Thursday, August 24, 1950

              W  L  PCT GB
Tacoma ..... 80 48 .625 —
Yakima ..... 81 50 .618 ½
Tri-City ... 69 60 .535 11½
Wenatchee .. 69 61 .531 12
Victoria ... 58 73 .443 23½
Vancouver .. 53 73 .421 26
Salem ...... 54 75 .419 26½
Spokane .... 52 76 .406 28

TACOMA, Aug. 24—With the Western International league's winningest pitcher and swattingest outfielder, Tacoma is going to be a might hard to head off in the remaining two-plus weeks of the season. The combine of hurler Bob Kerrigan and slugger Dick Greco worked to perfection Thursday night as the Tigers knocked off Victoria twice 2-1 and 5-3, stretching their percentage point lead over Yakima to a half game.
Kerrigan gave the Athletics only five hits in the seven-inning opener to mark up his 22nd victory against six defeats.
MARRIED AT PLATE
Married in front of “Greco Gardens” before the first game, Greco, who leads the league in home runs, hits, total bases and runs batted in, celebrated by batting in the winning run in the first game and scoring the untying run in the nightcap. The new Mrs. Greco is the former Evelyn Moore of Victoria, who must have watched the proceedings with mixed feelings.
Ron Smith was once more a tough-luck loser in the opener, dropping his seventh decision by one run when Greco singled in the clincher in the last inning. It was his 32nd one-run defeat handed the A’s, four of them by the Tigers.
John Marshall lost his tenth game trying for his 15th triumph in the nine-inning finale. The big righthander can blame himself for the setback, walking three men who later scored and starting Tacoma’s winning eight-inning rally by passing the first two Tiger hitters.
The A’s scored single runs in the first and second innings with Lou Novikoff and Marshall driving in Bob McGuire and Bill Dunn. A walk, a double by Mike Catron and a triple by Sol Israel made it 2.2 in the third.
A’s TAKE LEAD
Jim Moore’s triple and an outfield fly by Dunn put the A’s ahead in the fourth and they held their margin until the eighth. After Marshall had opened by walking Ron Gifford and Greco, Junior Krug messed up Wimpy Quinn’s ground ball and the Tigers had the sacks loaded with no one out. Orrin Snyder plated one run with a single and Jose Bache drove in Greco and Quinn with another one-base shot.
The A’s just missed tying it up in the ninth when Krug and Novikoff failed to reach “Greco Gardens” with long pokes with two runners on the bags.
The setbacks mathematically eliminated Victoria from the pennant race and moved the Tigers a half-game ahead of the Yakima Bears.
First Game
Victoria ............. 010 000 0—1-5-1
Tacoma ............ 010 000 1—2-7 0
Smith and Ronning; Kerrigan and Sheets.
Second Game
Victoria .......... 110 100 000—3-7-1
Tacoma .......... 002 000 03x—5-6-1
Marshall and Danielson; Knezovich, Anderson (5), Carter (8) and Fischer.

YAKIMA, Aug. 24—The Yakima Bears slugged Wenatchee 9-1 Thursday night.
Yakima was virtually handed its tilt as the Chiefs making five infield miscues good for as many unearned runs. The victor's Dick Larner gave up only six hits and shortstop Pete Coscarart singled four times in five trips to pace the win. Yakima swept the three game series.
Yakima ............... 200 103 021—9-11-1
Wenatchee ......... 000 000 100—1- 6-5
Larner and Tiesiera; Ragni and Neal.

SPOKANE, Aug. 25 (Herald)—The Tri-City Braves were pretty much in the same position as an empty guest house today. There was hardly a pitcher left to go. Last night the Braves sent four hurlers to the mound to stop the thunder of the Spokane bats. The night before they had used three in losing, and last night, it was the same song, second chorus to the tune of 15.
Ward Rockey went all the way for the Indians. It was Cy Greenlaw on the hill for the Braves when the game opened, Dick Stone came on in the fourth, and was followed by Jim Olsen in the sixth. Ken Michelson came on in the seventh to finish out the game. Stone was charged with the loss, his sixth of the year against nine victories.
The losers had their best inning in the third when they counted four times 10 move out in front, the only time they led in the game. A three-run error by Leon Mohr, Spokane second baseman. after two were out started the Braves scoring spree. Mohr bobbled an infield roller hit by Clint Cameron. Neil Bryant then hit a sharp single through Mohr to score Cameron. But Spokane retaliated by pulling the same stunt of scoring four runs in the bottom of the third after two were out.
Ken Michelson gave up a pair of triples when he took over the hill job in the seventh. But the young right hander settled down after that and silenced the Indians.
The Braves open a four-game stand against Wenatchee tonight. The series could easily decide which team is going to
wind up in third place in the 1950 race.
Tri-City .......... 004 201 001— 8-10-1
Spokane .......... 104 304 30x—15-18-4
Greenlaw, Stone (3), Olsen (6), Michelson (7) and Pesut; Rockey and Weatherwax.

VANCOUVER, Aug. 24—Salem nipped Vancouver twice by 3-2 scores on Thursday.
Salem got its twin win the hard way, bunching three of its four hits off Bud Beasley in the third inning of the opener for two runs and combining five of its nine blows in the nightcap's sixth frame for three tallies. Two walks and and an error gave the Oregon runs their other run in the opener. John Tierney was credited with the nightcap triumph his first victory in nearly two months.
First Game
Vancouver ........... 100 100 0—2-10-1
Salem ................. 102 000 x—3-4-1
Beasley and Heisner; Costello and Beard.
Second Game
Vancouver ...... 000 002 000—2-8-0
Salem ............ 000 003 00x—3-9-0
Nicholas and Heisner, Brenner (3); Tierney, Osborn (8) and Martin.

INSIDE STUFF
Ty Cobb, Reno State Journal Sports Editor [from Aug. 25/50]
YAKIMA has been sending S.O.S. signs for Reno's star southpaw pitcher. Pat Monahan. He has been with the Silver Sox on option from the Western International League (Class B) team, and had a 12-7 record with Reno at this writing. Yakima, only a game out of first place in the WIL, lost its only southpaw [Ted Savarese] when the S. F. Seals decided to recall a lefty optionee. Reno doesn't want to part with Irish Patrick, naturally, and the contract does not stipulate any immediate recall term. On the other hand, Yakima and the Seals seem a fine source of future talent for the local independent club and it would behoove the Renos to stay on good terms with them. A recall means a little chunk of dough to the local club, too.
Two other Silver Sox players are optionees from other clubs, but will not be recalled before the season's end. One is Marv Diercks, tall outfielder with a magnificent throwing arm and a .300 batting average. He belongs to Salem of the Western International League, which is connected with Portland of the PCL.
First baseman Ed Whitney is owned by Bakersfield of the California League, of the Cleveland Indians' system. The latter have quite a bit of faith in Whitney's future and felt that he'd start rolling if he played steadily where he could develop.
Bud Beasley had a heart-breaker last night in what is probably his season's last start for Vancouver in the WIL, since he has to return to Reno High teaching chores in a few days. Threw a seven-inning four-hitter at Salem, but lost 3-2, although his teammates picked up 10 blows.

ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald News Editor [from Aug. 25/50]
The Tri-City Braves already have their eyes on a catcher for the 1968 baseball teams. It's the young son born to Mr. and Mrs. Nick Pesut yesterday. The Braves big catcher had been eagerly anticipating this event and particularly so the past few days. In fact he practically wore a path between where ever he was sitting and the nearest telephone booth. It's their first child.
Greco Gardens in Tacoma was the scene of a wedding last night. On the bridegrooms side was the slugging outfielder of the Tacoma Tigers for which the Garden was named. His bride was Miss Evelyn Moore, Victoria, B. C. and a sister of Jim Moore, infielder of the Athletics. Judge Hugh Rosellini of the Pierce County Superior Court, performed the ceremony. Local fans and merchants solved the newlyweds' furnishing problem. They supplied the couple with a complete houseful of furniture and appliances.
HERE'S A NIFTY
Mentioning better than average quotes brings to mind one we were told the other day. It happened when Edo Vanni, now with Spokane, was still playing ball for Victoria. If you've seen Vanni in action you'll recall that he can come up with quite a beef when he thinks he ump has called a bad one on him.
Well that was the situation this night out at Sanders Field. Vanni was jawing away and suddenly this fan cut loose. “That's right Vanni, you tell him. They can't do that to you. Tell him off Edo, don't let him get away with that. Besides the cherry crop is coming in pretty soon.”

Thursday, July 27, 1950

              W  L  Pct GB
Yakima ..... 62 39 .614 —
Wenatchee .. 60 43 .583 3½
Tacoma ..... 57 41 .582 3½
Tri-City ... 54 47 .535 8
Victoria ... 43 58 .426 19
Salem ...... 41 56 .423 19
Vancouver .. 42 58 .420 19½
Spokane .... 42 59 .416 20

SALEM, July 27—Yakima's boisterous Bears, riding high with a 10-garne win streak climaxed by Thursday night's 20-3 shellacking of the Salem Senators, sped homeward to face the challenging Tacoma Tigers in the feature Western International League attraction.
The title-defending Bears gained a half game on the rest of the league Thursday night as rain washed out all other games.
Now three games ahead of Wenatchee and 3½ out in front of Tacoma, Yakima is hoping to duplicate its performance of five weeks ago against the Tigers. When they last entertained the Tacomans, Yakima swept the three-game series. Such a performance now, with the season two-thirds over, might well doom the Tacomans' title hopes.
Yakima left little to chance Thursday night, and it was well that only 188 fans were in the stands to see the way they treated the Oregonians. Larry Powell, who went the distance for the Bears, gave the Solons two runs in the first inning before the rollicking Bears opened up a 24-hit attack highlighted by Jerry Zuvella's two triples and a brace of doubles. They scored ten runs through the second, third and fourth frames.
Salem starter Bill Osborn was routed in the fourth but the Bears hit just as freely against his successor, Johnny Burak.
Zuvella knocked in five runs with his batting display. Reno Cheso and Dave Helton also clubbed out four blows each and every player in the Yakima lineup garnered at least one bingle.
Six errors further humiliated the Solons who dropped from fifth to sixth with the defeat.
Yakima ..... 015 402 143—20-24-0
Salem ...... 200 000 100— 3- 9-6
Powell and Tornay; Osborn, Burak (4) and Beard.

Wenatchee Pilot Protests Scorer
VANCOUVER, B. C., July 26 (CP) — Rupert Thompson, manager of Wenatchee Chiefs of the Western International league, didn't like the way the official scorer was handling the Wenatchee-Vancouver Caps game Wednesday night. He got mad, caused a rhubarb and now must answer to the league president.
Rupert's temper began to flare when the scorer called Wenatchee's Don Fracchia's bouncer to second base an error instead of a hit. Ray Tran was given the error and Fracchia got on base without an official at bat.
Rupert blasted the scorer at the end of the first game and followed it up by refusing to hand in his line-up for the second game of the scheduled double header.
WILfan note: The identity of the official scorer will remain a mystery. I've looked at stories on the game in all three Vancouver newspapers. Erwin Swangard of the Province was the CP stringer. He doesn't reveal who the scorer was. Keith Matthews in the News Herald doesn't either. The Sun doesn't mention the incident at all. Pat Karl, the current official scorer of the Vancouver Canadians, thought it was Eric Whitehead of the Province. I thought it might be Clancy Loranger (I believe he was with the News Herald that year). But we likely will never know.

Alf Cottrell
[Vancouver Province, July 27, 1950]
It was only 11 a.m. when I roused Bud Beasley at his hotel. I apologized as best I could. The little Capilano pitching veteran said it was all right, it was getting toward breakfast time anyway.
He shaved and brushed up, then we strolled to a nearby coffee house. He ordered a “stack of hots” and, for yours truly, a strawberry shake. I asked him about life and travelling and such in the small minors.
There were some interesting jumps in this league, he said. The Capilanos played at Spokane last Sunday night. Most all of them eat their big meal of the day after a night game. This night, though, manager Bill Brenner had the bus waiting for them. They were playing here Monday, 415 miles from Spokane.
• • •
The bus wheeled into the night through the dry belt. They ran into detoured caused by road repair jobs. The bus was a de luxe affair, but the bumpy detours reminded World War 2 veterans of the Burma Road. The kids on the club, bumped out of restless slumber, were included to think they had awakened in Korea.
They passed through sizeable towns. Players looked longingly at occasional café signs. They notched up their belts. On and on. The dry-tongued third baseman, Jimmy Robinson, said, “I wouldn’t mind if I knew what we were trying to prove.”
At last, in the middle of the night, they stopped at a town named Quincy. Bud said, “You have a hard time convincing those guys Brenner hasn’t got shares in that Quincy eating house.”
Beasley grinned continually as he talked. The cook was also the waiter. The hungry load of players shot orders at him. Reg Clarkson, typically different, ordered Post Toasties and chilli. Meanwhile players sent their glasses of milk back to the kitchen. It was dead sour.
• • •
But travelling in this league wasn’t bad. In the West Texas you went by private car, mostly. Dressed in the hotel and drove to the ball park in uniform. They showered at the hotel afterwards.
The Far West and Sunset loops were like that, but slightly better. In the coast and other Triple-A leagues life was streamlined. It was in your contract that you got Grade A transportation and the best hotels.
Mostly you went by air. But it was in your contract that they couldn’t make you fly. Some of the veterans, like Red Mann and Guy Fletcher, often backed away from air trips.
Bud said that for a spell, when he was with Seattle, he was running a baseball school for the Rainiers. They let the club go south without him. The pitchers ran into trouble in San Francisco, so the front office decided Bud had to go down and help out.
• • •
He was on the field in Seattle, teaching the kids, at 1 p.m. In uniform. He was on a place bound for San Francisco at 3 p.m. He pitched for the Rainiers that night and was back in his hotel room in Seattle by 2 a.m.
The season he spent with the House of David was the worst. Every stop was a one-night stand. Big towns and whistle-stops but mainly the latter. Shower at the park or shower at the hotel. There was Battle Mountain, for instance.
It is smack in the middle of Nevada. The ball park is just a big alkali field. No stands. Fans nose their cars to the edge of the field and the team passes the hat. That was one place, I said, where they had to shower at the hotel, then? “No,” Bud said. “You might say that town had a few short-comings. There wasn’t but two bathtubs in the whole town, and neither of them was at the hotel.

NON WIL BASEBALL NEWS
Fans, Laws, President All Blue in the South
COLUMBIA, S.C., July 27—Baseball ticket taker Henry Suydam got a complaint from a fan.
"Why," Suydam was asked did South Atlantic Baseball League president Earl Blue "rule out Sunday baseball at Greenville?"
"He didn't," Suydam explained, "the Greenville City Council ruled it out."
"I saw in the paper about it," declared the unconvinced fan. "It said "blue law invoked"."

Thursday, June 29, 1950

              W  L Pct. GB
Tacoma ..... 40 29 .580 —
Yakima ..... 40 29 .580 —
Tri City ... 39 32 .549 2
Wenatchee .. 39 32 .549 2
Salem ...... 30 37 .448 9
Victoria ... 32 40 .444 9½
Vancouver .. 29 39 .426 10½
Spokane .... 30 41 .423 11

VANCOUVER, [Erwin M. Swangard, Province, June 30]—Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International League are probably the most unpredictable club in the entire league.
They looked like anything but the lowly team they are when the stopped the loop-leading Tacoma Tigers not once but twice at Cap Stadium Thursday night before an appreciate overflow crowd.
Sandy Robertson, the circuit’s top pitcher, gathered up his seventh straight victory without defeat in the abbreviated opener by relieving a very wild Kevin King and taming the Tigers with some difficulty.
THE GUESTS
Bob Snyder, in contrast, had no trouble whatsoever in the afternoon with the reputedly hard-hitting visitors.
Tonight, the Caps entertain Tacoma once more, if one can call it entertaining, and then Saturday the two teams clash in afternoon and evening games.
The seven-inning opener was a tense thriller. Caps gave young Mr. King a two-run working margin in the first inning but the youngster insisted on getting behind the batters.
SACRIFICES
Tacoma scored once in the fourth when Kevin hit Wimpy Quinn to open the inning. Dick Wenner singled and catcher Bill Sheets sacrificed the two runners to second and third. Mike Catron lifted a long fly to centre to allow Quinn to score.
Joe Boche [sic], Tacoma’s Cuban shortstop, opened the fifth with a single and rode home on Sol Israel’s single. That tied the game up an spelled the end for King—Robertson came in and retired the side, contributing a clever pickoff play at second to ease the pressure.
Caps belaboured starter Gil Loust in the fifth for two runs. All the tension, however, was preserved for the seventh inning after Tacoma had drawn to within one run in the sixth.
Ronnie Gifford flied to Dick Sinovic in centre but Dick Greco singled and Wimpy Quinn doubled. Dick Wenner was purposely walked and the bases were loaded with only one out.
SHEETS IN WIND
Catcher Bill Sheets flied deep to Sinovic. Greco raced in from third after the catch but was cut down cold by Sinovic’s tremendous and accurate throw to catcher Bill Heisner.
In the afterpiece the Caps really went to town on three Tacoma pitchers while Snyder, showing fine control, personally retired 10 Tigers with strikeouts.
Caps broke loose with base hit for four runs in the second inning and chased starter Gordon Walden. He was relieved by Keith Bowman who in turn worked a little more than an inning before giving way to Bobo Hunk Anderson. Hunk toiled with indifferent success the rest of the way.
First Game
Tacoma ........ 000 111 0—3-7-0
Vancouver ..... 200 020 x—4-7-0
Loust, Anderson (6) and Sheets; King, Robertson (5) and Heisner.
Second Game
Tacoma ....... 100 100 000— 2- 7-2
Vancouver .... 043 010 03x—11-12-1
Walden, Bowman (2), Anderson (4) and Fisher; Snyder and Brenner.

YAKIMA, June 29—The Yakima Bears pounded three Salem pitchers for 22 hits, including for by Pete Coscarart, and defeated the Senators 15-6 Thursday night for a sweep of their three-game series.
The Bears got away to a four-run lead the first inning. Successive triples by Reno Cheso and Jim Westlake were the feature hits.
Righthander Ernie Domenichelli, held the Senators scoreless in all but the eighth inning. During that eventful frame, there were singles by Wayne Peterson, Dick Bartle, Bob Cherry and a climax triple by Ludwig Lew, third Salem pitcher.
Pushing Coscarart for hitting honors were Cheso, Westlake and Frank Mascaro, each with three hits.
Salem ..... 000 000 060— 6-13-3
Yakima .... 423 002 22x—15-22-1
McNulty, Waibel (2), Lew (3) and Beard, McMillan (6); Domenichelli and Tiesiera.

KENNEWICK, June 30 [D. Becker, Herald] — The triumphant war-whoop of 1,630 Tri-City fans was still thundering in the ears of the scalpless Wenatchee Chiefs as they boarded a bus for series with Yakima last night. A Brave newcomer, Joe Nicholas, had them beating the air with giant strokes, but allowing only four small singles as he shut them out, 8-0, to take the deciding game of the series. The 24-year old sidearm artist got into trouble a couple of times, but he kept cool in the hot weather to turn back the invaders. The victory put the Braves in a tie for second.
It was a magnificent debut for the ex-Gem hurler from Klamath Falls. And he had errorless playing behind him as the Braves engineered four twin-killings to choke off any rally the Chiefs tried. Evenly spaced, the double, plays came in the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth innings.
Tonight the Tri-City team opens a four-game series with Salem. Then they return home on July 4 for a week long stand against first Yakima, and then Salem, Lou McCollum (9-7) will work the mound tonight, with Joe Roenspie [sic] most likely to get the nod from manager Charlie Petersen for the other three.
WARNER BLASTS THREE
Only one Chief reached third base last night. That was Bud Hjelmaa, who got there in the second on a walk and a single by catcher Ray Spurgeon. Meanwhile the Braves were tearing the cover off the ball as they sent starter Tom Breisinger to the showers in the third on a seven hit assault that garnered six runs. Reliefer Al Treichel held the Braves in check until the sixth when Jim Warner broke loose with his second double of the game to drive in two runs. The burley centerflelder for Tri-City was feeling his oats last night as he belted three doubles to drive in four runs.
Buddy Petersen, Brave shortstop, got the Tri-City nine off to a rousing opening inning by driving in two runs with a ball hit to Larry Neal, Chief shortstop. Al Spaeter and Vic Buccola scored on the play.
FABERS CHEAT PLAY
Fielding honors of the evening must go to Dick Faber as he went high into the air back rear the left field fence to spear a cinch double off the bat of Jerry Ballard. Al Spaeter came up with a mental miscue in the sixth that he won't soon forget. With one out Don Fracchia hit a grounder to shortstop Peterson. He fired the ball to Spaeter at second to force Arnerich, and then Spaeter turned around, tossed his glove out on the grass and started trotting to the dug out. Thus the potential fifth double-play of the game went by the boards.
From then on when there was one out and a Chief on first you could hear the fans shout, "remember Al, there's only one out." Said Spaeter, smilingly, after the game. "The thing to do is keep your mind on the game. But that's mine for this year, you can depend on that."
- - - - -
KENNEWICK, June 29 — Joe Nicholas, a side-arm right hander who joined the Tri City club four days ago, blanked Wenatchee 8 to 0 on three hits Thursday night in his first Western International League appearance.
Nicholas, acquired by the Braves from Klamath Falls of the Far West league, was helo'd along by four double plays and only one Wenatchee runner reached third base. All three hits off him were singles. He fanned three.
The Braves scored enough runs to win in the first inning when Al Spaeter and Vic Buccola singled, moved along on a base on balls and scored on a fielders choice.
Tri-City's Jim Warner was the batting star with three doubles that drove in four runs. His two bagger in the second accounted for the first two and game off Wenatchee starter Tom Breisinger. He brought home another pair off reliefer Al Treichel in the sixth.
Wenatchee .... 000 000 000—0-4-3
Tri-City ......... 231 002 00x—8-13-0
Breisinger, Treichel (3) and Len Neal; Nicholas and Pesut

VICTORIA, June 29—VICTORIA, [Colonist, June 30, 1950]—Maybe things are looking up for Joe Mishasek, the hard-luck member of the Victoria Athletics’ pitching corps.
Often the victim of shoddy support by his mates while dropping seven decisions this season, the knuckle-balling right-hander found the shoe on the other foot last night at Royal Athletic Park. Cheered by some brilliant feats afield by his mates, Mishasek tossed a neat seven-hitter at the Spokane Indians for his fourth triumph as the A¨s came from behind to mark up a 6-3 victory.
GREAT CATCHES
The spotlight shone squarely on Marty Krug., Jr., last night. In addition to collecting two singles and three passes to first base in five trips plateward, Krug came up with three great catches from his right field position.
He made a diving catch of Glen Stetter’s sinking liner for the third out in the fifth inning. He came far in for a shoe-string grab of Eddie Murphy’s short fly ball for the second out in the next frame, then electrified the crowd with a sensational, over-the-shoulder catch against the fence on the next pitch to rob Norm Grabar of a probable triple.
With Edo Vanni on second base in the seventh, Jim Wert made a sliding backhand stab of Leon Mohr’s ground smash and won the race to first base to retire the side.
ELEVENTH HOUR
Gene Thompson wielded the big bat in Victoria’s 12-hit attack. The big right-fielder walloped his 11th home run on the third and added a double and two singles in his five times at bat, scoring three runs and driving in a pair. His circuit smash tied him for the league leadership with Spokane’s Joe Rossi and Dick Greco of Tacoma.
Glen Stetter and Edo Vanni proved the most troublesome of the Indians for Mishasek. Stetter drove in all of Spokane’s runs with a first-inning home run behind Vann’s double and again drove Vanni across with a double in the third to give the visitors a 3-0 lead. Vanni returned to Athletic Park to plague his former teammates with three doubles.
CHASED HOLDER
Victoria went ahead 4-3, with a two-run surge in the fifth and chased starter Jim Holder to the showers in the following frame. Reliefer Murray O’Boyle, making his first appearance for Spokane, was touched for the final tally in the seventh.
Although he struck out only six batters during the contest, Mishasek came through with three strikeouts in the eighth to snuff out a potential Indians rally. His victims were three of the most feared of the Spokane sluggers, Joe Rossi, Frank Matoh and Eddie Murphy.
Warren Noyes will carry Manager Krug’s hopes for a second triumph in the four-game series with the Indians. Rival pilot Alan Strange will reply with eighth Ward Rockey or Dick Bishop.
The clubs conclude with two games Saturday.
Spokane ... 201 000 000—3- 6-1
Victoria .... 002 020 11x—6-12-4
Holder and Rossi; Mishasek and Ronning.

Chiefs Release Player
WENATCHEE, June 30—The Western International League Wenatchee Chiefs today announced the release of rookie shortstop Bill Sibson of Vancouver, B.C.
General Manager George Clark said Sibson failed to make the grade while on option to Chanute, Kan., of the Class D Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri league.
He said the Vancouver lad has been offered another crack at job with the Chiefs in spring training next season.

ON THE INSIDE

By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor

[June 30/50]
Although the 34 hits the Braves and Chiefs totalled in their nightcap game Wednesday may sound like a lot of lumber being unloaded, it is still 10 shy of the Western International league record. That mark was set twice. Vancouver and Salem did it in June, 1940, while Wenatchee and Salem repeated in August of last year.
Last night's game with Wenatchee marked the halfway point in the league race. The old saying goes that the front-runners at this stage of the game usually wind up there at the end of the season. But don't go hotting any of your inflation minded bucks on that old wheeze. The race now is tighter than a wedding kiss among the top four teams. And you can't count out any of the others, based on their standing in the league. Remember when Tacoma had an eight game bulge on the rest of the league?
This is a good time to assess the league in general, and the teams in particular, Sort of a reexamination of the patient, you might say. Although Victoria is 11 games back right now we still like the A's as one of the strong clubs when the finish line nears. Marty Krug's team is a lot stronger today than it was when the seaton opened.
Their current series in Canada against Spokane could move them up a notch on the ladder.
Salem seems to have sought its own level. It just wasn't in the cards for the Solons to stay on top. They don't have that kind of a team. Tacoma is another that will be dropping down as the season goes along. They haven't strengthened themselves any while most teams in the league have.
THE BIG THREE
Aside from Victoria, we see Wenatchee, Yakima, and the Braves, as the one, two, three teams, and not necessarily in that order. Right now Yakima is up against the same thing that hurt us at the start of the season . . .injuries. They open a four-game series with Wenatchee tonight which may hurt them plenty.
One of the great assets of the Chiefs is their youth . . .and it can also be their greatest liability. They lack the few veterans it takes to steady a team down when the odds change quickly.
CAMERON IS STILL OUT
But speaking of injuries, the Braves aren't in good shape on that score yet. Clint Cameron's leg had him benched most of the Spokane series and he didn't even get into the just concluded one with Wenatchee. About the time the "Clinkers" leg begins to feel better he slides into a base, or steps on a rock in the outfield, and the whole healing process has to start all over again.
Cameron isn't the type of player that the Braves can afford to do without long if they are to stay near the top in the pennant race. True he hasn't been hitting this season like he did last, but he'll still get on base more than any other player because of the many walks he gets. The hurlers in the league remember that big, fat .380 Clint had for a hitting average last year. So, they're so careful when they pitch to him that they seldom give him a good ball. And by the same token he's an excellent defensive player. Merle Frick, who's been subbing for Cameron, has been doing a good job, but Frick is first of all a pitcher, not an outfielder. And as long as Merle is out in the pasture Charlie Petersen can't use him on the mound.
WHO WILL IT BE?
Speaking of pitchers the Braves now have quite a rosterfull, nine of them in all. That's more than half ot the league limit of 17 which means that two players must be carried on the suspended list for 10 days at a time, obviously this situation can't go on forever. Say it's a pretty safe bet that one or perhaps two deals will have to be made by the club in order to trim the list.And just as obviously the trimming will have to be done on the pitching staff. We're not going to venture any outright predictions on that score except to try and pare down the list to what whould seem to be the most logical. Eliminate Joe Orrell, Lou McCollum, Cy Greenlaw, (these three are veterans who will continue to get better as the weather gets hotter) Dick Stone, and Gene Roenspie. The latter two have records that will keep them here.

FOUR ARE LEFT
That leaves "Fireman" Jim Olson, who seems to have settled into the relief role; Bob Felizzatto, Merle Frick, and Joe Nicholas. As we write this only Felizzatto has appeared on the mound. Bob went out Wednesday night against Wenatchee for just under two innings. Before, the quiet, left-hander's trouble was wildness but he didn't walk a batter and struck out one. Both Frick and Nicholas also have good records. Last year Frick won 12, while losing six, and was with a class A league before coming here. Nicholas has won five, and lost one pitching in class B and D leagues this season. So it's going to be a hard job when the times comes, to decide just which two of these four will stay. That's the time when it's nice not to be the team manager.
HOW LOW ARE THEY
And those last two words brings us around to a distateful subpect. Anonymous letter writers plague a lot of people in the public eye, and particularly athletes Lately someone has taken to writing letters with the apparent intention of breaking up Charlie Peterson's home. Let's put it this way. Should the writers be discovered, and the trail is by no means cold, they will he prosecuted to the full extent of the law. . .after Charlie personally turns them over. . ..we trust you understand what is meant by "after."
We've known the personable young manager of the Braves nearly a year now. It's regrettable that some people are so anxious to be in the eye of the public that they will go to any lengths. If this letter writing is part of a gag Charlie wants them to know it isn't getting any laughs from him.

ALF COTTRELL
June 30, 1950
Bud Beasley, the new Capilano pitcher with the old [], insists that he is 37 years of age. Or that 37 is his “baseball age,” anyway.
With cheerful guilt he also confesses he is more left-handed that most left-handers. In fact he is so left-handed he often throws a pitch right handed to further confuse the hitters.
*
He played pro ball when he was fresh out of high school. A football scholarship, donated by the University of Nevada, took care of five winters. He took care of the summers by playing semi-pro ball, and one summer he grew a beard and made the grand tour with Doc Talley’s House of David nine.
After college, athletic instruction became his life work. He dotes on it, and the teaching of kids. But wait a minute!
One year Earl Sheeley came through Reno, where Beasley was pitching semi-pro ball on weekend. Behind him were his five years at Nevada U., coaching spells at New Yor’s Columbia University and Stanford U., plus some seasons in large and small pro balls leagues.
Sheeley again talked with him and Beasley said, “I’m washed up.” Next spring, Sheeley was Sacramento’s manager. He beckoned to old Bud again. If he came for a week’s vacation he could have an expenses-paid trip. Then, if he made good, report in his summer vacation.
*
It worked out that way. By 1945 Beasley led the Coast League pitchers. In one game, Sacramento beat Seattle in 17 innings, with Beasley going all the way. Score, 8-5.
Came the last game of the season, with the Sacs finishing it in Seattle. Beasley needed a win to cinch the pitching lead. “But,” says Bud, “my arm was all loused up They had pitched me three times a week.” Sheeley said, “You work this game.”
He warmed up for ten minutes and then quit cold. Sheeley said, “Go back and work some more.” It came time to start the game and no one else had warmed up.
As the little guy went out to pitch, he warned them to have another hurler ready. So there were two pitchers warming up in the bullpen before he had even thrown a ball. Then fans got a laugh out of that.
*
His long suit was a knuckler. So he decided to throw slow knuckles. Nothing else. He got them out on about seven pitches the first inning. Ditto the next. Seattle hitters went crazy, trying to knock his fat floater clear out of the state.
Beasley’s catcher sat on his glove in the sixth inning and caught barehanded. And instead of just trying to hit the ball, or bunting, they kept trying to break the ball into small pieces. And old Bud won it, 5-1.
Sheeley went to Seattle. Beasley followed in a package deal that sent John Rucker, Charlie Ripple, Rex Cecil and Sig Jacucki to the Sacs for Bill Ramsay, Guy Fletcher, Red Mann and our Mr. Beasley. He stayed with Seattle a season or two, or such parts of seasons as he could get away from his Nevada athletic instructorship.
*
Last summer Sheeley tried to coax him to Vancouver. He said he was dead through, this time. They tried again this summer, and five days ago he agreed to hop a plane.
Beasley says the big thing is to keeps hitters off balance mentally. So he may wind up on either side of himself. He can throw dead underhand. Occasionally he heaves, as we mentioned, right-handed. And one day at Sacramento, as a changeup pitch, he threw the resin bag.
He doesn’t know how soon he can be in shape to help, if he can help. Possibly they just got him here as an attendance booster. All we know for sure is that fellow players claim hic knuckler, those days when he is real sharp, can weave like a snake on a red hot stove.

Friday, June 23, 1950

Tacoma 35 25 .583
Yakima 36 27 .571
Wenatchee 34 29 .540
Tri-City 35 30 .538
Salem 28 32 .467
Victoria 29 35 .453
Spokane 28 37 .431
Vancouver 25 35 .417

SPOKANE, June 23 — Tri-City's Gene Roenspie won his sixth straight victory of the season Friday night with a 5 to 1 win over Spokane before 1801 Western International league fans.
The unbeaten Roenspie fanned five Indians and walked six.
It was the first appearance of the season for the Braves at Ferris field and they scored early and often to make a winning night of it.
Vic Buccola walked, stole second and scored the first Tri-City run in the opening frame on Buddy Peterson's single.
The Braves clinched the game with four runs after two were out in the third. Al Spaeter, Jim Warner and Peterson hit successive singles and Neil Bryant was safe on an error. With two runs across and two on base, Jim McKeehan hit a long double to bring home another pair.
Carroll Yerkes was charged with the defeat for Spokane, his second against two victories.
Tri-City ...... 104 000 000—5 12 2
Spokane ..... 001 000 000— 1 5 1
Roenspie and McKeegan, Pesut (5); Yerkes and Rossi.

WENATCHEE, June 23 — Southpaw Tommy Breisinger outdueled Big John Marshall as the Wenatchee Chiefs defeated the Victoria Athletics 2 to 0 here Friday night.
The A’s outhit the Chiefs, 8-6, but saw threats cut off in the second, seventh, eighth and ninth.
Don Alfano struck out an Al Ronning popped out with two runners aboard in the second, Alfano hit into a double play with Joe Kronberg on second in the seventh, and Gene Thompson, who had previously picked up two hits, grounded out with runners at first and third in the eighth. With two out in the ninth, Alfano and Ronning drew walks and Warren Noyes delivered a pinch-single to load the bases but Marty Krug, Jr., line to Walt Pocekay in left fiel to end the game.
Marshall suffered his second league defeat against nine wins. Seven walks during the game proved his downfall.
The Chiefs scored the only run they needed in the second inning on three walks around a single by Breisinger. They added an insurance run in the fifth on successive singles by Larry Neal, Pocekay and Don Fracchia.
Breisinger chalked up his fourth shutout and sixth victory against eight defeats.
Victoria ......... 000 000 000— 0 8 0
Wenatchee .... 010 010 00x— 2 6 1
Marshall and Ronning; Breisinger and Spurgeon.

Vancouver at Tacoma, postponed, rain.
Yakima at Salem, postponed, wet grounds.

Outfielder Hack Sold to Victoria
TWIN FALLS, Ida., June 23—John Hack, veteran outfielder for the Twin Falls Cowboys of the Pioneer league, was sold outright Friday to the Victoria Athletics of the Class B Western International league, business manager Jack Radtke reported.
Hack played for Victoria last season. He was purchased by the Cowboys this season from Binghamton, N.Y., of the Class A Eastern League.
Hack was a member of the 1948 Cowboy team. He was batting .376 for this season when he left the club Friday.
He was replaced in the Twin Falls lineup Friday night by Jimmy Groh, rookie from Los Angeles. Groh was the captain and leading hitter on the U.C.L.A. baseball team this season.

Chorlton Recalled By Seattle;
A’s Announce Acquisition of Young Hill Prospect
VICTORIA, [Colonist, June 24, 1950]—Second cheery note was the announcement that K. Chorlton will likely rejoin the A’s next Thursday. That was the word yesterday from Earl Sheely, general manager of the Seattle Rainiers. Chorlton so far has failed to break in to the Seattle line-up and is being kept only as insurance that injuries may cut the Rainiers’ outfield corps to less than the minimum three.
Third item from [Victoria business manager Reg] Patterson was word that the A’s have acquired the service of John Brkich (Brick-itch), promising young Kamloops southpaw. Brkich pitched against the A’s in Spring training games with Kamloops and gave every evidence of being a real prospect. A big youngster, he has good style. Best of all, he throws hard. He will probably remain with the A’s for the balance of the season.
Also of noteworthy nature was the report that Edo Vanni, former Victoria outfielder,had agreed to terms with Spokane. Vanni will likely be in the line-up next Thursday when the Indians arrive here for a four-game series.
WILfan note: the first “cheery note” was the Hack story mentioned above.

Lefty Bud Beasley Joins Capilano Pitching Staff
[Daily Province, June 24, 1950]
Vancouver Capilano’s somewhat shaky pitching staff received some real, solid reinforcement today.
General Manager Bob Brown announced the acquisition of left-hander Bud Beasley, a Pacific Coast League veteran with all sorts of experience and color.
Beasley who is the property of the Seattle Rainiers did not play last year, He lives at Reno where he teaches school. In 1949 he forsook baseball for summer school. Before that he pitches for Seattle and Sacramento. He will join the club immediately.Brown was very enthusiastic about the new Cap, who he feels will supply just what is needed to lead the team from its lonely position in the WIL cellar to loftier places.

Ferrarese Nearing WIL Mark for Free Passes
WENATCHEE, June 23—Don Ferrarese, 20-year-old Wenatchee southpaw, is nearing the Western International League record for bases on balls.
Ferrarese, who has won eight and lost five games so far this season, has issued 110 bases on balls in 102 innings pitched since the start of the season.
Claude Williams, another Wenatchee portsider, holds the WIL walks-per-season with 186,, established in 1941.
Ferrarese issued 184 free passes while pitching with the pennant-winning Albuquerque Dukes in the West Texas-New Mexico circuit last season.