W L Pct GB
Yakima ...... 72 47 .605 —
Tacoma ...... 68 46 .596 1½
Wenatchee ... 66 52 .559 5½
Tri-City .... 64 53 .547 7½
Vancouver ... 51 64 .443 19
Victoria .... 51 69 .425 21½
Salem ....... 49 67 .422 21½
Spokane ..... 46 69 .400 24
YAKIMA, Aug. 11—Lloyd Dickie limited Wenatchee Chiefs to three hits to give the Yakima Bears a 5-3 triumph on Friday night. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the pace-setting Bears.
Wenatchee .... 110 000 001—3 3 5
Yakima .......... 001 140 00x—6 9 2
Ragni and Len Neal; Dickey and Tiesiera.
TACOMA, Aug. 11—The Tacoma Tigers gained a 6-5 decision over the cellar-dwelling Spokane Indians Friday night when an error by Glen Stetter, an ex-Tiger, permitted three unearnedruns in the midst of a four-run Tiger rally in the fourth.
Spokane ...... 103 000 010—5 12 3
Tacoma ....... 001 140 00x—6 9 2
Bishop, Roberts (8) and Rossi; Loust, Carter (3) and Fischer.
VANCOUVER, B.C., August 11 — Vancouver Capilanos dragged the game out of the fire Friday night when Jim Keating banged a 390-foot home run with one on to beat Tri-City, 6-5, and even the Western International league series at one game each.
Len Tran singled off reliefer Jim Olsen, was sacrificed down to second by Dick Sinovic, and scored ahead of Keating to win the game. The series continues Saturday with a double bill.
- - - - -
VANCOUVER, [Dan Ekman, Sun, Aug. 12]—The folks actually got a little too good run for their money last night at Capilano Stadium. Or don’t you agree that (1) new umpires, (2) a Vancouver win on a ninth-inning homer and (3) Bud Beasley contitute rather rich fare for one evening?
At least it wasn’t wasted, though, because 3100 fans filled the tired old yard to near capacity and got unexpected chills in addition to the chuckles they came for.
SANDY’S BIG CHANCE
It’s to be hoped they have something left in reserve tonight, for this is the best of them all in Sandy Robertson’s career. The homebrew right-hander, tied with Frank nelson at 12 games for the WIL’s consecutive win record, goes for sole possession at 8:15.Adding further to the local flavor to this double-bill day was the appearance of young Bill Whyte as starting pitcher in this afternoon’s game.
As we’ve tried to indicate, there was much doing in last night’s contest. Beasley, the strongest turnstile magnet to come along for years in the WIL, disappointed nobody. To his scarecrow windup and alarming batting stance he added a wild charge from the mound to first base in the sixth inning.
The purpose of this last manoeuvre, which is not recommended in purist pitching circles, was to pick off Tri-City baserunner Clint Cameron, who was lolling unconcernedly a few feet from the base. The fact that Clint got back safely didn’t detract a bit from the performance.
Though the odd Tri-City batsman appeared a trifle petulant, there was, in fact, a general display of whimsy. Jovial Nick Pesut and ’49 home run king Jim Warner entered wholeheartedly into the comedy, and there was, to coin a phrase, never a dull moment.
Particularly was this true of the ninth inning, wherein the Braves came charging from behind on three hits and an error to take a one-run lead. Lenny Tran started of the tense Cap half with a single to centre field and Dick Sinovic sacrificed him along.
Into the box then stepped rightfielder Jim Keating, who let one good hitting pitch go by, then went for a second bad one, and finally pounded out a high, inside fast ball over the left field fence for two runs and a Vancouver victory.
EVEN UMPS WELCOMED
Thus, Thursday night’s history repeated itself, but with a major change in big Jim’s role. In that game, too, Tri-City was leading 5-4 in the ninth and Keating represented the winning run—but he skied out.
Tri-City actually had little trouble in getting base hits off Beasley, who in the off-season is the completely serious director of physical education for all high schools in Reno, Nevada. The aging buffoon—he’s listed as 35, but laugh when you say that, pardner—gave up an even dozen, yet managed to get men out when it counted most.
Oh, yes, the umpires. Mike Hanich and Joe Iacovetti, top officiating team in the WIL, took over from the late, unlamented Mssrs. Regele and Bergmann. Never in baseball history were two clubs happier to see a pair of new bodies in blue suits.
Tri-City ........... 000 101 003—5 12 2
Vancouver ....... 030 001 002—6 10 1
Orrell, Nicholas (3), Olsen (9) and Pesut; Beasley and Heisler.
VICTORIA, Aug. 11—Playing like a team that had given up on itself, the Victoria Athletics took a 10-2 pasting from the Salem Senators on Friday night.
Bill Osborn pitched a six-hitter for the Solons and had given up only one dubious hit with two out in the sixth inning when an error by catcher Bill Beard gave Marty Krug Jr. life at the plate and he hit the next pitch for a double. Lou Novikoff followed with a single to end the shutout.
Bob Cherry and Al Drew, both former Athletics, led the 14-hit Salem attack against three Victoria pitchers. Cherry batted in four runs with a triple, double and single, and scored twice while Drew plated two runs with three singles and also scored twice.
Aldon Wilkie started and lasted only two innings, giving up four runs. Warren Noyes gave up four more in a six-inning relief stint and John Brkich was tagged for the final two in the last inning.
Salem .......... 220 010 302—10 14 1
Victoria ........ 000 001 010—2 6 1
Osborn and Beard; Wilkie, Noyes (3) Brkich (9) and Danielson.
ERIC WHITEHEAD’S FAN FARE
[Daily Province, Aug. 12?, 1950]
Ruby Robert Brown, business-manager of the Vancouver Capilanos, is not the Simon Flint-heart that some malignant gentlemen would have us believe. In fact, this past week, our Bob has displayed heart-warming proof of great religious depth and emotional capacity.
Each night at sundown, Bob has been seen to emerge from his box-office then turn and bow silently in the direction of Sandy Robertson while murmuring reverent passages from the latest audit report.
To say that Sandy is the apple of Robert’s eye would merely be putting the glint right where it belongs, because the local flinger, who goes out for his 13th straight tonight against Tri-City, has been the direct cause of a current box-office renaissance out at the stadium.
Proving once more that all the world loves a winner, Robertson, by dint of capable but unspectacular—but winning—pitching, has become the greatest drawing card seen hereabouts in many a moon.
• • •
The guy gets very few strikeouts; he’s got no blazing fast-ball a-la Bob Feller, he isn’t Daffy a-la Lefty Gomez; he doesn’t toss one-hitters, or two-hitters or even three-hitters.
The guy just wins. Sometimes by the skin of Bill Brenner’s teeth, but he wins. The fans who packed Cap Stadium last Monday to watch Sandy pick up number twelve showed how the locals feel about this simple formula. A near-sellout on a blue Monday is what you might call above-average business for a sixth-place club. And for tonight’s game probably three times the expected sell-out mob of 4000-plus would turn up if there was room.
All of which brings up a much-discussed point, to wit: How do Robertson’s teammates, particularly the other Caps pitchers, feel about all this?
• • •
There are folks who will tell you that professional jealousy is rearing its ugly noodle. That some of the full-time Cap hirelings who take all the bumps and knocks of the road trips resent this local boy staying home and stepping out of his comfy engineering office into “soft spots,” i.e.; before a home-town crowd.
Some will point significantly to the fact that Sandy was not overwhelmed on the field with congratulations immediately following that Monday game, we particularly note the attitude of Sandy’s team-mates as they dressed and showered.
Said Ray Tran:
”What a pitcher that kid is! He’s really great to play behind. If he gets into trouble—he gets himself out again. We don’t have to worry a bit about him.”
“Lucky?” said brother Len Tran. “Sure, he’s lucky once in a while. We all gotta be lucky. But we gotta be good to produce, too. This Sandy’s producing, ain’t he? He got it.”
• • •
And George Nicholas, the handsome, flashy New Yorker, who operates on a win-bonus pitching clause:
”Wish they’d hit behind me like they do behind Sandy. Sure. But no complaints. You win ‘em or you don’t. Sure, I lose six games because we get exactly no runs, but that’s the way it goes. They’ll probably hit for me some day when they don’t for Sandy. Things usually level out. And listen—with a 12-0 record, you gotta be good, that’s all.
You just couldn’t buy a bad word against the local boy. Ballplayers are just fans in uniforms—they love a winner, too.
[Daily Province, Aug. 12?, 1950]
Ruby Robert Brown, business-manager of the Vancouver Capilanos, is not the Simon Flint-heart that some malignant gentlemen would have us believe. In fact, this past week, our Bob has displayed heart-warming proof of great religious depth and emotional capacity.
Each night at sundown, Bob has been seen to emerge from his box-office then turn and bow silently in the direction of Sandy Robertson while murmuring reverent passages from the latest audit report.
To say that Sandy is the apple of Robert’s eye would merely be putting the glint right where it belongs, because the local flinger, who goes out for his 13th straight tonight against Tri-City, has been the direct cause of a current box-office renaissance out at the stadium.
Proving once more that all the world loves a winner, Robertson, by dint of capable but unspectacular—but winning—pitching, has become the greatest drawing card seen hereabouts in many a moon.
• • •
The guy gets very few strikeouts; he’s got no blazing fast-ball a-la Bob Feller, he isn’t Daffy a-la Lefty Gomez; he doesn’t toss one-hitters, or two-hitters or even three-hitters.
The guy just wins. Sometimes by the skin of Bill Brenner’s teeth, but he wins. The fans who packed Cap Stadium last Monday to watch Sandy pick up number twelve showed how the locals feel about this simple formula. A near-sellout on a blue Monday is what you might call above-average business for a sixth-place club. And for tonight’s game probably three times the expected sell-out mob of 4000-plus would turn up if there was room.
All of which brings up a much-discussed point, to wit: How do Robertson’s teammates, particularly the other Caps pitchers, feel about all this?
• • •
There are folks who will tell you that professional jealousy is rearing its ugly noodle. That some of the full-time Cap hirelings who take all the bumps and knocks of the road trips resent this local boy staying home and stepping out of his comfy engineering office into “soft spots,” i.e.; before a home-town crowd.
Some will point significantly to the fact that Sandy was not overwhelmed on the field with congratulations immediately following that Monday game, we particularly note the attitude of Sandy’s team-mates as they dressed and showered.
Said Ray Tran:
”What a pitcher that kid is! He’s really great to play behind. If he gets into trouble—he gets himself out again. We don’t have to worry a bit about him.”
“Lucky?” said brother Len Tran. “Sure, he’s lucky once in a while. We all gotta be lucky. But we gotta be good to produce, too. This Sandy’s producing, ain’t he? He got it.”
• • •
And George Nicholas, the handsome, flashy New Yorker, who operates on a win-bonus pitching clause:
”Wish they’d hit behind me like they do behind Sandy. Sure. But no complaints. You win ‘em or you don’t. Sure, I lose six games because we get exactly no runs, but that’s the way it goes. They’ll probably hit for me some day when they don’t for Sandy. Things usually level out. And listen—with a 12-0 record, you gotta be good, that’s all.
You just couldn’t buy a bad word against the local boy. Ballplayers are just fans in uniforms—they love a winner, too.
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