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(April, 1951) The organization of a Man.-Sask.
Baseball league with possible affiliation to the National Baseball Congress
indicates a new deal for organized baseball in this part of the
prairies. Eighteen delegates met in Roblin, Man., on Sunday, April 8,
to lay the ground work for this new loop. Represented were Kamsack,
Sask., Yorkton, Sask., Dauphin, Man., Roblin, Man., and Gilbert Plains, Man.
(Kamsack Times, April 12, 1951)
(May 18) Kamsack delighted the home
crowd downing Gilbert Plains 8-7 in the opening game of the new Man-Sask
Baseball League. Cyclones blew a 5-0 1st inning lead but came back
with a tally with two outs in the bottom of the final frame to take the
victory. Ken Mohr scored the winner when Orville Minish
juggled a toss to first base on Bill Derwores' grounder. Lefty
Lopuck went the distance for the win.
E McDonald and Stempack
Lopuck and Achtemichuk
(May 22) Kamsack downed Yorkton
Cardinals 9-7 to take their second straight league contest. Jack
Eisner was the winner in relief of Lefty Lopuck.
(May 25) Roblin upset Kamsack
12-4.
(May 27) Merv Campbell came out of
retirement long enough to belt a grand slam homer to give Yorkton Cardinals
a 6-5 win over Dauphin in a Manitoba-Saskatchewan league encounter at
Yorkton. Pressed into service by a shortage of players, Campbell later
announced he would play no more ball this summer. Vern Pachal
allowed nine hits in taking the mound victory. Cunningham
allowed four hits in taking the loss. Harry Monroe
joined Yorkton as the club's first American import. A catcher, Monroe
started the season with Swift Current.
(May 28) Kamsack Cyclones edged out
Dauphin 3 to 2 on Monday evening in what was reported as the toughest game
to date for the Cyclones. Both sides played near-perfect ball with
Dauphin collecting only six hits and Kamsack tallying for eight good
ones. On the mound for Kamsack was "Lefty" Lopuck who
turned in an excellent performance. Stan Green, the local
slugger, lived up to his reputation when he smacked out a home run that was
reported to have left the fans breathless. (Kamsack
Times, May 31, 1951)
(May 31) The Kamsack Cyclones are
heading for a successful season with a well rounded out roster and only one
defeat in seven games. With Coach Lowell Hansen arriving from
Saskatoon last week, the Cyclones are now offering one of the most powerful
organizations in the Man.-Sask. baseball league and definitely one of the
strongest teams ever seen in Kamsack. Hansen is a veteran of baseball
having played with Saskatoon Legion, Viscount and in the Quebec-Ontario
armed services during the war.
Other imports on the Kamsack line-up are Dave
Whatley, who has seen two seasons with the Cyclones. Whatley
played ball at Oakland, California, during the past winter. He holds
down right field and has a reputation at bat.
Ken Mohr of Neudorf,
Saskatchewan, joined the Cyclones earlier this month for his second straight
season with this team. To date, he has done an excellent job of
holding down first sack and figures second on the hitting list.
On the pitching staff, Kamsack has Jack
Eisner who established a notable reputation for himself on the
Kamsack mound last year, Joe Lopuck of Transcona, Man., with a
number of years of experience behind him, and Herman Weitzel
of Runnymede and the Moose Jaw Junior Canucks. Youngest man on the
staff is Andy Smorodin, Kamsack collegiate boy, who has cut
down some of the best batters and is undoubtedly the best pitching prospect
in this part of the province.
On the 1951 line-up are such crowd-pleasers
as Jimmie McIsaac in his normal third base role, Albert
Cottenie and Charlie Achtemichuk who take turns at
catching and second base. Stan Green is still in the
outfield and the big man at bat with the highest hitting average. Bill
Derwores continues to work wonders are short stop and "Fergie"
Ferguson does his stint for the club. Newcomers to the club are
Les Widdifield, a telegrapher by trade, with a backlog of
experience at Watson, Sask., and Richard Weitzel of Runnymede
who was on the Roblin roster last season. Pete Bodnaryk
has caught in one game and Bill Chypyha made one appearance
for the Cyclones. Both boys were formerly with Stoney Creek Sparks.
(Kamsack Times, May 31, 1951)
(May 31) Kamsack chalked up a 10-8
victory over Dauphin, their second win over the Manitoba club this
season. A bases-loaded triple by Jack Eisner in the 2nd
inning was the key hit for the Cyclones.
(June 1) Gilbert Plains and Yorkton played
to an 8-8 tie Friday night in a game called at the end of five
innings. The contest was marred by an injury to Orville Minish.
"The
game was marred in the fifth inning by one of the meanest and dirtiest plays
ever pulled off by a baseball player in these parts. Orville Minish
had already put out a runner at first base and had run about eight feet off
the bag toward second base in anticipation of making a play at third when
the batter who had been put out at first ran off the base line and
deliberately charged him with a flying body check. Orville was
temporarily knocked out, his glasses broken and his face badly cut up, yet
nothing was done to the player in question by the umpire in charge. A
number of the Yorkton players came over to the G.P. bench at the end of the
game and apologized for the incident." (Gilbert
Plains XXX 1951)
(June 4) Kamsack at Gilbert Plains,
Monday, rained out.
(June 5) Roy Minish fired
a six-hit shutout to lead Gilbert Plains to a 3-0 win over Dauphin
Tuesday. It was the fifth straight setback for the Red Birds. Dave
Boux allowed just four hits in a losing cause.
(June 7) Kamsack Cyclones are scheduled
for a busy time this month according to Fred Reusch, club manager.
Aside from ten league games to be played in June, the baseball club is
already booked for a trip to Flin Flon for a game on June 9 and a double
header the following day. On June 13, the club is lined up for a four
team tournament at Nipawin when North Battleford, Ligon Stars and Saskatoon
55s battle it out with the Kamsack aggregation. Returning home for a
league tournament on the 14th, the Cyclones move to Saskatoon where they are
scheduled to play under flood lights against Saskatoon 55 on June 16.
Another double header already booked is at Carman, Man., July 2. (Kamsack
Times, June 7, 1951)
(June 7) Dauphin tournament,
Thursday. Dauphin vs Yorkton, Gilbert Plains vs Kamsack.
Kamsack
4-1
Roblin 3-1
Gilbert Plains 2-2
Yorkton 2-5
Dauphin 0-5
(June 11) Dauphin at Gilbert Plains
(June 11) The Cyclones and Roblin
played to a 6-6 tie in Kamsack.
(June) Major shake-up took place in the
Kamsack Cyclones baseball club last week following a heated session of the
executive that lasted into the wee hours of the morning. As a result, Dave
Whatley, popular colored boy, was appointed team coach. Discharged
from the club were Coach Lowell Hanson, recently arrived from
Saskatoon, and three players, Jack Eisner, Togo, and Bob
Clipper and Saul Wilson both formerly with the Eston
club. Imports being retained by the Cyclones include Russ Valentine,
a pitcher from Maryland, obtained through the Brandon Greys; Coney Williams,
a terrific hitter and one of the best short stops in the west, formerly of
Elmwood Giants and Estevan. The two pitchers from the Giants are Matthew
McCowan and Joe Anderson.
(Kamsack Times, June 21, 1951)
(June 14) Kamsack tournament
(June 16) Kamsack downed Saskatoon 6-1
in a late Saturday contest. The game didn't get underway until 11
o'clock due to the late arrival of the Saskatoon club from the Kenaston
tournament.
(June 17) A 9th inning rally gave
Saskatoon 55s an 8-7 win over Kamsack and a split of their weekend
series. Sherman Watrous drove in the winner. Coney
Williams, Kamsack's shortstop, belted an inside-the-park homer,
triple and two singles in five plate appearances.
(June 22) Gilbert Plains' Johnny
Alexander tossed
a no-hitter against Roblin.
(June 22) Kamsack whipped Yorkton 10-4 at
Jubilee Park in Yorkton Friday to move into first place in the league
standings. Matthew
McCowan scattered ten hits in going the
route for the pitching win. Gunther and Koehler
shared the mound work for Yorkton.
Gunther, Koehler and xxx
McCowan (W) and xxx
(June 25) Manitoba - Saskatchewan
League standings, Monday, June 25th :
Kamsack 9 5 4
Roblin 10 5 5
Daupin 10 5 5
Yorkton 8 4 4
G Plains 7 3 4
(June 27) Al Jacousky,
pitching for Roblin, fired a no-hitter against Virden in a tournament at
Birtle.
(Thursday) Gilbert Plains won its
first major tournament of the season downing Yorkton 4-2 in the final of the
$1,000 Roblin event. Eddie McDonald and Alexander
handled the mound duties for the winners. In the opening round, Al
Jacousky limited his former mates to seven hits as Gilbert Plains
downed Roblin 9-3.
(Sat) Al Jacousky scattered
eight hits as Gilbert Plains dumped Kamsack 9-3 Saturday. He fanned
ten and allowed no walks. Gilbert Plains had nine hits off Joe Lopuck
of the Cyclones and took advantage of five walks and six errors.
(Monday) Eddie McDonald
belted two homers and a triple to pace Gilbert Plains to a 10-1 thrashing of
Dauphin Monday. Art Di Cesare, formerly of the Grandview
Maroons, tossed a three-hitter for the win. He fanned six and walked
only one.
Kamsack
6-5
Gilbert Plains 7-6
Dauphin 7-6
Yorkton 5-6
Roblin 6-8
(July 1) Kamsack shutout Roblin 4-0 at
Madge Lake. McCowan tossed the shutout for the Cyclones.
In an exhibition match, the clubs tied 7-7.
(July 2) Kamsack dropped a pair of
games in Carman. With Anderson on the hill, the Cyclones were
tied 3-3 after nine, losing in the 11th. In the evening game, before
more than 3,500 fans, Cyclones were crushed 19-2. Carman scored 10
runs off Russ Valentine, eight off Thomas and a
singleton from Lopuck.
(July 3) Carman shaded Kamsack 6-5 at
Portage La Prairie. McCowan was on the hill for the Cyclones.
(July 27) Yorkton downed Kamsack 3-2 in
the opening game of the best-of-five semi-final series.
(July 30) At Kamsack, the Cyclones
whipped Yorkton 13-2 to even the semi-final series at a game
apiece.
(July) Behind the pitching of Bob
McIver of Courtney BC, Yorkton Cardinals dumped Kamsack 10-2 to take a
two to one game lead in the best-of-five semi-final series. Cards
scored five runs in the 2nd inning to put the game out of reach.
(August 2) The 4th game of the
semi-final between Kamsack and Yorkton was scheduled for tonight.
Yorkton won the opener of the best-of-five series, 3-2. Cyclones
captured the second 13-2, while Yorkton won 10-2 in the third contest.
(August 3) The inability of Kamsack
Cyclones to field a team forced the league to rearrange the playoffs.
It was decided to amalgamate the Kamsack and Roblin teams and to group the
two Manitoba teams in one semi-final and the two Saskatchewan clubs in the
other. The changes put Dauphin, the pennant winners, against Gilbert
Plains in one of the best-of-three semi-finals while the combined
Kamsask-Roblin team would meet Yorkton.
(August 7)
Yorkston Cardinals trounced Kamsack Cyclones 10-2 to take a 2-1 game
lead in their best of five semi-final series. Cards pounced out 16
hits in the victory.
(August 21) Dauphin downed Yorkton
Cardinals 9-4 in the first game of the best-of-five Manitoba-Saskatchewan
League final. Stevenson was the winning pitcher, Ernie Koroluk took the
loss. Metro Prystai had a triple and a double for the Cards.
(August 22) Scoring six runs in the 3rd
inning, the Dauphin Redbirds downed Yorkton 7-5 to take a two game lead in
the Man-Sask final. Frank Joyner pitched a six-hitter
and fanned 11 to get the win. Carlson was the loser for the
Cards. Ray Nash, Keith Myler, Ernie
Boushy and Bob Enalls each had two hits for
Dauphin. Stan Obodiak was the only Yorkton batter with
two safeties.
(August 30) Yorkton Cardinals
announced they could no longer field a team for the remainder of the
playoffs and Dauphin was awarded the Man-Sask title by default. The Redbirds
had won the first two games, 9-4 and 7-5 and the third game was a 4-4 tie in
Yorkton on Friday.
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