1957 Alberta Snap Shots     

King George

Opening Day Above - The Lethbridge Herald marked the kickoff of the 1957 season with a sketch depicting some of the prominent players -- Clarence Yanosik of Lethbridge, George Menzies Picture Butte, Willie Walasko Granum, Bud Syverson Medicine Hat, Marty Norman Vulcan and Hank Bassen Calgary.

Above left - Granum did it again -- Alberta Senior Baseball champions. The Lethbridge Herald responded with a "King George" sketch. Inscribed on the baseballs on the royal cape are the names of the Granum players.

Buffalo Stadium Jocko Tarnava

Left - Action at Calgary's Buffalo Stadium.  John Vaselenak is out at first on a sacrifice as Ken Mitchell (behind Vaselenak) throws to second baseman Glen Tuckett for the out.  Calgary pitcher Baz Nagle is on the far right while the catcher is Ken Heffel.

Right - Jocko Tarnava thunders into third base in the opening game of the Lethbridge Rotary Tournament. Tarnava scored the first run of the game as the Lethbridge-Vulcan All-Stars whipped the Trail Smoke Eaters 11-0.  Grabbing the throw is Trail's Hugh McIntyre.

Ken Burns, Jim Lester Lee, top hitter

Bobby Lee of Picture Butte won the batting crown with a .424 average.

Marty Hurd

Marty Hurd of Calgary was a two-sport start at the University of Arizona as an outfielder in baseball and a guard/centre on the football team.

He was the leading hitter in major college ball in 1957 with a .473 batting average. Hurd finished third in the Southern Alberta batting race with a .378 mark and led the league in runs and runs batted in.

Hurd was the first black baseball player in the history of the university of Arizona.

Don Kirk & mates

 

 

Denny Totland (left) and Marty Hurd (right) show off the prized left arm of starter Don Kirk who recorded his second playoff win against Vulcan.


Medicine Hat Orphans1957 Medicine Hat

Top left - a trio of Medicine Hat Orphans (they became the Superiors later in the season) - Phil Risinger (left), Bill Davidson (centre) and John Adams (right). 

Top right - the three amigos, Davidson (top), Risinger (middle), Adams (bottom). 

Phil Risinger

Tournament victory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Left - Shortstop Phil Risinger of the Medicine Hat Orphans/Superiors.  The 'Hat, which finished 3-27 in 1957 with mainly a roster of local players, made a stunning turnaround in 1958 winning the pennant and capturing the league championship.

Right -  The team celebrates a victory in the Medicine Hat tournament.  Players identified in the photo are Bud Syverson, Mel Wilson, Vic Link, Bill Chacalias, Dave Tingley and Ron Murdoch.  At the right is the manager, Shorty Jeske

Below  - the kickoff of the Calgary Buffaloes Tournament. 

1957 action

Tuckett & Brookman  McIntosh One-hitter

Above left - Glen Tuckett (left, the Calgary manager) and George Brookman (right. the Calgary owner) like the feel of the winnings as they handle the prize money of $700 the Dodgers captured for winning the Calgary Tournament with a 9-1 victory over Picture Butee. 

Above right - Calgary's Tom McIntosh had a no-hitter for 7 2/3s, settling for a one-hitter against Red Deer.  That's McIntosh, centre, with catcher Ken Heffel, left, and Marty Hurd, right, who smashed a homer in the Calgary victory.

Larry KoentoppTerry Hanoian

Above left - Granum's import catcher Larry Koentopp at the Lethbridge Rotary Baseball Tournament. [Photo courtesy of the Galt Museum and Archives, Photo # 19753802034]

Above right - Picture Butte outfielder Larry Hanoian.  His twin brother Terry also played for the team.

Miners' sluggers

 

As the season opener approached, the Lethbridge Miners had high hopes for their offense with (left to right) Les Colwill, Earl Ingarfield, Clarence Yanosik and Vic Stasiuk featured in their batting lineup.


Frank SpeyerJohn PhillipsFrank Speyer

The Miners were counting on right-hander Frank Speyer and catcher John Phillips (left and middle). That's another pic of Speyer above left, along with slugger Bud Syverson of Medicine Hat.

 

 

Jim AtwillBarlow & Blakeslee

Above left - Medicine Hat Orphans/Superiors right-hander Jim Attrill (identified in the local paper as Atwill). . Attrill was obtained by the club from Picture Butte Indians in a trade for Jerry Burcher and Gerry Sedoo.

Above right - A couple of stars for the Lethbridge Rotary Tournament champion Sandpoint Beavers - left, manager Cotton Barlow with ace pitcher Bob Blakeslee, after the Beavers have defeated Spokane Michielli Brothers 5-1 in the final. The Beavers allowed just four runs in the three contests. Blakeslee set down Spokane on three hits, all singles, in the tournament final.

Motley & NielandBentley MacEwen

Above left - A tough loss for Orv Motley (left) at the Lethbridge Rotary Tournament. Motley, hurling for Picture Butte, dropped a 2-1 decision to Bob Nieland (right) of the Sandpoint Beavers.  Motley allowed just six hits, Nieland four. 

Above right - Bentley MacEwen of Granum White Sox held Billings, MT, to just three hits in a 6-2 victory.

Below - Calgary Dodger Ken Mitchell a Vancouver product was a Foothills-Wheatbelt League All-Star.

Ken Mitchell