1946 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1946 BC Interior
1946 Vancouver Island
Victoria Senior Amateur City League
Teams in the 1946 Victoria Senior Amateur City League :
Canadian Legion
Eagles
Navy (dropped out in mid-July)
Victoria Machinery Depot * (commonly referred to as V. M. D.)
* defending league champions
(March 13) The Victoria Athletics announced the signing of Ian "Ace" Lowe, former batting champion of the Victoria Machinery Depot club. Lowe played two seasons with the shipbuilders.
(April 2) Four former local players are among the 20 players working out with the Victoria Athletics at their Spring Training camp at Lewiston, Idaho. Jimmy Dumeah, well-known former member of the Royal Canadian Navy team, is joined by Ian Lowe, Tony Maze and Stan Curry. Manager Laurel Harney has listed daily workout from 10 to 3 and is working on a schedule for exhibition games.
(May 8) In the season opener, before a crowd of more than 1,500, Victoria Machinery Depot defeated the Eagles 4 to 1 as ace flinger Tommy Musgrave rang up 15 strikeouts in pitching a four-hitter. He walked six. Stan Curry, the Eagles' left-hander allowed seven hits, seven walks, hit a batter and uncorked three wild pitches. The lone run against Musgrave came in the second inning when he walked a batter, gave up a single to Bill Benn, hit a batter then walked Richards to force in the run. V.M.D. came right back in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead on singles by Jack Walker and Reg Sutherland combined with an error and an outfield out. They added a run in the third on hits by Gar Taylor and Maurice Duffy and Jimmy Morrison's long fly ball. A squeeze play in the fourth produced the final marker.
Curry (L) and Phillip
Musgrave (W) and Sutherland
(May 10) Canadian Legion nosed out Navy 4-3 Friday as Bill Prior twirled three-hit ball and whiffed 12 to best Jimmy Dumeah, on the hill for Navy. Dumeah, recently returned from the Victoria Athletics' training camp, also came up with 12 strikeouts but was hurt by eight Navy errors. Only one of the four runs against him was earned. Andrews knocked in Ray Moretti for the first Legion marker in the second inning. Navy scored twice in their half of the second as Vic Dovey reached on an error and Padgett was awarded first on catcher's interference. After a double steal, Nelson smacked a double to drive in both runners. A hit and four errors gave the Legion two more runs in the fourth and Harry Holness scored the final run in the fourth when he got credit for an inside-the-park homer when his outfield drive was mis-played and went all the way to the corner. Navy got a run in the ninth as Padgett tripled and came home on Mickey Smith's fly to right field. Prior led the Legion's attack with three hits.
Prior (W) and xxx
Dumeah (L) and xxx
(May 12) Ronnie Benn singled in Richards with the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning Sunday as the Eagles edged Victoria Legion 5-4 in the first of two games. Richards had reached on an error, the sixth of the day for the Legion. Stan Davies allowed 10 hits in going the distance for the winners. He fanned 11. Lloyd Cann allowed 11 hits but just one earned run. Legion catcher Andrews was the game's top hitter with a three for four afternoon.
Cann (L) and Andrews
Davies (W) and Ball
(May 12) Lefty Tony Maze tossed a five-hitter and rang up 15 strikeouts as V.M.D. beat Navy 8-2. The winners ran up a 5-0 lead after two innings and cruised to the win.
Maze (W) and Bartko
Fidler (L) and Smith
(May 19) Tommy Musgrave fashioned a three-hitter Sunday as V.M.D. made in three straight wins defeating the Canadian Legion 8-2 before close to 2,000 fans at Athletic Park. After his teammates got him a two-run lead in the first inning and piled it on, Musgrave held his opponents to single tallies in the fifth and seventh innings. He fanned eight and walked four. Bill Prior took the loss giving up ten hits and six walks. Gar Taylor led the winners with three hits.
Musgrave (W) and Sutherland
Bill Prior (L) and Andrews
(May 26) In a game which produced five-hit pitching by both Jimmy Dumeah and Bobby Prior, the Navy edged the Eagles 3 to 2 Sunday before 1,200 fans. Singles by Dillon, Dumeah and Williams along with two free passes gave the Navy two runs in the third frame. Padgett's single and Baker's triple made it 3-0 in the top of the ninth. The Eagles rallied in the bottom of the ninth with a pair as Burtt singled, advanced on two errors and scored on Benn's fly to right. After Ruryk walked, Prior's hit scored Benn, but Dumeah tightened up and retired the side without further damage. Dumeah, the playing coach of the winners, struck out ten and walked two.
Dumeah (W) and Smith
Bob Prior (L) and Phillips
V.M.D. 3 - 0
Eagles 1 - 2
Legion 1 - 2
Navy 1 - 2
(May 27) The game produced just 13 hits, but there were 24 walks, 10 errors and 6 passed balls as V.M.D. crushed the Eagles 12-1 Monday in Victoria senior league action. Tony Maze allowed just three hits in hurling the victory but gave up 13 free passes and had five wild pitches. V.M.D. collected 11 walks off Stan Curry and Elliott pitching for the Eagles.
Maze (W) and Sutherland
Curry (L), Elliott (7) and Phillips, Ball (8)
(May 28) A seven-run third stanza carried Navy to an 8 to 4 victory over the Canadian Legion. The winners combined four walks and three hits, highlighted by Ray Moretti's triple in the big inning. Legion rallied in the seventh when fours hits, including a double by Bill Prior, chased in three runs but they fell short. Fidler held the Legion to seven hits in going the route for the win.
Fidler (W) and Smith
Scroggs (L), Kirchner (3), Cann (3) and Andrews
(May 29) Canadian Legion roared from behind with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to squeeze by the Eagles 4 to 3. Trailing 3-1, singles by Flaherty, Bill Prior and Charlie Restell produced the first marker. With runners on second and third, Parkins bunted on a squeeze play with Prior scoring easily and Restell scooting home with the winning run when pitcher Stan Davies' throw to first was off the mark. Prior fired a four-hitter for the pitching win.
Davies (L) and Phillips
Prior (W) and Julian, Parkins
(May 30) V.M.D. rang up its fifth straight win in the city league Thursday night whipping the Navy 9 to 1. It also marked the third successive victory for Tommy Musgrave who had an easy night with a nine hit effort. Jack Walker paced a 14 hit attack with four hits, one a triple, in five trips. Gar Taylor had a double and two singles.
Dumeah (L) and Smith
Musgrave (W) and Garnet
(June 1) The Eagles clobbered a disorganized Navy squad 15 to 1 Saturday afternoon as Stan Curry set a season high strikeout mark fanning 16. Eagles punched out 13 hits off a pair of Navy hurlers and took advantage of nine Navy miscues in the field.
Curry (W) and Carson
Fidler (L), Dumeah (8) and Smith
(June 1) V.M.D. broke a 1-1 tie scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to down the Legion 3-1. With two out, Jack Walker singled and went all the way to third on Jimmy Morrison's hit. Morrison stole second and both scored when shortstop Harry Holness threw wide of first after fielding Tony Maze's ground ball. Maze picked up the win with a four-hitter, besting Lloyd Cann who gave up seven safeties. Legion got on the scoreboard first scoring in the first inning when Rookie Wright rapped a single, stole second, advanced on an error and scored on Walker's hit. In the sixth, V.M.D. tied the count when Gar Taylor singled, advanced on a passed ball and scored on Maurice Duffy's smash through second.
Cann (L) and Parkins
Maze (W) and Sutherland
(June 9) Tommy Musgrave had a no-hitter through seven innings and fanned 16, pitching V.M.D. to a 4 to 3 victory over the Eagles. He ended up with a three-hitter. Before a crowd of 1,700 V.M.D. moved into a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Jimmy Morrison, Lyons and Babe Work each singled to drive in runs. Work singled to knock in the winning marker in the fourth.
Prior (L), Curry (1) and Phillips
Musgrave (W) and Bartko
(June 10) Bill Prior was outstanding Monday night pitching shutout ball and racking up 19 strikeouts in a 9 to 0 win for Legion over the Navy. Prior allowed just three hits and fanned the side in the first, fifth and sixth innings. Charlie Restell led the Legion with an inside-the-park homer and three singles.
Prior (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 10) In the first statistics released, Jack Walker the V.M.D. right fielder leads the hitters with a .464 average nosing out teammate Gar Taylor, at .462, for the lead. Walker tops the loop with 11 runs batted in and in total bases, with 16. Bill Prior of the Legion is third, at .412. Tommy Musgrave (4-0) and Tony Maze (3-0) both of V.M.D. top the hurlers.
(June 23) Canadian Legion beat the Eagles 6-4 Sunday at Athletic Park. Veteran Lloyd Cann survived 11 hits in going the route for the win. Stan Curry allowed just seven safeties in taking the loss.
Curry (L) and Phillips
Cann (W) and W.Prior
(June 20) Seattle Steelheads came from behind to down Portland Rosebuds 10-6 in the first of two West Coast Negro Baseball League games to be held at Royal Athletic Park at Victoria. Seattle had taken the early lead with four runs in the first inning but Portland battled back to lead 6-5 after six. A run in the seventh tied it for the Steelheads and a four-run outburst in the eighth salted away the victory. Alfred Saylor picked up the win in relief.
Jackson (L) and Hardin
Dean, Saylor (W) (6) and Marcel
(June 21) Jesse Owens, the former Olympic spring champion, was the big attraction at Royal Athletic Park Friday as part of the promotion of Negro League baseball with the Seattle Steelheads against the Portland Rosebuds. Owens lost the 100-yard race, but still received quite an ovation from the fans. George Edgelow, riding Laddie, caught Owens at about the 60 yard mark to win handily. With a cool breeze anything but conducive to good baseball, the clubs turned in a spotty exhibition with Portland turning the tables on the Steelheads to win 8-2. Seattle had anothet rough night defensively, making eight errors. Roses rapped 12 hits off Alfred Sayler while Overton scattered five hits for the win. Both runs against him were unearned.
Overton (W) and Hardin
Saylor (L) and Marcel
(June 24) Canadian Legion stopped V.M.D.'s winning streak at eight games downing the league leaders 4-2 Monday. The game featured a pitching duel between Bill Prior of the Legion and Toad Garnet for the shipbuilders. Prior won with a six-hitter, while Garnet yielded just five hits in a losing cause. Doubles by Sonny Walker, Prior and Vic Burtt along with three errors provided the Legion with single runs in the first, third and fourth innings. A hit batsman, an error, a wild pitch and a fielder's choice resulted in the fourth counter in the eighth inning.
W.Prior (W) and Parkins
Garnet (L) and Sutherland
(June 25) Jimmy Dumeah tossed a six-hitter and whiffed 14 Tuesday in hurling the Navy to a 5-3 victory over the Eagles. The right-hander was in trouble only in the 8th inning when a streak of wildness helped the Eagles push across two runs. Veteran Stan Douglas made his first start of the season for the Eagles and gave up six hits in the eight innings he worked. Navy broke loose for four runs in the fifth inning to provide the margin of victory. Ronnie Benn of the Eagles was the game's top hitter with a triple and three singles in four trips to the plate.
Douglas, Curry and Carson, Phillips
Dumeah (W) and Smith
(June 26) With Tommy Musgrave racking up his fifth straight pitching win, V.M.D. romped to a 9 to 4 win over the Eagles in city league ball Wednesday. V.M.D. built up an early 5-0 lead and coasted to the win.
Davies (L), Curry (5) and Phillips
Musgrave (W) and Sutherland
(July 5) A four-run 8th inning, on two hits and a pair of errors, propelled V.M.D. to a 6-3 victory over the Navy Friday. Jimmy Morrison handled the pitching for the winners allowing five hits, the same number as the shipyarders' picked off loser Jimmy Dumeah.
Morrison (W) and Sutherland
Dumeah (L) and Smith
(July 6) Jack Walker, the hard-hitting outfielder of the league-leading V.M.D. nine, continues to top the city league in batting with a mark of .390. Ronnie Benn the promising first sacker of the Eagles holds down second spot at .372 followed by Bill Prior of the Legion at .370 and Gar Taylor, V.M.D., with a .368 average. Lefty Tony Maze, V.M.D., heads the pitching averages with four wins and no defeats and an ERA of 0.28. Teammate Tommy Musgrave has a 5-0 record with a 1.43 earned run average.
(July 6) The Victoria All-Stars and Seattle Matheny-Bacon split a Saturday double-header. The locals took the afternoon encounter 3-2 in 10 innings while the visitors rebounded with a 2 to 0 victory in the nightcap. Vic Dovey's infield hit in the 10th won it for the locals in the first game. Victoria trailed 2-1 going into the ninth when Tommy Musgrave singled with two out and came around to score the tying run. Musgrave fired a three-hitter for the win while the locals collected 13 hits off a pair of Seattle hurlers.
Mundt, Seirer (10) and Southas
Musgrave (W) and Smith
Herb Seirer held Victoria to four hits and rang up 15 strikeouts in pitching the shutout in the second game. It was a scoreless affair until the 8th inning when Seattle bunched three hits for their two runs. Bill Prior took the loss.
Seirer (W) and Southas
Prior (L) and Patterson
(July 7) Lloyd Cann fired a six-hit shutout Sunday to lead the Legion to a 2-0 win over the Eagles. Stan Curry who allowed just four hits, took the loss. Both runs against Curry, who fanned 11, were unearned. The only scoring came in the fifth inning. After singles by Cann and Rookie Wright, the first run scored on an errant throw and the second came home on a squeeze play. Eagles missed a golden opportunity in the eighth as Ellis led off with a triple but was thrown out at home trying to score on an infield grounder. After two walks loaded the bases, the Legion got a double play to end the inning.
Curry (L) and Carson
Cann (W) and Parkins
(July 14) Toad Garnet, the handyman of the shipyards this season, took over mound duties for V.M.D. Sunday and hurled shutout ball for eight innings in a 8 to 3 victory. A ninth inning error led to a three-run rally by the Legion. Maurice Duffy had the big blow for the winners, an inside the park homer in the fifth inning. He also had a triple as did Gar Taylor.
Garnet (W) and Sutherland
Prior (L) and Parkins
(July 16) In the first of a two-game series in Victoria, the Chicago Brown Bombers downed the Cuban La Palomas 6-2 before a big crowd of almost 3,000 fans at Royal Athletic Park. Ed Hamman, who clowned all through the game, was a star of the attraction. Lefty Eddie Thompson was in good form for the winners giving up just an unearned run in the fifth and a single counter in the ninth. He fanned five without a free pass. Three solid base knocks in the first inning, after two were out, send in a pair for the Bombers. They didn't score again until the eighth when three more hits, a walk and a pair of errors send four runs home. Quincy Smith, former member of the Birmingham Black Barons and Kansas City Monarchs, led the winners with a double and three singles.
Thompson (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 17) The Cuban La Palomas earned a split with the Chicago Brown Bombers in their two-game exhibition series at Victoria when they meted out a 6-3 lacing to the Bombers behind the masterful hurling of Jim Bennett. The big right-hander flashed a crackling fastball and a good curve to keep the Chicago nine at bay. Bennett allowed five hits and racked up 12 strikeouts. The Bombers took the lead in the first scoring a pair on two walks and a misplayed bunt. The Cubans went ahead to stay with four in the fourth and added a pair in the seventh.
Bennett (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 18) The Navy announced its withdrawal from the city league because of a lack of players. The remaining three teams will complete the schedule.
(July 20) Saturday became double-header day in the city league as the Parks Board forced the league to discontinue Sunday games. In the afternoon, the Eagles upset top-ranked V.M.D. 2 to 1 on a two-hitter by Stan Curry. The southpaw fanned 13 in topping Toad Garnet who allowed eight hits and whiffed 14 in a losing cause. Eagles got a run in the sixth on successive singles by Ronnie Benn, Bob Prior and Cal Manley. V.M.D. tied the count in the top of the ninth, however, the Eagles got a walk and three hits to push across the winner in the bottom of the final frame.
Garnet (L), Musgrave (9) and Sutherland
Curry (W) and Phillips
(July 20) In the evening game, the Canadian Legion crushed the Eagles 10 to 2 with a 17 hit attack. The teams played loose defensive ball combining for 12 errors. Lloyd Cann registered the pitching win scattering nine hits.
Cann (W) and Smith
Davies (L), Curry (9) and Phillips, Carson
(July 23) Victoria City Council gave its approval to Sunday baseball. The amateur baseball officials protested the closing of the parks on Sundays pointing out that since the advent of professional games at Royal Athletic Park they could not complete their schedule unless allowed to play Sundays.
(July 24) V.M.D. added another win to its impressive season Wednesday taking a 10-9 decision from the Eagles. Regular shortstop Jimmy Morrison started on the mound for V.M.D. and pitched into the 8th inning with Tommy Musgrave taking over. Eagles opened with McWhirter in the box, replaced by Stan Curry in the third.
McWhirter, Curry (L) (3) and xxx
Morrison (W), Musgrave (8) and xxx
(July 26) After toiling on the mound for over 20 years, Lloyd Cann finally came up with his dream game when he posted a no-hit no-run performance as Canadian Legion clobbered the Eagles 10-0. A fourth inning walk to Bill Benn spoiled a perfect effort. The right-hander had previously tossed a no-hitter back in 1937 at Chemainus, but had a run scored against him. Cann, who now gets by with good control and a change of pace struck out nine and only three balls were hit out of the infield. In the fourth, outfielder Charlie Restell made a beautiful one-handed spear of Ronnie Benn's liner to save the no-hitter. After being held off the scoreboard for two innings, Legion broke loose for three runs in the third and another trio in the fourth to mark the exit of Eagles' starter Stan Douglas. He was replaced by Stan Davies who was greeted with a four-run outburst in the fifth. Rookie Wright and Ted Parkins each had four hits to lead the offensive.
Douglas (L), Davies (5) and Carson
Cann (W) and Smith
(July 27) The Victoria All-Stars and Vancouver's Gartshore Athletics split an exhibition double-header Saturday at Royal Athletic Park. The locals rebounded in the nightcap to win 6-1 behind the outstanding performance of Tommy Musgrave after the Athletics had copped the matinée feature 4-2. Musgrave spaced eight hits to register the easy victory, twirling airtight ball in the clutches after giving up a run in the third frame. He fanned six, picked off three runners, threw out another five at first base and contributed three hits, one a two-bagger, to Victoria's nine-hit attack. Jimmy Crosato, former Navy hurler, took the loss for the mainlanders. In the afternoon fixture, Bob Montador held Victoria to seven hits and pitched scoreless ball after the third inning in going the distance for the winners. Rookie Wright was the top swatter for Victoria with a triple, double and single in the first game and a triple and double in the second.
Montador (W) and Henry
Curry (L), W.Prior (8) and Phillips
Crosato (L) and Henry
Musgrave (W) and Sutherland,
(July 29) With V.M.D. fielding a makeshift lineup that included their trainer, Charlie Pye, and last minute signee Reg Patterson, Canadian Legion trounced the league leaders 17 to 8. The shipyarders were forced to use Maurice Duffy and Scotty Robinson on the mound and the pair gave up 17 hits.
Duffy, Robinson and xxx
Cann, S.Walker, Bill Prior and xxx
(July 29) Officials of the Victoria amateur league announced their lineup for the Monday exhibition game with the Victoria Athletics of the Western International League. Mickey Smith and Earl Phillips will handle the catching duties with Tommy Musgrave, Lloyd Cann, Bill Prior and Stan Curry ready for mound work. Babe Work, Vic Dovey, Ted Parkins, Rookie Wright and Gar Taylor will form the infield with Jack Walker, Maurice Duffy, Charlie Restell, Ray Moretti and Vic Burtt in the outfield. Jim Lyon will act as manager with Bobby Wiegand and Scotty Robinson in the coaching lines.
(August 12) Gino Marionetti smacked a dramatic three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the professional Victoria Athletics of the Western International League a 5 to 4 victory over the city league All-Stars before a crowd of more than 1,600. The event raised $1,226.05 for the Spokane Players' Benefit Fund. Trailing 4-2, Eddie Murphy led off the ninth with a single and, with two out, Pete Hughes singled before Marionetti followed with his game-winning blast. The A's had taken a two-run lead in the first inning as Hughes doubled in a pair. Maurice Duffy crushed a homer with a man aboard in the fifth to tie the count. The locals went ahead in the seventh on Jack Walker's four-bagger with Duffy on base. Tommy Musgrave, moving to the pros from the city league, was the winning hurler for the A's, in relief of starter Walt Raimondi. Each team had seven hits.
Prior, Curry (4), Dumeah (L) (7) and Smith
W.Raimondi, Musgrave (W) (9) and Stumpf
(August 16) V.M.D. clinched first place in the city league Friday putting an 11-1 beating on the Eagles. Jimmy Dumeah, recently released by the Athletics, hurled the shipyarders to the victory giving up just four hits. V.M.D. collected a dozen off Stan Curry, five coming in the ninth inning when the winners scored eight times. The last frame was also marked by two errors, five walks and four wild pitches.
Dumeah (W) and xxx
Curry (L) and xxx
(August 17) Bill Prior hurled both games of a double-header for the Legion Saturday leading the club to a 10-2 win over V.M.D. and a 17 to 2 triumph over the Eagles. He allowed a total of seven hits, three in the first game and four in the second. Against the Eagles, he rang up 16 strikeouts.
Prior (W) and Parkins
Morrison (L) and Sutherland
Davies (L) and Phillips
Prior (W) and Smith
(August 18) The regular schedule wound up Sunday as V.M.D. crushed the Eagles 17 to 3. With only four of their regulars turning out, the Eagles were forced to call on several junior players and veterans to fill out the lineup.
Davies (L) and Phillips
Garnet, Work (5) and Sutherland, Gibbons
PLAYOFFS
(August 25) The playoffs got underway Sunday with the Legion walloping the Eagles 17-5 behind a 19 hit attack and a porous Eagles' defense which committed 12 errors. Lloyd Cann gave up 11 hits but managed to go the distance for the win.
Bob Prior (L), Douglas (8) and Phillips
Cann (W) and Andrews
(September 1) In an exhibition game, V.M.D. defeated the Sand Point Naval Air Station from Seattle, 2 to 1.
(September 2) The Canadian Legion swamped V.M.D. 15 to 2 in the opening game of the final series for the city baseball championship and the Rithet Cup. Legion broke open a close game with five runs in the 8th inning and another six in the ninth. Bill Prior fashioned a six hitter and fanned 14 for the Legion. Jimmy Dumeah compiled 12 strikeouts in going the route for V.M.D. but allowed 17 hits and 8 walks. V.M.D. also committed 8 errors.
Prior (W) and Smith
Dumeah (L) and Sutherland
Earlier in the day, the Legion wrapped up its semi-final series with the Eagles scoring an 8 to 1 victory behind a five-hitter by Lloyd Cann. The winners collected 13 hits off a pair of hurlers for the Eagles. Sonny Walker had a five-hit day for the winners.
Curry, Phillips and Phillips, xxx
Cann (W) and Andrews
(September 6) With an 11 to 5 victory, Canadian Legion notched its second straight win in the final playoff series, a best-of-seven affair. Legion won the game in the late innings after V.M.D. had rallied to deadlock the count at 5-5 in the fifth inning. Taking over the pitching chores from Lloyd Cann in the fourth inning, Bill Prior hurled shutout ball the rest of the way, striking out seven. The Legion picked up 13 hits off Toad Garnet.
Garnet (L) and xxx
Cann, Prior (W) (4) and xxx
(September 7) V.M.D. pulled off a 5-3 victory in the second game of a playoff double-header Saturday to stave off elimination as the Legion won the opener 7 to 4 and needs just one more victory to take the title. The Legion erupted for four runs in the seventh inning of the opener to break a 2-2 tie. Bill Prior allowed ten hits in claiming the pitching win. He struck out 11. Loser Jimmy Dumeah gave up 11 hits. Dumeah came right back in the second game to hold the Legion to eight hits as V.M.D. notched its first win in the series, 5 to 3. They got 12 hits off loser Lloyd Cann. V.M.D. catcher Mickey Bartko was tossed out of both games. In the afternoon he was sent to the showers for protesting a ball and strike call and in the evening left early following a mix up with Legion infielder Ted Parkins in a play at second base.
Prior (W) and Smith
Dumeah (L) and Bartko, Sutherland
Dumeah (W) and Bartko, Sutherland
Cann (L) and Smith
(September 9) With Tommy Musgrave back from a stint with the Victoria Athletics, V.M.D. trounced the Legion 16-6 in the fifth game of the final series. V.M.D. fell behind 3-0 in the second inning but broke loose for seven runs in the third and coasted to the triumph. Musgrave allowed eight hits while the winners had 16 off Bill Prior and Bobby Wiegand. Jimmy Morrison led the way with four hits including a three-run homer and a double.
Prior (L), Wiegand and Smith
Musgrave (W) and Bartko, Sutherland
(September 10) Veteran Lloyd Cann capped another solid season, one in which he fired his first no-hit no-run game, by pitching the Canadian Legion to the city baseball title and the Rithet Cup. Cann blanked V.M.D. on five hits as the Legion scored a 9-0 victory to win the final series in six games. Catcher Mickey Smith knocked in four runs with a four-for-four evening. Legion had 12 hits off Jimmy Dumeah.
Dumeah (L) and Bartko
Cann (W) and Smith
Nanaimo-Duncan Senior Amateur Baseball League
Post-war baseball in Cowichan country saw the formation of a six-team loop comprising the three surviving Duncan teams from the 1945 Duncan Senior Baseball League, a pair of entries from Chemainus and a lone club from mid-island Nanaimo.
Teams in the 1946 Nanaimo-Duncan Senior Amateur Baseball League
Chemainus Cubs
Chemainus McBrides
Duncan Garner Brothers Concos
Duncan City Service Mercurys
Duncan Zenith-Olympics
Nanaimo Merchants
(May 12) A season-opening double-header at Duncan Athletic Park resulted in no winners. A grand-slam homer in the bottom of the seventh and final inning gave Nanaimo Merchants an 11-11 draw with Duncan Olympics in the second game of the twin-bill before a capacity crowd. In the opening game, the Merchants twice came from behind to salvage a 7-7 tie with the Olympics.
In the first game, Duncan took the lead in the fifth inning as Doug Cleough, Sonny Bruce and Gil Bruce came home on three hits, an error, a walk and a sacrifice. Blanked for six innings, Nanaimo came to life in the seventh scoring six times, three scoring on a bases-loaded single by Red Koehle and an outfield error. Duncan responded with three in the bottom of the seventh on a walk and three hits, one of them Gil Bruce's third safety. With a run in the eighth, Duncan went up 7-6 when Ben Pollock scored on hits by White and Clare Mayea. In the ninth, Nanaimo loaded the bases and got the tying run on a hard hit grounder by Hoppy Hoppus but lost an opportunity for a win when Gil Bruce in centre field snagged a long fly by Toss Naylor.
T.Naylor and V.Thompson
L.Rodger and D.Cleough
In a dramatic final inning in the second game, Mel "Lefty" Biggs smacked a homer over the left field fence with the bases loaded to highlight a seven run rally to give Nanaimo an 11-11 tie. Red Koehle's two-out Texas Leaguer knocked in the tying marker. Helped by three walks and two errors, Duncan scored three runs in the initial frame and followed with four more in the second through two walks and two hits, including a bases-loaded double by Gil Bruce. Nanaimo rebounded with four runs in the third helped by porous defensive play by Duncan. The Olympics went ahead 10-4 with three in the fifth and then added a singleton in the sixth setting the stage for the remarkable comeback by the visitors. The homer was Biggs' third hit of the game.
Leeming, Gard (7) and Cleough
J.Kirk and T.Naylor
(May 12) At Chemainus, the Duncan Concos squeezed by the Chemainus Cubs 11-10 in the first game of a double-header. Cubs scored a pair in the bottom of the ninth inning but fell just short.
Stobo and Stroulger
L.Jackson and Booth
(May 12) In the evening game, Chemainus McBride's Service defeated Duncan City Services 9 to 2. Pete Hawryluk's 8th inning triple was a highlight for the winners. D.Pitt of Duncan led the hitters with four hits in four at bats. Cy Shillito hurled the victory for McBride's.
Chester and Thomas
C.Shillito and W.Hagg
(May 14) Tuesday evening at Duncan, Concos downed City Service 11-7.
(May 14) A third inning homer by Al Copp helped Chemainus McBride's to a 5-3 triumph over the Chemainus Cubs as Cy Shillito pitched his second win in three days.
Armstrong, Tucker and Hagg
Shillito and Booth
(May 17) Trailing 6-0, Chemainus Cubs roared back Friday to dump the Duncan City Service Mercurys 9-6. A homer by Marchol Proteau highlighted the Cubs six-run fifth inning to tie. Haley Jackson went the route for the Cubs to pick up the win allowing eight hits. Frank Kraft fanned 13 for Duncan before giving way to Mike Chester in the 8th.
H.Jackson (W) and xxx
Kraft, Chester (8) and xxx
(May 19) Brothers Preston and Gil Bruce combined for seven hits Sunday as the Duncan Olympics squeezed out a 6-5, 10-inning victory over McBride's Service of Chemainus. Preston had four hits in five at bats while Gil picked up a trio. Bill Hagg and Dave Murray each had two hits for McBrides.
Gard and Cleough
Cy Shillito and W.Hagg
(May 19) At Duncan Sunday, Duncan City Service dropped its fourth of the season falling 11-6 to the Chemainus Cubs.
(May 19) Duncan Concos split a pair at Nanaimo winning the first 14-3 behind the eight-hit hurling of Lou DeMore before Nanaimo took the second game 6-4 as Jack Kirk held Duncan to seven hits.
Duncan smacked 19 hits off Jack Prestley including five by shortstop Jimmy Neilson. DeMore added three hits and a pair of runs while S.Berky had two hits and scored three times. DeMore fanned 10 and walked five.
L.DeMore (W) and xxx
Prestley (L) and xxx
Nanaimo clinched the second game with a three-run rally in the fifth inning. They collected 11 hits as Red Naylor led the attack with three hits and three runs scored. Ken Nelson, Joe Garner and J.Stroulger each had two safeties for Duncan.
D.English (L) and xxx
J.Kirk (W) and xxx
(May 21) Duncan Olympics trounced city rival Concos 13-5 Tuesday at Duncan Athletic Park. Olympics jumped into a three-run lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Three walks and errors were responsible for the damage. The winners increased their lead to 7-1 in the fourth when Lou DeMore took over for Doug English. Lloyd Leeming hurled steady ball to pick up the win for the Olympics.
English (L), DeMore (4) and xxx
Leeming (W) and xxx
(May 21) Chemainus McBride's Service crushed Duncan City Service 13-5 at Chemainus behind the strong pitching of Bill Jackson.
xxx and xxx
B.Jackson (W) and xxx
(May 22) An eighth inning, two out, double by pinch-hitter Hoppy Hoppus drove in two runs and gave Nanaimo Merchants a 4-3 victory over Chemainus Cubs Wednesday at Nanaimo. Bill Clarke, who relieved starter Kirk in the second frame and went on to strike out 13, picked up the win over Ron Shillito for Chemainus.
Kirk, Clarke (W) (2) and T.Naylor
R.Shillito (L) and Booth, Proteau
(May 24) Friday at Chemainus, Duncan City Service won its first of the season downsing the Cubs 7-2.
(May 24) For the third straight game, Duncan Olympics and Nanaimo Merchants failed to declare a winner as the clubs battled to a 7-7 tie in 11 innings. In the final frame, Ben Pollock singled and scored on a long drive by Sonny Bruce. Gil Bruce, with four hits, was walked intentionally but two ground outs ended the rally. Nanaimo fought back to tie when Red Koehle tripled with two out and scored on Wib Jordan's single.
E.Rodger, Gard (6), G.Bruce (8) and D.Cleough
Clarke and T.Naylor
(May 26) McBrides Service defeated Duncan Concos 3-2 in the first game of a twin-bill at Chemainus Sunday.
D.English, DeMore and Stroulger
Syme and Hagg
(May 26) Duncan Olympics trimmed the Chemainus Cubs 6-3. The game was nip and tuck until the ninth when Lloyd Leeming led off the inning with a single and Doug Cleough was hit by a pitch. Ben Pollock's sacrifice advanced both runners and Preston Bruce followed with a rousing double to score a pair. They got another run when Gil Bruce reached on an error and brother Preston scored.
(May 26) Duncan City Service and Nanaimo Merchants each came away with a victory in Sunday's high-scoring twin-bill at Duncan. Nanamo broke open a tight opening game with an 11-run explosion in the sixth inning and went on to win 19-5. Duncan rebounded to win the second game 11-10 scoring the winner in the bottom of the ninth. Duncan used five pitchers in the afternoon but couldn't stop the Nanaimo parade. After scoring three in the first inning, Toss Naylor's homer in the fifth added another pair to give the Merchants 5-1 lead. However, Duncan came back with three runs in the last of the fifth to leave the count at 5-4 setting the stage for Nanaimo's double-digit inning.
Prestley (W) and H.Hoppus
Kraft (L), Abercrombie, Chester, Syrotuck, Moore and D.Joss
Duncan had its own huge inning scoring ten runs in the first inning of the second game then blowing the lead before getting a marker in the ninth to win 11-10. Nanaimo clawed back with four runs in the third, one in fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth. Toss Naylor's second homer of the day tied the score in the 8th. Ted Forest led off the final frame for Duncan with a one-bagger and came around to plate the winner on a ground out and an error. Forest with six hits in the two games was the day's top hitter.
J.Kirk, Davis (L) (1) and T.Naylor
K.McDonald, Abercrombie (W) (6) and D.Joss
(May 28) Duncan Concos erupted for six runs in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday but blew the lead and needed a run in the 8th to secure a 7-6 victory over the Olympics. Tom Garner scored the winning marker when Eric Rodger dropped Reg Patterson's fly ball. In the ninth, Jack Kirk, in centre field, prevented the tying run when he made a running shoestring catch of what looked like a sure Texas Leaguer off the bat of pinch-hitter Lloyd Lemming with White on base. In the fifth, with the scored knotted at 6-6 and the bases loaded, Fred Earthy saved the day when, travelling at top speed, he snared a long drive from Gil Bruce the Olympics clean-up hitter.
(May 28) Duncan City Service won their third game in four starts when they upended the Chemainus Cubs 13-11 Tuesday evening holding off a Cubs rally in the bottom of the ninth. City Service took the lead with three runs in the 8th and another in the ninth. Newcomer Ernie Anderson picked up the pitching win.
(May 29) A one-run game for seven innings, Chemainus McBrides scored ten runs in the last two frames to crush Nanaimo Merchants 13 to 4. The first two batters of the 8th drew free passes and Hagg reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Dave Murray then cleared the sacks and should have had a grand-slam homer but was called out after circling the bases when Umpire Kelly ruled he had failed to touch first base. Four more hits and a wild pitch resulted in four more runs. In the ninth, Chemainus combined a double, a walk and a pair of singles to add three more counters. Hoppy Hoppus smacked a homer for Nanaimo in the ninth. Winning pitcher Cy Shillito contributed two hits and two runs.
C.Shillito (W) and Hagg
Prestley, J.Kirk (5), Davis (7) and Hoppus
(May 30) Al Copp cracked a pair of homers, one a grand slam, driving in six runs to pace Chemainus McBrides to an 11-1 romp over the Duncan Concos.
DeMore (L) and Stroulger
Murray, Armstrong and W.Hagg
(May 31) Duncan Olympics clobbered Chemainus Cubs 10-1 Friday at Duncan. It was the third win in three starts for Lloyd Leeming the Olympic's chucker who allowed just two hits and no walks. Gil Bruce blasted two homers to highlight the Duncan offensive.
Ed Jackson (L) and xxx
Leeming (W) and xxx
(June 2) The Duncan All-Stars took both ends of Sunday's double-header with the Navy nine of the Victoria Senior League, 7-5 in the afternoon and 18-17 in a wild one in the evening. Duncan got the winning run in the seventh inning and Charlie Stroulger tripled to scored Gil Bruce who had walked. Lyell Rodger picked up the win scattering 11 hits.
Dumeah (L) and xxx
L.Rodger (W) and xxx
The second game featured 37 hits, 22 by Duncan which fell behind 5-0 in the first inning before rebounding to edge the Navy 18-17. The visitors got five straight hits of Abercrombie to plate five runs in their initial at bats. After battling back with three runs in the second and a pair in the third the locals trailed 7-5 but took the lead with a three-run fourth frame. Kenny Nelson's well-placed safety knocked in two of the runs to give Duncan the lead for the first time, 8-7. However, Navy regained the lead with three runs in the top of the ninth as Tony Maze provided a key hit. Trailing 17-15, Gil Bruce poked a Texas Leaguer to centre and scored on a single by Eric Rodger. Charlie Stroulger, who had walked and advanced on Rodger's safety, then stole home to tie the count. Roy Schappert then became the hero when, with two out, he drove one to the outfield to plate Rodger with the winner. Gil Bruce had three hits, one a homer, three walks and scored six times. Stroulger scored five runs on a hit and four walks. Vic Dovey of Navy scored four times on a hit and three walks.
Fidler, Galloway, Dumeah (L) (7) and Smith
Abercrombie, E.Rodger, G.Bruce (W) (7) and Stroulger
(June 5) Chemainus McBrides whipped Nanaimo Merchants 10-1.
(June 6) Jack Prestley and Ken Clift combined to no-hit the Chemainus Cubs Thursday as Nanaimo Merchants notched a 4-1 victory. The only Cubs run came in the fourth inning when reliever Clift walked in a run with the bases loaded. It was Clift first mound appearance in two years. Merchants tied the score in the sixth as Red Koehle came home on a combination of two hits and a Cubs' error. They added a pair in the seventh and a singleton in the ninth. Jack Kirk scored twice.
Prestley, Clift and T.Naylor
E.Jackson (L) and Booth
(June 7) Duncan's Zenith-Olympics scored three times in the first inning and cruised to a 17-1 thrashing of the Garner Brothers Concos Friday at Duncan Athletic Park. In spite of the one-sided contest, the game provided some terrific defensive plays. In the fourth inning, Eric Rodger made a marvelous catch of Jimmy Neilson's line drive and later again robbed Neilson of a hit with another outstanding play. But, it was a catch by Olympics centre fielder Gil Bruce which topped the list. In one of the most sensational catches in the history of the ball park, Bruce, breaking at the crack of the bat, raced toward the outer pastures and caught the low-flying ball off the bat of Tom Garner by his finger tips with his back to the plate.
L.Rodger (W) and D.Cleough
G.Cosgrove (L),
F.Earthy (5) and C.Stroulger
(June 9) Chemainus McBrides shaded Duncan Olympics 6-5 Sunday to hold on to first place in the Duncan and District Baseball League. It was the McBrides 8th win in ten games. Chemainus built up a 6-1 lead then barely held off a Duncan rally in the ninth as the Olympics connected with five straight hits, three of them consecutive doubles by White, Williams and Jack Mason. Two runs were in when Doug Cleough singled in a third marker. Sonny Bruce collected his fourth hit of the game and Cleough scored putting the Olympics just a run back, but Cy Shillito got the next two batters to end the game. Shillito not only handled the pitching duties but cracked a homer in the sixth inning. Shortstop Pete Hawryluk slapped a pair of two-baggers and a single for the winners. Sonny Bruce led the Olympics with four hits.
C.Shillito (W) and W.Hagg
L.Lemming (L), Mason (7) and Cleough
(June 9) Lyell Rodger overcame sloppy work in the field by his Duncan Olympics to toss a three-hitter Sunday as they escaped with a 9-6 victory over Duncan Concos. The Olympics fell behind in the second inning as the Concos took a 5-1 lead on a single by Joe Garner, a walk and five errors. Olympics scored three in the fourth, then tied with a pair in the fifth. In the sixth the Olympics pounded Fred Earthy, in his first starting assignment, for five hits and a walk to score four times for the triumph.
F.Earthy (L) and R.Patterson
L.Rodger (W) and D.Cleough
(June 9) Nanaimo Merchants spotted Duncan City Service an early 2-0 lead Sunday before unleashing a 16 hit attack to clobber Duncan City Service 15 to 4. Ed Davis led the winners with three hits and three runs. Toss Naylor added two hits and three scores. Vern Thompson and newcomer Mel Ottem each had two safeties. Bill Clarke held the visitors to five hits and whiffed ten in posting the pitching win. Ken Clift had just one hit but scored three times and swiped five bases. In the seventh he was hit by a pitch and proceed to steal second and third. When an argument developed at first over a call, Clift snuck home to complete the circuit.
Clarke (W) and T.Naylor
Chester (L), Anderson (6) and G.Syrotuck
(June 9) Chemainus Cubs defeated the Chemainus McBrides 7 to 3.
(June 12) Late arrival by the Chemainus McBrides cost them a game in the Nanaimo-Duncan Senior Baseball circuit. Umpire-in-chief Paul Courtenay awarded the Nanaimo Merchants a 9-0, default, victory Wednesday when the McBrides were 15 minutes late arriving for the contest. The teams put on an exhibition affair for the several hundred fans who had turned out for the game.
(June 14) On Thursday at Chemainus, the Duncan Olympics trounced the Cubs 16-7.
Leeming, Mason and Cleough
L.Jackson and Booth
(June 16) Duncan Concos pleased the home fans Sunday taking both ends of a double-header from Nanaimo Merchants, 7-3 and 2-0. The visitors got on the board first with a pair in the first inning on hits by Ken Clift, Vern Thompson and Mel Biggs and added another in the third as Hoppy Hoppus smacked a three-bagger and came home on an error. The Concos were blanked until the fourth when they plated a pair thanks to three Nanaimo errors. They added two in the sixth on four straight walks and a single by Lou DeMore and rounded out the scoring in the eighth when four hits and a walk produced the final three runs.
T.Naylor (L) and Hoppus
D.English (W) and Stroulger
Lou DeMore was outstanding on the mound for the Concos in the second game allowing just one hit and racking up 17 strikeouts as the Concos posted a 2-0 shutout over the Merchants. The left-hander had not given up a safety through eight innings and only Mel Biggs' ninth inning double spoiled his bid for a no-hitter. He walked four. Ed Davis held the winners to eight hits in a strong effort. Concos didn't get a run until the seventh when Kirk beat out an infield grounder, stole second and scored on Roy Schappert 's sharp single to left. They tallied again in the eighth as Fred Earthy reached on an error and, after two free passes, Schappert smacked one to third which Naylor couldn't handle and Earthy came home on the play.
Ed Davis (L) and V.Thompson
L.DeMore (W) and Stroulger
(June 16) Chemainus Cubs knocked the McBrides out of first place Sunday with an upset 17-6 victory in the second game of a double-header. In the afternoon, the Shillito brothers hooked up in a pitching duel with Cy coming out on top with a shutout in the 4-0 victory for the McBrides.
R.Shillito (L) and Jansch
C.Shillito (W) and W.Hagg
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 18) Duncan Zenith-Olympics crushed Duncan City Service 20-6. Mike Chester, the pitching victim of the Olympics onslaught managed to provide a highlight for the losers with a eighth inning homer. Lyell Rodger, the first of three hurlers for the Olympics, was credited with the win.
L.Rodger (W), Leeming, Mason and xxx
Chester (L) and xxx
(June 19) Nanaimo jumped into a 6-0 lead Wednesday and went on to beat the Chemainus Cubs 10 to 8.
(June 20) Thursday at Chemainus, Chemainus McBrides clobbered Nanaimo Merchants 13 to 4 with a 16-hit offensive. The winners ran up an 11-0 lead after three innings.
Clarke (L) and xxx
Murray, Tucker and xxx
(June 21 ) At Duncan, the Concos overpowered Duncan City Services 14 to 3 Friday behind the three-hit pitching of Doug English and Tommy Krall.
English (W), Krall (6) and Weaver
R.Gammie (L) and G.Syrotuck
(June 23 ) Duncan Concos' improvement was on display Sunday as they soundly trounced the Olympics 17 to 0 in a hastily arranged exhibition match after a game between the Duncan All-Stars and Victoria Machinery Depot was cancelled at the last moment. The Concos have been bolstered by the addition of three players from Michel in the BC Interior - right-hand pitcher Tommy Krall, catcher Walt Weaver and outfielder John Makuk. Krall shutout the Olympics on five hits while Roy Schappert provided the power with a pair of home runs, one with the bases loaded.
Gard (L) and Cleough
Krall (W) and W.Weaver
(June 23) Chemainus McBrides, with additional help in the lineup, swept both games of Sunday's exhibition double-header against the Port Alberni Canadian Legion Flyers, 3-1 and 14 to 6. In the opener, the visitors got on the scoreboard first with a run in the fifth inning. Kendrick, the Alberni third sacker stole third after being walked and came in on an error. Bobby Jansch had the game winning blow for Chemainus with a double in the sixth scoring both Jimmy Nimmo and Pete Hawryluk. Joe Copp doubled in Doug English in the seventh to complete the scoring. English, imported from the Concos, fired a two-hitter for the winners.
xxx and xxx
D.English (W) and xxx
A big eight-run second inning for the McBrides told the tale of the second game. After Alberni had grabbed the lead with two runs in the top of the second, McBrides roared back with eight in the second and another four in the third to put the game out of reach.
Kilbishi, Olson, Stephens and D.Kendrick
Murray, Tucker and Jackson
(June 23) Nanaimo downed City Service 13 to 7.
(June 24) In statistis up to June 23rd, Toss Naylor tops the Nanaimo Merchants with a .382 average in 55 at bats. He has a wide margin on runner-up Ogie Louden at .311 and Ed Davis with a .291 percentage.
(June 25 ) Duncan Olympics whipped City Service 15-4 Tuesday to retain top spot in the league standings. Southpaw Lloyd Leeming surrendered just four hits in hurling the win for the Olympics who got a homer from Eric Rodger in the second inning to highlight an eight-run outburst. The Olympics announced that Verne Grassie would take over as coach to free up Sonny Bruce to concentrate on his first base play.
Leeming (W) and xxx
Chester, Kraft and Robinson
(June 25) Nanaimo Merchants rallied with two runs in the ninth inning Tuesday to salvage a 3-3 tie with the Chemainus McBrides. The game was called after ten innings on account of darkness. Overthrows to first by Red Naylor, Koehle and Ken Clift gave McBrides their three runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Nanaimo's first marker came in the initial frame. In the ninth Vern Thompson singled to bring in Ogie Louden and Red Koehle scored on a throwing error. Jack Prestley worked a four-hitter for Nanaimo in opposition to Cy Shillito who gave up seven hits.
Prestley and T.Naylor
C.Shillito and W.Hagg
Olympics 9 - 2 .818
McBrides 10 - 3 .769
Concos 7 - 6 .538
Nanaimo 7 - 7 .500
Cubs 4 - 11 .267
City Service 3 - 11 .214
(June 30) Taking advantage of seven walks, eight hits and a pair of errors Duncan Olympics handed Nanaimo Merchants a 9-3 lacing. Eric Gard limited Nanaimo to four hits in going the route for the win.
Clift (L), Prestley (6) and Naylor
Gard (W) and Cleough
(June 30) At Chemainus Sunday, the local Cubs and Duncan Concos split a double-header. Concos took the afternoon contest 11-2 behind lefty Lou DeMore while the Cubs rebounded with a 2-1 triumph in the second game as Ron Shillito came out on top of a pitching duel with Doug English.
DeMore (W) and xxx
Evans (L) and xxx
English (L) and Weaver
R.Shillito (W) and Booth
(June 30) Chemainus McBrides gave up 18 runs in Sunday's twin-bill but still came away with two victories over Duncan City Service as the McBrides racked up a total of 27 runs in winning 16 to 9 and 11-9. In the second game, McBrides rallied for six runs in the sixth inning to come from behind for the win in the seven inning contest. Mike Chester had a highlight for Duncan with a two-run homer in the fifth.
McGladrey, Naylor and xxx
Abercrombie, Chester (3) and xxx
In the afternoon game, McBrides put the game away early with a pair in the first inning and seven more in the second en route to the 16 to 9 triumph.
Gammie, Bud Syrotuck (8) and xxx
Murray and xxx
(June 30) Mid-season statistics compiled by Sid Pitt, official scorekeeper, show Olympics' firs baseman Preston "Sonny" Bruce leading the circuit by a healthy margin, .541 to .470 for City Services' Buzz Miles. Gil Bruce, Sonny's brother, is third, at .469. Bob Jansch of the Chemainus Cubs has a .435 average and Al Copp of McBrides rounds out the top five, at .405.
(July 1) In a Dominion Day exhibition, the Duncan All-Stars whipped the Chemainus All-Stars 8-1 before a large holiday crowd at Duncan Athletic Park. Duncan got on the scoreboard with a pair in the second inning as Stroulger's hit down the third base line was good for four bases when the ball was booted in the outfield. Gil Bruce came in ahead of Stroulger. Five hits, including Jimmy Neilson's long double off the centre field fence, helped to bring in five runs in the sixth frame. Chemainus plated its only run in the eighth on a fielder's choice. Bruce completed the scoring in the last of the eighth when he stole second and third and came home on an overthrow to third.
C.Shillito (L) and Hagg
T.Krall (W) and Weaver
(July 2) Vern Thompson singled, stole second and scampered home on Mel Biggs' single in the 10th inning to give Nanaimo Merchants a 4 to 3 victory over Chemainus Cubs. Bill Clarke hurled five-hit ball for the winners to top Brooks who surrendered just six hits, three of them in the 10th inning.
Clarke (W) and Naylor
Brooks (L) and Booth
(July 3) Lefty J.Armstrong hurled a strong game to lead McBrides to a 14-2 victory over Nanaimo Merchants. The winners pounded out 16 hits and took advantage of six Nanaimo errors.
J.Armstrong (W) and Hagg
Prestley (L), Clarke (3) and T.Naylor
(July 4) Thursday evening at Chemainus, Duncan Olympics had little trouble in taking an 11-5 decision from the Cubs. Lloyd Leeming and Lyell Rodger combined to hold the Cubs to five hits while the Olympics collected a dozen off a pair of Cubs' hurlers.
Leeming (W), L.Rodger and Cleough
Shillito (L), H.Jackson (2) and Booth
(July 5) Duncan Concos put a 12-1 beating on Duncan City Service Friday. Manager Charlie Stroulger took to the mound and pitched a six-hitter for the winners with ninth inning relief by Doug English. Frank Kraft, the City Service starter lasted just one-third of an inning allowing seven runs before being relieved by Mike Chester.
C.Stroulger (W), English (9) and Weaver
Kraft (L), Chester (1) and G.Syrotuck
(July 6-7) Duncan Concos divided a twin-bill at Port Angeles over the weekend. Playing under floodlights for the first time, Concos dropped a 9-8 thriller in 11 innings Saturday before posting a win, 9-6 in Sunday's exhibition.
xxx and xxx
T.Krall (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
L.DeMore (W) and xxx
(July 6) Duncan Zenith-Olympics added two more wins to their impressive summer defeating Duncan City Service 5-2 and 11-0 Sunday.
xxx and xxx
R.Gammie (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 6) In a pair of exhibition games at Port Alberni Sunday, the home squad, the Canadian Legion Flyers, won both games against the Chemainus McBrides, 7-2 and 4-2.
D.Murray (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
L.Tucker (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 8) In one of the best games in Duncan this season, Olympics shaded McBrides 3-2. Doug Cleough's two-bagger, just out of the reach of outfielder Jackson's grasp, brought in Williams from second base with the winning run in the seventh inning. Lyell Rodger, with a seven-hit effort, was the winning pitcher besting Cy Shillito of the McBrides who surrendered just five hits. The win was the Olympics 13th in 15 games.
Shillito (L) and W.Hagg
L.Rodger (W) and Cleough
(July 11) Veteran right-hander Toss Naylor came out of semi-retirement Thursday to twirl a three-hit shutout as Nanaimo blanked Chemainus McBrides 1-0 in the season's finest action at the local ball yard. In support of his superb mound work, Naylor figured in eight assists in the field. No less outstanding was J.Armstrong, the Chemainus lefty, who also allowed just three hits but had the misfortune of having his teammates make a pair of third inning errors to set up the Merchants for the only run of the game. Given a life on Alec Copps' second base bobble, Hoppy Hoppus was advanced on Pat Blewitt's sacrifice and scored on a second error charged to shortstop Pete Hawryluk. The game was a pickup for a previously rained out contest which had been awarded to Nanaimo weeks ago when the McBrides failed to show for the make-up affaIr.. League officials however later ruled that Nanaimo had failed to properly notify Chemainus of the replay date.
(July 12) Friday evening at Duncan, Concos nosed out Chemainus Cubs 3-2 in a thrilling 11-inning affair. Walt Weaver, the Conco's dynamic receiver was the hero punching out the game-winning single to score Roy Schappert who had reached on an error at third. It broke up a right pitchers' battle between Ron Shillito of the Cubs and winner Doug English who each allowed six hits and a walk in going the full 11 innings. English fanned 11.
R.Shillito (L) and xxx
D.English (W) and Weaver
(July 14) Duncan Zenith-Olympics and Chemainus McBrides divided a Sunday double-bill. McBrides took the afternoon game 7-4 and nearly conquered the league-leaders in the nightcap when they loaded the sacks only to have Gil Bruce make a leaping catch of a drive that appeared headed over the centre-field fence. Olympics held on for a 6-5 win in the second game. Duncan grabbed the lead in the first inning with a five run outburst helped by three walks by Chemainus chucker J. Armstrong and a two-run single by Jimmy Cain. Down 6-1, McBrides made a game of it with a four-run rally in the sixth on doubles by Pete Hawryluk, Irvine and Copp and a fly ball error. Duncan's 18-year-old catcher Dougie Cleough helped end the threat with a dandy catch among the spectators of one of two pop-ps which followed.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
J.Armstrong (L) and E.Jackson
L.Rodger (W) and Cleough
(July 14) Chemainus Cubs copped both ends of Sunday's home-and-home double-header with Duncan City Service sending the Mercurys to their 10th and 11th straight losses, 12-9 at Duncan, and 10-5 at home. In the afternoon, the Cubs took a big lead in the third using four successive bingles to score three times and added four markers in the next frame. Johns went the distance for the pitching win. The leading hitter was Robinson of Duncan with four hits.
Johns (W) and xxx
Chester (L), Gammie (6) and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 14) Behind the brilliant hurling for Louis DeMore and Tommy Krall the Duncan Concos blanked Nanaimo Merchants 10-0 Sunday at the Central Sports Grounds. DeMore yielded just one hit in his five inning stint and Krall allowed just two in going the last four frames. They combined for ten strikeouts. Pitcher turned right-fielder Doug English led the winners with a triple and two singles. It was the 7th win in the last eight games for the Concos but their hopes of overtaking the league leaders suffered a major setback when Krall, considered the top hurler in the circuit, left after the game to return to his home in the Interior.
DeMore (W), Krall (6) and Weaver
K.Clift (L) and T.Naylor
(July 16) McBrides blanked the Cubs 6-0 Tuesday in a game moved forward from Sunday when a Great Central Lake squad will oppose Chemainus in a double-header.
Olympics 14 - 3 .824
McBrides 14 - 6 .700
Concos 11 - 7 .611
Nanaimo 9 - 10 .474
Cubs 7 - 15 .318
City Service 3 - 17 .150
(July 18) Chemainus Cubs shutout Nanaimo Merchants 6-0 in Thursday action.
(July 19) With Lefty DeMore pitching seven-hit ball, Duncan Concos defeated the McBrides 4-2 Friday. Concos took the lead in the first inning when Roy Schappert reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice and fly-out. In the second, Berkey singled to bring in Tom Garner with the second run. Chemainus got on the board in the third when Cy Shillito scored on Jackson's bingle, but Concos regained the two run margin when Schappert scored after stealing second. Jimmy Neilson's safety after DeMore had doubled increased the lead to 4-1 in the sixth and the McBrides added a run in the seventh when Jimmy Nimmo doubled to bring in Copp.
Shillito (L), Tucker (8) and xxx
DeMore (W) and xxx
(July 21) In a three-team double-header at Chemainus Sunday, the Cubs defeated Alberni 9-5 in the afternoon game with Jack Fidler of Victoria taking on mound duties for the Cubs.
xxx and xxx
Fidler (W) and xxx
In the evening, Chemainus McBrides notched a 10-5 win over Alberni with Larry Tucker going the distance for the pitching win.
xxx and xxx
Tucker (W) and xxx
(July 21) Hits were plentiful In a three-team double-bill at Duncan Sunday. With a 12-hit attack, Nanaimo upset the Olympics, with 15 hits, 12-10 in the afternoon and then shaded City Service 8-7 in the evening game. Against the Olympics, the Merchants garnered six runs in the first two innings and maintained the lead throughout. Gil Bruce had a homer for the Olympics who had 13 hits to 11 for the Merchants. Toss Naylor managed to go the distance for the pitching win.
Naylor (W) and Edmunds
Gard (L) and Cleough
In the evening, Ray Moretti was the winning hurler besting Mike Chester of City Service. Teddy Forest of the losers was the top hitter with three safeties.
Moretti (W) and Edmunds
Chester (L) and Robinson
(July 23) Duncan Concos defeated City Service 7-2 Tuesday at Athletic Park.
(July 24) Walks and errors helped the Nanaimo Merchants jump into a 4-0 lead in the first inning Wednesday en route to a 9-5 victory over the Chemainus Cubs. Three walks, a wild pitch and a pair of errors chased in Red Koehle, Ken Clift, Mel Biggs and Toss Naylor in the first frame and the Merchants stayed in front all the way. Naylor doubled in another run in the fifth before the Cubs responded with one in the sixth as Marchol Proteau was safe on an infield bobble and scored on a fly ball by Dale Douglas. In the eighth the Cubs plated a pair but Nanaimo came right back with four runs in the bottom of the inning on three hits, an interference call on the Cubs catcher and three errors. Cubs rounded out the scoring in the ninth as Douglas knocked in both Ed Jackson and Proteau. Each team had seven hits and made seven errors. Ken Clift made five of the Nanaimo miscues.
E.Jackson (L) and Jansch
Clarke (W) and Edmunds
(July 26) Lloyd Leeming pitched the Olympics to a 7-3 triumph against City Service.
Leeming (W) and xxx
Chester (L) and xxx
(July 28) Duncan All-Stars took a pair from Port Alberni in exhibition play Sunday winning 9-5 and 9-2. The first game featured four-baggers by Tommy Garner and John Neilson.
D.English (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
L.Rodger (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 30) Concos trounced City Services 8-1 on Tuesday as Charlie Stroulger twirled a seven-hitter and fanned ten. Frank Kraft, also with a seven-hitter, had nine strikeouts in taking the loss.
Stroulger (W) and Weaver
Kraft (L) and G.Syrotuck
(August 2) Duncan Concos came from behind a 5-1 deficit to down the Olympics 8 to 7. A six run explosion in the sixth inning, on four singles, a walk and three errors, gave the Concos a 7-5 advantage, but the Olympics rallied with a pair in the top of the seventh and final inning to tie at 7-7 before the Concos pushed across a run in the bottom of the frame for the win. Charlie Stroulger drew a free pass, his fourth of the game, stole second and came home on Lou DeMore's single to deep centre. DeMore, Walt Weaver and Fred Earthy each had two hits for the winners. The game produced numerous fielding highlights including a pair of smart double plays by the Concos infield and the work of young Olympics' catcher Doug Cleough who threw out two runners at second base. Some consider Cleough the finest prospect in the league.
L.Rodger (L) and Cleough
D.English (W) and Weaver
(August 4) At Nanaimo Sunday, the Merchants squeaked by the Olympics 3-2 in ten innings. With the game knotted at 2-2 after both teams had runners thrown out at home on relays from centre field, Nanaimo got a break in the tenth as Olympics' first sacker Sonny Bruce tried to nip Mel Biggs at third on an infield hit. The throw was off the mark and Biggs scampered home with the winning marker. Olympics had taken the lead in the opening frame as Ben Pollock singled, stole second and came home with the aid of an error at first. In the fifth, Olympics went up 2-0 as Doug Cleough singled, advanced on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on a fielder's choice. Nanaimo tied the game in the seventh when pitcher Ken Clift smacked a double to drive in Hoppy Hoppus and Mario Negrin. Clift scattered nine hits in hurling the victory.
Leeming (L), Rodger (9) and Cleough
Clift (W) and Edmunds
(August 4) Chemainus Cubs beat city rival McBrides 7-5.
(August 4) Duncan Concos captured both games of Sunday's double-header, whipping the hapless City Service nine 11-6 in the opener and trouncing the Chemainus Cubs 11-1 in the evening encounter. In the first game, Charlie Stroulger took over the mound chores and scattered nine hits for the win. Kenny Nelson led the hitters with a three for four day and Roy Schappert provided the power lifting one of Ronnie Gammies offerings out of the park.
R.Gammie (L) and xxx
C.Stroulger (W) and xxx
Doug English had little trouble with the Chemainus lineup in the second game as he held the Cubs to five hits and racked up ten strikeouts.
xxx and xxx
D.English (W) and xxx
(August 6) Duncan Olympics regained first place in the league standings Tuesday when they edged the last-place City Service 10-9 in a nip-and-tuck battle at Duncan. City Service rallied in the seventh scoring a pair on Syrotuck's three-bagger but fell just short.
(August 6) At Chemainus, the McBrides whipped Duncan Concos 7-2. Shortstop Pete Hawryluk had a big night with two doubles and a single in support of the sparkling hurling of Cy Shillito. The win moved the McBrides into a second place tie with the Concos just a half game back of the league-leading Duncan Olympics.
xxx and xxx
C.Shillito (W) and xxx
Olympics 16 - 6 .727
McBrides 17 - 8 .680
Concos 17 - 8 .680
Nanaimo 13 - 10 .565
Cubs 9 - 19 .322
City Service 3 - 22 .120
(August 9) George Syrotuck's City Service squad engineered a rare triumph Friday setting down the Chemainus McBrides 10-2 playing errorless ball behind the solid hurling of Ronnie Gammie. He allowed just six hits. Charles Williams celebrated his return to the lineup by driving in four runs with a pair of doubles and making a sparkling catch in the outfield on Cy Shillito's line drive in the seventh. "Buzz" Miles, Gammies battery mate, smacked a pair of two-baggers. Dave Murray pounded out a homer in the third.
R.Gammie (W) and Miles
xxx and xxx
(August 11) New import hurler Tony Folk, from Saskatoon, yielded seven hits and whiffed 13 Sunday to help the injured-riddled Concos nine to a 12-4 victory over Nanaimo which hurt its cause making nine errors. Tommy Garner and Roy Schappert each had three hits to lead the winners' offensive. Biggs and third sacker Mulverhill each clouted a three-bagger for Nanaimo and Toss Naylor drove in a pair with his third inning double.
Folk (W) and Weaver
T.Naylor (L) and Edmunds
(August 11) Sunday evening, the Olympics crushed the Chemainus Cubs 14-2 as Lyell Rodger held the Cubs in check with a five-hitter. Catcher Doug Cleough belted a triple and single for the winners.
L.Rodger (W) and Cleough
xxx and xxx
(August 13) Duncan Olympics maintained their hold on first place Tuesday trimming cellar-dwelling City Service 11-2. The Service nine was in the game until the fourth when first baseman Ted Forrest was ejected causing major changes to the team's lineup. The next inning saw the Olympics stage a major uprising scoring seven times. Gil Bruce and Doug Cleough led the attack. Erik Gard fired a six-hitter for the winners, striking out eight. Injured in a pre-game warm up, Buddy Syrotuck was taken to hospital when he had a cast put on his hand.
Gard (W) and Cleough
xxx and xxx
(August 16) Duncan Olympics beat the Chemainus Cubs 4-2.
(August 18) Bert Doney's rejuvenated Duncan Zenith-Olympics wound up its regular schedule in a blaze of glory cinching the league title downing Duncan Concos 3-2 Sunday night before the largest crowd in some time. It was a thriller from start to finish providing fans with sensational fielding, extra base clouts and a superlative hurling duel between Lyell Rodger and Tony Folk. Concos got off to a nice start when manager Charlie Stroulger walked, stole second and scored on Lou DeMore's single. Blanked for five innings, Eric Rodger belted a double in the sixth to score Sonny Bruce and Lyell Rodger to put the Olympics in the lead. In the seventh, Stroulger again drew another free pass, advanced on Walt Weaver's sacrifice and came home on DeMore's third hit of the night. Olympics got the deciding marker in the bottom of the ninth as Jimmy Cain led off with a single to left, advanced on a sacrifice before Sonny Bruce smacked a liner over second to being Cain home. Folk fanned 11 in a losing cause.
Folk (L) and xxx
L.Rodger (W) and xxx
In the afternoon contest, McBrides defeated Concos 7-3 to move into second place in the standings ahead of Concos.
Olympics 20 - 6 .769
McBrides 18 - 9 .666
Concos 18 - 10 .642
Nanaimo 13 - 11 .541
Cubs 9 - 20 .310
City Service 4 - 23 .148
(August 23) Roy Schappert smacked a pair of homers and a triple to drive in eight runs Friday to lead Concos to a 15-0 trouncing of Chemainus McBride's and second place in the league standings. Tony Folk allowed just four hits in hurling the shutout. He fanned twelve. Charlie Restell, a newcomer to the Concos added a double and two singles to the offense. Tommy Garner and Walt Weaver each contributed two safeties.
(August 25) Duncan Olympics, strengthened by the addition of players from City Service and district clubs, swept both games of Sunday's twin-bill against Nanaimo Merchants, 5-4 and 10-9 in 10 innings. Big Mike Chester, in his first start for the Olympics, set down the Merchants on four hits in the opener while fanning 12. Lyell Rodger and Dale Douglas, each with three hits, paced the winners' attack. Lefty Biggs knocked in three of Nanaimo's four runs.
Prestley (L) and Edmunds
Chester (W) and Cleough
The evening game was a see-saw affair with the lead changing hands inning by inning. Doug Cleough and Lyell Rodger, with three bingles each, led the Olympics to their 10-9 victory. Dale Douglas, with three hits, came up with the fielding gem when he made a one-handed grab of Mulverhill's line drive and touched the third sack to complete a double play.
T.Naylor (L) and Edmunds
Gammie, Gard and Cleough
(August 28) In their final league contest of the summer, Duncan Concos defeated Nanaimo Merchants 5-1 Wednesday. Nanaimo took the early lead when Mulverhill laced a double and scored on another two-bagger from the bat of Toss Naylor. But, the Concos took over in the fifth when Charlie Restell blasted a double and he was followed by Roy Schappert with a single and Lou DeMore with another two-bagger. An infield error coupled with a homer by Jimmy Neilson wrapped up the scoring. Nanaimo came up with a surprise when they sent in Stan Curry to pitch with Laurel Harney back of the plate and Maurice Duffy at second base. Brought in from Victoria, the new recruits didn't arrive until the tide of the game had swung to the visitors. However the imports are expected to add much to Nanaimo's chances in the playoffs. Toss Naylor was presented with two trophies, one as Nanaimo's most valuable player and one as the team's top slugger.
Folk (W) and Weaver
Clarke (L), Curry and Edmunds, Harney
(September 1-2) Courtenay Labour Day Tournament The largest crowd ever to assemble for a sporting event in Courtenay was on hand Sunday and Monday for the six-team Labour Day Tournament. Vancouver's Arnold & Quigley and the Duncan All-Stars fought to a 4-4 draw before a crowd of 2,500 in the final which was called in the 6th inning because of darkness. Duncan had rallied in the 5th to scored four times to overcome a 4-0 deficit. Arnold and Quigley had the bases loaded with just one out when the game was called. Tony Folk hurled for the Islanders while McGee handled the pitching for the Vancouverites.
Folk, DeMore and Weaver, C.Stroulger
McGee and xxx
Sunday evening, a crowd of 2,500 sat in as Arnold & Quigley kicked off the tournament with an 8-1 victory over Cumberland.
McDonald (W) and Adshead
Baird (L), Tobacco and
Conti
Before about 500 fans Monday morning, the Duncan All-Stars dumped the home team, the Courtenay All-Stars, 5-1 behind the solid hurling of fireballing Tony Folk. It also gave the fans a chance to see a former local star in action again as Chuck Morgan, who now plays under the name Stroulger, performed as the playing-manager for Duncan. Roy Schappert and Gil Bruce led the Duncan attack.
Folk (W) and Weaver
Quinn (L) and James
Early Monday afternoon, with 2,500 fans in attendance, Alberni scraped by Chemainus 7-4.
Murray, Shillito and Hogg, Jackson
Patterson (W) and Kendrick
After a few minutes rest, Alberni went up against Duncan and took and early 4-3 lead before falling under a barrage of hits which brought Duncan an 11-4 victory behind a nifty hurling chore by Lou DeMore.
DeMore (W) and Weaver
Dixon (L) and Kendrick
PLAYOFFS
(September 4) Pennant-winning Duncan Olympics opened a best-of-three semi-final with a victory over Chemainus McBrides.
(September 6) With Tony Folk hurling splendid ball, Duncan Concos nosed out Nanaimo 3-1 in the opening game of their semi-final series. Concos got a pair of runs in the fifth on an outfield error and wrapped up the scoring on Roy Schappert 's circuit clout. The Merchants got their lone run in the seventh. Stan Curry took the loss.
Curry (L) and xxx
Folk (W) and xxx
(September 6) The hard-hitting Olympic club eliminated Chemainus McBrides in two straight games.
(September 7) At Nanaimo, the Merchants knotted the playoff at a game apiece notching a 3-1 victory. Duncan got the first run as Lou DeMore drove in Nelson in the third inning. In the seventh Stan Curry's safety and a pair of Duncan errors gave Nanaimo a pair and a 2-1 lead. The Merchants sewed up the contest in the ninth when Biggs singled, stole second and came home on a wild pitch. After the game, rumours indicated Duncan might seek a replay on the grounds that Nanaimo's imported pircher Curry was ineligible having been based at Victoria in late August.
xxx and xxx
Curry (W) and xxx
(September 8) Duncon Concos defeated Nanaimo 11-7 Sunday in the third and deciding game of their semi-final playoff, but the result may be overturned as a result of a Nanaimo protest. The club objected to the contest on what they termed "inefficient handling of the game."
(September 10) In the opening game of the best-of-three final, veteran southpaw Lou DeMore of the Duncan Concos had a career highlight Tuesday firing a no-hit, no-run masterpiece, albeit a tainted one, against the Olympics in a 2-0 playoff victory shortened to six innings because of darkness. Olympics broke loose for five runs in the top of the seventh, but when the umpires called the game the score reverted to the last complete inning and resulted in a Concos triumph. The game was scoreless until the fourth when Roy Schappert belted a double to deep centre field and DeMore followed with a sharp single and came around to score on one-baggers by Tommy Garner and Joe Gergle. Schappert led the winners with his two-bagger and two singles. Lyell Rodger was solid on the mound for the Olympics with the exception of the fourth when the Concos bunched four of their seven hits. DeMore got his no-hitter before the largest crowd of the season. With the stands packed to overflowing, the rest of the fans stood five deep down the first base line.
DeMore (W) and xxx
L.Rodger (L) and xxx
(September 15) With a huge crowd looking on, Charlie Stroulger's Duncan Concos captured the league championship Sunday afternoon upending Duncan's Zenith-Olympics, the pennant winners, 12-4. Olympics' Lyell Rodger was in complete control until the eighth inning when the powerful Concos' big guns started booming. When the smoke had cleared, eight Concos runs had crossed the plate and the series was in the bag. Tony Folk went the route for the winners turning in another sparkling effort with his teammates playing airtight ball behind him. Tom and Joe Garner were the hitting stars. The game had opened with Sonny Bruce, the classy first-sacker of the Olympics clouting a two-run homer.
L.Rodger (L), Gard (8), Chester (8) and xxx
Folk (W) and xxx
(September 15) In a benefit game for injured players Sunday, Chemainus McBrides topped the Cubs 6-2. Larry Tucker was the winning hurler besting Lefty Jackson.
Tucker (W) and xxx
Jackson (L) and xxx
Comox Valley Baseball
Senior amateur baseball in the Comox Valley began to return to normalcy in the spring of 1946. Two leagues were operational, the Cumberland City Baseball League and the newly incorporated three-team Comox District Twilight Baseball League. Coverage in the area’s foremost newspaper, the Comox Valley Free Press, was spotty at best, with numerous gaps. Playoff results, especially, were virtually non-existent.
Teams in the 1946 Cumberland City Baseball League
Hawks
Legion
Maples
Owls
Robins
Teams in the 1946 Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League
Campbell River Athletics
Courtenay Checkers
Union Bay
(May 5) The Cumberland City League got off to a good start Sunday with a double-header at City Park diamond. In the afternoon, the Robins shutout the Maples 6-0. In the twilight fixture, Hawks edged the Owls 3-2.
(May 8) On Wednesday, the Hawks trounced the Canadian Legion, many of whom had no baseball experience, 12-4.
(May 9) A meeting of the Comox District Twilight League held at Courtenay decided to stage the opening game of the season on Sunday, June 2nd between the Courtenay Checkers and Campbell River Athletics. The Checkers will sport royal blue uniforms trimmed with white and a touch of red while the Campbell River boys will trot out in maroon and white. Campbell River will move on to Union Bay later in the day to take on the Bay lineup performing in pale blue uniforms trimmed with red.
(May 12) In an interleague exhibition Sunday, Campbell River and the Cumberland Hawks split a double-header. In the afternoon the Hawks got to Haramboure, on the mound for the locals, for eight runs in the third inning and went on to a 9-2 victory. The second game was a complete reversal as Don Marshall, the former Vancouver Arrow star, fired a shutout as the Athletics clobbered the Hawks 19 to 0. Horace Calnan knocked out the first homer of the season with a seventh inning clout with Marshall aboard with a triple.
xxx and xxx
Haramboure (L) and xxx
"Double" Bono (L) and xxx
Marshall (W) and xxx
(May 19) In a tune-up for the regular season Sunday, Courtenay Checkers downed Union Bay 4-1 as
Art "Spit" Quinn displayed the form that made him a top mound star a few years ago. Union Bay got on the scoreboard in the first inning when they took advantage of an error by shortstop Dick Downey who was playing his first game of baseball. Checkers got rolling in the fifth, with two out, as "Slugger" McKenzie knocked one out of the park to tie the count. They took the lead in the seventh on hits by Moore and Quinn and rounded out the scoring with a pair in the eighth on hits by Chalmers, Wagner, Moore and Woods. Union Bay had threatened in the seventh when, with two base runners, Sam Shillito smashed a hard drive between short and second only to be foiled by Downey who pulled it down in starry fashion then touched second base for a double play to retire the side.
Quinn (W) and xxx
R.McKay (L) and xxx
(May 29) With Scavarda holding the Hawks to four hits Wednesday, the Robins notched a 7 to 2 victory scoring three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to cinch the game. The Hawks missed a chance in the fourth to tie when Conti was tagged out in a hot box just before Slaughter smashed a single to right to score Miller. They got their other marker in the fifth on a double by Westfield and single by Carrigan.
Scavarda (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 2) The Robins trimmed the Hawks 17-13 in the first game of a Cumberland City League double-header Sunday. The game featured 28 hits, 16 by the winners, and 16 errors, ten by the losers. Bono had a perfect day at the plate with four hits in as many trips.
Down 6-0, Legion erupted for six runs in the seventh inning to pull into a tie with the Owls then scored in the second extra inning to come away with a 7-6 triumph. Westfield led the winners with three hits.
(June 9) In a Comox & District Twilight League double-header, the Campbell River Athletics captured a 7-6, 11 inning win over Courtenay Checkers in the first game but dropped the evening encounter 6 to 5 to Union Bay. Athletics thrilled the big crowd with their late inning heroics in the opener. Trailing 4-2,in the ninth Campbell River came through with two runs to send the game into extra innings. Checkers reclaimed the lead with a pair in the top of the 10th but the Athletics rallied with two out. Dunc Marshall and Grant reached with hits and Don Marshall cracked a double to again knot the count then the A's counted in the 11th to post the triumph. Don "Smoothy" Marshall blanked the Checkers for the first five innings and racked up ten strikeouts before leaving the hill with a sore arm. Brother Dunc Marshall took over in the seventh and picked up the win. "Spit" Quinn went the route for Checkers compiling 17 strikeouts.
Don Marshall, Haramboure (6), Dunc Marshall (W) and Calnan
Quinn (L) and McKenzie
Campbell River also made a late rally in the second game with three runs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning but fell a run short, 6 to 5, as Union Bay had taken a 6-2 lead with three runs in the sixth. Union Bay had nine hits off a pair of Athletics' hurlers while the A's collected eight off Pratt.
Pratt (W) and James
Hughes, Myers and Calnan
(June 9) In the Cumberland City League, the Maples eked out a 7-6 win over the first place Robins and the Owls trimmed the Hawks 12-7.
The Owls-Hawks match was a heavy-hitting affair with the winners collecting 19 hits, four by Timmy Tobacco and three by Sharky Bono. Veteran hurler Tobacco limited the Hawks to four hits in going the distance for the Owls.
Tobacco (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
The Maples-Robins encounter was replete with errors, the winners committing ten. Doug Baird tossed a five-hitter and struck out ten in posting the win. Scavarda pitched well for the Robins but complained of a sore arm in the fourth inning but without any relief available he finished the game. Baird, Wallison and Sam Stockand each had two hits for the Maples.
Baird (W) and xxx
Scavarda (L) and xxx
(June 12) In the Cumberland and District League Wednesday, Owls defeated the Maples 7-5 in a contest highlighted by a tremendous circuit clout by Williams in the fourth inning. Owls used seven hits and a walk, aided by nine Maples' errors to pick up the victory. Ernie Courts was the winning hurler.
Courts (W), Bonora and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 12) Union Bay opened with three runs in the first inning and went on to top Checkers 5-1 in the Comox and District Twilight League. It was a tough day for the Courtenay nine, strengthened by the additions of such veterans as Bob Rickson, Bill McKee, Stubby Collins and Joe Ducca. It was hoped the new recruits would make a big difference for Checkers on the scoreboard.
Rickson and Ducca
McKay (W) and James
(June 23) The Owls jumped into an early seven run lead in downing the Maples 7-3 in Cumberland City League action Sunday. Mitchell limited the losers to five hits in going the distance on the hill for the Owls.
Mitchell (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
The Legionnaires collected two more hits than the Hawks, but faulty base running and and a porous defense resulted in a 10-5 defeat. Hawks established a 4-2 lead in the second inning on hits by Bono, Raga, Miller and Burghener. In the fifth, they added three more on successive singles by Carrigan, Harvie, V.Bono and Miller and boosted the lead with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh. The Legion managed a pair early in the game as Buchanan and Irvine scored on two singles and a pair of walks. They got a run in the third on doubles by Skip McMillan and Buchanan. In the fourth, Hunden, who singled, tallied on a safety by Moppy McMillan and a walk to Skip McMillan. The final Legion run came in the final frame when Irvine knocked in Skip McMillan.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 26) The Robins downed the Maples 4-2 in a game called after five innings because of rain. The Maples took the early lead scoring in the first when Rallison came home on Sammy Stockand's single and again in the third when Davis, on the hill for the Robins, walked three and a run came in on an error. Robins responded with a run in each of their four innings at bat. "Bear" James doubled in a run in the third followed by a triple by Leland
Bannerman who was tagged out trying to stretch it into a home run.
Davis (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 30) Courtenay Checkers and Campbell River Athletics divided a Comox District Twilight League double-header at Campbell River Sunday. Checkers took the first game 11-2 as Lyle McKenzie handled the hurling for the winners.
L.McKenzie (W) and xxx
J.Chalmers (L) and xxx
Athletics rebounded to win the evening contest 6-3 with Dunc Marshall the winning pitcher. McKenzie started for the Checkers but weakened in the third and was replaced by Spit Quinn.
McKenzie, Queen (3) and xxx
Dunc Marshall (W) and xxx
Athletics 6 - 2
Union Bay 4 - 3
Checkers 2 - 6
(July 1) In an Dominion Day exhibition match at Lewis Park, the Courtenay-Union Bay All-Stars downed the league-leading Campbell River Athletics 8 to 5 to win a $50 prize offered by the Native Sons of Canada.
Marshall, Herd and Calnan
McKay, Pratt and James
(July 7) In the Cumberland League Sunday the Maples whipped the Hawks 9-6. Maples took an early lead scoring a pair in the first frame when Sam and Albert Stockand crossed the plate on Corky Ellis' single. The Stockands combined to score another in the second and again in the fifth Sammy added a run. Corky Ellis produced a counter in the seventh and the Maples notched three in the eighth through Baird, James and Windley and a final marker in the ninth by Ellis. The Hawks had two big innings scoring two in the third and four in the sixth.
(July 7) Watson fired a four-hitter for the Legion Sunday leading the club to a 9-4 win over the Owls. Three of the runs against him came on errors in the ninth inning. The Legionnaires got on the scoreboard in the second when Skip McMillan singled, stole second and scored on Westfield's hit. In the third, Watson, Price, Moppy McMillan and Dave Edwards all got hits in a three-run inning. In the fifth they added a brace when Price came home on Skip McMillan's single and McMillan, who stole second and third, scored as Witt punched out a hit. Moppy McMillan doubled in the seventh and scored on an error and the final two runs crossed in the eighth.
(July 7) Courtenay Checkers rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning Sunday to shade Union Bay 5-4 in a Comox District League game at Lewis Park. Dick Downey's sizzling two-bagger with the bases loaded plated the winning run. Art "Spit" Quinn twirled a six-hitter for the winners.
Pratt (L), McKay and James
Quinn (W) and McKenzie
(July 10) Pratt pitched and batted Union Bay to a 5-1 victory over the Courtenay Checkers Wednesday at Lewis Park. Pratt limited the visitors to two hits and fanned 12 in his mound performance while slamming a two-run double in the fifth inning to cinch the contest. Bob Rickson, who allowed just nine hits in taking the loss, was hurt by a porous defense which made 14 errors.
Rickson (L) and McKenzie
Pratt (W) and James
(July 21) Robins combined ten hits with nine free passes Sunday to down the Owls 12 to 4. Scavarda and Hutton combined to hold the losers to six hits.
Scavarda, Hutton and xxx
xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
In the evening game Sunday, Legion crushed the Maples 14 to 5 collecting 14 hits and five walks. Watson went the route on the mound for the winners giving up ten hits and holding the Maples scoreless until the eighth.
Watson (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 24) The Robins pounded two Legion hurlers for 16 hits Wednesday in demolishing the Legionnaires 17-1. Robins scored six times in the first inning and coasted to the easy triumph.
(July 28) Sunday afternoon in the Cumberland League, the Hawks smothered the Legion 13 to 5 taking a 7-0 lead after just two innings. In a five-run second frame, Carrigan, Burghener, Conti, P.Bono and Slaughter all had singles. In the first inning, Conti cracked a double and Carrigan and Bono each had one-baggers.
Watson, S.McMillan (2) and xxx
xxx and xxx
In the evening game, Owls took an 8-5 decision from the Maples after scoring four times in the opening frame.
Baird (L) and B.Hannah
xxx and xxx
(July 31) Younger tossed a three-hitter for the Owls in a 9-3 win over the Hawks in Cumberland City League play Wednesday. A five-run second inning, helped by Sharky Bono's double and singles by Younger and Bonora, proved enough for the triumph.
Younger (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Robins 9 - 5
Owls 9 - 6 0.5
Hawks 7 - 8 2.5
Maples 6 - 9 3.5
Legion 6 - 9 3.5
(August 11) Campbell River's Twilight League Athletics tuned up for the playoffs Sunday when they tangled with a strengthened Maples team from Cumberland in a double-header. The A's proved too powerful for the visitors taking both games, 8 to 5 and 15 to 6. Don Herd was in fine form in his mound duties for the Athletics who played sparkling defensive ball in downing the Courtenay League nine in the opener. Catcher Horace Calnan of the A's provided some eighth inning highlights in chasing down two men on the base paths.
McMillan (L) and Murray
Herd (W) and Calnan
The evening game turned into a rout as Don Marshall held the visitors at bay while the Athletics pounded four Maples' hurlers in the 15 to 6 trouncing.
Harvey (L), James, Stockand, xxx and Conti
Don Marshall (W) and Morrison
(September 1-2) Courtenay Labour Day Tournament The largest crowd ever to assemble for a sporting event in Courtenay was on hand Sunday and Monday for the six-team Labour Day Tournament. Vancouver's Arnold & Quigley and the Duncan All-Stars fought to a 4-4 draw before a crowd of 2,500 in the final which was called in the 6th inning because of darkness. Duncan had rallied in the 5th to scored four times to overcome a 4-0 deficit. Arnold and Quigley had the bases loaded with just one out when the game was called. Tony Folk hurled for the Islanders while McGee handled the pitching for the Vancouverites.
Folk, DeMore and Weaver, C.Stroulger
McGee and xxx
Sunday evening, a crowd of 2,500 sat in as Arnold & Quigley kicked off the tournament with an 8-1 victory over Cumberland.
McDonald (W) and Adshead
Baird (L), Tobacco and
Conti
Before about 500 fans Monday morning, the Duncan All-Stars dumped the home team, the Courtenay All-Stars, 5-1 behind the solid hurling of fireballing Tony Folk. It also gave the fans a chance to see a former local star in action again as Chuck Morgan, who now plays under the name Stroulger, performed as the playing-manager for Duncan. Roy Schappert and Gil Bruce led the Duncan attack.
Folk (W) and Weaver
Quinn (L) and James
Early Monday afternoon, with 2,500 fans in attendance, Alberni scraped by Chemainus 7-4.
Murray, Shillito and Hogg, Jackson
Patterson (W) and Kendrick
After a few minutes rest, Alberni went up against Duncan and took and early 4-3 lead before falling under a barrage of hits which brought Duncan an 11-4 victory behind a nifty hurling chore by Lou DeMore.
DeMore (W) and Weaver
Dixon (L) and Kendrick
(September 8) In the opening game of the best-of-three playoff for the Phoenix Trophy and the Upper Island baseball championship, the Port Alberni Legion eked out a 7-6 victory over Campbell River Athletics. The teams battled to a 6-6 draw in the second game.
Don Marshall (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Pratt and xxx
xxx and xxx
The teams are set to resume the series at Campbell River September 15th. The Phoenix Trophy was last won by the Courtenay team in 1936 when "Lefty" Wilkie, now in the major leagues, was their star hurler.