EDMONTON BIG SEVEN BASEBALL LEAGUE
Known as the Big Seven Senior Baseball League, this newly-formed circuit of teams from Edmonton and north-central Alberta was composed of just six teams in its inaugural season as the proposed seventh entry representing Ponoka was given a year’s grace to organize their franchise.
Beverly Drakes
City Police Athletics
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox
North Edmonton Rockets
Red Deer Dodgers
St. Josaphat’s Saints
(May 28) The City Police clipped St. Josaphat’s 9 to 5 in the opening game of the newly-formed Big Seven League. Eskimo footballer Rollie Miles atoned for an earlier error by driving in the tying run with an up-the-middle single in the eight frame and then, after reaching third base, stealing home with the go-ahead counter. Third baseman Mike Bellas starred for the Saints, going three-for-five at the plate. Dave Kostenuk, former Western Canada League hurler with Moose Jaw and North Battleford, went the distance on the knoll for the Cop Squad, whiffing 13, to earn the pitching verdict.
Kostenuk (W) and Kulka
Bjork (L), Chahley (8) and Mullins
(May 29) Burly right-hander Jerry Wynn stymied the North Edmonton on four hits as the invading Beverly Drakes blanked the Rockets 4 to 0 at Renfrew Park. A fine fielding play by middle pasture patroller Don Stewart preserved the shutout for Wynn. He gathered in Ed Hauca’s fly ball and cut down Ed Howorko at the plate for a double play. First sacker George McAvoy of the Drakes was the lone batter from either team to register two safeties.
Wynn (W) and Tanner
Wiese (L) and Waddle
(May 29) The hosting Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox opened their season by scuttling the City Police Athletics 4 to 2. Right-hander Max Yeske of the Forts shackled the Police on five hits, including two each by Rollie Miles and losing chucker Ed Williams, while cleanup hitter Jim Ryan and shortpatcher Bob Solinger led the nine-hit offense for the victors with a brace of bingles each.
Williams (L) and Anderson
Yeske (W) and Stewart
(May 29) It took ten innings for the St, Josaphat’s Saints to dispose of the homestanding Red Deer Dodgers 12 to 9. Hot corner custodian Mike Bellas of the Saints once again starred with the baton, clipping the horsehide for five safeties in as many trips to the plate. In the overtime session, key singles by Mel Reimond and Al Bjork broke the tie with add-on counters coming on a ground out and a bases-loaded walk. Bill Chahley, the third in a trio of heavers used by the Saints, grabbed the win. Jim Berlando was the top swatsmith for Red Deer, driving in four runs with a single and double.
Rechlo, Van Loo (1), Chahley (W) and Mullins
Verreau, Martin (6), Makos (L) (7) and Demmans
(June 1) The Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox galloped off to a quick 5 to 1 lead and, after being deadlocked in the fifth frame, pulled away again for a 15 to 10 triumph over the North Edmonton Rockets at Renfrew Park. Veteran Ed Gauf pointed the Sox in the right direction with three-run round-tripper in the second stanza. Along with his dinger, Gauf picked up two singles and a walk. Jack Patterson, who came on in relief in the fifth, got the pitching win while starter Ken Klippenstein of the Rockets was stung with the loss. North Edmonton had a 15 – 13 edge in base knocks in the lusty-hitting affair. The big stickers for the Rockets were Ed Howorko and Herb Sewers who both poked out a triad of safeties. Fred MacDonald of the vanquished nine scampered around the sacks for a two-run inside-the-park homer.
Kashuba, Patterson (W) (5) and Demeriez
Klippenstein (L), Holmes (6), MacKay (6) and Nelson, Waddle
(June 4) The Red Deer Dodgers routed the Beverly Drakes 9 to 2 at Renfrew Park as weekend action in the Big Seven circuit got underway. Red Deer right-hander Jim Berlando had his sinker in good order against the Drakes, ringing up 14 punchouts while twirling a five-hitter. He did, however, experience some command issues along the way, yielding nine bases-on-balls. Errors kept losing twirler Jerry Wynn in hot water before departing after the seventh spasm. Rod Fonteyne, Ron Emmerling and keystone sacker Moser all had two safeties for the Dodgers.
Berlando (W) and Lariviere
Wynn (L), Forss (8), Prusak (9) and Tanner
(June 5) The invading St. Josaphat’s Saints doubled Fort Saskatchewan 4 to 2. The Red Sox went ahead in the second frame when playing-manager Eddie Belter doubled to give his club a two-run bulge. That, however, was all that winning chucker Bob Salahub of the Saints surrendered as he blanked the hosts the rest of the way, finishing with a six-hitter. Teammate Lyle Kortzman narrowed the gap to one with a sixth-frame solo dinger and then, in the seventh, the visitors rocked Belter for a deuce on key hits by Salahub, Jim Cattoni and Kortzman. An add-on singleton in the eighth was simply icing on the cake. Kortzman had a homer among his two hits for the winners while clubmate Ron Mooney registered a double and single.
Salahub (W) and Mullins
Belter (L) Demeriez
(June 5) Playing on their home turf, the Red Deer Dodgers capped a profitable weekend with a 7 to 5 triumph over the North Edmonton Rockets. Losing twirler Ron Babiuk had the Rockets pointed in the right direction for a time, hurling hitless ball until the fifth frame. Then Dodger flychaser Ron Mathers singled and subsequently scored to cut the North Edmonton lead to 3 – 1. In the sixth, Red Deer put up a three-spot after two had been retired to move ahead for good. Dodger heaver Steve Vavra escaped a couple of late inning threats to cop the win. Jim Ostrowerka garnered a double and single for the victors while Herb Sewers doubled twice in a losing cause for the Rockets.
Babiuk (L), Resch (7) and Waddle
Vavra (W), Martin (9) and Lariviere
(June 5) The City Police Athletics inflicted a 9 to 6 defeat upon the Beverly Drakes in a Big Seven contest at Renfrew Park. The Drakes used four chuckers in a losing cause while the Law Enforcers went with three, with their final twirler, Dave Kostenuk, getting credit for the win. The big man with the stick for the A’s was catcher Stan Kulka who drove in three runs with a triple and two singles. Beverly first sacker George McAvoy went three-for-four at the dish with a pair of RBI’s.
Wygera, Pyliuk (L) (4), Prusak (6), Dextrase (8) and Weremy
Barrow, Williams (2), Kostenuk (5) and Kulka
(June 8) Right-hander Dave Kostenuk notched his second pitching victory in relief and his third mound verdict of the campaign as the City Police Athletics clipped the Red Deer Dodgers 8 to 6 at Renfrew Park. The win boosted the Flatfoot nine atop the Big Seven circuit by a half-game. Gene McCarthy started on the hill for the visitors but failed to get anybody out and, before reliever John Makos could set things in order, five Athletic counters had crossed the pan. A pair of two-run singles by pinch-hitter Morris Karpuk and Val Fonteyne allowed the Dodgers to level the count at 5 – 5 in the seventh spasm. The Gendarmes then went ahead with a three-spot, the key hit coming off the bat of Dale Barrow who delivered triple. Catcher Stan Kulka led the winners at the plate with three safeties.
McCarthy, Makos (L) (1) and Lariviere
Williams, Barrow (7), Kostenuk (W) (8) and Kulka
(June 11) Veteran Ed Gauf had a hot hand with the lumber as he decimated Beverly pitching in leading the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox to a 12 to 3 pummelling of the Drakes. Gauf helped himself to a pair of doubles and three singles, not to mention a walk, as the Forts lit up a trio of Beverly chuckers for 18 base blows. Besides Gauf, also sharing prominently with the baton was George Kjenner who went four-for-six with a brace of two-baggers included.
Yeske (W) and Stewart
Forss (L), Wynn (5) , Rechlo (7) and Tanner, Weremy
(June 12) The City Police Athletics, with slabster Dave Kostenuk doing the job again, whitewashed the St. Josaphat’s Saints 7 to 0 at Renfrew Park. The big right-hander handcuffed the Saints on four hits and fanned five in earning his fourth win. Second sacker Rollie Miles and flychaser Dale Walker both banged out three hits, including three-baggers, for the Cop Squad with Miles’ raps accounting for three RBI’s.
Chahley (L), Zacharuk (5) and Johansen
Kostenuk (W) and Kulka
(June 12) Invading Beverly dropped their fourth game in a row, falling 13 to 3 to the Red Deer Dodgers. It was quite a game for four panels but, in the fifth, the Dodgers scored a three-spot to break a 1 – 1 tie. Then, in the sixth, the roof fell in on the Drakes as their tossers issued a bevy of free passes to the 13 batters that came to the plate. Dave Martin went the route for Red Deer in winning his first starting assignment of the season. He was ably assisted by teammate Val Fonteyne who banged out four hits including a pair of doubles.
Hodgson (L), Dosen (5), Rechlo (6) and Tanner
Martin (W) and Lariviere
(June 15) After dropping their first three starts, the North Edmonton Rockets finally broke into the win column by taking a 12 to 7 decision from St. Josaphat’s at Renfrew Park. It wasn’t a case that the Rockets played that well but more of an inept performance by the Saints whose tandem of twirlers gifted the winners with 13 free passes while a porous defense booted the ball on nine occasions. Only one of North Edmonton’s first eight runs was earned although their offense came alive and they finished the game with a flourish. Bill Wiese, who went the route on the bump to garner the win, struggled early in the tilt but was much tougher in the later stages and finished with 11 strikeouts. The losers had a 10 to 7 advantage in base hits as Bob Van Loo drilled three singles and Lyle Kortzman doubled twice. Ed Howorko went yard with a three-run tater for the victors.
Wiese (W) and Waddle
Bjork, Zacharuk (L) (3) and Johansen
(June 18) The St. Josaphat’s Saints, with a valiant comeback effort in the final three frames, edged the Beverly Drakes 6 to 5. Trailing 5 – 2 they came to bat in the bottom-of-the-seventh panel, the Saints plated a singleton to reduce the deficit to two runs then added a deuce in the eighth to knot the count before scoring the winner in their last kick at the can in the ninth. Bob Salahub went all the way on the bump for the Churchmen, surrendering ten hits while swishing six. Only two of the five runs scored against him were of the earned variety. Art Rechlo, who ascended the hillock in relief in the second stanza and gave up eight of the nine St. Josaphat safeties, was nicked with the setback. Lyle Kortzman and Arnold Bailey both drilled a double and single for the victors while teammate Bob Van Loo as well as third baseman Ray and Ed Tanner of the vanquished nine all contributed a brace of one-baggers.
Ferguson, Rechlo (L) (2) and Tanner
Salahub (W) and Johansen
(June 18) With Ed Williams toeing the rubber, the City Police Athletics blanked the North Edmonton Rockets 4 to 0. Williams gave up only four hits, including a pair by Nick Baiton, whiffed seven and allowed only two of the Rockets to make it around as far as third base. Outfielder Jack Huff singled three times for the winners while fellow flychaser Dale Walker got to losing flinger Ron Babiuk for a brace of one-baggers which produced two RBI’s.
Williams (W) and Kulka
Babiuk (L) and Waddle
(June 19) The North Edmonton Rockets annexed their second win of the campaign by crushing the City Police Athletics 13 to 2. The loss for the Gendarmes dropped them a few percentage points behind Fort Saskatchewan in the standings. Right-hander Colin MacKay tossed the entire game for the Northsiders and was ably supported by the bat of Bill Wiese, by trade a pitcher, who patrolled an outfield slot while going three-for-three in addition to drawing two walks. MacKay aptly scattered nine hits while whiffing six. Southpaw Norm Ferris was battered by the Rockets and kayoed from the bump during a six-run uprising in the fifth inning which put Cop Squad behind 9 to 1. Aside from Wiese, teammate Herb Sewers also stroked a triad of one-baggers which produced four RBI’s. Zane Kotyk was best with the baton for the Flatfoot nine, banging out a double and two singles.
MacKay (W) and Waddle
Ferris (L), Kostenuk (5) and Kulka
(June 19) Fort Saskatchewan took over top spot in the Big Seven loop after getting past the hometown Red Deer Dodgers 13 to 12 in an 11-inning slugfest. The combatants banged out a total of 31 base blows, 16 coming from the losers. The Forts used four chuckers with the last of them, Max Yeske, getting credit for the victory. The Red Sox raked relief tosser Dave Martin for a pair of counters in the top-of-the-second overtime session and held off the hosts who fell one run short in the bottom-half of the panel. George Kjenner blasted a double and three singles for the Sox while Jim Ostrowerka and Ron Emmerling each ripped three one-baggers for the Dodgers.
Cartwright, Kashuba (2), Patterson (5), Yeske (W) (9) and Williamson, Emmerling
Berlando, Martin (L) (8) and Lariviere
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 4 1 .800 ----
City Police Athletics 5 2 .714 ----
Red Deer Dodgers 3 3 .500 1.5
St Josaphat’s Saints 3 3 .500 1.5
North Edmonton Rockets 2 4 .333 2.5
Beverly Drakes 1 5 .167 3.5
(June 22) Former New York Yankee farmhand, 25-year-old Dave Kostenuk, fired a brilliant no-hitter to pitch Edmonton City Police back into first place in the Big Seven Baseball League at Renfrew Park edging Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 1-0, In running his winning streak to five straight, the right-hander was hooked in a pitching duel with veteran lefty Eddie Belter, making a much-heralded return to Renfrew. Belter allowed just four hits before he departed in the eighth. Kostenuk struck out five and walked five. The lone run came in the fifth inning as Ed Bykewich cuffed a hopper down the third base line and the ball skidded off George Stickle's glove for a scratch hit. He moved to third on Don Clark's single and scored as Kostenuk lifted a fly ball to right. It was the second no-hitter of Kostenuk's career. The first one came in the very first game he pitched - for Sturgis Composite High School in northeastern Saskatchewan. After an impressive start in semi-pro ball with Kamsack in 1953, Kostenuk won a spot with the College of Sequoias in Visalia, California. He hurled in the Yankees' farm system at Modesto in the California State League and McAllister, Oklahoma in the Sooner State League. Since then he;s toiled in the Western Canada League with Moose Jaw and the Lloydminster-North Battleford Combines.
Belter (L), Patterson (8) and Demeriez
Kostenuk (W) and Anderson
(June 26) With one exception, all weekend play in the Big Seven Baseball League was rained out. The lone contest that survived the precipitation was a sloppily-played affair that saw the top-dog City Police Athletics get past the cellar-dwelling Beverly Drakes by a 15 to 11 count. In this fracas, the defenses of the competing nines tried to out-fumble one another while the pitchers on both sides were far too generous in issuing free passes, each doling out ten walks. Despite the fact that the Cop Squad committed nine errors to the Drakes’ five, the Gendarmes still couldn’t give the game away. The teams were tied 2 – 2 after the first five frames but, in the sixth, things began to unravel for the Drakes as the Athletics scored a five-spot and sent starter and loser Jerry Wynn to the showers. It never got much better for Beverly as they ran through three more chuckers before the final out. The big man with the bat was Eskimo pigskin running back Rollie Miles who drove in four runs with singles in his final three times at bat. Winning heaver Ed Williams aided his own cause with three RBI’s on a brace of bingles. Newcomer Norm Gay creamed a couple of two-baggers for the Drakes.
Williams (W), Barrow (9) and Kulka
Wynn (L), Rechlo (6), Wygera (8), Ferguson (8) and Weremy
(June 29) Strong-armed right-hander Dale Eikerman throttled the St. Josaphat’s baseballers on six well-scattered hits in pitching the Red Deer Dodgers to a 9 to 1 conquest of the Saints at Renfrew Park. Eikerman gave up a run in the third inning which let the Churchmen pull ahead 1 – 0 but, after that, the Joe’s weren’t even close. He fanned ten while walking just three. The only member of the St. Josaphat’s to trouble him was Mike Bellas who singled in three of his four appearances at the dish. Losing tosser Bill Chahley ran into difficulties in the early innings but kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard until the fourth frame when the visitors erupted for four runs with playing-manager Arnie Enger’s triple driving in a pair. Enger had a third RBI with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly. Val Fonteyne, sophomore left winger with the Detroit Red Wings, blasted a two-run triple to go along with a one-bagger for the Red Deer balltossers.
Eikerman (W) and Emmerling
Chahley (L), Paulin (9) and Johansen
(July 3) Better known as a sniper in the Central Alberta Hockey League, Ron Tookey has added to his baseball laurels fashioning a no-hitter Sunday afternoon as the North Edmonton Rockets dumped St. Josaphat's 7-0 at Renfrew Park. The 25-year-old southpaw fanned seven, walked three and hit a batter. The Saints' playing-manager Ron Zapisocki was the final batter, sending a sharp hopper right at second baseman Herb Sewers who converted it into the final out. Tookey saved his no-hitter in the seventh grabbing Dennis Johansen's low liner and doubling up Zapisocki who had walked. Ed Howorko led the Rockets driving in three runs with a double and single.
Zacharuk (L), Chahley and Johansen
Tookey (W) and Waddle
(July 3) The Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox won at home 8 to 5 over the lowly Beverly Drakes. The Sox roared out of the gate, putting up a five-spot on the scoreboard in their first turn at bat. The Drakes were able to chip away with deuces in the third and sixth panels but were never fully able to recover from the opening-canto siege. Neither pitcher of record, winner Del Cartwright of the Forts or loser Art Rechlo of Beverly, was able to go the distance. The Crimson Hose had a slight 11 to 10 advantage in base hits with first baseman Jim Ryan leading the way with a double and single, an output equalled by flychaser Hassen of the Drakes.
Rechlo (L), Forss (6) and Weremy, Sehn
Cartwright (W), Kashuba (8) and Williamson
(July 6) With five errors to his credit, his entire team’s total, second baseman Herb Sewers had a lot of atoning to do and the usually reliable second sacker of the North Edmonton nine came through with a big two-bagger during a four-run eighth episode that drove teammate Brian Peace across the pan with the tie-breaking run as the Rockets went on to knock off the last-place Beverly Drakes 6 to 3 at Renfrew Park. Moose Jaw product Colin MacKay pitched his second victory in as many decisions for the Northsiders, fanning a season-high 16, walking a pair and tossing a five-hitter. MacKay had control of the situation throughout, despite Sewer’s miscues which made all three runs against him of the unearned variety. The leading willow wielder for the Rockets was Ed Howorko who sky-rocketed his batting average with four hits in as many appearances. Veteran Vern Callihan was tagged with the mound setback.
MacKay (W) and Waddle
Callihan (L), Foss (9) and Sehn
(July 7) In a battle of unbeaten slab artists at Renfrew Park, Max Yeske of the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox prevailed as the visiting Scarlet Stockings got past Bob Salahub and the St. Josaphat’s Saints 5 to 3. Yeske went the route, surrendered eight hits, fanned five and walked two. The Forts lit up Salahub for 12 of their 14 base knocks before he departed after the eighth. Middle pasture patroller George Kjenner stroked three hits in four trips for the winners.
Yeske (W) and Williamson
Salahub (L), Paulin (9) and Johansen
(July 9) The St. Josaphat’s Saints doubled the Beverly Drakes 4 to 2 in a well-played encounter at Renfrew Park. Plating a deuce in their first turn at bat, the Saints led all the way. Bill Chahley wrestled the heaving verdict from Fred Hodgson as both twirlers went the route. Mike Bellas nailed a double and a single for the victors while teammate and new acquisition, Metro Chrapko ,came through with a pair of one-baggers and had two RBI’s.
Hodgson (L) and Weremy
Chahley (W) and Zapisocki
(July 10) The City Police Athletics increased their lead atop the Big Seven circuit to 1-1/2 games by blanking the St. Josaphat’s Saints 6 to 0 in a Renfrew Park tilt that was shortened to eight innings because of a Sunday curfew. Ed Williamson spun a six-hitter in earning the whitewash win. Al Duncan started for the Churchmen but departed after the Athletics scored three times in the third spasm to go ahead 4 – 0. Wally Zacharuk went the rest of the way. Stan Kulka of the Flatfoot nine and the Saints’ Ron Mooney were the only two batters in the game to acquire two hits with Kulka’s pair of safeties garnering two RBI’s
Duncan (L), Zacharuk (4) and Johansen
Williams (W) and Anderson
(July 10) Out in Fort Saskatchewan, the hometown Red Sox missed an opportunity to keep pace with the league-leading City Police by going under 11 to 8 to the Red Deer Dodgers. Red Deer’s knuckle balling flinger Jim Berlando yielded ten free passes and seven base raps, including Ken Taylor’s two-run circuit-wallop over the left-field fence, but managed to stick it out for the win as the visitors came from behind with a trey in the eighth and a singleton in the ninth. Shortstop Jim Ostrowerka led the Dodgers’ 14-hit offense, clipping the orb for two doubles and a single which produced four RBI’s. The Fort’s George Stickle singled on three occasions.
Berlando (W) and Emmerling
Kashuba, Patterson (L) (6) and Bourbonnais
(July 13) The hapless Beverly Drakes came close to reaching the winner’s circle but, after a 14-inning struggle, they still came up empty, dropping an 8 to 4 decision to the North Edmonton Rockets. The loss for the Drakes was their tenth in succession and firmly entrenched them in the basement of the Big Seven League. On the other side of the coin, the Rockets continued to gallop with their fourth straight victory. The Beverly diamond troopers blew a great opportunity to win in the eighth episode when poor judgement led to a pair of their baserunners being thrown out at the plate by wide margins. After four scoreless bonus rounds, the Drakes fell apart behind losing twirler Vern Callihan in the top-of-the-fifth overtime session. Colin MacKay, the third Rockets’ chucker who came on in the 10th, set the losers down in order in their half of the panel to claim the win. The Northsiders outswatted the Suburbanites 16 to 9 in the marathon event with catcher Wally Waddle collecting three of those raps with a double and two singles. Teammate Herb Sewers lashed a pair of back-to-back triples. The Kinasewich brothers, Gene and Mike, as well as outfielder Norm Gay each had a brace of bingles for the vanquished nine.
Holmes, Tookey (8), MacKay (W) (10) and Waddle
Callihan (L) and Tanner
(July 16) The invading Red Deer Dodgers plated six counters in the fifth panel and a three-spot in the sixth and held on to edge North Edmonton 9 to 8, putting a stop to the Rockets’ four-game win streak. Red Deer’s Dale Eikerman went the route for his second straight mound victory. Loser Bill Wiese didn’t give up a hit until the fateful fifth when he was battered for a half dozen runs and derricked to the showers. Pacing the 11-hit batting attack of the victors was Val Fonteyne who checked in with a triple, two singles and a pair of RBI’s. Brother Denis Fonteyne, playing for the opposing Rockets, also drove in a brace of tallies, garnering a double and single.
Eikerman (L) and Emmerling, Lariviere
Wiese (L), Babiuk (5) and Waddle
(July 17) The North Edmonton Rockets suffered their second consecutive 9 to 8 setback, this time to the hosting Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox. After forging ahead 8 to 7 in the top-of-the-ninth canto, the relief staff of the Northerners crumbled in the final-half of the spasm as Bill Wiese was saddled with his second twirling defeat in 24 hours. Playing-manager Ed “Lefty” Belter, who came on in the ninth in a relief role, was the winning chucker. After Bob Stewart, who had walked, scored the equalizer on Ken Taylor’s double, Belter won the game and the pitching verdict by lining a shot to right-field to Bring in Taylor and end things.
MacKay, Holmes (8), Wiese (L) (9) and Waddle
Cartwright, Yeske (9), Belter (W) (9) and Williamson, Stewart
(July 17) The Beverly Drakes failed to make a 6 – 0 lead stand up as the City Police Athletics came bouncing back to nip the Drakes 8 to 6 to remain a game-and-a-half in front of the pack. Winning pitcher Dave Kostenuk had his troubles in maintaining his spotless season’s record with six straight victories as poor support in the third and fourth chapters gave Beverly five unearned runs. However, the right-hander got off the hook with the help of his own prodigious bat as he cracked three hits in as many official appearances, including a double, driving in one run and scoring three times himself. Batterymate Stan Kulka delivered a pair of two-baggers. Gene Kinasewich drilled three singles for the Drakes and had two RBI’s.
Hodgson, Wygera (4), Forss (L) (4) and Tanner
Kostenuk (W) and Kulka
(July 17) In a tight battle at Red Deer, the St. Josaphat’s Saints squeezed out a 3 to 2 win over the Dodgers in a ten-inning thriller. The Saints scored twice in the opening frame but Red Deer squared things with a deuce in the last-of-the-ninth when, with the bases loaded, third sacker Mike Bellas of the Churchmen overthrew first base on Art Lariviere’s ground ball allowing two runs to cross the pan while Dave Martin, attempting to score the winner all the way from first, was dead-on-arrival at the plate. Bellas redeemed himself, however, in the top-of-the overtime session, he delivered a clutch single to drive in Jim Cattoni with the run that stood up as the winner. Bob Salahub, twirling a six-hitter, endured to pick up the pitching verdict over Jim Berlando, who was nicked for eight safeties. Bellas had a two-bagger in addition to his game-winning hit.
Salahab (W) and Zapisocki
Berlando (L) and Lariviere
Standings W L Pct. GBL
City Police Athletics 9 2 .818 ----
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 7 3 .700 1.5
Red Deer Dodgers 6 4 .600 2.5
North Edmonton Rockets 5 6 .455 4.0
St Josaphat’s Saints 5 7 .417 4.5
Beverly Drakes 1 11 .083 8.5
(July 20) The City Police Athletics opened up a 2-1/2 length lead at the front of the Big Seven loop when the conquered their nearest rivals, the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox, 7 to 1 at Renfrew Park. The Athletics amassed more than enough runs in the early going to make things comfortable for themselves. Winning heaver, Ed Williams, second man in the Gendarmes’ fine pitching rotation, wasn’t far from hurling his third shutout of the campaign but the Forts got to him for an unearned counter in the eighth episode. Playing-manager “Lefty” Belter of the Crimson Hose encountered rough passage in absorbing the twirling setback and lifted himself for a pinch-hitter in the third inning. Zane Kotyk emerged as the clutch man with the baton for the Police, stroking a bases-clearing double and a single.
Belter (L), xxx (3), Patterson (4) and Williamson
Williams (W) and xxx
(July 24) In the only Big Seven League action that survived a wet weekend, the City Police Athletics kept on rolling, annexing a 4 to 4 decision over St. Josaphat’s. The loss cost the Saints important ground in their aspirations for a playoff berth, dropping them a full game behind the fourth-place North Edmonton Rockets. Catcher Dennis Johansen of the Churchmen had a disastrous sixth inning when the Cop Squad plated all four of their runs. With the sacks full of Police baserunners, Don Clark hit a hopper to Saints’ third sacker Jim Cattoni whose throw to the plate was in plenty of time for the force out. However, Johansen neglected to put his foot on the platter and then compounded his miscue by throwing wildly to first base. All three runners scored on the double error while Clark galloped all the way to third from where he scored shortly afterward on winning heaver Dave Kostenuk’s sacrifice fly. In gathering in his seventh straight triumph, Kostenuk was denied his third shutout in the ninth when Mike Jeffrey slashed a two-run single. Catcher Ken Anderson had four consecutive hits, all singles, for the Flatfoot nine while St. Joe’s Metro Chrapko stung the horsehide for three one-baggers.
Kostenuk (W) and Anderson
Chahley (L) and Johansen
(July 26) An 11 to 5 victory over the short-handed Red Deer aggregation at Renfrew Park allowed the North Edmonton Rockets to move to within a half-game of the third-place Dodgers. The southern visitors managed to hold their own until the Northsiders scored a five-spot in the bottom-of-the-fifth panel to pull away and leave little doubt as to the final result. Losing pitcher Les Wiberg, a call-up from the junior ranks, was the victim during the rampage. He was pulled in the sixth inning but deserved a batter fate. A cheap single by leadoff hitter, Brian Peace, which dropped in between three of Wiberg’s mates who had assembled in short left-field to perform an Alphonse-and-Gaston routine, started the fateful fifth off. The next two Rockets were pop-up outs so Wiberg should have been out of the inning. Instead, Denis Fonteyne singled off his glove and Wiberg started to unravel by walking three in a row, setting the stage for winning heaver Colin MacKay, who responded by walloping a double and the damage was done. Another Red Deer reinforcement, veteran catcher Ken Ing who emerged from a two-year retirement, smashed an inside-the-park home run to go along with a double. Peace had three hits in five trips for the winners and MacKay, who tossed a nine-hitter, aided his cause no end with three RBI’s.
Wiberg (L), Berlando (6) and Ing
MacKay (W) and Waddle
(July 27) With several of their reserves in the line-up, the North Edmonton Rockets pulled out a 4 to 3 squeaker over the Beverly Drakes. Seldom-used chucker LaVerne Holmes limited the last-place Drakes to just four hits but the six bases-on-balls he issued helped add up to the three tallies garnered by the vanquished nine. Meanwhile, veteran Vern Callihan yielded nine safeties and fanned twelve in taking the loss. He got off to a rough start in the opening frame when he walked a pair and yielded singles to Nick Baiton and Pat Gibson which accounted for three runs. After that, he settled down and kept the Northsiders off the scoreboard until the seventh when Baiton picked up his second hit, an RBI single, that plated Brian Peace with the ultimate winning tally. Catcher Ed Tanner’s bases-loaded one-bagger in the third drove in a pair of runs for the Beverly baseballers while Fred Hodgson lined a shot to the middle pasture in the sixth to produce their third marker.
Callihan (L) and Tanner
Holmes (W) and Rhinehart
(July 30) The invading Red Deer Dodgers upset the City Police Athletics 5 to 3 at Renfrew Park to move a half-game ahead of the North Edmonton Rockets in their quest for third place in the Big Seven loop. Winning pitcher Pete Malowany and reliever Jim Berlando hooked up to hold the league-leaders to just one hit, a single by losing chucker Ed Williams. Newcomer Malowany tossed the first 6-2/3 frames and surrendered the lone safety. Red Deer collected 11 base raps as Art Lariviere delivered three singles while teammates John Zahara and Ron Emmerling contributed a brace of bingles each with Zahara’s blows, which included a double, driving in a pair of counters.
Malowany (W), Berlando (7) and Emmerling
Williams (L) and Anderson
(July 31) Rebounding from a setback at the hands of the Dodgers the previous evening, the City Police Athletics travelled to Red Deer and swept both ends of a doubleheader, by scores of 7 to 3 and 6 to 5, from their tormentors of 24 hours previous. The twin triumphs virtually clinched first place the Law Enforcers. A three-run, fifth-inning for the Cop Squad broke a 2 – 2 tie in the matinée tussle and sent the Gendarmes on to victory. Dale Barrow throttled the Dodgers on five hits in going the distance for the win. Third baseman Don Bailey and Barrow topped the offensive output for the victors, each pounding a double and single with two RBI’s. Outfielder Bo Johnson helped out with a solo four-ply clout.
Barrow (W) and Anderson
Berlando (L), Martin (5) and Emmerling
The Flatfoot nine took a 3 to 1 lead in the fourth inning of the sunset skirmish and never looked back, collecting 14 hits to ten for their hosts. Stan Kulka, who normally splits his playing time behind the plate and at the initial sack, got his first taste of mound action for the Police and endured to the end for the win. Shortstop Jerry Moffat backed him up offensively with four safeties while Bailey garnered a trio of safe swats to bring his total of hits in the twin-bill to five. Jim Berlando doubled and singled for Red Deer while losing tosser Ron Mathers cracked a pair of singles.
Kulka (W) and Anderson
Mathers (L) and Lariviere
(July 31) The North Edmonton Rockets vaulted into third-spot in the Big Seven League standings by doubling the St. Josaphat’s Saints 8 to 4 at Renfrew Park. A four-run outburst in the third panel set the Northsiders on the road to victory. Both teams hit the ball hard with the Rockets collecting 11 safeties to ten for the Saints. Flychaser Fedechko ripped three singles for the victors while winning slabster Ron Babiuk delivered a solo four-bagger and a single. Keystone sacker Lyle Kortzman headed the Churchmen offensively with a double, single and two RBI’s.
Babiuk (W) and Waddle
Chahley (L), Salahub (3), Dosen (4) and Zapisocki
(July 31) Over at Fort Saskatchewan, the Beverly Drakes broke a 12-game losing streak by hammering the hometown Red Sox 16 to 4. The Drakes pummelled a trio of Red Sox twirlers for 16 base knocks in their best performance of the season. Hal Forss stopped the Forts on eight hits with eight strikeouts in going the route. Beverly never trailed after taking a 1 – 0 lead in the third inning. First baseman Vern Callihan had three singles and four RBI’s for the Drakes while outfielder Don Stewart and Forss both slugged a home run and single, good for three RBI’s each. Bill Lupul doubled and singled the Scarlet Stockings. The Fort Saskatchewan management immediately lodged a protest with the league moguls claiming that Bill Olson, in the line-up for the Drakes, was an ineligible player.
Forss (W) and Weremy
Yeske (L), Belter (7), Cartwright (8) and Williamson
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
City Police Athletics 13 3 .813 ----
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 7 5 .583 4.0
North Edmonton Rockets 8 6 .571 4.0
Red Deer Dodgers 7 7 .500 5.0
St Josaphat’s Saints 5 9 .357 7.0
Beverly Drakes 2 12 .143 10.0
* a Beverly win/Fort Saskatchewan loss under review as per protest
(August 1) The powerful Drain, Oregon, Black Sox, the National Baseball Congress semi-pro baseball champions in 1958 and the runners-up for the title in 1959, humbled the Big Seven League All-Stars 15 to 0 and 8 to 7 in the first two games of a three-set exhibition series with the Albertans.
Clark (W) and Bach, Haroldson
Kostenuk (L), Tookey (2), Williams (4), Belter (8) and Kulka
Withers (W), Lane (6) and Bach
Yeske (L), Callihan (6) and Tanner
(August 2) The touring Drain Black Sox once again put the boots to the Big Seven League All-Stars, hammering the Selects 12 to 1 to sweep the three-game series.
Criner (W) and Haroldson
Belter (L), Kostenuk (1) and Kulka, Tanner
(August 3) An 11 to 6 defeat at the hands of the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox dealt St. Josaphat’s a crippling blow to their hopes for a playoff berth, dropping the Saints 2-1/2 games behind the fourth-place Red Deer Dodgers. St. Joe’s used three chuckers and the Red Sox two as the plate seemed to be moving all night for the heavers since, collectively, they issued 26 walks and hit two batters. The Saints started out as if they meant business, jumping away to a 4 to 1 lead after two innings but Jack Patterson ascended the bump to bail out starter Steve Kashuba and held the Churchmen in check the rest of the way. Bob Stewart picked up a brace of bingles for the Forts, driving in three runs. Ed Gauf, the circuit’s leading hitter with a gaudy .545 average, also had a pair of hits to go along with three bases-on-balls plus another free pass to first after being plunked by a pitch. Arnold Bailey was the Saints’ top offensive weapon, driving in a pair of runs with a double and three singles.
Kashuba, Patterson (W) (3) and xxx
Zacharuk (L), Salahub, Paulin and xxx
(August 5) The Big Seven League moguls upheld a Fort Saskatchewan protest of July 31 and ordered that the game in which the Beverly Drakes had prevailed 16 to 4, be replayed. The odd thing is that the ineligible player, Bill Olson, may still be able to close out the season with the short-staffed Beverly squad an an emergency replacement.
(August 6) The pace-setting City Police Athletics rode the wave of Dale Barrow’s five-hit pitching at Renfrew Park to drop the Edmonton Rockets 6 to 2. A publicized duel between no-hit pitchers Dave Kostenuk and Ron Tookey failed to materialize because of an injury to Tookey so the Cop Squad management decided to pitch Barrow and use Kostenuk in the outfield. The move worked to perfection as Kostenuk laid into an offering from losing chucker Colin MacKay and sent the horsehide flying far over the left-field fence for a third-inning grand-slam home run. The Rockets never recovered from that blow as Barrow kept them well in check. He also helped his own cause from the batter’s box by delivering two singles, the last of which drove in the fifth and sixth runs for the Gendarmes.
Barrow (W) and Anderson
MacKay (L) and Waddle
(August 7) The hosting Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox maintained their slim chance of overhauling the City Police Athletics for top spot in the Big Seven loop when they knocked over the league-leaders 10 to 6 to move to within 2-1/2 lengths of the Cop Squad. A five-run opening canto for the Sox against losing flinger Stan Kulka set the tone for the game. Winning tosser Del Cartwright yielded five safeties and whiffed nine before departing after eight chapters. His biggest issue was in finding the plate as he dished out a dozen free passes. The Forts accumulated 14 base blows, including a trio of taters, on the way to their triumph. Bill Lupul of the Crimson Hose drove in three counters while hitting safely four times, a total of swats that included a home run and a triple. Teammate Bob Solinger also belted a round-tripper and three-bagger as part of a three-hit output. First sacker Jim Ryan got in on the homer frenzy as well, slamming a dinger to go along with a single.
Kulka (L), Smith (6) and Anderson
Cartwright (W), Yeske (9) and Williamson
(August 7) The North Edmonton Rockets salvaged a weekend split of their games by bouncing back to trim the hometown Red Deer Dodgers 4 to 1 in a game that saw Red Deer manager Arnie Enger call upon five pinch-hitters in a vain attempt to avert defeat. After plating a trey in the second spasm, the Northsiders maintained that margin throughout as LaVerne Holmes pitched a steady game, effectively scattering seven hits while breezing five. Stroking two hits for the winners were Brian Peace and Gary Naylor while losing chucker Dale Eikerman replicated the output for the Dodgers.
Holmes (W) and Waddle
Eikerman (L) and Lariviere
(August 7) The long-suffering Beverly Drakes ended their extended losing streak for a second time, blanking fifth-place St. Josaphat’s 3 to 0 behind the superb one-hit pitching of Larry Noble. The Drakes, with the now-eligible Bill Olson in the line-up, played errorless afield. There was no tension about whether this would be a no-hitter for Noble since the second batter to face him in the game, Bob Van Loo, lined a clean hit to centre-field. However, his presence on the base paths was short-lived as Beverly catcher Ed Tanner gunned him down trying to steal second. Losing hurler, Roland Paulin, pitched well, surrendering just four hits while only of the runs against him was earned. Flychaser Olson had two of the four hits garnered by the Drakes.
Paulin (L) and Johansen
Noble (W) and Tanner
(August 10) Ed “Lefty” Belter and his Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox clinched a Big Seven League playoff berth with a resounding 9 to 2 triumph over the North Edmonton Rockets at Renfrew Park. Jack Patterson coasted to the pitching win, holding the Rockets to seven safeties. After a six-run uprising by the Red Sox that chased starter Bill Wiese of the Northsiders in the sixth for a commanding 7 – 0 lead, the only doubt about the issue was whether or not Patterson would run out of whitewash. The Rockets averted a shutout in the seventh when Wally Waddle connected for a tainted three-bagger and scored on a wild pitch. They added another tally in the ninth but it was only a case of prolonging the agony. Bob Solinger and Bill Lupul continued their hot hitting of late for the Red Sox and were joined by catcher Don Williamson in garnering three hits apiece.
Patterson (W) and Williamson
Wiese (L), MacKay (5) and Waddle
(August 11) The Red Deer Dodgers took another big stride toward clinching a Big Seven playoff spot with a come-from-behind 7 to 5 victory over the Beverly Drakes in ten innings. The Dodgers, having escaped a Beverly threat in the bottom-of-the-ninth on an outstanding defensive catch by centre-fielder Rod Fonteyne, made the most of their reprieve. With the score tied at 4 – 4, Ron Emmerling drew a walk to open the top-of-the overtime session, was sacrificed to second by playing-manager Arnie Enger and plated the tie-breaker on a line single by Art Lariviere. Two add-on markers followed, the first on a single up the middle by Jim Berlando and, the second, on a bloop one-bagger off the bat of Jim Ostrowerka. The Drakes fell well short in their half of the panel, though they replied with a single tally on John Prusak’s triple and an infield out. Berlando earned the complete-game pitching win while Vern Callihan was stung with the loss. Bill Service led the victors at the platter with three base knocks, including a double. The Drakes’ Prusak had a single in addition to his three-bagger.
Berlando (W) and Lariviere
Callihan (L), Olson (10) and Tanner
(August 12) The Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox reversed a previous protested loss to Beverly on July 31 by doubling the Drakes 6 to 3 in a game abbreviated to 5-1/2 innings by darkness. The win moved the Sox to within a game-and-a-half of the front-running City Police Athletics. Winning pitcher Steve Kashuba limited the Drakes to four hits, two off the bat of Ed Tanner, in the shortened tussle. Ken Taylor socked a bases-empty dinger for the winners, his second four-bagger of the season. Clubmate Bob Solinger delivered a triple and a single.
Forss (L) and Weremy
Kashuba (W) and Williamson
Standings W L Pct. GBL
City Police Athletics 14 4 .778 ----
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 11 4 .733 1.5
North Edmonton Rockets 9 8 .520 4.5
Red Deer Dodgers 8 8 .500 5.0
St Josaphat’s Saints 5 11 .313 8.0
Beverly Drakes 2 14 .125 11.0
(August 13) Continuing their hot pace of late, the homestanding Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox doubled the North Edmonton Rockets 12 to 6. The fired-up Sox jumped out in front 8 to 0 after three innings of play and were in control all the way, although the Northsiders did mount a brief challenge with three-spots in the fourth and fifth frames. Max Yeske went all the way on the bump for the Forts to cop the win. The Crimson Hose showed a balanced attack with every player in the line-up, except one, sharing in the 13-hit offense. Leadoff hitter Bob Stewart led the way with a triple, a double and three RBI’s. Steve Kashuba followed with a double, one-bagger and a pair of RBI’s. Supplying the hitting punch for the vanquished nine were outfielder Fedechko and Gary Naylor who stroked three singles each.
Babiuk (L), Holmes (4) and Waddle
Yeske (W) and Williamson
(August 13) Bespectacled Pete Malowany won his second straight for the Red Deer Dodgers as St. Josaphat’s were drubbed 16 to 3 at Renfrew Park. Malowany rang up a dozen punchouts and gave up only two hits in the route-going performance. As in his previous outing, he had some control issues and was far too generous with free passes, issuing eight. The Dodgers manhandled a quartet of St. Joe’s chuckers for 18 base knocks, four of which were accumulated by playing-manager Arnie Enger. Red Deer catcher Art Lariviere connected for three safeties, driving in four counters, and teammate Bill Service had three RBI’s with a triple and single.
Malowany (W) and Lariviere
Chahley (L), Rechlo (5), Dosen (8), Bailey (9) and Zapisocki
(August 14) A 3 to 2 squeaker over the St. Josaphat’s Saints lifted the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox into a share of top spot in the Big Seven circuit. Outhit by an 8 to 5 margin, the Forts withstood a top-of-the-ninth tying run and came back to score the winning counter in the bottom-half of the frame when Bob Solinger came through with a clutch bases-loaded blow to break up the struggle in walkoff fashion. Skipper Ed “Lefty” Belter whiffed seven while enduring on the knoll to lead his charges to victory. Hard-luck loser Roland Paulin also went the distance, fanning eight. Shortpatcher Jim Cattoni of the Saints was the only player in the game to collect multiple hits, punching out a double and single.
Paulin (L) and Johansen, Zapisock (9)
Belter (W) and Williamson
(August 14) An 8 to 7 loss in 11 innings to the North Edmonton Rockets dropped the slumping City Police Athletics a few percentage points behind the streaking Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox as the battle for the Big Seven League pennant heated up. The Flatfoot Force, sitting pretty with a comfortable 6 to 2 lead after seven innings, inserted some of their bench players into the lineup at this point but were unable to maintain the cushion when the Northsiders got to Dave Kostenuk for a five-spot in the eighth episode. The Law Enforcers got back the equalizer in their half of the frame and looked to have the Rockets on the hook in the ninth when they loaded the sacks with none out. However, LaVerne Holmes who came to the rescue of starter Bill Wiese in the eighth, shut the door with a strikeout, a pickoff at third base and an infield out. In the second bonus round of action, Holmes squeezed home Pat Gibson from the hot corner sack with the tie-breaking counter and then re-ascended the hill in the last-half of the panel to finish off his 3-2/3 pitching hitch by blanking the Gendarmes for a hitless mound effort. Outfielder Ed Howorko had three of the Rockets’ eight hits, one of which was a double, and stole a pair of bases.
Wiese, Holmes (W) (8) and Waddle
Kostenuk, Williams (L) (8) and Anderson
(August 14) The Red Deer Dodgers moved into third place in the Big Seven League, a half-game in front of the North Edmonton Rockets, by dumping the invading Beverly Drakes 8 to 5. The Dodgers went ahead 3 to 1 in the third inning and then added five more tallies in the sixth to gain control of the game. Both pitchers of record, winning tosser Dave Martin and losing chucker Larry Noble, went the distance and both surrendered eight hits. Gene Kinasewich of the Drakes emerged with the game’s most proficient hitter, tagging the horsehide for three safeties, all singles, while driving in a pair of runs.
Noble (L) and Tanner
Martin (W) and Lariviere
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 13 4 .765 ----
City Police Athletics 14 5 .737 ----
Red Deer Dodgers 10 8 .556 3.5
North Edmonton Rockets 10 9 .526 4.0
St Josaphat’s Saints 5 13 .278 8.5
Beverly Drakes 2 15 .118 11.0
(August 17) The lowly Beverley Drakes pulled a major surprise by cooling off the blazing Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 7 to 2 at Renfrew Park to, at least temporarily, knock the Forts out of first place. The Sox held a 10 to 7 advantage in base hits but couldn’t connect in the clutch when bingles meant bacon, stranding a dozen baserunners. Vern Callihan went the route for the Beverly win, the first victory for the veteran right-hander in six decisions. He was scored upon only in the third inning when Bob Solinger belted a mighty triple to right-centre, George Kjenner drew a walk, Ed Gauf grounded out to score Solinger and Jim Ryan doubled Kjenner home. Gauf’s groundout was the only time he was retired all night. In between, Callihan was nicked for four singles by the circuit’s leading swatter, none of which did any damage. The Drakes bounced losing heaver Del Cartwright from the hillock in the second panel when they went ahead 3 to 0. Norm Gay, with two RBI’s, and Bill Olson each had a couple of hits for the Drakes.
Cartwright (L), Yeske (2) and Stewart
Callihan (W) and Tanner
(August 18) Two teams playing out the string, Beverly and St. Josaphat’s, locked horns at Renfrew Park, with pride on the line as to the cellar-position in the Big Seven loop. The Drakes, doormats for almost the entire season, copped their third win in their last five outings in crushing the Saints 12 to 4 in a rain-abbreviated tilt at Renfrew Park to maintain the possibility of pulling the Churchmen down into the basement with them. Separated by just a game now and with one contest remaining for each club, the Drakes can still move abreast of the St. Joe’s. Bill Olson tossed the entire span of the shortened event for the victors and only one of the four runs garnered off him was of the earned variety. Carrying the big stick for the Beverly side was second baseman Alex Muzychka who belted a couple of doubles and a triple for five RBI’s. Ed Tanner had a couple of blows in the winners’ 10-hit attack while Arnold Bailey singled twice for the vanquished nine.
Salahub (L), Paulin (4) and Johansen
Olson (W) and Tanner
(August 20) A 6 to 1 triumph at Red Deer elevated the visiting Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox back into a share of first place in the Big Seven loop. Bases-on-balls killed the Dodgers in this fracas, The Red Sox, picking up only four hits, benefited from the 12 walks and a hit batsman that losing tosser Merv Verreau gifted them with. Max Yeske captured his sixth win against no losses in going the route on a six-hitter. The hosts plated their lone counter in the first frame while the Forts scored deuces in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh panels. Bob Solinger had two of the four safeties garnered by the victors while Rod Fonteyne stroked a brace of bingles for the losers.
Yeske (W) and Williamson
Verreau (L) and Lariviere
(August 21) With an 8 to 5 win in the second-game of their home-and-home weekend series against the Red Deer Dodgers, the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox assured themselves of no worse than a tie for top spot in the Big Seven circuit. Playing at the Fort, Ed “Lefty” Belter came to the aid of Sox’ starter Jack Patterson after the Dodgers had gone ahead 3 to 0 in the third inning. The veteran portsider limited the Red Deer club to just a pair of singletons the rest of the way, both coming after the Forts had built up a lead. George Stickle doubled and singled for the winners while Jim Ostrowerka collected three singles for the Dodgers in a losing cause.
Malowany, Martin (L) (4), Berlando (7) and Emmerling
Patterson, Belter (W) (3) and Williamson
(August 21) The North Edmonton Rockets clinched third place in the Big Seven Baseball League with a 6 to 4 conquest of St. Josaphat’s in the rapidly-played lid-lifter of a double-dip at Renfrew Park. In the seven-inning affair, Ron Babiuk came through with the mound triumph on a four-hitter with six punchouts. The Saints’ Arnold Bailey gave him fits, however, driving in all four of his club’s runs with a single and a bases-loaded double. But, in the sixth, Babiuk rose to the occasion and enticed Bailey to fly out in a bases-loaded, two-out situation. Herb Sewers, Denis Fonteyne and catcher Wally Waddle each stroked two singles for the victors off the slants of losing flinger John Dosen.
Dosen (L) and Johansen
Babiuk (W) and Waddle
(August 21) The City Police Athletics, leaders for most of the schedule, missed an opportunity to salvage at least a tie for the top rung in the Big Seven League when the fast-closing Beverly Drakes pounced on them for a 3 to 1 victory in the second-half of a Renfrew Park double-bill. This final game of the regular season, ironically, brought about the only blot on Dave Kostenuk’s pitching record in the circuit. Going into this finale, Kostenuk owned a 7 – 0 record and, in this tilt, he pitched well enough for a win, holding the Drakes to five hits. He was scored upon only in the second frame and two of the three runs against him were unearned. Veteran tosser Vern Callihan came up with a superb performance on the knoll as the Drakes closed out the season with a fourth victory in their last six starts to tie St. Josaphat’s for fifth place. Callihan matched Kostenuk’s five-hit pitching effort and was also the victim of an unearned counter, the lone tally plated by the Cop Squad. Ken Miller of the Beverly balltossers and the Flatfoot Force’s Stan Kulka both clipped the horsehide foe a pair of singles.
Kostenuk (L) and Anderson
Callihan (W) and Tanner
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 15 5 .750 ----
City Police Athletics 14 6 .700 1.0
North Edmonton Rockets 11 9 .550 4.0
Red Deer Dodgers 10 10 .500 5.0
St Josaphat’s Saints 5 15 .250 10.0
Beverly Drakes 5 15 .250 10.0
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS North Edmonton Rockets vs Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox & Red Deer Dodgers vs City Police Athletics (best-of-three series)
(August 24) The light-hitting North Edmonton Rockets, utilizing their speed and bunting skills, squeezed across three runs in the last two frames for a come-from-behind 5 to 4 victory over the pennant-winning Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox in the opener of a best-of-three semi-final at Renfrew Park. The Red Sox jumped quickly in front with deuces in both the first and second innings but winning pitcher Colin MacKay slammed the door in their faces thereafter. Meanwhile, the Rockets pecked away with a pair of tallies in the sixth and tied it up in the eighth when, not only did Herb Sewers score from third base on Wally Waddle’s bunt, but Ed Howorko also sped home before first baseman Ed Gauf of the Forts wised up to what was happening. The Scarlet Stockings failed to get anything going in the top-of-the-ninth and, when the bottom-half rolled around, leadoff batter Nick Baiton of the Northsiders lived to survive twice after reaching first on a ground-ball error and then escaping a dead-on-arrival pickoff in the subsequent hot-box that was messed up by the visitors. After a walk, a strikeout and a hit batter which loaded the bases, Baiton was off-and-running for home as losing chucker Max Yeske began his wind-up and shortstop Pat Gibson dumped a well-placed bunt to the right of the mound which easily plated Baiton with the walkoff winner. The loss for Yeske, who held the winners to six hits, was his first of the season after annexing six wins during the regular season. MacKay was touched for eight hits in out-dueling Yeske for the win. Outfielder Howorko singled his first three times at bat for the Rockets and stole three bases. For the Forts, Bob Solinger and George Kjenner both lit up MacKay for a triple and single.
Yeske (L) and Williamson, Demeriez
MacKay (W) and Waddle
(August 27) The City Police Athletics overcame a 4 – 0 deficit with a six-run uprising in the seventh spasm and went on to defeat the hosting Red Deer Dodgers 8 to 4 to grab the opening game of their semi-final series. Red Deer chucker Jim Berlando had the situation well in hand until his control suddenly deserted him in the sixth. After four walks sandwiched around an error forced in two Police runs, Pete Malowany was rushed in from the bullpen but pushed in a third counter with another base-on-balls. Stan Kulka then unloaded a double to clear the bases and the Dodgers never recovered from that blow. Dave Kostenuk struck out five and surrendered six hits in hurling the complete-game win. None of the Dodger runs plated against him were earned. Catcher Art Lariviere of the vanquished nine was the lone batter in the game to come up with plural hit totals as he stroked a double and single, driving in a pair of runs.
Kostenuk (W) and Anderson
Berlando (L), Malowany (7) and Lariviere
(August 28) The North Edmonton Rockets advanced to the Big Seven Baseball League finals after dividing the spoils of a doubleheader with the pennant-winning Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox. Playing in their own ball yard, the Forts squared the series in the opener by resoundingly thumping the Northsiders 10 to 1 behind playing-manager “Lefty” Belter’s four-hit pitching. The Rockets then had to go an extra inning in the rubber match to dispose of the Red Sox 11 to 9. Fort Saskatchewan outfielder George Kjenner shared the hero’s mantle with Belter in the matinée tussle, driving in six runs with two doubles and a single off the slants of losing flinger LaVerne Holmes.
Holmes (L) and Waddle
Belter (W) and Demeriez
In the finale, loose defensive work coupled with the squeeze play, proved to be the demise of the Red Sox. Heading into the tenth inning of the sudden-death match deadlocked at 9 – 9, rubber-armed veteran Belter decided to ascend the bump as a second reliever for the Sox, but his bid to sweep the twin-bill fell prey to a pair of unearned runs. Ed Hauca gained a life on an infield error and Pat Gibson bunted him along, both surviving on a second miscue which left them at third and second. A ground out by Brian Peace scored Hauca with the tie-breaker and then Gary Naylor squeezed home an insurance tally. Colin MacKay, who hurled the win in the first game of the series, also gained credit for the victory in the final one as he bailed out starter Ron Babiuk who developed a wild streak in the second stanza. Another hero for the Rockets was catcher Wally Waddle who had three base knocks including a 400-foot, bases-empty home run in the top-of-the-ninth panel.
Babiuk, MacKay (W) (2) and Waddle
Kashuba, Yeske (1), Belter (L) (10) and Demeriez
(August 28) The City Police Athletics reserved their spot in the Big Seven League finals by drubbing the Red Deer Dodgers 7 to 1 at Renfrew Park to sweep their semi-final series in two games straight. Ed Williams tossed a three-hitter with five strikeouts to take the mound victory. The issue was never in doubt after a five-run outburst in the opening canto off losing heaver Jim Berlando who was unsuccessful in a second mound start in less than 24 hours. Stan Kulka and Dave Hassen had a pair of safeties each for the Flatfoot Force with Kulka’s blows driving in a brace of counters.
Berlando (L), Martin (3) and Lariviere
Williams (W) and Anderson
FINALS North Edmonton Rockets vs City Police Athletics (best-of-three series)
(August 30) Well behind by a score of 13 - 2 as they came to bat in the bottom-of-the-eighth inning, the City Police Athletics began a miraculous late comeback that resulted in a 15 to 14 victory over the North Edmonton Rockets in a wild and contentious opening game of the Big Seven Baseball League finals. Sloppy fielding performances by both combatants mired the event as each squad committed nine errors. Bill Wiese of the Northsiders, who had a 1 – 4 record during the regular season, was rolling along in fine style until the last-of-the-eighth. He had a two-hitter going and one of the two runs scored against him was unearned. Then, the roof caved in on him and his mates as the Cop Squad launched a ten-run rally that even no-hit pitcher, Ron Tookey, was able to stem in a relief role. The Rockets picked up a run in their half of the ninth to pad their lead to 14 – 12 but it wasn’t enough. Tookey failed to retire even one batter in the Police ninth. Second baseman Herb Sewers threw away Ken Anderson’s grounder and Ed Williams beat out an infield hit down the third base line. Bo Johnson, who had entered the game as an eighth-inning pinch-runner, belted a two-strike triple to right-field to tie the score and LaVerne Holmes was summoned to the hill for Tookey. After Jerry Moffat whiffed, Jack Huff was issued an intentional walk and promptly stole second to wipe out a potential force. The count to Dale Barrow ran to three-and-one when he lined a shot over the heads of the drawn-in outfielders to break up the tilt. Dave Kostenuk persevered through an early thrashing and the accompanying catcalls from the North Edmonton dugout to post the complete-game win. Raked for 13 base knocks by the Rockets, Kostenuk was the victim of nine unearned runs. The top three hitters in the scuffle all came from the losing side. Brian Peace, Sewers and Gary Naylor each stung the sphere for a triad of safeties with a triple included in Sewers’ total and a two-bagger in Peace’s sum of swats. Jack Huff had a home run and single for the Gendarmes.
Wiese, Tookey (L) (8), Holmes (9) and Waddle
Kostenuk (W) and Anderson
(September 1) Behind Colin MacKay’s steady eight-hit pitching, the North Edmonton Rockets knocked off the City Police Athletics 9 to 4 at Renfrew Park to push the Big Seven League finals to a sudden-death showdown. Rarely did the Law Enforcers threaten to pull this one out as they had in the opener, with Moose Jaw pitching-product MacKay in control all the way. The chunky right-hander helped his own cause with the lumber by driving in a pair of tallies on an infield out and a two-base hit. Losing flinger Ed Williams matched MacKay’s eight-hit pitching performance. The Rockets took control of the game by scoring four times in the third inning. Dave Kostenuk was best with the baton for the Flatfoot Force, clipping the orb for a double and single.
Williams (L) and Anderson
MacKay (W) and Waddle
(September 2) The North Edmonton Rockets won the Big Seven Baseball League crown at Renfrew Park by doubling the City Police Athletics, the club that had set the pace for most of the campaign, 6 to 3 to capture the final series two-games-to-one. As in the series’ opener, the Rockets were on the ropes in the late going but, this time, they wouldn’t go down and the late threat posed by the Cop Squad died as Ed Williams took a called third strike with the bases loaded. Vastly improved LaVerne Holmes was the Northsiders’ starting choice on the hillock and went along brilliantly until he suddenly tired in the eighth episode. Ron Babiuk came on with the sacks full, two runs in and one out. He bailed out Holmes when Don Clark’s ground ball hit a base runner and then fanned Bo Johnson on four pitches. Babiuk wasn’t out of the woods yet, even though his club had staked him to two more runs in the top-of-the-ninth. Jack Huff opened the Police half with a triple to the fence in left-centre and Dave Kostenuk followed with a line single to the middle garden. After a pair of outs, Dale Barrow kept the rally alive by drawing a base-on-balls and Zane Kotyk singled to load them up. Babiuk, on a two-and-two count, zipped one that caught the inside corner as Williams watched in vain and the series was over. The Law Enforcers pulled a surprise by calling on Barrow to do the pitching instead of their ace slab artist Kostenuk and, an early streak of wildness cost him a first-inning run. Then, in the sixth, Gary Naylor tripled home Herb Sewers to make it 2 – 0. The Rockets added a deuce in the eight to go up 4 – 0 before the Flatfoot Force began their patented late-inning surge. They had their chances, outhitting North Edmonton by an 11 to 9 margin, but left 14 runners stranded. Brian Peace had two safeties and a pair of RBI’s for the winners while Kostenuk clubbed three hits and drove in a tally for the Cop Squad.
Holmes (W), Babiuk (8) and Waddle
Barrow (L) and Anderson, Kulka
ALBERTA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION SENIOR SEMI-FINALS Cold Lake Cardinals vs North Edmonton Rockets (best-of-three series)
(September 4) Thanks to a four-run uprising in the first inning which proved enough to see them through, the invading Cold Lake Cardinals drew first blood in the provincial semi-finals against the North Edmonton Rockets at Renfrew Park. The Cardinals headed home for the balance of the series with a virtual stranglehold after their 6 to 3 victory. Surprise starter for the Rockets, Bill Wiese, failed to get a batter out and all four early counters were charged to him. Ron Babiuk took over and recorded the 27 outs necessary to complete the game as his mates chewed away with two in the third and one in the fifth against Cold Lake pitcher Ron Gates to draw back within range but the Cards pulled away again with a pair in the top of the eighth. Gates tossed a three-hitter while punching out 14 but had difficulty in consistently locating the strike zone as he gave up nine free passes and hit two batters. He came through in the clutch, however, as the Rockets left 11 baserunners stranded. The Redbirds’ cleanup hitter, shortstop Pete Serbu, was the big man with the stick, garnering three base raps, including a double, while driving in a pair of runs.
Gates (W) and Murphy
Wiese (L), Babiuk (1) and Waddle
(September 5) The Big Seven Baseball League playoff champion North Edmonton Rockets swept both games of a twin-bill at Cold Lake by scores of 7 to 1 and 7 to 5 to annex the best-of-three Alberta senior semi-finals two games to one. Colin MacKay pitched a sterling three-hitter in the curtain-raiser to cop the verdict over Oscar Tesch.
MacKay (W) and Waddle
Tesch (L) and Murphy
The picture was scarcely the brightest for the Rockets in the series finale when the Cardinals forged ahead 5 to 2 as late as the bottom-of-the-seventh. In the top-of-the-eighth, however, the Northsiders pushed across three tallies to tie it up at 5 – 5. After two runs were in, Brian Peace doubled and continued on to third on an outfield error. Then, Ed Hauca laid down a squeeze bunt which caught the Lakers napping and all hands were safe as Peace spiked the pan with the equalizer. North Edmonton scored the winner and insurance marker in the ninth and Ron Tookey shut the door of the Redbirds in their final turn at bat. Pete Serbu went the route for the Cards as their ace slabster Ron Gates was unavailable because of a sore arm.
Tookey (W) and Waddle
Serbu (L) and Murphy
PROVINCIAL SENIOR FINALS North Edmonton Rockets vs Grande Prairie Athletics (best-of-three series)
WHEATBELT BASEBALL LEAGUE
(September 11) Ed Davis limited invading North Edmonton to five hits in pitching the Wheatbelt Baseball League champion Grande Prairie Athletics to a 5 to 2 conquest of the Big Seven League’s Rockets as the Alberta senior baseball finals got underway. Losing chucker Colin MacKay and reliever LaVerne Holmes of the Northsiders were combed for eight hits by the A’s. The Stokke brothers, Dale and Ray, each belted a home run for the hosts.
(September 12) John Doucette, former pitching star for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Baseball League during the mid-fifties, hurled the Grande Prairie Athletics to a 10 to 4 victory over the North Edmonton Rockets, enabling the A’s to capture the 1960 Alberta senior baseball championship. Doucette permitted only four hits and struck out 12. The North Edmonton tandem of Ron Tookey and LaVerne Holmes were raked for 15 hits by the Grande Prairie nine.
ALBERTA INTERMEDIATE BASEBALL PLAYDOWNS
The Lethbridge Tigers, a leagueless squad of almost exclusively junior-age players, sponsored by D. Macleod & Son, entered the 1960 Alberta Baseball Association playoffs in the intermediate division following completion of their schedule of exhibition games, all played on the road.
Drawn against the defending Alberta intermediate champions, the Brooks Buffaloes in the southern semi-finals, the youthful Tigers playing their home games at Vauxhall, surprised the pundits by sidelining the Buffs in straight games. Then, they faced their biggest challenge on the playoff trail when they went head-to-head in a series against their older and more-experienced city brethren, the Lethbridge Niseis, champions of the Big Six League. The Niseis also decided to challenge for the provincial intermediate title, leaving the provincial senior championship exclusively open to the strong teams from the northern part of Alberta. Once again, however, the Tiger squad stacked with junior-age players, prevailed and earned a spot in the provincial finals by ousting the Niseis in four games to capture the southern finals. In the north-south finals against the Viking Shamrocks, the Tigers romped over the outclassed northerners in three straight tilts.
SOUTHERN SEMI-FINALS Brooks Buffaloes vs Lethbridge Tigers (best-of-three series)
(July 31) The Lethbridge Tigers, an independent team composed primarily of junior-aged players, jumped into a one-game lead in the southern Alberta Intermediate baseball semi-finals when they walloped the defending champion Brooks Buffaloes in convincing fashion, 17 to 5, in Brooks. Ken Holcombe was the big noise for the Bengals, hurling the complete game mound victory while blasting a pair of four-ply clouts. The hillock defeat was pinned on Jack Delbar. Ken Melvin, Holcombe’s batterymate, slashed out three doubles in five trips while Bob Babki and Andy Skujins each has two bingles.
(August 7) The Lethbridge D. Macleod & Son Tigers struck for three runs in the third inning and went on to defeat the Brooks Buffaloes 4 to 1 in Vauxhall to sweep their best-of-three southern Alberta intermediate semi-final series in two straight games. Roy Shimek outduelled Bill Benny for the mound verdict, fanning nine while yielding six hits. The juniors backed Shimek up with errorless support. The Tigers had ten hits in the contest with Roger Terry, Darwin Walkingshaw, the team’s designated veteran elder statesman, and Harry Blacker all knocking out a double and single.
NORTHERN SEMI-FINALS Lougheed vs Camrose Cubs (best-of-three series)
(August 7) The Camrose Cubs advanced to the Northern Alberta intermediate baseball finals by downing the hosting Lougheed nine 5 to 3 to annex the series in two games straight. The Cubs had earlier beaten Lougheed 5 to 2 in Camrose. Gordie Holt, who relieved starter Keith Schneider in the third inning, gave up only one run in 6-2/3 innings on the knoll and was the winning pitcher. Ray Simpson, the second on three Lougheed chuckers, was nailed with the loss. Al Schwenk continued his his home run hitting for the Cubs, smashing a circuit-clout in the seventh stanza to break a 2 – 2 tie. Schwenk has homered in every playoff game the Cubs have played to date. Camrose now advances to meet the Viking Shamrocks in the Northern Alberta final. The Shamrocks took both ends of a doubleheader in Strome to win their semi-final series.
NORTHERN FINALS Camrose Cubs vs Viking Shamrocks (best-of-three series)
(August 21) For the second straight year, the Viking Shamrocks have won the Northern Alberta Intermediate baseball title. The Shamrocks downed the Camrose Cubs twice by scores of 2 to 1 and 5 to 4 to capture the best-of-three series two games to one. The Cubs had won the first game a week earlier at Viking, 10 to 3. Right-hander Bob McIntyre was the hero of the day for the Shamrocks, getting credit for both pitching wins. In the first game, he gave up five scattered singles while walking two batters and striking out nine. He ascended the hillock in the rubber match in the fifth frame with the Cubs in front 3 – 2 and pitched hitless ball the rest of the way. Terry Lomnes was the route-going heaver for Camrose in the opening tussle. He was nicked for six safeties and fanned 11 in absorbing the setback. Gordy Holt, the second of four Cub tossers, was the loser in the second encounter.
SOUTHERN FINALS Lethbridge Tigers vs Lethbridge Niseis (best-of-five series)
(August 15) The Lethbridge D. Macleod & Son Tigers were the beneficiaries of a strong one-hit pitching performance from Ken Holcombe and bounced the Big Six League champion Lethbridge Niseis 8 to 1 to take a one-game lead in the southern Alberta intermediate baseball finals. Holcombe fanned no less than 21 batters and gave up only a second-inning infield single to Dick Remple. Losing flinger Marv Shankland yielded ten hits to the Tigers, four of the bingles coming off the bat of Murray Mills, with one of them a double. The Niseis drew first blood in the contest with their single counter in the opening inning, Remple led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second, gained third on a passed ball and rode home on a throwing error, the only miscue of the game for the youthful Bengal Bunch. The Tigers tied the score in the top-of-the-second on Mills’ long two-bagger and went ahead for good in the third, scoring one run without benefit of a hit. They salted the contest away with a three-spot in the fifth and a deuce in the sixth then settled back behind Holcombe. The big right-hander walked nine and struck out the side in the first, fourth, sixth and eighth innings. Catcher Ken Melvin and Darwin Walkingshaw both stung the sphere for a triple and single to follow Mills in the hit parade. Both co-stars knocked in a pair of runs.
Holcombe (W) and Melvin
Shankland (L) and Hood
(August 17) The Lethbridge D. Macleod & Son Tigers took advantage of every mistake made by the Lethbridge Niseis in the ninth inning and came up with a 5 to 4 victory over their City Cousins which boosted them into a two-game lead in the best-of-five southern Alberta intermediate series. The Niseis had maintained a 4 to 3 edge after the fifth inning but the youngsters spoiled Ken Heaton’s pitching performance by denting the plate twice in the bottom-of-the-ninth for the walkoff victory. An error and a single put Tiger runners on first and second base in the fatal ninth and, after an infield fly for the first out, everything went wrong for the Big Six champions. The tying run scored on an infield bouncer and the late throw to the plate left two runners aboard and only one out. An infield roller followed which allowed the winning marker to sprint home from third base. The Niseis out-hit their city counterparts 8 – 7 in the contest but also booted the ball three times to twice for the Tigers. First-game winning pitcher Ken Holcombe was the winner again, taking over from starter Murray Mills in the seventh inning and allowing only one hit in the final three frames. Mills led the Bengals at the dish with a double and single while Wes Rice was the big noise with the baton for the losers with three singles.
Heaton (L) and Hood
Mills, Holcombe (W) (7) and Melvin
(August 19) The Lethbridge Niseis came up with five big runs in the third inning, then settled back behind Marv Shankland’s tough four-hit mound chore to earn a convincing 8 to 2 win over the Lethbridge D. Macleod and Son Tigers. Shankland fanned eight and walked only one as Niseis narrowed their deficit in the series to a single game. His mates drilled ten safeties to pin the defeat on Roy Shimek, who went the distance. Bill Hood was the big cog in the offensive attack for the victors with a double, single and three RBI’s. Ken Heaton and Bill Styner both added a brace of one-baggers.
Shimek (L) and Melvin
Shankland (W) and Hood
(August 23) Ken Holcombe threw a four-hitter and put the Lethbridge D. Macleod & Son Tigers into the Alberta intermediate baseball finals as the Bengal Bunch walloped the Lethbridge Niseis 7 to 0 to annex their best-of-five series in four games. Holcombe was the winning tosser in each of the three Tiger victories. In this elimination contest, he rang up nine punchouts, walked six and received fine defensive support from his mates. Marv Shankland pitched a decent game in defeat, spreading eight Tiger hits, fanning six and walking only three. His downfall came in the second inning when the teenage-dominated Tigers struck for four tallies, all of them coming with two out. Roger Terry slammed a bases-clearing triple and came home a moment later on Ken Melvin’s single. Terry had a two-bagger to go along with his three-RBI triple.
Shankland (L) and Hood
Holcombe (W) and Melvin
NORTH-SOUTH FINALS
(August 28) The Lethbridge D. Macleod & Son Tigers took a giant step along the road to the Alberta intermediate baseball championship as they defeated the Viking Shamrocks twice by scores of 14 to 1 and 8 to 4 to take a two-game lead in the best-of-five series.
The Tigers, consisting primarily of players still of junior age, belted two Viking hurlers for 13 hits in the opener to back up Ken Holcombe’s sharp four-hit pitching. Holcombe had the Shamrocks completely in check in the first game as he picked up eight strikeouts. The visitors scored their lone run of the game in the opening canto when Gabe Brissard collected a double and later scored on an error but the 1 – 0 lead didn’t last long. The Tigers came back with the equalizer in the bottom-of-the-frame and then tallied five more times in the second stanza to begin the runaway. A six-run sixth spasm really salted away the contest for the youthful Lethbridge diamondeers as they settled down behind Holcombe. Viking starting pitcher Bob McIntyre, replaced in the second spasm by Bill Scammel, was nicked with the loss. Harry Blacker led the 13-hit Tiger offense, blasting a pair of triples and a double, good enough to drive home four runs. Darwin Walkingshaw poked out three singles while Holcombe and Ev Nowlin had two safeties each. Len Josephison got to Holcombe for two base raps, the only Shamrock swinger to do so,
McIntyre (L), Scammel (2) and Dunbar
Holcombe (W) and Melvin
Roy Shimek gave up four hits in the second game but his mates committed four errors behind him that gave the Shamrocks their four counters. Shimek rang up six punchouts and walked nine to take the hillock verdict over Joe Makar. The Viking hurler held the Tigers to just two runs on seven hits until the seventh inning and went into that frame holding a 3 – 2 lead. However, the Lethbridge squad, top-heavy with teenagers, took advantage of four walks and a hit batsman, knocked out three safeties and scored six times to go in front 8 – 3. During the uprising, Makar was given the hook in favor of McIntyre. Shimek allowed a single counter in the ninth but closed things down and the Tigers had a two-game bulge. Blacker collected his third triple of the day in the seventh, a clout that drove in a brace of tallies. Walkingshaw kept up his hot hitting with three more bingles while Ken Melvin and Andy Skujins both had two.
Makar (L), McIntyre (7) and Dunbar
Shimek (W) and Melvin
(September 4) The Lethbridge Tigers won the Alberta intermediate baseball championship by defeating the homestanding Viking Shamrocks 9 to 4 to cop the title in three straight games. Ken Holcombe struck out 12 Shamrock batters in going the route for the win against Bob McIntyre. The big gun at the plate for the Tigers was Harry Blacker who ripped a three-run homer, a triple and a double. Leadoff hitter Roger Terry singled twice and walked three times. Len Josephison homered with one mate aboard for Viking.
Holcombe (W) and Melvin
McIntyre (L) and Fisher
OILFIELD BASEBALL LEAGUE
TEAMS
Breton Eagles
Calmar Cubs
Conjuring Creek Wizards
Glen Park Aces
Drayton Valley Legionnaires
Genessee Gems
Leduc Oilers
Mulhurst Elks
Thorsby Canucks
Warburg Buffaloes
PLAYOFFS
FINALS Drayton Valley Legionnaires vs Leduc Oilers (best-of-three series)
(August 28) The Drayton Valley Legionnaires annexed the 1960 Oilfield Baseball League crown in Leduc when they clipped the hosting Oilers 9 to 5 in the third and deciding game of their best-of-three series. The Legionnaires grabbed the opening fixture two weeks ago 6 – 2 but the Oilers bounced back to take the second tilt 9 to 1. A large crowd witnessed the visitors pour across five runs in the bottom-of the-eighth inning to beak a 4 – 4 deadlock. Leduc’s one-run tally in the ninth fell far short of the mark. Hockeyist Murray Dea copped the pitching victory, his second of the series, for the Legionnaires. The southpaw slabster relieved starter Redlinger in the fifth with two runners aboard and two retired. He walked Ron Hayter to load the sacks but redeemed himself by whiffing Bill Ferguson, the Oilers’ leading swat artist. Rudy Sheen, Leduc curve-balling right-hander, was charged with the defeat. He was kayoed in the eighth as John Regenwetter was summoned to the bump in an attempt to quell the fire. Gordie Tucker and Ken Machan cuffed three hits each for Drayton Valley with a double included in Machan’s sum of swats. Bill Barron pounded three safeties and Sheen a pair to pace the Oilers’ attack. One of Sheen’s blows was a bases-empty dinger in the fourth frame.
SOUTH PEACE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Donnelly Cubs
Falher
High Prairie Merchants
McLennan Red Wings
Tangent Braves
Valleyview Merchants
PLAYOFFS
FINALS High Prairie Merchants vs Donnelly Cubs (best-of-three series)
(August 15) The hosting Donnelly Cubs captured the opening game of the best-of-three South Peace Baseball League finals by doubling the High Prairie Merchants 8 to 4. Both winning slabster John Doucette of the Cubs and losing tosser Pete Czuy went the distance on the hill in the darkness-shortened, eight-inning affair. The big difference-maker in the game for Donnelly came when Robert Chauvette nailed a bases-loaded triple in the sixth spasm to wipe out a 4 to 2 High Prairie lead.
(August 17) Rebounding from a first-game setback, the High Prairie Merchants tripped the invading Donnelly Cubs 7 to 4 to deadlock the South Peace League finals at a game apiece. Doug Thornton, with seventh-inning relief assistance from Pete Czuy picked up the hurling triumph while the Cubs’ starter, Robert Chauvette, was tagged with the defeat. A two-run homer by Gene Morin in the opening inning got the Merchants on the road to victory. Reg Bentley picked up four hits in five times at bat for High Prairie. Maurice Chauvette belted a fourth-inning round-tripper for Donnelly.
(August 24) The Donnelly Cubs captured the 1960 South Peace Baseball League playoff championship by defeating the High Prairie Merchants 2 to 0 in a highly-contested rubber match. Winning flinger John Doucette and Pete Czuy of the Merchants hooked up in a classic pitcher’s duel in which Doucette allowed just three hits while Czuy was nicked for a mere four safeties in a losing cause.
NORTH PEACE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Berwyn IndiansFairview Outlaws
Grimshaw Kings
Hines Creek Cardinals
Peace River Stampeders
PLAYOFFS
FINALS Fairview Outlaws vs Peace River Stampeders (best-of-seven series)
(August 28) Lyle Tansem and Ron Duda had two RBI’s apiece as the Peace River Stampeders captured the opener of their playoff doubleheader from the Fairview Outlaws 13 to 6. The second game, a 5 to 4 Fairview win, was highlighted by a pair of homers by Lou Bouleau and one by Spud Steinke, both of the Outlaws.
(August 29) A last-inning tally allowed the Peace River Stampeders to escape with a 4 – 4 tie in the third game of the North Peace Baseball League finals. The game was terminated after six innings because of darkness. Jim Kozie and Joe Weremy toiled on the bump for the Stamps while Pat Friedel and Jim Fox shared pitching duties for the Law Breakers.
(September 14) The Peace River Stampeders and Fairview Outlaws divided the spoils in the fourth and fifth games of their best-of-seven final series. The Peace River squad came out on top 7 to 1 in the matinée event behind the pitching of Burt McCluskey while Fairview prevailed 5 to 1 in the sunset encounter, handing Joe Weremy the setback.
(September 18) The Peace River Stampeders won the 1960 North Peace Baseball League championship when they defeated the Fairview Outlaws 6 to 4 and 4 to 3 in a pair of hard-fought games at Twelve-Foot Davis Park. The twin triumphs decided the best-of-seven series 4 games to 2 for the Stamps with one game tied.
Right-hander Burt McCluskey got credit for his third playoff victory in the opener. The Stampeders, in arrears by a 4 to 2 deficit, forged ahead for good in the bottom-of-the-eighth episode when Jim Kozie and Joe Weremy both belted two-run homers. Mel Watchorn had a solo dinger for the Outlaws. Len Friedel was nicked with the loss.
The Stampeders jumped ahead 4 to 0 after four frames in the twilight tussle but had to hold on for the narrow victory as the Outlaws plated a deuce in the seventh and a singleton in the eighth but fell just short as southpaw Joe Weremy came through with some late clutch hurling to preserve the victory. Losing tosser Jimmy Fox held the Stamps well in check after the fourth inning.
BIG SIX BASEBALL LEAGUE
EAST DIVISIONCoaldale Imperials
New Dayton Ramblers
Vauxhall Jets
Warner Warriors
WEST DIVISION
Fort Macleod Chiefs
Granum Warriors
Lethbridge Niseis
Pincher Creek Jays
PLAYOFFS
WEST DIVISION FINALS Pincher Creek Jays vs Lethbridge Niseis (best-of-three series)
(July 14) The Lethbridge Niseis met a hard-hitting crew of Pincher Creek Jays at Henderson Park but the defending Big Six champions hit a little bit harder and came away with a 15 to 7 win as the West Division finals got underway. The winners pounded out 14 base blows to the visitors’ nine as skilled defensive play took a back seat to the offense. Two errors in the fourth inning by the Jays proved to be the turning point of the game and paved the way for the Niseis to score three times. A four-spot in the fifth put the game out of reach for the Pincher Creek club. Al Willis led the Lethbridge attack with two doubles and a single. Rich McDowell tripled and singled for the losers.
Rhodes (L), Allan (6) and Swan
Heaton, Shankland (W) (3), Willis (8) and Hood
(July 17) Pummelled by a 25 to 10 in the first game of the day and second meeting of the series, the Lethbridge Niseis came back with a vengeance in the late encounter to defeat the homestanding Pincher Creek Jays 19 to 4 to cop the West Division Big Six finals two-games-to-one.
Al Kettles survived a wild-and-wooly matinée tussle to earn the win for the home club while Lethbridge starter Ken Heaton was nailed with the loss. The Jays collected 21 hits with John Law and Vic Anderson accounting for four apiece. Rich McDowell cuffed three safeties while Dennis Cleland smashed a grand-slam four-bagger. Dick Remple stroked a quartet of bingles for the vanquished nine while Bill Hood launched a three-run tater.
Heaton (L), Willis (5) and Hood
Allan, Kettles (W) (2) and Haywood
Marv Shankland was the winning pitcher in the rubber game, He went all the way, allowing 11 hits, striking out six and walking none. The winners plated eleven tallies in their final turn at bat. Dick Remple of the Niseis had four more hits, a triple and three singles, to bring his total of base raps for the afternoon to eight. Bill Hood picked up his second three-run homer of the day in this tilt while Al Willis and Shankland connected for two-run circuit-blasts. Dennis Cleland ripped three doubles for the Jays and Howard Gwyn a triad of one-baggers.
Shankland (W) and Hood
Anderson (L), Allan (4), Rhodes (9) and Haywood
EAST DIVISION FINALS Vauxhall Jets vs Warner Warriors (best-of-three series)
(July 17) The Warner Warriors opened the Big Six Eastern Division finals by topping the Vauxhall Jets 10 to 6. Norm Tolley was the winning heaver, surrendering eight hits while punching out four. Gary Oswald belted a grand-slam homer for the victors off losing chucker Anderson. Ed Berringer also had a round-tripper, a three-run shot, while Lee Minion stroked three singles.
(July 24) A 9 to 6 conquest of the hosting Vauxhall Jets lifted the Warner Warriors to the East Division title and a date with the West Division winners, the Lethbridge Niseis, for the Big Six championship. Norm Tolley grabbed the pitching win over Vauxhall’s Neil Anderson. Lee Minion paced the victors offensively with three safeties in five trips. Bob Holt crashed a home run for the losing Jets.
BIG SIX FINALS Warner Warriors vs Lethbridge Niseis (best-of-three series)
(July 31) The Lethbridge Niseis battled hard to take a pair of close extra-inning decisions from the Warner Warriors at Henderson Stadium and capture the Big Six title in two straight games. The Niseis edged the Warriors 7 to 6 in the curtain-raiser, a heavy-hitting affair that lasted ten innings and, then, scratched away at an early deficit in the finale to come out on top again, 4 to 3, in another tussle that required an extra inning of play.
Tied 6 – 6 as they entered the overtime session of the matinée struggle, Warner took a one-run lead in the top-half of the inning only to surrender a brace of tallies to the Niseis in the bottom-half of the frame. A sacrifice fly plated the Warriors’ Steve Mitchell, who had tripled in the bonus round, put the pressure on the Lethbridge nine to produce or pack it in. Respond they did, however, as Wes Rice scored the equalizer on a force out after he had reached base on a single. Then, with two out and the sacks full, Jim Giachetta singled home Al Willis with the walkoff winner. Marv Shankland went the distance to record the win for the Niseis, fanning seven and walking only two. He was touched for 13 hits over the ten-inning route. Reliever Gary Oswald, who took over from Norm Tolley in the fifth, was tagged with the loss. The Niseis banged out 17 base blows with Giachetta, Dick Remple and Rice all slashing out three safeties with one of Remple’s blows being a four-master clout. Mitchell had a second triple in addition to the one that almost won the game for the Warner nine.
Tolley, Gary Oswald (L) (5) and Minion
Shankland (W) and Hood
The Niseis had an 11 to 7 edge in base raps in their come-from-behind second-game triumph. The Warriors chased three runners across the pan in the opening panel while the Lethbridge squad chipped away with singletons in the first, sixth and eighth episodes to even things at 3 - 3. In the fateful tenth chapter, losing heaver Eldon Ostby uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded which allowed “Tricky” Oikawa to scamper home from the hot corner station with the overtime winner. Both Ostby and winning chucker Ken Heaton went the full ten innings on the knoll. Oikawa hammered out four safeties and Bill Hood three to lead the Big Six champions at the plate.
Ostby (L) and Minion
Heaton (W) and Hood
SASKALTA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Burstall BravesFox Valley Lions
Hilda Cubs
Maple Creek Mohawks
Medicine Hat Elks
Medicine Hat Superiors
Richmound Rockets
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (sudden-death)
(September 11) The Medicine Hat Superiors and Richmound Rockets earned the right to meet in a sudden-death final to decide the championship of the SaskAlta Baseball League. The Superiors qualified by upsetting the pennant-winning Fox Valley Lions 9 to 6 in the opener of a twin-bill at Fox Valley while the Rockets took the second game of the semi-finals by squeezing out a 5 to 4 victory over the Burstall Braves.
Medicine Hat right-hander Tom Deis was credited with the pitching win over Fox Valley but needed a sensational relief job by Ron Anton to pull the game out of the bag. Spacing the Lions’ hits effectively, Deis and the Superiors at one time held an 8 to 2 lead but the Lions narrowed the gap to 9 – 6 going into the final inning. When Deis began to tire, the Lions loaded the bases, setting the stage for Anton’s work as a fireman. The relief tosser enticed the first batter he faced to ground into a double play from the infield to home to first. He then punched out a pinch-hitter to salt the win away for Deis. Starter Ernie Weimer, the first of a trio of Fox Valley chuckers, was tarred with the loss. Tony Bonogofsky belted a home run for the vanquished nine.
In Richmound’s close win over Burstall, Ivor Solie grabbed the win with relief assistance from Bert Stodalka while Braves’ starter Jim Ginther took the setback.
FINAL (sudden-death)
(September 18) The Medicine Hat Superiors captured the 1960 championship of the SaskAlta Baseball league with a 7 to 3 conquest of the Richmound Rockets at Richmound’s new ball park. Winning pitcher Tom Deis went the route for the Superiors, allowing six safeties while striking out five. Losing twirler Bill Stodalka was combed for eight hits while fanning seven. His mates supplied him with less than superb defense, committing four errors. The Rockers scored twice in the opening panel on three singles but were held to only one tally for the remainder of the contest. Deis settled down after his first-inning jam and allowed only three hits thereafter. Medicine Hat scored once in the first, three times in the second and two in the third to grab the momentum. Playing-manager Wilf Dietrich smashed two hits and drove in three runs for the Superiors.
SOUTHERN IRRIGATION BASEBALL LEAGUE
Bow Island Combines
Burdett
Foremost
Grassy Lake Panthers
Medicine Hat Central Recs
Redcliff Red Sox
PLAYOFFS (double-knockout round-robin format)
(July 17) The Medicine Hat Recs counted on heavy slugging and superb pitching in coming out on top of a 21 to 4 verdict over Foremost as the Southern Irrigation Baseball League double-knockout, round-robin playoff tournament got underway. Larry Plante stepped to the plate five times for the Recs and swatted a triple, two doubles and two singles. Teammate “Red” Schaufele blasted a grand-slam four-master while Warren Back added a second dinger for the Hatters. Winning heaver “Zeke” Ziebart rang up 15 punchouts in the seven innings that he toiled. Don Schwedelsky mopped up after that.
In other tournament action, the hosting Bow Island Combines bested Grassy Lake 18 to 14 and the pennant-winning Redcliff Red Sox clobbered Burdett 10 to 2.
(July 24) The Grassy Lake Panthers pulled off the surprise of the playoffs by upending the Redcliff Red Sox 7 to 4 in the second leg of the Southern Irrigation Baseball League round-robin, double-knockout tournament played in the Redcliff ballyard. The hosting Red Sox previously had captured the regular-season pennant with ease.
In other games, the Bow Island Combines remained undefeated by eliminating Foremost 5 to 3 while the Medicine Hat Recs sent Burdett to the sidelines with a 15 to 0 whitewashing. The tournament has now been whittled down to four teams.
(July 31) The Medicine Hat Central Recs reign as champions of the 1960 Southern Irrigation Baseball League. In a sudden-death round-robin at Athletic Park, the Recs collected 23 hits to wallop the Grassy Lake Panthers 21 to 2 to advance to the finals. Pius “Zeke” Ziebart twirled a one-hitter for the easy win, giving up only a lone safety to Art Ell in the last inning.
The Bow Island Combines were edged out in the second game by the pennant-winning Redcliff Red Sox by a narrow 2 to 1 score. Redcliff’s Ed Bliele hurled no-hit ball for the first six innings and finished with a three-hitter. In arrears to Bow Island 1 to 0 deficit, the Red Sox heaver persevered and was rewarded when his mates got him a pair of runs in the eighth episode. The Sox then had to hang on to advance to the final. Losing chucker Roth was nicked for six safeties by the winners.
Medicine Hat then locked horns with Redcliff in the winner-take-all final and, playing under the lights, came away with a convincing 7 to 0 triumph. The combatants battled it out without a run until the sixth inning when the Recs came alive and pushed five big runs across the pan to take control of the game. A pinch-hit two-run single by Gene Vetch was the blow that broke the backs of the Red Sox. Right-hander Don “Swede” Schwedelsky blanked the Redcliff contingent on six hits while Red Sox starter Koon Baier absorbed the loss. Schwedelsky and Harold Tribe had a double and single each for the victorious Hatters.
CENTRAL ALBERTA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Clive
Lacombe
PLAYOFFS
FINALS Clive vs Lacombe (best-of-seven series)
(August 22) Clive took the opener of the best-of-seven Central Alberta Baseball League final series by downing Lacombe 4 to 2. The darkness-shortened, six-inning tilt saw Clive take an early two-run lead before Lacombe tied the score in the third. In the fifth, Clive once more pushed across a deuce and made the margin of victory stand up. Clive’s Jack Knight garnered the hurling triumph while Roger Devost of the Lacombe nine was stung with the loss.
(August 27) Lacombe and Clive fought to a 6 – 6 tie in the second skirmish of their battle for Central Alberta Baseball League supremacy. Clive started off with a bang, putting up a four-spot on the scoreboard in the opening inning. Lacombe narrowed that margin with a single tally in the third but Clive made it 6 to 1 in the fourth and appeared well on the road to their second win in the series. The Lacombe nine wouldn’t quit, however, and stormed back with three in the fifth and a deuce in the sixth just before the game was halted due to darkness. Lyle Knight toiled on the hill for Clive while Ted Lambiez toed the rubber for the comeback Lacombe squad.
(August 30) Lacombe defeated Clive 3 to 2 to even the Central Alberta Baseball League finals at one game each in addition to a tie. The winners scored twice in the third inning and added a singleton in the fifth. Clive tallied their markers in the fifth and sixth panels. Johnny Young took the mound win for Lacombe, besting George Clarehout in the evenly-matched tussle.
* Results of remaining games have not yet been uncovered.
FOOTHILLS BASEBALL LEAGUE
Enchant
Nanton