Monday, 11 August 2008

Friday, July 16, 1954





                W L  Pct GB
Victoria ...... 6 2 .714 —
Lewiston ...... 8 4 .667 —
Tri-City ...... 6 4 .600 ½
Edmonton ...... 6 5 .545 1
Yakima ........ 5 5 .500 1½
Salem ......... 4 5 .444 2
Vancouver ..... 3 5 .375 2½
Wenatchee ..... 2 9 .182 5


VICTORIA [Jim Tang, Colonist, July 17]—A great defensive play in the ninth inning and a lucky infield single in the 11th were the two turning points last night at Royal Athletic Park as George Kelly’s hustling Wenatchee Chiefs handed Victoria Tyees an 11-9 setback after two extra innings.
It was the second defeat of the second half for the Islanders, who remained in first place on percentage points although actually a half game behind second-place Lewiston.
The two teams conclude their series tonight with Bob Drilling to seek his seventh straight win for the Tyees and Charlie Oubre providing his mound opposition. There is no afternoon game with the Highland Games taking over Athletic Park for the day.
GREEN SPARKLES
First of two plays which swung it Wenatchee’s way came in the ninth inning. With one out and Tom Perez on first base after a single, Eddie Lake rapped a ground ball that appeared to be a certain hit. But Jerry Green, Wenatchee’s promising colored shortstop, moved quickly to get in front of the ball and forced Perez at second with an amazing throw.
That play undoubtedly gave the Chiefs another chance and they finally broke through in the 11th because of a lucky single. Jake Helmuth was on first base through a walk when Green rapped a ground ball through the mound which would have been an easy force out. But Page made a play for the ball and deflected it so that Green got a base hit. Then Don Sanford lined a ball to the centre-field which just escaped Dain Clay’s clutching fingers to fall for a double and score the two tie-breaking runs.
MARTIN RAPS ONE
Tyees threatened in their half when Lake and Don Lundberg singled after one was out to put the tying runs aboard. But Stein forced Lundberg and pinch-hitter Milt Martin flew out to left-centre although hitting the ball well enough that it looked for a second as if it might have been on its way out of the park.
Rookie southpaw Phil Page, third of three Tyee pitchers, was the hard-luck loser. He was the best of the six pitchers who got into action and certainly deserved his first win instead of his fourth defeat.
Taking over from Mike Kanshin, who had relieved Bill Bottler, in the sixth inning, Page pitched four innings before giving up his first hit, then lost it on two dubious safeties. He struck out six and walked five.
ROMERO WINS
Victory went to Ralph Romero, the righthander who tossed a no-hit, no-run game against the Tyees in the first half. Romero gave up seven hits in six plus innings but scattered them so well that he conceded only one run.
Tyees started off as if they were going to make this one easy, hitting three home runs in the third inning to grab a 4-0 lead. Mel Stein led off with his third four-baser of the current home stand. After Bottler grounded out, Ron Jackson hit his 14th double and manager Don Pries got credit for his first home run when his slashing liner to right field got by Dick Stacy. Neil Sheridan wound it up with his ninth home run.
Pries, getting a double and two singles in addition to his home run, was the night’s top hitter. The four hits boosted his average to .356 for the season and to .453 since he returned to the line-up after breaking some bones in his hand on June 3.
Wenatchee ...... 000 511 000 02—9 11 3
Victoria ........... 004 021 000 00—7 13 3
Shandor, Bowman (4), Romero (5) and Helmuth; Bottler, Kanshin (4), Page (6) and Lundberg.

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, Province, July 16—If two losses in a row can be considered a slump, the Vancouver Capilanos were in one Friday. In fact, one player asked, worriedly, after the first game of last night’s doubleheader, “How long can this go on?”
It stopped going on in the second game, when the Caps, behind reliable old manager Bill Brenner, looked more like the team that won the first half championship in a breeze.
After lefthander Dick Derganc had limited the locals to two hits in the first game for a 4-1 victory and Lewiston’s second straight win in the series, the Caps teed off on another southpaw, Jack Martin, and Bob Williams for an 18-hit, 12-5 triumph in the nightcap.
OFF FORM
Williams came in from right field to handle the relief chore, so the Caps didn’t get too much credit for their batting spree. But it may have got them back in the hitting groovel they hadn’t been at their murderous best all well.
It also made Brenner’s job easier—not that he needs much help. Last night’s win was his 13th against four losses, and his seventh in a row. He retired the first 10 batters in order, and had a five-hitter going until the ninth, when Ed Garay sneaked up on his old boss and hit a bases-loaded home run to besmirch Bill’s earned run average somewhat awful.
TWO TONIGHT
Tonight there’s another doubleheader against the Broncs, with Bob Roberts and Pete Hernandez slated to pitch for Vancouver.
PROVINCE STARS—Eddie Murphy, who came out of a bad slump with four-for-four in the nightcap … Dick Greco, who finally got his 12th home run, a terrific clout … And Dick Dercanc, for a fine pitching job in the opener, which saw George Nicholas lose another.
[WILfan notes: Nicholas and K Chorlton got Vancouver’s two hits, both singles, in the opener, as Chorlton singled in Nicholas with an unearned run … Don Hunter had a solo homer and Derganc added an RBI single … Chorlton and Ken Richardson had three hits apiece for Vancouver in the night game. Bob Wellman batted in three runs, and Chorlton added two. Williams walked three and allowed 11 hits in six-and-a-third innings. He didn’t strike out a batter. All seven runs against him were earned.]
First Game
Lewiston ......... 100 011 1—4 8 2
Vancouver ...... 001 000 0—1 2 1
Derganc and Garay; Nicholas, Cordell (7) and Duretto.
Second Game
Lewiston ......... 000 001 004— 5  8 1
Vancouver ...... 323 110 20x—12 18 3
Martin, Williams (2) and Garay; Brenner and Pesut.

EDMONTON, July 15—Edmonton and Yakima split a Friday double header, with the Eskimos winning the first game 9-3 and the Bears holding stopping a rally in the ninth at two runs to win 5-4.
Herman Lewis hit a three run homer in fifth off Edmonton starter John Conant in first game.
John Albini had a home run, triple and single for the Bears in the nightcap.
First Game
Yakima .......... 000 030 0—3  8 0
Edmonton ...... 104 040 x—9 10 1
Rios, Young (5) and Summers, Albini (5); Conant and Partee.
Second Game
Yakima .......... 020 101 001—5 9 0
Edmonton ...... 000 000 202—4 6 0
Schaening and Summers; LeBrun and Prentice.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, July 18]—The wind blew and the dust flew and out to to the mound walked Walt (the Deacon) Clough.
Clough, ribbed by his teammates for being a "rainmaker," and frequently dubbed "Stormy Weather," dislikes the rough weather that trails him around as much as the next man, but his right arm takes to Flying Horse Heaven real estate like a natural-born Banana Belter.
When the game was over Friday night, the aggravated Clough with the contented right arm, had set the Senators down on seven hits. One of Salem's runs was unearned
and two others were the direct result of a fluke double the partisan crowd thought was a foul ball.
The win was his eighth against seven losses.
Tri-City scored three in the first to match Salem's three and went out ahead when [Artie] Wilson homered with Vanni aboard. They added
two in the sixth when [Edo] Vanni doubled with [Terry] Carroll and Vic Buccola on base.
Salem ......... 300 000 100—4  7 0
Tri-City ....... 300 022 00x—7 10 2
Rayle, Johnson (7) and D. Luby; Clough and Warren.

WIL STATISTICS
(Including Games of July 12)
TEAM BATTING
Tri-City .307, Vancouver .300, Victoria .294, Wenatchee .294, Edmonton .283, Lewiston .280, Yakima .274, Salem .273.
TEAM FIELDING
Yakima .968, Edmonton .967, Vancouver .966, Lewiston .964, Victoria .963, Salem .962, Wenatchee .960, Tri-City .957.
BATTING LEADERS
Percentage, Marv Williams, Van., 375 Runs, Al Heist,Lew., 76; Hits, Joe Unfried (now with Oakland), Wen., 110; Total Bases, Unfried, Wen., 178; Two Base Hits, Bob Moniz, T.C., 30; Three Base Hits, Herman Lewis, Yak., 8; Home Runs, Bob Wellman, Van., 16; Sacrifice Hits, Nick Cannuli, Lew., 16; Stolen Bases, K Chorlton, Van., 21; Bases on Balls, Eddie Lake, Vic., 66; Runs Batted In, Unfried, Wen., 71; Strikeouts, Tom Munoz, Wen., 67.
PITCHING LEADERS
ERA., Bill Brenner, Van., 1.83; Wins, Ted Edmunds, Yak., 13; Losses, Ralph Romero, Wen., 9; Strikeouts, Jon Briggs, Sal., 130, Bases on Balls, Briggs, Wen., 95; Innings Pitcher, Brenner, Van., 157; Complete Games, three tied wih 13; Home Runs Allowed, John Marshall, Lew., 16.

Week’s Work
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, July 17, 1954]
WEDNESDAY—About people: Visitor this week is Reg Wallis, former Canucks and Capilanos trainer, who’s now getting used to the bigness of California … Says he missed his baseball, though he has purposely stayed away from Wrigley Field [Los Angeles] and Hollywood Stars’ park to keep the “bug” under control …
FRIDAY—Seattle Rainiers’ “youth movement” took another major step forward (?) this week when the Suds began mailing honorary contracts to proud parents of new sos … One of Dewey Soriano’s “youth” experiments, ex-Capilano Van Fletcher, is having some success as a relief pitcher and is allegedly attracting major league scouts, always on the lookout for a “fireman” … Question and answer dept: Q. Does baseball history record any time, when a foul ball goes into the stands and is caught, that somebody didn’t shout: “Sign him up.” A: No.


NON WIL BASBELL NEWS
Wives Will Play Hubby Members of Western Loop

DES MOINES, July 17.—The wives of Manager Les Peden's Bruins of the Western League, who think they know something about baseball, have challenged their menfolks to a three-inning game and the challenge has been accepted.
It will be played at Pioneer Memorial Stadium here next Wednesday night in advance of the regular Des Moines-Pueblo contest.
It all came about as the result of a friendly feud between Peden and his wife, Onice, who has been second-guessing him at home. Les took all he could then offered Onice the job of managing the team. The challenge followed.

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