Thursday, August 31, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Yakima ..... 86 52 .623 —
Tacoma ..... 84 51 .622 ½
Tri-City ... 74 62 .544 11
Wenatchee .. 73 64 .533 13
Victoria ... 60 79 .432 27
Vancouver .. 57 77 .425 27½
Spokane .... 56 79 .415 29
Salem ...... 55 81 .404 30½

YAKIMA, Aug. 31 — Yakima's Bears eased into first place in the Western International league by a slim one percentage point when they dropped the erstwhile leaders from Tacoma. 9-5 in a free scoring rubber game here Thursday night. The win gave Yakima the series two games to one.
The game was played before the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Yakima. A paid attendance was 4,859.
Tacoma ..... 000 001 310—5 9 0
Yakima ...... 300 050 10x—8 14 0
Knezovich, Anderson (2), Carter (5), Loust (7), Conger (8) and Fischer; Bradford, Powell (7) and Tiesiera.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 31—Veteran Lou McCollum won his 19th Western International league game of the season Thursday night, pitching Tri-City to a 5 to 3 win over the Spokane Indians.
McCollum, who has lost 11, scatered seven Spokane hits, all singles. The win gave the Braves the series, two games to one.
The Braves' Dick Faber broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh with a lusty two-run single off reliefer Jack Curran who came on for Spokane when starter Jim Holder weakened.
Clint Cameron gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the fourth with a powerful homer.
Spokane ...... 000 001 100—3 7 0
Tri-City ....... 000 120 20x—5 9 1
Holder, Curran (5), Roberts and Rossi, Weatherwax (2); McCollum and McKeegan.

SALEM, Aug. 31—Tom Breisinger muzzled the Salem Senators on three hits Thursday night and also contributed some fancy stick work as the Wenatchee Chiefs roared to a 10-0 victory to make a sweep of the three-game series.
Wenatchee ... 000 144 001—10 12 2
Salem .......... 000 000 000—0 3 2
Breisinger and Neal; Osborn, Woodson (5), Burak (5) Lineberger (6) and Beard.

VICTORIA, Aug. 31—Victoria Athletics spanned a four-game losing streak and moved past Vancouver into fifth place in the WIL standings tonight when they edged the Capilanos before a crowd of 2,000 at Royal Athletic Park.
Marty Krug, Jr. batted in both Victoria runs as Aldon Wilkie, who pitched a no-hit, no-run game against the Caps the last time he faced them, bested rookie Dick Alvari in a well-played mound battle. Krug scored Wilkie with the first run of the game in the third when he bounced out and then lined a double to right centre in the seventh to score Bob McGuire from first and break a 1-1 deadlock.
The A’s made at least one hit in each inning but hit into three double plays. Len Tran picked up two of the six hits allowed by Wilkie to lead Vancouver batters.
Vancouver ...... 010 000 000—1 7 1
Victoria .......... 001 000 10x—2 9 3
Alvari and Brenner; Wilkie and Danielson.

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL
(Including games of Wednesday, Aug. 30)


   G  AB  H  RBI HR  Ave
Stetter, Spo. .... 122 439 162  98 14 .369
Greco, Tac. ...... 134 596 183 139 32 .362
Rossi, Spok. ..... 129 458 154 100 18 .336
McCawley, Yak. .... 92 348 117  68  5 .336
Thompson, Vic. ... 135 510 169 101 23 .331
Clarkson, Van. ... 131 532 175  71 10 .329
Runs batted in—Greco (Tacoma) 139, Warner (Tri-City) 115, Westlake (Yakima) 111, Quinn (Tacoma) 102, Thompson (Victoria) 101.
Home runs—Greco (Tacoma) 32, Thompson (Victoria) 23, Rossi (Spokane) 18, Mead (Vancouver) 18, Warner (Tri-City) 17.
Pitching—Robertson (Vancouver) 12-2, Kerrigan (Tacoma) 24-6, Greenlaw (Tri-City) 8-3, Powell (Yakima) 13-7, Domenichelli (Yakima) 11-6.

Wednesday, August 30, 1950

S T A N D I N G S
              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 84 50 .627 —
Yakima ..... 85 52 .620 ½
Tri-City ... 73 62 .541 11½
Wenatchee .. 72 64 .529 13
Vancouver .. 57 76 .429 26½
Victoria ... 59 79 .428 27
Spokane .... 56 78 .418 28
Salem ...... 55 80 .407 29½

YAKIMA, Aug. 31—The Yakima Bears have served a 14-inning on the Tacoma Tigers that the race for the Western International baseball league's 1950 title is not over.
The Bears delivered the notice Wednesday night with a 3-2 win over the Tigers in five extra innings. It reduced the Tacoma lead to a mere half game which could be wiped out Thursday in the final meeting of the season for the two bitter rivals.
Tacoma led 2-0 going into the last half of the ninth when the Bears rallied to score twice and tie up the game. Neither side could tally again until the bottom of the 14th when Tiger relief hurler Dick Conger walked Bill Andring on four pitched balls with the bases loaded.
Dewey Soriano, pitching president of the Yakima nine, limited the Tigers to seven hits until he was relieved in the ninth. One of Tacoma's runs was unearned.
Tacoma ..... 000 110 000 000 00—2 11 0
Yakima ...... 000 000 002 000 01—3 7 1
Kipp, Conger (14) and Sheets; Soriano, Domenichelli (9) and Tornay.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 30 — The Spokane Indians blanked Tri-City 4 to 0 on Wednesday night on the strength of four-hit pitching by Ward Rockey and the timely hitting of Glenn
Stetter. The Spokane victory evened the Western International league series at one game apiece.
Stetter, the league's leading hitter, socked a two-run double in the first inning and that was enough.
- - - - - -
KENNEWICK, Aug. 31 (Don Becker, Herald)—It was short, but it wasn't very sweet for rooters of the Tri-City Braves out at Sanders Field last night. The short part crept into the picture on the magnificent four-hitter Spokane's Ward Rockey threw at the Braves to shut them out 4-0. The victory gave the Indians an even split in the three-game series which ends tonight.
Also on tap for fans attending tonight's frame is the celebration of Charlie Petersen flight. Progame ceremonies will highlight the current season when fans present the Braves manager with gifts.
Last night's contest really ended in the first inning when Glen (Jeep) Stetter's double scored outfielders Ed Murphy and Edo Vanni The Spokane thirrl baseman caught a Joe Nicholas pitch on the nose and slammed it deep into left field ro send Murphy and Vanni hustling around the sacks. It was Nicholas' sixth loss against as many wins.
The Western International's leading hitter scored himself in the ninth inning after reaching first safely on a single. Big Joe Rossi, the Indian's catcher, then pounded a triple to the center field wall to score Stetter.
Spokane had all the big hits of the night as the Braves were held to four singles. Longest blow of the evening was a four-ply smash by Jim Wert that carried over the right field wall. The circuit-trotter came in the second with none on.
Al Spaeter tried his best to last score last night. Three times the hard-hitting Brave second baseman got on. In the number two stanza he moved to second where he was stranded and in the sixth he got all the way to third before they blew the "all
ashore" whistle. In the eighth Spaeter, who collected two of the four Tri-City hits, was idled at first.
Rockey struck out two in going the route and was pulled out of a tight spot in the sixth with a fast infield double-play. Jim Warner and Vic Buccola got the other two hits for the Braves.
Rangy, right handed Lou McCollum will he out to turn the tide for the Braves tonight. The big veteran will also be seeking his 19th victory of the season. Opposing him on the hill for Spokane will be John Holder (8-8).
MoCollum is within striking distance of the 20-victory mark a win tonight would mean his chances were very good. A capacity crowd is expected to be on hand both to celebrate Charlie Petersen night and to see McCollum got one step closer.
Spokane ....... 210 000 001— 4-13-0
Tri-City ........ 000 000 000— 0- 4-0
Rockey and Rossi, Nicholas and McKeegan.

VANCOUVER [Erwin Swangard, Province, Aug. 31]—General Manager Bob Brown and manager Bill Brenner of Vancouver Capilanos took stock Wednesday night of a rather discouraging season and they discovered all was not lost.
And among the bright spots is a 22-year-old righthander from Hamilton, Ohio, named Bob Bruenner.
Bob is a pitcher whom the Caps board of strategy entertained high hopes but his early-season failure was disappointing, to say the least.
HO-HUM
On July 28 his achievements were no victories and six losses. Management toyed with the idea of shipping down the lad for more seasoning. Finally it was decided to wait for awhile.
Now Bob’s score reads five victories and seven losses and that one loss since July 28 was a creditable 4-1 defeat at Victoria.
Wednesday night Bruenner pitched another masterful game to give the Caps a clean sweep of their current three-game series with Victoria. Bruenner had a three-hitter with two away in the eighth when lightening struck for a moment.
It was like this: Bob Maguire [sic] beat out an infield hit to short. Marty Krug singles and so did Lou Novikoff. Gene Thompson doubled and three runs were in. At that point Bob had an 8-4 game and he protected it by striking out Jimmy Moore with vengeance.
The other run was unearned as the Athletics scored on errors to brothers Ray and Len Tran in the third.
Former Cap Jim Hedgecock was the loser. Caps tied the score in the fourth and a five-run rally on five hits [unreadable] pitch sealed Victoria’s fate.
ISLAND SERIES
Caps are off to Victoria today to finish off the week with four games there. Bob McLean or Dick Alvari will pitch tonight.
There is a possibility Sandy Robertson is through for the season. For some time now he has been troubled by a groin injury. He started on the mount Tuesday but was shelled in no time.
Keen competitor that he is, Sandy didn’t complain about the pain. Wednesday night he finally confessed and today he is undergoing a thorough examination by the club physician.
As a result Sandy will not play in Victoria as previously planned. Jimmy Robinson, who excelled at third Wednesday night, will leave the club after the Victoria series but will be back to play Friday and Saturday next week in the Caps’ final home stand.
Victoria ....... 001 000 030—4- 7-2
Vancouver ... 001 511 00x—8-13-2
Hedgecock, Noyes (9) and Ronning; Bruenner and Brenner.

SALEM, Aug. 30 — A seven-run blast in the third inning carried the Wenatchee Chiefs to an 8-6 verdict over the Salem Senators Wednesday night, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead in the series.
Wenatchee spotted Salem three runs in the first two innings before knocking John Tierney out of the box with a seven-run surge in the third inning that salted away the game. Al Treichel gave up 11 hits to the Senators and was in trouble much of
the time but timely hitting by his mates pulled him through.
Wenatchee ..... 007 000 100—8-10-0
Salem ............ 120 100 200—6-11-2
Triechel and Neal; Tierney, Valentine (3) and Martin.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from Aug. 31/50]

There are two teams, Tri-City and Wenatchee, battling for third in the Western International League race. . .but neither of them will win it. And it isn't going to be be Victoria or Vancouver either. And that bit of choice dope comes to you straight from the men who know. . .Charlie Petersen pilot of the Braves, and Tommy Thompson who master-minds the fortunes of the Chiefs.
Charlie was none to [sic] happy about losing that Spokane series and when he heard about Nick Pesut's accident his dobber hit bottom. “How many games are we ahead of the fifth place team?” he inquired anxiously. “You've got a 14 game margin," a fan piped up. Counting rapidly Pete found the Braves still had 16 to play. "Well at least we might stay in the first division,” he said sadly.
“Losing that guy Pesut is going to hurt, and hurt hard. I hope we can go out and win those two we need to stay in the first four in a hurry.” The Braves pilot wasn't taking anything away from Jim McKeegan with these statements. The young red-head is out the backstop post with Pesut flat on the hospital bed.
MAY USE THE CLINKER
“How about Clint Cameron,” another coffee-cupper chimed in, “he used to catch in the Coast league.” “Yeah, that's true,” answered Pete, “but remember the Clinker hasn't caught a game in three years and he's also just getting that heal back in good shape!! And as for myself,” he continued, answering the next question before it was asked, “It's been four years since I put on the tools and unless McKeegan breaks a leg, I don't think I will.”
Meanwhile Cameron is warming up his catching eye in daily practice. . .just, in case. “Got to get by that blinking stage, you know,” Cameron grinned.
THOSE WENATCHEE BLUES
Ask the Wenatchee manager where the Chiefs will finish in the league and he's apt to answer you with, “If we're we'll finish in the Western International, otherwise don't be surprised if we suddenly turn up holding the anchor down in some semi-pro organization. If we had a stinker of a ball club and had been floundering around the second division all year, then you might easily account for our long losing streak,” Thompson said dourly.
“But players like Fraccia, Pocekay, Unfried, and Ragni, who have been .300 hitters all year can't seem to but a base hit any more. They're the best power we have and now they're all in a slump. Usually someone in the lineup will carry the others when they're in a slump, but we haven't been that lucky.”
Thompson also had the towel out and dripping when the subject of Larry Neal, their injured shortstop, was brought up. Our friend John Richardson of the Wenatchee World says in fact that the Chiefs slump stems directly from the loss of Neal. Says Richardson:

“Since Larry fell down and broke his crown—and also fractured a rib—the Chiefs have turned in a record unbefitting a first division club. To put it any other way would be unkind.”

ANOTHER RED FACE
To the list of people who'd rather forget certain quotes you can add Joe Orengo of the Yakima Bears. Quoth Joe on the eve of the current Tacoma-Yakima series, “The Bear will feast for three days on Tiger meal.” Instead of chomping on a big Tiger steak, the Bears lost a bit of their hide. Maybe Joe should have checked the record before he went on same, because on Yakima's last trip to the coast city they tumbled for four straight.

Tuesday, August 29, 1950

S T A N D I N G S
              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 84 49 .632 —
Yakima ..... 84 52 .618 1½
Tri-City ... 73 61 .545 11½
Wenatchee .. 71 64 .526 14
Victoria ... 59 68 .431 27
Vancouver .. 56 76 .424 27½
Spokane .... 55 78 .414 29
Salem ...... 55 79 .410 29½

YAKIMA, Aug. 29—The Tacoma Tigers have a healthier hold on the Western International baseball league lead—thanks to belting Dick Greco and his home run bat. The big outfielder dropped one over the left center field fence at Yakima Tuesday night to break up a tight pitching duel and win the game for the Tigers, 3-2. It increased the Tiger margin over Yakima's Bears to one and one half games—and each team has 14 games left on its schedule before the season winds up next week.
The game was characterized by tight pitching by Tacoma's Boh Kerrigan and Dick Larner of the Bears. They had battled on virtually even terms until Greco lofted the ball over the fence in the eighth inning to break up a 2-all tie. It was Greco's 32nd homer of the season.
Kerrigan had shut out the Bears in all but the fourth inning when he weakened long enough to allow two runs off a triple, a single and a double Tacoma scored single runs in the first and fourth frames.
Tacoma .......... 300 100 010—3-8-1
Yakima .......... 000 200 000—2-6-0
Kerrigan and Sheets; Larner and Tiesiera.

SALEM, Aug. 29—Wenatchee's Davey Dahle tossed a two-hit shut-out while his mates pounded two Salem twirlers for 16 safeties in a 7-0 Western International League game here tonight.
Dahle's two hits were allowed in the first and second innings, after which he handcuffed the Senators.
Wenatchee ..... 100 103 101—7-16-0
Salem ............. 000 000 000—0- 2-4
Dahle and Neal; McNulty, Woodson (7) and Beard.

VANCOUVER [Erwin Swangard, Province, Aug. 30]—Vancouver Capilanos are hopelessly mired in the lower parts of the Western International Baseball League second division but they certainly haven’t lost the zest to win games.
Tuesday night they won one for ace pitcher Sandy Robertson even though veteran Bob Snyder finally received credit for the victory for a superb bit of relief pitching.
But it was Robertson who profited the most by the ninth-inning triumph. Sandy started on his third attempt for victory No. 13 and before he left with but one out in the first inning he had given up five hits, a couple of walks and a sacrifice for a neat 6-0 Victoria lead.
EVEN HEATS
For once luck was with Sandy because lefthander Jim Propst of the Athletics also had a dismal start which permitted the Caps to get three of these runs right back in their half of the first and then went on to load the defeat on an old nemesis, John Marshall.
Kevin King relieved Sandy in the first and forced Bob McGuire to ground into a double play. King left the scene of activity with two away and the bases loaded in the fifth inning and Snyder came in.
Caps had taken a short-live lead in the fourth with a four-run rally as Marshall lost control for three walks and four hits. Athletics got on even terms, however, in the fifth before Snyder erased the threat by making Gene Thompson pop up to Ray Tran at short with the bases loaded.
A’s THREATEN
For a moment it looked as if Athletics would come through in the ninth but Marty Krug popped to Len Tran for an unassisted double play on an attempted squeeze play. Len caught his low pop fly to the right of the mound and raced to third from his second base position for the double killing.
Len carried right on by singling in Reg Clarkson with the winner in the bottom half of the ninth.
The comeback protected Robertson’s position as the WIL’s leading pitcher with a 12-2 record. Tacoma’s Bob Kerrigan is second with a 24-6 and Cy Greenlaw of Tri-City third with 8-2. Dewey Soriano, pitching president of Yakima Bears has won six games without defeat but must with two more before qualifying as a regular.
John Hack of the A’s was thumbed out of the game in the fourth inning for throwing the ball into left field during an argument over a close play.
Caps finish off their latest home stand with a game against Athletics tonight and then move over the Island for the rest of the week. They return to Cap Stadium for their last week opening with a twin bill against Yakima on Labor Day. Jim Robinson leaves the club at the end of this week. Sandy will make his first trip of the season by going to Victoria this week.
Victoria ......... 600 010 000—7-11-0
Vancouver .... 300 400 001—8-11-0
Propst, Marshall (1) and Danielson; Robertson, King (1), Snyder (5) and Brenner.

KENNEWICK, Aug 30 (Herald)—All the 'ohs' and 'ahs' at Sanders Field last night didn't go to the Tri-City Braves in their 7-3 victory over Spokane. There were nearly 1200 of the fair sex glued to the stands for the half-hour fashion show which preceded the three-game series opener.
And the Ladies Night jam of 3,219 also got a demonstration of the latest fashion in hitting when the Braves belted two Indian pitchers for six runs on four hits. This eighth inning revolulion drove starter Dick Aubertin from the hill and gave reliever John Conant a one-two punch.
Jim McKeegan filling in for hospitalized Nick Pesut behind the plate, had the best transformation of the evening. McKeegan got the 'collar' from Aubertin three times running, once, without the red-head moving the bat from his shoulder. But apparently enough was too much of a good thing decided McKeegan. When Conant came on the scene with tha bases loaded the young backstop promptly unload a double down the left field line to score two runs.
STONE WINS 10TH
Dick Stone, who had come to the relief of starter Gene Roenspie on the Brave mound in the eighth, then rifled a single through the box that drove in the winning run. The plate clearer also gave Stone his 10th victory of the season against six losses.
Al Spaeter, Brave second baseman who had set the hitting mode most of the evening, followed Stone with a single. It was Spaeter's third blow of the night. Jim Warner added the coup de grace grace with a scorching double that drove in Stone and Spaeter for the final runs of the game.
The Indians had a 2-1 edge until the bottom fell out in the last of the eighth. They scored their first run in the fifth on a single and three walks, the last of which permitted Leon Mohr to amble in from third.
Jim Wert's double in the eighth scored Joe Rossi who had singled. And in the ninth, hitless Glen Stetter broke the spell by pounding a double off Stone and off the scoreboard to chase Edo Vanni home.
Stone took over from Roenspie with two on in the eighth and walked the first man to face him to load the bases. But Stone then forced Aubsrtin to fly out to Warner to end the inning. The big right-handed slider ace ended the game in true style by striking out Frank Matoh.
Roenspie had a good game going most of the way. But he lost his touch in the fifth to walk three and weakened again in the eighth when Spokane found him for two singles and doubles.
Young McKeegan aced his rival catcher, Spokane's Joe Rossi, with a neat bit of strategy in the second stanza. Rossi's ground ball to Neil Bryant, Brave third baseman, went into the dirt on the throw to first and back to the fence. Rossi pounded his way to second while McKeegan chased down the ball. Then Rossi gambled on making third and the Brave catcher rifled the ball to Bryant to nail him.
Spokane ....... 000 010 011—3-10-2
Tri-City ........ 001 000 06x—7- 8-1
Aubertin, Conant (8) and Rossi; Roenspie, Stone (8) and McKeegan.

Paces League Caps' Hurler
TACOMA, August 30—Without lifting a hand, Vancouver's Sandy Robertson retained his Western International league pitching lead last week—by reason of the fact he doesn't accompany the Capilanos on road trips, his season's record, remained stationary at 12-2.
Meanwhile, however, Tacoma's Bob Kerrigan achieved his 22nd and 23rd victories during the week, to pull within shouting distance of a couple of W-I records—total triumphs (25) set in 1948 by Joe Blankenship, then with Victoria, and consecutive wins (12), established in 1948 by Frank Nelson of Spokane and tied this year by Robertson.
Ten in Row
When Kerrigan notched No. 22 by holding Victoria to five hits for a 2-1 decision and got credit for No. 23 as he appeared in relief and threw just one pitcn Sunday against Vancouver, he had won 10 in a row for the second time during the current campaign.
Kerrigan's 23-6 record for the season put him in second place percentage-wise behind Robertson. Dewey Soriano, Yakima's pitching prexy, has won six without a defeat but needs a couple of additional victories to qualify as a regular.
Lloyd Dickey, Yakima's southpaw strikeout artist, kept his league lead in the whiff department by fooling seven additional batsmen to bring his total to 197.
High, Wide, Wobbly
Don Ferrarese, Wenatchee fork-hander, issued five more bases on balls for a season's aggregate of 193, which happens to be a new league record Wiping out the old mark of 186 set in 1941 by Claude Williams of Wenatchee. Actually Ferrarese had gained possession of his doubtful distinction a week ago when his total reached 188, but his all-time high for tossing 'em high, low and wide previously escaped detection.
                       W  L  SO  Pct
Robertson, Van. ..... 12  2  48 .857
Kerrigan, Tac. ...... 23  6 105 .793
Greenlaw, T-C ........ 8  2  38 .727
Powell, Yak. ........ 13  7  77 .650
Larner, Yak. ........ 16  9  99 .640
McCollum, T-C ....... 19 11  94 .633
Ragni, Wen. ......... 17 10 141 .630
Domenichelli, Yak. .. 10  6  50 .625
Bradford, Yak. ...... 13  8 133 .619
Knezovich, Tac. ..... 14  9  82 .609
Marshall, Vic. ...... 15 10 159 .600
Dickey, Yak. ........ 15 10 197 .600
Stone, T-C ........... 9  6  39 .600

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor [from column of Aug. 30/50]

The loss of catcher Nick Pesut to the Tri-City Braves climaxes a season of off and on injuries that has plagued the club since opening day. Pesut will be out for the balance of the season, which means Jim McKeegan will be pulling a full time stint behind the plate. Pesut was out once before during the season when he split a finger.
The absence of the big first string catcher is certain to hurt the Braves, It isn't that McKeegan isn't a good catcher. He is. But he lacks the experience and know-how that Pesut has gained. Pesut's big value isn't just in his knowledge of the other team's hitters. It's also in his ability to handle his own pitchers. Rated on this one point alone, Nick is considered to be the finest backstop in the entire league by many players, and many of the umpires.
Also, taking Nick out of the lineup at this point of the season is going to mean the loss of a left-handed hitter when the Braves will be going against right-handed hurlers most of the rest of way in. Currently, Pesut has been hitting right at the .390 mark and has always been near that point or above.
ONLY TWO UNINJURED
Should the Braves fall from third to fourth when the season's games are finished, much of the loss can he charged to losing Pesut. And as far as that goes if the Braves hadn't been hit by such a continual rash of injuries during the season they might well be in first place. Of today's present starting lineup only two, Jim Warner and Buddy Peterson, have not been out of the lineup because of illness, or illness in the family. That in itself ought to set some kind of a record for a W.I.L. club.

Monday, August 28, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 83 49 .629 —
Yakima ..... 84 51 .622 ½
Tri-City ... 72 61 .541 11½
Wenatchee .. 70 64 .522 14
Victoria ... 59 77 .434 25
Vancouver .. 55 76 .419 26½
Spokane .... 55 77 .417 27
Salem ...... 55 78 .414 27½

VANCOUVER, [Erwin M. Swangard, Province, Aug. 29]—Among the more reasonably happy people in Vancouver Monday night was George Nicholas, the handsome righthander of the Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International Baseball League.
George is actually considered one of the league’s best pitchers yet by scoring a 6-3 victory over the Victoria Athletics Nicholas’ win-defeat count for the season reached an even 15-15.
That, of course, doesn’t look a bit impressive but it actually is when one considers that Nicholas lost nine games by one-run margins. Of the nine three were 1-0. In addition he lost another three games by shutouts.
NEEDS BACKING
Or, as Manager Bill Brenner put it when Nick recently lost 1-0 on a three-hitter to Victoria, “When are we going to give Nick some runs?”
Well, Monday night the Caps did give Nicholas a working margin all the way and George went along fairly smoothly. He got into a couple of minor jams but bore down to erase all but two threats. Lou Novikoff homered with one aboard in the fifth and Nicholas got into another in the seventh when Nick lost control temporarily with two out to walk the “Mad Russian” and Gene Thompson, and then yielded a single to Jim Moore.
Meanwhile the Caps managed some potent run-getting of their own. With one away in the first, Ray Tran and Reg Clarkson made first on successive errors to shortstop Bill Dunn. Ray scored on a double steal and Reg came home when burly Jim Keating belted one of Ronnie Smith’s Sunday pitches over the left-field fence.
BOTH FENCES
Caps followed it up with some long distance hitting in the sixth. Charlie Mead homered over the right field fence with one away and just to show that they weren’t playing favorites, Len Tran followed him to the plate and homered over the left field fence. Another insurance run came in the seventh which Jim Robinson opened with his third successive single and scored on Ray Tran’s infield single, a fielder’s choice and Dick Sinovic’s long fly ball to centre field.
Tonight, it’s Victoria again and lanky Sandy Robertson will make his third try for victory No. 13. The two teams meet Wednesday at Cap Stadium and then transfer their struggle to keep out of the league basement to Victoria for the rest of the week.
Caps, of course, are definitely out of the running for any honors. Yet, ironically, they can very well decide the league championship. Tacoma Tigers and Yakima Bears, engaged in a bitter struggle for the title, will play four games each here next week. Caps thus can make or break either.
Victoria ........ 000 020 100—3-13-2
Vancouver ... 300 002 10x—6-11-1
Smith and Ronning; Nicholas and Brenner.

Marriage And a New Job Lure Robinson From Caps
[Vancouver Daily Province, Aug. 29, 1950]
November theme song: “The Bells are Ringing . . . for Jim and His Gal . . .”
Right in tune will be Capilano third-baseman James Robinson and Vancouver’s Miss Dianne Addington. They render a chorus of ‘I Do’s’ shortly and then head blithely for a life of happy-ever-after.
Jim will hie his lovely brunette bride swiftly off to the hinterlands of Washington State—where, at Adna High School, he will take up his new post as teacher of history and English and coach the prep baseball and basketball teams.
The newly-assigned job nets the Cap infielder $3800 per annum, and as the school term runs from May 28 to September, he will be free to play in any pro ball in the summer months. Robinson has a masters degree, and is a native Tacoma.


ONLY GAME SCHEDULED

TACOMA, Aug. 29-Glen (Jeep) Stetter, stocky Spokane outfielder seems destined to become the first Western International league batsman to wear the loop hitting crown twice.
With only two weeks remaining in the season, the Indians outfielder held a 14-point bulge over his nearest competitor, figures released today by the league office here disclosed. Stetter won his first title back in 1946 when he clubbed the ball at a .366 clip for Wenatchee, and this season he is bettering that through games of Sunday, August 27.
Dick Greco, the Tacoma bridegroom, continued in the runnerup slot with .357, one. point off his pace of last week, while Bill McCawley, Yakima outfielder, trailed in third place with .343.
Greco, however, continued his mastery in the two other important divisions of the hit chase. His home run production was upped by on to 31 for the top mark while Gene Thompson, Victoria outfielder, was next with 23.
The big Tacoma right fielder also stretched his lead in the runs batted in department, knocking seven mates across the plate during the week to raise his total of 138 for the season. Jim Warner of the Tri-City was second with 112, while Jim Westlake, Yakima third baseman was third with 111.
Averages of top 20 hitters who have appeared in 85 or more games thrugh Sunday, Aug 27th.
                     AB  H  RBI  Ave
Stetter, Spokane .. 429 159  95 .371
Greco, Tacoma ..... 498 178 138 .357
McCawley, Yakima .. 338 116  67 .343
Rossi, Spokane .... 449 150  99 .334
Thompson, Vic. .... 497 163  99 .328
Clarkson, Van. .... 520 169  69 .325
Warner, Tri-City .. 491 159 112 .324
Vanni, Spokane .... 413 132  58 .320
Quinn, Tacoma ..... 518 163 101 .315
Gifford, Tacoma ... 460 145  64 .315
Hjelmaa, Wen. ..... 475 149  71 .314
Ragni, Wen. ....... 255  80  46 .313
Cheso, Yakima ..... 461 144  93 .312
Cameron, T-C ...... 373 116  74 .311
Zuvella, Yak. ..... 270  84  56 .311
Fracchia, Wen. .... 477 147  83 .308
Mohr, Spokane ..... 401 123  41 .307
Bryant, T-C ....... 483 146  82 .302
Sinovic, Van ...... 398 120  75 .302
A. Spaeter, T-C ... 557 167 400 .300

Sunday, August 27, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 83 49 .629 —
Yakima ..... 84 51 .622 ½
Tri-City ... 72 61 .541 11½
Wenatchee .. 70 64 .522 14
Victoria ... 59 76 .437 24½
Vancouver .. 54 76 .415 27
Spokane .... 55 77 .417 27
Salem ...... 55 78 .414 27½

TACOMA, Aug. 27—Tacoma regained the lead in the sizzling Western International league pennant race by defeating the Vancouver Capilanos in both ends of a double-header here Sunday, 8-2 and 3-2.
The Tacomans sewed up the first game in the fourth inning after going hitless the first three frames. A homer by Dick Wenner drove in two men. The Tigers added four more unnecessary tallies in the seventh and another in the eighth. Vancouver scored in the fourth and ninth. The final tally was a homer by Charley Mead his 15th of the season.
A single pitch gave Bob Kerrigan, Tacoma southpaw, his 23rd victory of the season in the second game. Kerrigan came into the game to relieve Dick Conger with two out, the bases loaded and the score tied at 2-all.
Vancouver's Jim Robinson grounded out to the mound on Kerrigans first toss. Tacoma then added a game-winner on two singles and an infield error.
First Game
Vancouver .. 000 100 001—2 8 1
Tacoma ..... 000 300 41x—8 6 11
Alvari, King (7) and Heisner; Knezovich and Fischer.
Second Game
Vancouver ... 000 010 1—2 5 1
Tacoma ...... 100 010 1—3 9 1
McLean and Heisner; Kerrigan (7) and Sheets.

YAKIMA, Aug. 27 — Yakima battered ex-major leaguer Aldon Wilkie from the box Sunday night with a 10-hit barrage that was good for eight runs in two innings to take the nightcap, 10-5. Victoria won the opener, 2-0.
Wilkie was driven to the showers in the second inning of the nightcap after scoring five times in the first frame and three more in the second. Ten of Yakima's 15 hits were gained off Wilkie. The A's used three pitchers in stemming the Yakima attack, which added two more runs in the eighth.
Victoria threatened with two runs in the third inning and three more in the seventh but couldn't follow through.
Victoria and Yakima collected only five hits each in their opening tilt but Victoria bunched three of its safeties in the fifth inning to score twice and sew up the game.
A homer by left fielder Gene Thompson coupled with a double by shortstop Bill Dunn, a wild pitch and a single by catcher Hal Danielson accounted for two tallies.
First Game
Victoria ..... 000 020 0—2 5 0
Yakima ...... 000 000 0—0 5 0
Marshall and Danielson; Dickey and Tiesiera.
Second Game
Victoria ..... 002 000 300—5 12 0
Yakima ...... 530 000 02x—10 15 0
Wilkie, Noyes (2), Brkich (8) and Ronning; Powell and Tornay.

WENATCHEE, Aug, 27—The Wenatchee Chiefs broke a nine-game losing streak here Sunday night by edging the Tri-City Braves 4-3 in the second game of a Western International league doubleheader.
Tri-City pitcher Merle Frick threw a bunt away in the ninth with two men on base and the winning Wenatchee run crossed plate.
The Braves took the opening contest, 9-2, with a five-run first inning salting the game away. In the nightcap, Wenatchee southpaw Jay Ragni scattered eight hits to hang up his 17th win of the season against 10 losses.
First Game
Tri-City .......... 510 100 2—9 16 2
Wenatchee ..... 020 000 0—2 7 0
McCollum and Pesut; Ferrarese and Neal.
Second Game
Tri-City .......... 010 020 000—3 8 4
Wenatchee ..... 000 200 011—4 9 0
Frick and Pesut; Ragni and Billings.

SPOKANE, Aug. 27—Spokane's bottom-bumping Indians dumped Salem on Sunday, 15-6 and 10-1, to trade positions with the Senators.
The Spokane nine concentrated its heavy guns on Salem in the second and fifth innings of their opening game. All 12 Indian hits were gained in those innings as they scored seven runs in the second and eight in the fifth frames.
Two runs in the opening inning clinched the second fracas but the Indians added six in the second, one in the sixth and another in the eighth inning fourth frame.
First Game
Salem ....... 300 011 1—6 8 3
Spokane .... 070 080 x—13 12 21
Costello, Tierney (2), Woodson (5) and Beard; Conant and Rossi.
Second Game
Salem ....... 000 100 000— 1 9 2
Spokane .... 260 001 01x—10 14 0
Osborne, Lew (2) and Martin; Bishop and Rossi.

Chiefs May Lose Third Baseman
WENATCHEE, Wash., Aug. 28 (UP) — The question of whether Don Fracchia hold down his Wenatchee third base slot Tuesday was up in the air today.
General Manager George Clark was reported in contact with Western International League basball president Robert Abel about Fracchia's status. The third sacker was notified Friday that he would be suspended indefinitely without pay, effective Thursday, for failure to pay several fines assessed against him this season.
Clark was trying to determine if payment of the fines before Tuesday would nullify the suspension. The Chiefs are shorthanded from injuries, and Fracchia's loss would be a hard blow.

Saturday, August 26, 1950

S T A N D I N G S
              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 81 49 .623 —
Yakima ..... 82 51 .617 ½
Tri-City ... 71 60 .542 10½
Wenatchee .. 69 63 .523 13
Victoria ... 59 74 .444 22½
Vancouver .. 54 74 .421 25
Salem ...... 55 76 .420 25½
Spokane .... 53 77 .408 27

TACOMA, Aug. 26—The Vancouver Capilanos snapped a nine-game losing streak Saturday with a 6-2 win at Tacoma on Saturday.
Rookie Bob Bruenner snapped the Tigers' eight-game winning skein by hurling a six hitter.
Vancouver .... 301 010 001—6 10 0
Tacoma ......... 000 002 000—2 6 4
Breunner and Heisner; Loust, Anderson (1), Carter (8) and Sheets.

YAKIMA, Aug, 26—The Yakima Bears moved into a one-percentage point lead in the torrid Western International League pennant race by edging Victoria Athletics, 5-4, Saturday night. Tacoma fell into a runner-up spot by losing to Vancouver.
Yakima’s victory was its eighth in a row and the setback was the fourth straight for the A’s on the road. Yakima President Dewey Soriano came to the rescue of Bob Bradford in the ninth and fanned Lou Novikoff with the tying and winning runs on third and second to preserve the triumph.
Before walking the first two men in the ninth, Bradford had contributed three hits himself, batted in the first two Bears runs and kept the A’s away from the plate except in the fifth. In that inning, a hit batter, two singles, and Novikoff’s double accounted for three runs.
Victoria ....... 000 030 001—4 9 1
Yakima ....... 021 200 00x—5 11 1
Hedgecock and Danielson; Bradford, Soriano (9) and Tornay.

SPOKANE, Aug. 26—Home runs by Glen Stetter and Joe Rossi sparked the Spokane Indians as they made a move towards vacating the cellar by downing the seventh-place Senators, 7-2.
Salem ........000 001 001—2 8 0
Spokane ... 100 005 10x—7 10 3
Burak, Valentine (6) and Beard, Martin (7); Holder and Rossi.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 26—Tri-City Braves lengthened their third-place margin over Wenatchee by handing the Bears their eighth straight setback, 9-3.
Relief pitcher Ken Michelson, who came in with the Braves trailing 9-6 in the seventh, doubled home the tying and winning runs in the midst of a five-run Tri-City rally in the eighth.
Tri-City 013 000 250—11 9 1
Wenatchee 060 030 000—9 17 4
Orrell, Stone (2), Michelson (7) and Pesut; Breisinger, Dahle (8), Treichel (9) and Neal.

HEWINS Fragments
By Jack Hewins (AP Seattle Bureau)
TACOMA FRANCHISE SECURE
SEATTLE, Aug. 27—All hands connected with the Tacoma baseball club, plus Western International league prexy Bob Abel says the city is in no danger of losing its team (Those old rumors keep cropping up that one or three WIL clubs will move to Canada and the newest whisper concerned Tacoma's Tigers.
WILfan: Tacoma lasted through 1951 in the league.

Friday, August 25, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 81 48 .651 —
Yakima ..... 82 50 .621 ½
Tri-City ... 70 60 .538 11½
Wenatchee .. 69 62 .527 13
Victoria ... 58 74 .439 24½
Salem ...... 55 75 .423 26½
Vancouver .. 53 74 .417 27
Spokane .... 52 77 .403 29

WENATCHEE, Wash., Aug. 25—The Tri-City Braves stretched their Western International league third place to a game and one-half by defeating the fourth-place Wenatchee Chiefs, 9 to 3 here Friday night. It was the seventh loss in a row for Wenatchee.
Tri-City ............ 200 700 000—9 15 0
Wenatchee ....... 001 000 002—3 10 1
Nicholas and Pesut; Dahle, Treichel (4) and Neal.

Salem ......... 101 200 004— 8 10 0
Spokane ..... 000 000 100—1 5 2
McNulty and Beard; Yerkes, Aubertin (6), Curran (9) and Weatherwax.

YAKIMA, Aug. 25—Yakima’s second-place Bears kept pace with the pace-setting Tacoma Tigers by trouncing Victoria 13-5 Friday night in a Western International Baseball League series opener.
Two wild Victoria pitchers—starter Jim Propst and his relief Aldon Wilkie—gave up eight runs to the Bears in the first two innings on three hits, seven walks and two hit batters. Propst walked five batters and Wilkie two. Both hit batsmen. Warren Noyes, third Victoria hurler, held the Bears in check except in the sixth when three hits produced four runs.
Rookie Bob McGuire and Lou Novikoff hit homers for Victoria, their second and 11th respectively. McGuire also hit a double and single and drove in two Victoria runs.
Frank Mascaro led the Yakima attack, batting in six runs with two singles and a double.
Victoria .......... 011 101 100— 5 8 0
Yakima .......... 260 104 00x— 13 9 2
Propst, Wilkie (2), Noyes (3) and Ronning; Domenichelli and Tiesiera.

TACOMA, Aug. 25—A six-hit pitching job by southpaw Tom Kipp, supported by some long-distance clouting which included Dick Greco’s 31st home run of the season, and another round-tripper by Sol Israel, gave onrushing Tacoma Tigers their eighth consecutive victory and their nineteenth in 21 starts as they defeated Vancouver Capilanos 8-1 in a Western International Baseball League series opener Friday night.
Capilanos bunched three of their hits to register their lone tally, and the uprising might have gone further but for Greco’s perfect throw to the plate to complete a double play after catching a fly ball to his sector with one out and the bases loaded.
Ronnie Gifford opened the Tacoma fourth with a single for the first hit off Vancouver’s Bob Snyder, whereupon Greco belted his four-bagged deep into “Greco’s Garden,” that fenced off section of centre field some 395 feet from the plate in the Tacoma park.
Vancouver ...... 001 000 000 — 1 6 1
Tacoma ........... 000 330 11x— 8 9 0
Snyder, King (5) and Heisner; Kipp and Sheets.

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL
By The Associated Press
(includes games of Thursday, Aug. 24)

                      G  AB  H  RBI HR Ave.
Stetter, Spokane .. 117 419 154  88 12 .368
Greco, Tacoma ..... 128 487 174 132 30 .357
McCawley, Yak. ..... 86 327 110  65  5 .336
Rossi, Spokane .... 123 437 145  94 17 .332
Vanni, Spokane ..... 96 391 127  52  3 .325
Thompson, Vic. .... 128 482 156  97 22 .324
Warner, Tri-City .. 127 472 153 106 16 .324
Home runs (top five)—Greco, Tacoma, 30; Thompson, Victoria, 22; Rossi, Spokane, 17; Warner, Tri-City, 16; Mead, Vancouver, 15.
Runs batted in (top five)—Greco, Tacoma, 132; Westlake, Yakima, 110; Warner, Tri-City, 106; Quinn, Tacoma, 99; Thompson, Victoria, 97.
Pitching (top five)—Robertson, Vancouver, 12-2; Kerrigan, Tacoma, 22-6; Kipp, Tacoma, 6-2; Greenlaw, Tri-City, 8-3; Larner, Yakima, 16-9; Powell, Yakima, 12-7.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Three Minor Loop Hurlers Toss Perfect Games
New York, Aug. 26—(AP)—Three minor league pitchers hurled no-hit, no-run games last night, one registering the second perfect game of his career.
Dan Stephens, a 20-year-old lefthander, pitched Omaha to a 5-0 victory over Denver in the Western league for his second no-hitter. He hurled the first one in 1947 for Albany, Ga., of the Georgia-Florida league. Stephens walked three.
Righthander Higgins Duncan of Douglas, Pa., retired 27 men in order in defeating Fitzgerald, 4-0, in the Georgia State league. He struck out 13.
Tony Segzda pitched York, Pa., to a 6-0 victory over Sunbury in the Interstate league. The 21-year-old righthander gave up two walks.
WILfan note: Someone at AP should learn what the difference is between a no-hitter and a perfect game. If you walk someone, or allow any baserunner, it's not a perfect game. The second contest was one.

Thursday, August 24, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 80 48 .625 —
Yakima ..... 81 50 .618 ½
Tri-City ... 69 60 .535 11½
Wenatchee .. 69 61 .531 12
Victoria ... 58 73 .443 23½
Vancouver .. 53 73 .421 26
Salem ...... 54 75 .419 26½
Spokane .... 52 76 .406 28

TACOMA, Aug. 24—With the Western International league's winningest pitcher and swattingest outfielder, Tacoma is going to be a might hard to head off in the remaining two-plus weeks of the season. The combine of hurler Bob Kerrigan and slugger Dick Greco worked to perfection Thursday night as the Tigers knocked off Victoria twice 2-1 and 5-3, stretching their percentage point lead over Yakima to a half game.
Kerrigan gave the Athletics only five hits in the seven-inning opener to mark up his 22nd victory against six defeats.
MARRIED AT PLATE
Married in front of “Greco Gardens” before the first game, Greco, who leads the league in home runs, hits, total bases and runs batted in, celebrated by batting in the winning run in the first game and scoring the untying run in the nightcap. The new Mrs. Greco is the former Evelyn Moore of Victoria, who must have watched the proceedings with mixed feelings.
Ron Smith was once more a tough-luck loser in the opener, dropping his seventh decision by one run when Greco singled in the clincher in the last inning. It was his 32nd one-run defeat handed the A’s, four of them by the Tigers.
John Marshall lost his tenth game trying for his 15th triumph in the nine-inning finale. The big righthander can blame himself for the setback, walking three men who later scored and starting Tacoma’s winning eight-inning rally by passing the first two Tiger hitters.
The A’s scored single runs in the first and second innings with Lou Novikoff and Marshall driving in Bob McGuire and Bill Dunn. A walk, a double by Mike Catron and a triple by Sol Israel made it 2.2 in the third.
A’s TAKE LEAD
Jim Moore’s triple and an outfield fly by Dunn put the A’s ahead in the fourth and they held their margin until the eighth. After Marshall had opened by walking Ron Gifford and Greco, Junior Krug messed up Wimpy Quinn’s ground ball and the Tigers had the sacks loaded with no one out. Orrin Snyder plated one run with a single and Jose Bache drove in Greco and Quinn with another one-base shot.
The A’s just missed tying it up in the ninth when Krug and Novikoff failed to reach “Greco Gardens” with long pokes with two runners on the bags.
The setbacks mathematically eliminated Victoria from the pennant race and moved the Tigers a half-game ahead of the Yakima Bears.
First Game
Victoria ............. 010 000 0—1-5-1
Tacoma ............ 010 000 1—2-7 0
Smith and Ronning; Kerrigan and Sheets.
Second Game
Victoria .......... 110 100 000—3-7-1
Tacoma .......... 002 000 03x—5-6-1
Marshall and Danielson; Knezovich, Anderson (5), Carter (8) and Fischer.

YAKIMA, Aug. 24—The Yakima Bears slugged Wenatchee 9-1 Thursday night.
Yakima was virtually handed its tilt as the Chiefs making five infield miscues good for as many unearned runs. The victor's Dick Larner gave up only six hits and shortstop Pete Coscarart singled four times in five trips to pace the win. Yakima swept the three game series.
Yakima ............... 200 103 021—9-11-1
Wenatchee ......... 000 000 100—1- 6-5
Larner and Tiesiera; Ragni and Neal.

SPOKANE, Aug. 25 (Herald)—The Tri-City Braves were pretty much in the same position as an empty guest house today. There was hardly a pitcher left to go. Last night the Braves sent four hurlers to the mound to stop the thunder of the Spokane bats. The night before they had used three in losing, and last night, it was the same song, second chorus to the tune of 15.
Ward Rockey went all the way for the Indians. It was Cy Greenlaw on the hill for the Braves when the game opened, Dick Stone came on in the fourth, and was followed by Jim Olsen in the sixth. Ken Michelson came on in the seventh to finish out the game. Stone was charged with the loss, his sixth of the year against nine victories.
The losers had their best inning in the third when they counted four times 10 move out in front, the only time they led in the game. A three-run error by Leon Mohr, Spokane second baseman. after two were out started the Braves scoring spree. Mohr bobbled an infield roller hit by Clint Cameron. Neil Bryant then hit a sharp single through Mohr to score Cameron. But Spokane retaliated by pulling the same stunt of scoring four runs in the bottom of the third after two were out.
Ken Michelson gave up a pair of triples when he took over the hill job in the seventh. But the young right hander settled down after that and silenced the Indians.
The Braves open a four-game stand against Wenatchee tonight. The series could easily decide which team is going to
wind up in third place in the 1950 race.
Tri-City .......... 004 201 001— 8-10-1
Spokane .......... 104 304 30x—15-18-4
Greenlaw, Stone (3), Olsen (6), Michelson (7) and Pesut; Rockey and Weatherwax.

VANCOUVER, Aug. 24—Salem nipped Vancouver twice by 3-2 scores on Thursday.
Salem got its twin win the hard way, bunching three of its four hits off Bud Beasley in the third inning of the opener for two runs and combining five of its nine blows in the nightcap's sixth frame for three tallies. Two walks and and an error gave the Oregon runs their other run in the opener. John Tierney was credited with the nightcap triumph his first victory in nearly two months.
First Game
Vancouver ........... 100 100 0—2-10-1
Salem ................. 102 000 x—3-4-1
Beasley and Heisner; Costello and Beard.
Second Game
Vancouver ...... 000 002 000—2-8-0
Salem ............ 000 003 00x—3-9-0
Nicholas and Heisner, Brenner (3); Tierney, Osborn (8) and Martin.

INSIDE STUFF
Ty Cobb, Reno State Journal Sports Editor [from Aug. 25/50]
YAKIMA has been sending S.O.S. signs for Reno's star southpaw pitcher. Pat Monahan. He has been with the Silver Sox on option from the Western International League (Class B) team, and had a 12-7 record with Reno at this writing. Yakima, only a game out of first place in the WIL, lost its only southpaw [Ted Savarese] when the S. F. Seals decided to recall a lefty optionee. Reno doesn't want to part with Irish Patrick, naturally, and the contract does not stipulate any immediate recall term. On the other hand, Yakima and the Seals seem a fine source of future talent for the local independent club and it would behoove the Renos to stay on good terms with them. A recall means a little chunk of dough to the local club, too.
Two other Silver Sox players are optionees from other clubs, but will not be recalled before the season's end. One is Marv Diercks, tall outfielder with a magnificent throwing arm and a .300 batting average. He belongs to Salem of the Western International League, which is connected with Portland of the PCL.
First baseman Ed Whitney is owned by Bakersfield of the California League, of the Cleveland Indians' system. The latter have quite a bit of faith in Whitney's future and felt that he'd start rolling if he played steadily where he could develop.
Bud Beasley had a heart-breaker last night in what is probably his season's last start for Vancouver in the WIL, since he has to return to Reno High teaching chores in a few days. Threw a seven-inning four-hitter at Salem, but lost 3-2, although his teammates picked up 10 blows.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald News Editor [from Aug. 25/50]
The Tri-City Braves already have their eyes on a catcher for the 1968 baseball teams. It's the young son born to Mr. and Mrs. Nick Pesut yesterday. The Braves big catcher had been eagerly anticipating this event and particularly so the past few days. In fact he practically wore a path between where ever he was sitting and the nearest telephone booth. It's their first child.
Greco Gardens in Tacoma was the scene of a wedding last night. On the bridegrooms side was the slugging outfielder of the Tacoma Tigers for which the Garden was named. His bride was Miss Evelyn Moore, Victoria, B. C. and a sister of Jim Moore, infielder of the Athletics. Judge Hugh Rosellini of the Pierce County Superior Court, performed the ceremony. Local fans and merchants solved the newlyweds' furnishing problem. They supplied the couple with a complete houseful of furniture and appliances.
HERE'S A NIFTY
Mentioning better than average quotes brings to mind one we were told the other day. It happened when Edo Vanni, now with Spokane, was still playing ball for Victoria. If you've seen Vanni in action you'll recall that he can come up with quite a beef when he thinks he ump has called a bad one on him.
Well that was the situation this night out at Sanders Field. Vanni was jawing away and suddenly this fan cut loose. “That's right Vanni, you tell him. They can't do that to you. Tell him off Edo, don't let him get away with that. Besides the cherry crop is coming in pretty soon.”

Wednesday, August 23, 1950

S T A N D I N G S
              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 78 48 .619 —
Yakima ..... 80 50 .615 —
Tri-City ... 69 59 .539 10
Wenatchee .. 69 57 .535 10½
Victoria ... 58 71 .450 21½
Vancouver .. 53 71 .427 24
Salem ...... 52 75 .409 26½
Spokane .... 51 76 .402 27½

SPOKANE. Aug. 24 — A pair of one-run victories last night pulled Spokane within seven percentage points of climbing out of the cellar and knocked the Tri-City Braves out of a mathematical chance of winning the Western International League pennant. Spokane won the seven inning opener 6-5 and copped the nightcap 8-7.
Two high fly balls that got lost in the sun helped the Indians scalp the Braves in the first game. Both were hit into right field where Clint Cameron of the Braves met the sun and lost the balls, Glen Stetter and Joe Rossi were credited with the triples as the hits rolled to the fence. The two blows came inthe first inning and accounted for three runs, enough of a margin to insure the victory.
Lou McCollum went all the way for the Braves. It was his 12th loss of the season against 17 victories.
The Braves pulled ahead 5-4 and held that lead until the bottom of the seventh. Then Spokane put together four singles to hand John Conant his 14th win of the season. The Spokane hurler lost 16.
Dick Faber's single in the fourth drove in Clint Cameron and Buddy Peterson and Neil Bryant scored from third when McCollum grounded out.
The Braves went ahead in the fifth when Clint Cameron's double scored Jim Warner and Buddy Peterson's single sent Cameron the rest of the way from second.
LOSE THE SECOND
One inning accounted for all the Indian runs in the owl game. The barrage of base hits drove starter Gene Rocnspie and reliefer Jim Olsen from the mound.
Merle Frick came on to put out the fire. Frick came through in a big way for the losers holding Spokane well in check the rest of the route. The Braves had a strong going into the final inning but it was choked off when Nick Pesut grounded out. Pesut, a left-handed hitter, had come in as a pinch hitter for Jim McKeegan. However, Alan Strange, manager of the Indians kept pace with the strategy of Charlie Peterson, the Braves pilot, and sent Dick Yerkes, a portsider, to the mound. The switch paid off for Spokane when Yerkes forced Pesut to hit a ground ball to the second baseman for the final out of the game.
Dick Faber lifted the Braves to seven runs when his triple in the ninth scored Cameron and Peterson who had drawn walks. Then came the rapid switch of hitters and pitchers and the end of them.
First Game
Tri-City ..... 000 320 0—5 10 1
Spokane .... 310 002 x—6 12 3
Maitland and Weatherwax; McCollum and Pesut.
Second Game
Tri-City ...... 000 023 002—7 12 0
Spokane ..... 000 800 00x—8 10 1
Roenspie, Olsen (4), Frick (4) and McKeegan; Bishop, Aubertin (6), Yerkes (9) and Weatherwax.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 23—Clubbing out two onp-sided victories over the fourth place Wenatchee Chiefs, Yakima moved within four percentage points of the rained-out Tacoma Tigers atop the Western International league heap on Wednesday night. The Bears' twin wins, by scores of 5-0 and 7-2, left them all even with Tacoma's pacesetters in the won and lost column.
Spokane's cellar dwellers eked out a pair of one-run margins over third place Tri-City 6-5 and 8-7.
Yakima got effective hurling in both victories. Southpaw Lloyd Dickey gave up only six blows in administering his seven-inning whitewash and veteran Larry Powell, although touched for 14 baseknocks, kept them well-spaced. Bill Andrinff gathered six hits in 10 trips to the plate to pace the victors although it was Bill McCawley's three-run homer in the fourth inning which clinched the opener.
First Game
Yakima ......... 101 300 0—5 13 1
Wenatchee ... 000 000 0—0 6 1
Dickey and Tiesiera; Blankenship and Neal.
Second Game
Yakima ......... 120 040 000—7 8 1
Wenatchee ... 010 000 001—2 14 1
Powell and Tornay; Treichel, Breisinger (5) and Neal.

Victoria at Tacoma, postponed, rain.
Vancouver at Salem, postponed, rain.

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 24, 1950}
Although all but the most unreasonable will admit that the A’s couldn’t have won the pennant this season with Eddie Sawyer as manager, a surprising number of baseball fans believe the club would have been a lot closer under different management. Marty Krug, right or wrong, has failed to sell himself to the paying customers.
Probably much of the complaint over Victoria managing stems from what proved to be over-optimistic Spring-training reports—and I admit my share of the guilt right here—on the A’s and Marty, who was pictures as sort of a veteran miracle man who could take mediocre material and lead it to the top. When he was confronted with just that task and failed, the ensuing criticism was to be expected.
Most of the criticism levelled at Marty has been based on nothing more than unjustified personal dislike by some fans for a man they have never met. He has made his share of mistakes but he has also taken the blame because his players failed to make his strategy good by their inabiliyity to successfully carry out his orders. It shouldn’t be forgotten that strategy is not necessarily good because it worked or bad because it failed.
However, those who claim that Marty has been unable to get the most out of his players are at least partially correct. Although reports of dissention have been exaggerated, it is no secret that the A’s this season have never had proper management-player relationship. The question is whether any manager could have reached that state with the varied group which make up the 1950 A’s.
Too sparing with his praise and sometimes deprecating, Marty can be faulted for not making more of an effort to get the most out of some of his players, but he will never understand any player who has to be coaxed or threatened to give his best. He has no desire to cater to the player who needs “handling” and there will always be a few of them on every class “B” club. Unfortunately for Marty’s managerial return and the club fortunes, there have been too many A’s in that category this season.
It is understandable that fans believe that the A’s could have been higher. The club has enough potential ability to be among the contenders and, at times, shows flashes of that ability. But it has been held back by some players whose only interest in baseball is their pay cheque and the opportunity it affords a good time. Perhaps another manager might have done better but few would be so ready to blame the manager if it were possible for them to know the whole story.
Random Harvest
Business Manager Reg Patterson is determined to get Dick Greco for the A’s next season and would even give up Gene Thompson for the Tacoma slugger, who should find Royal Athletic Park tailored to measure for his long clouts . . . Gil McDougald, second baseman of the 1949 A’s and now hitting .329 with Beaumont in the Texas League, was given a feature spot in last week’s Sporting News . . . Reg Clarkson won’t be permitted to play football for U.B.C. next season, having been declared ineligible by the National Collegiate ruling which makes any athlete competing as a pro in one sport ineligible to play in another . . . Hub Kittle, one-time W.I.L. favorite and now playing manager at Klamath Falls, has a 7-0 pitching record in the latest available Far West League statistics.

NON WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
59-Year Old Rookie
LANETT, Ala., Aug. 24 — It took Charley Milner of Riverdale, Ala., a long time to break into professional baseball. Milner signed his first professional contract yesterday with the Valley Rebels of the class D Georgia—Alabama league at the spry age of 59. It was his birthday.
Once in pro ball he went quickly to work. He opened the Opelika, Ala.-Valley game last night and lasted for four innings when a pinch hitter replaced him. During his stint he gave four singles and allowed one run. The Rebels lost the game 5-2, but the 59-year-old rookie wasn't the losing pitcher.

Tuesday, August 22, 1950

Rain Postpones All WIL Games
UNDATED, Aug. 22—Rain washed out the entire Western International league bill-of-fare tonight, forcing a complete round of doubleheaders Wednesday.
The program pairs Victoria at Tacoma, Yakima at Wenatchee, Tri-City at Spokane and Vancouver at Salem.
Johnny Price, baseball stuntman and comedian, will cavort on the sidelines between games at Tacoma.

WIL Pitching Leaders
TACOMA, Aug. 23— Although tagged for the second defeat of the season last week during the course of Victoria's six-game winning streak against the Capilanos, Vancouver's Sandy Robertson continues to pace the Western International League's regular moundsmen with a 12-2 record.
Meanwhile, however, a solid threat to Robertson's slinging supremacy is appearing in the person of Dewey Soriano, Yakima's pitching prexy, who notched his sixth success without a setback since the last tabulation and now needs only a couple of additional verdicts to be eligible for consideration in the W-I elbowing derby.
Tacoma's Bob Kerrigan, who hurled his 20th and 21st wins last week, remained in the third spot, in addition to have posted the top victory total. Kerrigan has lost six.
In second place with an 8-2 record is Tri-City's Cy Greenlaw.
Having registered seven more strikeouts in two appearances, Yakima's Lloyd Dickey was far and away the whiff leader with a 190 total.
Don Ferrarese, Wenatchee southpaw, likewise retained the league lead in his specialty — bases on halls. Ferrarese issued six more passes during the week
for a total of 188.
                       W  L  SO  PCT
Robertson, Van. ..... 12  2  48 .857
Kerrigan, Tac. ...... 21  6 102 .778
Greenlaw, T-C ........ 8  2  86 .800
Stone, T-C ........... 9  5  57 .643
Ragni, Wen. ......... 16  9 139 .640
Larner, Yak. ........ 15  9  99 .625
Powell, Yak. ........ 11  7  68 .611
Marshall, Vic. ...... 14  9 153 .609
Dickey, Yak. ........ 14  9 190 .609
McCollum, T-C ....... 17 11  87 .607

ERIC WHITEHEAD’S FAN FARE
[Daily Province, Aug. 23, 1950]
It’s no secret along the old Oregon Trial that Robert Abel is on his way out as President of the Western International League.
As president of said league, Abel has proved to be an excellent Tacoma lawyer. His practise in Tacoma is certainly flourishing more brightly than his career in the WIL. Abel’s consistent alleged mishandling of protests, minor complaints, plus a notoriously bad selection of league umpires has caused the Coast B-circuit owners to start casting tentatively about for a successor to the bland Tacoman.
Although nominations are not in order, we have no hesitation now in forwarding the name of Robert Paul Brown of Vancouver, present business-manager of the local Capilanos.
If any man on this coast—or on this continent for that matter—has the necessarily qualifications for the job of boss of the WIL, then that man is Ruby Robert, the shrewd redhead from Minnesota.
Was A Long Haired-Boy
Now in his 51st hectic year of organized baseball, Bob has a background equalled by few, surpasses only by such reverent gentlemen as Connie Mack, the eternal Cornelius McGillicuddy of Philadelphia.
After playing halfback for Notre Dame in the 1890s (and era where the players wore no helmets, let their hair grow long for head protection) Bob came to the coast, practically weaned and father the old Northwest Pro League. He played alongside the immortal Joe Tinker, build a personal reputation as a battling that would have forever endeared him to the famed St. Louis Gang House gang generations later. He managed three ball clubs, had a hand in the first ball game ever played under the lights, sent dozens of young players into the higher leagues, many into the majors. He has personal contacts with practically every big league club in the business.
One of the best-known and most respected minor league executives in the game, Mr. Brown is known wherever the game is played. He never misses an annual meeting of the National Baseball Congress.
Norgan Would Support Bob
WIL presidents are elected by majority vote of the club owners.
The nominations of Brown would have the support of at least two other clubs in the WIL in addition to Vancouver. It would certainly get the vote of Salem, owned by George Norgan, and presumably, of the other Canadian club, Victoria.
Norgan has stated he would definitely support Brown’s nomination, and feels confident he could swing a major vote from the other league owners. This support by Norgan, who is oft and correctly reported at severe odds with the Capilano business manager, will come as somewhat of a surprise to many, including Mr. Brown, and there will be an inevitable search for an ulterior notice. However, whatever the motive, Norgan would plug for Brown as the next WIL president.
At present, the post is merely a part-time job with a $3000 per annum salary. However, recent inefficiencies seem to in-[unreadable] status should be scrapped, and the post made a full-time job with an increased salary to suit.
It would be very pleasant this time next year to be able to refer herein to “WIL president Robert P. Brown,” and it would be a long-overdue and eminently fitting tribute to the fine professional career of the distinguished 77-year-old dean of western baseball.

Monday, August 21, 1950

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

Pitcher's Duel Marred By Five Bear Errors
KENNEWICK, Aug. 22 (Don Becker, Herald) — There were 2,893 fans on hand at Sanders Field last night to see who was the better pitcher, Kenny Michelson of the Tri-City Braves, or Gene Conley property of the Boston Braves. And their question never did get an answer even though the Braves won their game 7-2 over the semi-pro Walla Walla Bears.
As far as the pitching statistics are concerned it was pretty much of an even battle between the two Tri-City stars. Each gave up but one earned run, Mlrhelson struck out four, while Conley got five on whiffs, and each walked three men.
What started out as a pitcher's duel fell apart in the sixth inning. Conley had given up just one hit to the Braves and had two out in the bottom of that inning before the comedy of errors set in. Clint Cameron started it off by lifting an easy high cloud buster to John Richardson, the Bears right fielder. However, Richardson diopped the ball, Conley walked the next two batters to load the bases. Neil Bryant then hit a roller to Wendell Dunham at second. Dunham kicked the ball around long enough to second Cameron in and keep the bases FOB.
HERE'S THE CLINCHER
Dick Faber put the clincher on the victory with a single that scored Peterson and Pesut. Michelson, making his third appearance at the plate, rapped a single to left and Ernie Pyne let the ball get past him to clear the bases and perch the Braves young hurler on third. And they weren't through yet. Al Spaeter picked up the third hit otf Conley with a single to score Michelson. Vic Buccola struck out to end the inning.
In many respects that inning resembled the lamous third of the night before when the Braves racked up 15 runs off Wenatchee.
Joe Beidler was the big stick for Walla Walla, The Bears shortstop rapped out two doubles and single in his four trips and counted the first score for the visitors. Beidler scored from second on Paul Chattelton's single.
The Bears notched their second run of the game in the eighth when Bob Dyer led off with a free pass. Then with two out Buidler smashed his second double to send Dyer all the way. However, an infield error prior to the score made it an unearned run.
CONLEY WAS ILL
Conley pitched the first six innings for the Bears and then was lifted for Jim Forsythe. The 20-year-old Richland star was in bed most of last week with the flu and only climbed back on his feet Sunday morning. However, despite his illness Conley
displayed all the ability that has sent the scouts clusteiihg around him.
Bad support behind him put Conley in several bad holes before the sixth opened. Yet the 6' 8" fast ball artist didn't get too disturbed. He maintained his calm and worked his way out of the jams.
Michelson displayed an amazing change over his spring training days. He had a good changeup that fooled the Bears several times, and seldom got behind the batter. He kept his fast ball in check using it only now and then, usually trying for a strikeout.
Although he gave up eight hits three of them were definitely of the scratch variety barely clearing the infield, while another was inches away from Bryant at third base. Aside from the hits only six balls got to the outfield and all of them were easy outs except one which sent Jim Warner back near the centerfield fence.
The Braves sparkled in the infield with two fast double-plays in the first two innings. Al Spaeter and Buddy Peterson teamed up for the first one, while Bryant and Buccola completed the second.
Walla Walla ...... 000 000 110— 2-8-5
Tri City ............ 000 006 10x— 7-6-1
Conley, Forsyth (7) and Hamper, Jorrison (8); Michelson and Pesut, McKeegan (8).

Stetter Stumbles But Keeps Lead
TACOMA, Aug. 22 — After building up his batting average steadily over the period of more than a month, Spokane's Glen Stetter nosedived 13 points last week, but his .367 average was still good enough to top the Western International League hit parade.
While Stetter was being "cooled off" by Wenatchee and Yakima pitchers, who gave the squat swatsmith only three hits in 23 trips, Tacoma's Dick Greco was strengthening his hold on the runner-up spot by macing 12 blows in 31 trips, hiking his willow mark four points to .358.
In third place was Yakima's Bill McCauley at .338, up one point from a week ago.
Greco batted in 11 runs during the week for a season's total of 131, as against the next best aggregate of 105 by Yakima's Jim Westlaken who had pounded six mates across since the last tabulation. Jim Warner of Tri-City was next in line with 103, five more than a week ago.
Three of Greco's dozen hits were homers, giving him a total of 30 for the campaign, eight more than Victoria's Gene Thompson, who was blanked in the boundary-belt department during the Athletics' week-long series with Vancouver.
The other leaders likewise remained stationary, Spokane's Joe Rossi and Tri-City's Warner failing to increase their totals of 17 and 16, respectively.

Sunday, August 20, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 78 48 .619 —
Yakima ..... 78 50 .609 1
Tri-City ... 69 57 .548 9
Wenatchee .. 69 55 .543 9½
Victoria ... 58 71 .450 20
Vancouver .. 53 71 .427 23
Salem ...... 52 75 .409 26½
Spokane .... 49 76 .392 28½

Tacoma In Lead For WIL Pennant
By FRANK VAILLE
Associated Press Sportswriter
UNDATED, Aug. 21—Western International League fans—and the Yakima Bears in particular—were asking today: How long can Tacoma keep it up? "It" being the Tigers' winning ways.
Tacoma dropped Salem twice yesterday 7 5 and 1-0 for its 16th victory in 18 starts and the fifth in a row. Yakima dropped Spokane 10-2 but fell a full game behind the pace-setting Tigers.
The front-running Tacomans were outhit in both Sunday contests and had to come from behind twice in the first game before going in front to stay on Dick Greco's 30th home run of the year. In the seven-inning finale, Salem's Bill Osborn pitched three-hit ball, but the Tigers bunched two of them behind a walk in the second frame to score Orrin Snyder with the game's lone tally Tom Kipp twirled a five-hitter for the victors.
All the league parks are scheduled to be dark tonight. Play resumes tomorrow night with Victoria taking its six game winning streak to Tacoma, Yakima moving in against slipping Wenatchee, Tri-City invading Spokane, and Vancouver going to Salem.

TACOMA, Aug. 20—A walk and successive singles by Bill Sheets and Jose Bache scored Orrin Snyder with the lone and winning run Sunday night as Tacoma nosed out Salem 1-0 in a seven-inning nightcap to a twin bill. Tacoma captured the opener 7-5 to sweep the series.
First Game
Salem ....... 100 021 001—5-15-1
Tacoma ..... 200 012 02x—7- 9-1
Valentine and Martin; Loust, Anderson (6) and Fischer.
Second Game
Salem ....... 000 000 0—0-5-0
Tacoma ..... 010 000 x—1-3-0
Osborn and Beard; Kipp and Sheets.

SPOKANE, Aug. 20 — Bill Bradford scattered 10 hits for his twelfth victory of the year as the Yakima Bears beat the Spokane Indians here Sunday night. The score: 10-2.
Bill Andring, ex-University of Washington star, banged out 11 hits in 18 times at bat in the four game series for a .611 average.
Jim Holder was losing pitcher for the Indians.
Yakima ... 002 020 330—10-16-0
Spokane .. 100 001 000— 2-10-1
Bradford and Tiesiera; Holder, Rockey (5), Yerkes (8) and Weatherwax.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 20—The Tri-City Braves went hog wild on hits to defeat the Wenatchee Chiefs 27-2 here Sunday night in the Western International baseball league.
The Chiefs threw five pitchers into the game in a desperate effort to stop the Braves who went right on piling up hits.
The score stood 0-0 at the bottom of the third when the Braves went to bat. Six hits, three Wenatchee errors and five walks later the score was 15-0. Only two were earned runs.
Braves pitcher Nicholas pitched shut-out ball until the eighth when Hank Sciarra hit a home run. Wenatchee's 10 hits could only bring in one more score.
Nicholas also starred at the bat with two triples, a double, a single and six runs batted in. Clint Cameron shared honors with Nicholas by batting in eight.
Tri-City sent 52 men to bat.
- - - - -
KENNEWICK, Aug. 21 (Don Becker, Herald)—The Tri-City Braves smashed their way back into third place in the Western International League standings last night. And smashed is the word to describe the 27-2 whip lashing they gave five Wenatehee hurlers to depose the former third place team.
The 1,287 cash customers saw one fantastic inning in which the Braves racked up 13 runs. The count was just one short of the league record, 16, which is held by Spokane. The barrage of runs broke a 0-0 tie in the third inning. And it only took six base hits to do it. Three Wenatchee errors counted heavily in the stanza which used up three Chief hurlers before the Braves decided to call it a night. All in all five of them wound their way to and from the mound before the game ended.
For Joe Nicholas, the Braves winning pitcher, it was one of those games you dream about. Not only did he hold the Chiefs well in check most of the nine-inning route, but Joe also starred at the plate. His two triples, a double and a single, accounted for six of the winning runs. Only Clint Cameron with eight runs batted in did better in that department.
There were 18 Braves at the plate in that fantastic third canto. Six of the players cleated the home plate twice. It was a sad affair for Tommy Breisinger, the Wenatchee ace left hander. He had a 12-5 record until the roof fell in. The Chief's [sic] star gave up four free passes, a single, and a base dealing double before he was lifted for Al Treichel.
Neil Bryant got the single to drive in two runs and Clint Cameron's double to the right field wall added three more. But if Breisinger had it rough, what happened to Treichel shouldn't. Every man that faced him scored. Finally Tommy Thompson, the Chiefs manager, took the hill to get the side out.
But the Braves didn't let up. They came back in the fourth to score four more runs off Don Ferrarese who appeared on the hill for Wenatchee in that inning. And just to show they weren't playing favorites the Braves belted Jerry Ballard, who finished out the last four innings, for a total of eight more runs.
There were more heroes on the Tri-City team than you could count Vic Buccola who had been in a bad way when it came to getting those base knocks, broke his dry spell with five hits in six trips. The league's best first baseman made them count, too, by driving home five runs.
Buddy Peterson also had a big night with the stick hitting safely four times in six tries, while Dick Faber hit a .750 clip with three for four.
Even the fans and the players got into the spirit of the occasion. In the eighth inning, for instance,with the score 25-1 Al Spaeter came to bat. An exuberant fan shouted out, "Come on Al, they're depending on you!" Whether the second baseman heard him or not is problematical but anyhow Spaeter rapped out a single to score Nicholas on third as a result of his second triple.
Hank Sciarra robbed Nicholas of a shutout in the eighth when he poled a pitch over the left field wall.
The final run of the game for Wenatchee came in the ninth after two were out. Art Billings got a single, moved to second on Joe Unfried's base hit and scored when Len Neal rapped a double, the second and final extra base hit for Wenatchee.
Wenatchee ........ 000 000 011— 2-10-3
Tri-City ............. 00(15) 401 52x—27-24-1
Breisinger, Treichel (3), Thompson (3), Ferrarese (4), Ballard (5) and Neal; Nicholas and Pesut, McKeegan (7).

ONLY GAMES SCHEDULED

IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang [Victoria Colonist, Aug. 20, 1950]
Selection of a W.I.L. all-star team this season should cause fewer difficulties than usual although there will be the usual differences of opinion. While the calibre of baseball has been up to standard, the league appears to have produced fewer standout players than in various seasons, particularly at some of the infield positions.
Complying with the annual request from league headquarters, this corner will attempt to name the best players art each position counting team value as being an important as statistics.
Starting behind the plate, the vote for the first team goes to Spokane’s Joe Rossi, one of the few bright spots of a drab season for the Indians. Rossi may not be as good a prospect as Yakima’s Nini Tornay but this season he has been far more valuable to his team.
Moving into infield nominations, one finds no particular standouts at first base or shortstop. Wimp Quinn, Tacoma, and Wally Westlake, Yakima, have been the most dangerous first basemen at the plate and Quinn gets the nod for the greater contribution to the success of the club. At shortstop, it is difficult to vote for Larry Neal, Wenatchee’s colored infielder, who has too often appeared as if he was not giving his best. Bud Peterson, Tri-City, is potentially the best of the top but he has had an in-and-out season. This vote goes to Ray Tran, the steady Vancouver veteran.
It’s a two-way fight at second and third base. Buddy Hjelmaa, Wenatchee, and Ron Gifford, Tacoma, are both excellent defensive players and both are hitting well over the .300 mark. A toss-up here with Gifford, a good prospect, getting a dubious vote. At third base, Don Fraccia, Wenatchee, appears to hold the edge over Yakima’s Reno Cheso although the latter is probably the better hitter at the moment. Fracchia is one of the best defence players to show in the W.I.L. for some time and he has a chance to go all the way.
Thompson, Marshall Get Votes
Naming the top three outfielders is comparatively easy. Dick Greco, the slugging Tacoman, is a must for right field. Nor will many argue with the selection of Gene Thompson for left field. Having his best season, Thompson has been one of the few Victoria hopes who came up to expectations. The big fellow has fielded and thrown exceptionally well and his work on the bases is better than most fans realize. At the plate, he has been a consistent .330 hitter with 22 home runs, 31 doubles and nine triples already to his credit. He will bat in and also score over 100 runs this season.
That leaves centre field open and this vote goes to Jim Warner, the Tri-City veteran who has recovered from his slump and is now pounding the ball with an average of .330. Warner is also one of the better defensive outfielders.
That leaves off Glen Stetter, almost certain to capture the hitting championship but whose defensive weaknesses are great enough so that he can’t be ranked with the above trio. Walt Pocekay, Wenatchee, and Bill McCawley, Bill Andering and Jerry Zuvella, Yakima, are good outfielders. Reg Clarkson’s bad arm and Edo Vanni’s defection as a team player put them out of consideration.
Pitching the two southpaw pitchers is the easiest of all. Off their records, there can be no doubt that Bob Kerrigan, Tacoma’s 21-game winner, and Jay Ragni, Wenatcee’s converted outfielder, are the best. The right-handed selection of the four-man mound staff is more difficult. John Marshall can be the best but his recent outs haven’t been up to the usual standard. Just the same, he has won 14 games for a second-division club and must get a call. Sandy Robertson’s record is marred by the fact he is strictly a home-park operator so the other vote from here goes to Lou McCollum, the steady old man of the Tri-City staff.
Naming of a manager was not requested by the vote would go to Jim Brillheart, the dour Tacoma field boss. Brillheart has driven what is not an outstanding club back into the lead after losing his big early margin.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20—24-year-old Teddy Savarese, up from the Yakima, Wash., farm, won his PCL game today, an 11-9 victory over Oakland in the first game of a double header at Seals Stadium.
Brooks Holder's two-run double in the seventh provided the margin of victory.

Saturday, August 19, 1950

S T A N D I N G S
              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 76 48 .613 —
Yakima ..... 77 50 .606 ½
Wenatchee .. 69 57 .595 8
Tri-City ... 68 57 .591 8½
Victoria ... 58 71 .450 20½
Vancouver .. 53 71 .427 24
Salem ...... 52 73 .416 24½
Spokane .... 49 75 .395 27

TACOMA, Aug. 19 — Tacoma's front-running Tigers notched their third straight victory and their 14th in 16 starts by pummeling a pair of Salem pitchers for 17 hits and an 8-3 decision over the Senators in their game here Saturday night.
Salem ......... 000 000 003—3 6 1
Tacoma ...... 104 010 11x—8 17 2
Burak, Lew (3) and Martin; Knezovich and Sheets.

First Game
Yakima ..... 031 004 4—12 13 1
Spokane ... 110 000 0— 2 8 2
Larner, Orengo (7) and Tiesiera; Yerkes, Aubertin (5) and Weatherwax.
Second Game
Yakima ..... 020 110 400—8 8 0
Spokane ... 000 100 000—1 7 0
Soriano and Tiesiera; Roberts, Curran (7) and Weatherwax.

KENNEWICK, Aug. 19—Outhit 11-5, Tri-City managed to down Wenatchee 6-5 in the second game of a doubleheader here Saturday night.
Tri-City won the first game 2-1.
First Game
Wenatchee ..... 100 000 0—1 5 0
Tri-City .......... 001 000 1—2 8 1
Dahle and Billings; Orrell and Pesut.
Second Game
Wenatchee ...... 200 000 021—5 11 1
Tri-City ........... 002 040 00x—6 5 3
Ferrarese, Blankenship (8) and Neal, Billings (8); Greenlaw, Frick (3) and Pesut.

VICTORIA, [Colonist, Aug. 20]—Playing like the club they were touted to be last Spring, Victoria Athletics yesterday extended their winning streak—longest of the season—to six games by taking two games from the Vancouver Capilanos, 6-1 and 4-3, for a sweep of the current series.
Jim Hedgecock and John Marshall continued to give the A’s the excellent pitching which has been a feature of the win streak, made solely at the expense of the Caps. Hedgecock scored his 12th win, four of them against his ex-teammates, in the afternoon game, while Marshall came up with No. 14 in the arclight finale.
MARVEL AT CHANGE
Crowds totalling 3,500 watched the rejuvenated A’s move two and a half games ahead of the Caps in their private battle for leadership of the W.I.L.’s second division and marvelled at the change in the club which never seemed able to get a win streak well started.
Since the Caps scored 12 runs in the third inning of the Tuesday game at Vancouver and went on to a 15-5 triumph, they haven’t been able to do a thing with the Victoria mound staff. In rattling off the six in a row, Victoria pitchers have limited the Caps to eight runs with Ron Smith, Hedgecock, Propst, Wilkie, Hedgecock again, and Marshall doing the tossing.
ERRORS DECREASE
Probably the biggest reason for the sudden improvement in what was expected to be the league’s best staff in pre-season reports, is the sudden stiffening of the club’s infield play. Close followers will have noticed a big drop in the number of errors and steady customers must have noted the fine defensive play of Shortstop Bill Dunn and Third-Baseman John Hack during the Vancouver series. Both came up with a series of good plays yesterday which gave both Hedgecock and Marshall a lift.
Hedgecock has seldom been better than he was yesterday. The slim southpaw had perfect control of a mocking knuckleball which baffled Vancouver hitters. He had a two-hitter going into the ninth and would up with a four-hit performance. He lost his shutout in the third when Len Tran doubled and came home on two long flies to left field.
Jim Moore, another former Capilano, was Hedgecock’s biggest offensive help. Snapping a slump, the young second-baseman batted in three runs with a triple, double and single.
MORE TRILLING
Played before the larger crowd, the nightcap provided thrilling baseball with Marshall again giving his supporters the jitters before emerging on top when Lou Novikoff broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth with his tenth home run.
Hooked up in a battle with Bob Snyder, Marshall had runners on the bags in every inning but two, but escaped damage except in the fifth, when a bad-bounce double, a cheap infield hit, two solid singles and an error gave the Caps a 3-0 lead.
Moore put the A’s back in the game in the sixth when he tripled in two runs and scored the equilizer after Hack flew out. Novikoff’s game-winning home run was a tremendous clout of a low fast ball which the big fellow golfed out of the park.
EXTRA ENTERTAINMENT
Despite the closeness of the score, Marshall took time out to provide extra entertainment for his faithful followers. He got an unmerciful ribbing from the Vancouver bench but had the last laugh. He put himself in trouble by careless pitching a couple of times and then pitched out of it. At the plate, he combed Snyder for two well-tagged singles, the first of them his second hit of the season from the first-base side. He moved over after fouling a pitch off and then getting knocked down by Snyder’s next delivery and rapped a fast ball right through the box.
The A’s spend the next 12 days on the road. They play an exhibition game at Mt. Vernon tonight and then play series at Tacoma, Yakima and Vancouver before returning home to finish out the season with 12 straight games at Athletic Park.
Out of contention, the A’s will have plenty to say about the pennant winner. The two final series, each four games, are against the Tigers and the Bears. They meet the top two clubs in 15 of the 22 games left on their schedule.
First Game
Vancouver ...... 001 000 000—1 6 1
Victoria .......... 022 000 02x—6 10 1
King, Alvari (3) Gunnarson (8) and Heisner; Hedgecock and Ronning.
Second Game
Vancouver ....... 000 030 000—3 8 1
Victoria ........... 000 003 01x—4 9 2
Snyder and Heisner; Marshall and Danielson.