1952 Tournaments

Saskatoon (May 23-24) :      

Lloydminster  (June 12)  Three teams --  Florida Cubans, Saskatoon Gems and Indian Head Rockets -- shared top prize money as rain forced the cancellation of the final round of the Lloydminster tournament.  

The Cubans whipped North Battleford 10-5 to qualify for the final but the other semi-final was called in the first inning with Indian Head up on Saskatoon 2-0 and with the bases loaded.

Each side in the Cuban-Beaver contest got a homer.  Les Dean for North Battleford and Marcelino Arozarena for Florida.

Beavers reached the semi-final trouncing the Great Falls Montana Airlifters 11-2.  Johnny Coleman pitched a five-hitter and fanned twelve.  

In earlier games, Indian Head trounced the Edmonton All-Stars 11-2, Saskatoon Gems downed Morinville Diesels 3-2 and Florida Cubans overwhelmed Edmonton Pontiacs 17-2 as the Alberta club made 12 errors. 

Moose Jaw (June) :

(June 1952)  Saskatoon Gems received less money for winning first place in the Moose Jaw league-team tournament last week than Estevan and Regina picked up after being knocked out in the first round of the Saskatoon league-team tournament staged at Cairns Field May 23 and 24. (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 1952)

Camrose  (June 21-22) :

The Florida Cubans took advantage of seven Leduc errors to overcome an early 2-0 deficit and take $1,400 first prize money in the Camrose Tournament with a 9-2 win over the Oilers in the final. Jim Ryan, the first sacker with the 1951 winners, Swift Current, belted a 2nd inning homer to post the game's first run.  Cubans tied the game in the 4th as Mario Herrera and Leopoldo Reyes scored after reaching base with hits.  Florida broke the game wide open with four runs in the 5th as Roberto Barbon knocked in a pair and scored another.  Carlos Forten scattered eight hits to get the win.  Lefty Belter gave up nine hits in a losing cause.

Forten and Yzquierdo
Belter and Dillman

In semi-final action, the Cubans fell behind 3-0 before rebounding to top Morinville 8-5.  Roberto Barbon was the hero for the winners with a homer, triple and single at the plate and and a solid relif effort on the hill . 

Arango, Barbon (5) and Yzquierdo
Lee and Clark

Orie Gordichuck and Lefty Belter combined on 5-hitter as Leduc downed the Central Alberta All-Stars 7-3 to advance to the final of the Camrose Tournament.  Cook and Karbonic each belted a pair of doubles for the winners.

Gordichuck, Belter (7) and Dillman
Kruger and Ing

In the opening round, Les Whittles clubbed a three-run homer in the bottom of the 6th inning to give Morinville and 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Pontiacs in the tournament opener before 1,500 fans.  Whittles added a two-run double in the third and had a single.  Rollie Miles had three hits for the losers.

Olson and MacNab
Budnick and Clark

A four-run 7th inning gave the Central Alberta All-Stars a 5-3 win over the Samis All-Stars.  Pete Kruger and Dick Latiff each drove in a pair for the winners. 

Callihan and Hamilton
Morris and Kruger

In the biggest upset of the day, Leduc Oilers fell behind 7-0 then roared back to trounce the favoured Indian Head Rockets 18-8.  Lefty Belter was the winner with five innings of superb relief pitching.  Cook had a three-run homer for the Oilers.

McMiller, Brooks (6), Bates (6) and Landrum
McIntyre, Belter (5) and Dillman

The Cubans has just four hits off John Gordy but capitalized on 11 walks and eight Great Falls' errors to beat the Airlifters 8-4.  Hippy Hernandez gave up ten hits but managed to go the distance for the win.

Gordy and Thompson
Hernandez and Yzquierdo

North Battleford  (June 26)  Regina Caps shaded Saskatoon 4-3 to win top money in the North Battleford tournament.  Gus Kyle's seventh inning double knocked in the winning run.  Max Bentley paced the Gems with a triple and two singles.  Cless Hinckley, in relief of starter Larry Bolger, picked up the win. 

Holdaway, Coben (8) and Shirley
Bolger, Hinckley (6) and Lewis

Caps whipped North Battleford 10-4 in semi-final action as Jack Hannah held the Beavers to four hits. 

Porter, Wylie, L Dean and Green, Prediger (6)
Hannah and Kyle

In opening games, Regina beat Estevan 3-2 and Saskatoon shaded Moose Jaw by the same score.   The win sent the Gems into the final.  They scored all their runs in the bottom of the ninth.  Jimmy Shields knocked in the winner.  Moose Jaw's John Bilbrey walked in the tying run.  

Bilbrey and Harford
Singleton and Garcia, Shirley (4)

Buttgereit, Warren (9) and Lewis
Patterson and Monroe

Lacombe  (June 26 )  The Florida Cuban All-Stars took top prize money at the $3,250 Lacombe Baseball Tournament with a 13-2 trouncing of Leduc Oilers in the final.  Cubans exploded for eight runs in the 2nd inning and cruised to the victory.  Juan Dominguez went the distance for the win pitching a three-hitter.  Oilers reached the final with a 7-6 win over the Great Falls, Montana, AirLifters while the Cubans downed the Edmonton All-Stars 7-4.

Dominguez (W) and Ledo
McIntyre (L) and Dillman

Leduc Oilers, Brooks, Great Falls Air Lifters, Central Alberta Kinsmen All-Stars, Morinville, Edmonton, Indian Head.
 

Rosetown tourney.  It was the day of the Rosetown Riot.

Prince Albert  (June 29) Gordie Howe's three-run homer and outstanding relief pitching from Chuck Holdaway led the Saskatoon Gems to top prize of $700 in the Prince Albert tournament.  The Gems beat the Regina Caps 9-1 before 5-thousand fans in the final of the third annual Kinsmen event. 

Holdaway came on with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth.  He shutdown the Caps on one hit the rest of the way and aided the Gems cause with a pair of hits.  Starter Truman Clevenger took the loss for Regina.

Saskatoon reached the final with a 6-3, 11-inning win over the Great Falls Montana Army Airforce Airlifters.  

Saturday night, Roy Taylor's Kamsack Cyclones beat Gull Lake 8-3 to move into the semi-finals only to lose to Regina 8-2.  

Saskatoon Optimist (June 30-July 1) :  North Battleford won the title with a 6-3 win over Regina.

(July 1)   Brandon and Carman tied for top honours in a four-team tournament at Carman.  The Greys and Cardinals played to a 1-1 draw in a game called after three innings by adverse weather. Cards trounced Winnipeg 14-4 in the opening game behind a 20-hit attack.  Brandon edged Minot 6-5 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Christianson (L) and Louden
Rhodes (W) and McKerlie

Kelly (L) and Massaro
Marota (W) and Robinson

Foam Lake (July 8-9)   Minot Mallards trounced Brandon Greys 15-3 to capture top prize of $2,000 in the Foam Lake baseball tournament.  The final was called after seven innings because of darkness.  Sugar Cain fired a four-hitter for the win.  The Mallards wiped out a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the first inning and romped the rest of the way. 

Jenkins, Wells and Robinson
Cain and Massaro

Minot advanced to the final with a 7-5 decision from Carman.

Green and Massaro
Rhodes and McKerlie, Gallegon

Brandon topped Winnipeg 10-3 to win a spot in the title game.

Strong, Cox and Louden.
Amaro and Robinson

Carman eliminated Winnipeg with a 12-5 win.

Jessup and Gallegon, McKerlie
Finch, McCoy, Bryant and Louden

Brandon and Minot scored opening round victories in the Foam Lake Baseball Tournament.  Brandon Greys erupted for five runs in the second inning and held off a late Carman rally to shade the Cardinals 10-9.  Minot used the same formula, jumping out to a 6-1 lead, and surviving a late charge to down Winnipeg 6-5.

Scruggs, Marota (W) (3), Butts (8) and Robinson
Brenzel (L) and McKerlie

Price (L) and Louden
Martin (W) and Massaro

Kamsack (July 10-11)  Indian Head Rockets whipped the Florida Cubans 13-1 to take the $1,250 top prize in the Kamsack tournament.  More than 6-thousand fans watched the final of the 16-team event.

Teams:  Indian Head Rockets, Florida Cubans, Carman Cardinals, Grandview, Dauphin Redbirds, Pelly, Notre Dame Hounds, Kamsack Cyclones, Gilbert Plainsmen, Roblin, Preeceville, Gull Lake Greyhounds, Kelvington, Watson, Bowsman and Holar.

Indian Head (July 16-17) The Florida Cubans won the $1,300 top prize in an All-American final at the Indian Head Tournament.  Cubans scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth to edge Hardwood Sports of Baton Rouge 6-4.  Julio Bonilla led the Cubans with three hits, all doubles.  Jose Hernandez, who came on in relief in the fourth, blanked the Sports the rest of the way to pick up the win.  The National Baseball Congress described the event as the first "all-Negro" final in the tournament's history.

Cubans 6 Sports 4
Forten, Hernandez (4) and Ledo
Pickens, Robison (4) and Jackson

Cubans reached the final with a 7-4 win over the host Indian Head Rockets while the Sports beat the Regina Caps 4-2.  

In opening draws, Regina Caps downed Edenwold 9-0 and Gull Lake topped Lake Valley 1-0 with the winning run in the 9th inning.  Kamsack took a 15-10 slugfest from Mainline and Fairlight got by Gravelbourg 10-6.  Indian Head trimmed Wynyard 6-1.  Florida Cubans blanked Avonlea Arrows 10-0 and Baton Rouge Hardwoods whipped Yorkton 14-2.  Weyburn and Royal Caps fought to a scoreless tie in a match suspended after 12 innings because of darkness. 

All-District team:

c - Roberto Ledo (Cubans),  Robert Jackson (Sports); p - OB Robinson (Sports), Gayle Shupe (Beavers), Lefty Harrison (Royal Caps), Jose D Hernandez (Cubans), Jack Devine (Stars); 1b - Fred Bartels (Caps); 2b - Willie Reed (Rockets); 3b - Leopoldo Reyes (Cubans); ss - Ezequiel Diaz (Cubans); lf - Juan Prats (Cubans); cf - William Breda (Sports); rf - Joseph Brooks (Rockets); u - Gus Kyle (Caps); u - Baldy Smith (Greyhounds)

Teams:  Florida Cubans, Baton Rouge Hardwood Sports, Indian Head Rockets, Regina Caps, Fairlight, Kamsack Cyclones, Royal Caps of Regina, Gull Lake Greyhounds, Avonlea Shamrocks, Yorkton Cardinals, Wynyard, Edenwold, Gravelbourg, Mainline of Grenfell, Weyburn Beavers, Lake Valley.

Brandon (July 17)   Winnipeg Giants romped home with first place money in the $3,000 invitational tournament at Brandon.  As they did in a 10-inning final in the earlier Brandon tourney, Giants had another sensational finish as they erupted for three runs in the bottom of the 9th to come from behind to top Carman 4-3 in the championship game.  Al Spearman allowed just six singles to register the win.  Harry Rhodes allowed five hits, including Lester Lockett's long triple in the 9th which scored a pair of runs to tie at 3-3. 

Winnipeg walloped Brandon 8-1 in the opening game with lefty Al Bryant holding the Greys to four hits.  Willie Scruggs started for Brandon, giving way to Enrique Marota in the 3rd. Carman reached the final with a 10-4 win over Minot.  Murray Richardson went the route for the win.  John Kelly took the loss. Duke Bowman came on in the 4th to mop up.  Brandon shaded Minot 4-3 in the playoff for third money.

(July 18)  Minot blasted 19 hits and crushed the Indian Head Rockets 11-2 in an exhibition game at Municipal Park in Minot.  Quincy Barbee had five of the hits, all singles, and drove in three runs.  Wally Jako of the Mallards had the only homer. Minot scored three in the opening frame off Rolando Garcia and never looked back.  Warren Martin held the Rockets to just five hits.

Minot   (July 30)   Minot Mallards whipped  Winnipeg 10-4 to captured top prize in their own Mandak Tournament.  Wally Jako and Quincy Barbee wielded the big bats for the Mallards, Barbee with a homer, triple and two singles.  Jako added two doubles and a pair of singles.  Dan Wilson had three singles for the Giants.  Warren Martin went the distance for the win. In opening action, Winnipeg topped Carman 5-3 and Minot got by Brandon 2-0 on Jonas Gaines' four-hitter.  In the playoff for third money, Carman beat Brandon 5-1 as Jerry Cobb held the Greys to three hits.

Winnipeg 5 Carman 3
Spearman (W) and Louden
VanKnoughnet (L) and Gallegos

Minot 2 Brandon 0
Gaines (W) and Massaro
Vasquez (L) and Wells

Brandon 1 Carman 5
Williams (L) and F Robinson
Cobb (W) and Gallegos

Winnipeg 4 Minot 10
McCoy (L) and Louden
Martin (W) and Massaro

(July 31)   Roblin, Manitoba, scored a major upset in taking top money of $1,100 at the Rosetown Legion baseball tournament.  The dark-horse squad up-ended the Cuban All-Stars 14-10 in the final.  Cubans had advanced with a 1-0 win over Saskatoon Gems and Roblin whipped Indian Head Rockets 12-5.  It was a calm final day after a riot during the opening day of tournament left one player in hospital and another taken into custody by police. 

" ... The melee started in the ninth inning when the Cubans were leading 12-11.  Louis Green, catcher for North Battleford Beavers, went hard into second during a force-out play and he and the Cuban second-sacker came up swinging.  Players of both teams ran onto the field, some of them taking bats as weapons.  One North Battleford player was chased across country to a neighboring grain elevator agent's house.  The agent's son, armed with a rifle, protected the fugitive from an enraged Cuban until R.C.M.P.  arrived. Play was resumed after order was restored and the Cubans went on to win 13-12 in 11 innings."  (Canadian Press)

Mandak  (August 4)  Brandon Greys won the fourth and last of the Mandak tournaments with a 2-1 win over Carman in the final.  Bus Vasquez was the hero for the Greys.  He singled in the bottom of the 9th, stole second and third and scored the winner when the throw to third sailed into left field.  Weldon Ridley drove in Leonard Pigg to give Carman an early lead.  Clarence King's double tied it in the 6th. Butch Conley, who joined the Cards from the Brooklyn Cuban Giants had a double for Carman.

Jerry Cobb and Pigg
Jenkins and F Robinson

In opening games, Brandon whipped Winnipeg 9-0 and Carman topped Minot 5-1.

" ... In a game ... that saw Carman go into the final, it was another boy from the country that did something that hasn't been done before this season.  Frenchy Pantil, a 19-year-old youngster from Notre Dame de Lourdes, Man., stopped Minot with a neat one-hitter.  Except fro a second-inning double by Yogi Giammarco, the Minot bats were dead."  Winnipeg Free Press

Williams and F Robinson
Finch, Bryant (5) and Louden

Pantil and Kapphahn
Greene and Kennedy

Winnipeg beat Minot 8-1 in the consolation final.

McLean, Greene (2) and Kennedy
Spearman and Louden

Lethbridge (August 09)  The Florida Cubans won $1,400 first prize money in the annual Lethbridge Rotary Tournament with a 2-0 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters. Carlos Forten pitched a five-hitter for the victory.  He fanned six and walked a pair. For Trail, 17-year-old Ted Bowsfield was outstanding except for the 5th inning when he gave up all four Cubans' hits and both runs.  He walked four and fanned nine.  For the tourney Bowsfield had 17 strikeouts, a record.

Bowsfield and Field
Forten and Lido

In semi-final action, the Cubans beat Indian Head 5-3 and Trail erupted for four runs in the third to defeat Worland, Wyoming Indians 7-5.

Leal, Bates (3) and Green
Hernandez and Lido

Muse, Boisvert (7) and Field
Johnson, Stark (3), Brown (3), Stine (7) and Kosich

Trial advanced to the semi-final with a 4-2 win over Great Falls Airlifters as Ace Parker hurled a two-hitter besting John Gordy. 

Gordy and Johnson, Ruhl (5)
Parker and Field

There were three shutouts on opening day.  Paul Stark fired a no-hitter as Worland blanked Gull Lake Greyhounds 3-0.  Indian Head Rockets shaded Swift Current 2-0 and Cubans topped Lethbridge All-Stars 2-0,

National Baseball Congress
Saskatchewan Final :

For four innings the Indian Head Rockets appeared well on the way to forcing a deciding game in their provincial championship series with the Florida Cubans. The Rockets had built a 7-0 lead.  It looked liked a complete reversal of the series' opener when the Cubans trounced Indian Head 9-2.

But, Florida scored five in the fifth and nine in the eighth to whip the Rockets 16-11 and claim the Saskatchewan title. There were 28 hits in the game, 14 of them for extra bases. The Rockets committed nine errors.  Indian Head's Percy Trimont was the leading hitter with a pair of homers, two doubles and a single in five trips.  Hiram Marshall and Winters Calvin also homered for the losers.

(August 6) Florida Cubans 9 Indian Head 2

(August 13) Floridia Cubans 16 Indian Head 11

Barbon, Hernandez (9) and Yzquierdo. Seoane (8)
Bates, Donaldson (5), Trimont (8) and Green, Ford (8)

National Baseball Congress
Alberta Final :

Iron man Bill Kucheran pitched the Lethbridge Cubs to a 9-2 win over Brooks Buffaloes in the deciding game of the Alberta championship.  Kucheran, in his third complete game of the series, tossed a 5-hitter and fanned eleven.  A five-run seventh inning wrapped up the victory for the Cubs.  Darwin Walkingshaw's three-run homer was the big blow.  Les Colwill also had a homer for the winners.  Freddie Schimpf homered for the Buffaloes. Cubs' centrefielder Clarence Yanosik had three hits. 

Buffaloes won the opening game of the series 3-2.  Cubs forced the rubber game with an 8-3 victory.

All-Alberta team.  c - Howard Yanosik (Cubs), Jim McBride (Buffaloes); p - Bill Kucheran (Cubs), Fred Unchelenko (Buffaloes); 1b - Doug Sandell (Buffaloes); 2b - Ed Zemrau (Cubs); ss - Les Colwill (Cubs); 3b - Chuck Pozzo (Buffaloes); lf - Hank Cunningham (Buffaloes); cf - Clarence Yanosik (Cubs); rf - Harley Patterson (Cubs); u - Yosh Fujimoto (Buffaloes); u - Darwin Walkingshaw (Cubs).