After three straight seasons of losing in the playoff final, Regina Red Sox finally had the Pop Harvey Memorial Trophy. The Sox rallied to win six of their last seven games to finish in third place in the regular schedule then downed the Moose Jaw Regals in the final to take the Southern League championship.
Right-hander Randy Sawa (left), who won just two games in the regular season, pitched in five of Regina's 11 post-season contests. He had three complete game wins, a complete game tie and a victory in relief. .
A pair of Regals took most of the individual hardware. Ned Andreoni (right) shortstop of the Regals, led the loop in average, runs batted in and tied for the lead in homers.
Dale Hogg was the top pitcher, with a 6-1 record and 3.18 ERA. Hogg was named the Most Valuable Player.
North Battleford Beavers, riding the arm of right-hander Greg Dvorak, (left), and the bats of Pete Duncan (right) and Cam Sternig were the class of Saskatchewan.
The Beavers, who raced to a 25-5 record and the league pennant, went on to capture eight straight playoff victories and wins in all five tournaments entered.
Dvorak went 12-0, 1.76 during the the regular season and added eight more wins during the playoffs and tournaments to finish the summer with a remarkable 20-0 record.
Duncan finished second in the batting race with a .400 average. Dvorak wasn't a slouch either, batting .370 and Sternig came in at .363 and led the league in RBI. Rich Householder of Neilburg won the batting crown with a .403 mark. Larry Haylor of the Unity Cardinals edged Dvorak for the ERA title, ending the campaign with a 1.72 average.
Beavers downed Saskatoon Commodores in the playoff final to claim the league championship.
The Edmonton Tigers, who won the pennant during the regular season, capped a successful summer downing Edmonton Angels 9-3 to take the best-of-seven Alberta Major League playoff final in six games. Tigers roared back to win four in a row after dropping the first two games 9-5 and 10-4.
Ed Ashton of the Edmonton Oilers captured the batting title hitting an even .400 for the season. Teammate Don Kadatz, who also finished among the top hurlers, was tied with Rich Dawson of the Calgary Odeons in second place at .364.
Harold Hunchak of the Drumheller Miners won the most games, 9, while Bill Chahley of the Edmonton Tigers fashioned the best earned run average, 1.85.
Brandon Cloverleafs, third-place finishers during the regular season, roared through the playoffs to win its third Manitoba Senior League title in four seasons.
London Pontiacs defeated Stratford to take their first Intercounty League title in 13 years. Bob McKillop (left), playing-manager of the Kitchener Panthers topped the hitters with a .381 average, six points ahead of fellow catcher Wayne Fenlon of the London Pontiacs.
Paul Knight of Kitchener, with a 10-1 record, had the most pitching victories and the best winning percentage. Dan Camp of Listowel finished with the best ERA, 1.05.
Rapid City Chiefs edged Sturgis Titans for the Basin League championship in the tightest first-to-last race in league history. Chiefs finished just a game up on the Titans and three on Mobridge Lakers and Pierre Cowboys, tied for last.
Leroy Gregory, who suited up with Calgary, Regina, Moose Jaw and Lethbridge in 1957-1958, returned to Canada to play in the Quebec Provincial League in 1969 and 1970.
Gregory, who advanced to the major leagues as a pitcher, was the batting champion in 1969 as a first baseman with the Drummondville Royals.
A decade earlier, in 1959, he was the most valuable player of the Fresno State Bulldogs going 12-0 as the team finished third at the College World Series.
Photo - Gregory accepts a trophy signifying his batting title.