Third Playoff, Friday, Sept. 10, 1954

Weatherman Adds Touch to Cap Finale
Need One More To Clinch Title
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 11, 1954]
If the Capilano ball club had imported a Hollywood writer to prepare the script, he couldn’t have conceived a more appropriate ending for the 1954 baseball season.
It faded out with a thundershower that sent fans scampering and ended the last local game of the season in the top of the seventh inning.
If anything typified this season, it was rain, And the [unreadable], too. They looked like the powerhouse club they were supposed to be, and they had a nice, cosy 11-1 edge when the umpires called it off.
THREE IN A ROW
That made it three in a row for the Caps over the second half champs, Lewiston Broncs, and they could wind up the series in the Idaho city when the best-of-seven championship series resumes. Pete Hernandez, who blanked the Broncs in the first game, will be pitching Sunday.
It was strictly “no contest” from the start Friday, although the 1500-odd fans seemed to enjoy it—until the rains came.
The Caps teed off on Al Yaylian in the first inning for four runs on five hits and a walk, and the slow-working (slow-working? He’s full stop) lefty was racked for four more before John Marshall came in in the fourth. John, who took a beating in the first game, as no better Friday, and the Caps ended up with seven runs in that frame.
THREE HITTER
Showing the way was manager Bill Brenner, who had nothing to say after the game about the fact that he had allowed just three hits, including Larry Barton’s homer. But like all pitchers, he was willing to admit that he was a great hitter—and he had two doubles and a single to prove it.
Early next week he should have a WIL pennant to prove he did his part for Vancouver baseball fans in ’54, too.
Lewiston ........... 000 001— 1 3 0
Vancouver ........ 400 700—11 13 1
Yaylian, Marshall (4) and Cameron; Brenner and Pesut.

Caps Within One Game Of WIL Title After Easy 11-1 Victory
Rain Calls Halt To Game At Stadium After Sixth
[Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 11, 1954]
Added to his other talents, Capilano manager-pitcher-slugger Bill Brenner may have an eye for the local weatherman’s job after his usual foresight Friday night at Capilano Stadium.
With an eye on the threatening clouds overhead, he sent his Capilanos out early to get a lead on the Lewiston Broncs, and then sat back to wait for the rain.
He wasn’t disappointed. When it finally let loose with a rush like the torrents going over Niagara Falls, Caps had a nice 11-1 lead.
GAME CALLED
The rain struck in the bottom of the sixth and the game was called. But it was long enough for the Caps to move within one game of the Western International League baseball title.
Brenner’s boys could wrap it all up Sunday night when they move into Lewiston for the fourth game of the best of seven series.
Broncs honor was saved in the top of the sixth inning just before the timely rain wrote a finish to the slaughter. Larry Barton wrapped a home run off knuckleballer Brenner.
THREE FOR THREE
Brenner was at his versatile best for the Caps. He pitched the win, giving up a smattering of three hits over six innings and hit a very respectable three for three.
His hits were two doubles and a single. One of the doubles came in the fourth inning when Caps broke loose for seven runs. He bounced one off the outfield fence, scoring two runs.
In all Caps picked up 13 hits and it took two Lewiston pitchers to stem the tide in the abbreviated game.
Al Gaylian started out. He gave up four runs in the first inning and then another four in the fourth before John Marshall came in to relieve

Bossman Bill Moves Caps Near Ball Mug
City Club Now Three Up In Western Ball Series
By SKIP RUSK
[Vancouver Sun, Sept. 11, 1954]
The heavens opened their flood-gates on Cap Stadium Friday night, drenching the faithful 1200 with torrents of rain. Which may have been a sign that professional baseball is washed up in Vancouver.
Bill Brenner’s Caps, in making their last appearance of the season here last night, easily destroyed Lewiston Broncs to take a 3-0 lead in their Western International League playoff.
Bill pitched his 22nd victory of the year as only the rain slowed down Caps’ offense at the end of six innings. At this time, they were head 11-1. Vancouver won the first two games of the best of seven series 17-0 and 8-7.
The last four games will be played in Lewiston, beginning Sunday with Pete Hernandez (9-2) pitching for Vancouver. The locals, of course, are strong favorites to continue riding herd on the Broncs and end the nonsense in one more game.
However, local fans may have seen the last of WIL baseball here. What started out as a 10-team league deteriorated to seven before the second-half schedule was completed.
Why?
Calgary, Spokane and Victoria called it quits because of poor attendance, poor weather, poor promotion and poor pocketbook. Here, manager Brenner got together one of the best—if not the best ever—teams to perform in Vancouver. Yet fans stay away in droves.
Fans Jumped on Al
Last night, the fans jumped on Lewiston pitcher Albert Soosen Yaylian, a rather slow-working pitcher who was the victim of bronx cheers in his two other performances here. The Caps didn’t waste any time on Mr. Yaylian. They touched him for four runs in the first inning.
When “Avak” broke into the WIL in 1946, his first pitch was knocked out of the park for a grand-slam home run. Caps didn’t mistreat him that bad, however, as Eddie Murphy, K Chorlton and Marv Williams nicked Al for consecutive singles. Ken Richardson walked, Neil Sheridan singled and Jim Clark followed with a double and four runs were in.
Al gave way to John Marshall, who had the misfortune of starting the first game for Lewiston. Between the two of them, Vancouver got seven hits in the fourth on six hits, including Brenner’s 415-foot double to centre-field.
It started sprinkling then and Brenner, who had given up just two singles in five innings, threw a “screwball” at Bronc manager Larry Barton. The pitch got crossed up on the way to the plate, but Barton straightened it out, sending it 350 feet over the right field wall.
LINE DRIVES—If Caps win Sunday, Vancouver will have its first championship since Brenner masterminded the job back in 1947 … after the season, Marv Williams and Bob Duretto will head down south to play winter ball … Jim Clark will go back to the machine shop … Ken Richardson will work in an aircraft factory and Bob Wellman will be employed in his home-town Cincinnati … Brenner will finally get to paint his house in Lewiston.

Week’s Work
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 11, 1954]
WEDNESDAY—About people: Well, if you insist, here’s the WIL all-star team I picked for league headquarters: catcher, Lonnie Summers, Yakima; first base, Bob Wellman, Vancouver; second base, Marv Williams, Vancouver; third base, Harvey Storey, Lewiston; shortstop, Jim Clark, Vancouver; outfield, K Chorlton, Vancouver; Al Heist, Lewiston; Bob Brown, Edmonton; right-hand pitcher, Bill Brenner, Vancouver; left-hand pitcher, Al Yaylian, Lewiston; manger, Hugh Luby, Salem.

Second Playoff, Thursday, Sept. 9, 1954

TWO GAMES TO GOOD
Cap Gang Say Farewell To City Fans Tonight
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 10, 1954]
They play their last pro ball game for 1954 at Capilano Stadium tonight, and if the game is anything like Thursday’s, the fans will get to see nearly everybody on the Vancouver roster.
The Caps had to use five pitchers, who gave up nine hits and 12 walks, before they scraped through with an 8-7 victory over the Lewiston Broncs.
The Broncs used 13 men before they were through, too, but umpire Don Fisher must get an assist for that. Fisher tossed Lewiston’s Al Heist, and later Manager Larry Barton, out of the game when they disagreed with a call at home plate in the eighth. The ump called Heist out at the dish and it was an important decision for it cut short a rally and cost the visitors what would have been the tying runs.
KEPT TRYING
But the Broncs never did get to tie the game, although they kept nibbling away at an early Vancouver lead. They gave it the old pro try in the ninth, again, but they finished one short when Pete Hernandez, the Caps’ fifth pitcher, came in to get the last two men out with the bases loaded.
Before Pete, George Nicholas, Keith Bowman, John Cordell and Bill Brenner had taken their turn, with varying success. Cordell looked the best of the lot, leaving finally for a pinch hitter, and was credited with the win.
Fortunately, the Caps were hitting again, and running, too. They stole six bases and teed off for 12 hits off Joe Orrell and Guy Fletcher, including a home run by Bob Wellman and two doubles by K Chorlton. The latter had 3-for-5 to make it 7-for-111 so far in the series.
The victory gave the Caps a big edge in the best-of-seven championship series between the winners of the first and second half. It’s now 2-0 for Brenner’s boys, and they’ll try for three straight tonight. Fourth game goes in Lewiston Sunday, and any more games, if they’re needed, will be in the Idaho city, too.
Brenner will do the pitching for the Caps, with Al Yaylian, whom the fans love to hate, in for Lewiston.
Lewiston ........ 002 030 011—7 9 0
Vancouver ....... 204 000 11x—8 12 2
Orrell, Fletcher (8) and Cameron, Garay (8); Nicholas, Bowman (5), Cordell (5), Brenner (9), Hernandez (9) and Duretto.

Caps Have A Walkathon, Still Beat Broncs Despite Wildness
Last Call For Baseball In Third Game Tonight
Bu JIM GILMOUR
[Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 10, 1954]
Four Vancouver pitchers did their best to revive the walkathon Thursday night, issuing 12 free passes to Lewiston Broncs as the Caps scored a wild 8-7 victory in the second playoff game of the Western International League playoff.
The Broncs, 17-0 losers in the opening game of the best-of-seven series, left 15 runners stranded as Caps poured five pitchers into the pray against the second half champions.
Vancouver will be going for the stranglehold game tonight at Capilano Stadium when the clubs meet for the third time. It will also be the final game of the local season, as the remainder of the series switches to Lewiston starting Sunday.
Manager Bill Brenner, who also saw a spot of action last night will be facing Lewiston’s slow-working southpaw, Al Yaylian, this evening. Brenner has a 21-9 record this season and Yaylian, 15-7.
ALL IN THERE
Pistol Pete Hernandez who waxed the Broncs with a six-hitter Wednesday was the only Capilano hurler not to issue a walk, as he was rushed into the game to quell a ninth-inning uprising by the visitors.
George Nicholas started for Vancouver, and he was relieved, it turn, by Keith Bowman, John Cordell, Brenner, and finally Hernandez.
With the bases loaded in the ninth, Brenner gave up his third walk of the inning to Guy Fletcher, forcing Mel Wasley from third. Bill wheeled two more ball past Clint Cameron before calling for help from Hernandez.
Pete promptly forced Cameron to foul out to catcher Bob Duretto, and then finished up by inducing Harvey Storey to fly deep to Eddie Murphy in centre.
WELLMAN HOMERS
The Caps, again led at the plate by K. Chorlton, went ahead 2-0 in the first frame, and increased the margin to 6-2 off Joe Orrell after three. The Broncs routed Nicholas, and then Bowman in the fifth, as they parlayed Eddie Bockman’s single and five walks into three runs.
Bob Wellman’s home run in the seventh upped the count to 7-5, and Duretto crossed with the winner in the eighth on an error, two wild pitches by Fletcher, and Murphy’s single.

Game Wasn’t Much But Caps Won It
Brenner’s Boys Did Best To Lose But Couldn’t
By ERWIN SWANGARD
[Vancouver Sun, Sept. 10, 1954]
Rumors circulated among Cap Stadium clientele Thursday night that Seattle Suds and baseball magnate Emil Sick had sold his Pacific Coast League Seattle Rainiers plus their WIL affiliate Vancouver Caps to a Seattle syndicate.
If Mr. Sick, currently en route to New York, could have watched the Lewiston Broncs and aforementioned Caps in action last night, he probably would have been tempted to sell both clubs plus the three umpires to the Pacific National Exhibition as next year’s circus attraction.
As it turned out the rumor of the Seattle sale was exactly that—a rumor.
Rainier General Manager Dewey Soriano, last year with Caps and now a vice-president of Caps, told The Sun today there was a possibility Mr. Sick would surrender sole ownership to his baseball empire to a syndicate headed by himself and made up of Seattle associates and friends.
LAST GAME HERE
As for Caps and Broncs, they will resume their series for the WIL championship at Cap Stadium tonight in the season’s last pro game in Vancouver.
After tonight the two clubs—and the umpires—will move to Lewiston to finish the series. Caps had won the first half and Lewiston the second to qualify for the final.
Last night’s game, which started off as a brisk affair between two smoothly operating ball clubs, ended in a nightmare for the official scorer, the Lewiston manager, one Larry Barton, who also played first base.
The walk-happy Cap pitching corps fielded no less than five men with Keith Bowman and Bill Brenner, who also doubles as the Cap general manager, seeing a minimum of service.
CORDELL WAS NEXT
Young Bowman, a recent Cap acquisition, entered the game in the fifth inning, ostensibly to relieve George Nicholas. Bowman stayed around just long enough to walk two men with the bases loaded.
He was relieved by left-hander John Cordell, who stuck around capably until lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. Brenner took over in the ninth. Three walks, one error, one run, two bases on balls and only one out, big Bill yanked himself and sadly turned over the chore to Pete Hernandez.
Pete threw exactly three pitches and Vancouver was ahead 2-0 in the series.
Caps had won 8-7 and in doing so received able assistance from plate umpire Ron Fisher in the eighth inning.
At that stage Broncs were trailing 6-8 [sic] and had Al Heist at third and pinch runner Leland Smith at second with one away. Clint Cameron topped one of Cordell’s soft curves toward first with Heist racing for the plate.
Cap first baseman Bob Wellman hesitated for a moment and finally threw to catcher Bob Duretto. But the throw was obviously too late as Heist slid across the plate before Bob could tag him.
Fisher called Heist out.
That started the first rhubarb. Heist received his marching papers.
In the next inning Barton, who obviously hadn’t cooled off, got his from Fisher, too.
FANS HAD FUN
Apart from the two rhubarbs there were all sorts of idiocyncracies on display not usually associated with good baseball.
In the first inning Lewiston elected to pitch to Ken Richardson, Vancouver’s clean-up hitter, with men on second and third, two away and first base open. Ken, the most feared clutch hitter in the WIL, promptly singled both runs home. The next batter struck out.
In the fifth inning Broncs permitted ancient Joe Orrell, their starting pitcher, to bat for himself with the bases loaded and the score 6-5 for Vancouver. Orrell is a noteably weakhitter. There were two out.
And so it went all night.
But don’t kid yourself, the fans had fun—we won didn’t we?

First Playoff, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 1954

Poor Harvey Just Can’t Find Winner
Capilanos Out Front With 17-0 Verdict
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 9, 1954]
Bill Brenner and Harvey Storey are pretty good friends, but you can hardly blame Harvey if he thinks the Capilano general manager is stretching their friendship a little.
Storey was manager of the Capilanos in April, 1953, when Brenner brought the Lewiston Broncs to town to open the season. We’ll not dwell on that horrible night, but the Caps were terrible, Lewiston looked great, and Brenner and Co. beat Storey and Co. 10-0.
Wednesday night at Capilano Stadium, it was the Caps [unreadable few words] this time in the opening game of the WIL’s best-of-seven championship series. Caps had won the first half title, Lewiston the second.
Brenner, of course, is now with the Caps, and Storey is playing third base for Lewiston. But once again Harvey picked the wrong horse, or ball club. And the Caps rubbed it in real good as the did nothing wrong and the Broncs did nothing right—they made five errors on the slippery stadium turf—as the locals won by a lopsided 17-0 score.
POOR OL’ JAWN
Dewey Soriano, who was a brand new general manager when the Broncs spoiled last season’s debt, would have loved every minute of it as the Caps teed off on nemesis John Marshall in the first inning. John never did get a man out, giving up eight runs before bowing out in favor of Leland Smith in that first frame. Seven hits, a walk, and three Lewiston errors did the damage.
Smith had better success, but not much, as Vancouver wound up with 19 hits, including four doubles.
Meanwhile, Pete Hernandez was pitching his best game since his first-half pennant clincher last July. Pete gave up just six singles, didn’t walk a man, struck out eight and allowed only one Lewiston players to get as far as second base.
NICHOLAS WORKS
The teams repeat tonight, with George Nicholas down to oppose Joe Orrell. Game time is 8:15.
DIAMOND DUST—K. Chorlton led the Caps` assault as four locals got three hits … Bill Franks has been repurchased from Salem and will help the shorthanded Cap pitching staff in the playoffs … Advance ticket sales in Lewiston are reported as very good, but Vancouver fans, as usual, stayed away in large numbers … There were less than 500 paid.
Lewiston ....... 000 000 000— 0 6 5
Vancouver ..... 002 032 20x—17 19 0
Marshall, Smith (6) and Garay, Cameron (6); Hernandez and Pesut.

Our Caps Break Poor Old Broncs
Hernandez Wins Ball Game As Mates Jump On Lewiston
By SKIP RUSK
[Vancouver Sun, Sept. 9, 1954]
Vancouver Capilanos, seemingly in a state of suspended animation during the second half of the Western International Baseball League season, came bouncing back to life Wednesday night at Cap Stadium, greeting Lewiston Broncs with their best Sunday punch.
And when the bell for the first round of this best-of-seven championship ended, Bill Brenner’s boys had scored a unanimous decision. They had, to the delight of 500 or so fans, destroyed Larry Barton’s and his second-half winners, 17-0.
Tonight at 8:15, George Nicholas (16-11) will be trying for Vancouver’s second straight playoff win while Smokey Joe Orell [sic], who has won seven straight for the Broncs, will be trying to get Lewiston back on even terms.
JOHN DISAPPEARS
Last night Lewiston starter big John Marshall, who, besides being a bartender in the off season, is also an amateur magician. John seemed to prefer the latter job last night because he disappeared after facing the first eight Caps.
His successor as a young fellow named Leland Smith, who Lewiston recalled this season from Pocatello of the Pioneer League. After 30 minutes of interesting baseball the first inning was finally over.
Caps had scored eight runs on seven hits, including Nick Pesut’s double, and three glaring Lewiston errors.
Oh well, there were only eight more innings to go and Caps made extremely good use of them. All told, Vancouver scored nine more runs on 12 hits, including doubles by K Chorlton, Ken Richardson and Jim Clark, and the Broncs only made two more miscues.
PETE WAS SHARP
Pete Hernandez was at his very best in pitching his ninth win this season. He allowed but two hits and only one Lewiston batter reached second base. Don Hunter, who singled in the ninth inning, discovered that rather elusive sack for the Broncs when Hernandez threw one into the dirt at the next man up, manager Larry Barton.
LINE DRIVES – Second baseman Marv Williams and manager Bill Brenner were honored last night. Marv was presented with the Most Popular Player Award while Bill received the Most Valuable Player award … for that, Brenner gets a new suit … Al Yaylin [sic], old father time, pitches for the Caps … nicest catch of the night was made by Vancouver’s Neil Sheridan who went up against the wall to haul down Al Heist’s drive in the third inning … Chorlton, Williams, Richardson and Jim Clark picked up 13 of the Caps’ 19 hits.

Caps Trot Out Big Hitters
Broncs Downed In Playoff Opener, 17-0
Bu JIM GILMOUR
[Vancouver News-Herald, Sept. 9, 1954]
Battering veteran John Marshall out of the game with a murderous eight-run first inning, Vancouver Capilanos went on to flatten Lewiston Broncs 17-0 in the first game of a Western International League championship playoff at Capilano Stadium.
The Caps, first half champions, battered Marshall and reliefer Leland Smith for 15 singles and four doubles while Pete Hernandez mesmerized the second half champs with six scattered hits.
Second game of the best-of-seven series goes tonight at Capilano Stadium with George Nicholas (16-11) seeking a 2-0 lead for the Caps, and Larry Barton countering with veteran Joe Orrell, who has won eight straight for Lewiston since joining them in mid-season from Calgary.
13 In First
The Capilanos send 13 batters up in the wild first inning, collecting seven hits, one walk, and capitalizing on three Bronc errors. Smith was rushed into action after Nick Pesut doubled in the sixth and seventh runs. He gave up one more hit before retiring the side.
The Caps exploded periodically thereafter in rolling to their most one-sided win of the year.
Left fielder K. Chorlton sparked the assault with four hits in six trips, while Marv Williams, Kenny Richardson and Jimmy Clark added three hits apiece. Every man in the lineup except Neil Sheridan and Hernandez collected at least two safeties.
Chorlton and Clark drove in three runs each.
Pete Was Good
Meanwhile, Hernandez was hurling a masterpiece. He struck out eight, walked none, and only one Lewiston runner reached second base. That came in the ninth inning, when Don Hunter singled, and scampered to the halfway mark on a wild pitch which bounced off the plate and out of Pesut’s reach.
Manager Bill Brenner’s Caps also left 12 runners stranded, while the Broncs left six.
DIAMOND DUST—Williams was acclaimed the Caps most popular player and Brenner the club’s most valuable perfomer.

Sports Notes
BY GIL GILMORE
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 9, 1954]
On The Sale Of Charouhas

One of the skeletons in the Tri-City Braves Sanders field closet that has been kicking around, and long in need of an airing, concerns the sale of outfielder Desmond Charouhas to Yakima.
Of all the moves made during the recent season, that was probably the least popular one with Tri-City fans—most of whom considered Des as second only to Lewiston's Al Heist as a defensive centerfielder.
And after the sale, some strange things happened.
First off came the announcement from G. M. Eddie Taylor's office that Charouhas was sold, and had not the sale gone through, be would have been released.
Naturally, one assumed Taylor was the one responsible for the sale. But then shortly thereafter, Harold Matheson, president of the association told a meeting of stockholders that he, Matheson, was responsible for the sale, but in any case Charouhas would not have been released had the sale not gone through.
* * *
Harold First Read Of It
At the time one suspicioned that there was some break in the communications between Matheson, Taylor, and manager Edo Vanni or otherwise why the conflicting statements.
Since it confirmed by Matheson, that despite his acceptance of responsibility in the sale of Charouhas, the first Harold heard about it was when he read the story in the
Tri-City Herald that night.
Harold merely stepped into the breach partly on the theory that the guy on top is responsible for the actions of those below and partly because he felt he was better
able to take the criticism than those below.
This, then would throw the Charouhas sale back to Taylor if, no other reason than he was general manager.
But now that the season is over and there is no reason for avoiding dissension in the ranks, Taylor's version shows somewhat of a rift between himself and Vanni, particulary because of the Charouhas sale. Yet at the same time neither was not going to cross over into the other's domain.
"I sold Charouhas only after Vanni was persistent in tainting to get rid of nim," Taylor said. He re-emphasized the word "persistent" and one "gathers Taylor was reluctant to sell him even then.
So we are now down to Vanni.
* * *
They Didn't Get Along
There isn't much point in going into all of Vanni's reasons for "wanting to get rid of Charouhas." Most of them deal with technical points of playing strategy with neither the player or the manager having much respect for the other's judgment. One or the other had to go and since Vanni was manager and had an "iron clad" contract besides, it was Charouhas.

Monday, September 6, 1954

FINAL SECOND HALF
                W  L  PCT GB
Lewiston ..... 44 26 .629 —
Yakima ....... 41 25 .621 1
Salem ........ 38 26 .594 3
Vancouver .... 32 25 .561 5½
Edmonton ..... 29 35 .453 12
Wenatchee .... 22 40 .355 18
Tri-City ..... 22 43 .338 19½

EDMONTON, Sept. 6 — Lewiston Broncs clinched the pennant for the second half of the Western International League schedule by taking both ends of a Labor Day double-header from Edmonton Eskimos.
Broncs won the first game 2-1 and the second 4-1 to take the five-game final series 4-1.
Lewiston now meets Vancouver, first half winners, for the league championship.
Harvey Storey's sixth inning homer provided the winning margin for the Broncs in the first game.
Guy Fletcher was credited with the win although he needed help from two other pitchers in the ninth.
Lewiston opened the second game with four runs in the initial inning. Clint Cameron banged out a home run with two on and Don Hunter hit another homer with one on.
Edmonton's only run was scored by Whitey Thomson who connected with a home run in the second.
A crowd of 1,722 saw the twin bill.
First Game
Lewiston ........ 400 000 0—4 8 1
Edmonton ...... 010 000 0—1 8 0
Martin and Cameron; Widner, Manier (1) and Partee.
Second Game
Lewiston ........ 000 101 000—2 7 0
Edmonton ...... 000 001 000—1 9 0
Fletcher, Yaylian, (9), Orrell (9) and Cameron; Kimball, Worth (7) and Prentice.

KENNEWICK [Tri-City Herald, Sept. 7]—The Tri-City Braves closed out the dismal 1954 baseball season Monday splitting a doubleheader with the Salem Senators, 5-4 and 13-3.
The games themselves were of little importance to either team because the Lewiston Broncs clinched the second-half title with two wins over Edmonton, 2-1 and Yakima also won a doubleheader over Wenatchee, 2-1, and 4-2, to close out its season — one game off the pace.
In the Tri-City Salem action, the Senators stayed with it during the first game because they had an outside chance to sneak into the top spot. However, such a possibility, would have taken two losses by Lewiston and one by Yakima while Salem was winning two.
After winning the opener, and learning that Lewiston had the title clinched, Salem manager Hugh Luby left his charges on their own and took off for his home park to get pay checks available for the players when they arrived.
In the second game, the two teams played six innings of baseball. Salem went way out in front in the top of the sixth by scoring five runs off Don Robertson. But Tri-City came back in the bottom half to wax Gene Johnson for six runs.
From then on the Senators just played out the season. Connie Perez, the pouplar Salem outfielder, came on to pitch. Tri-City scored four more runs off Perez and Gene Tanselli, ordinarily an infielder, with considerable co-operation on the part of the Salem defense.
On one play. Vic Buccola hit what ordinarily would have been a double to right field. While the pitchers who were playing outfield played catch with the ball, Buccola came on and scored.
The win went to Robertson, his 17th of the season.
In the first game. Perez' bases loaded double in the third inning was the telling blow. Perez later scored on Dennis Luby's single, which along wilh one run scored earlier that inning gave Salem the necessary five to win.
All of the runs came after Walt Clough got two away.
Tri-City came back for two in the fourth when Bob Moniz homered with one on and picked up single runs in the fiflh and sixth innings.
First Game
Salem ......... 005 000 0—5 6 2
Tri-City ....... 000 210 1—4 7 1
Roenspie, Rayle (6) and Ogden; Clough, Flinn (7) and Johnson.
Second Game
Salem ......... 110 015 000— 8 13 3
Tri-City ....... 000 306 22x—13 15 4
Johnson, Perez (7), Tanselli (8) and Ogden, Roenspie (7); Robertson, Flinn (7) and Warren.

YAKIMA, stories unavailable.
First Game
Yakima .......... 000 200 0—2 3 0
Wenatchee .... 100 000 0—1 4 1
Edmunds and Summers; Romero and Helmuth.
Second Game
Yakima .......... 004 000 000—4 11 4
Wenatchee .... 000 000 011—2 11 2
Carmichael and Summer; Shandor and Helmuth.

WIL STATISTICS
(final, unofficial)
BATTING LEADERS
Percentage, Marv Williams, Van., .360; Runs, Al Heist, Lew., 136; Hits, K Chorlton, Van., 183; Total Bases, Williams, Van., 274; Two Base Hits, Bob Moniz, T.C., 40; Three Base Hits, Herman Lewis, Yak., 16; Home Runs, Bob Wellman, Van., Don Hunter, Lewiston, 21; Sacrifice Hits, Dain Clay, Wen., 27; Stolen Bases, Chorlton, Van., 29; Bases on Balls, Heist, Lew., 115; Runs Batted In, Wellman, Van., 108; Strikeouts, Tom Munoz, Wen., 114.
PITCHING LEADERS
ERA., Jon Briggs, Salem, 2.51; Wins, Bill Brenner, Van., 21; Losses, Billy Joe Waters, Wen., Walt Clough, T.C., 16; Strikeouts, Briggs, Sal., 263, Bases on Balls, Briggs, Wen., 161; Innings Pitched, Brenner, Van., 289; Complete Games, Brenner, Van., 26;

Taylor Terminates Job With Braves
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 7, 1954]
Eddie Taylor, general manager, and the Tri-City Braves will come to an official parting of the ways Sept. 15, with neither showing any inclination to renew the relationship next season.
Taylor said today he has asked Harold Matheson, president of the Tri-City Athletic association, "to terminate my employment Sept. 15."
"Harold agreed," Taylor said, "and we did not talk about next year. I have always let it be known this would be my only season here and the way I feel now nothing has changed that."
Taylor said, he did not know what course he would take prior to next season.
"I'm just like a baseball player," he said. "When the season is over and you are in the cellar and not making any money, you feel the heck with it. But after you are home a week, you are waiting for spring training.
"You never know, I may not even go into baseball next year hut look around for something else. The way I feel right now, I'm disgusted with it."
The post with Tri-City represented Taylor's first job as general manager of any club. Operating independently, he was able to put together what appeared to be a fair team early in the season but as other league teams began loading rosters, it was apparent early that Taylor's efforts and the money available were not enough.
Among Tri-City fans, perhaps his most popular move was the retention of 19-year-old shortstop Dick Watson; the least popular was his sale of outfielder Des Charouhas to the Yakima Bears.
Taylor did not have a formal contract with the association this season so there is no problem of termination.
Taylor is the third general manager for Tri-City in three years. The first was Dick Richards, part-owner of the club under its original set-up, and the second was Len Monheimer, who is now with Great Falls in the Pioneer league.
Matheson, in confirming Taylor's break here, said he was locking everything up at Sanders Field Sept. 15. The association will not retain a groundkeeper over the winter as was done last year.

Salem Stockholders To Meet
[The Sporting News, Sept. 15, 1954]
Directors of the Salem Senators have called a meeting of the stockholders on October 11 to determine if the club will remain in the league next season. A drop in attendance from 81,305 last year to 58,752 will result in a deficit of about $7,200, the directors reported.

Sunday, September 5, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Lewiston ..... 42 26 .618 —
Yakima ....... 39 25 .609 1
Salem ........ 37 25 .597 2
Vancouver .... 32 25 .561 4½
Edmonton ..... 29 33 .468 10
Wenatchee .... 22 38 .367 15½
Tri-City ..... 21 42 .333 18½

EDMONTON, Sept. 5—The celebratory champagne didn't come out Sunday night in the Lewiston Broncs dressing room. The Broncs needed a double-header sweep of Edmonton, and a loss by both Yakima and Salem, to clinch the Western International League's second half title. They got neither. The Broncs ended up splitting their twin bill in Edmonton, while the Bears and Senators both won. So, the championship will come down to the final day of the season on Labour Day.
The Eskimos won the opening game, 6-5, on a run-producing single by Andy Skurski in the ninth inning off Al Yaylian.
The Broncs won the nightcap, 4-3, with Al Heist banging out a triple and a single for the victors. The game was called at the end of six innings because of a curfew.
First Game
Lewiston ......... 000 110 201—5 11 3
Edmonton ....... 102 000 111—6 11 2
Yaylian and Cameron; Conant and Prentice.
Second Game
Lewiston ......... 040 000—4 5 1
Edmonton ....... 030 000—3 6 0
Martin, Marshall (2) and Cameron; Manier and Partee, Prentice (2)

WENATCHEE, Sept. 5—Catcher Lon Summers kept Yakima in the pennant race into the last day of the season after a game-winning double Sunday. He lashed out the two-base hit in the tenth inning to defeat Wenatchee, 5-4.
Yakima ............ 001 210 000 1—5 9 1
Wenatchee ...... 000 300 100 0—4 10 1
Rios, Lovrich (4) and Summers; Waters and Helmuth.

KENNEWICK, Sept. 5—Salem manager Hugh Luby decided to play for the big inning, and it worked three times. The Senators leaped on Jess Dobernic for three runs in the first inning, three more in the fifth then scored four off reliever Dale Thomason in the ninth in a 10-3 victory over the last-place Tri-City Braves Sunday.
Dobernic didn't get an out before the first two runs scored. Mel Krause and Gene Tanselli hit back-to-back triples and Bob Kellogg followed with a hit. Jim Deyo singled him home two outs later.
Harry Warner batted in three runs and Kellogg amd Deyo had two each.
Tom Herrera scattered eight hits for Salem's win.
Salem ........ 300 030 004—10 12 1
Tri-City ...... 000 001 011— 3 8 1
Herrera and Ogden; Dobernic, Thomason (8) and Warren.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Artesia Slugger Cracks Homer Mark
ARTESIA, N.M., Sept. 5 — Hitting the home run that broke all records was "just like having a piano lifted off your shoulders," Joe Bauman said.
Bauman, the 32-year-old slugger who bettered the record by smashing his 70th round tripper of the season Sunday, admitted the pressure had been terrific since he tied the record Thursday.
"And hitting that big one was . . . well, that's it," the big guy said.
After breaking the record in the first game of a doubleheader with Artesia, the Roswell first baseman hit two more homers in the nightcap to set the new standard at 72.
Bauman, a 6-foot-4. 240-pounder, repeated his statement that he planned on playing the rest of his baseball for the Class C Roswell Rockets of the Longhorn League.
Bauman cracked a 365-foot blast in a first inning leadoff role against Artesia in the next-to-last game of Roswell's 138 game schedule. That one broke the record of 69 set by Joe Hauser of Minneapolis in 1933 and ied by Bob Crues of Amarillo in 1948.

Saturday, September 4, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Lewiston ..... 41 25 .621 —
Yakima ....... 38 25 .603 1½
Salem ........ 36 25 .590 2½
Vancouver .... 32 25 .561 4½
Edmonton ..... 28 32 .467 10
Wenatchee .... 22 37 .373 15½
Tri-City ..... 21 41 .339 18

EDMONTON, Sept. 4—The Edmonton Eskimos can blame the rain for their smallest crowd of the year Saturday, but they will have to blame Lewiston's bats for their 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Broncs.
Only 246 fans turned out to see Edmonton take a 2-0 lead after five innings, then watch the Lewiston league-leaders score once in the sixth, and add four more runs in the eighth off Ray McNulty and Art Worth.
Lewiston ......... 000 001 040—5 11 1
Edmonton ....... 000 110 000—2  6 1
Orrell and Cameron; McNulty, Worth (8) and Partee.

SALEM, Sept. 4—Baseball fans in Salem got a good idea Saturday night why the Tri-City Braves are in last place in the Western International League, as they were embarrassed by the hometown Senators, 17-2.
Two Tri-City pitchers allowed hit after hit—20 in all, the fielders committed five errors which led to four unearned runs, and the batters swung, missed and went back to the dugout 10 times against Jon Briggs, the league's strike-out king.
The Senators batted around in the third, fourth and eighth innings.
Connie Perez batted in four runs, Bob Kellogg had three and Harry Warner, Jim Deyo and Dennis Luby knocked in a pair each. Deyo went four-for-five, while Warner and Luby had three hits. Kellogg only had one hit, but had executive four sacrifices.
Salem scored all they needed with a three-run first inning, but put up six on the board in the third. All the runs were charged to starter Dale Thomason, who allowed seven hits and a walk before Hal Flinn was brought in with one out in the inning.
Dick Watson singled in Jack Warren in the second inning and scored Tri-City's other run in the ninth after walking, moving to third on Rube Johnson's pinch single and scoring on a double play.
Briggs gave up eight walks and leads the league in that category as well.
Tri-City ........ 010 000 001— 2  7 5
Salem .......... 306 300 05x—17 20 0
Thomason, Flinn (3) and Warren; Briggs and D. Luby.

Wenatchee at Vancouver, postponed, rain

Friday, September 3, 1954

                W  L  Pct GB
Lewiston ..... 40 25 .615 —
Yakima ....... 38 25 .603 1
Salem ........ 35 25 .583 2½
Vancouver .... 32 25 .561 4
Edmonton ..... 28 31 .475 9
Wenatchee .... 22 37 .373 15
Tri-City ..... 21 40 .344 17

VANCOUVER [Province, Sept. 4]—It’s all over but the waiting now for the Vancouver Capilanos. This morning’s rain washed out tonight’s last scheduled game of the regular WIL season against Wenatchee Chiefs, so it’s just a question now of the Caps waiting to see how Lewiston, Salem and Yakima do over the holiday weekend.
One of those three will win the second-half championship and meet the Caps, first half winners here next week, in the best-of-seven championship playoff. If Yakima or Salem wins, the series opens here Tuesday. If Lewiston wins, they start here Wednesday.
The Caps managed to split Friday in what turned out to be their last games of the season, winning 5-0 and losing 5-3.
Marv Williams, No. 1 candidate for league batting honors, jammed his knee on the last play of the game but will be ready for the playoffs. Before that, he performed nobly with four-for-four, including a triple and double.
Veteran Ken Richardson did his part, too, with four-for-four as he reached his goal of 100 runs batted in. Ken has never had less than 100 RBIs in four seasons in the league.
Another old-timer, John Cordell, pitched his best game of the year to earn his seven-inning shutout, but Boss Brenner failed in his second try for his 22nd win. Ross McCormack’s three-run home sank Bill’s ship, but he wound up with a pretty creditable 21-9 record for the year.
[WILfan notes: The Cas scored two runs in the first inning of the ppener on doubles by K. Chorlton and Bob Wellman and triple by Marv Williams ... in the night game, Eddie Murphy walked to open the Caps' first and was brought in by Williams' double. Richardson brought in Williams in both the first and seventh innings ... Brenner walked threein the fifth, more than he's given up in a game all season ... Jerry Green's sacrifice fly in the eighth brought in the last regular season at Cap Stadium in 1954.]
First Game
Wenatchee ....... 000 000 0—0 5 0
Vancouver ........ 230 010 x—0 9 0
Oubre and Self; Cordell and Duretto.
Second Game
Wenatchee ....... 000 040 010—5 8 2
Vancouver ........ 200 000 100—3 9 2
Tierney and Helmuth; Brenner and Pesut.

STORIES UNAVAILABLE
First Game
Tri-City ........ 300 002 0—5  9 2
Salem .......... 000 102 3—6 11 1
Flinn, Robertson (7) and Johnson; Franks, Johnson (6), Nicholas (7), Herrera (7) and D. Luby.
Second Game
Tri-City ........ 010 002 020—5 8 1
Salem .......... 000 011 000—2 5 1
Clough and Warren; Rayle, Johnson (7) and D. Luby.

Lewiston at Edmonton (2), postponed, rain.

Week’s Work
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Sept. 4, 1954]
MONDAY—It was probably sheer frustration that prompted Bill Brenner to throw open the gates on a pay-what-you-like basis for the final game of the WIL season … Bill just wants to see what Capilano Stadium looks like with a full house.
This has been a sad season for Bill, who celebrated his return to Vancouver by getting a top-notch, crowd-pleasing bal club and still hasn’t known those well-known flies … Brenner has been a victim of the weather, which washed out his best dates, the league’s unsettled condition, and possibly the new “big league” feeling in this town engendered by the B.E.G. and the B.C. Lions … Local fans, who also have hockey just one step removed from the majors, undoubtedly are ripe for Coast League baseball, and likely won’t show up at the park until IT does … meanwhile, only the fact that the team was a winner and that they have more fund than anybody—the boys had a football game in the outfield the other night before batting practice—has kept Brenner from going into something less nerve-wracking, like pitching in the Coast League.
TUESDAY—Incidentally, the Caps are not entirely green when it comes to throwing the football around … Neil Sheridan [line unreadable] … Arnie Hallgren coud probably catch on with the Lions right now if Milwaukee would let him play; Danny Holden played the game in high school; and Brenner, ‘tis said, could have played the pro grid game but for a knee injury.