Tuesday, July 4, 1950

W L PCT GB
Tacoma 43 31 .581 —
Yakima 42 33 .560 1½
Tri-City 43 34 .558 1½
Wenatchee 43 34 .558 1½
Spokane 33 41 .446 10
Salem 31 41 .438 10½
Victoria 33 44 .429 11½
Vancouver 30 43 .411 12½

WIL ROUNDUP
Tacoma had one consolation but two new problems tonight in its fight to retain its Western International League lead.
The consolation came in adding an additional half game to its lead over Yakima by splitting a Fourth of July twin bill with Victoria while the Bears were dropping two to Tri-City.
The problems were Tri-City and Wenatchee, both of which swept holiday doubleheaders to join Yakima in a virtual three-way tie for second—all 1½ games behind the pace-setters.

TACOMA; [Victoria Colonist, July 5, 1950]—Until this week, Tacoma Tigers had one of the most spacious centrefield territories in the W.I.L.
The Tigers also had Dick Greco, powerful outfield who generally hits straight away. Probably tired of seeing some of Greco’s best shots hailed down by fleet opposing centrefielders, the Tacoma management only last Saturday completed construction of a fence across the outfield which cut about 50 feet off the centrefield area.
This afternoon, the new fence paid its first dividend. It enabled the Tigers to earn an even split with the Victoria Athletics in an Independence Day double-header.
GRECO DOES IT
Ahead, 5-0, in the second game after edged out a 6-5 decision in the nine-inning opener, the Athletics suddenly saw their lead almost evaporate as Greco lofted a tremendously-high fly into the territory dubbed “Greco Gardens.” The bases were loaded. They went on to reserved the first-game score in the final inning when a bad throw on what should have been a game-ending double play permitted the tying and winning runs.
The Tigers, far from the good-looking ball club which only a month ago threatened to make a shambles of the W.I.L. race, were forced to use a catcher at third base and it was his boot in the fourth inning which set up five runs—unearned—for the A’s.
It seemed more than enough with Joe Mishasek breezing along apparently in complete control. The knickleballer weakened slightly in the fourth but pitched out of trouble. Then two singles and a walk loaded the bases and set the stage for Greco’s big clout in the fifth.
ERROR COSTLY
Greco also figured in the winning rally, singling behind a hit by Ron Gifford to put the first ten men on in the last frame. A sacrifice moved them into scoring position and manager Krug ordered the obvious strategy of passing Wenner. Fisher hit the second pitch to shortstop for what should have been a double play. Wenner was out at second but Moore hurried his throw to Wert and the ball went back to the stands. Greco plated the tying run and Gifford the tie-breaker.
Perhaps it was only the percentage catching up with the A’s. They barely staved off defeat in the opener. John Marshall had to cdome in to get the last two hitters with the tying and winning runs on the bags.
Off to a good start as they found Bob Kerrigan’s offerings to their liking, the A’s sent the ace southpaw in for a bath before the third inning was over. Kerrigan was racked for 11 hits before he was derricked in favor of Don Carter. Howveer, only Al Ronning’s bases- loaded triple in the third went for extra sacks and they managed only six runs. Carter came in to pitch shutout ball the rest of the way and almost won the game when Jim Hedgecock again weakened in the last going.
OUTFIELDERS SHINE
The Tigers made it 6-2 in the fifth and only a sparkling catch off his shoetops by Bob McGuire saved further damage. In the seventh, a sensational catch by Gene Thompson on Quinn’s bid for extra bases cut short a Tacoma rally after two runs were in. Hedgecock got through the eighth, although he walked two after two were out. In the ninth, singles by Israel, Gifford and Quinn around by pop-up by Greco made if 6-5 and left runners on third and first. Marshall was hurried in and took but six pitches to get dangerous Dick Wenner on strikes and Fisher on a pop.
On the bright side was the fine debut of McGuire as a regular. The ex-collegian picked up four hits in the two games and looked adequate in the outfield. John Hack proved that he probably won’t be the answer to the third-base problem which has plagued the club for five seasons. He made two errors in the second game and seemed obviously out of position. The A’s are hoping to announce the signing of a capable infielder within the next week.
First Game
Victoria ......... 114 000 000—6 12 1
Tacoma ......... 010 001 201—5 14 0
Hedgecock, Marshall (9) and Ronning; Kerrigan, Carter (3), Anderson (9) and Sheets.
Second Game
Victoria ......... 000 500 0—5 6 3
Tacoma ......... 000 040 2—6 10 3
Mishasek and Weatherwax, Ronning (7); Loust, Anderson (5) and Sheets.

KENNEWICK, Wash., July 4—Tri-City bumped Yakima 6-1 on Lou McCollum's six-hit pitching in the first game and edged out a 3-1 nine-inning margin on Joe Nicholas' eight-hit pitching and Dick Faber's two-run homer.
First Game
Yakima ....... 001 000 0—1 6 1
Tri-City ...... 021 210 x—6 10 1
Domenichelli and Tiesiera; McCollum and Pesut.
Second Game
Yakima ....... 000 100 000—1 8 3
Tri-City ...... 001 000 20x—3 11 1
Bradford and Tornay, Tiesiera (5); Nicholas and Pesut.

WENATCHEE, July 4—Wenatchee Chiefs swept a Western International League twin-bill from the Vancouver Capilanos here Tuesday by battering out an 11-3 win in the nightcap.
Wenatchee won the opener, an 8-7, eleven-inning thriller. In the second game, Vancouver starter Kevin King lasted only one-third of an inning as Wenatchee got off to a three-run lead.
By contrast, Tom Breisinger went the distance, allowing only three singles to Jim Robinson, Reg Clarkson and Bill Heisner.
Left fielder Walt Pocekay and first sacker Jerry Ballard each got four for five to lead the Wenatchee attack in the second contest. Ballard had eight hits for eleven times at bat in the doubleheader.
In the opener, Ballard knocked in the winning run with a bases-loaded bloop single as the Chiefs counted four times in their half of the eleventh inning.
Vancouver has scored three times to give starter Bob Snyder what appeared to be a safe 7-4 lead.
Manager Tommy Thompson walked and centre fielder Lil Arnerich singled to start the Wenatchee rally.
George Nicholas came in to relieve for Vancouver and after walking the first batter gave up four consecutive singles for the four Wenatchee runs.
Third baseman Robinson with two triples and a single and manager Bill Brenner with a double that started off the Capilanos’ three-run eleventh, were the hitting stars for Vancouver.
First Game
Vancouver ........ 101 002 000 03—7 11 2
Wenatchee ....... 000 002 101 04—8 17 2
Snyder, Nicholas (11) and Brenner; Blankenship, Ferrarese (7), Treichel (11) and Spurgeon.
Second Game
Vancouver ........ 000 100 002—3 3 2
Wenatchee ....... 311 000 33x—11 16 2
King, Beasley (1), Gunnarson (6) and Heisner; Breisinger and Spurgeon.

SPOKANE, July 4—Spokane's Jim Holder turned in a three-hit job in the first game of two as the Indians dumped Salem 6-1 in seven innings. Dick Bishop gave up only seven blows as Spokane swept the bill with a 4-1 margin in the finale.
First game
Salem ............ 001 000 0—1 3 0
Spokane ........ 100 401 x—6 6 0
Costello, Lineberger (4) and Beard, Allison (5); Holder and Rossi.
Second game
Salem ............ 000 000 001—1 7 0
Spokane ........ 102 000 01x—4 8 0
Lew and Beard; Bishop and Rossi.