 after playing with the Rainiers from 1935 though 1944. He broke into organized baseball in Tucson, Ariz., in 1931.

Mohr Faces Baseball Law
Cap Deserter May Be Suspended Or Fined; Feels He Got Raw Deal
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, August 21, 1947]
Lee Mohr has deserted the Capilano baseball club and he now faces the stern hand of baseball law for his sentence.
Mohr left the team yesterday afternoon in Victoria after demanding his release from Earl Sheely in Seattle. His reason was that he thought he was given a left handed shake in the deal which almost took him to Seattle as the Rainier’s infield insurance.
Mohr’s graduation had been rumored since Monday and he had been set to leave the Caps on minute notice from Seattle. Then yesterday the Suds purchased veteran infielder Dick Gyselman to fill the hole in their infield.
As far as Seattle was concerned there was no need to call on Mohr and deprive their farm club, the Capilanos, of a sorely needed second baseman.
But for Mohr this incident has not been closed. He was carrying a Seattlepaper in his hand, the one which told the story of Gyselman’s purchase, yesterday afternoon. He was very, very angry.
Only Thought—To Get Release
He wired business manager Sheely of the Rainiers requesting his release. And after the wire had been sent he went to Capilano business manager Bob Brown’s hotel room to inquire further into the matter and to inform Brown of his decision to leave the club.
The combined efforts of Brown and manager Bill Brenner could not sway Mohr, whose only thought by now was some way to get out of the Seattle chain.
So today Mohr faces a stiff suspension and fine for his club jumping. He could be kept inactive by suspension the rest of this year and put on the “inactive” list next season.
There are, of course, two sides to the story. Mohr’s attitude was that of deep disappointment at not having his chance to show his stuff in Seattle. That the Rainiers should turn around and purchase Gyselman, a 40-year-old veteran, rather than give the young Mohr a chance, hurt Lee deeply.
Finances entered into it, too. With Seattle Mohr naturally assumed he would make more money, but in the long run he would have lost that by making a change in uniforms. There was a bonus in line for Mohr at the end of the WIL season for being a first division club, which the Caps should wind up. And Lee would have had his whirl with the Rainiers after the Capilanos had finished play.
Wins Sympathy of Teammates
Mohr blamed Earl Sheely entirely for the delay on his promotion to Seattle. Actually, though, the Gyselman deal had been brewing for two weeks. If Seattle had not completed the purchase by yesterday morning, Mohr would have been flown to the Sound City and would have been in Jo-Jo White’s line-up last night.
There is no resentment among Mohr’s Capilano teammates. Some openly sympathized with him, intimating that under the circumstances they would have done the same thing. Others were disappointed that Lee should up and leave when the Caps were in the thick of a pennant squabble. And there were a few who thought the team would benefit in the long run from his departure.
Phones from Victoria to Seattle were hot yesterday. Earl Sheely, contacted by Bob Brown, said that he would be waiting for Mohr when he arrived in Seattle and spoke as if he was getting ready to deal out stiff punishment.
Meanwhile Bob Brown has signed a replacement for Mohr. The new second baseman is Cy Stevens, a young semi-pro player from Seattle, who comes here on high recommendation from Buddy Hjelmaa and Len Tran. Stevens will be in the lineup tonight when the Caps open at home against Victoria.

Capilanos Jolted When Infielder Jumps Club
VICTORIA, August 20 — Vancouver Capilanos received a rude jolt Wednesday night when it was learned that Leon Mohr, their regular second baseman, had jumped the club and left for parts unknown.
Mohr, batting .327, was believed to have been considerably upset after learning that Seattle Rainiers had obtained Dick Gyselman from San Diego to bolster their infield and that he would have to finish the season with the Caps instead of being recalled by the Coast league as he had hoped.
Club officials said Wednesday night that Mohr had been suspended pending further developments.
His loss is a serious one to the Caps, still holding a good chance to cop the Western International league flag.
Vancouver General Manager Bob Brown announced that Cy Stevens, former Captain of the University of Washington baseball squad, would replace more at second base.
Stevens, who comes recommended by Len Tran and Buddy Hjelmaa of the Caps, played with the Huskies in 1941 and had a chance to go up to Los Angeles of the Coast League. Instead, he wet into the armed service.
Released from the services, Stevens took a business position in Seattle and has been managing a semi-pro ball club this year.

Sports Reel…
[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 21, 1947]
Losses suffered by Bob Hall, Carl Gunnarson and Pete Jonas in Victoria Monday and Tuesday broke up a lovely monopoly. Those three hurlers, plus Jim Hedgecock and Bob Snyder, hadn’t lost a game during the Caps’ earlier August uprising that brought them 23 wins in 27 starts. They’d managed 10 wins among the, with Sandy Robertson getting two, and Ron Bryant and Hal Saltzman one each. Saltzman had absorbed two losses, Bryant and Robertson one each.
* * *
In a phone conversation with Jimmy Tang of the Victoria Colonist Monday, the Island sports editor claimed that young Dick Mitchell was probably the best righthander in the W.I.L. right now. Mitchell promptly made an honest man of him by going out and blanking the Capilanos on one hit for his eighth straight triumph. We still like Spokane’s Bob Costello as the best righthander in the loop, though.
* * *
And speaking of the best in the league, the Brownies’ Jim Hedgecock is fast qualifying as the number one southpaw in the loop. You’d probably get an argument, though, from Bremerton, which has Joe Sullivan, Salem, which boasts Wandell Mossor and Ken Wyatt, and Yakima, whose John Cordell has 10 wins and five losses with a seventh place club.

Tuesday, August 19, 1947

2007-06-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
STANDINGS after games of Tuesday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 75 56 .573 --
Spokane .... 75 57 .568 ½
Victoria ... 74 59 .556 2
Salem ...... 70 56 .556 2½
Vancouver .. 69 61 .531 5½
Tacoma ..... 62 68 .477 12½
Yakima ..... 50 79 .388 24
Wenatchee .. 45 84 .349 29

Athletics Ace Caps Twice
VICTORIA, August 19 — Led by Dick Mitchell's one-hitter in the first game, the Vancouver Athletics iced the Vancouver Capilanos in a double-header sweep, 3-0 and 9-3, tonight to the glee of 3,000 fans, including 300 knothole gang members.
The rookie flinger from Montana came within one strike of a no-hittere in gaining his eighth straight triumph and 15th of the season. He has lost nine.
Two were out in the ninth and two strikes were on former New York Ginat Charlie Mead when a curve ball hung and the Vancouver right fielder bashed a clean single to right field.
John Hooper's third inning triple followed a walk to Pat Patterson to provide the winning run in the first game. Hooper ended up scoring when Lee Mohr juggled the relay at second base. Babe Jensen's double and John Cavalli's single accounted for the final tally.
After giving up all the Vancouver runs in the finale in the first two innings, Len Kasparovitch settled down to blank the Mainlanders the rest of the way, though he had five errors behind him to contend with. His 13th win was his best performance since being hit in the face by a batted ball on July 19.
The A's had hits in every inning and were led by Leo Righetti's three-run home run.
Carl Gunnarson took the loss and fell to 14 and 6.
First game:
Vancouver ........... 000 000 0—0 1 2
Victoria .............. 002 001 x—3 7 1
Jonas, Snyder (6) and Brenner; Mitchell and Mastro.
Second game:
Vancouver ..... 102 000 000—3 8 1
Victoria .......... 031 011 12x—9 15 5
Gunnarson, Snyder (8) and Stumpf; Kasparovich and Mastro.

Indians Slip to Second
SPOKANE, Aug. 19 — Chuck Cronin unleashed his submarine pitch at the Spokane Indians tonight as the Wenatchee Chiefs defeated the Tribe, 9-3, sending the losers into the second slot in the Western International League.
Condon limited Spokane to six hits, while the cellar-dwellers jumped on league-leading pitcher Bob Costello, knocking out of the box in the eighth frame for his tenth loss against 18 wins.
Wenatchee ....... 202 010 220—9 11 6
Spokane ........... 000 030 000—3 6 3
Condon and Winter, Dalrymple (5); Costello, Forsyth (8) and O'Neill.

Tacoma .............. 000 000 000—0 5 2
Bremerton ........... 001 000 10x—2 5 0
Morgan, Greenlaw (8) and Kuper; Ahearn and Volpi.

First game:
Yakima ........... 506 041 13—23 23 0
Salem ............ 100 210 0 — 4 8 1
Sinovic and Mohler; Strait and Phillips.
Second game:
Yakima .......... 000 000 000—0 4 1
Salem ........... 100 400 00x—5 6 1
Wallerstein and Phillips; Lazor and Beard.

Monday, August 18, 1947

2007-06-23T03:52:00.000-07:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane .... 75 56 .575 --
Bremerton .. 74 56 .569 ½
Salem ...... 69 55 .569 2½
Victoria ... 72 59 .550 3
Vancouver .. 69 59 .539 4½
Tacoma ..... 62 67 .481 12
Yakima ..... 49 78 .386 23
Wenatchee .. 44 84 .334 29½

VICTORIA, August 18 — The Victoria Athletics scored five runs in the sixth and three in the eighth, then had to stop a ninth-inning rally tonight to defeat the Vancouver Capilanos 10-6 in a Western International League series opener.
Bill Woop lost a no-hitter in the seventh when Bill Reese opened with a single, and lost his shutout in the eighth when a costly error by Babe Jensen was responsible for two runs scoring without a base hit.
He was relieved after the Caps scored four times in the ninth and had two on the bags. Jim Arnold whiffed Bob Stumpf to end the game.
John Cavalli opened the scoring in the second inning by hitting a pitch to deep right for an inside the park home run, scoring Babe Jensen who had walked.
Then came a barrage in the sixth by Vancouver's Bob Hall, who gave up five hits for as many runs.
Bill White, Vic Mastro, Jack Harshman and Babe Jensen rapped out four well-hit singles, the last two scoring runs. Cavalli sacrificed both runners but the strategy was unnecessary when Leo Righetti followed by lining his ninth home run, his third in a week, over the centre-field wall.
Ron Bryant replaced Hall to start the seventh and was reached for Victoria's final three runs, in part due to two Vancouver errors.
Four walks and Jensen's miscue gave the Caps a pair of runs in the eighth before the started an assault in the ninth.
Len Tran and Buddy Hjelmaa singled, Bill Brenner walked, then Frank Mullens parked a triple to send Woop to the dressing room and Arnold to the mound. He gave up a fly ball to score another run, and made it interesting when he walked Paul Carpenter, then watched Cavalli make a low throw on a ground ball by Reese, who was safe on the play. But the runners died when Stumpf struck out, the 14th Vancouver batter to do so.
Vancouver ........ 000 000 024— 6 4 5
Victoria ............. 020 005 30x—10 13 2
Hall, Bryant (7) and Stumpf; Woop, Arnold (9) and Mastro.

Exhibition Game
Portland ........ 201 000 100—4 5 0
Salem ............ 000 000 000—0 8 1
Turner, Bahr (4) and Muratore; Mossor and Beard.

Exhibition Game
Sacramento .......... 010 000 030—4 7 0
Wenatchee ........... 000 020 000—2 7 2
Gonzales, Smith (7) and Fitzgerald, Swedman (4); McCollum and Winter.

ON THE SUNBEAM
By ALF COTTRELL
[Vancouver Sun, August 19, 1947]
Twinkletoes Gets the Finger
The word is around that the Seattle Rainiers are about to touch off the sunset gun by recalling the fleet Leon Mohr from our gushing, rushing Capilanos.
This news, coming on the heels of my column on this subject a few days back, makes me feel clairvoyant. Not to mention simply awful.
In the aforementioned piece I mentioned that the Caps had just enough infielders to go around and were therefore as vulnerable as a beetle on a drum.
There is going to be a large outcry when Mohr goes. It is what comes of having a parent club. The latter is all right when putting out but the moment they take something back it doesn’t go down so well. Yet, parent clubs have been doing this since Connie Mack was a boy and there is no appeal. You can’t fight City Hall.
I had a letter this morning from one fellow who isn’t going to cry his eyes out regardless of what happens to the Capilanos. He says he paid for a grandstand seat the other night and was ushered into the left field bleachers.
The better seats were all occupied, he admits. His argument is that the far reaches of the leftfield stands were formerly cut-rate seats and should still rate as bleachers of the hottest ray serene.
When Is a Bleacher? He Asks
My friend is ready to whip the welkin into a fine froth with his cries, but I’m afraid the matter is between he and Robert P. Brown. It the latter says those seats are full price then that is what he is going to get for them, business being what it is these days, with a pennant flapping on the horizon. Some of the patrons paid for a nice, wide seat on the lawn out there lately, and liked it. There was no extra charge for the mosquitos.
If the Caps bring up young Orrin Snyder from the deep bushes to replace Mohr in the infield, the fans will be seeing a young man of considerable promise. At Sunnyside, the Caps’ training camp last spring, Snyder was a first baseman. As neat a fellow with that big glove, too, as Bill Reese, who spears a mean pellet.
Orrin Snyder is, temperamentally, constructed along the same lines as his brother Bob, of the local pitching staff. Easygoing and likeable. Extreme young and the presence of Lavis York in camp were the twin factors that sent Orrin on his way lamenting. Since that time the kid has been playing shortstop out there in the sticks, and making a fair job of it.
It is hard to see Snyder successfully replacing Mohr, however. The move would put two green kids together out there around the second sack, meaning shortstop Buddy Hjelmaa and young Snyder, which would add up to a large total of inexperience.
Pitchers, We Have a Million
The blow to Mr. Brown’s infield, if and when it falls, spotlights a point that must have been obvious to the veteran Caps’ front office man all along. It is hard to understand how he, a former insurance salesman of considerable acumen, allowed himself to get caught with his infield policies down.
I can count nine pitchers on the staff, which is about as high as I can count anyway, in case I have missed a couple, I can mention several of these who are scarcely worth their weight in last week’s mutuel tickets. Surely the boss, unless he has slipped, could have traded a couple of these for one used infielder, tossing in a couple of old fungo bats to swing the deal if necessary.
Not that I wouldn’t like to see young Snyder back here. The experience he has had this season must have left its mark and he will be coming up eventually in any case. Besides, the guy owes me a milkshake.

Before and After
By Ken McConnell
[Vancouver Province, August 18, 1947]
CAPS CHARGING NOW
A month of scintillating performances has resulted in the Vancouver Capilanos picking themselves up off the Western International League’s basement floor and today, as they open a three-day stand in Victoria, there is a glimmering hope—where there was none a month ago—that the club will steadily overhaul the leaders and just possibly win a pennant.
Help arrived from the Seattle Rainiers just in time and then Manager Bill Brenner’s boys started getting a few good breaks right when they were needed most.
Saturday night, for instance.
The first game, originally planned for seven innings, went into ten frames. Red Tran blasted one to the fence, and the Caps had the winning run for a cherished victory.
In the second game, planned as a full regulation nine-inning affair, Frank Mullens delivered an all-important blow in the final half of the sixth to give Caps their second win of the night.
It was five minutes of midnight (that’s a bucking horse’s name, too) and although the Spokane boys were upset, there was no point bucking the curfew law.
The game was over, and in just 16 minutes the Caps had climbed to within a half game of Victoria and they could take care of the Athletics over there tonight.
If Bob Hall can win this one then the Caps will be in fourth place, half a game up on Victoria, and the Vancouver boys could be galloping on in the stretch, to overhaul Salem, Spokane and Bremerton.
Dust off that flag pole!

Sunday, August 17, 1947

2007-06-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after game of Sunday
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 75 56 .575 --
Bremerton .. 74 56 .569 ½
Salem ...... 69 55 .569 2½
Victoria ... 71 59 .546 3½
Vancouver .. 69 58 .543 4
Tacoma ..... 62 67 .481 12
Yakima ..... 49 78 .386 23
Wenatchee .. 44 84 .334 29½

Spokane Takes Lead in WIL
BREMERTON, Aug. 17 - Spokane's Indians, completely ignoring Bremerton's jinx on visiting teans, swept a twin-bill from the Bluejackets, 6-1 and 3-2 in ten innings, today, in the ever-tightening Western International League chase.
Spokane even took the jinx over to its own side - breaking up the tenth inning second game with Bill Dunn's ground ball that hit the third base sack and soared into left field oover the head of third baseman Jim Estrada, with George Schmees scoring from second.Spokane won the first game on Bill Werbowski's five-hit pitching.
First game:
Spokane ......... 004 002 0—6 9 1
Bremerton ....... 000 010 0—1 5 0
Werbowski and O'Neill; Kittle and Ronning.
Second game:
Spokane ......... 200 000 000 1—3 7 3
Bremerton ....... 000 110 000 0—2 10 0
Samson and O'Neill; Lowman and Volpi.

Tigers, Yaks, Split
TACOMA, Aug. 17 - Tacoma and Yakima split a Western International League double-header here today, Tacoma winning the openers 7-0 on Cy Greenlaw's two-hit performance but losing a 14-6 decision in a second game slugfest.
First game:
Yakima ......... 000 000 0—0 2 1
Tacoma ........ 421 000 x—7 9 2
Cordell, Wallerstein (2) and Constantino; Greenlaw and Clifford.
Second game:
Yakima ........ 025 320 020—14 17 3
Tacoma ....... 201 000 021— 6 11 3
Nowels and Phillips; Tinsley, Clough (3), Gilson (4) and Kuper.

Only games scheduled

Saturday, August 16, 1947

2007-06-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
after games of Saturday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 74 54 .578 --
Spokane .... 73 56 .566 1½
Salem ...... 69 55 .557 3
Victoria ... 71 59 .546 4
Vancouver .. 69 58 .543 4½
Tacoma ..... 61 66 .480 12½
Yakima ..... 48 77 .384 24½
Wenatchee .. 44 84 .344 30

Patterson's Home Gives A's Win
VICTORIA, August 16 — Pat Patterson broke 6-6 tie with a two-run homer in the eighth inning to give Victoria an 8-6 win in the second game of a pair of Saturday contests against the Salem Senators. The Solons won the first Western International League match, 9-5.
Salem brought Hunk Anderson back for his second start in two nights, and Victoria knocked him out the game, though not as early as on Friday night. The Senators gave him a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and fifth innings.
Victoria scored for the first time in the fifth when Babe Jensen singled, moved to second on shortstop Buddy Peterson's error and scored on a scratch hit by Leo Righetti. The home nine tied it in the sixth when Vic Mastro singled, stole second and scored on Jensen's hit.
Salem chased starter Bob Jensen with a four-run seventh, featuring Ed Barr's grand slam, but the A's tied it in their half of the inning. Reliever Ray Fortier bloooped a double with one out, Pat Patterson singled, John Hooper walked, and Bill White and Mastro singled to score three runs. An intentional walk later, Jensen worked Anderson for a free one to force in the tying run.
Victoria won it off reliever Bus Sporer when Righetti led off the eighth with a double and Patterson singled to break the tie.
In the opener, White homered in the first inning, but the Senators scored two in the second and never lost the lead. Ken Wyatt struck out ten and walked four in throwing a seven-hitter for the Senators.
First game
Salem ........... 020 201 301—9 15 1
Victoria ......... 100 003 010—5 7 5
Wyatt and Beard; Arnold, Fortier (6), and Mastro.
Second game
Salem ........... 010 010 400—6 8 2
Victoria ........ 000 011 42x—8 12 1
Anderson, Sporer (7), and Beard; R. Jensen, Fortier (7), Blankenship (8) and Mastro.

Caps Win a Pair
VANCOUVER, August 16 — The Vancouver Capilanos needed extra innings to pull off a double-header sweep of the Spokane Indians, winning the first contest 3-2 in ten innings and copping the abbreviated game, 4-3, tonight.
The opener was a pitchers battle with lefty Jim Hedgecock outlasting Spokane twirlers Ray Miller and Stan Spitzer. Tied 2-2 in the seventh, Vancouver scored the winning run in the last of the 10th when Paul Carpenter doubled into left and scored on Len Tran's two-bagger off the right-centre field fence.
In the seven-inning afterpiece — called because of the curfew — Frank Mullens singled in Buddy Hjelmaa, who had doubled, with the winning run the last of the seventh.
The Caps nicked Bob Costello for one run in the third and punched out two more in the sixth.
The twin victories gave the Caps the series, 4-1. They have won 23 of their last 27 contests.
First game
Spokane ............. 100 000 100 0—2 6 3
Vancouver .......... 010 001 000 1—3 8 1
Miller, Spitzer (7) and O'Neill; Hedgecock and Brenner.
Second game
Spokane ........ 100 002 0—3 4 0
Vancouver ..... 000 102 1—4 9 3
Costello and Bufflap; Snyder and Stumpf.

Yakima ......... 100 001 010 1—4 12 0
Tacoma ........ 200 000 010 2—5 10 3
Simon and Phillips; Walden and Kuper.

Wenatchee ......... 020 000 010—3 8 0
Bremerton ........... 000 000 000—0 6 0
Day and Winter; Sullivan and Ronning.

Games of Friday, August 15, 1947

2007-06-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 74 53 .583 --
Spokane .... 73 54 .575 1
Salem ...... 68 54 .557 3½
Victoria ... 70 58 .547 3½
Vancouver .. 67 58 .536 6
Tacoma ..... 60 66 .476 13½
Yakima ..... 48 76 .387 24½
Wenatchee .. 43 84 .338 31

VANCOUVER, August 15 — Sandy Robertson held the Spokane Indians to one hit over the last three innings and the Vancouver Capilanos finished with an 11-6 win tonight in a Western International League baseball game. The loss dropped Spokane to second place in the tight race.
Robertson came in with two on and none out in the seventh. After giving up a sacrifice fly to Levi McCormack, he slammed the door shut to keep the score tied at 6-6.
The Caps then went on to score five runs in their half of the inning.
An error on Paul Carpenter's grounder allowed two runs to score, after Lee Mohr stole second while catcher Frank O'Neill, held onto the ball and simply watched him run. Stan Spitzer then walked Bill Reese, and looked into the dugout for help. He got it when he was told to take a seat and replaced by Jim Forsyth.
Bill Brenner, batting in place of Bob Stumpf who had been tossed from the game by umpire Doc Regele, lofted a high one over the mound that froze all the Spokane players. The ball dropped untouched and landed in front of Forsyth who simply gazed at it as Paul Carpenter and Charlie Mead scored on the single.
Robertson struck out George Schmees to end the game.
Spokane ........... 220 000 200— 6 18 3
Vancouver ........ 301 011 50x — 11 14 0
Latino, Spizter (6), Forsyth (7) and O'Neill; Gunnarson, Robertson (7) and Stumpf, Brenner (7).

VICTORIA, August 15 — A 16-hit attack resulted in a larger number of runs as the Victoria Athletics hammered the Salem Senators, 18-1, in a Western International League game here tonight.
Dick Mitchell lost his second consecutive shutout in the seventh when John Cavalli lost a high pop by Mel Nunes behind shortstop and Marty Krug followed with a triple. The run broke Mitchell's consecutive scoreless streak at 21 2-3s. He was touched for six hits, walked a lone batter and struck out ten.
John Hooper had four triples, one of them a lucky one that landed when Eddie Barr in centre field lost the ball in the lights.
Bill White also picked up four safe blows, including his 39th and 40th doubles, and drove in four runs, while Cavalli batted in four runs, including his 17th home run which brought in a pair in the second inning and gave the A's a 3-0 lead. Victoria scored eight runs in the third and sent Hunk Anderson to the showers.
Gene Peterson, a young pitcher just out of college, took over and was reached for 12 hits and gave up eight bases on balls.
Salem .......... 000 000 100— 1 6 3
Victoria ........ 128 402 01x—18 16 1
Anderson, Peterson (3) and Beard, Mohler (5); Mitchell and Mastro.

Yakima ............ 003 550 030—18 16 0
Tacoma ........... 111 203 020—10 18 5
Ward, Romple (7) and Phillips; Chetkovich, Gilson (5) and Kuper.

Wenatchee ......... 041 003 000 0—5 6 3
Bremerton .......... 000 103 001 3—6 10 3
Cronin, Vivalda (6) and Winter; Johnston and Ronning.

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, August 16, 1947]

I had one of those nothing-to-do lunch hours on my hands this week and decided it was about time Bob Brown paid for my potatoes and gravy.
“Hear the story about Seattle putting through a recall notice on Lee Mohr?” said the Capilano business manager as we sat down and selected our sides of beef.
“Yeah, the Seattle papers are all saying that Mohr will be in town this week to play second base for the Rainiers. Story’s not all poppycock, either; Earl Sheely (Seattle front office lord) tried harm to talk me into letting him have Lee for the rest of the season,” Brown went on.
To us this sounded very interesting. We could just see the good ship Capilano steering its course without a rudder. And that’s what would happen, too, for Sheely would be hitting Vancouver right through the middle.
“He won’t get through with it, though,” said the sage of the False Creek ballyard. “Not unless he has to, anyway,” Bob added, crossing his knife and fork.
The Rainiers, it seems, are in pretty bad shape. They are fighting gallantly for a spot in the Shaughnessy playoffs and their manpower has dwindled until the reserves are none. Hillis Layne, the club’s leading hitter and third baseman, had his “milk knee” go bad on him and is out for two weeks.
This forced Jo-Jo White to use utility infielder Tony York at second and move George Sharein into the hot corner. Now if anything happens to the present Rainier infield, they’ll just have to send hurry-up calls to the Caps for Mohr.
“This thing came to a head a week ago. Sheely contacted me when I was passing through Seattle and tried at that time to get Mohr. I pointed out to him that we were fighting for a pennant and without Mohr we might as well forget it,” Bob said.
* * *
“When I left Seattle, I still thought there might be a chance that Sheely would send for Lee. I couldn’t sit tight without a replacement, so I wired the West Texas League and told them we were ready to pay the option price for the return of Orrin Snyder (Bob’s brother),” Brown continued.
“Now I’ve got a sweet triangle on my hands. Snyder’s club won’t let him go. The kid is hitting .318 and has bashed 18 homers and it’s been practically all on his bat that his team is in the scramble for a pennant,” Bob informed.
Pretty pickle, indeed, I thought, as I sampled a choice dill between courses. Seattle is fighting for a playoff spot, the Caps are after a pennant and so are Snyder and Co.
Brown wanted Snyder on hand two weeks ago as insurance in case Bill Reese was injured. Right now, with Reese suffering a sore back, a sprained wrist and a bad elbow, Snyder would look like a premium on Howard Hughes’ policy.
Brown chuckled as he sprayed lemon all over his salmon steak and my white shirt. “You know, we’re going to have a swell time at spring training next year, with a couple of first basemen like Reese and Snyder in camp.”
Next year, I thought. Geez, the fella had already given up for this season.
* * *
“Hey, don’t you take that wrong,” Brown gasped. “Those Caps will be in there all the way. We’re six game out of the lead now, and if you can show me a more hustling, harder-hitting club than ours, I’ll buy it,” exclaimed lhe business manager, digging savagely into the salmon’s still body.
“Take that Hjelmaa. That kid is the apple of my eye. He’s going to be one of the best shortstops who ever played ball on the Pacific Coast,” snorted Brown.
“Buddy reminds me of Harry Heilman, the former-American League batting champion and Detroit all-time great. Heilman is sloppy, loose-limbed and looks awkward. But what an arm and can that kid ever hit the ball!” Brown exclaimed.
“I you want to go further into our gang, look at Frank Mullens. He’ll be in the Coast League next year for sure (Seattle said yesterday that Mullens and Bob Hall would join the Rainiers when the Caps finish in the WIL). Someone will teach Mullens to hit the ball to left field. Just wait until you hear about the 1948 Mullens,” said Bob.
No, we had to agree there was nothing wrong with the Caps right now. And, indeed, it was true that things looked good for 1948. Furthermore, we could only hope, along with Bob Brown, that Lee Mohr stayed right where he was until the Caps were through.
And, after all, it was a good lunch. Absolutely free, too, except for the new white shirt.

Games of Thursday, August 14, 1947

2007-06-22T11:39:00.001-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after Thursday's games
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 73 53 .579 --
Spokane .... 73 53 .579 --
Salem ...... 68 53 .562 2½
Victoria ... 69 58 .543 4½
Vancouver .. 66 58 .532 6
Tacoma ..... 60 65 .480 12½
Yakima ..... 47 76 .382 28½
Wenatchee .. 43 83 .341 30

Caps Split Pair
VANCOUVER, August 14 — The Spokane Indians took a first game here Thursday, 6-3, but a late rally attempt came up short as the Vancouver Capilanos won the second game in a 3-2 squeaker.
Bob Hall looked in a jam in the ninth inning of the Western International League nightcap, despite a 3-1 lead, as he gave up singles to George Bufflap and Ben Geraghty and a walk to Bill Dunn to load the bases with no one out. But he managed to get out outs before hitting Herb Gorman on the foot to force in a run, then forced pinch-hitter Levi McCormack to fly out to end the game.
Hall struck out 11 in tosssing a five-hitter, though he walked nine, and walked in a run in the fourth.
Bill Brenner smacked a 360-foot homer off Wally Kramer in the in second inning, good for two runs. Len Tran' s double led to another run in the fifth and Buddy Hjelmaa batted in the winning one in the seventh.
The Caps had taken a 2-0 lead in the opening game when Frank Mullens homered in the third inning with Hjelmaa aboard for his 28th homer and 113th and 114th RBIs of the season. Al Phillips smashed a line drive home run in the fourth to tie the game, then the Indians scored three times off starter Ron Bryant in the fifth to go ahead for good.
First game:
Spokane ........... 000 230 1—6 10 0
Vancouver ........ 002 000 1—3 10 0
Werbowski and O'Neill; Bryant, Hedgecock (5) and Stumpf.
Second game:
Spokane .......... 000 100 001—2 6 2
Vancouver ....... 010 010 10x—3 11 0
Kramer and Bufflap; Hall and Stumpf.

Blankenship Hurls Appreciation Win
VICTORIA, August 14 — Joe Blankenship won on his Appreciation Night at Royal Athletic Park tonight, hurling Victoria to a 7-4 victory over the Salem Senators in a Western International League match.
Three of the runs scored off him were home runs with the bases empty bases when he got behind on the count.
Ed Barr hit the first one in the second inning , and Bob Moore followed in the fourth to give Salem a 2-0 lead. Then in the bottom of the inning, Jack Harshman put the A's ahead by poling Wandall Mossor's first pitch to him over the centre field fence, with John Hooper and Vic Mastro, who had singled, ahead of him.
Blankenship tripled then scored on Pat Patterson's sacrfice fly in the fifth to make it 4-2 before Moore hit his second homer in the seventh, followed by Beard's single to tie the game. But Leo Righetti dropped his eighth home run over the fence in the Victoria half to make it 5-4 give the A's the lead for good.
In the eighth, Mastro singled, Harshman walked, and Babe Jensen smashed a line drive to centre field. Barr tried to hurry to make a play at third but overran the ball and two runs counted.
Before the game, Blankenship was presenrted with various gifts, including a large cash donation by fans. The proceedings were enlivened by Hawaiian-born righthander Len Kasparovitch amusing the 3,600 fans with his version of the hula-hula, complete with grass skirt, and lei.
Salem ............ 100 100 200—4 6 1
Victoria ......... 000 310 12x—7 9 2
Mossor and Beard; Blankenship and Mastro.

Yakima .......... 000 200 020— 4 8 0
Tacoma ......... 201 130 21x—10 11 1
Brysch and Contantino; Greenlaw and Kuper.

Wenatchee ......... 100 000 305—9 8 3
Bremerton .......... 010 004 000—5 9 4
Vivalda, Waltho (7), Frost (7), McCollum (9) and Winter; Marshall, Ahearn (9) and Volpi.

Sports Reel…
[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 16, 1947]
Watching the first game of Thursday’s double bill at the Stadium drag by, President Bob Abel of the W.I.L. recalled that our Capilanos and Salem played the fastest game he’s ever seen a few years back. “Took one hour and 21 minutes,” Bob said, “and that was for the nine innings.” That first Thursday contest, by the way took one hour and 39 minutes for seven innings.
* * *
Abel, incidentally, goes on record as liking Spokane Indians for the W.I.L. pennant. “You can’t put so many good ball players on one club and not get a winner,” he says. He admits Salem is getting good pitching, and that out Capilanos have come along fast recently, but it’s still the Spokes for the title.

Games of Wednesday, August 13, 1947

2007-06-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Wednesday
W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 73 52 .584 --
Spokane .... 72 52 .581 ½
Salem ...... 68 52 .567 2½
Victoria ... 68 58 .540 5½
Vancouver .. 65 57 .533 6½
Tacoma ..... 59 65 .476 13½
Yakima ..... 47 53 .385 24½
Wenatchee .. 42 83 .336 31

Salem Steals Victory in Ninth
VANCOUVER, August 13 — Trailing 5-2 in the top of the ninth, the Salem Senators banged Sandy Robertson for four hits and then took advantage of a bad throw by reliever Bob Snyder to second base on a double play to come up with a 6-5 win over the Vancouver Capilanos tonight.
Frank Mullens and Charlie Mead homered in the first and third innings respectively to give Vancouver a 4-0 lead. Salem picked up a single marker in the fourth, but Mullens singled in Robertson in the bottom half of the inning to restore a four-run lead.
Salem made it 5-2 in the fifth when Ed Barr socked a triple over Mullens' head in centre and scored on a wild pitch.
The Senators' rally started in the ninth with back-to-back doubles by Buddy Peterson and Al Spaeter for a run. Robertson got an out, but was pulled after back-to-back singles by Bob Moore and Lou Kubiak brought in another run. Snyder came in to relieve. Ed Barr grounded the ball to Snyder who tossed to Hjelmaa at second to start a game-ending double-play. But Snyder through the sphere past Hjelmaa, Barr was safe, and another run scored. Then Marty Krug dropped a high fly beyond the outstretch palms of Lee Mohr and Kubiak chugged in with the go-ahead run.
Salem ........... 000 110 004—6 14 0
Vancouver .... 020 100 000—3 11 1
Lazor, J. Peterson (9) and Beard; Robertson, Snyder (9) and Stumpf.

A's Sweep Series With Cellar Nine
VICTORIA, August 13 — Over 2,800 fans saw the Victoria Athletics sweep a series at home for the first time this year, as they took two from the last-place Wenatchee Chiefs, 4-1 and 8-5.
Bill Woop came up with a three-hit performance in the seven-inning opener, and made one mistake - a homer to Lee Winter over the centre field fence in the second inning.
Lou McCollum, meanwhile, blanked the A's for four innings, but they broke through in the fifth when Babe Jensen singled and Leo Righetti homered.
The homer parade continued in the sixth inning as Bill White hit his 16th of the year and was followed by Jack Harshman's 34th, six shy of Bill Barisoff's mark set last year.
The Chiefs took an early league in the second game, with two runs in the first. But Victoria scored threee times in the second thanks to singles by Jensen, John Cavalli, Righetti and White and a walk. Wenatchee scored again in the third, but Vic Mastro clouted home run number 12 in the fifth and singled in another run in the sixth to make it a 6-3 game.
Clyde Haskell swatted an insider-the-parker after John Hooper misplayed his line drive to left centre two score a pair. But that's all Len Kaspaovitch allowed in winning his 12th and snapping a three-game losing streak. White's single and Harshman's double in the eighth drove in some insurance runs for the A's.
The season's attendance figure is 99,262 paid, just a little over 3,000 short of the 1946 attendance with 18 games to play.
First game:
Wenatchee ........ 001 000 000—1 3 2
Victoria ............. 000 022 00x—4 6 1
McCollum and Winter; Woop and Mastro.
Second game:
Wenatchee ...... 201 000 200—5 9 2
Victoria ........... 040 011 02x—8 10 2
Frost and Dalrymple; Kasparovitch and Mastro.

BREMERTON, August 13 — The Bremerton Bluejackets moved into undisputed possession of first place in the Western International League tonight when they picked on seventh-place Yakima Stars for a double-header victory, 4-3 and 6-3.
The wins were the sixth and seventh in a row for the streaky Tars, who now hold a half-game lead over the Indians.
Shortstop Bud Hicks poled out a double and four singles to set the pace for Spokane.
First game:
Yakima .......... 101 010 0—3 6 1
Bremerton ...... 000 211 x—4 6 1
Cordell and Phillips; Kittle and Volpi.
Second-game:
Yakima ........... 100 000 020—3 4 0
Bremerton ...... 202 000 20x—6 17 0
Strait and Phillips; Lowman and Volpi.

Spokane .......... 030 031 220—11 16 0
Tacoma ........... 221 000 000— 5 10 1
Samson and O'Neill; Tinsley, Greco (5) and Clifford.

Sports Reel…
[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 14, 1947]
Hub Kittle of Bremerton Bluejackets and Art Lilly of Yakima Stars have organized a post-season baseball series, with players from the eastern part of the W.I.L. playing a western team. The idea is to travel around the circuit, but it’s unlikely they’ll show here. They wanted Capilano Stadium for Sept. 13, but there’s a football (game) honest and some softball (also honest) and the Fifth Avenue ball yard on that date.
* * *
Eddie Lamoureux, concessionaire at Cap Stadiuum, a pessimist at heart, made a bet that the Brownies wouldn’t reach the 100,000 mark in attendance this summer. But when the crowd overflowed onto the field Tuesday night Eddie, with one eye on the coke supply disappearing, laughed gaily and admitted he’d probably lose his bet.

[Vancouver News-Herald, Aug. 15, 1947]
Salem Senators, it seems, don’t think much of Bob Brown’s lighting system at Capilano Stadium. That’s what we gathered anyway, when a Salemite came out of the dressing room bearing a lantern lit, Wednesday night. Umpire Frank DeHaney decided it wasn’t funny and sent the lad packing.
[WILfan note: the box score doesn’t hint who it was; there was only one substitution and that was a pinch-hitter for a pitcher.]

Tuesday, August 12, 1947

2007-06-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

W L Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 71 52 .577 —
Spokane .... 71 52 .577 —
Salem ...... 67 52 .563 2
Vancouver .. 65 56 .537 5
Victoria ... 66 58 .532 5½
Tacoma ..... 59 64 .480 12
Yakima ..... 47 73 .392 22½
Wenatchee .. 42 81 .341 29

VANCOUVER [The Sun, Aug. 13]—The Caps are still sizzling hot and Vancouver’s pro baseball fans love it.
The season’s biggest crowd last night overflowed Bob Brown’s wooden stands to watch the Brenner men whip Salem twice, 2-1 and 7-1, for their 18th and 19th wins in 21 starts., which brought them up to within five games of the front-running Spokane Indians, who held their lead by topping Tacoma 5-1.
Proving that a winning ball club is money-in-the-back for its owners, even if the workmen have to play two games a night to draw, general manager Brown last night had to close his ticket booths midway through the first game.
“Crowds were still lined up outside when we ran out of room,” he said. “They begged us to let them in. Some were regular fans. If we’d only had our new ball park now.”
DO NO WRONG
They overflowed along third base and into right field, surpassing the park’s 3226 capacity. For them, the Caps proved that a winning ball club can do no wrong, no matter how you throw the dice.
Tonight, Manager Bill Brenner to tempt this axiom. He’ll start Sandy Robertson against the Senators in an effort to revive the Vancouver boy’s ailing fortunes and pull the beloved Brownies nearer the gonfalon.
“We’re only started,” he said after last night’s twin wins.
15 FOR JIM
Jim Hedgecock threw his 15th win in the first game, against nine losses, although Salem set up nine hits against him, against the Caps’ eight. A bit of good fortune gave the locals their two runs on no hits in the second when Salem’s Sinovic walked four Brownies and Al Spaeter dropped his hat, and the ball, on a close play involving Charlie Mead at second.
But tight Cap fielding featuring Mead’s fine catch against the scoreboard wall in the fifth, snuffed out Salem’s rally, plus lefty Jim’s fine clutch pitching saved the unearned run.
Bob Snyder, who works like a big blacksnake, picked up his 12th win, giving up seven singles and a four-base knock by Bud Peterson in the third.
STARS FOR MEAD
Again Mead’s field work stood out. He made another fine scoreboard catch off Kubiak. Later, he threw out Spaeter at the plate when Salem threatened with three singles.
Carpenter’s home run in the first inning of the nightcap with two on gave him three more rbi’s, and he and Bill Reese showed clearly how they have become key figures in the Caps’ flag drive.
BASE BRIEFS: When the PA system announced that Victoria, trailing the Caps by half a game, had beaten Wenatchee, 8-5, a great groan rumbled up from the crowd. ... The WIL card last night saw Bremerton kick into a tie for top spot, beating Yakima twice. ... Umpires Dehaney and Last showed fans first-rate work. When a balk was called on Salem’s Ken Wyatt, Dehaney didn’t hesitate. And he didn’t fool with Salem’s manager, Wilson, when the latter beefed. He sent him back to the bench firmly and quickly.
- - -
VANCOUVER, August 12 — The Vancouver Caps picked a pair of wins, 2-1, and 7-1, over the Salem Senators here tonight and have now won 17 of their last 19 Western International League games.
Both Vancouver runs scored in the second inning after Al Spaeter kicked away a double-play ball.
Jim Hedgecock got his 15th win, despite giving up a run on four hits in the fifth.
Ken Wyatt, the turkey farmer from The Dalles, Oregon, started the second game for the Senators and became unglued in the first inning when a balk was called on him. That sent Lee Mohr to second. Buddy Hjelmaa then doubled to left to bring in the first run, and after Frank Mullens grounded out, Paul Carpenter swished a fastball onto Sixth Avenue to give Vancouver a 3-0 lead. The Caps added a fourth run when Charlie Mead walked and scored when the outfield misplayed a relay throw when Bill Reese doubled.
Bob Snyder gave up one hit in the first four frames, a homer by Buddy Peterson, and picked up the win.
First game
Salem ............ 000 010 0—1 9 2
Vancouver ..... 020 000 x—2 8 1
Sinovic and Beard; Hedgecock and Brenner; Stumpf (7).
Second game
Salem ........... 001 000 000—1 8 1
Vancouver ..... 401 000 20x— 7 9 0
Wyatt and Beard; Snyder and Stumpf.

VICTORIA, August 12 — Three home runs in the third inning accounted for six Victoria runs as the Athletics defeated the Wenatchee Chiefs 8-4 in a Western International League game here Tuesday.
The Chiefs took a 3-0 lead when they scored once in the second inning and Bob Williams golfed a two-run homer in the third.
Southpaw John Day, ex-collegiate hurler, was badly shaken in the third when John Hooper and Bill White hit home runs on successive pitches. Hooper's blow came on Day's first offering and scored Leo Righetti and Bob Jensen, who had walked and singled. White followed with his homer, Vic Mastro walked, then Jack Harshman again hit Day's first offering out of the park. This brought in reliever Bob Condon, who gave up a double to John Cavalli and a single to Righetti for Victoria's seventh run.
Harshman hit his 33rd homer of the year in the fifth inning to complete the A's scoring.
Athletics' starter Bob Jensen lost control in the fifth, when he walked three men after giving up a single to force in a run. Jim Arnold was rushed in with only one out and the sacks jammed and retired the side without further damage and pitched one-hit ball the rest of the way.
Wenatchee ..... 012 010 000—4 5 0
Victoria .......... 007 010 00x—8 12 2
Day, Condon (3) and Dalrymple; R. Jensen, Arnold (5) and Mastro.

BREMERTON, August 12 — A double-header swept moved the Bremerton Bluejackets into first place tie in the Western International League, after 14-9 and 9-5 wins over the Yakima Stars on Monday.
First game
Yakima .......... 311 040 0— 9 9 3
Bremerton ..... 414 050 x—14 11 2
Simon, Romple (3), Brysch (5), Wallerstein (5) and Constantino; Ahearn, Marshall (5) and Ronning.
Second game
Yakima ............ 200 100 020—5 7 0
Bremerton ....... 005 011 02x—9 11 1
Nowels and Constantino; Sullivan and Volpi.

TACOMA, August 12 — A four-run eighth inning broke a tie game as the Spokane Indians defeated the Tacoma Tigers, 4-1, in a Western League game tonight.
Gordon Walden bested Bob Costello in a battle of aces, scattering six hits.
Spokane ....... 100 000 040—5 10 1
Tacoma ........ 000 000 100—1 6 3
Costello and Bufflap; Walden and Kuper.

ON THE SUNBEAM
By ALF COTTRELL
[Vancouver Sun, August 17, 1947]
What Is This We Hear Boys?
Seems like you can’t take your eyes off those Vancouver Capilanos a minute or they are up to something new and different in the way of kicking around Abner Doubleday’s pastime.
Due to getting a bit tired of hearing the announcer up at the ball yard reveal in deathless accents the lucky number that would win me two free hairdo’s at the Smearall Beauty Parlors, I hadn’t been around there much lately. The last I had heard the Caps were yelling “Track” and scooting downhill like a homebound ski runner.
Yesterday I looked up from my knitting in surprise when I accidentally tuned for a discussion of the upchugging Caps’ pennant chances. It was the work of a mere half hour to learn that Bill Brenner’s hearties had reversed their field and were tearing hell-bent for glory.
It is nothing new, at that, for the Caps to start chasing rainbows through the autumnal haze. Last year they got away from the barrier like a wounded turtle, only to wind up with a belated rush that carried them short of somewhere. It at least gave the boys a lot to talk about on the long winter evenings. In fact they were still talking about it in spring training this year.
The 1946 grand finale made optimists of us all. The only trouble was that when the flag race started this year the boys forgot to do anything about it, thus making liars of some Sunnyside scribes who had listened overlong at the twilight bull sessions.
Quick, Back on That Wagon!
There is something disconcerting about finding Brenner and his merry men on the uptrend again. Only a few weeks back we were all saying that what the Caps needed to make them a success was for big Bill to be several hundred miles elsewhere. Now there is such a rush to climb on Bill’s bandwagon again that many of us are going to get trampled to death if we don't hurry.
I was one of those who so recently was saying that the Caps could not hit or run, neither could they pitch. In fact I’m not even sure I didn’t voice the suspicion that they failed to even brush their teeth regularly.
There is no denying the fact that they now resemble a collection of youths bearing that banner with the strange device, “Excelsior.” They are running, hitting and pitching. The other night they pilfered an armful of sacks from none other than Bill Beard, a gent who has seldom been accused of having to roll the ball back to the pitcher.
As for hitting, not one of the resurgent Brennermen thinks a ball well tagged unless it makes Bellingham on the first bounce. Even I, his most faithful booster, never accused young Bud Hjelmaa [photo left], for instance, of being a long ball clouter. Yet several times recently Bud has taken to emulating Babe Ruth, whose name, I trust, you will find vaguely familiar.
Beware the Roof; It May Cave In!
Unfortunately, it seems necessary to utter a word of caution. It is an old saying in baseball that as soon as you start gazing at that flagpole with the pennant on top it has a habit of crashing down on your features.
There are still those among the hired hands who have a fine contempt for running. The fact that the club has been scoring in boxcar figures, too, took the spotlight off the hurlers until last night’s show. What the boys will do when they face some real bowling for a change, possibly the ensuing series with Victoria, remains to be seen.
Whatever the outcome it has been nice to see the Caps give this stretch dash the big hustle. Winning the flag is something else again. From fourth place it is a neat dodge if you can do it. If they did happen to do it for Brenner, well, it couldn’t happen to a nicer gent.

Games of Monday, August 11, 1947

2007-06-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Standings after Monday's games
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 70 52 .574 --
Salem ...... 67 50 .573 2½
Bremerton .. 69 52 .570 ½
Vancouver .. 63 56 .529 5½
Victoria ... 65 58 .528 5½
Tacoma ..... 59 63 .484 11
Yakima ..... 47 74 .393 22½
Wenatchee .. 42 80 .344 28

Mitchell Blanks Hapless Chiefs
VICTORIA, August 11 — Dick Mitchell, who has earned his ranking as Victoria's top hurler with his recent performances, came up with one the best games of his Western International League career as he blanked the Wenatchee Chiefs, 8-0, tonight.
In the two-inning windup of a previous seven inning game at Wenatchee, each club scored once to make the final count 8-5.
Never in serious trouble in the regulation game, Mitchell made his 13th victory his first shutout. He struck out six, walked three and doled out six hits. It was his sixth straight win and enabled the A's to gain a game on the leaders, who were both defeated.
A walk to Pat Patterson, singles by John Hooper and Bill White, an outfield error and Vic Mastro's fly ball gave the local nine a 3-0 bulge in the first inning.
They added a pair in the fifth after the Chiefs just failed to pull off what would have been the first triple play of W.I.L. history in Victoria. Mitchell and Patterson singled, and Mitchell was doubled off second after Jimmy Zinn stabbed Hooper's liner. Patterson beat the throw back to first by a whisker. Singles by White and Jack Harshman and a passed ball then plated the runs.
Hooper's 11th home run, which came with Patterson aboard, climaxed the three-run splurge in the sixth which wound up the scoring.
More than 2,200 fans ran the season's attendance close to 100,000.
Wenatchee .... 000 000 000 — 0 6 2
Victoria ......... 300 023 00x — 8 12 1
Cronin and Winter; Micthell and Mastro.

Collegiate Crushed by Caps
VANCOUVER, Aug. 11 — The streaking Vancouver Capilanos chased Gene Peterson, a slim right-hander off the campus of Willamette College, after scoring six runs in the first 1 2-3 innings on their way to a 14-6 Western International League win over the Salem Senators here tonight.
Buddy Hjelmaa started the run parade with a solo homer in the first. Paul Carpenter and Charlie Mead then swatted back-to-back doubles to make it 2-0.
Peterson was taken out after Frank Mullens clubbed a towering home run over the right field screen while Lee Mohr and Carl Gunnarson was aboard. Bus Sporer came in and was victimsed for a six-run fifth inning, thanks to five hits and two errors.
Gunnarson picked up his 14th win.
Salem ............ 001 101 120 — 6 12 4
Vancouver ...... 240 100 01x —14 14 2
Peterson, Sporer (2) and Beard, Mohler (6); Gunnarson and Stumpf.

Yakima ........... 202 010 100 — 6 12 2
Bremerton ....... 041 000 03x — 8 9 3
Ward and Constantino; Johnston, Kittle (7), Lowman (9) and Volpi.

Spokane ..... 300 000 011 — 5 7 2
Tacoma ...... 140 130 00x — 9 12 3
Werbowski, Spitzer (5) and Bufflap; Chetkovich and Kuper.

Games of Sunday, August 10, 1947

2007-06-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Sunday.
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 70 51 .579 --
Salem ...... 67 49 .578 ½
Bremerton .. 68 52 .567 1½
Vancouver .. 62 56 .526 6½
Victoria ... 64 58 .525 2½
Tacoam ..... 58 64 .479 12
Yakima ..... 47 70 .402 21
Wenatchee .. 42 79 .347 28

WENATCHEE, August 10 — The Vancouver Capilanos swept a pair of Western International League games from the Wenatchee Chiefs, 10-7 and 11-4, here on Sunday.
The caps jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the opener, but the Chiefs scored once in the second and three in the third to go ahead 5-4.
It was a see-saw game from there, as it was tied at 6-6 after five innings and 7-7 after six before the Caps scored three times in the seventh off Joe Vivalda to win it.
Bill Brenner and Bill Reese both had a double and a single and brought in three runs while Lee Mohr had four hits, including a triple.
In the night game, Bob Hall picked up the win, doubling twice and bringing in three runs. Buddy Hjelmaa had a pair of doubles and a single, while Charlie Mead had two singles and a double, good for three runs.
First game
Vancouver ..... 400 021 3 — 10 14 2
Wenatchee .... 023 011 0 — 7 7 4
Vivalda and Winter; Jonas and Brenner.
Second game
Vancouver ....... 012 002 222 — 11 15 0
Wenatchee ...... 000 211 000 — 4 10 3
Hall and Stumpf; Waltho, Condon (8), Frost (9) and and Darymple.

First game:
Bremerton ......... 052 100 821 — 19 18 0
Spokane ............ 100 000 100 — 2 10 4
Lowman and Volpi; Spitzer, Latino (2), Miller (7), Donnan (8) and O'Neill, Martin (9).
Second game:
Bremerton ........ 200 010 102 — 6 14 2
Spokane ............ 000 001 001 — 2 6 2
Marshall and Volpi; Kramer and Bufflap.

First game:
Tacoma ........... 002 001 0 — 3 5 4
Salem .............. 200 415 x — 12 13 0
Moran, Gibson (4) and Clifford; Mossor and Mohler.
Second game:
Tacoma ......... 000 000 010 — 1 7 0
Salem ............ 100 000 001 — 2 7 0
Tinsley and Kuper; Anderson and Beard.

First game:
Victoria ........... 140 001 0 — 6 8 0
Yakima ........... 010 012 0 —4 8 1
Woop and Anske; Meister and Constantino.
Second game:
Victoria ........... 102 030 010 — 7 9 3
Yakima ........... 300 111 02x — 8 12 0
Fortier and Mastro; Wallerstein, Romple and Constantino.

Games of Saturday, August 9, 1947

2007-06-21T20:15:00.001-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Aug. 9
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 70 49 .588 --
Salem ...... 65 49 .570 2½
Bremerton .. 66 52 .559 3½
Victoria ... 63 57 .525 7½
Vancouver .. 60 56 .517 8½
Tacoma ..... 58 61 .487 12
Yakima ..... 46 69 .400 22
Wenatchee .. 42 77 .353 29

YAKIMA, August 9 — A crowd of 3,000 fans watched Johnny Price, Cleveland Indians' versatile clown, and the Yakima Stars put on an excellent show tonight. The Stars evened the current Western International League series at one each by nudging the Victoria Athletics, 5-4.
Pitcher John Cordell, who twirled his tenth victory of the season, tallied the winning run in the seventh inning by scoring from second on Bud Beringhele's single to right field. Spencer Harris knocked a home run over the right-field fence in the third inning to account for three of Yakima's runs.
Vic Mastro provided the hitting pinch for the A's, connecting for two doubles and a home run over the left-field fence in the fourth inning. Babe Jensen had a chance to score what would have proved to be the tying run in the seventh when he cracked a triple. On a poor relay from the field, Jensen could have scored, but ran into base umpire Frank Dehaney between third and home and had to return to third.
Victoria ........... 100 101 100—4 9 0
Yakima ........... 013 000 10x—5 7 0
Kasparovich and Mastro; Cordell and Constantino.

SPOKANE, August 9 — Spokane maintained its 2½ game tonight lead by setting down the Bremerton Bluejackets, 8-6, for the second straight time in an error-filled Western International League game in which the winners bobbled six times and the losers four.
Bremerton ...... 003 000 201—6 4 4
Spokane .......... 000 002 24x—8 12 6
Kittle, Ahearn (6) and Volpi; Samson, Miller (8) and O'Neill.

SALEM, August 9 — Salem Senators kept up the pace tonight by turning back Tacoma, 7-2, as Vince Lazor notched his 11th Western International League victory.
Tacoma ...... 010 000 100—2 7 3
Salem ......... 301 300 OOx—7 16 2
Gilson, Greenlaw (4), Greco (7) and Kuper; Lazor and Beard.

WENATCHEE, August 9 — The heavy-hitting Wenatchee Chiefs, led by Bob Williams with a home run, a double and two singles, upset the Vancouver Capilanos, 15-8, tonight in a Western International League game here.
The winners scored 11 of their runs in the first three innings as Steve Andrade gave them a start with a three-run circuit smash. He batted in five runs altogether.
Hal Saltzman gave up four of the runs in the first 2-3rds of an inning, giving up four hits and walking four.
Vancouver .......... 010 300 121— 8 15 2
Wenatchee ......... 632 020 11x—15 17 2
Saltzman, Manier (1) and Brenner, Mead (8); McCollum and Winter.

Friday, August 8, 1947

2007-06-21T19:05:00.001-07:00

W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 69 49 .585
Salem ...... 64 49 .566 2½
Bremerton .. 66 51 .564 2½
Victoria ... 63 56 .529 6½
Vancouver .. 60 55 .523 7½
Tacoma ..... 58 60 .492 11
Yakima ..... 45 69 .395 22
Wenatchee .. 41 77 .347 28

WENATCHEE, Wash., Aug. 8 — The Vancouver Capilanos turned their home run bats on the Wenatchee Chiefs twice tonight to sweep the cellar-dwellers, 9-1 and 7-5, in the beginning of a Western International League series.
The Caps have now won nine games in a row, and 14 of their last 15.
Home runs came off the bats of Frank Mullens, Bill Reese, Jim Hedgecock, Buddy Hjelmaa and Charlie Mead. Two of them were in the first inning, one in the fourth and two more in the last.
Reese brought in three runs and Mead had a pair, as he went three for three.
Hedgecock breezed to his 13th win, giving up a first inning single to Steve Andrade to score Clyde Haskell with two out. He held Wenatchee to seven scattered hits while fanning three, though walking six.
The nightcap was a much closer contest but again Cap power produced the margin. Mead came through with a three-run homer in the fourth frame to overcome a 2-0 lead the Chiefs had built up with singletons in the second and third.
Wenatchee came back in their half of the fourth to push a trio of runs across the plate and again lead 5-3.
Paul Carpenter got one back in the sixh when he lofted one of Frost's slants out of the park.
Caps completed their scoring with a three-run splurge in the seventh and from there on Bob Snyder held the Chiefs well in hand.
First game:
Vancouver ......... 410 100 3—9 11 0
Wenatchee ........ 100 000 0—1 7 0
Hedgecock and Stumpf; Waltho, Cronin (3), Condon (7) and Dalrymle.
Second game:
Vancouver .......... 000 301 300—7 11 2
Wenatchee ......... 011 300 000—5 11 2
Snyder and Stumpf; Frost, Day (7), Condon (7) and Winter.

YAKIMA, Aug. 8 — With Joe Blankenship hurling four-hit baseball and his teammates blasting two Yakima pitchers for 12 hits, the Victoria Athletics scored a decisive 13-2 victory in the opening contest of a four-game Western International League series here tonight.
Blankenship failed to give up a hit until Spencer Harris singled to right field in the fifth inning.
After scoring five times in the first inning, the A's scored three more runs in the fifth, added two in the eighth and put the finishing touches to the rout in the ninth when Jack Harshman knocked a homer over the right field fence.
Bill Anske and John Hooper each connected for triples in the final stanza. Harshman hit a single, a triple and a four-bagger in five trips.
Victoria ............ 500 030 023—13 12 1
Yakima ............. 000 010 010— 2 4 3
Blanenship and Mastro, Anske (8); Nowels, Brysch (1) and Phillips.

SALEM, Ore., Aug. 8 — Maury Donovan's double with the bases loaded in the 10th inning gave the Tacoma Tigers a 5-3 victory over the Salem Senators in the opener of the teams' four-game Western International League series at Salem.
The Tigers sent the fray into extra innings with a two-run rally in the seventh inning off southpaw Kenny Wyatt.
Tacoma ....... 100 000 200 2—5 10 1
Salem .......... 103 100 000 0—3 22 2
Walden and Clifford; Wyatt and Mohler, Beard (10).

SPOKANE, Aug. 8 — Jake Phillips scored from third on a wild pitch in the tenth inning as the league-leading Spokane Indians defeated Bremerton Bluejackets, 7-0, before a record Western International League crowd of 9,438.
After trailing most of the game, Bremerton tied the score on Bill Barisoff's two-run homer and added another run to take a 6-5 lead.
Bremerton ..... 000 210 003 0—6 16 1
Spokane .......... 020 003 001 1—7 11 2
Johnston; Marshall (9) and Volpi; Costello, Forsyth (10), and O'Neill.

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, August 9, 1947]

The Roscoe Rifle is still on a binge and if you think this is overplaying a good thing, just stick with us for one more column and we’ll look for new lights to cast.
First, let us bring you up to date. The Roscoe Rifle is Frank Mullens, now making a highly successful living out of swatting baseballs for the Capilanos.
Perhaps, in this interview, we didn’t catch Mullens at the right time. He was having an “at home” in his two and a half room trailer with wife Del, daughter Sandy and newly-born [one month] Sharon Sue.
He was quite busy, as a matter of fact, with Sharon Sue as we barged into the intimacy of the Mullens’ tidily-kept trailer home.
“Hold on a minute,” said Frank. “Got to put a new diaper on Sharon Sue before she catches her morning nap.”
He did too. He looked like quite the expert at the job, sticking safety pins around corner just like he catches fly balls.
* * *
Mullens’ story this year has been one curtained with mystery. A .242 sticker last season with a world of promise, the guy has budded into a sweet-looking player.
We asked him about the change. We hinted that perhaps it might be the rabbit ball which was helping his line drive pokes over fences. But Mullens couldn’t go for this.
“Maybe I’m eating my Wheaties,” he grinned. “But I’d much rather think it was a combination of two other items, Sharon Sue over there and that right field screen at the park.”
“You know the night Sharon Sue was born I had four-for-five and started a 14-game hitting streak. Just two nights before that my boss, Bob Brown, stuck that screen on top of the right field fence and I was the most surprised guy in the park when I singled twice into left field,” Mullens went on.
“This may sound like superstition to you. Well, I’ve been accused of talking myself out of being a hitter many times. Maybe I was thinking so much of Sharon Sue that I forgot to pull outside pitches in and started hitting the ball where it was thrown,” said Frank..
We looked at the batting averages and decided Frank was not talking hooey. The day Sharon Sue was born he was at .262 in the averages. He is now hitting .335 and still going up. And he still is the most notorious base swiper in the league.
* * *
Mullens went on, “You know I promised by wife that if I didn’t show enough this year to rate a shot with Seattle in ’48 I would quit baseball and learn a trade.”
“I hope I can keep this streak going. Baseball is my life and if I can show them something in Seattle next year I may even get to the big show some day. I’m only 23, and still have a few years left,” the centre fielder said.
Mullins was born in Roscoe, California, and still lives there. He is all wrapped up in baseball himself and wife Del makes a happy companion. She was, and likely still is, one of the best women softball players to play in Roscoe town.
Frank, unlike some members in his trade, is a home lover. He was changing a diaper when we entered his trailer and during our conversation he cleaned up a pack of dinner dishes which were stacked mountain high.
“Say,” Mullens suddenly said, almost dropping a dish in the act, “Maybe that change from left field to centre has helped my hitting some.”
“I have always been weak on ground balls and that left field, with its hills and dales, didn’t help my mental attitude last year. Still, Charley (Mead) is hitting .345, isn’t he?” he quizzed.
“But why worry about it? Next season I may have one of those .242 seasons again. I’ll see you in the big leagues some day, even if I have to get a job holding up Bobo Newsom’s tummy.”

NON-W.I.L. NEWS FROM THE MINOR LEAGUES
Umpire Calls Turn on Balls, Not on Skunks
REHOBOTH, Del., Aug. 8 — Umpire Bob Hanks of Canal Fulton, O., ran afoul of a customer he admittedly didn't care to argue with in an Eastern Shore baseball league game here.
When a skunk parked himself on the diamond during the fifth inning of a game between Rehoboth and Seaford, all the players including two base runners hit for the dugouts.
When coach Doug Penden of Rehoboth demanded him to take action, umpire Hanks retorted:
"I've argued with a lot of things, but darned if I'm going to get spat on."
The skunk stayed around for ten minutes before wandering off and permitting resumption of play.

Games of Thursday, August 7, 1947

2007-06-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE Standings
after games of August 7
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 68 49 .581 --
Salem ...... 64 48 .571 2½
Bremerton .. 66 50 .568 1½
Victoria ... 62 56 .525 6½
Vancouver .. 58 55 .513 8
Tacoma ..... 57 60 .487 11
Yakima ..... 45 68 .398 22
Wenatchee .. 41 75 .353 26½

Stumpf's Double Caps' Victory Hit
SPOKANE, Aug. 7 — The big kid from the Bronx was responsible for the Vancouver Capilanos' seventh straight win tonight, 7-5, over the Spokane Indians.
Bob Stumpf, who has caught every game for the last week while Bill Brenner has been sidelined with an infected knee, cracked out a double in the tenth, scoring Frank Mullens and Bill Reece. Those two runs broke a 5-5 deadlock and gave Carl Gunnarson his 13th win this year.
The southpaw faltered slightly in the Spokane 10th, permitting Doug Donnan and Frank O'Neill to single with two out. Then Brenner waved in Ron Bryant to suffocate the rally, which he did to success.
The Caps — with Frank Mullens again hitting three-for-five — gave Gunnarson a 5-0 lead as they turning into the bottom of the fifth inning, after Paul Carpenter singled in three runs in the top. Spokane then jumped on him for five runs, two on a single by Bob Morgan and another on George Schmees' solo homer, and the score stood until the extra inning.
Vancouver ........... 100 040 000 2—7 11 1
Spokane ............... 000 050 000 0—5 11 1
Gunnarson, Bryant (10) and Stumpf; Werbowski and O'Neill.

Mitchell Salvages Final Salem Game
SALEM, Aug. 7 — Youthful Dick Mitchell stopped the skid of the Victoria Athletics tonight when he threw a five-hitter at the Salem Senators to register his 11th win, 9-1, and salvage the final game of the three-game series with the second-place Solons.
A triple by pitcher Gene Peterson and a double by Marty Krug in the third accounted for the only Salem run.
Victoria went into the lead in the top of the third when Mitchell, who figured in two rallies, singled, John Cavalli doubled and Vic Mastro singled. Winners added three more in the sixth and send Peterson to the showers when hits by Mitchell and Babe Jensen were built around three walks and a pair of errors.
A single run in the seventh and three more in the ninth added to the winning margin.
Victoria ....... 002 003 103—9 14 1
Salem .......... 001 000 000—1 5 3
Mitchell and Anske, Mastro (2); Peterson, Sporer (6), Wilson (7) and Beard.

Bremerton ........ 001 030 011—6 11 1
Wenatchee ....... 000 000 001—1 7 2
Ahearn and Volpi; Day, Condon (9) and Winter.

Tacoma ............ 300 000 200— 5 10 2
Yakima ............. 510 010 50x—12 12 0
Chetkovich, Morgan (7), Clough (8) and Kuper; Strait, Romple (7) and Phillips.

NON WIL NEWS FROM THE MINORS

Ump Embarrassed But Has Last Word
BREWTON, Ala. - Leslie McGarity, catcher for Brewton in the Alabama State League, almost got away with this.
He was on third base when he was caught in a run-down between third and home. Jockeying for position, McGarity suddenly held up his hand and yelled, "Time out."
Unconsciously, the umpire covering the play threw up his hands and bawled, "Time out."
McGarity calmly walked back to this, stood on the base and said, "Play ball."
The umpire returned to reume his positiojn in the field when something like a lighnting struck him.
"Yer out," he roared at McGarity, "for interference."
"I didn't interfere with anyone," yelled McGarity.
"Yer out," repeated the impire, "for interfering with the game."
And he was.
- August 8, 1947

Games of Wednesday, August 6, 1947

2007-06-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE Standings
after games of Aug. 6
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 68 48 .586 --
Salem ...... 64 47 .577 2½
Bremerton .. 65 50 .565 2½
Victoria ... 61 56 .521 7½
Vancouver .. 57 59 .509 9
Tacoma ..... 57 59 .491 11
Yakima ..... 44 68 .393 22
Wenatchee .. 41 74 .357 26½

Mullens Helps Hall Dump Spokane
SPOKANE, August 6 — Frank Mullens teed off on three Spokane pitchers for three hits in five trips as the Vancouver Capilanos defeated the league-leading Indians 6-3 to win their 11th game of their last 12.
Mullens pushed the Caps back to stay in the fifth inning tonight. His single scored Lee Mohr and Buddy Hjelmaa, and gave Bob Hall the chance to breeze to his 11th win.
Hall was brilliant in the late stages, as his fastball hopped by 11 Indians batters. Eight walks kept him in trouble, but he was helped by two double-plays.
Spokane laid claim to a new Class "B" baseball attendance record as 2,779 fans paid to see the game.
With a month of the season still left, the Indians have already attracted 223,398 paying customers, breaking their own record of 220,419 set in 1940.
Vancouver ......... 010 120 002—6 9 1
Spokane ............ 002 010 000—3 7 4
Hall and Stumpf; Latino, Spitzer (6), Miller (9), and O'Neill.

Mossor bests Woop as A's Keep Losing
SALEM, Aug. 6 — Wandell Mossor, star Salem southpaw, allowed only three hits tonight as he hurled the Salem Senators to a 6-2 Western International League triumph here in what turned out to be a pitchers' battle after the first two innings, when the winners scored five of their runs. Vic Mastro gave the Victorians a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he hit for the circuit with Pat Patterson, who had walked, on the bags. Mossor shut the door from there and never permitted a hit after the second inning.
Three hits and a pair of walks gave the Solons three runs in their half of the first and they added two more in the third when Mel Nunes cracked out a two-run homer off Bill Woop. Final Salem run came in the seventh when Ed Barr doubled following a walk to Nunes.
Mossor and Woop both struck out seven with the Victoria hurler issuing free transportation to a like number. Woop allowed six hits.
Victoria ......... 200 000 000—2 3 3
Salem ........... 320 000 10x—6 6 0
Woop and Mastro; Mossor and Beard.

WENATCHEE, August 6 — Wenatchee's surprising Chiefs spanked the Bremerton Bluejackets for the second straight night, this time 16-5, in Western International League action tonight.
Catcher Les Dalrymple included two home runs in his four hits and batted in eight runs to help Joe Vivalda mark up his 14th pitching victory.
Bremerton ........ 005 000 000— 5 8 4
Wenatchee ....... 100 352 50x—16 15 1
Marshall and Volpi; Vivalda and Winter, Dalrymple (2).

Tacoma ........ 000 300 002—5 7 1
Yakima ......... 012 010 02x—6 8 0
Tinsley and Clifford; Wallerstein, Simon (9) and Phillips.

Games of Tuesday, August 5, 1947

2007-06-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

Caps Knock Off Loop Leaders
SPOKANE, Aug. 5 — Vancouver Capilanos scored three times in the ninth to come from behind to defeat the Western International league-leading Spokane Indians 8-6 tonight.
Buddy Hjelmaa collected all five walks issued by Spoke hurler Wally Kramer, while Bill Reese collected three hits.
Seattle's two latest gifts to the Caps, Paul Carpenter and Hal Saltzman, figured brightly as Carpenter knocked in the tying and winning runs with a single in the ninth, scoring Hjelmaa and Frank Mullens, who doubled. Reese then singled, scoring Carpenter.
The loop-leaders had erupted for four runs in the third on a fielder's choice, two walks, a wild pitcher and Jake Phillips' two-bagger. Four safeties in the eighth set up the local uprising, as singles by Bob Stumpf and Saltzman combined with doubles by Len Tran and Carpenter sent two runners across.
Saltzman gave up 14 hits, walked five and struck out five to pick up his first W.I.L. win.
Vancouver .. 010 020 023—6 15 0
Spokane ...... 204 002 000—8 14 0
Saltzman and Stumpf; Kramer, Forsyth (9), and O'Neill.

Late Salem Rallies Overcome A's Lead
SALEM, August 5 — Victoria Athletics, still finding the going tough on the road, dropped a heart-breaking Western International League decision tonight to the Salem Senators, 4-3.
Len Kasparovitch blew a three-run lead in the late innings to get charged with his third successive loss and 10th of the season. He has won 11.
Held scoreless by Kasparovitch until the seventh, the Senators then pulled to within one run when Lazor's single, an error, a hit batsman and a fly-out chased two runners across the plate.
Singles by Buddy Peterson and Marty Krug, Beard's double, another hit batsman and an outfield fly chased the Victoria starter in the eighth as the home club shoved over the tying and winning markers.
Victoria ..... 000 300 000—3 4 1
Salem ........ 000 000 22x—4 10 1
Kasparovich, Arnold (8) and Mastro; Lazor and Beard.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 5 —The Wenatchee Chiefs took advantage of nine bases on balls and three errors to outscore the Bremerton Bluejackets, 11-4, tonight in a Western International League game.
Lou McCollum whiffed eight and walked but two as he effectively spaced 11 hits.
Wenatchee ......... 010 210 000— 4 11 3
Bremerton ......... 200 502 20x—11 11
Lowman, Smith (7) and Volpi; McCollum and Winter.

Tacoma ........ 002 023 000— 7 9 1
Yakima ....... 203 000 24x—11 11 1
Gilson, Greenlaw (7), Greco (8) and Kuper; Ward, Brysch (6), Romple (9) and Phillips.

No Games of Monday, August 4, 1947

2007-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

No games played

Vancouver batting
              AB H RBI Pct.
Mullens .... 412 142 90 .345
Mead ....... 422 144 92 .341
Brenner .... 339 53 31 .339
Mohr ....... 473 152 42 .321
Hall ........ 58 58 17 .310
Snyder ...... 68 19 5 .308
Stumpf ..... 279 84 45 .301
Gunnarson ... 72 22 5 .301
Hjelmaa .... 426 128 62 .300
Tran ....... 381 106 61 .278
Reese ...... 329 80 55 .243
Hedgecock ... 72 27 9 .236
Robertson ... 26   6 5 .208

Victoria batting
               AB   R H RBI Pct.
Mastro ...... 297 74 109 66 .367
Hooper ...... 325 79 119 57 .364
White ....... 478 81 157 82 .328
Harshman .... 428 106 137 108 .328
Jensen ...... 436 77 137 101 .314
Anske ....... 124 19 34   8 .270
Norbert ...... 46 12 13   8 .270
Patterson ... 385 95 110 45 .259
Righetti .... 353 47 89 61 .252
Cavalli ..... 340 49 85 72 .250

Games of Sunday, August 3, 1947

2007-06-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
Monday morning, Aug. 4
Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 68 46 .596 --
Bremerton .. 65 48 .575 2½
Salem ...... 62 47 .569 3½
Victoria ... 61 54 .530 7
Vancouver .. 55 55 .500 11
Tacoma ..... 57 57 .500 11
Yakima ..... 42 68 .382 24
Wenatchee .. 39 74 .345 28½

WIL Leaders Sweep Victorians
SPOKANE, Aug. 3 — Pitching difficulties again beset the Victoria Athletics here today as they absorbed a double-setback from the league-leading Indians, 6-3 and 3-1.
In the opener, Jim Arnold was belted off the hill in the third inning and charged with all of Spokane's runs. Ray Fortier replaced him and allowed a single hit and no runs, but the damage was done.
Bob Jensen, who has failed miserably in his last few starts, failed to survive the second inning although only responsible for one run.
Joe Blankenship was tagged with his third defeat in a week when the Indians scored twice in the seventh after Jack Harshman broke a long home-run famine by tying the count in the top half of the inning with his 30th circuit blow.
The A's have dropped five of the their last eight decisions.
First game:
Victoria ........... 010 002 000—3 5 1
Spokane .......... 015 000 00x—6 5 2
Arnold, Fortier (4) and Anske, Mastro (4); Latino and O'Nell.
Second game:
Victoria ............ 000 000 100—1 5 2
Spokane .......... 100 000 20x—3 11 1
Jensen, Blankenship (1). and Anske; Werbowski and O'Neill.

First game:
Wenatchee ........... 062 004 0—12 10 1
Tacoma ............... 100 000 3— 4 8 2
Frost and Winter; Tinsley, Greenlaw (2), Greco (6) and Kuper.
Second game:
Wenatchee ........... 001 020 000 01—4 8 1
Tacoma ............... 011 100 000 00—3 10 6
Osborne and Dalrymple; Chetkovich and Kuper.

First game:
Salem .................. 002 000 000—2 6 0
Bremerton ........... 010 100 001—3 9 2
Anderson and Beard; Ahearn and Volpi.
Second game:
Salem ............... 000 000 030—3 6 2
Bremerton .......... 002 000 000—2 7 0
Wyatt and Mohler, Beard (9); Kittle, Marshall (9) and Ronning.

Only games scheduled

NON WIL NEWS FROM THE MINORS

No-Hitters Abound
UNDATED, August 3 - Three no-hit, no-run ball games were turned in by minor league pitchers Sunday with two of them just failing to be perfect games.
At Fort Worth, Texas, southpaw Dwain Sloat of Fort Worth turned back the Tulsa Oilers, 1-0, in a Texas League game facing only 28 batters. Sloat had a perfect game until he walked Jim Shilling with two out in the ninth.
Isadore Leon of the St. Petersburg Saints of the Class C Florida International league also had pitched a perfect game until the ninth when he walked a member of the visiting West Palm Beach Indians with one out. Leon got the next batter to bang into a doubleplay to record a 2-0 win.
Righthander Shelby Kinney pitched the first no-hitter of the 1947 Southern Association season, pitching the Atlanta Crackers to a 5-0 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans at New Orleans. Kinney permitted only four nine to get on base, all via walks.

Games of Saturday, August 2, 1947

2007-06-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Aug. 2
W L Pct. GB
Spokane .... 66 46 .589 --
Bremerton .. 64 47 .577 1½
Salem ...... 61 46 .570 2½
Victoria ... 61 52 .540 5½
Tacoma ..... 57 55 .509 9
Vancouver .. 55 55 .500 10
Yakima ..... 42 68 .382 23
Wenatchee .. 37 74 .333 28½

A's Slug Out Win Over Leaders
SPOKANE, August 2 - Led by speedy John Hooper, with two singles and a triple, and Leo Righetti, who batted in three with a pair of timely singles, the Victoria Athletics upset the Spokane Indians 12-8 before almost 4,100 fans.
After scoring once in the first and adding three in the fourth to break a 1-1 deadlock, the Victorians counted seven times in the fifth as they combined four walks and four singles with a pair of doubles.
Dick Mitchell ran into trouble in the seventh when he walked four Indians and the A's kicked in with a pair of boots to bring in six runs. Manager Ted Norbert rushed Len Kasparovitch to the rescue and the big righthander easily protected the lead.
Victoria ...... 100 370 010—12 12 3
Spokane ..... 100 100 600— 8 7 1
Mitchell, Kasparovitch (7) and Anske, Mastro (7); Spitzer, Miller, (4), Forsyth (5) and O'Neill.

Caps take Pair
VANCOUVER, Aug. 2 - Frank Mullens continued to provide a hot bat for the Vancouver Capilanos on Saturday, as they swept the Yakima Stars 8-2 and 8-5, in a Western International League double header.
Mullens crashed out a three-run four-bagger in the first inning of the first game, which was more than enough to enable Bob Snyder to register his tenth win.
Snyder received ample assistance from Paul Carpenter and Bob Stumpf, who both drove in a pair of runs.
Southpaw Jim Hedgecock throttled the Stars in the nightcap, limiting them to four hits. He weakened in the last two innings, but only one of the five runs he surrendered was earned.
Hedgecock clubbed a Max Strait fastball over the right field screen in the seventh for a run.
First game:
Yakima .............. 000 200 0—2 7 0
Vancouver ........ 300 032 0—8 12 2
Simon, Romple (6), and Phillips; Snyder and Stumpf.
Second game:
Yakima ........... 101 000 040—5 9 3
Vancouver ....... 003 003 11x—8 17 2
Strait and Phillips; Hedgecock and Stumpf.

Wenatchee ..... 000 000 000—0 7 5
Tacoma .......... 410 000 20x—7 11 0
Day and Winter; Walden and Clifford.

Salem ..............003 000 000 005-8 15 1
Bremerton .... 000 010 020 000—3 8 0
Mosser and Beard; Sullivan, P. Barisoff (1) and Volpi.

Games of Friday, August 1, 1947

2007-06-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, Aug. 1—The Vancouver Capilanos overcame the Yakima Stars 13-8 tonight despite handing the Stars six runs in the sixth inning.
The game started at 1-1 after one inning, thanks to homers by Gordon Goldsberry for Yakima and Frank Mullens for Vancouver. Then Bob Hall tripled in Buddy Hjelmaa and scored on Lee Mohr's single in the second. Hall doubled across Bob Stumpf and Len Tran in the fourth, then scored when Frank Nowels walked Paul Carpenter with the bases full to give Vancouver and 6-1 lead.
Yakima got a single run in the fifth, Vancouver got two, then came the goofy sixth.
The Stars had only one hit that inning, but they were issued seven walks, four by fireballer Hall and three by Sandy Robertson, and benefitted from a wierd play at second base. Buddy Phillips was on first and Spencer Harris on second when Les Barnes hit a potential double-play ball. Second baseman Mohr bobbled the ball, tossed to shorstop Hjelmaa covering at second, who dropped it onto Phillips' leg, and the ball rolled into the outfield. Phillips made a dash for third, but saw Harris still standing there, so he turned around and ran back toward second. Mohr had tracked down the ball, tossed it to Hjelmaa, who dropped it again and Phillips was safe.
After that came the walks, and the game was tied at 8.
Robertson put an end to Yakima's hopes in the eighth by belting a three-run homer.
- - -
VANCOUVER [The Sun, Aug. 2]—Brooklyn Dodger scout Tom Downey paid an unscheduled visit to the WI baseball league’s Capilano Stadium last night, and for one inning he must have thought he was sitting in on a game of parcheesi.
The inning was the sixth and Yakima scored six runs on one hit, pulling this trick without the benefit of mirrors. Seven bases on balls, four by Bob Hall and a trio by fireman Sandy Robertson, combined with the single and a screwy situation at second base to knock an 8-2 Capilano lead down to an 8-8 standoff.
The second base situation was a riot. With Buddy Phillips on first and Spencer Harris on first, Les Barnes hit a potential double play bouncer to Buddy Hjelmaa. Buddy bobbled momentarily, but flipped to Lee Mohr for a forceout on Phillips, only Mohr dropped the ball.
As the ball squirted out of Lee’s glove, it hit Phillips in the leg and caromed onto the outfield grass. Phillips lit for third only to find it already occupied by Harris. By the time he had turned for the second time Hjelmaa was waiting, ball in hand. He put the tag on Phillips then dropped the ball once more.
Sighting this item as their keynote, the Yak-Yaks waited and waited, as Hall passed three men in a row to force in three runs. Robertson had his troubles at first, too, but he finally got the side out just as the crowd was settling down for an all-night stand.
DIAMOND DUST: Tonight there is another double bill on deck starting at 7:30. ... Bob Snyder and Jim Hedgecock are the likely Cap pitchers. ... Scout Tom Downey of Brooklyn is naturally happy his Dodgers are going so well. ... But his gaiety is a little more so because Johnny Jorgensen, Bruce Edwards, Hal Gregg and Vic Lombardi are all his boys and all going rather well.
[WILfan notes: Lee Mohr, Frank Mullens and Len Tran each had three hits; one of Mohr’s was a solo homer ... Hall tripled and doubled, bringing in four runs].
Yakima ........... 100 016 000—8 7 2
Vancouver ...... 120 320 23x—13 16 2
Nowels, Brysch (6), Wallerstein (7) and Phillips; Hall, Robertson (6) and Stumpf.

SPOKANE, August 1—The league-leading Spokane Indians were handcuffed by Victoria's Bill Woop, who allowed only six hits in giving the Athletics a 7-1 win tonight in Western International League play.
The A's backed their big southpaw with an 11-hit attack and three double plays. And after ten errors in two night, they were charged with only one tonight.
Over 4,500 fans were on hand to see John Hooper give Victoria a lead in the first inning with his tenth home run. Spokane tied it in their half when Billy Dunn came in, but Bill White and Babe Jensen doubled in succession in the second and Jensen later stole home to give the A's a two-run lead.
John Cavalli's triple and Vic Mastro's infield out sent another across in the third, Hooper doubled to score Woop and Cavalli in the fourth, on base through a single and an error.
Victoria's final tally came in the eighth when Jensen singled and scored on Bill Anske's single.
Victoria ........... 121 200 010—7 11 1
Spokane ......... 100 000 000—1 6 1
Woop and Anske; Kramer and O'Neill.

Wenatchee .......... 100 102 030—7 16 0
Tacoma ............... 020 002 000-4 12 0
Vivalda and Winter; Morgan and Kuper.

Salem ............ 000 100 000—1 8 2
Bremerton ..... 000 010 32x—6 8 0
Lazor, Peterson (6) and Beard; Marshall and Volpi.

The Home Plate
by KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, August 2, 1947]

An insignificant item has been attracting our eye at the ball yard for some time, and now we hear that some of the Capilanos' best fans are complaining as well. So it must be time to correct the fault.
This is to do with the habit of the right field scoreboard keeper in eliminating the zeros in the line score as the game is six or seven innings old.
Is it possible that the park has plumb run out of goose eggs. However, if this is the alibi, we have heard no recent mention of strict rationing in the making of new zeros.
Until the new park is erected, Cap Stadium will boast one of the most inadequate scoreboards in organized baseball. Correcting such as small fault as an incorrectly kept scoreboard linescore does not cost many dollars and does not take much time. So why hasn't this been done?
* * *
There are a million types of fans in every baseball park, but we offers as the height of screwiness, the baseball wife.
They are a show in themselves if you can take your eyes off the ball game long enough for a glance toward their box to the right of home plate in the back of the grandstand.
Amid this year’s list of wives Mrs. Bob Snyder (Eileen) is about the only natural ball fan. When hubby Bob is pitching she gives it the old college try. Everything from “we wuz robbed” to “a’gwan home, you blind man, he had a corner on that one.”
But take Nancy Brenner, queen of the wives, just as husband Bill is king of the ballplayers. Nancy is a shy, quiet type, but she’s rarely without something to say when a ball game is going on.
The other night we watched them closely (they aren’t hard to look at anyway). Nancy started with the ball game, giving with the yak-yak and getting all she gave in return from Mrs. Bryant (Vivian) and Mrs. Len Tran, fair talkers in any league.
The game, as we remember it, was brilliantly played and in doubt to the final decision. It was until Bill Brenner smashed a rousing homer in the ninth to win for the Caps.
We looked to the wives’ box again. They were still wound up. Mrs. Tran touched Mrs. Brenner lightly on the shoulder and said, “Bill just hit a homer to win the game for us. It’s all over.”
Mrs. Brenner, obviously disgusted, returned, “Well, how do you like that. Just when this was getting interesting. Well, let’s go home.
* * *
For the fan who is despairing over the Caps’ chances to getting into the WIL pennant race, we would advise a look through baseball’s history to see how many pennants have been won and lost in the torrid month of August.
Two stand out in our mind. The best case is that of the big league Chicago Cubs, who, as the National League entered the August stretch, were 15 games off the pacemaking Pittsburgh Pirates.
Then the Cubs went nuts. They won a Sunday double-header and some mid-week single games. They won another twin bill and another. They kept right on winning until they reached 22 in a row and the World Series.
Then there were the Caps of 1942. They were third as July ended. As hot August suns boiled the Cap Stadium hearth the team hit its stride. It kept on winning until seven other WIL clubs conceded they didn’t even have a mathematical chance of getting close.
Teams are made and broken in August. It will be so with the Caps this year, who have 25 home games on deck this month.
And if anyone accuses us of being an optimist we will believe him.

Games of Thursday, July 31, 1947

2007-06-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Stars Win One and Almost Another
VANCOUVER - A late rally came up short in the second game for the Yakima Stars, and they had to settle for a split of the Western International League opener with Vancouver on Thursday.
The Stars won the first match, 6-2, while the Capilanos took the second, 8-7.
Hal Saltzman made his Vancouver debut and quickly gave up four runs in the first inning, which was all the Stars needed.
John Cordell tossed a six hitter in the opener, Frank Mullens' two-run single in the first inning causing the only damage against him.
Gordon Goldsberry aided Cordell with a two-run single, while Buddy Phillips smacked a solo homer.
Mullens did some damage in the nightcap. Jack Meister struck him out in the first inning, but didn't in the fourth. The former Capilano grooved a fastball to Mullens, who took it over the centre-field fence and a grand-slam home run that put Vancouver ahead 7-2. The Caps added another in the eighth on two walks and Meister's wild pitch.
But the Stars put three quick runs on the board in the eighth. Carl Gunnarson was pulled in favour of Bob Snyder, who struck out Harlond Clift and Les Barnes to end the innning.
Snyder allowed a two-out homer to Henry Robinson to move the Stars to within a run, but struck out Phillips to end the game.
Mullens had a grand-slam home run in the fourth inning, his 22nd round-tripper of the year, good for 93 RBIs this season.
First game:
Yakima .......... 402 000 0—6 8 3
Vancouver ..... 200 000 0—2 6 2
Cordell and Constantine, Phillips (6); Saltzman and Stumpf.
Second game:
Yakima ......... 000 210 031—7 10 3
Vancouver ... 012 400 10x—8 7 4
Meister, Romple (8) and Phillips; Gunnarson, Snyder (8) and Brenner, Stumpf (4).

Athletics Fumble Another One Away
SPOKANE, July 31 - For the second night in a row, the Victoria Athletics were charged with five errors as they gave the Spokane Indians a 3-2 win in the opener of their Western International League series at Ferris Field.
Three of the errors were by John Cavalli and responsible for the first two runs off Joe Blankenship, who left 13 Indians stranded in a valiant attempt for his tenth pitching victory.
Blankenship closed the door after two tainted Spokane runs in the second until the ninth, when the Indians loaded the bags after two were out. Doug Donnan then produced a game-winning single to send the noisy crowd of 3,200 home happy.
John Hooper walked, stole second and counted on Vic Mastro's single in the fourth and Victoria tied it in the second when Mastro beat out a bunt, advanced to third on two infield outs and scored on Leo Righetti's single.
Victoria ......... 000 100 100—2 4 5
Spokane ........ 020 000 001—3 9 1
Blankenship and Anske, Mastro (9); Werbowsku and O'Neill.

WENATCHEE, July 31 - Big Lou Estes, outfielder, in his first appearance for Wenatchee after purchase from Vancouver Wednesday was a one-man wrecking crew in the Chiefs' 7-2 win over Bremerton tonight.
Estes got a home run with one on base, a double, two singles and a walk in five trips to the plate. He drove in four runs and scored two himself, and his extra base hits were the only ones of the game.
Lou McCollum spaced ten hits to take the win, with four double plays helping him.
Wenatchee ........ 202 001 200—7 13 2
Bremerton ........ 000 000 101—2 10 2
McCollum and Winter; Johnston, Ahearn (8) and Volpi,

TACOMA, July 31 - Salem Senators scored eight runs against Tacoma in the fourth to take a 9-3 lead, but could not hold the clawing Tigers and eventually dropped a 10-9 decision as Stan Gilson came up with a flossy relief chore and Guy Miller came through with the winning single in the seventh.
Salem ............ 100 800 000— 9 13 2
Tacoma ........ 120 051 10x—10 11 4
Wyatt, Sporer (5) and Beard; Tinsley, Gilson (4) and Clifford, Kuper (7).

Games of Wednesday, July 30, 1947

2007-06-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 30
. . . . . .. Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 63 44 .596 --
Bremerton .. 63 45 .583 ½
Salem ...... 60 44 .570 1½
Victoria ... 59 51 .536 5½
Tacoma ..... 55 54 .505 9
Vancouver .. 51 54 .486 11
Yakima ..... 41 64 .390 21
Wenatchee .. 35 73 .324 28½

Mullens' Big Bat Whips Wenatchee
VANCOUVER, July 30 - Frank Mullens drove in seven runs, hitting four for five, including two home runs and a double, and made a miraculous one-handed catch as the Vancouver Capilanos picked up a fifth straight win, 15-9 over Wenatchee tonight.
The Chiefs jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, taking Bob Snyder out of the game after only a third of an inning as he gave up five hits, and all of the runners scoring. Buddy Hjelmaa smashed a four-bagged in the bottom of the inning.
Wenatchee tried for more runs in the second, as Les Dalrymple cracked a line-drive with the bases loaded which looked like a sure, three-run double. But Mullens started running back toward the wall in the left-centre, leaped into the air, twisted his back toward the plate and gloved the ball with his eyes blinded by the sun. That ended the inning.
The play perhaps inspired the Vancouver bats, as they swung hard off starter Chuck Cronin and reliever Bob Frost in the bottom of the second to score six runs. Mullens smashed a three-run homer to end the rally and give the Caps a 7-5 lead.
His second home run was a two-run shot in the fourth inning. He doubled in the fifth with the bases loaded for two more runs.
Ron Bryant got the win with 8 2-3 innings, giving up 14 hits. He walked one and struck out five. Frost took the loss, giving up ten runs, eight earned, on 13 hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Wenatchee ....... 500 111 100— 9 19 1
Vancouver ....... 180 280 00x—15 16 4
Cronin, Frost (2) and Dalrymple; Snyder, Bryant (1) and Brenner.

Stars Win Series Decider
VICTORIA, July 30 - Five fielding bobbles were responsible for four unearned runs as the Yakima Stars defeated the Victoria Athletics 7-3 tonight to take their three-game series, two games to one.
The Stars scored an unearned tally in the first inning. Victoria came right back to take the lead with two runs on walks to Pat Patterson and Vic Mastro, and singles to John Hooper, Bill White and John Cavalli. White put an untimely end to the inning when he rounded third on Cavalli's hit and became an easy out.
Yakima tallied two earned runs in the sixth but the A's tied it again in their half when Bud Phillips and Spencer Harris came up with succesive errors and Cavalli singled the runs over.
Three unearned runs off Len Kasparovitch sewed it up in the eighth as Mastro came up with two bobbles and Babe Jensen left a ground ball go through at third base for a third error. White was out at second trying to stretch a single into a double in the home half of the inning to again bring a rally to a halt.
Yakima ....... 100 002 031—7 9 3
Victoria ....... 200 001 000—3 9 5
Ward and Constantino; Kasparovitch and Mastro.

Salem ............... 000 000 001—1 6 2
Tacoma ........... 000 090 00x—9 11 1
Anderson, Sinovic (5) and Beard, Mohler (6); Chetkovich and Kuper.

First game, 7 innings:
Spokane 000 000 0—0 2 2
Bremerton 200 001 x—3 5 0
Latino and O'Neill; Kittle and Volpi.
Second game:
Spokane ......... 202 003 020—9 15 0
Bremerton ..... 120 004 000—7 10 3
Costello, Forsyth (2), Miller (6) and O'Neill; Lowman, P. Barisoff (6) and Volpi.

Games of Tuesday, July 29, 1947

2007-06-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
.. . . . . . Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 64 43 .598 --
Bremerton .. 62 44 .585 1½
Salem ...... 60 43 .583 2
Victoria ... 59 50 .541 6
Tacoma ..... 54 54 .500 10½
Vancouver .. 50 54 .581 11½
Yakima ..... 40 64 .385 22½
Wenatchee .. 35 72 .327 29

Fourth Straight Win for Caps
VANCOUVER, July 29 - Bill Reese greeted John Day, fresh down from Sacramento via Oregon State College, for a three-run homer in the third inning as the Vancouver Capilanos went on to a 9-3 win over the Wenatchee Chiefs at Capilano Stadium tonight.
The blow gave the Caps a 6-0 lead.
Frank Mullens added a two-run homer off the right field screen in the fourth inning. He also batted in a run in the first inning when the Caps went up 2-0.
Jim Hedgecock was nursing a shutout until the seventh inning when the Chiefs got all their runs on two walks and a single. Hedgecock finished with an eight-hitter, striking out seven, to pick his 12th win against seven losses.
Wenatchee ........ 000 000 300—3 8 3
Vancouver ......... 204 200 01x- 9 9 1
Day, Condon (7) and Dalrymple; Hedgecock and Brenner.

Pinch Homer Gives Stars a 9-8 Victory
VICTORIA, July 29 - Harlond Clift, not so many years ago an American League all-star third baseman, proved tonight he still wields a dangerous bat, as he hit a pinch home run in the ninth inning to give Yakima a 9-8 victory tonight over the Victoria Athletics.
The two-run homer came off Joe Blankenship. The A's had announced prior to the game it would stage a special night for Blankenship next month.
A Victoria rally in the ninth fizzled. Vic Mastro lined out, Jack Harshman singled, and then Babe Jensen bashed one off the centre-field fence which was hit so hard, it only went for a single. But Jensen didn't realise that as he made a big turn for second and couldn't get back to first without being tagged out. Jack Cavalli flied to deep left, which would have easily scored Harshman if Jensen had not been tagged out moments earlier. Instead, the fly ball ended the game.
Bill Woop started for the A's and left in the seventh with two runners aboard and behind 6-4. Jim Arnold came on and struck out two batters, but was replaced by Blankenship in the following inning after giving up a pair of hits and a walk with two out.
Jack Harshaman's bases-loaded triple put Victoria ahead for the first time in the sveenth and Jensen followed with a triple in the eighth to make it 8-6.
The Stars made it 8-7 when Arnold went to the showers and then won it in the ninth on Clift's blow.
Bud Phillips had four hits, including a homer, and four RBIs for the winners.
Yakima ... 021 020 112—9 15 1
Victoria ... 010 102 400—8 15 0
Wallerstein, Brysch (7), Strait (9) and Constantino; Woop, Arnold (7), Blankenship (8) and Mastro.

BREMERTON, July 29 - Bremerton cut Spokane's lead to a game and a half with a 10-3 victory behind lefty Joe Sullivan's five-hit pitching in a Western International League game tonight.
Sullivan, a former major leaguer, pitched no-run, no-hit ball for the first six innings, facing only 15 men in their first five frames.
Spokane 000 000 120— 3 5 2
Bremerton 031 114 00x—10 13 2
Samson, Spitzer (6), Miller (6) and O'Neill, Martin (7); Sullivan and Volpi.

TACOMA, July 29 - Portsider Wandell Mossor allowed only four hits and fanned ten as Salem Senators defeated the Tacoma Tigers, 6-4, tonight in a Western International League game.
Bunching three hits and a walk with an error, the Tigers scored all their runs in the third inning.
Salem ........ 010 201 020—6 8 1
Tacoma ..... 004 000 000—4 4 1
Mossor and Beard; Walden and Kuper.

NON W.I.L. NEWS.....

Seals Will Purchase Negro Baseball Star
SAN FRANCISCO, July 29 —Charles H. Graham, president of the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast baseball league, announced Tuesday he had authorized "preliminary negotiations" for the purchase of negro Outfielder Sam Jethro of the Cleveland Buckeyes.
Graham named Abe Saperstein, promoter of the negro all-star baseball game in Chicago, as his special representative on the prospective deal which, if consummated, will bring the first negro player into the Coast circuit.
Jethro, in his early twenties, is leadoff man for the Cleveland club and leads the negro major leagues in stolen bases. He is a left-handed hitter.
(Note - no blacks were in the W.I.L. at this point).

Monday, July 28, 1947

2007-06-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane .... 64 42 .604 --
Bremerton .. 61 44 .581 2½
Salem ...... 59 43 .578 3
Victoria ... 59 49 .546 6
Tacoma ..... 54 53 .505 10½
Vancouver .. 49 54 .476 18½
Yakima ..... 39 64 .379 23½
Wenatchee .. 35 71 .330 29

VICTORIA, July 28—Dick Mitchell spaced ten hits in leading the Victoria Athletics to a 15-3 thumping of the Yakima Stars in the first game of a three-game Western International League series tonight. Mitchell struck out eight and walked two, both in the eighth, and gave up a two-run homer to Frank Constantino in the third.
The feature of the game were inside-the-park, grand-slam home runs by Babe Jensen and Johnny Cavalli.
After John Hooper lined a home run over the left-centre field fence in the first, the visiting nine went ahead for the only time on Constantino's blow.
Jensen changed that when his slashing line drive got past Bud Beringhele and he chased Hooper, Vic Mastro and Jack Harshman - who had all singled - across the plate.
The Athletics added three more in the fifth when Cavalli's hit to right field went for a triple when Beringhele lost the ball in the lights. White and Mastro scored and Cavalli came in when the ball was mishandled on the throw in.
Three walks and singles by Hooper, Bill White and Harshman loaded the bags in the sixth and brought in three runs. Cavalli caught hold of an outside pitch and rifled a ball to the right field corner for a four-bagger.
Yakima ......... 002 000 010— 3 10 3
Victoria ......... 104 037 00x— 15 16 0
Simon, Romple (6) and Constantino; Mitchell and Mastro, Anske (9).

VANCOUVER [The Sun, July 29]—The change in the Capilanos, whether it be permanent or just on a one-night stand basis, was cheering news to 1800 fans who weathered smarting evening breezes last night at Cap Stadium to watch their “boys” gallop to a third straight WIL baseball conquest.
The return as a front-line pitcher of Bob Hall was the happiest note of all, even in this night filled with sweet music. Hall fashioned a three-hitter, his best of the season, and though he walked 10 batters to easily protect his league-leading bases on balls score, Hall had his stuff at the right moments.
There were other developments of note, too. Manager Bill Brenner, who has been slightly tardy at times in lifting a faltering pitcher, had Bob Snyder and Seattle optionee Hal Saltzman constantly warm in the bullpen. Each time Hall put a Wenatchee Chief in the danger zone, either Snyder or Saltzman hurried to the b.p., which is quite an item in itself.
PAUL IMPRESSIVE
Then there was Paul Carpenter, the new outfielder. Scheduled to start in right field, the 31-year-old Seattle chattel asked to be placed in the rough and rocky left field garden. This was not the request of a prima donna. Paul can roam a bit on the picket line, as he clearly display in handling four chances.
Carpenter, who was born in Connecticut but now makes his home in Los Angeles, showed aptitude with the bat, too. His first time up, he doubled to help a two-run first inning. It was in the sixth, though, when Carpenter came through with his best moves, a touch of inside baseball which smacked of class.
With Frank Mullens on first via a single and the hit and run blinking, Carpenter, a right-handed sticker, lashed a line drive into his off field, behind the runner. Mullens, as the ball ripped into right field, went from first to third on the single and scored one batter later as Charley Mead lifted to the outfield.
HALL STINGY
You had to look to Hall’s pitching for the game’s finer points and the newest light on the Caps. In the past three games Cap pitchers have given up 10 hits, this in 25 innings. Carl Gunnarson’s two-hitter in Salem, Pete Jonas’ five-hitter in the Oregon town, and now Hall’s three-hit masterpiece.
Hall had to be good to win his tenth verdict. He drew Joe Vivalda as an opponent and Joe has long been a Capilano whammy. Clubbed for only nine hits and but one extra-base smack (Carpenter’s double) Vivalda was in the duel all the way until removed for a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
DIAMOND DUST: Lee Mohr came up with the best fielding play of the season in the eighth. ... As Les Dalrymple dumped a line drive into short right field, Mohr raced back and, with his back to the infield, made a twirling one-handed catch. ... Lou Estes drew his outright release last night, and as far anyone in Vancouver knows, is returning to his home.
[WILfan note: Mel Wasley, Leroy Winter and Al Dalrymple had the hits off Hall]
- - -
VANCOUVER, July 28—Newcomer Paul Carpenter drove a double into left field, scoring Frank Mullens, and then later scored on Charlie Mead's hit to give the Vancouver Capilanos two first-inning runs as they bested the Wenatchee Chiefs, 3-1, tonight.
The 31-year-old Carpenter also twisted an ankle as he nabbed a base in his first game since being sent to the Caps from the Seattle Rainiers. He remained in the game. The team almost lost him in the first inning when he overcharged a foul along the low foul fence in left. Mead's single in the sixth accounted for the other Vancouver run.
Bob "the Body" Hall issued ten walks, but gave up only three hits, and struck out eight in picking up his tenth win of the year.
After the game, the team announced outfielder Lou Estes had been released. Yakima and Wenatchee are interested in signing him.
Wenatchee ......... 000 010 000—1 3 0
Vancouver ......... 200 001 00x— 3 9 1
Vivalda, Waltho (8) and Dalryraple; Hall and Brenner.

Spokane ............ 000 006 010—7 13 0
Bremerton ........ 100 000 120—4 14 3
Kramer and O'Neil; Ahearn, Marshall (6), Kittle (9) and Volpi.

Only games played

Chinese Star to Try out With Victoria.
VICTORIA, JULY 28 - George Ho, who in 1942 appeared as he might be the only Chinese person in the history of baseball to reach the major leagues, will be given a try-out by the Victoria Athletics.
He first attracted attention when he became the first Chinese player to be selected on the New York all-scholastic team. Following this he played two seasons in one of the fastest semi-pro circuits in the Eastern States, batting .380.
He was then signed by the Boston Braves in 1942 for their Hartford club in the Eastern League, with New York papers giving Larry McPhail, then president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, a mild panning for passing up a promising player who was a sure-fire attraction at the box office.
At Hartford, Ho appeared at the plate three times as a pinch-hitter, singling each time, but rebelled when he was asked to go to Evansville. He asked for and obtained his release and was signed by Joe Engel for the Washington Senators' farm club at Chattanooga in the class "AA" Southern Association.
At that time, Chattanooga was well-stocked with Cuban players, who too exception to a Chinese player. Although Ho was rated a good enough hitter for the fifth spot in the batting order, he was released after a series of squabbles with the Cubans.
He prefers to play in the infield, although mostly used as an outfielder. He is 26 years old, five feet nine inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, and is right-handed.

ON THE SUNBEAM
By ALF COTTRELL
[from Vancouver Sun, July 29, 1947]
Do You Wake Up Feeling Dizzy ! ! !

Do you feel dull,and listless? lf your doctor should double up his fist and let you have it, would you say “Ouch, yes, ,right there!”? Well, let's form a club.
I am open to an offer of the fourth vlce-presidency of such a club. I wouldn’t want to be any closer than that to the possibility of having to do some work.
Maybe it’s just one of those days, of course, but I felt this way ever since I arrived, punctually half an hour late at the office this morning. It is probably in the nature of the work, At least I never felt this way when I worked on the farm.
I think the secret there was that you had half a day’s work in before you had a chance to know how you felt, and by that time you had worked it off. You goy up at 5:30 or so, fed the stock before breakfast, then were rushed right out by fast team to wherever your work might be.
This is a different sort of work. You have to push the brain, and I always feel you can’t be too careful about pushing it to extremes. EspeciaIly when it isn’t too strong in the first place.
After that preliminary, you may forgive me if I drift into some easy local gossip, such as—I ran into some of the Capilano ballplayers on their return from Salem.
They said that Paul Carpenter, new new outfielder with the Caps, was cut out to be a great player. From the unaccustomed reverence in their tones, I knew they meant great, like Joe Dimaggio or Ted Williams. But Carpenter had failed to get his head out of the way of a fast pitch a couple of years back. Since then he has never quite got to rolling again,
Colored Movement Spreading
Of Hal Saltzman, the new pitcher, they said that while he didn’t have much experience in organized ball, possibly he looked as though he had pitched a lot of service ball. Bob Stumpt muttered something about Hal’s service team being composed of a.bunch of second looeys. I didn’t quite catch the significance of that, however.
The boys also said that San Franicisco Seals, on the lookout for a third sacker, due to Rav Orteig's erratic play, conferred with Abe Saperstein the other day. The object, a Negro ballplayer or two for the Seals. No man in America knows his Negro ballplayers better than Abe, the Harlem Globe Trotter chieftain.

Games of Sunday, July 27, 1946

2007-06-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of Sunday, July 27
. . . . . . .Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 63 42 .600 --
Bremerton .. 61 43 .587 1½
Salem ...... 59 43 .578 2½
Victoria ... 58 49 .542 6
Tacoma ..... 54 53 .505 10
Vancouver .. 48 54 .471 13½
Yakima ..... 39 63 .382 22½
Wenatchee .. 35 70 .333 28

First game
Tacoma ..... 1000 000 010 - 2 7 2
Spokane .... 000 000 000 - 0 2 2
Tinsley and Clifford; Spitzer and O'Neill.
Second game
Tacoma .... 030 000 200 - 5 11 6
Spokane ... 440 010 72x - 18 20 4
Chetkovich, Gilson (2), Greco (7) and Kuper; Werbowski and O'Neill.

Vancouver at Salem, rained out.
Victoria at Wenatchee, rained out.
Bremerton at Yakima, rained out.

SEATTLE, July 27 — Manager Earl Sheely of the Seattle Rainiers announced Sunday that Paul Carpenter, veteran outfielder, had been optioned to the Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International League.

Games of Saturday, July 26, 1947

2007-06-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

Blankenship Again Hurls Win for A's
WENATCHEE - Rushed to the relief of a faltering Victoria pitching staff for the fourth time in nine days, overworked Joe Blankenship camed up with his third win tonight as he checked the Wenatchee Chiefs with one run in the last four innings after putting down an uprising in the fifth. His teammates rallied in the closing innings to score a 13-7 Western International League triumph.
Bob Jensen once more failed to survive two innings, going to the showers after four Wenacthee runners had scored. Ray Fortier then took over and again had trouble and had to give way to Blankenship.
Victoria scored three runs in each of the second and fifth frames to take a momentary 6-4 lead but the Chiefs tied it up in their half of the fifth as Fortier went to the showers. They went ahead in the sixth when Blankenship gave up his only run.
Teeing off on Tom Rose, the A's went ahead in the seventh with another trio of runs and then made it certain by scoring twice in each of the last two innings.
Leo Righetti, who jumped hit batting average ten points, led Victoria's 16-hit assault with a perfect night at the plate. He connection for three singles and a double. Pat Patterson, John Cavalli and Bill White all cracked out home runs, the first two coming with a man on.
The contest was played in a steady mist.
Victoria .......... 030 030 322—13 16 4
Wenatchee ..... 220 021 000— 7 11 3
Jensen, Fortier (2), Blankenship (5) and Master; Waltho, Rose (5), McCollum (8) and Dalrymple.

Bremerton ........ 135 00—9 9 1
Yakima ............. 000 00—0 2 0
Marshall and Volpi; Nowels and Constantino.
(five innings due to rain)

First game: seven innings
Tacoma ......... 310 000 0—4 13 0
Spokane ........ 000 102 2—5 8 0
Morgan, Greenlaw (7) and Kuper; Latino and O'Neill.
Second game:
Tacoma ........ 000 304 050—12 15 5
Spokane ....... 430 323 00x—15 12 2
Gilson, Greenlaw (6) and Kuper; Costello, Forsyth (8) and O'Neill.

Vancouver at Salem, double-header, rained out.

Games of Friday, July 25, 1947

2007-06-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 25
. . . . . . .Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 60 41 .594 --
Bremerton .. 60 43 .583 1
Salem ...... 59 43 .578 1½
Victoria ... 57 49 .538 5½
Tacoma ..... 53 50 .515 8
Vancouver .. 48 54 .471 12½
Yakima ..... 39 62 .386 21
Wenatchee .. 35 69 .337 26½

Last-Place Chiefs Make things Tough
WENATCHEE, July 25 — Wenatchee's last place Chiefs tonight came close to sending Victoria's contending Athletics down to a double defeat in a W.I.L. double-header tonight but the Canadian nine rallied to take the second encounter, 7-4, after losing the opener, 4-2. Both games were seven innings by agreement.
Joe Blankenship, right-handed relief ace, chalked up his eighth win in the second fixture as he held the home club to a lone run after taking over from Bill Rose in the third with Victoria behind, 3-2.
Athletics took a 2-0 lead in the second when Leo Righetti hit a home run with a mate aboard but Wenatchee went ahead in the third and added another run to their lead in the fifth when Bob Williams hit for the circuit.
A three-run rally in the sixth put Victoria ahead. Singles Pat Patterson, John Hooper and Vic Mastro and a double by Bill White accounted forn the scoring. Patterson's home run followed a double by Righetti in the seventh as the visitors made the result more certain.
In the opener, manager Chuck Cronin won the decision from Victoria ace Len Kasparovitch, who was tagged for his eighth loss as a final-inning rally fell short.
Cronin struck out nine and walked none as he limited Victoria to four hits in the first six innings. White's home run was the only Victoria tally at that time.
In the seventh with two out, John Cavalli homered and Righetti and Ted Norbert, in a pinch-hitting role, singled but Cronin forced Patterson to ground out to retire the side.
First game
Victoria ........... 000 100 1—2 7 3
Wenatchee ..... 013 020 x— 4 8 0
Kasparovich and Mastro; Cronin and Dalrymple.
Second game
Victoria .......... 020 003 2 —7 9 1
Wenatchee ..... 012 010 0 —4 5 0
Rose, Blankenshlp (1) and Mastro; McCollum, Osborne (6) and Dalrymple.

SALEM — The Vancouver Capilanos snapped out of a slump to cool the hot Salem Senators with a twin setback, 6-0 and 2-1, at Waters Field, as Carl Gunnarson and Peter Jonas came up with stirling pitching efforts.
Gunnarson gave up two harmless singles. He also lead off the sixth inning with a triple. This was followed by doubles by Lee Mohr and Buddy Hjelmaa, Lou Estes' walk, a triple by Charlie Mead, a single by Bill Reese and Len Tran's double to bring in five runs.
Jonas wasn't quite as effective. Three consecutive singles and an outfield fly gave him a 2-0 lead in the third, but when Jonas took the mound in the bottom half, he held the Senators to five hits, one of them a solo homer to Joe Skeber.
First game:
Vancouver ....... 100 005 0—6 8 1
Salem ............... 000 000 0—0 2 0
Gunnarson and Stumpf; Sinovic and Beard.
Second game:
Vancouver ..... 002 000 000—2 6 1
Salem ............. 001 000 000—1 5 1
Jones and Brenner; Peterson, Sporer (8) and Kerr.

SPOKANE, July 25 — The Tacoma Tigers celebrated 'Levi McCormack Night' by edging the league-leading Spokane Indians, 4-3, in a keen mound duel between Gordon Walden and Samson.
A near-record crowd of over 8,000 turned out to honour the Indian outfielder who survived the fatal bus crash last year, and presented him with a new Buick in a home-plate presentation. McCormack then singled in the first Spokane runs.
Tacoma ........... 030 010 000—4 9 0
Spokane .......... 300 000 000—3 6 1
Walden and Kuper; Samson and O'Neill.

YAKIMA, July 25 — The Bremerton Bluejackets jumped back into second place as they twice measured the Yakima Stars, 9-3 and 8-4, in a Western International League double-header.
First game:
Bremerton ..... 024 020 1 —9 9 2
Yakima ........... 000 100 2—3 6 3
P. Barisoff and Ronning; Cordell and Constantino.
Second game:
Bremerton ..... 022 132 000—8 12 1
Yakima ........... 000 020 110—4 9 3
Johnson and Volpi; Wallerstein and Constantino.

Caps Add Players
VANCOUVER, July 26 - Capilanos business manager Bob Brown announced today the acquisition from the parent Seattle Rainiers of Hal Saltzman, a strong right-handed pitcher and Paul Carpenter, a heavy-hitting outfielder, on option. Carpenter is on a 24-hour recall. The pair should arrive in Salem today.
Carpenter will take Lou Estes' right-field berth.

NON-WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Bakersfield Team Scores 18 Runs in One Inning
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. —The Bakersfield Indians of the California league laid claim Saturday to what they be a modern high (since 1900) for runs scored in one inning by a team in organized professional baseball.
Tbe Indians scored 18 runs in the sixth Friday night to defeat Modesto 20-18.
The Modern major league record is 34, shared by the 1920 New York Yankees and the 1922 Chicago Cubs. The Pacific Coast League record is 16, set by Salt Lake in 1933.
- Saturday, July 26, 1947

Games of Thursday, July 24, 1947

2007-06-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 24
. . . . . . .Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 60 40 .600 --
Salem ...... 60 41 .590 ½
Bremerton .. 58 43 .574 2½
Victoria ... 56 48 .538 6
Tacoma ..... 51 50 .505 9½
Vancouver .. 46 54 .460 14
Yakima ..... 39 60 .394 20½
Wenatchee .. 34 67 .337 26½

Indians Hand A's a 12-Inning Setback
SPOKANE, July 24 —Victoria Athletics dropped six games behind the league-leading Spokane Indians here tonight as they lost a heart-breaking, 4-3 decision in 12 innings as relief hurler Jim Forsyth batted in the winning run in the third extra session.
Bill Woop went the distance for the A's to get charged with his 11th loss against a like number of wins. He held a 2-0 lead as late as the eighth inning and was ahead, 2-1, going into the last of the ninth. Both teams scored in the 11th inning of the thrill-packed encounter before the Indians put over the winning run.
Two were out in the ninth and Woop had two strikes on Herb Gorman when he uncorked a wild pitch to plate O'Neill with the tying counter. In the 11th, Leo Righetti singled and scored on John Hooper's infield hit to put Victoria ahead but Spokane once again squared matters when pinch-hitter Levi McCormack drew a walk and later scored on Righetti's error.
Two were out in the 12th when Bob Morgan and O'Neill singled to set the stage for Forsyth's game-winning poke.
Victoria ............ 000 100 100 010-5 7 3
Spokane .......... 000 000 011 011—4 11 2
Woop and Mastro, Anske (8); Kramer, Forsyth (12) and O'Neill.

Yakima Outlasts Caps
YAKIMA, July 24 — Vancouver Capilanos outhit the Yakima Stars 16-14 here tonight but Harlond Clift's club was atop the run department, 12-11, in a Western International League game.
Bob Snyder was working with a 7-0 cushion, but allowed Yakima four runs in the fourth and two more in the seventh. He was still ahead 7-6 when he was replaced by Ron Bryant, who served up a triple to Buddy Phillips and it was suddenly a 10-7 game for Yakima.
Vancouver teed off on reliever John Cordell for four runs on three walks and two hits in their half of the ninth. But Yakima charged back as Jim Hedgecock gave up a walk to Les Barnes, Art Lilly singled him in and later scored on Gordon Goldsberry's fly ball.
Phillips had a double and two singles in addition to his triple and batter in five runs.
Vancouver ... 310 300 004—11 18 3
Yakima ........ 000 400 242— 12 14 3
Snyder, Bryant (8), Hedgecock (9) and Stumpf; Strait, Brysch (5), Romple (8), Cordell (9) and Constantino.

Bremerton ...... 000 001 000—1 11 4
Salem .............. 100 101 11x— 5 8 0
Lowman and Volpi; Lazor and Beard.

First game:
Tacoma .......... 020 400 0— 6 8 3
Wenatchee ..... 282 020 x— 14 15 0
Greenlaw, Tinsley (2), Clough (2) and Kuper; Cronin, Vivalda (4) and Dalrymple.
Second game:
Tacoma ............. 312 008 300—17 19 3
Wenatchee ....... 133 011 000— 9 11 5
Morgan, Greco (3) and Kuper; Osborne, Vivalda (6), Frost (6) and Dalrymple.

McCormack Is Given 'Night'
SPOKANE, July 25 —"Chief" Levi McCormack, popular Spokane outielder, will be honored at the "McCormack night" Western International League baseball game here today against Tacoma. The Lapwai, Idaho, player who is a chief in the Nez Perce Indian Tribe will be presented a plaque by League President Robert Abel and Mayor Arthur Meehan will speak.
A former Washington State college player and one-time star with the old Lewiston, Idaho, Indians, McCormack played with the Seattle Rainiers from 1936 to 1938. He has seen playing with Spokane ever since except for three years of navy duty. He survived a bus crash which wiped out most of the Spokane team last year.

Games of Wednesday, July 23, 1947

2007-06-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Buddy a Buddy to Hedgecock
YAKIMA, July 23 — Buddy Hjelmaa batted in all five runs as the Vancouver Capilanos, after taking a 5-1 drubbing in the first game, rose to smack Yakima 5-3 in the afterpiece tonight.
Hjelmaa had three hits, including a three-run double that took former Capilano Jack Meister out of the game in the second inning, and a two-run single in the sixth off Fritz Romple.
Jim Hedgecock won his 11th game of the year and fourth straight, surrendering all the runs on only three hits.
In the seven-inning opener, Keith Simon allowed only five Vancouver hits, while batting in three runs. Bill Reese had an RBI double in the sixth inning for the Caps' only run, despite Simon issuing nine free passes.
First game:
Vancouver ...... 000 001 0—1 5 2
Yakima ........... 000 230 x—5 7 1
Manier, Jonas (5) and Brenner, Stumpf (6), Simon and Constantino.
Second game:
Vancouver ...... 030 002 000—5 7 3
Yakima ........... 001 001 001—3 3 0
Hedgecock and Stumpf; Meister, Romple (4) and Constantino.

A's Pitchers Battered
YAKIMA, July 23 — Bill Werbowski held the Victoria Athletics to four hits while Yakima Stars launched a middle-inning assault in a 12-2 hammering tonight.
The Stars scored three of Jim Arnold in the fifth, then sent the sore-armed righthander to the showers in the sixth as they continued their assault.
Ray Fortier worked the last two innings as the winners added six more runs.
The Victoria club was charged with five errors and two passed balls by Vic Mastro.
Victoria .......... 010 000 010— 2 4 5
Spokane ........ 100 032 24x—12 12 3
Arnold, Fortier (6) and Mastro; Werbowski and O'Neill.

SALEM, July 23 — The Salem Senators trimmed the Bremerton Bluejackets 7-4 tonight with Ken Wyatt batting in two runs in the game-winning rally in the seventh to ensure himself of the win.
Bremerton ........ 100 002 100—4 9 2
Salem ................ 010 120 30x—7 12 3
Ahearn and Volpi; Wyatt and Beard.

WENATCHEE, July 23 — The Tacoma Tigers banged out 20 hits, including three home runs, a triple and four doubles to wallop the Wenatchee Chiefs, 17-1 tonight in a Western International League embarrassment.
Tacoma ............ 040 022 243—17 20 1
Wenatchee ....... 000 001 000— 1 7 3
Chetkovich and Kuper, Clifford (7); Rose, Condon (5) and Dalrymple.

Games of Tuesday, July 22, 1947

2007-06-20T17:54:00.001-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
After Tuesday, July 22
. . . . . . .Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 58 40 .592 --
Bremerton .. 58 41 .586 ½
Salem ...... 57 41 .582 1
Victoria ... 56 46 .549 4
Tacoma ..... 50 49 .505 8½
Vancouver .. 45 52 .452 12½
Yakima ..... 37 59 .385 20
Wenatchee .. 33 66 .333 25½

Bryant Helps Cap Victory
YAKIMA, July 22 — Ron Bryant replaced starter Bob Hall with two out in the first inning and allowed only four hits the rest of the way as the Vancouver Capilanos came from behind to defeat the Yakima Stars 12-7 in a Western International League game tonight.
Yakima scored six runs off Hall in the first, thanks to three hits, a hit batsman and three walks. Bryant came in and gave up only one run, a single marker in the third.
Meanwhile, Vancouver went on to score a trio of runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings off Keith Nowels to take the lead.
Charley Mead doubled and singled, Lee Mohr tripled, slapped two singles and stole a base, and Frank Mullens tripled and doubled for the winners.
Vancouver ........ 003 033 012—12 12 2
Yakima .............. 601 000 000—7 7 4
Hall, Bryant (1) and Stumpf; Nowles, Wallerstein (6) and Constantino.

SALEM, July 22 — John Marshall came within a bloop double of a no-hit game here tonight as the Bremerton Bluejackets whipped the Senators 3-0 in the seven-inning first game of a Western International League double-header on Tuesday. Senators came back to take the second game, 8-2, and remain a half game back of the second-place Tars.
Joe Skeber's pop-fly, two-base blow in the first frame was the only rap registered against Marshall, as he whiffed seven and walked two, while being backed by errorless play afield.
First game:
Bremerton ....... 000 210 0—3 6 0
Salem ................ 000 000 0—0 1 4
Marshall and Volpi; Mossor and Beard.
Second game:
Bremerton ..... 000 000 200—2 11 1
Salem .............. 000 004 04x—8 9 1
Kittle, P. Barisoff (8) and Ronning; Anderson and Beard.

WENATCHEE, July 22 — Bob Williams' double in the tenth inning scored the winning run of 10-9 victory by the Wenatchee Chiefs over the Tacoma Tigers in the second game of a double header here tonight.
The two teams split the games, as Tacoma easily handled Wenatchee, 11-5, in the opener.
First game:
Tacoma .......... 035 200 1—11 14 3
Wenatchee .... 000 320 0— 5 5 2
Gilson and Kuper; McCollum, Condon (3) and Dalrymple.
Second game:
Tacoma .......... 031 101 003 0— 3 18 1
Wenatchee ..... 101 010 510 1—10 13 1
Tinsley, Greenlaw (7), Sabutis (8) and Kuper; Frost, Vivalda (9) and Dalrymple.

SPOKANE, July 22 — Slamming in five runs in the first inning, the Victoria Athletics tonight toppled the Spokane Indians 6-2 in a Western International League baseball game.
Unabashed by the Indians' league leadership or the hurling of the Spokane ace, Bob Costello, Victoria rapped five hits in the action-packed first, including a double by John Hooper and a triple by Babe Jensen.
After that, Costello settled down to a pitching duel with Dick Mitchell, who allowed only three hits until he was relieved in the sixth for walking two men in a row for a total of eight free passes.
Costello struck out 13 men, but the Indians could get only four blows off Mitchell and Joe Blankenship.
Mitchell walked in one run in the second inning, but Spokane hitters were unable to connect and went down with three on base.
Victoria ......... 500 000 010—6 11 0
Spokane ........ 010 010 000—2 4 2
Mitchell, Blankenship (6), and Mastro; Costello and Bufflap, O'Neill (7).

Monday, July 21, 1947

2007-06-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

SPOKANE, July 21—Relief pitcher Jim Forsyth tonight hit a two-run homer in the tenth inning to give the Spokane Indians a 7-5 victory over Wenatchee and stretch Spokane's lead in the Western International Baseball League to a full game over the idle Bremerton Bluejackets. Spokane manager Ben Geraghty used 16 players, including three pitchers and himself, before the Indians found the scoring punch to tally three runs in the ninth inning and three more in the overtime period.
Wenatchee ......... 003 010 000 1—5 9 1
Spokane ............. 001 000 003 3—7 11 3
Vivaldi and Dalrymple; Samson, Latino (10), Forsyth (10), and Bufflap, O'Neill (10).

WIL STATS
(Includes games of July 13 except Tac. at Van., doubleheader, July 13. Compiled by Howe News Bureau)
TEAM BATTING
                   AB   R   H HR Pct
Vancouver ....... 3029 516 901 65 .297
Tacoma .......... 3031 519 881 64 .291
Spokane ......... 3174 636 913 46 .288
Victoria ........ 3290 644 944 88 .287
Salem ........... 3027 529 845 30 .279
Wenatchee ....... 3067 516 843 71 .275
Bremerton ....... 3007 500 821 45 .273
Yakima .......... 3023 601 823 57 .272

TEAM FIELDING
                  DP PO    A   E   Pct
Bremerton ....... 80 2304 944 131 .961
Vancouver ....... 62 2224 870 120 .960
Victoria ........ 98 2426 1061 166 .955
Salem ........... 77 2176 933 150 .954
Spokane ......... 76 2335 978 169 .953
Tacoma .......... 70 2241 1021 190 .948
Yakima .......... 98 2283 1045 193 .945
Wenatchee ....... 63 2260 839 194 .941

TOP BATTERS
                     AB R   H HR RBI Pct
Kuper, Tac ........ 210 47 86 2 54 .410
Phillips, Spo ...... 74 17 30 4 18 .403
Mastro, Vic ....... 223 57 87 6 53 .390
Hooper, Vic ....... 251 65 91 8 44 .363
Stetter, Tac ...... 230 44 81 2 34 .352
Constantine, Yak ... 35 5 13 1 4 .351
Mead, Vancouver ... 331 69 115 13 69 .347
Gorman, Spo ....... 337 64 113 8 83 .346
Brenner, Van ...... 119 16 41 6 16 .344
Clift, Yak ........ 143 46 49 6 29 .343
Pesut, Wen ........ 205 37 70 15 58 .341
Wasley, Wen ....... 317 58 106 8 71 .334
Volpi, Bre ........ 192 28 64 3 3 .333
White, Vic ........ 398 66 132 11 70 .332
Greco, Tac ........ 328 58 109 19 83 .332
Greenhalgh, Wen ... 237 57 78 8 31 .329
Beard, Sal ........ 256 49 84 2 56 .328
Goldsberry, Yak ... 196 43 64 2 50 .327
Maul, Bre ......... 314 53 102 8 54 .325
Capilanos Batters
                     AB R   H HR RBI Pct
Stumpf ............ 222 17 69 5 37 .311
Mullens ........... 321 72 98 18 68 .305
Mohr .............. 365 71 109 5 32 .299
Wright ............ 152 25 45 2 21 .296
Estes ............. 315 53 92 6 37 .292
Hjelmaa ........... 329 52 95 1 44 .289
Snyder ............. 55 5 15 0 2 .273
Hall ............... 48 5 13 1 12 .271
Reese, Bre-Van .... 245 46 66 4 44 .269
Tran .............. 296 52 76 4 53 .257
Robertson .......... 20 4   5 1 2 .250
Hedgecock .......... 54 8 13 1 8 .241

TOP PITCHERS
                       W L Pct BB SO
Gunnarson, Sal-Van .. 10 3 .769 58 73
Sullivan, Bre ....... 10 3 .769 29 70
Cordell, Yak ......... 6 3 .750 39 58
Costello, Spokane ... 15 6 .714 77 133
Lowman, Bremerton ... 10 4 .714 34 45
Mossor, Salem ....... 12 5 .706 80 131
Ahearn, Bre .......... 7 3 .700 51 58
Hall, Vancouver ...... 9 4 .682 108 122
Wyatt, Salem ........ 12 6 .667 71 99
Blankenship, Vic ..... 6 3 .667 52 78
Romple, Yak .......... 6 3 .667 54 58
Spitzer, Spo ......... 4 2 .667 84 79
P. Barisoff, Spo ..... 4 2 .667 13 12
Walden, Tac ......... 10 6 .625 67 68
Samson, Spo .......... 9 6 .600 74 70
Kasparovitch, Vic ... 10 7 .588 59 67
Lazor, Spo ........... 7 5 .583 51 48
Marshall, Bre ........ 7 5 .583 82 78
Johnston, Bre ........ 8 6 .571 42 46
Fortier, Vic ......... 5 4 .556 49 43
Capilanos Pitchers
                       W L Pct BB SO
Snyder ............... 9 10 .474 50 105
Hedgecock ............ 7 8 .467 68 87
Jonas ................ 2 3 .400 17 12
Robertson ............ 3 5 .375 26 37
Bryant ............... 1 5 .167 24 25
Manier ............... 0 1 .000 10   3

ON THE SUNBEAM
By ALF COTTRELL
[Vancouver Sun, July 22, 1947]
Look Out Below, Caps Coming

Several weeks ago when the local Capilanos started their mad dash toward the Western International League cellar the goal seemed unattainable.
Some of their fondest admirers snickered at those who brashly said they might make it, but the snickers are getting fewer and more thoughtful with each passing series.
Yakima is only six games away and the Yaks can probably feel the Caps tramping on their fingers right now. Once past Yakima and it will just be a case of Wenatchee, get out from in back of that coal bin. The Capilanos are on their way.
Spoofing aside, this season must have been a heartbreaker for the local field general, Bill Brenner. He has had a lot of tough ones to take but the roughest must have been the gradual realization that he had everything but a ball club.
The fans have stuck with the ship in rather amazing fashion. There is seldom a murmur of disapproval from the oft-crowded uncovered stands. There have been only two main beefs, one re Brenner’s reluctance to send a pitcher to the bullpen to warm up when the
air is thick with enemy base-hits, the other his stubborn reliance on the unrealiable Lou Estes as the cleanup hitter.
Even Bob Brown, the front office chieftain, has been relatively immune to criticism and he has been as vulnerable as a hippopotamus with lockjaw. When the need for a shot of new pitching blood became apparent he went and brought sore-armed Pete Jonas, which was like shipping whisky to J. Dewar. We already had some.
Some Pullets in the Ruff
Two items would seem to have kept the wolves off the Caps, in the main. Firstly, the fact that the Caps have some young and eye-soothing speedballs on the payroll, and secondly the matter of Brenner’s personal popularity.
Re the first item, Frank Mullens has had a big year afield, at bat and on the bases. And the fans, it must be remembered, were on Frank’s team even when he wasn’t cutting it in noticeable slices last year. Mullens personifies the old college try, and that covers a lot of sins with the multitude.
The club was also lucky in coming out of the shrubbery with two fine young infield prospects in Len Tran and Bud Hjelmaa. Tran, who has finally started to hit, is the dashing sort of a lad who doesn’t slow down at grade crossings, and Hjelmaa isn’t the kind to jump on the curves, either, though he may lunge at the odd one.
As for Brenner’s personal appeal, it is such that even boss Brown can scarcely do more than mutter in his absence. When in Bill’s company the old red-headed executive becomes a two-year-old again, playful of mood and forgetful of planned scoldings.
“Fire Away; I Love It,” He Says
The press would by this time have tried the average manager and cut him into small strips. Such is the baseball writers’ admiration for Brenner the individual that they would probably toss a fellow reporter out of the union for suggesting that Bill had missed a trick.
This is not idle theory. Yours truly, incidentally, sees less of the big, barking catcher-manager than the other fellows, but even in this space yours truly must blushingly admit to having pulled a punch or two. This despite Brenner’s constant injunction, “Go, ahead; I can take it.”
That doesn’t alter the fact that the big, harmony-loving manager has shown certain weaknesses. Tough on umpires, he is obviously over-gentle with his own players. Particularly with working pitchers. This is his first full year as a manager, of course. And bad ball clubs make bad managers. But there we go again.
Dagnab it, after all he is the best manager we have had this season.

Game of Sunday, July 20, 1947

2007-06-20T17:01:00.001-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
After Sunday, July 20
. . . . . . .Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane .... 57 39 .594 --
Bremerton .. 57 40 .588 ½
Salem ...... 56 40 .583 1
Victoria ... 55 46 .545 4½
Tacoma ..... 49 49 .500 9
Vancouver .. 44 53 .458 14½
Yakima ..... 37 58 .389 19½
Wenatchee .. 32 64 .333 25

First game:
Wenatchee ....... 202 002 040—10 15 0
Spokane ........... 101 000 200— 4 4 5
Rose, Frost (7), and Dalrymple; Latino, Forsyth (3), Miller (9), and O'Neill.
Second game:
Wenatchee .... 001 004 130— 9 16 1
Spokane ........ 310 101 005—11 13 2
Cronin and Dalrymple; Kramer, Spitzer (6), Latino (8) and O'Neill.

First game:
Yakima ..... 200 100 3—6 10 1
Salem ....... 100 600 x—7 8 2
Cordell and Constantino; Peterson, Wyatt (7) and Beard.
Second game:
Yakima ... 000 101 010—3 6 1
Salem ...... 120 100 00x—4 10 2
Romple and Constantino; Lazor, Wilson (9) and Kerr.

Only games scheduled

Games of Saturday, July 19, 1947

2007-06-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 19
. . . . . . . Win Loss Pct. GB
Spokane ..... 56 38 .596 --
Bremerton ... 57 40 .588 ½
Salem ....... 54 40 .574 2
Victoria .... 55 46 .545 4½
Tacoma ...... 49 48 .505 8½
Vancouver ... 44 52 .458 13
Yakima ...... 37 56 .398 18½
Wenatchee ... 31 63 .330 25

VICTORIA, July 19 - The Victoria Athletics took a 12-inning thriller, 6-5, Saturday afternoon, but saw their winning streak snapped at five in the night game, as Bremerton Bluejackets came up with an 11-8 win.
Len Kasparovitch was literally knocked out of the first game when Bill Barisoff lined one off his forehead in the first inning. Bill Woop came in and worked the remaining 11 2-3 innings for the win.
Victoria scored three times in the first. Pat Patterson began with a walk, then Pete Barisoff gave up consecutive singles to Bill White, Vic Mastro, Jack Harshman and Babe Jensen. Home runs by White in the fifth and Harshman in the seventh gave the A's their other runs in regulation time.
Woop got into a spot of control trouble while allowed Bremerton to tie the game in the eighth, but in the 12th, Victoria won the game with no men out. Leo Righetti opened with a double off Harry Johnston and Woop beat out a bunt. Patterson walked before John Hooper dove a long single over Hooks DeVaurs' head in left.
The Tars won the second game, despite manager Alan Strange picking the line-up out of a hat for the second time this season.
They scored six runs in the second inning off Bob Jensen, still bothered by a sore shoulder. He gave up a double to Jim Lowman — the pitcher was batting second — and five walks. Ed Murphy added a two-run homer in the fifth.
Jack Harshman swatted his 29th homer of the year in the sixth inning.
First game:
Bremerton ... 200 001 020 000—5 9 1
Victoria ....... 300 010 100 001—6 14 2
P. Barisoff, Marshall (6), Johnston (9), and Ronning, Volpi (9); Kasparovitch, Woop (1) and Mastro.
Second game:
Bremerton ........... 060 023 000—11 10 0
Victoria .............. 002 001 302— 8 10 3
Lowman and Volpi; R. Jensen, Fortier (2), Rose (9) and Anske.

SALEM, July 19 - Max Strait shut out the Salem Senators with an eight-hitter, giving the Yakima Stars a 4-0 win tonight, after the Solons finally gained credit for a protested win over the Stars earlier in the season.
The game started with the Senators ahead 8-5 in the ninth inning, two out and two on. Bud Beringhele singled in two runs but the Stars failed to overcome the lead.
The regulation game followed.
Replayed game
Yakima ......... 000 200 203 — 7 12 2
Salem ........... 010 330 01x — 8 12 1
Cordell, Somond (6), Federmeyer (8) and Phillips; Sinovic, Sporer (7), Wyatt (9) and Beard.
Regulation game
Yakima ......... 000 003 010—4 11 2
Salem ............ 000 000 000—0 8 2
Strait and Constantino; Wyatt, Sporer (8) and Beard.

VANCOUVER, July 19 - Unhappy fans were more of a story than the Tacoma double-header sweep of the Vancouver Capilanos here Saturday. The Tigers won the openber 11-5 and took the night game 7-4 with some assistance from the arbiters.
The two teams were tied at 3-3 before the Tigers picked up a single run in the seventh, and then two in the eighth, partly because of a call.
Umpire Hugh Day lost his cool after being showered with popcorn, peanuts, cushions and a pop bottle and reportedly challenged a fan in the right field seats to a fight. It came after a call when Lee Mohr took Buddy Hjelmaa's throw on the first end of a potential double play in trying to pick off a Tacoma runner at third. Hjelmaa overthrew the ball. A runner was at first and the umpire allowed him to go all the way to third.
Day said afterward, "There was an old man in the bleachers who was teaching his 'kid' to throw bottles. That started me off. If the guy had had enough courage to come down onto the field and fight, I would have admired him for it."
Earl Kuper brought in three runs for the Tigers with a homer and two singles, while Frank Mullens hit a solo homer for the Caps.
Vancouver wasted a 4-3 lead in the opener as Tacoma scored four runs in the seventh, followed by an insurance run in the eighth and three in the ninth. Three of Vancouver's runs came on homers by Charlie Mead, Mohr and Bill Brenner. Winning pitch Bob Morgan smacked one out for the Tigers, as did Maury Donovan, who had three RBIs.
Tacoma infielder Glen Stetter did not appear in either game. He has apparently finally called it a career. A trick knee is giving him trouble.
First game:
Tacoma ......... 002 201 101—7 12 2
Vancouver ..... 111 010 010— 5 8 0
Morgan and Clifford, Kuper (7); Gunnarson, Jonas (9) and Brenner.
Second game:
Tacoma .......... 002 201 101—7 12 2
Vancouver ..... 000 003 001—4 11 1
Walden and Kuper; Snyder and Stumpf.

Wenatchee ..... 200 001 001—4 10 4
Spokane ......... 103 002 00x—6 12 01
Condon, Osborne (7) and Pesut, Dalrymple (4); Werbowski and O’Neill.

Games of Friday July 18, 1947

2007-06-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

W L Pct GB
Spokane ....... 55 38 .591 —
Bremerton ..... 56 39 .589 1
Salem ......... 53 39 .576 1½
Victoria ...... 54 45 .545 4
Tacoma ........ 47 48 .495 9
Vancouver ..... 44 50 .468 11½
Yakima ........ 35 55 .396 18½
Wenatchee ..... 31 62 .333 24

VICTORIA, July 18 — Joe Blankenship hurled seven scoreless innings as the Victoria Athletics roared back from a 7-2 deficit to tie the count with two out in the ninth, then rally in the 11th to beat the Bremerton Bluejackets, 8-7 in a Western International League thriller tonight.
Jack Harshman put Victoria back in the game with a two-run homer in the eighth, doubled in the ninth to tie it, then hit a stinging single to left field in the 11th to score John Hooper with the winning run.
Harshman was five for six, batted in five runs, and made a stop at first base on the last Bremerton out to prevent a run.
Johnny Cavalli had three hits, including his 14th home run and double.
Bill Rose started for the A's but was lifted in the third with four runs charged against him. Ray Fortier relieved but was pulled in the fifth after giving up two talks then watching Bill Barisoff take one out of the park.
The loss was tagged on Hub Kittle, his third in four nights.
Bremerton ....... 022 030 000 00—7 10 1
Victoria ...........200 001 031 01—8 15 2
Ahearn, Kittle (9) and Volpi; Rose, Fortier (3); Blankenship (5) and Mastro.

VANCOUVER [The Sun, July 19]—Though it wasn’t the hit that brought in the winning runs, Bob Hedington’s ninth inning homer last night at Capilano Stadium made 1700 WIL ball fans wonder what happened to the Caps and their inside baseball tactics.
Hedington, since he smacked three four-masters in the series opener, has been starved to death on a diet of curve balls. He had not seen a fast one for over two nights and last night it was all curves and pulled strings for Hedington again.
But it only lasted until the ninth. With the Caps in front 4-3 and Ronnie Bryant coasting along on his next to best performance of the season, Hedington stepped in as the ninth inning’s first batter.
Bryant fed him a fast ball and it was over the right centre field fence before Ron could say “sorry” and try his curve again. Now the question is, who was responsible for the change in strategy in pitching to Hedington?
BRYANT HAD IT
It’s likely that catcher Bob Stumpf asked for the pitch—but he should have been shaken off. He wasn’t and it’s all water over the dam, for what happened thereafter broke the Caps’ whammy over the Bengals at two straight.
With Hedington’s circuit came the 4-4 sawoff. Then Dick Greco worked Bryant for a pass but Ronnie got to Hank Bartolomei. Rival pitcher “Mitch” Chetkovich bounced one in the hold which Bjelmaa fielded, but couldn’t complete in time. Base knocks by Pete Tedeschi and Roy Paton gave the Tigers their two-run lead and a faint Cap rally in the ninth was put down.
Bryant, in his nine inning stretch, showed he was ready to move in with the regular starters. He had full command of his stuff as he dealt a string of five goose-eggs at the game’s start.
WINDS UP TONIGHT
Ron faded in the later innings, but with some of the luck the Caps had the previous two nights, he would have pulled out. That’s baseball, though. The Tigers were due and they made their hits count.
DIAMOND DUST: Tonight the Caps and Tigers wind up their long series at 8 o’clock with Bob Snyder looking for his first win in three tries against Tacoma.
- - -
VANCOUVER, July 18 — A ninth-inning rally by the Tacoma Tigers scored three runs to defeat the Vancouver Capilanos 6-4 in a Western International League game tonight.
With the Caps leading 4-3, Ron Bryant served up a waist-high fastball to Bob Hedington that sailed high out of the yard to tie the game.
Dick Greco then worked Bryant for a walk, and one out later, Mitch Chetkovich bounced one in the hole which Buddy Hjelmaa fielded but couldn't throw to first in time. RBI singles by Pete Tedeshi and Ray Paton followed.
Hedington smacked three homers in the opener and had been fed a steady diet of curves since then — until Bryant's pitch in the ninth.
Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the first when Lee Mohr sprinted home on Charlie Mead's fly. Tacoma got to Bryant for three in the six, thanks to three hits and two walks. Those runs came back in the seventh, as Buddy Hjelmaa doubled in two and a fly ball by Lou Estes, the other.
Tacoma ......... 000 003 003—6 12 1
Vancouver ..... 100 000 300—4 8 1
Chetkovich and Kuper; Bryant and Stumpf.

Yakima ......... 000 000 001— 1 2 4
Salem ........... 200 420 020—10 9 1
Simon, Knoll (8) and Phillips; Mossor and Beard.

Wenatchee ..... 201 011 123—11 13 3
Spokane ......... 300 020 08x—13 17 3
McCollum, Frost (8), and Pesut; Spitzer, Miller (9), Samson (9) and O'Neill.

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, July 19, 1947]

Tom Weedon, Whistler’s brother-in-law, is a great baseball fan and a popular guy to boot. But everybody’s friend is getting himself into trouble by becoming too pally with nobody’s friends, the umpires.
The Weedon-whistle in the seventh inning may be what attracts the umps to Mr. Weedon. Anyway they like our Tom.
And Tom has passed along a letter, he just received from Frank DeHaney, whom you no doubt recall.
Weedon, incidentally, will tell you that DeHaney is the best umpire he has ever watched. DeHaney in turn says Vancouver is the best town he has ever worked. And we can only add that isn’t it nice that we are all getting along so well today?
DeHaney, in his letter to our throaty baritone, says he is still in the hospital after taking that crack on the ankle from a line drive. The drive broke a bone in his ankle and Frank says he will be out for another couple of weeks yet.
* * *
Fans have asked us on occasion “what is in a bat?” They wonder why these ball players use different types, different weights and different lengths.
Little fellows like Len Tran and Buddy Hjelmaa like a “Chick” Hafey or Augle Galan model. This type is light with the weight all in the business end. The other day Bob Brown received a shipment of Hank Greenberg models. They are so heavy it is doubtful if any of the Caps will ever wheel one.
Frank Mullens the other night used two bats through one game. He had a dark brown model and a tanned wagon-tongue. His brown bomber brought him nothing but pop-ups. He changed and wound up with two-for-five for the evening. That’s what’s in a bat.
* * *
Bill Brenner, the Brownie boss, received a letter from Don Osborn, pilot of our 1942 pennant winner. The Wizard of Oz, now in Los Angeles, reports he is strictly a relief pitcher and doesn’t like it. Makes him feel too old, sez he.
But Osborn did say he would like to be back in Vancouver. He added that Clarence Maddern, centre fielder on the flag winner of ’42, would like to tag along with him.
There is not much chance that Vancouver will ever see Osborn again, however. A smart man with the baseball, Don, when his pitching career is finished, is slated for managerial duties on one of the Chicago Cub farms.
* * *
Robert Abel, president of the WIL, is daily checking on his umpires. Just this week he warned his board of officials about “fraternization with players.”
Last week Abel added a ruling in his red book whereby the umpire behind the plate is no longer allowed to ask his co-worker on the bases help on a decision.
But the league president is apparently not keeping a close enough tab on his umpires. One of them on two different occasions was in no shape to call balls and strikes. His ability to see them too straight cost one of the WI’s teams at least one game, maybe two. We think it rather unnecessary to mention names.
While speaking of the WIL’s boss, we will mention that there has been no word about that protested game of two weeks ago in which Umpires Martin Slavich and Hugh Day were rabid participants.
That was the Victoria game which centered around the hidden ball play, or was it the two balls on the field which caused the beef? Abel has requested umpire Slavich to file a written report. Meanwhile there isn’t a man in the know anywhere who will bet a plug nickel on that game going into the official records. Word is that the protest will be allowed and a replay ordered.
That was the night that Slavich was given one of the roughest rides by fans an official has ever received here. And here’s the payoff. Thursday night Slavich said, “I like this town. I’m asking for a switch so I can umpire here once more and bring my wife up. These are the best fans you’ll find anywhere.”

Games of Thursday, July 17, 1946

2007-06-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 17
. . . . . . .Win Loss Pct. GB
Bremerton .. 56 38 .596 --
Spokane .... 54 38 .587 1
Salem ...... 52 39 .571 2½
Victoria ... 53 45 .541 5
Tacoma ..... 46 48 .489 10
Vancouver .. 44 49 .473 11½
Yakima ..... 36 54 .400 19
Wentachee .. 31 61 .337 24

A's Register Win for Mitchell
VICTORIA, July 17 — Dick Mitchell handed the league-leading Bremerton Bluejackets their 17th road loss in their last 18 games as the Victoria Athletics won their third straight, 7-1 tonight.
Mitchell mixed his curve and a high fastball to allow only seven hits. He walked three and struck out three. A low throw to shortstop Johnny Cavalli on what should have been the third out allowed the only Bremerton run in the sixth.
The A's got to Harry Johnston early, as Pat Patterson opened the Victoria half of the first with a walk, went to second on a ground out, and scored on Bill White's double. One out later, Jack Harshman walked, then Babe Jensen and Cavalli singled to score a pair.
Patterson scored again in the fifth when he walked, moved to second on a sacrifice and was waved all the way when second baseman Charlie Bushong knocked catcher Frank Volpi's overthrow down by tossing his glove.
Vic Mastro hit his seventh home run in the seventh and the final two runs crossed the platter in the eighth on a lucky break when John Hooper's high lift to left field got lost in the lights and fell for a double. It scored Patterson, who had walked for a third time.
Bremerton ......... 000 001 000—1 7 1
Victoria ............. 300 010 12x—7 10 1
Johnston and Volpi; Mitchell and Mastro.

Tacoma Boots One for Caps
VANCOUVER, July 17 — Vancouver Capilanos, aided by three Tacoma errors, for the second straight night pushed the winning runs over in the last half of the ninth to edge out the Tigers, 12-11, in a Western International League game here tonight.
Trailing 11-10 in the last of the ninth, manager Bill Brenner, who rapped out a homer earlier in the seventh, started the winning rally with a single to left field.
Then the comedy of errors began. Len Tran tried to sacrifice but a miscue by third baseman Bob Hedington left him safe on first. Then pitcher Jim Hedgecock followed with an intended sacrifice and this time pitcher Gordon Walden booted it.
With the bases loaded, Leon Mohr lined a pitch down the first base line and Tiger first baseman Maury Donovan promptly heaved it over catcher Earl Kuper, allowing Vancouver to score the tying and winning runs.
Hedgecock got the win, despite coming on in the fourth inning to replace Larry Manier in his first home start and giving up a three-run homer to Roy Paton.
Hedgecock shut down an eighth inning rally that began when Paton singled with one out off Buddy Hjelmaa's glove. He struck out Kuper, then consecutive errors by Buddy Hjelmaa allowed Donovan and Hedington to reach base. Dick Greco struck out looking for a knuckleball and Hank Bartolomei grounded weakly to Mohr at second for the force out to end the inning.
Tacoma ........... 303 320 000—11 13 5
Vancouver ...... 101 041 212—12 17 3
Greenlaw, Walden (8) and Kuper; Manier, Hedgecock (4) and Brenner.

Yakima ......... 000 000 001—1 5 3
Spokane ........ 400 005 00x—9 14 2
Nowels, Wallerstein (1), Brysch (7) and Phillips; Costello and O'Neill.

Salem ............. 100 040 004—9 17 3
Wenatchee ...... 005 000 010—6 13 2
Anderson, Sinovich (4) and Beard; Vivalda, Cronin (8), Osborn (9) and Dalrymple.

Expect 1,000,000 W.I.L. Attendance
TACOMA, July 17 — Western International League games during the first half of the campaign, including July 4th double-headers, drew a total of 514,036 paid admissions, it was announced today by Robert B. Abel, president of the circuit.
The figure, considered remarkable in view of numerous postponements because of rain during June, indicated the league attendance total for the season may reach a million, Abel said.

Ryan Resigns as Manager at Wenatchee

2007-06-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

WENATCHEE, July 16 - Buddy Ryan, who managed the Wenatchee Chiefs to a Western International League pennant last year but whose team is now 25 games behind the leaders in the cellar, today resigned as manager of the Chiefs in what he said was protest "of the failure of Sacramento (owners of the Wenatchee franchise), to send needed player aid."
Chief president Joe Brownlow said that pitcher Chuck Cronin would succeed Ryan as manager.
Ryan, the dean of minor league managers with a 26-year managerial and player career behind him, broke into baseball in 1908 with Portland of the Coast League and subsequently played with Salt Lake and Sacramento, later managing Sacramento and Oakland before coming here last year.
In his managerial days, he developed more than $300,000 worth of baseball ivory (at prices high for those days). Biggest deal was the sale of Myrl Hoag for $75,000 to the New York Yankees, and such stars as Stan Hack, Frank Demaree, Tony Freitas and Alex Campouris.
The Chiefs lost 25 of their first 32 games this year.

Games of Wednesday, July 16, 1947

2007-06-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 16
. . . . . . . Win Loss Pct. GB
Bremerton ... 56 37 .602 --
Spokane ..... 53 37 .589 1½
Salem ....... 51 39 .567 3½
Victoria .... 52 45 .536 6
Tacoma ...... 46 47 .495 10
Vancouver ... 43 49 .467 12½
Yakima ...... 36 53 .404 18
Wenatchee ... 31 60 .341 24

Woop Hurling Highlights Win
VICTORIA, July 16 — Terrific relief pitching by Bill Woop and a late inning rally by his teammates gave the Victoria Athletics an 9-8 win over the Bremerton Bluejackets in Western International League baseball tonight.
Woop, who pitched eight scoreless relief innings at Bremerton on Sunday, retired 18 Tars in order after walking the first two batters when he took over from Joe Blankenship in the fourth.
He gained his 10th win in 20 decisions.
Jim Arnold opened for the A's but ran into serious trouble in the fourth after allowing a run in the first. A walk to Ed Murphy, a single by Jim Estrada and Joe Gedzius's home run brought in Blankenship.
He managed to retire two men but Hooks DeVaurs singled, Charlie Bushong was nicked by a pitch and Al Maul walked to load the bags. Scratch hits by Bill Barisoff and Murphy brought in three more runs and Woop. He walked Gedzius and Estrada to force in a seventh run before shutting down the Bluejackets.
The A's got three runs in their half without a hit. John Marshall filled the bags with walks. An infield out and a wide throw by Gedzius plated the trio. John Hooper's triple followed a walk to Pat Patterson to add a single run in the fifth.
The A's tied the score in the eighth when Bill White and Vic Mastro singled and Jack Harshman walked. A force-out at second base scored a run, then Johnny Cavalli, who celebrated his 25th birthday, brought the crowd to its feet by taking Marshall's first pitch for his 13th home run.
Victoria broke the tie in the ninth when White reached on a fielder's choice and Mastro slashed a double into right field.
Bremerton .....100 700 000—8 8 1
Victoria ......... 000 310 041—9 10 3
Marshall, Kittle (8) and Volpi; Arnold, Blankenship (4), Woop (4) and Mastro.

Caps Edge Tigers in Wild Slugfest
VANCOUVER, July 16 — Vancouver Capilanos scored 11 runs in the fifth inning here tonight, but still had to push over a run in the last half of the ninth to edge Tacoma Tigers, 13-12, in a wild slugfest.
Lee Mohr singled into centre field, his fourth hit of the night, stole second and took third on a wild pitch by Pete Sabutis. Buddy Hjelmaa promptly popped a single over first sacker Maury Donovan's head and won the game.
The Tigers had a chance to win it in the top of the ninth. Bob Hall surrendered to a double to Hank Bartolomei, then Neil Clifford singled. Jim Hedgecock was brought in to relieve and got Sabutis on a slow roller, Gene Clough on a meek pop-up and struck out Guy Miller on slow curves and knuckleballs.
The Tigers had scored four in the eighth to tie the game, highlighted by Donovan's two-run homer and a solo shot by Bob Hedington. It was Hedington's third homer of the night and brought in his fifth run of the evening.
Seven home runs were clouted over the short fences at Capilano Stadium. Hall smacked one. So did Len Tran and Charlie Mead in the big fifth inning, when they swatted seven hits off veteran knuckleballer Buck Tinsley and reliever Mitch Chetkovich.
Tacoma .........301 004 040—12 15 4
Vancouver .... 001 0(11)0 001—13 15 2
Tinsley, Chetovitch (6), Sabutis (6) and Clifford; Hall, Hedgecock and Stumpf.

Salem .......... 024 100 021—10 9 2
Wenatchee .... 040 015 02x—12 16 0
Peterson, Sinovic and Beard; Rose, Frost (3), McCollum (8) and Pesut.

First game: (7 innings)
Yakima ....... 000 142 2—9 11 0
Spokane ....... 020 132 0—8 11 2
Strait, Wallerstein (4), Romple (5), Cordell (6) and Phillips; Forsyth and Bufflap.
Second game
Yakima ......... 201 010 101— 6 13 3
Spokane ........ 200 152 00x—10 9 3
Meister, Brysch (6) and Constantino; Kramer and O'Neill.

Games of Tuesday, July 15, 1947

2007-06-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after Tuesday, July 15
. . . . . . . Win Loss Pct. GB
Bremerton ... 53 36 .609 --
Spokane ..... 52 37 .584 1
Salem ....... 51 38 .573 2
Victoria .... 51 45 .539 5½
Tacoma ...... 46 46 .500 8½
Vancouver ... 42 49 .462 12
Yakima ...... 35 52 .402 17
Wenatchee ... 30 60 .333 24½

Tigers Sweep Caps
TACOMA, July 15 — The Tacoma Tigers pinned two one-run victories on the Vancouver Capilanos tonight, 5-4 and 3-2.
Carl Gunnarson and Stan Gilson hooked up in a first-game duel which Gunnarson appeared to have in his hip pocket until the seventh. That's the inning the Caps broke a 3-3 tie on hits by Brenner and Gunnarson.
But in the bottom half of the inning, Earl Kuper singled, then with one out, Guy Miller slammed a line drive right to Lou Estes in right field, who dropped the ball to give Miller and the Tigers a life. Roy Paton then followed with a double to score them both and end the ga,e.
In the night game, Len Tran and Bob Snyder connected for a 1-0 lead in the second inningm then Estes tried to make amends by breaking a 1-1 tie by homering over the left field wall in the eighth inning, but the Caps couldn't hold the game, and Estes was the goat.
Bob Hedington drove a baseball into right and Estes, in trying to toss him out at second, hit him in the back and the ball rolled into left field as Maury Donovan, who had walked, romped in with the tying run.
Then in the ninth, Bob Snyder walked Miller and gave up a single to Paton. After getting an out, Snyder purposely passed Kuper to put the double play on the bases and after labouring to 3 and 2 on Donovan, walked in the winning run.
First game:
Vancouver ..... 021 000 1—4 7 1
Spokane ....... 000 102 2—5 11 1
Gunnarson and Brenner; Gilson and Clifford.
Second game:
Vancouver ..... 010 000 010—2 9 1
Tacoma .......... 000 100 011—3 9 0
Snyder and Stumpf; Walden and Kuper.

BREMERTON, July 15 — Victoria Athletics broke the spell held over them by Hub Kittle, ace Bremerton righthander, here tonight as they pounded out a 7-3 triumph behind the brilliant five-hit pitching of Len Kasparovitch.
The victory salvaged the final game of the Bremerton end of the nine-game series.
Kittle, who blanked the A's in two previous starts, had his run of scoreless innings broken in the first frame, as Victoria climbed on him for two runs as the forerunner of their 14-hit attack.
The A's completed their run-making by the end of the fifth as Pat Patterson and Jack Harshman led the way. The former had four hits, including a triple, while Harshman picked up three singles in the same number of appearances.
Kasparovitch handcuffed the league leaders to notch his 11th win. He was a trifle on the wild side, issuing seven bases on balls, but his effective slider sent eight Tars down on strikes.
Victoria ........ 212 110 000—7 14 4
Bremerton .... 100 200 000—3 5 1
Kasparovich and Mastro; Kittle, P. Barisoff (4) and Ronning.

Salem ............ 000 000 003 5—8 14 1
Wenatchee ..... 000 110 001 0—3 10 1
Wyatt, Lazor (8), Sporer (9) and Beard; Cronin and Pesut, Dalrymple (9).

Yakima ......... 020 000 001—3 7 4
Spokane ........ 000 300 10x—4 5 0
Simon and Constantino; Werbowski and Bufflap.

Games of Monday, July 14, 1947

2007-06-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after Monday, July 14
. . . . . . . Win Loss Pct. GB
Bremerton ... 56 35 .615 --
Spokane ..... 51 37 .580 3½
Salem ....... 50 38 .558 4½
Victoria .... 50 45 .526 8
Tacoma ...... 44 46 .489 11½
Vancouver ... 42 47 .472 13
Yakima ...... 35 51 .407 18½
Wenatchee ....30 59 .337 25

Tars too Much for A's
BREMERTON, July 14 - Bob Jensen, who marked three Victoria victories in a week after rejoining the club, failed to get a man out tonight and was tagged with a 6-3 loss, the A's third straight setback.
A base on balls and four singles counted three Bremerton runs before Bill Rose, who was unable to finish the first inning in one game on Sunday, came in to smother the uprising. Rose gave up five hits and three more runs in his stint.
Jim Lowman was the successful moundsman for the Tars, racking up his 11th win. He gave up a single run in the first inning while singles by Vic Mastro and Jack Harshman, Babe Jensen's double and an infield out scored the final Victoria runs.
Charlie Bushong, Bill Barisoff and Eddie Murphy each picked up a pair of singles for the winners. Leo Righetti was the only Victorian to garner more than one hit, picking up two singles in three trips.
Sudden downpours of rain halted the game in the first, fourth and seventh innings.
Victoria ......... 100 000 200—3 7 1
Bremerton ..... 310 200 00x—6 9 2
Jensen, Rose (1), and Mastro; Lowman and Volpi.

Hedgecock Nips Tiger Rally
TACOMA, July 14 - A ninth-inning rally by Tacoma fell one run short as Vancouver defeated the Tigers 4-3 in their Western International League game here tonight.
Jim Hedgecock, Capilano pitcher, held the Tigers to five hits while his teammates collected 11 off Mitch Chetkovich.
Maury Donovan, Tiger first baseman, walked in the last of the ninth. Hedgecock managed to strike out Bob Hedington but gave up a triple to left centre to Dick Greco and Donovan easily scored.
Greco scored on a fielder's choice as Hank Bartolomei hit to shortstop Buddy Hjelmaa. Neil Clifford was out, Lee Mohr (at second) to Bill Reese (at first), to end the game.
Vancouver scored twice in the fifth on singles by Hedgecock and Mohr and a double by Hjelmaa. A walk, a single by Charlie Mead and Reese's triple to left field gave the Caps two more runs in the eighth.
Vancouver ...... 000 020 020—4 11 3
Tacoma ........... 010 000 002—3 5 0
Hedgecock and Stumpf; Chetkovich and Clifford.

Spokane at Wenatchee, postponed, rain and wind.
Salem at Yakima, postponed, rain.

Games of Sunday, July 13, 1947

2007-06-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
after games of July 13
. . . . . . . Win Loss Pct. GB
Bremerton ... 55 33 .611 --
Spokane ..... 51 37 .580 4
Salem ....... 50 38 .568 5
Victoria .... 50 44 .532 8
Tacoma ...... 44 45 .494 11½
Vancouver ... 41 47 .466 14
Yakima ...... 35 51 .407 19
Wenatchee ... 30 59 .337 25½

Tigers Sweep Caps
TACOMA, July 13 — Roy Paton smacked the only hit from reliever Bob Snyder over the fence in the eighth inning to give the Tacoma Tigers a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Capilanos in the first game of a pair of Sunday contests.
In the nightcap, the Tigers won 8-6, after using three Vancouver errors in the first two innings to go in front 4-3. When Vancouver got within a run, Maury Donovan smacked an inside-the-park homer for two runs in the sixth to keep the Tigers ahead.
Vancouver scored twice in the ninth in a late rally off Bob Morgan, who struck out six and walked one in picking up the win.
First game:
Vancouver ........ 011 200 00—4 9 1
Tacoma ............. 101 002 01—5 10 2
Manier, Snyder (8) and Brenner, Stumpf (8); Greenlaw and Clifford.
Second game
Vancouver ....... 002 101 002—6 13 4
Tacoma ............ 310 022 00x— 8 14 2
Bryant and Brenner, Stumpf (2); Morgan and Clifford.

Tars Monotonous, Always Win 3-1
BREMERTON, Wash., July 13 — The Bremerton Bluejackets pulled off identical 3-1 victories over the Victoria Athletics in a Western International League Sunday double-header.
Dick Mitchell tossed a four-hitter at the Tars in the first game but Bill Ahearn gave up only one hit — a double to Jack Harshman.
Three uneared runs off Tom Rose in the first inning proved to be the margin of victory in the nightcap. Bill Woop relieved in the first and hurled scoreless ball the rest of the way but it was too late as Joe Sullivan muffled the A's attack effectively.
First Game
Victoria .......... 000 000 1—1 1 2
Bremerton ...... 030 00 x—3 4 1
Mitchell and Mastro; Ahearn and Volpi.
Second game
Victoria ....... 000 001 000—1 6 1
Bremerton ... 300 000 00x—3 8 1
Rose, Woop (1) and Anske; Sullivan and Ronning.

First game
Spokane ........ 103 344 1—16 18 3
Wenatchee .... 500 400 0— 9 14 0
Costello and O'Neill; McCollum, Osborne (5), Frost (6) and Pesut.
Second game
Spokane ........ 322 100 000—8 11 0
Wenatchee .... 000 000 000—0 5 4
Spitzer and O'Neill; Vivalda and Dalrymple.

First game:
Salem .......... 000 000 1—1 4 1
Yakima ........ 000 000 0—0 2 2
Anderson and Beard; Cordell and Phillips.
Second game:
Salem ......... 000 301 112—8 15 0
Yakima ...... 300 020 100—6 6 0
Eliason and Kerr; Romple and Constantino.

Games of Saturday, July 12, 1947

2007-06-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
After games of July 12
. . . . . . . WIN LOSS PCT. GB
Bremerton ... 53 35 .602 --
Spokane ..... 49 37 .570 3
Salem ....... 48 38 .558 4
Victoria .... 50 42 .543 5
Tacoma ...... 42 45 .483 10½
Vancouver ... 41 45 .477 11
Yakima ...... 35 49 .417 16
Wenatchee ....30 57 .345 22½

A's Split Games
VICTORIA, July 12 — Bill White, Vic Mastro and Babe Jensen combined to pull the second game of a double bill out of the fire last night to earn the Victoria Athletics a 9-8 win and an even split with the Vanciuver Capilanos.
After the visiting nine had taken a 12-5 decision in the daylight tilt, they rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the ninth inning of the mazda fixture when manager Ted Norbert used sentiment instead of baseball sense.
The A's opened up on Bob Hall with a six-run rally in the first inning, with Johnny Cavalli's three-run homer climaxing the uprising. They added another in the third when Hall contributed a wild throw to first base to allow Jack Harshman to score. Another run was lost when a park employee picked up the ball in trying to head off the ball-chasing youngsters who make a nuisnace of themselves. Babe Jensen was waved back to third base.
Meanwhile, Victoria starter Jim Arnold struggled but carried on, being reached for single runs in the fourth and sixth as the Caps left two men in in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. But then the roof caved in. Bob Stumpf and Len Tran opened the eighth with hits and manager Bill Brenner clouted one over the fence in a pinch-hitting role. Lee Mohr doubled and manager Norbert decided to let Arnold pitch out of it. Instead, Mullens singled in Brenner, but was thrown out at second. Norbert again consulted with Arnold and kept him in. Lou Estes then tied it with a homer to tie the game at 7-all and Arnold was pulled from the game and replaced by Len Kasparovitch.
The Caps added a run in the ninth, but the A's weren't finished yet. Johnny Hooper popped out to open the Victoria ninth and Pat Patterson went down swinging in a pinch-hitting role. But Bill White then started things with a ground single to right and Vic Mastro lashed a double off the boards in centre and White legged in with the tying run. Harshman was purposedly walked, then but Babe Jensen banged a 1 and 2 pitch for line double into centre to plate Mastro and win the decision for brother Bob, the last of three Victoria pitchers.
Len Starts, Loses Match One
Kasparovitch started and lost the first contest, snapping a seven game winning streak.
Harshman had given the A's a 3-1 lead in the third when he lined out his 26th home run with two mates aboard but the Caps kept nicking away for single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth to take the lead.
Tran put up two in the eighth when he homered with Brenner aboard. Kasparovitch was removed for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the inning, and then Vancouver scored six times on six hits in the ninth off Joe Blankesnhip, including a homer to Charlie Mead.
First game
Vancouver ........ 100 111 026—12 17 2
Victoria ............ 003 000 011— 5 11 2
Snyder and Brenner; Kasparovitch, Blankenship (9) and Mastro.
Second game
Vancouver ........ 000 101 051—8 14 1
Victoria ............. 601 000 002—9 11 1
Hall, Robertson (8) and Stumpf, Brenner (8); Arnold, Kasparovitch (8), R. Jensen (9) and Anske.
Tars Win in 11th Over Tacoma
TACOMA, July 12 — Bremerton Bluejackets walloped Tacoma Tigers and a jinx tonight but had to go 11 innings to post a 4-3 Western International League victory — their first in 16 away-from-home starts.
Pinchhitter Jim Estrada poked a two-run single in the ninth to keep the Bremerton cause alive, knotting the count at 3-3. Eddie Murphy, who had singled to start the Bremerton ninth, led off the same kind of poke in the 11th and romped home with the winning run on a wild throw when Hooks Devaurs tried to sacrifice him to second.
Bremerton ........... 010 000 002 01—4 7 0
Tacoma ............... 101 010 000 00—3 11 1
Johnson, P. Barisoff (8) and Volpi; Gilson, Tinsley (2) and Clifford.

WENATCHEE, Wash., July 12 — Doug Donnan lifted a nicely-timed four-base knock out of the Wenatchee park with the bases filled to cap a seven-run rally that set the Spokane Indians on the road to a 13-11 triumph over the Chiefs in a Western International League game on Saturday.
Salem .......... 102 110 600—11 16 1
Yakima ........ 000 102 000— 3 7 3
Mossor and Beard; Nowels, Wallerstein (5) and Phillips.

Only games scheduled

Friday, July 11, 1947

2007-06-19T16:34:00.001-07:00

W L Pct GB
Bremerton ... 51 35 .598 —
Spokane ..... 48 37 .565 2½
Salem ....... 47 38 .553 3½
Victoria .... 49 41 .544 4
Tacoma ...... 42 44 .488 9
Vancouver ... 40 47 .460 11½
Yakima ...... 35 48 .422 14½
Wenatchee ... 30 56 .349 21

VICTORIA, July 11—The Vancouver Capilanos used five runs in the third inning and four in the fourth to score a 10-5 triumph over the Victoria Athletics in a Western International League game tonight.
Bill White punched out a long home run — his 11th — in the first inning after John Hooper had walked. That gave Victoria a 2-0 lead, which they couldn't hold, as Victoria starter Bill Woop gave up seven hits and two walks in 2 2-3 innings.
In the third, Lee Mohr and Frank Mullens singled, Lou Estes and Charlie Mead walked to bring in one run, and then Bill Reese and Bob Stumpf cracked out base hits to score four more. Ray Fortier came in for Woop after Len Tran singled, then Carl Gunnarson lined a ball back to the box which struck him on the pitching arm. He got the out, but had to come out of the game.
Jack Harshman's 25th home run of the season and successive doubles by Babe Jensen and Cavalli put the A's back within a run in the bottom of the third, but the Caps came right back in the fourth with a four-run barrage on singles by Buddy Hjelmaa and Mullens, a walk, an error and a double by Mead.
Leo Righetti singled and scored after singles by Pat Patterson and Hooper in the sixth.
Gunnarson allowed 13 hits in posting his tenth win of the game.
Vancouver ..... 005 410 000 — 10 15 3
Victoria ......... 202 001 000— 5 13 2
Gunnarson and Stumpf; Woop, Fortier (3) Blankenship (3) and Mastro.

YAKIMA, July 11 — The Salem Senators moved into third place in the Western International League by scoring an easy 10-5 victory over the Yakima Stars in the opener of a five-game series at Yakima tonight.
Salem put the game on ice in the first two innings when they scored two runs in the initial frame and then added four more in the following stanza on Mel Nunes' grand-slam homer.
Salem ......... 240 002 200—10 14 1
Yakima ........ 020 100 003— 5 8 1
Lazor and Beard; Brysch, Meister (6), Simon (9) and Phillips.

WENATCHEE, July 11 — Spokane pounded out five home runs in their 19-11 victory over the Wenatchee Chiefs tonight in a Western International League slugging jamboree.
Both Herb Gorman and George Schmees hit three-run homers for the Indians, Gorman's coming in the second and Schmees' in the third. Finding the short fences at Wenatchee to their liking, both Schmees and Levi McCormack homered in the fifth and Jake Phillips added another in the sixth.
Ted Greenhalgh hit both of the Chiefs' four-baggers.
Spokane ......... 056 041 003—19 25 0
Wenatchee ...... 130 231 100—11 13 5
Forsyth, Sampson (2) and Bufflap; Vivaldi, Osborne (3), Condon (9) and Pesut.

Bremerton at Spokane, postponed, wet grounds.

THE HOME PLATE
By KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver Sun, July 12, 1947]

Bob Stumpf, the young catcher who brought the Bronx to Vancouver, is unhappy, and you’ll never guess why. He wants to go to the old men’s home, but doesn’t feel he has a chance.
The old men’s home, if you haven’t been following your baseball lately, is, of course, the Seattle Rainiers, whose youngest son is our Vancouver Capilanos.
On the Cap’s recent road trip to Bremerton, Stumpf, who is Seattle property, called in to see business manager Earl Sheely of the Suds. Stumpf, now hitting his 1946 pace when he batted .349, wanted encouragement from Sheely for the future.
According to young Bob, Sheely gave the impression that Rollie Hemsley, present Rainier first string catcher, would remain in this status fro the following five years.
This struck us as very funny. Very funny indeed.
Six years ago Hemsley was all washed up as an old man, when the war took all the professional players. The majors had to dip into their bucket and come up with some near pros to tide them through, and the New York Yankees resurrected Hemsley.
* * *
Rollie was in New York for one season and part of another before they washed him up again. He then went to Philadelphia Phillies on waivers. The Phils have long been known as a graveyard for tired old men.
Rollie didn’t spend too many summers in Philly before he was purchased by Seattle to spell off Hal Sueme, whose arteries were starting to harden.
As we remember it, Hemsley streaked past his 40th birthday a year or so ago. And yet Stumpf has been led to believe that Rollickin’ Rollie is good for another five moons.
Stumpf, if he does not keep a thorough look by Jo-Jo White and his Seattle overlords, can only hope he will be caught in baseball’s draft. Right now Bob looks ripe for the Coast League. He is naturally green on certain inside baseball items, but he will remain so until he gets out of Class B and into triple-A.
Stumpf is not the lone Capilano who rates a long look from the Sound City when they gather next spring at Bakersfield for spring training.
Frank Mullens, the Cap centre fielder, looks like a lead-pipe cinch to make it. He is Seattle property, and that may hurt him if Sheely and his gang forget to remember that baseball is played by the country’s youth—first childhood, that is.
At present, the Rainiers are staggering along famously with several old men and a prayer. The prayer has not been too strong, for the Suds have been challenged only once for the cellar, and they shook that off and have the place all to themselves right now.
* * *
The outfield, for instance, is composed of Lou Novikoff, Jo-Jo White and Bob Johnson. The latter two are over 35 with Novikoff a close challenger. When manager White wants variety he inserts Johnny Rucker in centre field and Johnny is just a kid of 32.
If you really want to hear a good one, though, listen to a few of the Rainiers’ battery. Pitchers—Dick Barrett, Rex Cecil and Bill Posedel. Catchers—Rollie Hemsley and Hal Sueme. Total those ages and if they don’t average 37, you can have the concession to the town’s parking meters.
The Rainiers, then, seem to be ready for a shot of youth. Mullens is set for his grooming in the Seattle outfield. He might now hit .300 his first year, but he’ll be up there in RBI’s, and that’s what they look for in the big tent.
Charley Mead, though not Seattle property, is a candidate, but not as strong as Mullens. Your two other best-bets would be catcher Stumpf and pitcher Carl Gunnarson, who would go to Seattle only if they paid the ante.
And if and when Sheely and Co., start their youth movement, the Caps will benefit, too. Out of all the WIL entries, Vancouver has been starved the most from lack of support from Seattle.

Games of Thursday, July 10, 1947

2007-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

5,438 Victorians Watch Jensen Win
VICTORIA, July 10 - A new attendance record of 5,438 paid their way to see last year's Western International League strikeout king in his 1947 home debut as the A's crushed the Vancouver Capilanos 12-4 tonight.
Bob Jensen spaced 12 singles, and allowed only two runs in the first eight innings.
He struck out nine and walked six.
Bill White accounted for the first two Victoria runs, doubling Pat Patterson over in the fourh and hitting and inside-the-park home run in the third.
The A's salted it away in the fifth, scoring five times after the first two batters were retired.
John Cavalli and Leo Righetti walked and Jensen drove in one run when his hard hit to short bounced over Buddy Hjelmaa's head. Patterson doubled and John Hooper hit one over the fence to complete the rally.
Errors by Buddy Hjelmaa and Jim Hedgecock, a balk and Hooper's single added two unearned runs in the sixth. The A's wound up their run-making in the seventh on solid hitting. Harshman, Babe Jensen and Cavalli singled sharply, Righetti rapped out a double, and Bob Jensen's outfield fly scored the final counter.
Vancouver ......... 001 100 002— 4 12 4
Victoria ............. 101 502 30x—12 14 1
Hedgecock and Stumpf; Jensen and Mastro.

Bremerton ...... 100 000 000—1 7 3
Tacoma .......... 100 000 20x—3 11 1
Kittle and Ronning; Walden and Clifford.

Wenatchee ....... 001 600 020—9 15 2
Yakima ............ 100 000 010—2 5 0
Cronin and Dalrymple; Strait, Simon (4) and Constantino.

Spokane ........ 013 000 010—5 9 1
Salem ........... 020 300 04x—9 8 2
Werbowski and O'Neil; Wyatt and Beard.

Before and After
By Ken McConnell
[Vancouver Province, July 11, 1947]
ONE GAME WIN STREAK
It is just as well that the Caps finally shattered that losing streak at nine straight. Just got to the ball game the other night in time to see them win.
The folks gad been a-mumbling and a-grumbling for most of the games and you could hardly blame the Caps staunchest supporters.
Strange, though, the difference a victory can make.
Everybody is well aware that the Caps are tied tightly with the Emil Sick interests in Seattle. In view of what is happening with the Seattle club in the Pacific Coast League, it is little wonder that the Caps are in the second division.
I can tell you that Bob Brown, for all his years in baseball [unreadable line] a flippant, hopeful observation to the grouchers and a pain in his heart when he sadly chalks up the final score.
We are in Class B ball and there are things such as salary limits. There is no question about the money behind the club, there is plenty of that. But, unhappily, our connections where potential players might be in the offing seems to be lacking.
At least we rarely get any help in the clutch and it is evidence we need help badly now.
* * *
There is good spirit exhibited for the most part by fans at Capilano Stadium. They take their losses in stride and naturally grumble. They are regular attenders at a ball park that leaves much to be desired.
Still, they are ready to back Bill Brenner’s boys and have consistently proven their desire to do so.
But—and this is what hurts—when Salem needs a ma they get one. When Victoria needs help to become a pennant contender, that help is provided.
Presumably, the other clubs in the Western International League are similarly treated and our Caps have to struggle along as best they can , making the mostest of the bestest they have. It is now getting well on into the season and we are again 11 games out of first place.
There seems to be little hope that we’ll do much better unless some immediate help is provided. It is not Brenner’s fault; it is not the fault of those who are doing their best for us.
The fault would seem to remain with out connections. Seattle can’t do anything for us—and the other teams seem to beat even Richard to the trading doors of the other clubs.

Games of Wednesday, July 9, 1947

2007-06-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

Winning Run Walkked in as Rose Loses Debut
VANCOUVER, July 9 - A nine-game losing streak for the Vancouver Capilanos came to an end tonight after getting three walks and a single in the tenth inning to give the home-town team a 5-4 win over the Victoria Athletics.
Bill (Red) Rose, a big righthander making his Western International League debut, issued free bases to Bill Brenner, Red Tran and Bob Hall after Lou Estes had singled.
Vancouver took a two-run lead in the fourth, but Johnny Cavalli poled out his 11th home rtun after Babe Jensen's single to tie it in the fifth. Frank Mullens immediately restored the lead when he hit his third circuit blow in as many nights with a man aboard.
The A's got one back in the sixth when John Hooper walked, went to third on Vic Mastro's single and scored after Jack Harshman's long fly ball. They forced extra play in the ninth when Harshman singled, and the former scored on Jensen's fly ball. Harshman's blow was just inches short of going over the screen and the bad break probably cost Victoria the decision.
Over 2,700 fans were reported on hand, bringing to 6,400 the attendance for the three-game set.
Victoria ......... 000 021 001 0—4 8 1
Vancouver ..... 000 220 000 1—5 9 1
Rose and Mastro; Hall and Brenner.

BREMERTON, July 9 - Bremerton Bluejackets, back in form after their recent slump, edged past the Tacoma Tigers 2-1, as Jim Lowman won a pitching duel with Milt Chetkovich.
Eddie Murphy's home run in the bottom half of the ninth provided the winning margin.
Murphy also provide the other Bremerton run in the second when he walked, stole second and third and scored on a single.
Tacoma ........... 000 010 000—1 6 0
Bremerton ....... 010 000 001—2 5 1
Chetkovich and Clifford; Lowman and Volpi.

Wenatchee ........ 000 040 010 6—11 12 2
Yakima ............. 010 100 120 0— 5 8 2
McCollum and Dalrymple; Nowels, Simon (5), Wallerstein (9) and Phillips, Constantino (9).

Spokane ............ 000 105 001— 7 8 4
Salem ................ 000 004 06x—10 6 2
Costello, Miller (8) and O'Neill; Anderson, Sporer (6) and Beard.

Bill Wright, Vancouver First Sacker, Released; Heading for Walla Walla
VANCOUVER, B.C.—Bill Wright, veteran first baseman of the Vancouver Capilanos, was handed his unconditional release Wednesday in what was announced to be one of a series of moves to give new life to the Caps.
The Western International baseball league Capilanos are currently attempting to break a nine-game losing streak.
Wright said he intended to head for his Walla-Walla home shortly and take the rest of the year off unless he gets an offer.
The big first baseman had trouble rounding to shape this year, plagued with a succession of leg injuries.
- Thursday, July 10, 1947

Games of Tuesday, July 8, 1947

2007-06-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

Mitchell Extends Win Streak to Eight
VANCOUVER - Three runs in the eighth inning, climaxed by Jack Harshman's two-run homer, gave the Victoria Athletics their second straight victory over the Vancouver Capilanos tonight, 3-2.
It was Victoria's sixth straight victory and their 11th in their last 13 games, while the Caps lost their ninth in a row.
Victoria's eighth inning uprising broke up a great pitching duel between 19-year-old Dick Micthell and Bob Snyder. Mitchell, in racking up his seventh win of the season, blanked the home nine until the ninth, when Frank Mullens homered following Buddy Hjelmaa's single to ruin his shutout bid.
Pat Patterson opened the Victoria eighth with a double. John Hooper bunted and both runners were safe as the Caps missed the flying Patterson at third. Bill White's long outfield fly plated Patterson with the first run of the game. Harshman then clouted his 23th home run of the season over the centre field fence to provide the margin of victory.
The winners played errorless ball behind Mitchell and came up with one double play, their 15th in their last 13 games. Every man in the batting order except Micthell participated in the ten-hit Victoria attack, with Harshman and Vic Mastro hitting safely twice.
Bill Reese made his Vancouver debut with a pair of singles in four tries. Snyder singled and doubled for the losers.
Victoria ........... 000 000 030—3 10 0
Vancouver ....... 000 000 002—2 7 1
Mitchell and Mastro; Snyder, Bryant (9) and Stumpf.

Wenatchee ........ 100 020 000—3 10 2
Yakima ............. 200 100 10x—4 8 0
Condon and Dalrymple; Romple, Wallerstein (8) and Phillips.

Tacoma ............ 000 000 302— 5 11 2
Bremerton ........ 020 041 03x—10 14 1
Shapley, Salutis (7), Gilson (8) and Clifford; Ahearn and Volpi.

Spokane ........ 200 001 000 1—4 9 2
Salem ........... 102 000 000 2—5 12 0
Kramer and O'Neill; Mosser and Kerr.

Baseball Tilts Disrupted
DALLAS, Tex., July 8 —"Flying discs" broke up a couple of ball games temporarily and caused an uproar over the wide area of East Texas Tuesday night, but they were found to be merely the reflection from clouds of the beams of a pair of powerful searchlights publicizing the opening of a new grocery store at Tyler.
A few venturesome souls took off airplanes to chase the saucers. The light struck low-hanging clouds, giving the illusion of discs. The "discs" were reported 40 miles from Tyler.
At Henderson. Tex., the Henderson and Marshall baseball teams were left to play without spectators for a time as the crowd rushed to the top of the stands to see the "discs."
At Kilgore, the Kilgore-Longview baseball game was stopped for a time because of the excitement.
- Wednesday, July 9, 1947

Blogger's Note: Yes, I know this has nothing to do with the WIL, but there were a pile of front-page stories at the time about flying saucers. People became so nuts about them, they even infected baseball games, so I post it as a matter of interest.

Games of Monday, July 7, 1947

2007-06-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
Bremerton 50 34 .595 --
Spokane 47 34 .580 1½
Victoria 47 39 .547 4
Salem 43 38 .531 5½
Tacoma 41 42 .492 8½
Vancouver 38 42 .475 10
Yakima 34 45 .430 18½
Wenatchee 28 54 .341 21

Athletics Mark Fifth Straight Win
VANCOUVER, July 7 - The Victoria Athletics, who now rate as serious contenders for the Western International League pennant, ran their longest winning streak of the season to five games at they handed Vancouver Capilanos their eighth straight setback here tonight, 6-5, in the opener of a week-long series.
Len Kasparovitch went the distance for the winners and doled out 11 hits to mark up his seventh straight mound triumph, giving him a record of ten wins and six setbacks for the season.
Second baseman Leo Righetti was the hitting star for the A's, batting in four runs with a homer and an outfield fly, which accounted for the winning run in the ninth inning.
Victoria opened the scoring in the second inning when singles by Babe Jensen and John Cavalli were followed by Righetti's circuit smash. The A's stretched their lead to 4-0 in the third when John Hooper singled, adavnced on an infield out, and scored on Jensen's single to left.
Catcher Vic Mastro collected their fifth run in the sixth when he singled, advanced to third on another base blow and scored on a long fly. Athletics won the game in the top half of the ninth when Cavalli tripled to left and scored on Righetti's fly.
Vancouver was kept in the game by the solid hitting of Frank Mullens, who batted in four runs.
The teams were even after a peculiar seventh inning.
The Caps had two in, two on and nobody out with Lou Estes at bat. Estes started to bunt at a ball but pulled his bat back and umpire Marty Slavich called a ball. Victoria manager Ted Norbert and five other Athletics were quick to make a loud beef. After a lengthy dispute, Slavich reversed his decision and called a strike. That brought Cap manager Bill Brenner charging from the dugout to complain. Brenner and two other Caps hemmed Slavich in, and after furious debate, the call was switched back.
Kasparovitch was pulled out of his spot a moment later when Buddy Hjelmaa was caught by shortstop Cavalli with the old hidden ball trick.
Brenner protested the call, claiming there were two balls in play at the same time and, when he got nowhere, he announced that the game was being played under protest.
Victoria ............. 031 001 001—6 9 0
Vancouver ......... 001 020 200—5 11 0
Kasparovitch and Mastro; Gunnarson and Brenner.

Five Runs 8th Give Tigers Late Win
BREMERTON, July 7 - Tacoma Tigers, bouncing back off the ropes after a disasterous series wiuth the Victoria Athletics, tonight upset the league-leading Bremerton Bluejackets, 6-5, in the first game of a week-long series.
The Tigers, handcuffed by Joe Sullivan, ex-big league southpaw, for seven innings, broke through for five runs in the eighth to snatch victory.
Tacoma ..... 000 100 050 - 6 10 2
Bremerton ... 020 001 200 - 5 10 2
Greenlaw, Walden (8) and Clifford; Sullivan and Volpi.

Only Games Scheduled

Games of Sunday, July 6, 1947

2007-06-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

VICTORIA — The Athletics tramped the unfortunate Tacoma Tigers twice Sunday, 5-2 and 5-3, to gain an 8-2 edge in their lengthy ten-game Western International League series.
The twill-bill marked the return of Bob Jensen, who was thrown into action immediately after his arrival and responded with a four-hit perfoirmance to give the A's a decision in the seven-inning opener.
The nightcap was marked by the brilliant hurling of Bill Woop, who struck out a total of 13 men and gamely continued to go the route after being felled by a pitched ball while at bat in the sixth inning.
Jack Harshman hit a home run in each game to run his total for the season to 23. John Hooper and Vic Mastro also hit for the circuit.
First game (7 innings):
Victoria ............ 030 110 0—5 7 1
Tacoma ........... 101 060 0—2 4 1
R Jensen and Anske; Tinsley and Clifford.
Second game:
Victoria ........... 300 000 020—5 12 0
Tacoma .......... 000 001 110—3 7 2
Woop and Mastro; Morgan, Chetkovich (7) and Clifford.

VANCOUVER — Bremerton's Hub Kittle tossed a five hitter, all singles, in a 5-0 opener of a Western International League double-header here Sunday. The Bluejackets thumped the Capilanos 10-1 in the seven-inning night game, as Harry Johnston allowed only four hits.
Kittle gave up three walks, hit a batter, but didn't strike out anyone.
In the opener, Charlie Bushong had three hits and brought in a pair, while Al Ronning doubled twice and also brought in a teammate.
The only extra-base hit Vancouver got in the nightcap was Lou Estes' double.
Bill Barisoff had a pair of triples to plate a pair, while Frank Volpi has a two-run single.
Johnston walked one and strick out one, while Pete Jonas had a difficult night for Vancouver, allowing 12 hits, walking five, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.
First game:
Vancouver ......... 000 000 000—0 5 1
Bremerton .......... 002 003 00x—5 11 0
Hedgecock and Stumpf; Kittle and Ronning.
Second game (7 innings):
Vancouver ........ 000 001 0— 1 4 3
Bremerton ........ 350 200 x—10 12 1
Jonas and Brenner; Johnston and Volpi.

First game:
Yakima ......... 000 000 002— 2 7 2
Spokane ........ 111 046 04x—17 19 2
Ward, Meister (6) and Philips; Werbowski and O'Neill.
Second game:
Yakima ........ 303 011 000—8 8 3
Spokane ....... 022 002 111—9 9 2
Cordell, Simon (7) and Constantino; Spitzer. Miller (7), Forsyth (9) and O'Neill.

First game:
Wenatchee .......... 001 002 3—6 10 3
Salem .................. 011 100 0—3 5 3
Cronin, Osborn (6), Condon (7) and Dalrymple; Lazor and Beard.
Second game:
Wenatchee ........... 000 000 011—2 10 0
Salem ................... 000 000 003—3 5 1
Rose, McCollum (9) and Dalrymple; Wyatt and Kerr, Beard (8).

Games of Saturday, July 5, 1947

2007-06-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Standings after games of July 5
. . . . . . . .WIN LOSS Pct. GB
Bremerton .... 48 33 .593 --
Spokane ...... 45 34 .570 2
Salem ........ 42 37 .532 5
Victoria ..... 44 39 .530 5
Tacoma ....... 40 40 .500 7½
Vancouver .... 38 39 .494 8
Yakima ....... 34 43 .442 12
Wenatchee .... 27 53 .338 19½

Blankenship Goes Distance for A's
TACOMA, July 5 — Victoria Athletics, a hustling bunch of speed demons boasting extra-base power at the plate and an infield which ranks at the best in the WIL, tonight handed the Tacoma Tigers their sixth setback in eight games between the two clubs this past week, 6-2.
The win moved the Victorians into a virtual tie with Salem for third place and put them two and one half games up on the Tigers in the battle for fourth place.
Joe Blankenship, relief ace used in a starting role, hurled beautiful baseball all the way as he teammates broke up a pitching duel with Stan Gilson with five runs in the eighth inning.
Speedy John Hooper led off the big frame with the fourth of his five straight singles. Bill White doubled and Vic Mastro, Jack Harshman, Babe Jensen and Johnny Cavalli singled to score five runs as the fleet Victorians scored from second on each hit and the batter hustled to the keystone on the throw to the plate.
Victoria ...... 100 000 050—6 15 2
Tacoma ...... 000 010 001—2 7 0
Blankenship and Mastro; Gilson, Greenlaw (8) and Clifford.

BREMERTON, July 5 — Jim Lowman blanked the Vancouver Capilanos on Saturday as the Bremerton Bluejackets scored 16 runs in a Western International League baseball game that consumed only an hour and 45 minutes.
Lowman gave up three singles and retired most of the opposition batters on two or three pitches and in one stretch retired five batters on five pitched balls. He also hit a three-run homer.
Vancouver ...... 000 000 000 - 0 3 2
Bremerton ...... 210 310 72x - 16 19 0
Robertson, Manier (7) and Stumpf; Lowman and Volpi.

SPOKANE, July 5 — Bob Costello rang up his 14th victory of the season in leading Spokane to a 10-1 hammering of the Yakima Stars in WIL action on Saturday.
Costello held the Stars to three hits.
Yakima ...... 000 001 000 - 1 3 5
Spokane ..... 005 500 00x - 10 13 4
Nowels, Brysch (3) and Phillips; Costello and Bufflap.

SALEM, July 5 — Joe Vivalda scattered 11 hits tonight as Wenatchee doubled Salem 6-3 in a WIL contest on Saturday.
Wenatchee ..... 022 100 001 - 6 8 1
Salem .............. 000 011 001 - 3 11 1
Vivalda and Darymple; Sinovic, Anderson (3) and Beard.

Caps Get Slugger
BREMERTON, July 5 — Slugging infielder Bill Reese has been traded by the Bremerton Bluejackets to the Vancouver Capilanos for infielder Jim Estrada.
Reese will be inserted as first base for the Caps, while Estrada will replace Joe Gedzius at short for the Tars.
Reese hit .290 and knocked in 95 runs last year.

Games of Friday, July 4, 1947

2007-06-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Standings after games of July 4
. . . . . . . .Win L PCT. GB
Bremerton .... 47 33 .588 --
Spokane ...... 44 34 .564 2
Salem ........ 42 36 .538 4
Victoria ..... 43 39 .524 5
Tacoma ....... 40 39 .506 6½
Vancouver .... 38 38 .500 7
Yakima ....... 34 42 .447 11
Wentachee .... 26 53 .329 20½

A's Tigers Divide Holiday Twin Bill
TACOMA, July 4 — Babe Jensen's solid single in the ninth inning of a scheduled seven-inning fixture drove Vic Mastro over the plate with the winning run as the Victoria Athletics came back in the second half of a Western International League double-header here today to grab a 4-3 decision after taking the short end of a 15-4 count in the opener.
Playing before a capacity holiday crowd, the Tigers broke through against Dick Mitchell in the fifth inning for three runs to break up a scoreless pitching battle between Mitchell and Milt Chetkovich.
Victoria promptly tied it in the sixth when two bases on balls, a double by Jack Harshman, manager Ted Norbert's pinch single and a wild pitch plated three runs.
Len Kasparovitch, the Athletics' ace, took over on the mound as Norbert gambled for the victory by using a badly-needed starter. The big righthander blanked the Bengals the rest of the way to earn his ninth win of the season and his sixth in a row.
A seventh-inning Victoria rally fizzled. Jensen hit into a double play by way of the plate and Johnny Cavalli popped out after the first three men reached base.
The Victorians won it in the ninth. Bill White opened with a double, Vic Mastro followed with a single, and went to third as White was caught trying to score. Harshman was intentionally passed but Jensen broke up the strategy with his game-winning hit.
Tacoma gathered an easy win in the first game as they pounded Jim Arnold and Ray Fortier for 21 hits, while southpaw Carl Shapley held the Canadian nine to four.
First Game
Victoria ....... 020 100 010 — 4 4 0
Tacoma ....... 141 006 30x — 15 21 2
Arnold, Fortier (5) and Mastro; Shapley and Clifford.
Second Game
Victoria ..... 000 003 001 — 4 9 0
Tacoma ...... 000 030 000 — 3 12 2
Mitchell, Kasparovitch (6) and Mastro; Chetkovich and Clifford.

BREMERTON — The Bremerton Bluejackets regained the top spot in the Western International League, thanks to a sweep of the Vancouver Capilanos, 4-3 and 6-5.
The Caps scored twice in the sixth inning of the seven-inning opener and threatened to tie it in the seventh when Buddy Hjelmaa hit a one-out triple. Hub Kittle replaced starter Bill Ahearn and forced out Frank Mullens, then watched Joe Gedzius go a mile into the air to haul down Lou Estes' liner to save the game.
Gedzius singled in the eleventh inning to score Eddie Murphy from second base in the 11th inning of the nightcap to end the game.
First game
Vancouver ......... 010 002 0 – 3 9 1
Bremerton ......... 010 210 x – 4 8 2
Snyder and Brenner; Ahearn, Kittle (7) and Ronning.
Second game
Vancouver ......... 000 050 000 00 – 5 8 2
Bremerton ......... 010 400 000 01 – 6 11 2
Hall and Stumpf; Marshall, P. Barisoff (5) and Volpi.

SPOKANE — The Spokane Indians ran into trouble against the Yakima Stars, who won the opener of a doubleheader, 7-6, and deadlocked, 8-8, in the nightcap called at the end of the eighth by the midnight curfew.
Reversing the usual process in the Yakima-Spokane contests, the greatest number of hits did not insure victory. The Indians out-hit the Stars 13 to 8 in the opener but could not convert them into enough runs to win.
The prolonged second game which lasted almost three hours before running into the curfew deadline saw Yakima get double the number of hits, 18 to 9, but for each team the safeties were good for eight runs.
First game
Yakima ........ 502 000 0 — 7 8 1
Spokane ...... 000 041 1 — 6 13 0
Frost, McCollum (8) and Dalrymple; Anderson, Sporer (4), Eliason (9) and Beard.
Second Game
Yakima ............. 030 004 11—8 16 4
Spokane ............ 500 201 00 — 8 9 0
(Called at end of 8th, curfew)
Meister, Wallerstein (1) and Constantino; Kramer and Bufflap.

SALEM, Ore., July 4 —The Salem Senators squeezed by the Wenatchee Chiefs, 2-1, in the opener of an Independence Day doubleheader today and then dropped the finale, 9-7.
Shortstop Joe Gedzius sparkled at the plate and afield in Bremerton's sweep, nabbing a scorching liner that would have tied the count in the last inning of the first game and singling home the winning run in the 11th frame of the overtime nightcap.
First Game
Wenatchee ........ 000 001 0—1 8 1
Salem ................ 100 100 x—2 5 1
McCollum and Dalrymple; Mosser and Kerr.
Second Game
Wenatchee ........ 010 500 030 — 9 12 3
Salem ................ 200 004 010 — 7 10 3
Frost, McCollum (8) and Dalrymple; Anderson, Sporer (4), Eliason (9) and Beard.
(note - linescore of game two does not reflect the wire story)

A's Add Second Hurler
VICTORIA - Athletics business manager Reg Patterson announced yesterday that Bill (Red) Rose, righthander from Binghamton, would join the A's at Tacoma.
Rose compiled an impressive record at Fond du Lac in the Wisconsin State League last year, winning 17 games and losing one. Sixteen of his victories came in succession. He completed 13 starting assignments, worked 143 innings, gave up 129 hits and 53 bases on balls, struck out 108 men and boasted an earned run average of 2.25.
Rose spent spring training with Newark and was later sent to Binghamton.
The A'll now need to cut their roster to 16 players.
- July 5, 1947

Games of Thursday, July 3, 1947

2007-06-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hooper, Woop, Show the Way for A's
VICTORIA — Victoria's slugging Athletics, paced by Johnny Hooper's big bat and the fine relief pitching of Bill Woop, resulted in a 12-6 triumph over the Tacoma Tigers tonight.
Victoria won the Western International League series three games to one.
Three home runs, a triple and seven doubles were included in the hit barrage of the A's as they picked on Gordon Waldon, the Tacoma ace, and handed him his sixth setback. Hooper led the way with two circuit blows, a triple and a single to drive in six runs. He scored three of his own.
Ray Fortier was unable to stem the Tacoma hitters, although his club picked up five runs in the first inning, and had to be yanked in the fourth when the Tigers scored twice to tie it.
Woop came in with the bags full and one out. He retired the side without further damage and limited the Tacomans to four hits and one run over the rest of the game. He struck out ten.
The A's scored in every inning but the first. Jack Harshman added to his league-leading total when he clouted his 21 home run in the eighth inning.
Tacoma ......... 210 200 010— 6 11 2
Victoria ......... 014 111 31x—12 17 1
Walden and Clifford; Fortier, Woop (4) and Mastro.

Brems Rally in Ninth to Nudge Caps
BREMERTON, July 3 — Jim Hedgecock came in to relieve with two out in the ninth inning and the bases loaded — and walked in two runs to hand the Bremerton Bluejackets a 5-4 win over the Capilanos in a Western International League game tonight.
Joe Sullivan picked up the win, and helped in the bat department by doubling to open the ninth.
Charlie Mead had four of the 11 hits off Sullivan and batted in two runs.
The Caps' rally in the ninth came up short. A run scored after singles by Lee Mohr and Buddy Hjelmaa, then an error at short by Joe Gedzius on Frank Mullens' grounder.
Vancouver ........ 010 101 001—4 11 0
Bremerton ........ 100 002 002—5 9 2
Bryant, Hedgecock (9) and Brenner, Stumpf (8); Sullivan and Volpi.

SPOKANE, July 3 —The Spokane Indians took advantage of five Salem errors and two timely hits in the eighth inning Thursday night to defeat the Senators, 8 to 6.
Husky Jim Forsyth, who pitched for Whitman College this spring, struck the winning blow when he slammed out a single in the sixth, which scored two runs. The Tribe had counted earlier in the inning on a long fly ball with the bases loaded.
Salem .......... 100 121 001—6 12 5
Spokane ....... 014 000 03x—8 8 3
Lazor and Beard; Forsyth and O'Neill.

Yakima ........... 801 100 000—10 11 1
Wenatchee ...... 001 001 500— 7 8 1
Romple, Wallerstein (7) and Phillips; Frost, Osborne (1), Rose (8), and Dalrymple.

Jensen to Join A's
VICTORIA - Bob Jensen, who struck out a league-record 296 batters and won 15 games for Victoria last season, is rejoining the Athletics on option from the San Francisco Seals.
Jensen has spent all season with the PCL club but has seen little action. The Yankees have been trying to obtain him all year but the San Francisco owners are reluctant to make a suitable deal and Coast League waivers had to be optained.
His additíon to the roster gives Victoria a brother team as younger brother Babe holds down third base for the Capital City squad.
- July 4, 1947

Games of Wednesday, July 2, 1947

2007-06-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

VICTORIA — With Len Kasparovitch shutting the door for eight innings, Victoria Athletics soundly whipped the Tacoma Tigers, 16-4, at Royal Athletic Park on Wednesday before 1,100 fans.
Kaspaovitch picked up his eighth win and fifth in a row.
He allowed five singles through eight innings, but lost his shut-out in the final frame when a walk, a single and Babe Jensen's bobble loaded the bags with no one out. Neil Clifford's double, Glen Clough's infield hit and a fielder's choice plate the Tacoma runs.
The Athletics managed only one run in four innings off knuckle-balling Julian Morgan but counted three in the fifth after Johnny Hooper broke up a double play attempt by taking Miller out of play at second with a sliding block.
Three pitchers were victimised for nine runs in the seventh. Morgan was given a ticket off the mound with the bases loaded, one run in and one out. Cy Greenlaw came in and gave up a single to Jensen, home runs to John Cavalli and Leo Righetti, a single to Len Kasparovitch and a tremendous drive over the left field fence by Pat Patterson before manager Red Harvel pulled him for Clough.
Four hits in the eighth scored Victoria's final three runs.
Tacoma .......... 000 000 004— 4 8 4
Victoria .......... 001 030 93x—16 18 3
Morgan, Greenlaw (7), Clough (7) and Clifford; Kasparovich and Mastro.

BREMERTON, Wash., July 2 — Frank Mullens almost pulled out the game for the Vancouver Capilanos, but the Bremerton Bluejackets hung on for an 8-7 win in a Western International League game tonight.
Pinch-hitter Bill Brenner, Lee Mohr and Buddy Hjelmaa all got on base in the ninth before Mullens teed off with a home run. Harry Johnston was replaced on the mound by Bill Ahearn, who gave up a single to Charlie Mead, but Lou Estes, Bob Stumpf and Bill Wright all grounded out to end the rally.
Mullens had a double and a single and five RBIs in total.
Eddie Murphy went four for four with a double and a triple, while Bill Barisoff also doubled and tripled.
Vancouver ......... 002 010 004—7 13 4
Bremerton ......... 020 300 30x—8 13 4
Gunnarson and Stumpf; Johnston, Ahearn (9) and Volpi.

Yakima ........... 002 000 034—9 13 2
Wenatchee ...... 000 010 012—4 7 3
Cordell and Phillips; Cronin and Dalrymple.

Salem ......... 030 006 300—12 15 3
Spokane ...... 310 001 001— 6 12 2
Wyatt and Beard; Miller, Latino (6) and O'Neill.

Sports Reel…
[Vancouver News-Herald, July 3, 1947]
Visiting on the holiday weekend with the Bluejackets baseball nine, Bremerton scribe Brian Corcoran declares that, all mutterings to the contrary, there’s no truth to the rumor that the ‘Jackets bought their hard-hitting nine at prices slightly above the W.I.L. salary limit. Just naturals, he claims—or did, anyway, until our Brownies rapped the visitors three straight.
* * *
If there was a place on the W.I.L.’s all-star team for the most colorful player in the loop, Bremerton’s long-time leading candidate, John Marshall, would get a lot of opposition from the Capilanos’ Bob Hall for the job. Marshall was up to his usual tricks when he showed up here on the holiday, but he wasn’t quite so spectacular as Bob the Body, who slammed out a tremendous triple and single, batted in three runs, and generally had himself a fine time as he sneaked through with a win here Monday.