W L Pct GB
Tacoma ..... 45 33 .577 —
Wenatchee .. 46 35 .568 ½
Yakima ..... 45 35 .563 1
Tri-City ... 46 37 .554 1½
Spokane .... 37 44 .457 9½
Salem ...... 34 44 .436 11
Victoria ... 35 47 .427 12
Vancouver .. 32 45 .416 12½
WENATCHEE, July 8—The Wenatchee Chiefs pulled to within one-half game of the Tacoma Tigers by defeating the league-leaders 7 to 4 here tonight.
An inside-the-park home run by Chiefs rightfielder Joe Unfried with two on in the eighth proved to be the margin of victory. The ball got past Sol Israel in centre field.
Tacoma ........... 001 001 002— 4- 7-0
Wenatchee ...... 000 004 03x— 7-11-3
Loust, Anderson (7) and Sheets, Blankenship and Len Neal
YAKIMA, July 8—Held hitless for the first three innings, the Yakima Bears got to the veteran Bob Snyder and his reliefer, Bob Brunner, for 10 hits ever the last five frames to win a 6-2 Western International League victory over the Vancouver Capilanos tonight.
Reno Cheso batted in three runs with as many hits.
Vancouver ... 000 100 010—2- 9-0
Yakima ........ 000 101 40x—6-10-0
Snyder, Bruenner (8) and Heisner; Domenichelli and Tiesiera.
SPOKANE, July 8—(AP)—Victoria's Athletics exploded for five runs in the last inning of a Western International League twin-bill opener to trounce the Spokane Indians 6 to 4.
The Indians were leading 4 to 1 when pitcher Jim Holder loaded the bases with just one out in the final frame. Marty Krug Jr. and Jim Moore started with walks and Ron Smith was sent in to bat for Warren Noyes. He came through with an infield single to load the bags.
Murray O'Flynn, Spokane's clown and ace relief hurler, went to the mound at that point. John Hack singled in two runs, and Jim Wert banged out his third hit, scoring Smith with the tying run. Bill Dunn flew out, but Al Ronning walked and Bill Weatherwax singled in the winner. An error on the play sent in the fifth run.
John Marshall came in to protect the lead in the Spokane seventh and give Noyes his first victory.
Frank Matoh batted in three of Spokane's runs with a double and a single, while Moore singled behind Krug's double for Victoria's first tally.
A feature of the first game was four stolen bases by Spokane in the second inning that failed to produce a run. Murphy walked and stole second with one out. Norm Grabar walked and the runners pulled a double steal. Murphy was cut down at the plate on Chuck Davis' ground ball to Moore. Davis stole second withb Grabar holding third but Jim Hedgecock struck out Holder to end the inning.
In the night game, the Indians put two across the board in the ninth inning off Jim Propst, who suffered a loss of control, to win 4-3. Two walks, a pair of hits, a sacrifice and an error proved to be his undoing.
First Game
Victoria ......... 001 000 5—6-12-0
Spokane ........ 002 020 0—4- 7-1
Hedgecock, Noyes (6), Marshall (7) and Ronning; Holder, O'Flynn (7) and Rossi.
Second Game
Victoria ......... 000 012 000—3 9 3
Spokane ........ 000 200 002—4 6 1
Propst and Weatherwax, Bishop and Courage.
KENNEWICK, July 8 — Tri-City's Braves edged the Salem Senators 3 to 2 Saturday night in the first game of a Western International leadgue double-header.
The Braves' two runs in the fifth inning, unearned, were scored on two errors by third sacker Wade Peterson. Dick Faber, Tri-City left fielder, scored the winning run in the sixth when his walk was followed by shortshop Buddy Peterson's single and catcher Nick Pesut's drive to left field.
The Senators' two runs came in the seventh inning. Catcher Bill Beard doubled and came home on a single by shortstop Wally Scott and a triple by left fielder Lud Lew. Gene Gaviglio flyed to center field to bring home pitcher Costello home from third with the second run.
- - - - -
KENNEWICK, July 9 [Becker, Herald] — Base hits were as numerous as the raindrops at Sanders Field last night where the Tri-City Braves split a pair of Western International league games, 3-2, and 10-6.
Last night's attendance figure brought the season's total to within 232 of the 50,000 mark. This figure should be easily topped if the two teams are able to play tonight.
Nick Pesut's long fly ball in the end of tho sixth inning of the opcaer to score Dick Faber proved to be the winning run of the game. The Braves scored two in the fifth on Vic Buccola's double and a pair of errors by Salem's third baseman, Wayne Peterson.
LOU WINS ANOTHER
Lou McCollum cranked out his 12th victory of the season in the seven-inning opener. He had a shutout going into the final stanza. But catcher Bill Beard broke the spell with a double and moved to third on Wally Scott's single. Lud Lew, pinch-hitting for starter Bob Costello rapped a triple to the fence scoring both runs and robbing McCollum of his blank.
There was a combined total of four home runs, a triple, and four doubles in tho owl game. The teams split the four-masters even, Jim Warner and Cy Greenlaw dropping them over the fence for the Braves. For Salem it was Dick Bartle and Gene Gaviglio.
The Braves fell on Costello in the first like a long lost cousin. But the right-hander from Vancouver, turned a cold shoulder the rest of tho route while his teammates wore battering Tri-City's starter, Joe Nicholas, from the mound with eight hits and six runs.
TWO BIG INNINGS
Salem did things in a big way twice last night in that final one bofore 2,108 somewhat dampish fans.
Bartle unloaded his four-bagger with one on and Lew got his second tripls of the night with another Solon idling on the basepaths. The clincher came in the Salem eighth when two Brave errors and Gaviglio's base cleaner counted four moro. Three of the runs were unearned.
Four of the Tri-City runs came as a result of Warner's and Greenlaw's terrific blasts. Warner slammed the offering pitch to score Vic Buccola in front of him in the first. With two out Greenlaw caught one of Costello's pitches on tho nose and sailed it across the right field boundary with Neil Biyant aboard in the Braves' fourth.
The two teams finish out their four game series tonight at 7:30 with Salem needing a win to get a 50-50 break in the set-to.
Gene Roenspie is most likely to walk to the hill for the Braves while Ad Liska is sending his ace hurler, Tierney.
First Game
Salem ........ 000 000 2—2 6 2
Tri-City ...... 000 021 X—3 3 0
Costello and Beard; McCollum and Pesut.
Second Game
Salem ....... 002 400 040—10 10 2
Tri-City ..... 200 200 002—6 13 3
Lew and Beard; Nicholas, Greenlaw (4), Olsen (9) and Pesut.
Feliz Cut By Braves
KENNEWICK, July 9—Bob Felizzatto, left handed pitcher recalled from Pittsburgh of the Far West league two weeks ago was given his outright release last night by the Tri-City Braves. Felizzatto did not disclose his future plans.
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor
[July 9/50]
When Merle Frick first joined the Braves he was listed as a pitcher. And for that matter he still is. But since we've been him hammer opposing hurling with home runs and doubles, it's our candid opinion Merle would do well to throw away the toe-plate. Going into Saturday night's double-header the 22 year old who patrols Clint Cameron's beat, was hitting .377. His fielding leaves something to be desired, but Frick is big, strong, and fast. It wouldn't take him long to learn to play the outfield.
Charlie Petersen told us that Fnck was a strong boy the plate and so of course uw waited each time he came up for one to clear the wall. But Merle got away to a slow start and we were beginning to think perhaps a year and the sore arm had dulled his batting eye. But no more. Friday night convinced us. Until he flied out his last time at bat in Friday's game Frick had hit safely in his eight previous official times at the plate. There was one walk midway which doesn't count in the records. Unfortunately the incomplete records of the Western International League do not cover this type of record so there is no way of knowing whether Frick's efforts set a new one or not.
NO MORE IT DOESN'T
That old balk stunt that Vic Buccola and Jim Warner used so effectively in the early part of the season to steal second hasn't panned out lately, Warner has been nailed on his last two attempts and Vic's last effort also failed to come off. This was the play where the runner on first would break for second after the pitcher was set. Before the chukkers caught onto the scheme they would balk and the base runner would amble i n t o scoring position . But now the hurlers are just firing the ball to first and then catching the runner in the hot box. As a result of this maneuver Warner was out on a rundown that read in the score book, pitcher to first. That would baffle anyone who hadn't seen the game inasmuch as it was not a pickoff.
LACK OF HELP
The team that was a power in the league when the season opened is now flounding around in the second division every likelihood of remaining there. Salem's trouble stems from one thing. . .failure of the club owners to improve the material. There's no question that in Ad Liska they have one of the smartest managers in the league. Ad has been aiound baseball nearly all his life but it takes more than that to keep winning. You also need help.
This is one of the fallacies that always plagues a farm team. Portland of the Coast league owns Salem and they're having enough troubles of their own trying to stay in that race without bothering about Salem. And they don't seem willing to lay anything on the barrel-head to get outside talent. Most of the players the Solons have added to their lineup were released outright by other clubs.
Aside from Bob Cherry and Mel Wasley Salem hasn't another long ball hitter. And when you have a team weak with the stick then you must have pitching . If you'll recall it wasn't too long ago that our Braves lacked a good hurling staff. But despite the lack of good attendance then, the front office opened their purse strings and started buying more pitchers to give the fans a top club. And as far as that goes they're still looking for more and better talent right now.
Charlie Petersen told us that Fnck was a strong boy the plate and so of course uw waited each time he came up for one to clear the wall. But Merle got away to a slow start and we were beginning to think perhaps a year and the sore arm had dulled his batting eye. But no more. Friday night convinced us. Until he flied out his last time at bat in Friday's game Frick had hit safely in his eight previous official times at the plate. There was one walk midway which doesn't count in the records. Unfortunately the incomplete records of the Western International League do not cover this type of record so there is no way of knowing whether Frick's efforts set a new one or not.
NO MORE IT DOESN'T
That old balk stunt that Vic Buccola and Jim Warner used so effectively in the early part of the season to steal second hasn't panned out lately, Warner has been nailed on his last two attempts and Vic's last effort also failed to come off. This was the play where the runner on first would break for second after the pitcher was set. Before the chukkers caught onto the scheme they would balk and the base runner would amble i n t o scoring position . But now the hurlers are just firing the ball to first and then catching the runner in the hot box. As a result of this maneuver Warner was out on a rundown that read in the score book, pitcher to first. That would baffle anyone who hadn't seen the game inasmuch as it was not a pickoff.
LACK OF HELP
The team that was a power in the league when the season opened is now flounding around in the second division every likelihood of remaining there. Salem's trouble stems from one thing. . .failure of the club owners to improve the material. There's no question that in Ad Liska they have one of the smartest managers in the league. Ad has been aiound baseball nearly all his life but it takes more than that to keep winning. You also need help.
This is one of the fallacies that always plagues a farm team. Portland of the Coast league owns Salem and they're having enough troubles of their own trying to stay in that race without bothering about Salem. And they don't seem willing to lay anything on the barrel-head to get outside talent. Most of the players the Solons have added to their lineup were released outright by other clubs.
Aside from Bob Cherry and Mel Wasley Salem hasn't another long ball hitter. And when you have a team weak with the stick then you must have pitching . If you'll recall it wasn't too long ago that our Braves lacked a good hurling staff. But despite the lack of good attendance then, the front office opened their purse strings and started buying more pitchers to give the fans a top club. And as far as that goes they're still looking for more and better talent right now.
IT BEATS ME
By Jim Tang, Colonist, Sunday July 9, 1951
Biggest problem in the W.I.L. this season has been the work of the umpires. Not since the league was reorganized in 1946 has the calibre of the officiating been so low. Worst of all, nothing is being done about it, despite the clamor from fans, players, management and press in every W.I.L. city.
Umpires are always a prime target for the disgruntled but the officiating this season judged on an overall basis, can certainly be described as incompetent. Not more than four of the eight W.I.L. umpires can be described as reasonably good.
Victoria’s last home stand was a good example of what harm poor umpiring can do for baseball. Umpire Pearson had a bad week and contributed greatly to the lack of interesting baseball when he was behind the plate. His decision Friday night which cost the A’s a ball game was termed by mild-mannered Marty Krug as the worst he has seen in 42 years.
Any umpire can be expected to miss one from time to time and the argument here in nor with Umpire Pearson or his obviously ball call. It is with the fact that W.I.L. umpires this season for the most part are taking the easy way out.
They protect themselves on bad calls by throwing players out of the game and will seldom make a controversial decision against the home club. Go on the road with the A’s and you can understand why the club loses so many close decisions away from home. They lose almost all the close decisions during the game. Hitters likely to protest loudly seldom have a third strike called on them but the quieter players can expect almost anything.
You could cite incident after incident but why go on? The big thing is that nothing is being done. League president Bob Abel stands firmly behind his officials and refuses to put too much stock in protests. His stock answer is, “Tell me where I can get better ones.”
Now, that is Mr. Abel’s problem but there must be better umpires willing to work in a good Class “B” league than those he has found this year. If the W.I.L. is not willing to pay more money to attract better umpires, it is pursuing a short-sighted policy. A continual diet of bad umpiring will eventually cost more than good umpires. Too many games are not being decided on the merits of opposing clubs.
- - -
Olney Patterson, outfielder with the 1947 A’s, is playing with Frank Logue at Muskegon . . . Contrary to reports, the A’s are still not certain that K Chorlton will be returned Monday. Earl Sheely, general manager of the Seattle Rainiers, has promised to let the A’s know today and the chances are good.
By Jim Tang, Colonist, Sunday July 9, 1951
Biggest problem in the W.I.L. this season has been the work of the umpires. Not since the league was reorganized in 1946 has the calibre of the officiating been so low. Worst of all, nothing is being done about it, despite the clamor from fans, players, management and press in every W.I.L. city.
Umpires are always a prime target for the disgruntled but the officiating this season judged on an overall basis, can certainly be described as incompetent. Not more than four of the eight W.I.L. umpires can be described as reasonably good.
Victoria’s last home stand was a good example of what harm poor umpiring can do for baseball. Umpire Pearson had a bad week and contributed greatly to the lack of interesting baseball when he was behind the plate. His decision Friday night which cost the A’s a ball game was termed by mild-mannered Marty Krug as the worst he has seen in 42 years.
Any umpire can be expected to miss one from time to time and the argument here in nor with Umpire Pearson or his obviously ball call. It is with the fact that W.I.L. umpires this season for the most part are taking the easy way out.
They protect themselves on bad calls by throwing players out of the game and will seldom make a controversial decision against the home club. Go on the road with the A’s and you can understand why the club loses so many close decisions away from home. They lose almost all the close decisions during the game. Hitters likely to protest loudly seldom have a third strike called on them but the quieter players can expect almost anything.
You could cite incident after incident but why go on? The big thing is that nothing is being done. League president Bob Abel stands firmly behind his officials and refuses to put too much stock in protests. His stock answer is, “Tell me where I can get better ones.”
Now, that is Mr. Abel’s problem but there must be better umpires willing to work in a good Class “B” league than those he has found this year. If the W.I.L. is not willing to pay more money to attract better umpires, it is pursuing a short-sighted policy. A continual diet of bad umpiring will eventually cost more than good umpires. Too many games are not being decided on the merits of opposing clubs.
- - -
Olney Patterson, outfielder with the 1947 A’s, is playing with Frank Logue at Muskegon . . . Contrary to reports, the A’s are still not certain that K Chorlton will be returned Monday. Earl Sheely, general manager of the Seattle Rainiers, has promised to let the A’s know today and the chances are good.
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