W L Pct. GB
Tacoma ..... 13 6 .684 —
Yakima ..... 13 7 .650 ½
Wenatchee .. 12 7 .632 1
Salem ...... 11 7 .611 1½
Tri-City .... 9 13 .409 5½
Vancouver ... 7 11 .389 5½
Spokane ..... 7 12 .386 6
Victoria .... 5 14 .268 8
VICTORIA, May 9—The Victoria Athletics shoved across enough runs in the bottom of the first to ride to an eventual 7-2 victory over the Tri-City Braves tonight behind the four-hit pitching of Eldon Wilkie. It was Wilkie's first decision in four starts. Lou McCollum who went the route for the Braves now has a .500 average with three wins against the same number of defeats. McCollum gave up 11 safeties.
Two Brave chances of staying in the ball game went by the boards, once on a double play in the seventh and the other on a strikeout with two men on base in the fourth.
Though there were two away in the top of the fourth things still didn't look too dark. Artie Wilson had doubled to score Vic Buccola and had moved Nick Pesut to third. However, Jim McKeegan went down swinging as Wilkie stifled the rally. Again Wilkie put out the fire in the seventh when he forced Kleasner to hit into a double play.
Charlie Petersen, manager of the Braves, will probably send Bob Felizzatto or Les Logg to the mound Wednesday night to open the final game of the current series with Victoria. Both teams hold one victory and Wednesday's tussle will be the deciding one.
Logg, one of tonight's probably starters, has a (1-1) record while Felizatto has not yet been charged with a loss or credited with a victory although he has appeared in several games. In his first mound effort the young left hander was lifted early and was not charged with the loss. Likewise in his second start Dick Stone came on to pitch the Braves to a win, coming from behind.
- - - - -
VICTORIA, B. C., May 9 (CP)—Aldon Wilkie supplied the pitching and Gene Thompson the punch Tuesday night as Victoria Athletics scored their fifth win of the season and evened their current series with a 7-2 triumph over Tri-City Braves.
Wilkie, who lost a six-hitter and four-hitter in his last two outs, limited the hard-hitting Braves to four hits and one earned run with a clever display of pitching.
Thompson clouted a three-run homer in the first inning and later batted in another run with a single to run his hitting streak to 12 games, his batting average to .411 and his runs batted in total to 18. The series concludes Wednesday night.
Tri-City ....... 000 100 100—2 4 2
Victoria ........ 303 100 00x—7 11 3
McCollum and Pesut; Wilkie and Ronning.
SALEM, May 9—Yakima lost its chance to over take idle Tacoma atop the standings by its inability to mass any of the hits garnered off Salem's ace moundsman John Tierney. He nailed his fifth straight pitching win without a loss Tuesday night as he tossed the Solons to a tight 3-2 victory over the Yakima Bears in the opener of a league series.
Tierney was touched for nine blows in his stint, one of them being an eighth inning home run
with the bags empty by Dick Steinhauer. The other Yakima marker came in the sixth as Reno Cheso and Steinhauer cracked singles.
The Solons reached the Yaks' Lloyd Dickey for ten hits, but combined two of them in the second inning with two walks and a wild pitch for a pair of runs. Salem got the decisive tally in the fifth as Dick Bartle doubled and registered via Mel Wasley's single.
Yakima ...... 000 001 010—2 9 0
Salem ......... 020 010 00x—3 10 0
Dickey and Tornay; Tierney and Beard.
WENATCHEE, May 9—Catcher Jim Fiscalini stroked a bases-loaded single to deep short in the 10th inning on Tuesday night to give Wenatchee Chiefs a 4-3 win over the Spokane Indians. Walt Pocekay scampered over from third with the winning run.
Spokane shortstop Charley Davis barely missed a force out at second base on the play.
The victory put Wenatchee into a knot with Yakima for the runner-up spot and was the fourth without a setback for Jay Ragni.
Spokane .......... 000 000 002 0—2 6 1
Wenatchee ...... 001 001 000 1—3 12 3
Roberts and Rossi; Ragni and Fiscalini.
Tacoma at Vancouver, postponed, rain.
Ten WI Hurlers Unbeaten So Far
TACOMA, May 9, — Tacoma's Bob Kerrigan and Salem's John Tierney are neck-and-neck at the head of the Western International league pitching class, each with four victories and no defeats, figures released Tuesday here by league officials revealed. These include games of Sunday, May 7.
Tierney achieved his fourth triumph by beating Spokane 4-3 in a Friday night game, while Kerrigan notched No. 4 with a 6-5 conquest of Victoria Saturday night, personally driving in the winning run.
Jay Ragni of Wenatchee, making his debut as a starting pitcher after a couple of seasons as an infielder and outfielder, and Bill Bradford of Yakima had both racked up 3-0 records.
Tom Breisinger of Wenatchee was the league strikeout leader with 36, a half-dozen more than teammate Don Ferrarese, but Ferrarese was in a class by himself at the business of dishing up walks with 37, far and away the circuit's top total.
The 10 leaders:
W L SO Pct.
Kerrigan, Tacoma ... 4 0 14 1.000
Tierney, Salem ..... 4 0 15 1.000
Ragni, Wenatchee ... 3 0 24 1.000
Bradford, Yakima ... 3 0 16 1.000
Lazor, Tacoma ...... 2 0 16 1.000
Loust, Tacoma ...... 2 0 9 1.000
Brock, Spokane ..... 1 0 6 1.000
Waibel, Salem ...... 1 0 7 1.000
Knezovich, Tacoma .. 1 0 6 1.000
Soriano, Yakima .... 1 0 4 1.000
ERIC WHITEHEAD’S FAN FARE
[from Daily Province, May 10, 1950]
Our Capilanos are undoubtedly the greatest “almost” club in the history of the WIL. They are also vivid proof of the old adage “A miss is as good as a mile.”
Mired deep in seventh place, nearly five full games behind the loop-leading Tacoma Tigers, your Caps could, but for one solitary, measly run, be out in front thumbing their noses at the pack.
Eleven losses to date—nine by a one-run margin, and they don’t pay off on also-rans.
The blues were deep in the Brownies’ front office Tuesday. Bob Brown, a shrewd publicity who has actually been known to chuckle heartily over an income tax return for the awed benefit of attendant newspapermen, was decidedly unhappy.
•••
His knotty pine seats were getting soaking wet; his pet rookie catcher, Roy Heisner was winging south to [unreadable] Sr.’s funeral; his prize centre-fielder, Reg Clarkson had come up with an ailing arm, his brand-new acquisition, Jim Keating was still on the missing-persons list, and Mr. Brown himself was chilled to the marrow.
“In my 51 years of organized baseball,” he mourned, “this is undoubtedly the coldest, wettest, miserablest, and everythingelsest spring I’ve ever encountered.”
But Bob is not the only front-office boss who would be happy to give this spring back to the Indians. Right across the country, from Flatbush to the Fraser Valley the damp chill of the worst spring in living memory has kept millions of customers glued to their firesides and their dollar bills.
[from Daily Province, May 10, 1950]
Our Capilanos are undoubtedly the greatest “almost” club in the history of the WIL. They are also vivid proof of the old adage “A miss is as good as a mile.”
Mired deep in seventh place, nearly five full games behind the loop-leading Tacoma Tigers, your Caps could, but for one solitary, measly run, be out in front thumbing their noses at the pack.
Eleven losses to date—nine by a one-run margin, and they don’t pay off on also-rans.
The blues were deep in the Brownies’ front office Tuesday. Bob Brown, a shrewd publicity who has actually been known to chuckle heartily over an income tax return for the awed benefit of attendant newspapermen, was decidedly unhappy.
•••
His knotty pine seats were getting soaking wet; his pet rookie catcher, Roy Heisner was winging south to [unreadable] Sr.’s funeral; his prize centre-fielder, Reg Clarkson had come up with an ailing arm, his brand-new acquisition, Jim Keating was still on the missing-persons list, and Mr. Brown himself was chilled to the marrow.
“In my 51 years of organized baseball,” he mourned, “this is undoubtedly the coldest, wettest, miserablest, and everythingelsest spring I’ve ever encountered.”
But Bob is not the only front-office boss who would be happy to give this spring back to the Indians. Right across the country, from Flatbush to the Fraser Valley the damp chill of the worst spring in living memory has kept millions of customers glued to their firesides and their dollar bills.
WILFan note: It appears Don got his parks mixed up in the column below. He's referring to Vancouver's coming park, which we know today as Nat Bailey Stadium.
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor
[May 10, 1950]
When Vic Buccola slammed that four-bagger over the right center-field wall Monday night at Victoria it wasn't any novelty to the Braves first baseman. Last year Buccola piloted the Athletics during part of their season and had been playing with them for several years prior to that. He probably knows the quirks of this Canadian park better than some of those on the current Victoria roster.
And this park does have its quirks. Biggest hindrance here is a pall of yellow smoke that drifts over the field about 80 feet in the air or just nearly level with the lights. It really gets thick about the fifth or sixth inning. Consequently when a high fly ball is hit to the outfield it isn't unusual for an outfielder to stand and wait until the ball hits the ground and then run to it.
The smoke comes from a certain type of fuel which the park uses for their concessions and hot water heaters.
Of course when the Braves move into the Vancouver park Thursday it'll be practically a case of "out of the pan into the fire." But the Capilanos field will be a picnic for our left handed hitters if they ran get the ball high into the air. The right field fence is only 230 feet from the plate, but they have a screen atop the fence. Thus a hard hit line drive goes up against the screen, while a lazy high fly will fall out of the park for a home run. Nick Pesut is the most likely to get robbed of four baggers here, while it's even money that Buccola, Dick Faber, and Clint Cameron, if he plays, will get at least one circuit blow apiece.
DOWNHILL DRAG TO THIRD
This is also the park where the players run uphill to first base while gravity helps them when they light out for third. Of course they've got to be careful rounding third base. The stands are just 20 feet from the base line, but there's a five foot drop between the baseline and the stands . . . . and a player making the turn at a fast clip usually winds up sprawled out between third and home. One of the funnier stories that we've listened to concerning the Capilanos park concerns the time a (unnamed here) second baseman took a lantern out to his position with him and put it on the keystone sack. Needless to say he got the thumb. . .and quick like. Their stands hold roughly about 3,000, compared to our 3750.
GOING TO BE A TOP PARK
But say what they will about Victoria and Vancouver, still Victoria [sic] is going to have without question the best baseball park not just in this league, but also one of the finest on the Coast when their new one is finished. To cost nearly half a million, the construction of it will start on July 1. It will not be ready until the start of the 1951 season though.
NEW BRAVES GAME TIME
When our Braves return from the road for a three day stand with Victoria the games will start at 7:30 p.m. DST. Old starting time was 8 p. m. Then they go to Wenatchee for a four-game series before their next return for two series. The first with Tacoma and the second with Salem. Unnoticed by most of the fans coming into Brave park will be one slight change, but one deeply appreciated by the radio and press corps. The press box is now being raised an additional four feet, which will eliminate many stiff necks gained from peering around spectators in the top rows.
When Vic Buccola slammed that four-bagger over the right center-field wall Monday night at Victoria it wasn't any novelty to the Braves first baseman. Last year Buccola piloted the Athletics during part of their season and had been playing with them for several years prior to that. He probably knows the quirks of this Canadian park better than some of those on the current Victoria roster.
And this park does have its quirks. Biggest hindrance here is a pall of yellow smoke that drifts over the field about 80 feet in the air or just nearly level with the lights. It really gets thick about the fifth or sixth inning. Consequently when a high fly ball is hit to the outfield it isn't unusual for an outfielder to stand and wait until the ball hits the ground and then run to it.
The smoke comes from a certain type of fuel which the park uses for their concessions and hot water heaters.
Of course when the Braves move into the Vancouver park Thursday it'll be practically a case of "out of the pan into the fire." But the Capilanos field will be a picnic for our left handed hitters if they ran get the ball high into the air. The right field fence is only 230 feet from the plate, but they have a screen atop the fence. Thus a hard hit line drive goes up against the screen, while a lazy high fly will fall out of the park for a home run. Nick Pesut is the most likely to get robbed of four baggers here, while it's even money that Buccola, Dick Faber, and Clint Cameron, if he plays, will get at least one circuit blow apiece.
DOWNHILL DRAG TO THIRD
This is also the park where the players run uphill to first base while gravity helps them when they light out for third. Of course they've got to be careful rounding third base. The stands are just 20 feet from the base line, but there's a five foot drop between the baseline and the stands . . . . and a player making the turn at a fast clip usually winds up sprawled out between third and home. One of the funnier stories that we've listened to concerning the Capilanos park concerns the time a (unnamed here) second baseman took a lantern out to his position with him and put it on the keystone sack. Needless to say he got the thumb. . .and quick like. Their stands hold roughly about 3,000, compared to our 3750.
GOING TO BE A TOP PARK
But say what they will about Victoria and Vancouver, still Victoria [sic] is going to have without question the best baseball park not just in this league, but also one of the finest on the Coast when their new one is finished. To cost nearly half a million, the construction of it will start on July 1. It will not be ready until the start of the 1951 season though.
NEW BRAVES GAME TIME
When our Braves return from the road for a three day stand with Victoria the games will start at 7:30 p.m. DST. Old starting time was 8 p. m. Then they go to Wenatchee for a four-game series before their next return for two series. The first with Tacoma and the second with Salem. Unnoticed by most of the fans coming into Brave park will be one slight change, but one deeply appreciated by the radio and press corps. The press box is now being raised an additional four feet, which will eliminate many stiff necks gained from peering around spectators in the top rows.
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