Wednesday, June 2, 1954

               W  L  Pct GB
Vancouver ... 23 13 .639 —
Edmonton .... 17 13 .567 3
Wenatchee ... 20 16 .558 3
Yakima ...... 19 17 .528 4
Victoria .... 17 17 .500 5
Spokane ..... 18 19 .486 5½
Tri-City .... 18 20 .474 6
Lewiston .... 16 21 .432 7½
Salem ....... 16 22 .421 8
Calgary ..... 12 18 .400 8

EDMONTON, June 2—The Vancouver Capilanos kept their pace atop the Western International League baseball standings Wednesday night by splitting a twin bill with the Edmonton Eskimos, taking the second encounter, 9-3, after dropping the twilight match, 6-4.
Edmonton's Don Gigli, who did the most to upset the Capilanos' digestion on Tuesday, was at it again, with two home runs and a single, good for five runs in the first game.
However, K Chorlton got his seventh homer of the year in the first game, while Bob Wellman got his seventh in the second. Bob Duretto also homered for Vancouver in that game and batted in three runs, while John McKeown hit one out for the home club.
George Nicholas spun his sixth win against two losses.
First Game
Vancouver .... 200 200 0—4 9 0
Edmonton ..... 400 002 x—6 6 1
Lovrich, Franks (4) and Pesut; McNulty and Prentice, Self (7).
Second Game
Vancouver .... 000 040 230—9 11 1
Edmonton ..... 200 010 000—3 8 1
Nicholas and Duretto; Widner, LeBrun (6), Manier (8) and Self.

CALGARY, June 2 — The stretch to home plate was a well-worn furrow when Calgary Stampeders and Victoria Tyees completed a Western International League doubleheader Wednesday.
The two games produced 48 runs and 65 hits, including 10 home runs, with Stamps getting a narrow nod in each encounter. The afternoon tilt ended 18-15 and the last half finished 8-7.
It was playing-manager Gene Lillard's bases-loaded, pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the eighth inning which produced Stamps' four-run winning margin in the first game.
Don Hunter homered twice for Calgary and Charlie Lundgren and Elmer Clow also hit for the circuit. Don Lundberg hit a bases-loaded homer for Tyees with Tom Perez and Joe Joshua contributing one each. Lundberg also batted in five runs.
Joshua batted in two more runs in the second game to make it seven for two games and 31 for the season but it wasn't enough. The big left-fielder made an error in the fourth inning and the Stamps scored six unearned runs.
The Tyees tied it again with three runs in the seventh, but lost it in the ninth when Gale Taylor, who started last season withVictoria, hit a double and completed the circuit on an infield out and a wild pitch.
A wild pitch, allowing Gale Taylor to score from third, decided the second contest. Previously, he hit a three-run homer in the fourth. Rocky Tedesco also homered for Calgary.
Despite the cannonading, the Tyees used only three pitchers. Bob Drilling gave up 19 hits and 14 runs in the first game before he left in favour of Mike Kanshin. He was the loser. Hal Flinn went all the way in the second game although reached for 13 hits.
Victoria manager Don Pries shook his line-up again, giving Ron Jackson another shot at first base, moving Steve Mesner back to third and sending Tom Perez to the outfield, where he replaced Dain Clay.
Jackson made the most of the opportunity, getting eight hits in 11 trips to boost his batting average 88 points. Pries and Perez also benefited, with each getting five hits in ten trips.
First Game
Victoria ....... 000 440 700—15 17 2
Calgary ....... 310 400 64x—18 23 0
Drilling, Kanshin (7) and Lundberg; Kapp, Owen (5), Levinson (7), Stites (9) and Luby.
Second Game
Victoria ...... 000 400 300—7 13 1
Calgary ...... 000 610 001—8 12 2
Flinn and Martin; Orrell and Bricker.

YAKIMA, June 2—Wenatchee defeated Yakima, 8-4, in a Western International League baseball game Wednesday night. A rash of singles produced the runs for the winner who got 15 hits off three Yakima twirlers.
Wenatchee ....... 020 400 101—5 15 0
Yakima ............. 000 000 112—4 8 1
Bowman, Thompson (9) and Jenney; Schaening, Young (4), Carter (9) and Summers.

KENNEWICK [Herald, June 3]—The Tri-City Braves are taking the day off today before the opening of a four-game series with Yakima at Yakima this weekend.
While the players loaf or fish they can mentally mull over their weird and wonderful 7-6 extra-inning victory over Lewiston Wednesday night and the possibility of moving up into the first division this weekend.
On the second point, the Braves are still in seventh place, one-half game behind Spokane and 6½ [sic] games out of the top. Yakima is in fourth, four games out of first.
A series swwep, or even three for four over the Bears, would move the Bears up into the magic five-team circle.
In the opener Friday, playing manager Edo Vanni will send Walt (the Deacon) Clough against the Bears. Clough has won all four of his last four starts, and has gone the distance every time. Opposing him, Yakima manager Dick (Kewpie) Barrett has a top group of pitchers to choose from, including Danny (the Lion) Rios and Ted Edmunds.
Vanni probably will start Dale Bloom against the Bears in Saturday's action. Dale, who pitched but one inning Wednesday night, walked off with the victory.
The final game against Lewiston, which evened the series at two games each, proved somewhat emphatically the fan is foolish for leacing the park until the ump cries out for the last time.
The Braves trailed all the way, in fact were shut out by the colorful veteran John Marshall, until two were away in the bottom of the ninth. Then on three hits and two Lewiston errors, Tri-City scored six runs to tie the score and then went on to win in the tenth.
Besides tripping up the faithless fan with the rousing rally, all manner of strange things happened in the game.
First off, there is the case of Sam Kanelos, Tri-City third-baseman. In the last inning, Sam came to bat with the bases loaded and two away. He flied out.
In the third inning, Sam came to bat with two on and two away. He grounded out.
In the seventh inning, Sam came to bat with the bases loaded and two away. He flied out.
In the ninth inning, Sam came to bat with the bases loaded and two away. This time he busted a single to left field scoring two runners, ruining Marshall's shutout bid, and touching off the rally that led to a Tri-City victory.
Second strange happened. After Des Charouhas doubled scoring two more, Lewiston centerfielder Al Heist, who made but eight errors all last season and is conceded to be one of the top three or four outfielders in the league, dropped Dick Watson's fly ball and Charouhas scored. In all fairness to Heist, Warson's fly was the long-line drive type and not the tall "can-of-corn" variety.
Not so strange but dramatic from the Tri-City point of view was pinchhitter Bob McGuire's single which scored Watson
In the tenth inning, Lewiston wan held scoreless by Bloom when an intentional walk and a twin killing ruined the effects of Mal Walsey's leadoff double.
Then in the bottom half, strange things began to happen again.
Terry Carroll, who was hitless all night, as well as five times the night before and who has trouble getting base blows off left-hand pitching, rapped out a single off leftie Dick Derganc.
A sacrifice moved him along and Len Tran was intentionally walked.
Then Jack Warren hit an infield single and wound up spiking himself on the hand while sliding into first base. The wound isn't anything more than a scratch but Warren himself hasn't quite figured out how it happened.
Finally, Bob Moniz, who like Kanelos had trouble bringing runners in, flied out to center field and Carroll scored the winning run after the catch.
Lewiston scored four of its six runs off starter Don Robertson in the sixth on six hits including Wasley's double. They picked up two more in the top of the ninth on two singles and what everyone thought was a long foul. It was ruled a double.
Lewiston .... 000 004 002 0—6 14 2
Tri-City ..... 000 000 006 1—7 11 0
Marshall, Derganc (9) and Garay; Robertson, Dobernic (9), Bloom (10) and Warren.

SALEM, June 2—John Briggs pitched his fourth successive victory and swatted a home run Wednesday night as Salem salvaged one game of a four-game Western International League series with Spokane, 6-1.
Spokane ..... 000 000 100—1 5 2
Salem ........ 201 101 10x—5 13 1
Romero, Moen (8) and Dean; Briggs and Ogden.

WIL Prexy Sees Spokane Staying In Loop in 1954
SPOKANE, June 2 — "I am confident the Spokane baseball club will play its games as scheduled for the rest of this season," Robert Abel, president of the Western International League, said Wednesday night.
Abel made that statement after an informal meeting with Roy Hotchkiss, owner of the Spokane Indians who has declared his intention to get out of the business, and Maurice Cooper, attorney representing a group interested in keeping baseball in Spokane.
Abel said earlier Spokane is vital to the other nine teams in the league, and even hinted the league might "carry" Spokane the rest of the season if necessary.
Hotchkiss said poor health and poor attendance at ball games force him to leave the picture. But he has said he will keep the club going until a satisfactory arrangement can be made.

Shortstop Released By Braves
[Tri-City Herald, June 3, 1954]
Charlie Davis, shortstop acquired from Vancouver in the trade for catcher Nick Pesut last winter, received his outright release today from the Tri-City Braves, general manager Eddie Taylor announced.
The release was in line with Tri-City efforts to cut the roster to the league limit of 17 players.
Davis, who came down with appendicitus on the opening day of spring training, never played with the club. However, he reported to the Tri-Cities after his recuperation and has worked out daily since. He has been carried on the temporarily inactive list.
Taylor said Davis may tie in with the Lewiston Broncs. Lewiston manager Larry Barrett is in need of an infielder and is currently playing Clint Cameron, a catcher, at third base. Meanwhile, his second-string catcher Ed Garay, is working fulltime and catching doubleheaders.

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[from Tri-City Herald, June 3, 1954]
The Willy Worries Again
The poor old Willy league is taking another financial shalleacking and in some circles the boys are beginning to worry.
The weather is the cause of most financial woes but high operating costs are the real source of worries, In a way, the league directors are something like the kids in the comic strip — "they bring it on themselves."
This league is based on the idea of an average draw per club of 100,000 but not two teams in the league have that potential. Since almost all of them arc sure of being 25 per cent short of their goals right to begin with a few weeks of bad weather spell real trouble.
Spokane, Lewiston and Salem are the ones most recently mentioned as having trouble. But then Roy Hotchkiss, the I'm-in-I'm-out man of the league, said he will go until the end of the season.
Lewiston made up its deficit through advance sale of tickets which may get them through. However, about mid-July, when those purchasers start using the tickets and the club has its stands full and no money coming in, meeting the payroll may be difficult.
Salem has always managed to pull out and it doesn't have the expensive club to begin with.
Two others not mentioned, though, are probably in hotter water than the three above. Despite the assurances made at a meeting at Spokane awhile back. Calgary is the shakiest club in the league and right now you couldn't get 100-1 odds that the team will finish the season — or, for that matter, the next two weeks.
Victoria, too, is reported to bo worse off than the above three and will be depending heavily upon its English angel.
* * *
Yakima Is Ahead
Yet while some of the clubs are having trouble, one is running far ahead of last year in attendance. The team is Yakima, operating independently for the first time this season, and running 4,000 ahead of 1953.

The Sports Herald
KEITH MATTHEWS
[Vancouver News-Herald, June 3, 1954]
Bill Knows Value Of The Pen
EDMONTON—Bill Brenner has an eye for publicity. He comes from the old Bob Brown school which is “Don’t say anything important unless a reporter is there to hear it.”
Being the home-loving type (Bill covered half of Europe during the war and about three-quarters of the U.S. of A. in his baseball career), Brenner is rather hesitant about [word travelling. This we know to be true because the manner in which the skipper runs to first base could hardly be construed as travel.
Be that as it may, this particular tour was getting him down, and it’s only started.
“We just may not turn up in Lewiston in time for the Monday game,” he suggested. “Now what do you think they would say about that?”
Bill’s suggestion has apparently been heard, down in Lewiston, which the Brenners used to call home, they are already preparing to proclaim the Monday game a forfeit, and issue a following complaint to league president Bob Abel’s office, which could bring about a $500 fine.
“Good,” Brenner seconded. “We’ll pay the fine and not the expense of going to Lewiston. It’s a dandy place to be from anyway.”
The grief is this. The Capilanos play in Calgary on Sunday night. They are then headed to appear in Lewiston Monday night, which is 24 hours and 629 miles away.
“We would gladly take an airplane,” Brenner winked, “but I don’t ever remember seeing an airport in Lewiston. But now that I am on the subject, I don’t remember seeing anything in Lewiston—and, mind, I am not a drinking man.”
Bill went on to say that because of trips such as this, it is his belief that 10 teams cannot possibly finish the first half of the WIL season.
Those Bear Caps Okay For Locals
“It costs $1700 in transportation to make a tour of this one. As they are still putting caps on bottles of beer, we are going to be all right. But what about the other clubs now that road teams don’t get anything from the gate receipts?”
Lewiston was offered as a case in point. Whenever a player thinks of anything distasteful to him, he naturally thinks of Lewiston.
That baseball team is paying its expenses this year on the receipts it gets from an ingenious fence-advertising gimmick introduced in the spring. The advertising was sold on the basis that as long as the Brocns play out the season they’ll be financially healthy.
What happens, though, when their first tour of duty of the season occurs and the transportation money must be laid on the line?
“It would mean that Tom Tabor, Lewiston’s backer, would have to spend some of his own money,” Bill said. “I’ll say this for him, he’s got it to spend, but whenever he’s faced with the necessity, he talks about that terrible affliction he has with arms. Can’t get into his own pockets.”
Because Tabor is not a baseball man by choice, but only by necessity (it was another of those you take it, I don’t want it jobs), he is a little difficult to do business with.
Home Run The Logical Move
“I merely tried to point out the folly of playing in Calgary Sunday and Lewiston Monday,” Brenner said. “I suggested a Wednesday double header instead so we’d have 24 hours of travel time. Tabor refused, I believe, just because that the idea came from me. I don’t know why it is, but he always thinks I’m trying to pull something on him.”
The last year when Brenner was running the Lewiston ball club (“Won’t anyone ever let me forget that?” Brenner said), Tabor was but a director of the club, but he still insisted upon his say.
“We were losing 2-1 in the ninth to Spokane,” Brenner recalled. “Our first man doubled and because it was the tying run and we were at home, I ordered the next fellow to bunt him along. Then a fly ball would get us even.
“But the bunt backfired and Spokane got off the hook for the final win.
“In the dressing room, Tabor asked me about the strategy.
“Why did you pull a silly play like that, Brenner?” he demanded.
“Silly,” I screamed, “any manager in baseball woulda’ done the same thing.”
“I wouldn’t,” Tabor supposed. “I’da ordered the next guy to hit a home run. Why bother playing the tie?”

Thursday, May 27, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Vancouver .... 19 11 .633 —
Victoria ..... 16 13 .552 2½
Edmonton ..... 13 11 .542 3
Yakima ....... 15 13 .536 3
Spokane ...... 14 15 .483 4½
Lewiston ..... 14 15 .483 4½
Wenatchee .... 13 15 .464 5
Salem ........ 14 17 .452 5½
Tri-City ..... 14 17 .452 5½
Calgary ...... 10 15 .400 6½

VANCOUVER [Clancy Loranger, Province, May 28]—Joe E. Brown, the old-time movie man, will be on hand at Capilano Stadium tonight before the ball game to do a takeoff on his famous baseball characterization, Elmer the Great, and maybe make the odd horsehide disappear within his cavernous mouth.
Joe perhaps was one day last with his appearance. Thursday’s game, which the Capilanos took by a 7-5 count from Calgary Stampeders, wasn’t exactly the most inspiring offering of the season, and could have been used as an extra fillip.
There were a few things to tickle the local following, besides the Caps winning, of course. Arnie Hallgren, the Vancouver pride, hit one far over the left field wall in the second against the wind and with one on to account for the first two runs.
Then John Cordell, who hadn’t been too successful this season, turned in his best performance of the season in a relief role to pick up his second win against one loss.
Cordell relieved a somewhat shaky Tom Lovrich, making his first local start, and allowed just three hits over the last five innings.
Tonight, after Brown gets through his act, which starts at 8 p.m., Bill Franks will take to the mound and try to live up to his reputation as a front-line pitcher. Bill, who’s had his troubles, went the route for the first time in Victoria last week, and will be out to prove he deserves a starting role.
PROVINCE STARS – Nick Pesut, who added a double to his game-winning blow … John Cordell, who can be a real handy relief pitcher when right … And Calgary’s Jim Wert, who looks like he’s off to a good year. [Wert and Gale Taylor each had three hits for Calgary and Wert brought in a pair of runs. Marv Williams hit three singles for Vancouver while Rocky Tedesco had a two-run single for the Stamps].
Calgary ......... 000 320 000—5 8 3
Vancouver .... 020 300 02x—7 9 1
Kapp and Luby; Lovrich, Cordell (5) and Pesut.

VICTORIA [Jim Tang, Colonist, May 28]—A ringing single from the bat of Eddie Lake at 11.52 last night sent Ron Jackson across the plate from second base and gave the Victoria Tyees a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos after 14 innings of the season’s best baseball.
The win moved the Tyees ahead of the Alberta club into second place in the WIL standings. The four-game series continues tonight with Bill Bottler due to pitch for the Tyees and Charlie LeBrun, one-time Victoria righthander, the probably Edmonton choice.
FOUR FOR FLINN
Lake’s single gave Hal Flinn his fourth win of the season, and a deserving one it was too. The gangly righthander pitched the full 14 innings, giving up only six hits and struck out 12. But for two errors which cost him two unearned runs and the amazing inability of the Tyees to cash in on their scoring chances, he would have won it a lot earlier than he did.
Facing two of Edmonton’s best in Jack Widner and John Conant, the Tyees had at least one runner on the bags in every inning but the fifth. But they had trouble bringing their runners around. They scored their first run on a base on balls, a two-base error on an attempted pick-off at first base, and a sacrifice fly. They tied it up in the eighth when four singles and a hit batsman scored two runs. But from there to the 14th, some tremendous clutch pitching by Conant kept them out until the percentages finally caught up with the veteran righthander.
STOPPED CAPS
Conant, who stopped Vancouver Capilanos, 3-2 Tuesday night, was rushed in with the score 3-2 for Edmonton, the bases loaded and only one out. He hit Victoria-manager Don Pries to force in the tying run but struck out Milt Martin and Flinn to leave the bags loaded.
In the 10th, Conant got a called third strike past Mesner with runners on second and first. In the 11th, Martin left the bases loaded when he skied out to right field.
STRATEGY WORKS
In the 12th, with runners on first and third with one out, Edmonton manager Bob Sturgeon ordered Tom Perez purposely walked to load the bags for the fourth time in five innings. Sheridan forced a runner at the plate and Lake struck out as Conant again pitched himself out.
In the 13th, two walks put runners on first and second with one out but Flinn struck out and Dain Clay filed out. That made it 16 runners left on the bags kin six successive innings. There were 24 for the game.
Meanwhile, Flinn, who appeared to waver a bit in the seventh and eighth, came back strong to handle the hard-hitting Esks with ease. Only 21 batters faced him in the last six innings and only in the 14th, after two were out, did the Esks get two on the sacks at one time. Three of Edmonton’s six hits came in the fourth inning, the other three were scattered over the last 11 innings.
JACKSON STARTS IT
Jackson, who came into the game in the 12th when Armando Sanchez ran for Mesner, made two difficult putouts at first base before he cracked a sharp single to left in his first trip to the plate to launch the winning rally. Perez sacrificed and Sheridan was walked to put the double-play setup on the bags. But Lake ripped a 1-1 pitch on a low line past thrd base and the speedy Jackson easily beat the throw.
Edmonton .... 000 200 010 000 00—3  6 4
Victoria ....... 000 100 020 000 01—4 16 3
Widner, Conant (8) and Prentice; Flinn and Martin.

SPOKANE, May 27 — The Wenatchee Chiefs won a nip and tuck ball game 9-8 Thursday night to win their Western International League baseball series with Spokane 2-1.
Spokane and Wenatchee paraded nine pitchers to the mound before the final putout. Frank DeCarolis, the third of the four used by Wenatchee, was the winner.
Wenatchee won the game with a four-run rally in the eighth. The Indians, who had scored six runs in the fifth, chased in two more in the bottom of the eighth when
Charlie Oubre relieved DeCarolis and put out the fire.
Wenatchee ..... 011 011 140—9 10 2
Spokane ......... 000 060 020—8  8 2
Richardson, Thompson (5), DeCarolis (7), Oubre (8) and Jenney; Trautwein, Wisneski (5), Aubertin (6), Lawson (8), Romero (9) and Dean.

LEWISTON, Idaho, May 27—Yakima Bears allowed Lewiston only five hits as they swept both ends of a Western International Baseball League doubleheader Thursday, winning the first game 1-0 and the second 8-2.
Ted Edmunds allowed only three safe blows as he shut out the Broncs 1-0 in the seven-inning opener. John Carmichael followed with a two-hitter in Bears' nightcap victory.
Pacific Coast League veteran Grumpy Guy Fletcher opposed Edmunds and gave up only five hits. The one run scored off Fletcher was unearned. He walked Dick Briskey, who moved to second on a sacrifice and came home on an error by shortstop Artie Wilson.
Manager Lou Stringer homered in the third inning with two men aboard to put the nightcap out of reach of the Broncs. Two Yakima runners had scored before Stringer came to the plate.
First Game
Yakima ........ 000 010 0—1 5 0
Lewiston ...... 000 000 0—0 3 1
Edmunds and Summers; Fletcher and Cameron.
Second Game
Yakima ........ 003 210 000—8 9 2
Lewiston ...... 000 110 000—2 2 3
Carmichael and Summers; Martin, Kime (4), Derganc (6) and Garay.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, May 28]—Game little Ted Savarese's pitching career with the Tri-City Braves, and possibly in the Western International league, ended Thursday night with a strikeout and a loss.
The loss was to the Salem Senators who racked the pint-sized lefty for five runs in the four innings he pitched. Tri-City scored three times in a ninth inning rally that was cut short.
The victory snapped Tri-City's streak at four straight wins, and left Salem and the Braves tied eighth place in the league standings. Tonight the same two teams open a four-game stand at Salem.
Playing manager Edo Vanni selected Savarese to start Thursday night although a decision to release him was made prior to the game. However, had Savarese turned in an exceptional performance, the Tri-City management might have been induced to change its mind.
But after a scoreless first inning, it was apparent little Ted didn't have it. The Senators scored three runs in the second on four singles. A single, a sacrifice and another single brought one in in the third and Harry Warner's homer brought the fifth run in the fourth.
Savarese didn't quit though and struck out the next batter. Then after forcing another to ground out, he fanned the last one to face him.
In the fifth, another lefty, rookie Earl Lemieux took over and shutout the Senators the rest of the way.
The Braves, themselves, had trouble hitting the pilches of Sacramento chattel John Briggs. For seven innings, he set them down with two hits.
In the eighth, Jack Warren shook him with a double that lacked but inches of clearing the wall.
In the ninth, the Tri-City hitting attack began to roll but it was cut off when Bob McGuire hit into a double-play with the bases-loaded.
Des Charouhas and Dick Watson sparked the belated rally with successive singles. Another by Terry Carroll, the only batter to get two hits during the night, brought in one run and a single by Vic Buccola brought in another. Len Tran singled but no one scored and Jack Warren walked to bring one in and leave the bases loaded.
It was then McGuire hit into the double play.
The outright release of Savarese was but one of the moves made so Tri-City could get under the 17-man player limit. In other moves, pitcher Bud Guldborg and infielder Charlie Davis were shifted to the temporarily inactive list.
Playing manager Edo Vanni is expected to go on the list Saturday.
Salem ......... 031 100 000—5 11 0
Tri-City ....... 000 000 003—3  9 0
Briggs and Ogden; Savarese, Lemieux (5) and Warren.

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[Tri-City Herald, May 28, 1954]
Ask just about any baseball player who makes a living throwing baseballs past enemy batters which he would rather do, start or relieve, and about 95 per cent of them will say start.
Because of all the unprofitable businesses a man can go into, relief pitching is the
worst. It is the one way of making a living where your chances of winning are almost
nil and the chances of losing are great. No businessman with any degree of
brainpower would invest his money against such odds.
And there isn’t another playing position on the field where so much is expected
and so little (in terms of adulation) is given as relief pitching.
The reliefer goes into the game, usually with a one or-two-run lead and frequently
with the bases loaded. If he loses it, he is a jerk. If he wins, he is still a jerk for letting the opposition score enough to tie or go ahead so he can win.
He has to save the game and although there is a column labeled GS in baseball statistics, it stand for games started and not games saved.
A starting pitcher can blow a six-or-eight run lead and still come out ahead. Not the relief pitcher though. And even if the winning runs were put on base by the starting pitcher, and are charged against him, in the eyes of the fans it is still the reliefer who blows the game.
* * *
Jess Would Have Quite An ERA
Take Jess Dobernic, Tri-City's reliefer. If Jess lived up to fans’ expectations, he not only would have the lowest earned run average in the Western International league but the lowest in the history of all of baseball.
The fans expect him to save ‘em and save ‘em all. In order to perform this feat, he can’t afford to allow a runner across the plate — even one that the starting pitcher put there. So if Jess stopped them everytime, he would have an ERA of zero — and you sure as heck can’t go lower than that.
Naturally, Jess, or any other reliever isn’t going to save them all.
* * *
Two Games Run Up Total
So far his record hasn’t been what it was last season but going back through the scorebooks we find a few things overlooked. Jess has a heck of a high earned run average but two games account for most of it.
The first was his initial role this season when he pitched but one-third of an inning and gave up four runs. The second was his second role this season when he went into a Vancouver game with Tri-City trailing, 7-2. That was when Tri-City playing manager Edo Vanni was out of the lineup and Jess was acting manager.
The Caps hit Jess right off the bat. Since the game was then shot, in fact it was shot when Jess went in, Jess elected to leave Jess in because he felt a good workout was what he needed most. Also, he couldn’t see any sense in using another pitcher to work a game that was gone.
Altogether, Jess gave up nine runs, but then came something unusual in baseball. How many times have you heard of a badly beaten pitcher growing stronger as the game went along? In the final 3 2-3 innings of the game, Jess pitched no-hit ball.
So far this season, Jess has pitched in 11 games. The Vancouver game was the longest; a one-out stint against Spokane was the shortest. He has lost three and won one and in some of the others it turned out that Jess could have pitched no-hit ball and Tri-City would still have lost the game.
* * *
There’s Some ‘Saved’ Too
But scattered through the 11 games are four or five that might be classed as saved. And if Old Jessie rears back on that right leg, and whips that ball over the plate the way he did against Salem this week, that “saved” total is going to climb.
The Lineup’s Mixed
Looking back through the boxscores this season, I’ve run across an oddity that escaped me before. In the recent Spokane series, Tri-City won one of the games, 9-2.
Now everyone knows the leadoff man’s job is to get on base, get sacrificed along and then score. Our leadoff man that day was Bob McGuire. He was the only player to
come to bat six times. Of the six times at bat, he got two hits. Of the two hits, he didn’t score at all.
Meanwhile, everyone else except pitcher Walt Clough scored exactly once.
Clough, the hurler who really isn’t expected to do much more than take his turn at bat. officially didn’t go to the plate at all. He didn’t hit. Yet, he was the only man on the team who scored twice.

Thursday, May 20, 1954

                W  L  Pct  GB
Vancouver .... 15  8 .652  —
Edmonton ..... 10  8 .556  2½
Lewiston ..... 12 10 .545  2½
Victoria ..... 12 10 .545  2½
Spokane ...... 12 10 .545  2½
Yakima ....... 12 11 .522  3
Wenatchee .... 10 12 .455  4½
Salem ........ 10 13 .435  5
Calgary ....... 7 11 .389  5½
Tri-City ...... 8 15 .343  7

VICTORIA [Jim Tang, Colonist, May 21]—Victoria Tyees spotted the Vancouver Capilanos the lead once too often at Royal Athletic Park last night but they made it plenty interesting before they lost it in the 10th inning, 10-9.
BRENNER TONIGHT
It was the first game of an important four-game WIL series, which continues tonight. Manager Bill Brenner has nominated himself to do the pitching for the Capilanos. The Tyees will counter with Bob Drilling, who will be seeking his fourth straight win since the Caps beat him in the league opener on April 29. Brenner’s record is 3-2.
Last night’s defeat dropped the Tyees two and a half games behind the leading Caps and needing the last there games of the series if they are to regain the league lead they held less than two weeks back.
A crowd of 1,000 fans showed up despite a cool breeze and two major counterattractions and they saw an exciting, free-scoring game in which both managers showed a lot of faith in their starting pitchers. Both Vancouver’s George Nicholas and Tyees’ Bill Prior were hit solidly but Prior went the full 10 to get charged with his fourth defeat. Nicholas was derricked after the Caps went ahead in the top of the 10th and Rod McKay [sic] was sent in to protect his fifth win. Helped out by some dubious coaching at first base, McKay just got by.
TAKE BIG LEAD
The Caps started out as if they would make it a rout, scoring three times in the first inning when their first two batters got blooper singles, of which at least one should have been caught, to give them a start. They added three more in the third with big Bob Wellman blasting a two-run homer to climax a rally and the Tyees found themselves trailing by 6-0.
Singles by Don Pries, Prior and Steve Mesner, two bases on balls and an outfield error brought the Tyees four runs in their half of the third. They scored again in the seventh to nullify a sixth-inning run for the Caps and finally went ahead in the eighth when Art Seguso hit a terrific line-drive home run with Joe Joshua on base to tie it up and Pries followed with a double and Milt Martin with a run-scoring single.
But the Caps, who haven’t a weak spot in their batting order, went ahead in the ninth when an error put Dick Greco on base. Wellman was walked after the count reached 3-1 and Arnie Hallgren followed with a long two-run double to the left field wall.
Seguso tied it a second time in the Victoria ninth when he singled in Armando Sanchez, running for Mesner, with two out. But Marv Williams dropped a home run over the centre-field wall in the 10th and the Tyees couldn’t get that one back.
Although they almost pulled it out, the Tyees missed too many chances. In the four-run fourth, they had their runs in and a man on second with no one out for their three, four and five hitters. All three were thrown out at first base by third-baseman Ken Richardson. In the fifth, the Tyees loaded the bags with one out and their four and five hitters due and failed to score.
Their biggest mistake, however, came in the 10th when Martin singled and was sacrificed to second by Prior. Dain Clay hit a ground single and Martin was waved in from third when it was obvious the only chance for a run would be a bad throw from short right field. Martin was out by steps and there was a momentary flurry as he rammed into Bob Duretto and the Vancouver catcher retaliated by ramming the ball hard into Martin’s mid-riff.
Hallgren was the hitting star of the game with two doubles and two singles in five trips while Wellman added two singles to his home run. Every Cap starter got at least one hit with the exception of Greco, who was treated gingerly and drew three bases on balls. Prior got three hits for the Tyees.
Defensive gems were contributed by Pries, who leaped high to snare a sizzling liner from Chorlton’s bat, and Mesner, who made a brilliant out on a ground ball through the middle by Duretto.
- - -
VICTORIA [Province, May 21]—You might as well face it, that Marv Williams is a handy man to have around.
Boss Bill Brenner found that out again Thursday night as his Western International League-leading Capilanos stretched their margin to two and one half games by knocking off Victoria Tyees, 10-9, in the opener of a four-game stand here.
Second baseman Williams, whose hitting has been real cool on the road, did the trick with his short centre-field home run in the 10th inning to give Pitcher George Nicholas his fifth win against one loss.
SEASON’S FOURTH
Mind you, homebrew Rod McKay [sic] had to come in to spell George off in the bottom half of the inning and everybody on the Caps side is mighty happy today they were able to pick off Tyees’ winning run at the plate in that session.
The home run was the fourth of the season for Marvin and the second of the night for the winners. First baseman Bob Wellman, who also had a pair of singles, banged a two-run job in the third for his fifth since joining the Caps from Seattle.
HALLGREN HITS
Don Pries’ Islanders, who finally managed an 8-7 lead in the eighth, saw it go awinging when left fielder Arnie Hallgren, top batter for Vancouver last night, doubled in two runs in the ninth. Previously he had connected for a double and two singles in four tries.
Art Seguso hit a two-run homer for Tyees in the eighth and singled in the tying run in the ninth.
Bill Brenner, going for his fourth win against two losses, opposes Bob Drilling here tonight.
Vancouver ..... 303 001 002 1—10 15 2
Victoria ......... 004 000 131 0— 9 14 1
Nicholas, MacKay (10) and Duretto; Prior and Martin.

EDMONTON, May 20 — A single to right field by manager Bob Sturgeon in the 10th inning scored the winning run as Edmonton Eskimos defeated Wenatchee Chiefs 5-4 a Western International League baseball game here Thursday night before a crowd of 834 fans.
Sturgeon's single scored Dwayne Kling, who was safe at first on an error and was then sacrificed to second.
Sturgeon was the top man at the plate in the contest, hitting three for four.
Wenatchee started with Charlie Oubre on the mound but yanked him for Ted Shandor in the eighth inning when the Eskimos tied the score at 4-4.
Wenatchee opened the scoring with a single run in the fifth and added three more
in the eighth. Edmonton scored two in the fifth, and one in the seventh before tying the game an inning later.
Shandor was tagged with the loss. John Conant went the distance for Edmonton.
Wenatchee ...... 000 010 030 0—4 9 2
Edmonton ........ 000 020 110 1—5 9 2
Oubre, Shandor (8) and Jenney; Conant and Prentice.

SPOKANE, May 20 — Spokane's Ralph Romero won a pitcher's battle with John Marshall Thursday night as the Indians beat Lewiston 1-0 to take a 2-1 victory in their three-game Western International League baseball series.
Both hurlers went the distance and each tossed a three hitter.
Lewiston .... 000 000 000—0 3 1
Spokane ..... 000 000 10x—1 3 1
Marshall and Garay; Romero and Dean.

CALGARY, May 20 — Calgary Stampeders came from behind with three runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning Thursday night to edge the Yakima Bears 9-8 in a Western International League Baseball fixture at Buffalo Stadium.
The Stampeders got to the offerings of reliefer Roy Machado for a home run, a triple, a double and two walks. First baseman Jim Wert singled home the winning run off Don Carter, who came on with the bases loaded and nobody out.
Previously the Bears had come from behind with three runs in the top of the ninth to gain an 8-6 bulge in the see-saw battled.
Dennis Luby homered twice for the Stampeders while Don Hunter, second in the home run derby, banged out his first circuit blow of the year.
Dick Briskey and Lou Stringer homered for Yakima.
Yakima .... 000 201 023—8 10 4
Calgary ... 202 010 013—9 12 1
Edmunds, Machado (9), Carter (9) and Albini; Schulte and Lundberg.

SALEM AND TRI-CITY NOT SCHEDULED

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, May 21]—The Tri-City Braves left for Spokane this morning and a four-game series there with the Indians in what Edo Vanni calls “the best shape we have been in for a road trip In the last two years.”
Vanni said he would start Don Robertson against Spokane tonight.
"We been taken a beating on the road," Vanni said. "This time I'm going to use the best and see if we can't come home with some wins."
The first game tonight starts at 8:10 p.m. The second game Saturday will start at the same time and Sunday the two teams will play a split donbleheader beginning at 2 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.
For the rest of the week, Vanni has not definitely made up his mind about his starters but he said Bud Guldborg, Walt Clough, Dale Bloom, Dale Thomason may start and “I might even start Jess Dobernic.”
Besides the pitching, the club will have additional strength in Charley Davis, shortstop restored to the active list. Davis has been technically idle because of an operation but has been working out since joining the club at the beginning of the season.
Davis said, “I don't know how I'll do. The only thing to do is get out there and play and see how long I last. Maybe I'll go four or five innings — maybe I'll go the complete game.”
Bob McGuire, Tri-City's school-teaching outfielder will also join the Braves at Spokane. McGuire usually misses road trips until the end of the school year.

Club May Sign Neil Sheridan
[Victoria Colonist, May 21, 1954]
Victoria Tyees taking dead aim at a second Western International Baseball League championship, announced last night through general manager Reg Patterson that they hope to have outfielder Neil Sheridan in the lineup for the May 24 double-header against Calgary Stampeders
Sheridan, a veteran who has been a Coast League home run threat for years, has been released by the San Francisco Seals, who acquired him early in the season from Sacramento. A big fellow who swings from the third-base side of the plate, he packs plenty of long-ball authority and, if he comes, should give the Tyee offense quite a boost.
Sheridan is to give his definite answer this morning, but Patterson said last night thedeal was all but closed.
Playing in 170 Coast League games last season, 168 with Sacramento, Sheridan batted a commendable .293 and hit 43 doubles and 13 home runs. He was in the International League part of the 1952 season, with San Francisco in 1951 and 1950, with Seattle in 1949 and 1948 and with San Francisco before tat.
Patterson said that negotiations are in progress for a standout pitcher and that definite news of another acquisition is expected within a matter of days.
If the Tyees pick up Sheridan and a pitcher, manager Don Pries will have to make several decisions before the cut-down time of May 29. At least two, possibly three players will have to be placed elsewhere.

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[from Tri-City Herald, May 22, 1954]
Sometime, somewhere about 13 or 14 years ago, a professional baseball player, a shortstop, had to make way for an up-and-coming lad who had "good hands" and an arm so strong the boy once held the collegiate record for distance throwing.
Maybe that veteran shortstop turned to semi-pro or maybe be went down to a lower league or maybe he just quit the game.
That's the way it's done, so when Ray Tran, who was the young lad a few years ago, was released and left here he probably was well aware of the situation. His brother, Len, said Ray has gone to Brandon, Manitoba to play semi-pro. The league there is what is generally called a fast semi-pro league and financially Ray will be better off there than playing pro.
However, leaving pro ball after being in it so long and going semi-pro'isn't always the easiest thing.
Ray left early this week and has since sent a postcard from Sprague, Wash., where he stopped on his way. He thanks all the boys in the press box, "Jerry Colkitt, especially, for going along with me on the broadcasting."
Ray said the Braves have a good club and he hopes we take the pennant.
* * *
Red Eiler To Quit Soon
The inside word is that ump Red Eiler, who officiated the recent games at Sanders field, will quit the league soon because of a money dispute with the league.
Eiler may change his mind, but before leaving here, he said he intended to quit.
To hear the fans at Sanders, one might get the impression that Red is considered the worst in the league but that's probably because he has been in the league longer than most and more fans know him than some of the others.
Actually, the players themselves consider Red the best — despite frequent arguments with the ump.
They concede he doesn't miss many calls and actually admire him for being firm with his decision once it is made.
Red could have moved up to the Coast league this year, just as three other umps did last year, but he would have had to take a cut in pay to do it. So this year he stayed with the WIL until the money issue.
* * *
Edo, The Ump And A Dog
And on the subject of umps, this bit of by-play went on last week:
Umpire to Edo Vanni: "Hey! Get that dog off the field."
Vanni: "What the heck do you think I am? A Dogcatcher?"
Umpire: "Yeah."
Vanni: "Well, I am keeping that one around to lead you to the clubhouse between games."

Monday, May 10, 1954

               W  L   Pct  GB
Victoria ..... 7  4  .636  —
Salem ........ 8  4  .615  ½
Spokane ...... 7  5  .583  ½
Vancouver .... 7  5  .583  ½
Yakima ....... 7  6  .538  1
Edmonton ..... 6  6  .500  1½
Lewiston ..... 6  6  .500  1½
Wenatchee .... 6  6  .500  1½
Calgary ...... 4  8  .333  3½
Tri-City ..... 3 10  .231  5

NO GAMES PLAYED

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, May 11]—The Tri-City Braves, now confined to the dismal darkness of the Western International league cellar, will try to improve their lowly status tonight against second-place Spokane with lefty Ted Savarese likely starter.
The team that takes to the field at 7:30 p.m., though, will not be quite the same one that left here a week ago to lose seven of eight games on a road trip.
Three players — pitcher-outfielder Larry Richardson, infielder Ray Tran, and rookie infielder Bob Cassidy — have been released. Four other players have joined the roster.
They are Sam Kanelos, Cliff Coggin, Charley Davis, and Richard Watson of Napa, Cal.
The releases were not surprising although there was some, feeling of regret both among the players and fans over the departure of Ray Tran.
Ray, a Western International league veteran, had led the league in fielding up until last year. This season he has been plagued by a sore arm that has not responded to treatment. Besides his playing ability, his willingness to help younger players had made him a favorite.
General manager Eddie Taylor said it was likely Ray may tie in with another club. He named Lewiston or Yakima as two likely spots.
Richardson was not released officially by this club. He was on option here from the White Sox chain and the Tri-City club officially sent him back. The Sox then instructed the club to release him.
The trio of releases represent but part of the roster cuts. The league limit this season is 17 players and five more trust be released or optioned out soon.
Meanwhile, playing manager Edo Vanni is beginning to get up and around and will be in the dugout for the first time since the Braves dropped the opener last week at Victoria.
Vanni had been injured the day before Tri-City left on the road trip. Against his better judgment he accompanied the Braves but after the first Victoria game the doctor ordered him to stay away from the ballpark.
“All I've been eating since then is dope,” Vanni said Monday. “This is the first day I’ve even felt good at all, and I don’t feel too good right now.”
Vanni said the Braves should have won about four of the garnet they dropped on the road.
"But those at Vancouver, you can’t do anything about that. If they ever get pitching they'll have a double A team in a Class A league,” Vanni said.

WIL STATISTICS
Including Games of Monday
        g  ab    r   h   tb 2b 3b hr sh  sb bb hp rbi so lob  pct.
Van - 12 421  87 132 214 25 6 15 10  3 58 3 84 38  99 .314
Lew - 12 411 102 129 184 24 5  7 21  9 99 1 97 47 121 .314
TC -- 13 440  64 132 167 17 6  2 13 14 59 3 54 50 128 .300
Sal - 13 471  50 140 199 27 7  6 13  8 65 5 72 56 124 .297
Spo - 12 424  78 124 177 30 1  7 14 11 65 4 73 56 115 .292
Vic - 11 373  66 109 163 13 7  9 13  6 78 7 63 44 112 .292
Yak - 13 451  67 125 175 18 7  6  7  1 55 9 64 57 113 .277
Wen - 12 398  63 105 155 17 6  7  9  4 60 2 58 58  93 .264
Cal - 12 430  72 107 158 24 3  7  9  6 67 1 57 53 108 .249
Edm - 12 405  67 101 135 14 1  6 18  6 57 0 62 68  97 .249

TEAM FIELDING
                G  PO   A  E DP  PCT
Yakima ....... 13 342 163 16 13 .969
Salem ........ 13 353 166 22 16 .959
Edmonton ..... 12 307 135 20 10 .957
Victoria ..... 11 300 152 21 13 .956
Spokane ...... 12 324 133 22 12 .955
Vancouver .... 12 320 158 24 10 .952
Calgary ...... 12 304 137 22 13 .952
Lewiston ..... 12 327 144 26  9 .948
Wenatchee .... 12 312 130 15 15 .945
Tri-City ..... 13 320 173 27 13 .944

BATTING RECORDS
                    g ab  r  h bi  pct
Heist, Lew ....... 12 41 16 19 13 .463
Greco, Van ....... 12 43 17 19 20 .442
Richardson, Van .. 12 42  0 18 19 .429
Summers, Yak ..... 13 43  4 18  7 .419
Hunter, Cal ...... 12 41  9 17 14 .415
Warren, TC ....... 12 45 10 18 10 .400
Kellogg, Sal ...... 8 25  6 10  2 .400
Lillard, Cal ...... 7 10  0  4  0 .400
A. Smith, Cal ..... 8 23  3  9  5 .391
Wellman, Van ...... 5 16  3  7  8 .389
Unfried, Wen ..... 12 52 12 20 15 .385
Wasley, Lew ...... 12 47 17 18 14 .383
Stringer, Yak ..... 9 29  7 11  6 .379
Clark, Van ....... 12 56 13 21  7 .375
Bukowatz, Sal .... 13 56 12 21  6 .373
Popovich, Yak ..... 8 27  4 10  3 .370
T. Perez, Vic .... 11 44 10 15  9 .364
Lake, Vic ........ 11 30  9 13  8 .361
Clay, Vic ........ 11  2  8 14  6 .357
Williams, Lew ..... 9 28  8 10  7 .357
Campbell, Edm .... 12 46 12 17  2 .354
Walker, Yak ....... 5 17  2  6  1 .353
Robbins, Spo ..... 12 54  8 19  7 .352
Dean, Spo ........ 11 37 12 13  6 .351
McKeown, Edm ..... 12 48 11 16 10 .348
Storey, Sal ...... 13 49 10 17 10 .347
Noren, Yak ....... 13 35  6 10 13 .343
Williams, Van .... 10 41 13 14  3 .341
Martin, Vic ...... 11 41  8 14 12 .341
Green, Wen ....... 12 42  6 14  6 .333
Bache, Lew ....... 10 34  4 12  6 .333
Vanni, TC ......... 5  9  2  3  1 .333

PITCHING RECORDS
                   W L  AB  R  H ER ERA
Giovannoni, Spo .. 1 0  16  1  1  0 0.00
McFarlane, Sal ... 1 0  16  0  2  0 0.00
Boisvert, Edm .... 0 0   3  0  0  0 0.00
Widner, Edm ...... 3 2 105  5 24  3 1.00
Brenner, Van ..... 2 1 114  5 23  4 1.10
Anderson, Spo .... 3 0  95  6 17  4 1.33
Stites, Cal ...... 0 0   5  2 10  2 1.50
Lawson, Spo ...... 0 0  45  3  9  3 1.93
Moen, Vic ........ 1 0  27  5  5  2 2.00
Edmunds, Yak ..... 3 0  91  6 22  6 2.16
Peterson, Sal .... 2 0 107  9 27  7 2.33
Shandor, Wen ..... 2 0  56  4 15  4 2.40
MacKay, Van ...... 0 2  63 11 21  4 2.40
Kime, Lew ........ 0 2  54 11 13  4 2.57
Derganc, Lew ..... 0 0  29  3  8  2 2.57
Richardson, TC ... 0 1  33  3  7  2 2.57
Prior, Vic ....... 1 1  76 14 21  6 2.70
McNulty, Edm ..... 1 0  37  4  0  3 2.70
Flinn, Vic ....... 2 0 103 11 26  8 2.77
Nicholas, Van .... 2 1  67  9 31  7 2.86
Roberts, Van ..... 2 0  39  5 17  3 3.21
Bloom, TC ........ 1 1  47 10 12  5 3.44
Orrell, Cal ...... 1 2  98 17 28 10 3.60
Lemieux, TC ...... 0 0  11  2  6  2 3.60
Young, Yak ....... 2 0  85  8 18  7 3.71
- - -
Dobernic, TC ..... 0 1  41 13 18 13 14.43

Nick Pesut Dealt by Tri-City

CAP PLAYER HUNT UNDERWAY
Pesut on Stage, Snyder in Wings
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Jan. 11, 1954]
Bill Brenner, who likes ball players with experience enough to find their way back to their hotel after a game, has acquired a veteran catcher for his Capilanos, and he has another popular old favorite lurking in the wings.
The Capilanos general manager announced today he has picked up Nick Pesut from Tri-City in a trade for one shortstop and two “ghosts”.
And all but in the bag is Bob Snyder, long-time Capilano pitching favorite who switched to a Tri-City uniform last summer.
“A deal’s on the fire,” says Brenner of the rubber-armed righthander who holds the league’s record for victories, 28, picked up with the 1951 Caps. “They want players and I think we’ll find some.”
But back to Pesut and the trio Brenner gave up for him. The shortstop is Chuck Davis, who didn’t finish last season with the Caps; and two pitchers, Bud Guldborg, who jumped the club midway through last year; and Bob Knudson, who never has worn a Vancouver suit. Knudson was bought from Salt Lake City in ’53, but never reported.
Pesut, Brenner feels, will solve the catching problem which plagued the Caps all last year, when they never did have adequate protection behind the plate.
Big Nick, not the hustlingest player in the Western International League, knows what he’s doing back of the plate and is a dangerous hitter. Last season with the Braves he hit .288 and punched across 85 runs.
DIAMOND DUST – Brenner also lined up several spring exhibition games in his holiday jaunt down south, now has 12 on the agenda … They include games against Lewiston, University of Idaho, Tri-City, and Washington State… There will likely be a couple more, too, either in Yakima or Wenatchee on the way home … Training camp opens April 2 at Clarkston, Wash., breaks up April 20 … And if the weather is as nice as it was last week, says Bill, who cares about California … Brenner has become more interested in his new left-hander from Mexico, Raul Galata, since he learned that Joe Mathes, St. Louis Cardinals scout, is keeping tab on him … Speaking of Mexico, the outfielder the Caps are after, Al Heist, is hitting .395 for Obregon down there and now Brenner is afraid that Baltimore won’t let him loose … Al last reports there were just two applications for the managerial vacancy at Victoria: Steve Mesner and Don Pries … And the rumor factory has Dick Barrett going to Yakima as general manager.