1946 Game Reports / Alberta     

 

(March 30)   Orland "Ollie" Luciani has been named manager of the Lethbridge Galt Miners baseball team for the coming season.  He was appointed at a well-attended meeting of the club Thursday night in the Miner's Hall. Luciani was a member of the Galt Miners when they won the Alberta championship in 1935 and 1936.

Apr 1)   Ollie Luciani, the manager of the Lethbridge Galt MIners, says he's hopeful a new Alberta League can be formed embracing Calgary, Medicine Hat, Picture Butte Royals, Lethbridge Galt Miners and possibly an Edmonton team.

(May 7)  Edmonton's new semi-professional baseball league is getting three new stars.  John Ducey, who is in San Francisco to recruit players, reports the signing of Gino Valenti, Howard Peers and Arnold Martins.  Peers is a catcher with Stockton and Martins a shortstop who is property of the New York Yankees. He's been with the Twin Falls, Idaho club. Valenti is well known to Edmonton fans having played with the United States Army Yanks in the city league during his training in Edmonton.

(May 6)   A six-team Wheat Belt Baseball League has been formed for the 1946 season. More than two dozen representatives met in Vulcan Monday and announced the six centres which will host teams -- Arrowwood, Champion, Carseland, Mossleigh, Queenstown and Vulcan. The first games are scheduled for May 19th with regular contests set for Wednesdays and Sundays.

(May 13)   After a vigorous practice on Sunday, manager Ollie Luciani announced the roster of the Miners for the 1946 season. The mound staff is to include Dutch Holman, Art Lewis, Stan Chervinski and Matt SlavichRigo Toccoli captured the backstop position, with Johnny Witwicki as his backup.  Ernie Luciani, hero of many a ball game in Lethbridge, will hold down the first base job while Harold Vosburg, a newcomer from Vancouver, is slated for second. Hec Negrello will handle the hot corner and Freddy Onofrychuk will take over at shortstop.  In the outfield, Johnny Klem, Steve Smerek and Mike Seaman will do the patrol duties with Ted  Chervinski and Billy Wolff being assigned as utility players.

(May 19)   In the season opening game of the Wheat Belt League at Champion, the visiting Vulcan nine scored a 5-3 victory.

(May 19)  Taber seniors whipped the host Vauxhall nine 11-5 on the weekend after having shutout Warner 2-0 on Wednesday. Kinniburgh hurled both games for Taber.

(May 19)  Magrath traveled to Spring Coulee on Sunday for a friendly game, but were not kind to their hosts. The Magrath team ran up a 25-2 victory.

(May 19)  In the Forty Mile Baseball League, Foremost downed the host Bow Island team 9-7. 

(May 19)  The Calgary Bears and Legion scored victories as the Foothills Baseball League opened the 1946 season at Buffalo Stadium Sunday before a two-game attendance of more than 5-thousand fans.

In the afternoon contest, Legion blanked Purity 3-0 as Jock Tennant hurled four hitless frames and Doug Betts allowed just three hits in his five innings of relief.  Legion had just four hits, two by Lewis, off Dean Olmstead and Joe Kanik on the hill for Purity.

Tennant (W), Betts and Stewart
Olmstead (L), Kanik and Alexander

The Bears erupted for seven runs in the first inning and went on to dump the Stampeders 12-7. Ray Humble went the distance for the win, although allowing 12 hits. He also helped the offense with a two-run double. Roy Robinson also knocked in a pair. Robinson and catcher Eric Bishop each had two hits. Bob Shore led the Stamps with three hits.

Humble (W) and Bishop
Stover (L), Shore (1) and Brownridge

(May 22)  In the second game of the Wheat Belt League, Champion crushed Queenstown 19-5.

(May 24)  The Lethbridge Miners kicked off the 1946 season in style Friday taking both games of a double-header against the Picture Butte Royals. Miners rode a four-run, seventh inning, to take the opener 6-4.  After falling behind 4-0 on three straight errors in the top of the first inning the second game, the Miners roared back with five runs in their half of the first and three more in the second and rolled to a 10-7 victory.

Steve Smerek was a star for Lethbridge in the first game hammering out a double and single, snaring three long-distant fly balls in centre-field and making a steal of home in a big 7th inning rally. Royals threatened to even the count in the 9th as Karren tripled to deep left field to score Gillies and Thomas but Finlay grounded out to end the game.

Fred Onofrychuk's homer was a highlight of the second game for the Miners.

(May 26)  A dramatic three-run homer by Harold Vosburgh in the 9th inning of the second game of a twin-bill gave Lethbridge Miners a 7-6 win over Medicine Hat Tigers for their fourth straight victory to open the baseball season. 

Down 6-4, pinch-hitter Rigo Toccoli singled and advanced to third on Steve Smerek's double to centre. That set the stage for Vosburgh's heroics before 2,000 fans at Adams Park.

Johnny Kucheran pitched shutout ball for six innings for the Miners before the visitors tied the count at 4-4 with a four-spot in the 7th. They added a pair in the 8th to take the lead.

In the afternoon contest, Dutch Holman held the Tigers to eight hits in hurling a 6-1 triumph.  Medicine Hat took the early lead with a run in the 3rd inning. Ernie Luciani's double in the 4th scored a pair to put the Miners in the lead to stay. Miners punched out 14 hits.

Bray, Taylor and Teel
Holman (W) and Toccoli

Plotski, Pennington and Stolle
Kucheran (W) and Witwicki

(May 26) Ray Humble pitched and batted the Calgary Bears to an 11-1 triumph over the Stampeders at Buffalo Stadium Sunday. The left-hander fired a five-hitter, fanned 11 and walked just one while going three for three at the plate. He drove in a pair of runs.  Right fielder Art Lewis also had three hits as the Bears had 14 safeties against Ritz and Menzies. It was the Bears third straight win to kick off the new season.

Ritz (L), Menzies (7) and Davis
Humble (W) and Bishop

In an exhibition game, Strathmore topped the Legion 9-2.

(June 2)  Champion downed Carseland 8-0 Sunday.

(June 2)   The Southern Alberta Baseball League kicked off Sunday with Warner blanking Magrath 5-0 behind the pitching of Jay Whitney who allowed just two hits.  Whitney fanned seven.

W. Parchuk, J. Blumell and xxx
Whitney (W) and xxx

(June 11)  Burdett downed Winnifred 6-3 to remain undefeated with a 9-0 record.

(June 14)  Taber and Picture Butte split a pair of games over the weekend. Taber won the first game 5-4 with the Royals rebounding to take the second game 8-1.  Ted Malemberg, who has pitched for various teams in the past 20 years, hurled for Picture Butte in the second game. On Wednesday evening, Taber trounced Wrentham 17-3.

(June 16)  In the Dry Belt League, Enchant took a pair from Turin 13-9 and 9-5.

(June 17)  Lethbridge Miners captured the White Lunch trophy Monday defeating the Columbus Club juniors in both ends of a double-header by scores of 6-2 and 3-0. Kucheran and Slavich combined to hold the visitors to just two hits while the Miners pounded out 18 safeties.

Kucheran, Slavish and Witwicki
Ontko and Arisman

Chervinski and Holman combined on an eight-hitter for the Miners in the second game.

Chervinski, Holman and Witwicki
Cholak and Znsadny

(June 23)  Enchant and Taber split a twin-bill at Enchant. Taber took the opener 8-2 as Brown pitched a seven-hitter. D. Wiest allowed nine hits in a losing cause. In the second game, Enchant scored a 13-5 victory as D. Reynolds pitched a five-hitter.

(July 4)   Calgary Bears announced the signing of Morrie Pechet to replace flashy Ernie Beland who broke his leg sliding into second base in Sunday's game.  Pechet who batted .400 for the No.3 Fliers in 1944 will play third with Ted Walker moving to the keystone sack.

(July 4)  The Foothills League has revised the schedule to deal with games washed out by rain in recent weeks. The number of games has been reduced to 54 from 60 and the regular schedule is now to end on August 11th.

(July 5)  Danny Hackler of the Canadian Legion is the Foothill League's top hitter sporting a .500 average in his 18 trips to the plate.  Woody Huckabay is the runnerup with a .431 mark in 51 at bats.

(Aug 11)   Delbert Drake held visiting Carmangay to three hits Sunday as Enchant notched a 6-3 victory. Drake, who has been away since the spring work was finished, compiled 14 strikeouts.  The winners had seven hits off losing pitcher ChiltonL. Jacobson had three of the safeties.  D. Moore, the Carmangay left fielder, was hit on the head and knocked out by a pitch from Drake.  He came around okay after some time but was replaced in the game by W. Stevenson of Vauxhall.

Chilton (L) and xxx
Drake (W) and Howg

Enchant also won the evening game from Circle Hill, 7-3. The game was called in the 6th inning because of darkness. M. Wiest started for Enchant allowing just two hits until relieved in the 5th by Reynolds who gave up just one more.  Enchant had nine hits off D. Stevenson and W. Stevenson.

D. Stevenson, W. Stevenson ( ) and xxx
M. Wiest, Reynolds (5) and Howg, H. Olson (5)

(Aug 14)  Picture Butte Royals downed Lethbridge Miners for the third straight time Wednesday capturing a 4-2 victory at Adams Park.  Freddy Drake hurled a five-hitter for the win.  Royals took the lead in the first inning as Watson's line drive single knocked in Frankie Yahird who had doubled to centre.  Three Lethbridge errors in the second inning helped Picture Butte to two more runs.  Royals added a marker in the 5th. Miners didn't get a hit until the 6th when Smerek singled.  Two hits and a squeeze play netted the Miners a pair of runs in the 7th. Chervinski took the loss.

Drake (W) and Bohne
Chervinski (L) and Toccoli

(Aug 18)  Strong mound work by Lefty Humble and Alex Uffelman led Calgary Bears to a doubleheader sweep of the Stampeders in the opening games of the Foothills Baseball League semi-final series. Bears took both games by the identical score of 9-1 before capacity crowds. Humble had a six-hitter in the opener while Uffelman fired a three-hitter in the second game.

Rene Renauld had a homer and single to pace a ten-hit attack in the first game. Ernie Choukalos and Humble belted homers as the Bears had 14 hits in taking the second contest. Choukalos and Morrie Pechet each had three hits.

Menzies (L), Stobo (2) and Dahl, Davis
Humble (W) and Stewart

Uffelman (W) and Stewart
Shore (L), Menzies (7) and Davis

(Aug 20)  Calgary Stampeders rallied for seven runs in the 6th inning to down the Bears 9-4 and stay alive in the best of three Foothills semi-final series. Archie Wilder's grand-slam homer highlighted the outburst. Les Stobo, who gave up three straight hits to the Bears to start the game, settled down to allow just four hits the rest of the way. Rene Renauld, who took over mound duties from Roy Robinson in the 4th, suffered the loss giving up seven runs.

Stobo (W) and Dahl
Robinson, Renauld (L) (4), Huckabay (6) and Bishop

(Aug 21)   Ray Humble blanked the Bears until the 9th inning as the Bears dumped the Stampeders 8-2 to advance to the league final series against Purity 99. The left-hander allowed just five hits until the 9th when a pair of safeties and two errors led to the Bears' two runs.  Morrie Pechet had three hits and drove in a pair for the winners while Alex Uffelman crushed a two-run homer and Art Lewis had a double and single and knocked in two.

Mitch Pechet had two hits for the Stamps.

Humble (W) and Stewart
Shore (L), Menzies (6) and Dahl

(Aug 23)  The Calgary All-Stars topped the Twin Cities Colored Giants 9-3 in the opening tilt of an exhibition series. The Calgary squad was formed from the Legion and Stampeder teams which were eliminated from the league playoffs. Leadoff man Mitch Pechet paced the winners with three hits. Dick Noon and Joe McGoldrick each had a pair. Lloyd Bradley tossed a seven-hitter for the win over Price of the Giants (likely Hal Price who went on to pitch in Manitoba and Saskatchewan). 

Price (L) and Gaston
Bradley (W) and Petrunia

(Aug 25)   The Bears and Purity 99 split the first two games of the Foothills final series Sunday. Purity won the opener 2-1 in ten innings, Bears won the second 4-3 before a crowd of 3,500.

Greg McLellan's 10th inning single scored Albin with the winning marker in the first game. McLellan had reached on a single and advanced on a sacrifice.  Bears took the lead in the 5th as Ray Humble, who pitched both games, drove in Woody Huckabay.  Purity knotted the count in the 6th as McLellan, who had three hits, knocked in the run. Tony Maze survived eight walks and seven hits to register the win. Humble allowed nine hits and fanned ten in taking the loss.

Humble (L) and Stewart
Maze (W) and Sawchuk

Humble also went the distance in the second game, giving up seven hits and compiling 13 strikeouts, to capture the win in the 4-3 decision. Joe Kanik fanned 15 in a losing effort. A run-scoring single by Ernie Choukalos in the 7th proved to be the winning blow.

Kanik (L) and Sawchuk
Humble (W) and Stewart

(Aug 29)  Calgary Bears had just four hits but managed to eke out a 3-2 win over Purity 99 and a 2-1 game lead in the best of seven final series. First baseman Walt Gully had a two-run single in the 3rd, and catcher Ken Stewart drove in Ernie Choukalos with the deciding run in the 5th inning. Southpaw Ray Humble held Purity off the board until the bottom of the 9th to pick up the victory. Purity had nine hits, two each by Greg McLellan and Julian Sawchuk.

Humble (W) and Stewart
Maze (L) and Sawchuk

(Aug 30)  Calgary Bears rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie Purity 4-4 as the teams fought to a 10-inning deadlock in an exciting contest at Buffalo Park.  Leading 4-1, Joe Kanik weakened to issue three walks to load the bases.  With two out, Art Lewis`single drove in one run and another scored when the ball got away from Albin. An error on Lefty Humble`s grounder to third allowed the third run to cross the plate sending the game into extra innings.  Purity loaded the sacks in the tenth but Ken Stewart made a spectacular catch of a high foul by Tony Maze to end the threat. Julian Sawchuck belted a two-run homer for the 99s and Ernie Choukalos had a four-bagger for the Bears. While Purity had a rough day on defense, making seven errors, second baseman Ronnie English was outstanding with four putouts and nine assists. Several of his plays were spectacular.

Kanik and Sawchuk
Whitney and Stewart

(Aug 31)  Purity scored three times in the opening frame and coasted to an 8-1 victory to tie the final series a two games apiece.  Dean Olmstead hurled a five-hitter for the win. Tony Maze and Julian Sawchuck belted homers to lead the Purity offensive.

Uffelman (L), Whitney (4), Choukalos (8) and Stewart
Olmstead (W) and Sawchuk

(Sept 1)  Purity and the Bears split a Sunday double-header to leave the final series tied at three games each with the deciding contest scheduled for Monday.  Winning pitcher Tony Maze bashed a pair of homers, one a three-run shot, to lead a 12-hit Purity attack for an 8-2 victory in the first game. On the mound, Maze held the Bears to seven hits while fanning 10.

Maze (W) and Sawchuk
Humble (L), Choukalos (5) and Stewart

In a wild second game, the Bears had 17 hits and the teams combined for 16 errors as the Bears thumped Purity 13-5.  Ray Humble pitched and batted the Bears to the triumph.  He went the distance, scattering nine hits, on his fifth start in the Bears' sixth playoff game. At the plate, Humble punched out four hits and drove in a pair. Second baseman Eric Bishop had three hits and scored three times. Ken Stewart had a pair of doubles. Greg McLellan had three hits, two of them doubles, for Purity.

Humble (W) and Stewart
Maze (L), Olmstead (4), Harmon (7) and Sawchuk

(Sept 2)  Purity scored twice in the 9th inning to down the Bears 3-1 to capture the Foothills League title winning the final series four games to three. With the score tie 1-1, Julie Sawchuck doubled and Mickey Hajash reached when hit by a pitch. After both runners advanced on a Ronnie English sacrifice, Freddy Karch doubled down the first base line to score both runners. Joe Kanik went the distance for the win, holding the Bears to seven hits. Jerry Whitney took the loss.

Kanik (W) and Sawchuk
Whitney (L) and Stewart

(Sept 2)  Edmonton Eskimos downed Edmonton Cardinals 11-3 and 4-0 Monday to tie the Edmonton senior league final series at three games apiece.  Doug Darrah scattered nine hits in the opener for the pitching win. Billy White tossed a four-hit shutout as Esks won the second game.

Darrah (W) and xxx
Miller (L), Eaton (3) and xxx

White (W) and xxx
Kemp (L), Hawkey (3) and xxx

(Sept 3)  Edmonton Cardinals shaded the Eskimos 2-1 Tuesday to win the Edmonton senior title and the right to meet the Calgary Purity 99s for the inter-city championship.  Leo Douziech held the Eskimos to three hits in winning his third game in the Edmonton playoffs. Tied 1-1 going into the 9th, Jack McGill, the Cardinals left fielder, smashed a triple and centre fielder Albert Superstein followed with a single to bring in what proved to be the winning run. Lefty Belter gave up eight hits in taking the loss.

Douziech (W) and Samis
Belter (L) and Stevenson

(Sept 9)  Behind a 14-hit attack, Edmonton Cardinals whipped Calgary Purity 10-5 in the opening game of the best-of-seven Ranier Cup series at Buffalo Park.  The offensive display came early as Cards scored three in their half of the first on home runs by Jerry Seaman and Ernie Marlow. Purity came right back in the bottom of the first with four runs as Greg McLellan, Tony Maze and Art Lewis had extra base blows. A four-run outburst in the 7th by the Cardinals proved to be the difference.  Seaman and Pete Tedeschi each had three hits for Edmonton.

Hawkey, Belter (W) (3) and Samis
Maze (L), Olmstead (7) and Sawchuk

(Sept 10)  Edmonton Cardinals scored three early runs and made them stand up for a 3-2 win over Calgary Purity and a 2-0 game lead in their best-of-seven Alberta senior series. Pete Tedeschi`s triple drove in Harry Ornest with the game`s first run and the Cards took advantage of a pair of Calgary errors in the second to take a 3-0 lead. In the 8th, Tony Maze clouted a homer with Ian Lowe aboard to bring the 99s within a run. Leo Douziech went the route for the win allowing eight hits.  Joe Kankik was a tough-luck loser for Calgary as he gave up just five hits and compiled 14 strikeouts.

Douziech (W) and Arieta
Kanik (L) and Sawchuk

(Sept 11)  Walt Gully crushed a bases-loaded double in the final frame to break a 2-2 tie and give Calgary Purity it`s first win in the Alberta final series. The southerners notched a 5-2 win at Renfrew Park. Dean Olmstead fired a two-hitter for the win. Calgary plated the first run as Gully singled to drive in Joe Kanik.  Edmonton responded in their half of the first as Ken Samis scored on a passed ball after reaching on a single. The game was called after seven innings. Marvin Miller took the loss.

Olmstead (W) and Sawchuk
Miller (L) and Samis

(Sept 12)  Calgary Purity scored four late runs and held off an Edmonton rally in the 9th to notch a 4-3 victory and tie their Alberta series at two games apiece.  Down 2-0 going into the 7th inning, George Alexander opened the frame by reaching on a base on balls and advancing as Walt Gully was safe on an infield error. Ian Lowe singled to score the first Calgary run and and Art Lewis followed with a long fly to centre field to plate another. With two out, Alex Uffelman`s double to right brought Lowe home with the third marker.  The winning run came in the 8th as Joe Kanik got a bloop hit behind the box, went to third on a single by Alexander and raced home on an infield error. Tony Maze held Edmonton to seven hits in registering the mound win.  Lefty Belter took the loss.

Maze (W) and Sawchuk
Belter (L) and Samis

(Sept 13)  Leo Douziech blanked Purity on six hits as the northern club downed Calgary 3-0 to take a 3-2 game lead in the best-of-seven series.  The game was scoreless until the 7th when Edmonton came through with a pair of runs.  Doug Lane doubled to right and went to third as Ken Samis singled over second base. He scored on a wild pitch. Samis, who stole second and moved to third on the wild heave, came home as Douziech laid down a squeeze bunt down the first base line. Alex Uffelman allowed just eight hits in taking the mound defeat.

Uffelman (L) and Sawchuk
Douziech (W) and Samis

(Sept 14)  Edmonton Cardinals are the Alberta champions. A four-run outburst in the 9th inning carried the Cards to a 7-4 victory over Calgary Purity Saturday at Buffalo Park to take the series four games to two. Edmonton unleashed a 14-hit attack with Jerry Seaman and Doug Lane leading the way each with three hits. Harry Ornest started the closing rally and before the side was retired Edmonton had four hits and four runs. Calgary rebounded to load the bases with two out in the bottom of the 9th but Art Lewis`high fly ball to right was gathered in by outfielder Ernie Marlow to end the game. Bill Whyte started for Edmonton, giving way to Lefty Belter in the 6th.

The clubs played a pair of exhibition games on Sunday with Purity taking the first 10-3 with Walt Gully clubbing a two-run homer and Ian Lowe collecting three hits. Edmonton won the evening game as Ernie Marlow and Doug Lane belted homers for the Cardinals and Leo Douziech hurled seven-hit ball. 

Whyte, Belter (W) (6) and Arieta
Kanik, Bradley (L) (6) and Sawchuk

(October 11)   Earl Mack`s major league stars took the opening game of their exhibition set in Calgary downing the locals 6-2.  Gene Handley, Philadelphia A`s shortstop, the game`s first batter hit the first pitch over the fence in right centre field for a home run.  Bob Swift, of the Detroit Tigers, hoisted one over the fence in left in the ninth. The crowd gave Bert Shepard a great hand for his play in the field and at bat. The USA Air Force veteran lost his right leg as a result of being shot down during the Second World War.  When he stole second base, wooden limb and all, he earned the afternoon`s loudest round of applause.

Reynolds, Kress (5), Swift (8) and Swift, Kress
Kanik and Petrunia

(October 12)  The major leaguers topped a Calgary squad 14-5 Saturday before a crowd of about 1,000 fans at Buffalo Park.  In addition to displaying major league pitching, hitting and fielding skills the visitors put on a comedy show worthy of the vaudeville circuit.  Boon Rogers brought cheers from the home crowd with a homer off St. Louis Browns pitcher Denny Galehouse. The Mack all-stars belted five homers, including one by Bert Shepard the Washington coach who scampers about on an artificial leg.  The best pitching of the day came from Alex Uffelman of Calgary who allowed five hits but held the major leaguers scoreless in his four inning stint.

Galehouse, Kress, Handley, Outlaw and Swift, Kress
Bradley, Uffelman and Petrunia