Spokane .... 5 1 .833 —
Salem ...... 4 3 .571 1½
Tacoma ..... 4 3 .571 1½
Tri-City ... 4 3 .571 1½
Wenatchee .. 4 3 .571 1½
Yakima ..... 3 3 .500 2
Vancouver .. 2 5 .286 3½
Victoria ... 1 6 .143 4½
KENNEWICK, April 23—The Tacoma Tigers completed their four-game Western International league series with the Tri-City Braves by taking a 5 to 2 decision.
The game was the first that saw both starting pitchers go the full route. Both Joe Orrell of the Braves and Don Carter gave up eight hits. But two Brave errors coupled with bunched hitting on the part of the Tigers wrote the final score in the eighth and ninth innings. Until the opening of the eighth the score was knotted 2-2.
LAYS DOWN BUNT
Ronnie Gifford opened the top of the eighth for Tacoma with a bunt down the third base line and Jim McKeegan, young Brave catcher threw the ball over first baseman Vic Buccola's head permitting Gifford to go third. Right fielder Glen Stetter then rifled a single to score Gifford and Stetter went to third on Dick Wenner's single. Wimpy Quinn then socked a long fly to Charlie Petersen and Stetter scored after the catch.
Tacoma added another run for good measure in the ninth when Mike Catron opened with a single. Joe Orrell balked, his third of the evening, moving Catron to second. A pair of boots by Artie Wilson sent Catron across the plate.
RALLIES FALL SHORT
The Braves started several rallies but each time they just fell short. Three times, in the second, third, and fourth innings, they put base runners in scoring position, and each time they were left stranded. With one away in the second, Dick Faber and Artie Wilson were on second and first as the result of three singles that scored Neil Bryant but then McKeegan hit a double-play ball to second baseman Ronnie Gifford.
In the third Al Spaeter and Vic Buccola were on third and first with one away, but Carter forced the next two Braves to fly to center fielder, Dick Wenner, to stop the threat. The last chance for the Braves came in the fourth, when again with one out, Dick Faber lashed a double. And again Carter chalked up a strikeout and a fly to left fielder Stetter to put out the fire.
GETS STRIKEOUT EDGE
The hits were even, eight apiece, with Orrell of the Braves getting the best of the strikeouts, collecting a total of six to Carter's five. Al Spaeter, Braves second baseman, and rated one of the finest double-play artists in the league, continued to add to his laurels by figuring as the pivot man in another last night, and his fifth for the season. Neil Bryant, shortstop, and Artie Wilson, at third, have each figured in four, while Nick Pesut has been in two. Vic Buccola at first, has ended seven and started one.
Outstanding slugger for the Tigers was leftfielder Stetter, who drove in two runs and hit two doubles and a single.
BRAVES HIT ROAD
The Braves, minus the possible starting services of their hard-hitting outfielder, Clint Cameron, are now resting in preparation for a two series, seven game road trip that will carry them to Yakima and Tacoma before they return home May 2.
Cameron has appeared in the last two games solely in the role of a pinch-hitter. A slow healing operation on his heel, performed last winter, was opened up in a play at third base during the first game of the double-header Saturday night.
The Braves are due to depart for Yakima at 1 p. m. Tuesday for a three game series, then will move to Tacoma for a four game series including a doublebill on Sunday. Bob Felizzatto was named by Manager Charlie Petersen for the opening mound assignment against Yakima.
Tacoma ......... 100 010 021—5-8-0
Tri-City ......... 010 000 010—2-8-3
Carter and Sheets. Orrell and Pesut, McKeegan (1).
SPOKANE, April 23—The Spokane Indians grabbed both ends of a double-header from the Yakima Bears Sunday afternoon, 2 to 1 and 7 to 6.
The first tilt featured tight pitching and fielding. The second thrilled 2,083 fans with a four-run last-of-the-ninth Indian rally.
A single by catcher Joe Rossi and Eddie Murphy's double accounted for Spokane's winning tally in the first game. Pitcher John Conant went the seven-inning route for Spokane, holding the Bears to four hits.
In the second game, the Indians went into the bottom of the ninth trailing 6 to 3. Joe Rossi had homered with one on during the last half of the eighth.
A single and a walk at the start of Spokane's ninth-inning turn at bat brought on substitution of Lloyd Dickey for the Bears' starting pitcher, Dick Larner. Dickey fanned two, lost control He walked two batters to force in Spokane's fourth run. A balk and two more walks accounted for Indian runs five, six and seven.
First Game
Yakima ....... 000 100 0—1 4 1
Spokane ..... 000 110 x—2 8 1
Dominichelli and Tiessera; Conant and Rossi.
Second Game
Yakima ....... 020 030 100—6 6 1
Spokane ..... 000 100 024—7 8 4
Larner, Dickey (9) and Tornay; Werbowski, Roberts (5) and Rossi.
SALEM, April 23 — The Salem Senators swept both ends of their doubleheader with Vancouver Sunday, 1-0 and 6-5.
Ken Wyatt twirled the first win and allowed five hits. Salem's lone run came in the ninth on Bill Beard's double, an error and two walks by George Nicholas, the last forcing Beard across the plate.
A squeeze bunt by Hal Zurcher in the fifth inning of the second game, scoring Mel Wasley from third, amounted to the win in the second game. John Tierney, third Salem pitcher came to the rescue of Stan Gilson in the seventh to fan the last two Vancouver hitters with two runners on bases.
Three Salem errors gave the Caps three unearned runs in the fourth, after Ray Tran and Charley Mead had driven home two runs is the third frame. Hunk Anderson's wildness helped set up the first five Salem runs. Bob Brunner, who relieved Anderson in the fourth, was the losing pitcher.
Salem won the series, 3-1.
First Game
Vancouver ........ 000 000 000—0 5 1
Salem .............. 000 000 001—1 8 1
Nicholas and Heisner; Wyatt and Beard.
Second Game
Vancouver ........ 000 300 0—5 7 0
Salem .............. 021 210 x—6 9 3
Anderson, Brunner (4) and Motsinger; Walbel, Gilson (4), Tierney (7) and McMillan.
WENATCHEE, April 23—Wenatchee outscored Victoria 3 to 1 in a battle of lefthanded pitchers here Sunday night. The win gave Wenatchee the series three games to one. Victoria ended a losing streak in the afternoon game, 10-9.
The Chiefs combined two singles, a wild pitch and a double steal for two runs and the winning margin in the second inning of the night game.
Edo Vanni scored the only Victoria tally when he walked, stole second and went to third on the catcher's wild throw and came home on a weak infield roller by Marty Krug Jr.
The big bat of Vanni beat out a tattoo of basehits as the Victoria Athletics chalked up their first league win in the daylight, 10-4.
Vanni, signed Saturday by Victoria after being cut loose by the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast league, got a double and two singles in four trips and drove in three runs. Longest hits of the game were triples by Victoria's Al Smith and Wenatchee's Larry Neal.
Joe Mishasek was the winning hurler, and Al Treichel the loser.
First Game
Victoria ........... 000 440 200—10 9 0
Wenatchee ...... 000 000 022— 4 7 1
Mishasek, Jensen (9) and Weatherwax; Treichel, Stanford (5) and Fiscalini.
Second Game
Victoria ........... 100 000 000—1 5 0
Wenatchee ...... 002 000 10x—3 4 1
Wllke and Ronning; Dahle and Len Neal.
ON THE INSIDE
By Don Becker
Herald Sports Editor
[April 24, 1950]
Best gag of the current baseball season happened not on the playing field or in the clubhouse as you might reasonably suspect. Instead it took place in the Arrow Grill, Friday night after the game. That was the game you'll recall in which Jim Warner made two great running catches deep in the center garden to pull hurlers Les Logg and Ken Kleasner out of very nasty holes.
Warner happened to be sitting at the counter eating his customary big steak after the game, when the fellow sitting next to him started talking about the ball game. The point to remember here is that our unidentified hero did not know Warner. Anyhow, this baseball fan started to tell about Warner's great fielding efforts. Each time the fan mentioned Warner's name, Jim would interrupt and say, "Who did you say that was?" "Warner," the fan answered. "Who?" Jim would ask again. "Warner," yelled the fan louder. "Who?" Jim persisted. By this time the other diners aware of what was transpiring were taking a keen interest in the proceedings. "Warner! Warner! Warner!" screamed the fan. "Ah, yes, a ball player," quoted Jim, turning back to cut a piece of steak, while the place rocked with laughter. Warner emphatically denies that the whole thing was a plant just to get some laughs.
PRESSURE IS ON
When you're the only rookie in the regular starting lineup there's a lot of mental pressure going with the job. However, Artie Wilson, who holds down the hot corner for the Braves apparently isn't letting it bother him. Through that Sunday contest he was belting the ball at .346 clip. Friday night he picked up four for four, three of which were doubles.
Although he's made a few bobbles some of the plays that Artie has come up with more than compensate for them. The other night he made a beautiful back-handed stop of a line drive over the bag with all the aplomb of a veteran. And it was his quick thinking Friday that nailed Greco at third when Greco and Quinn were on the bag at the same time. This was the one that precipitated the big rhubarb, because the infield fly rule applied and Apparently only Wilson was aware of it.
SOMETHING'S WRONG HERE
We'd like to talk about this rule for a moment, but first here are the pertinent points to remember. With runners on first and second, or first, second, and third, and with one or less outs, if the batter lifts a fly to the infield, in fair territory, he is automatically out whether the ball is caught or not.
The umpires are supposed to call "Infield fly, if fair" when this occurs. It's hard to tell from the press box whether the umps are doing this or not. But this much is certain, either they are not calling this play, or the base runners aren't listening. Saturday night's final game has brought up practically the same situation as the one we mentioned previously except that so wrought up did catcher Bill Sheets of Tacoma get over the situation that he was ejected from the game by the umpires.
READY, ACTION, CALL 'EM
Here's the situation. Nick Pesut is on second and Neil Bryant on first for the Braves, with one away. Dick Faber lifts a high fly near third base and Mike Catron attempting to catch it missed it completely. Pesut, watching, started for third, while Sheets covered the, bag to take the throw from Catron. Pesut slid into the base with Sheets attempting to make the putout. The action took place with Sheets back toward the grandstand so we're not in any position to argue whether he was safe or not.
But, Umpire Nels Pearson, who could see the play called Pesut safe. Brother, did Sheets ever come up off that bag hot. He was literally steaming as he boiled over to Pearson. And he finally got the thumb.
The point we set out to make was this, either the players are not following the play closely enough when the infield fly rule applies or the umpires are failing to call it.
THE WOLVES WERE HOWLING
If Joe Lacovetti is the most popular umpire with the fans then it looks as though Nels Pearson gets the balm for being the most disliked. That's how it sounded Sunday night when the rabid Braves fans really climbed on Pearson's back and dug in their spurs. It always sounds like you're a tough loser when you say you got the bum decisions, but even the Tacoma players were taking exception to some of Pearson's calls.
It's beginning to look as though Manager Charlie Petersen or Catcher Jim McKeegan are going to find themselves doing a lot of patrolling down the right field garden way if Clint Cameron's heel continues to keep acting up. He hurt it again Saturday night in a play a third base and it's going to take time before it gets well again. Without Clint in the lineup the Braves may find their upcoming road trip a bit tougher than they thought, particularly that first series with the hard-hitting Yakima Bears.
NICK GETS THE BOOT
That flare up about Pearson that we mentioned a paragraph ago really broke loose in the first inning when Nick Pesut, challenged one of Pearson's calls. The argument waxed so hot that Petersen came down to cool things off, but Pesut stepped aside and scraped dirt over home plate. That did it. Said Pearson, "Out you go, nobody puts dirt on my plate." Thus the likeable Nick became the second player . . . and second catcher . . . to get the thumb.
Bill Sheets was the first when he took the full count Saturday night.
Warner happened to be sitting at the counter eating his customary big steak after the game, when the fellow sitting next to him started talking about the ball game. The point to remember here is that our unidentified hero did not know Warner. Anyhow, this baseball fan started to tell about Warner's great fielding efforts. Each time the fan mentioned Warner's name, Jim would interrupt and say, "Who did you say that was?" "Warner," the fan answered. "Who?" Jim would ask again. "Warner," yelled the fan louder. "Who?" Jim persisted. By this time the other diners aware of what was transpiring were taking a keen interest in the proceedings. "Warner! Warner! Warner!" screamed the fan. "Ah, yes, a ball player," quoted Jim, turning back to cut a piece of steak, while the place rocked with laughter. Warner emphatically denies that the whole thing was a plant just to get some laughs.
PRESSURE IS ON
When you're the only rookie in the regular starting lineup there's a lot of mental pressure going with the job. However, Artie Wilson, who holds down the hot corner for the Braves apparently isn't letting it bother him. Through that Sunday contest he was belting the ball at .346 clip. Friday night he picked up four for four, three of which were doubles.
Although he's made a few bobbles some of the plays that Artie has come up with more than compensate for them. The other night he made a beautiful back-handed stop of a line drive over the bag with all the aplomb of a veteran. And it was his quick thinking Friday that nailed Greco at third when Greco and Quinn were on the bag at the same time. This was the one that precipitated the big rhubarb, because the infield fly rule applied and Apparently only Wilson was aware of it.
SOMETHING'S WRONG HERE
We'd like to talk about this rule for a moment, but first here are the pertinent points to remember. With runners on first and second, or first, second, and third, and with one or less outs, if the batter lifts a fly to the infield, in fair territory, he is automatically out whether the ball is caught or not.
The umpires are supposed to call "Infield fly, if fair" when this occurs. It's hard to tell from the press box whether the umps are doing this or not. But this much is certain, either they are not calling this play, or the base runners aren't listening. Saturday night's final game has brought up practically the same situation as the one we mentioned previously except that so wrought up did catcher Bill Sheets of Tacoma get over the situation that he was ejected from the game by the umpires.
READY, ACTION, CALL 'EM
Here's the situation. Nick Pesut is on second and Neil Bryant on first for the Braves, with one away. Dick Faber lifts a high fly near third base and Mike Catron attempting to catch it missed it completely. Pesut, watching, started for third, while Sheets covered the, bag to take the throw from Catron. Pesut slid into the base with Sheets attempting to make the putout. The action took place with Sheets back toward the grandstand so we're not in any position to argue whether he was safe or not.
But, Umpire Nels Pearson, who could see the play called Pesut safe. Brother, did Sheets ever come up off that bag hot. He was literally steaming as he boiled over to Pearson. And he finally got the thumb.
The point we set out to make was this, either the players are not following the play closely enough when the infield fly rule applies or the umpires are failing to call it.
THE WOLVES WERE HOWLING
If Joe Lacovetti is the most popular umpire with the fans then it looks as though Nels Pearson gets the balm for being the most disliked. That's how it sounded Sunday night when the rabid Braves fans really climbed on Pearson's back and dug in their spurs. It always sounds like you're a tough loser when you say you got the bum decisions, but even the Tacoma players were taking exception to some of Pearson's calls.
It's beginning to look as though Manager Charlie Petersen or Catcher Jim McKeegan are going to find themselves doing a lot of patrolling down the right field garden way if Clint Cameron's heel continues to keep acting up. He hurt it again Saturday night in a play a third base and it's going to take time before it gets well again. Without Clint in the lineup the Braves may find their upcoming road trip a bit tougher than they thought, particularly that first series with the hard-hitting Yakima Bears.
NICK GETS THE BOOT
That flare up about Pearson that we mentioned a paragraph ago really broke loose in the first inning when Nick Pesut, challenged one of Pearson's calls. The argument waxed so hot that Petersen came down to cool things off, but Pesut stepped aside and scraped dirt over home plate. That did it. Said Pearson, "Out you go, nobody puts dirt on my plate." Thus the likeable Nick became the second player . . . and second catcher . . . to get the thumb.
Bill Sheets was the first when he took the full count Saturday night.
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