CANADA SUMMER GAMES
SASKATCHEWAN QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
(June 10) At Prince Albert, the Saskatoon Commodores won the first game of a best-of-three series in a tournament to decide the provincial representative at the Summer Games in Halifax. Commodores shaded the Bohemians 5-4 as Randy Munch's single in the top of the 9th brought in Bob Brown with the winning run. Murray Gilmore had tied the score 4-4 in the 8th with a home for Prince Albert. Lou Slotsve picked up the win in relief. Losing hurler Dave Pagan went the distance allowing 11 hits. Munch led the offense with three hits. Prince Albert outfielder Doug McCrae made two outstanding plays cutting down runners at the plate in the 3rd and 4th innings.
Haylor, Slotsve (W) (8) and xxx
Pagan (L) and xxx
(June 12) Eston Ramblers downed the Sask-Alta All-Stars 11-6 at Leader Thursday in the opener of a best-of-three set leading to a berth at the Halifax Summer Games in August. Ervin Boehm belted a three-run homer and Erwin Doerksen had three hits to pace the Ramblers. Mike Fitzmaurice picked up the win in relief of starter Ken Fensom. Fitzmaurice allowed just four hits while fanning nine.
Ken Fensom , Mike Fitzmaurice (W) (2) and xxx
Ernie Moser (L), Wilbur Berrard (5) and xxx
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(June 16) Larry Haylor doubled in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning as Saskatoon Commodores shaded Prince Albert Bohemians 3-2 to sweep the series leading to a berth at the Halifax Summer Games. Ken Haanen, who relieved starter Lou Slotsve with two out in the 9th, picked up the win. Prince Albert out hit the Commodores 11-6. Dave Pagan went the distance for the Bohemians and was an offensive force with a triple and single and two runs scored.
Slotsve, Haanen (W) (9) and Brown
Pagan (L) and Stubbs, McCrae (5)
(June 23) Saskatoon Commodores dumped the Saskatoon Torchinsky T'Birds 8-1 in the first game of their Summer Games' playoff. The winner will represent the northern zone in a four-team, modified double-knockout tournament at Yorkton July 5-6. Edd Tabashniuk tossed a five-hitter for the win. Fred Maxemiuk had three singles to drive in two runs for the Commodores. Shelly Gautschi gave up eight hits in taking the loss. He walked eight.
Gautschi (L) and Thiessen
Tabashniuk (W) and Brown
(June 24) Larry Haylor had a perfect game through seven innings as Saskatoon trounced the Torchinsky T'Birds 11-0 to win their playoff series in two straight games. 19-year-old Larry Pavloff lined a double to right centre to lead off the 8th inning. He was the T'Birds only base runner as Haylor, a pickup from Unity for the Summer Games playoffs, finished with a one-hitter. Randy Munch and Ed Lukowich each had three hits for the Commodores.
Haylor (W) and Brown
John Anderson (L), Bob Fawcett (7) and Thiessen
(July 1) In a slugfest at Yorkton, the Cardinals edged Estevan Mets14-13 Monday to gain a berth in a four-team tournament to decided the Saskatchewan representative at the Halifax Summer Games. Cards won the best-of-three series two games to one. Wayne Thompson gained credit for the win, in a relief role. Gord Johnson slammed a grand slam homer for Yorkton and Brian Burnen duplicated the feat for Estevan. George Krueger added a solo homer for the Mets.
Fyfe, Bill Sobkow, Thompson (W) and xxx
xxx, Greg Powlis (L) and xxx
(July 6) A four-team tournament to decide Saskatchewan's baseball representative for the Canada Summer Games to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia was played in Yorkton over the weekend. Representing the Southern League were the Regina Red Sox and the Yorkton Cardinals. The Red Sox had previously defeated the Moose Jaw Regals and Govan Angels to earn a berth in the tourney while the Yorkton squad had knocked off the Estevan Mets. From the northern half of the province came the Eston Ramblers and the Saskatoon Commodores.
Eston Ramblers, playing nine straight hours of baseball, won the Saskatchewan amateur baseball championship Sunday and the right to represent the province at the Canadian Summer Games in Halifax. At a four-team tournament at Yorkton, Ramblers finished with a 4-1 record. Yorkton Cardinals were at 2-2, Saskatoon Commodores 1-2 and Regina Red Sox 0-2.
Yorkton kicked off the tournament with a 3-2 win over Saskatoon while Eston shaded Regina 7-6 on Ervin Boehm's lead-off homer in the bottom of the 9th inning. Commodores then sent the Red Sox packing by downing the Reginans 7-4. On Saturday, Yorkton handed Eston its lone defeat, coming from behind to take a 7-4 decision. Commodores lost to Yorkton 3-2 and then downed Regina 7-4.
Eston started its marathon comeback at noon Sunday against Saskatoon. They scored an unearned run in the top of the 9th to get by the Commodores 5-4. That put the Ramblers up against Yorkton and Eston again notched a one-run victory, this time 4-3 to sent the tourney to a sudden-death final. Starting pitcher Grand Beckstrand smashed a two-run homer in the 2nd inning to give Eston a 3-0 lead. Murray Steeves' sacrifice fly in the 6th knocked in the winning run.
Ramblers got two-run homers from Ervin Boehm and Lane Jackson for the 7-3 triumph in the final. Jackson also made a spectacular catch in the 3rd inning to rob Gord Johnson of a homer. With two on, centre fielder Jackson reached over the fence to nab Johnson's long blow. Dave Pagan picked up the win in relief.
BC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT – CANADA SUMMER GAMES
(June 20-22) Vancouver's Villa Motor Inn clipped the Okanagan All-Stars 9-1 Sunday at Royal Athletic Park to earn the BC provincial slot in the Canada Games in August at Halifax and Dartmouth. The Vancouver entry went through the three-day, double knockout tournament without a loss, blanking the Victoria All-Stars 7-0 Friday and crushing the Kootenay All-Stars 12-5 Saturday to earn a bye into the final.
Stu Winrob cracked a homer, the only one of the tourney, a double and single to pace Villa to the 9-1 finals victory. Marty Lewis held Okanagan to eight hits in going the route on the hill. Centre-fielder Don Archer of the Okanagan squad was the tourney's top hitter with 12 hits in 16 times at bat.
Bob Schwab (L), Ed Folk (7) and Randy Rota
Marty Lewis (W) and Tom Bird
Okanagan won a finals berth with a 10-8 triumph over Kootenay pounding out 13 hits. A three-run seventh inning proved to be the difference. Catcher Randy Rota cracked three hits including a pair of doubles and Jerry Robertson also clipped a trio with one two-bagger.
Tom Sallaway (L), Barry Seal (3), Keith Healey (7) and Al Richards
Bob Davidson, Len Tweed (8) and Bob Schwab
Victoria never got untracked losing their opener with five errors and added three more Saturday as they were eliminated in a 6-4 loss to the Okanagan nine. Errors enabled the Okanagan squad to register their first four runs off loser Pete Duncan. Russ Keckalo, with a triple, Jerry Robertson, with a double, and Rick Sugden's one bagger each provided a run. Victoria snapped a scoreless streak in the fifth as Duncan paced a four-run rally off winner Reg Main with a one-out triple off the left field scoreboard. Gord Strongman then singled to plate Duncan. Art Worth reached on an error and Les Brice followed with a single. Worth scrambled home on a wild pitch. Keckalo evened the count in the sixth scoring on a passed ball. In the seventh, successive singles by Bob Adshead, Don Archer, Keckalo and Robertson produced the winning runs.
Kootenay All-Stars grabbed a 5-1 lead after two innings but reliever Gord White held the Interior crew to three hits the rest of the way as shortstop Jim Chapman led the Villa recovery going five-for-five driving in three runs and scoring three more. Villa pounded out 16 hits.
Vancouver 12 Kootenay 5
Bill Stebbings, Gord White (W) (2) and Tom Bird
Dennis Zinio (L), Tom Sallaway (6) and Al Richards
Okanagan 6 Victoria 4
Reg Main (W) and Bob Schwab
Pete Duncan (L), George Brice (8), Pete Jolly (9) and Mike McAvoy
Kootenay 6 Okanagan 3
Joe Zanussi (W) and Al Richards
Len Tweed (L), Bob Davisson (6), Bob Haywood (9) and Bob Schwab
With chilling winds whipping through Royal Athletic Park Friday, Vancouver's Murray Gage-Cole froze the chances of the Victoria All-Stars at the BC Senior baseball "Canada Games" tournament.
The right-hander, who pitched for the University of Washington this spring, scattered six hits and fanned eight as Vancouver Villas blanked Victoria 7-0 in the opening game of the tournament. Villa got on the scoreboard in the first stanza as right-fielder Stu Winrob singled, stole second, reached third on an error and crossed the plate on a passed ball. Shortstop Jim Chapman added to the lead in the third by hammering a high drive into centre field to plate Winrob. Five successive hits off George Brice in the fourth produced a 6-0 lead for Vancouver. Centre-fielder John Haar chased home the final marker in the sixth when his high fly was fumbled.
George Brice (L), Pete Jolly (7) and Mike McAvoy
Murray Gage-Cole (W) and Norm Caig
ALBERTA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT – CANADA SUMMER GAMES
(June 21-22) After 57 innings of baseball at Stettler, Alberta, over the weekend, it still isn't known which team will represent the province at the Halifax Summer Games.
After six games of the two-day round-robin tournament three teams - Edmonton Blue Willow Angels, Grande Prairie Eskimos and Drumheller Miners - were in a tie for first with Stetter, the host club, eliminated.
Miners salvaged a 6-4, 14-inning, victory over the Angels in Sunday's final game to force the three-way tie. The teams will meet this weekend in Edmonton to determine a champion. Edmonton jumped into a 4-0 lead Sunday before the Miners battled back with a pair in the seventh and another two in the eighth to tie at 4-4. Winning pitcher Harold Hunchak singled in the winner in the 14th and later scored an insurance run on Jim Berlando's single.
Earlier Sunday, Grande Prairie whipped Stettler 19-8 in a seven-inning contest and Edmonton dumped Stettler 12-2.
On Saturday, Drumheller kicked off the tourney with a 7-3 win over Stettler with Roger Pozzo going the route yielding eight hits. The Blue Willow Angles scored four in the top of the 10th to down Grande Prairie 12-9 in a game in which each team pounded out 17 hits. In the last game Saturday, Grande Prairie swept to an early 5-0 lead then held off Drumheller's nighth inning rally to pull out a 5-4 triumph as Ken Hutton won it with a six-hitter.
(June 21)
Steller 3 Drumheller 7
Stroble (L), T.Chapman (6) and Lysons
Pozzo (W) and Bonham
Edmonton 12 Grande Prairie 9
Ewasiuk, Poelzer (8) Lynn (W) (9) and Hodgson
Welsh, Johnston (L) (7), D.Stokke (10) and Wold
Grand Prairie 5 Drumheller 4
Hutton (W) and Wold
Pasutto (L), Trogan (1) and Bonham
(June 22)
Steller 2 Edmonton 12
Lindstrand (L) and Reynolds
Curtis (W) and Hodgson
Grande Prairie 19 Steller 8
D.Stokke (W), Welsh (5) and Wold
T.Chapman, D.Chapman (L) (5), T.Chapman (5), Clark (6) and Reynolds
Drumheller 6 Edmonton 4
A.Johnston, Hunchak (W) (1) and Bonham
W.McKee (L) and Hodgson
(June 28) The Grande Prairie Eskimos, current pace-setters in the Wheat Belt Baseball League, took a 5 to 4 extra-inning decision from the Drumheller Star Miners of the Alberta Major Baseball League at Renfrew Park in Edmonton to earn the right to represent Alberta in the Canada Summer Games senior baseball tournament to be held in Halifax NS in August. The Esks snapped a 4 – 4 deadlock in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning when Lyman Haakstad singled with one out, moved to second base on another single by winning pitcher Ed Welsh and scored when losing heaver Roger Pozzo overthrew first base while attempting to make a play on a ground ball. Earlier the Miners advanced to the final with an 8 to 7 win over the Edmonton Blue Willow Angels by erasing a 6 –2 deficit with two runs in the eighth episode and four in the top-of-the-ninth. Top batter for Grande Prairie in the finale was Ron Duda with four singles in five times at bat. Four teams, including the Stettler Braves who were eliminated a week ago, began the quest for this honor in a double-knockout event which began in Stettler and took two weekends to complete.
Left - Gordie Clark of New Brunswick gets a hard tag in trying to score in the game with Ontario. It appears he's on the receiving end of a right to the jaw as his teammate Bill McCarrel tooks on. Ontario lost this one 9-2 but went on to win the event downing Quebec 5-0 in the final.
(August 14) The Eston Ramblers, Saskatchewan's baseball representatives in the upcoming Canada Summer Games, got their final tune-up at Mount Pleasant Park before heading to Halifax, but it was a losing one. Jim Paisley smashed a two-out, solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Regina Red Sox a 5 to 4 victory in this exhibition encounter. Dave Pagan, a 19 year old pick up by the Ramblers out of Nipawin, was the Eston starting pitcher, hurling the first four innings.
(August 17) Playing before an opening night crowd of 3,000, Eston blew a 2-1 lead in the late innings and lost to British Columbia 3-2. Singles by Erwin Doerksen and Al Marshall and a triple by Murray Steeves produced both Saskatchewan runs in the 2nd inning. Lane Jackson provided the defensive highlight as he robbed Dave McKay of a home run at the left field wall with a leaping catch at the fence.
(August 18) Saskatchewan dropped its second straight game at the Canada Games as Eston Ramblers dropped a 6-2 decision to Ontario. Dave Pagan went the distance for Eston allowing 11 hits. Al Marshall belted a homer for Eston. Marshall and Reg Andrew each had two hits for the Ramblers.
(August 19) Eston upset the undefeated New Brunswick nine 6-4 and trounced Newfoundland 13-0.
(August 20) Quebec defeated New Brunswick 6-4 behind the hitting of left fielder Russ Ayoub who accounted for four runs and Ontario whipped Nova Scotia 10-2 behind the six-hit pitching of Brian Murphy of London.
Saskatchewan lost a bid for a berth in the four-team final dropping a 9-2 verdict to New Brunswick.
(August 21) Rick Birmingham allowed just three hits in pitching Ontario to the Canada Games baseball championship in a 5-0 victory over Quebec in the final. The shutout extended Birmingham's scoreless streak to 18 innings. Ontario rapped 14 hits including run-scoring knocks by Wray Upper, Rick DeMarchi, Ron Smith and Hank Romanowski.
In the consolation final, for bronze, Nova Scotia whipped New Brunswick 17-7. Saskatchewan edged Prince Edward Island 3-2.
Newfoundland scored a pair in the ninth inning Thursday to edge Alberta 8-7 to finish ninth in the ten-team tournament. Alberta, represented by the Grand Prairie Eskimos finished in the basement. Winning pitcher Phonse Jesso allowed nine hits in going the distance and started the rally that won the game. Harold Hunchak started for Alberta, giving way to Ken Ewasiuk in the eighth.
SWIFT CURRENT TOURNAMENT
(June 27-29)
Eston Ramblers whipped the host Swift Current Indians 10-3 in the opening game of the Swift Current Shriners Baseball tournament Friday. Bob Burchfield was the winning pitcher. Al Paganucci took the loss.
Burchfield (W) and xxx
Paganucci (L) and xxx
North Battleford came from behind to top Biggar Nationals 5-2. Beavers trailed 2-1 in the top of the 9th inning with two out when they rallied for four runs, helped by Biggar miscues, to take the victory.
Dvorak (W) and xxx (7-0/8-0)
xxx and xxx
Moose Jaw Regals defeated Neilburg Monarchs 7-4
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
Rain forced the postponement of the tournament until July 14th. Regina Red Sox held a 3-0 lead over the St. John, Washington, Indians when play was called in the 2nd inning. With St. John not able to return for the resumption of the tournament, Regina made the final four.
(July 14) Regina Red Sox survived 11 errors and a 9th inning Moose Jaw rally to shade the Regals 9-8 in an exciting contest to win a berth in the tournament final. With Regina up 9-6 after scoring a run in the top of the 9th, the Regals Roy Rowley led off with his third double of the day and Ned Andreoni brought Moose Jaw with within a run with a tremendous blast to left centrefield. Still with none out, Larry Tollefson and Jim Booth singled. But Lorne Humphreys hit into a double play and Clark Gillies struck out to end the threat and the ball game. Each team had 11 hits, with Gary Korven leading the Sox with a homer, double and single, good for three runs batted in. Andy Logan had a two-run circuit clout for Regina and Tim Young a two-run blast for Moose Jaw. Along with his three doubles, Rowley scored three times for the Regals.
Homme (W) and Logan
Boch, Rowley (L) (3) and Tollefson
(July 14) Greg Dvorak pitched and batted the Beavers to a 10-4 semi-final win over Eston. At the plate, the right-hander had a triple, double and single. Hugh McIvor added a homer for the Beavers and Murray Steeves clouted one for the Ramblers.
Dvorak (W) and Bunyan (8-0/11-0)
xxx and xxx
(July 14) Regina Red Sox had another 11 miscues, 22 in two games, in dropping a 16-3 decision to North Battleford Beavers in the final of the Swift Current tournament. Short on pitchers, Red Sox started manager Lionel Ruhr who lasted just four innings. Gene Yellowega and Gary Korven were hit hard in their relief efforts as the Beavers broke loose for five runs in the 7th inning and seven more in the 8th. Jack Rowley, brother of the Regals' Roy, was the hitting star with two homers, a single and a sacrifice fly in five trips to the plate. Gerry Lister and Greg Dvorak also clouted homers for the Beavers.
Ruhr (L), Yellowega (5), Korven (7) and xxx
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
BIRTLE CANADA DAY SENIOR BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
(July 1) The Riverside Canucks overcame a 4 – 0 first-inning Souris lead to edge the Cardinals 8 to 7 in the final game of Birtle’s annual Canada day tournament featuring MSBL member clubs. Lorne Lilley picked up the mound decision over Bob Payne. Both pitchers of record entered the game as relievers.
To get to the tourney final, Souris ousted the Brandon Cloverleafs 3 to 1 as Walter Hall recorded the victory over Brian Hodgson. Riverdale advanced with a 5 to 3 win over Dauphin. Lilley was also the winner in that contest , besting Rick Mahlman.
In the tournament’s opening game, Dauphin snuck past Hamiota by scoring three runs in the ninth inning for a 4 to 3 verdict. Bob Neufeld was the winner while Don Feldner absorbed the loss.
Brandon earned the right to meet Souris in the semi-finals via an 8 to 7 triumph over the Rola NoDaks. Bob Thompson got credit for the victory over Don Getzlaff. Rolla powered five home runs in this tilt, two off the bat of Harold Neameyer, but it wasn’t enough. Bill Chapple launched a circuit-blast for the Cloverleafs. Souris made it to the semi-finals with a 5 to 1 conquest of the Virden Oilers. Bob Payne copped the win while Jim Huff was tagged with the setback.
UNITY TOURNAMENT
(July 1) Gerry Lister hurled shutout ball until the 9th inning as North Battleford took the Unity Tournament with a 5-1 win over the host club. Lister gave up six hits before giving way to Pete Duncan in the 9th. Duncan scored what proved to be the winner in the 4th inning when he walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on a passed ball. He drove in the Beaver`s third tally with a double in a three-run 8th inning.
Rucobo (L) and xxx
Lister (W), Duncan (9) and Bunyan
Beavers reached the final with a 3-1 victory over Saskatoon as Greg Dvorak and Dirk Van Dyke hooked up in a pitching duel. Dvorak allowed just two hits, Van Dyke three. Fred Maxemiuk homered in the 3rd inning for the Commodores' only run. Jim Johnston came right back in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring triple then scored the go-ahead marker.
Van Dyke (L) and xxx
Dvorak (W) and Bunyan (7-0/9-0)
Unity trounced Kindersley 11-3 to win a berth in the final. The Cards jumped on Klippers' starter Gary Houston for nine runs in the middle innings. Mel Dahlseide had a double and single for the Cards. Rudy Arroyo went the distance holding the Klippers to five hits.
Houston (L), Hunchak (6) and xxx
Arroyo (W) and xxx
In the first round, Unity scored five runs in the 1st inning and went on to top Neilburg 7-2. Larry Haylor hurled a five-hitter for the win.
Haylor (W) and xxx
Ron Sewell (L), Zaichowsky (1) and xxx
Kindersley defeated Biggar Nationals 4-1 behind the pitching of Al Paganucci.
Paganucci (W) and xxx
Marchinko (L) and xxx
MANITOBA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION CANADA SUMMER GAMES QUALIFIER (SENIOR ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT)
(July 11-13) The winner of this three-day sudden-death affair, staged mainly at Brandon’s Kinsmen Stadium, received an all-expense paid trip to Halifax as Manitoba’s representative in the Canada Summer Games slated for August. Ten entries, all from different senior circuits within the province, took part in the event. Four of those teams remained intact for the tourney, those being:
- Transcona Atomics – MSBL east division
- Neepawa Cubs – Neepawa & District League
- Steinbach Millers – defending LaVerendrye League champions but currently a new member of the MSBL east
- Thompson Reds – Polar League
The remaining six squads entered were all-star aggregations selected from their respective senior loops. The list included:
- Manitoba Senior Baseball League – west division
- South-West League
- South-Central League
- South-Eastern League
- Border League
- Northwest League
The Neepawa Cubs, playing at home, pulled a stunning upset in the opening round of games, eliminating the highly-touted MSBL western division All-Stars 11 to 7. The Transcona Atomics, the other pre-tourney favorite, slammed the Border League All-Stars 14 to 1 at Pilot Mound. Meanwhile, the Northwest All-Stars blanked the Thompson Reds 2 to 0 at Kinsmen Stadium while, at Boissevain, the South-Central Selects edged their counterparts from the Southwest loop 8 to 6. In the fifth and final encounter, the Steinbach Millers clobbered the South-East All-Stars 10 to 1 at Steinbach.
On the second day of action, play shifted entirely to Brandon’s Kinsmen Stadium where Neepawa doubled the South-Central All-Stars 10 to 5 and then followed that victory up by eliminating the Steinbach Millers in a 15 to 6 drubbing to reach the best-of-three finals. Transcona edged the Northwest All-Stars 8 to 7 in ten innings to secure their berth in the finals. An inspired but fatigued Neepawa aggregation then fell 9 to 4 to Transcona in the opening tilt of the showdown series. Brock McConachy, with stellar ninth-inning relief help from Bob Hunter, garnered the win while the Cubs Bill Fraser suffered the loss.
The third day was set aside for two games, if needed, but the Transcona Atomics put that possibility to rest by clipping the Neepawa Cubs 11 to 8 to capture the tournament and the trip to Halifax for the Canada Summer Games. In the tourney finale, Paul Chartrand who toiled last season for the now defunct St. Lazare Athletics, struck out six Cubs in twirling the win. Starter Ron McKinnon of the Baby Bears suffered the loss. Outhit by a 10 to 9 margin, the ‘Sconas had to rally for six runs in the fifth inning to pull off the victory. Claude Lambert, also an ex-St. Lazare Athletic, led the Atomics at the plate with a triple and single. For the Cubs, Terry Oliver stroked three singles.
SASKATOON EXHIBITION TOURNAMENT, the final competition
A brainchild of Saskatoon entrepreneur and baseball enthusiast J. F. Cairns, the first Saskatoon exhibition week tournament took place in 1922 following the demise of the professional Western Canada Baseball league after the 1921 season. Except for 1924, the tournament ran continuously to 1969 after which it passed into oblivion.
From the first pitch of the 1922 opening game held on July 18, which resulted in a 16 to 9 victory by Conquest over Biggar, until the last out of the July 20, 1969 final game in which Unity defeated Eston 7 to 1, this event provided generations of baseball fans with countless innings of entertainment.
Not only does Neilburg hold the record for the most annual appearances, 33, during the span of the tournament’s existence, but the players representing the Highway #40 village also captured the tournament on eight occasions, also a record.
Neilburg's Pete Prediger sat this one out. It was to have been his 34th consecutive year playing in the tournament, but his gear didn't arrive in time for the game and the Monarchs were eliminated in the first round.
(July 13) Dave Pagan, an acquisition from Prince Albert Bohemians, tossed a two-hitter and struck out 11 as Eston took the opening game of the Saskatoon Exhibition Tournament, 4-0 over Colonsay Monarchs. Pagan got off to a shaky start, walking the first batter and hitting the second, but then settled down to produce a gem. Reg Andrew's two-run homer in the 2nd inning was all the Ramblers needed. They added two insurance runs in the 3rd. Greg Goldade led off with a bunt single, stole second and scored on Murray Steeves' sinking liner. Al Marshall singled to centre to plate Steeves.
Tabashniuk (L) and Herr
Pagan (W) and Marshall
(July 14) Garnet Hannon clubbed three triples and a single to lead Kindersley Klippers to a 16-3 trouncing of Melfort Shamrocks. The Klippers pounded out 14 hits and were helped by eight Melfort errors. Melfort starting pitching Gary Young didn't allow a hit over the first two innings and still trailed 3-0.
Tim Hayden, a 19-year-old California college student, fanned 12 in his six innings of shutout work. Kindersley had two, six-run innings, the 3rd and 7th. Ed Gosselin had an inside-the-park homer for the Klippers and Bill O'Sullivan added a grand slam homer. The contest had a bit of a "Keystone Kops" atmosphere. In the 3rd inning, with none out and runners at first and second, Bill O'Sullivan bunted. Catcher Murray Cheyne got to the ball but his throw drew first baseman Brian Marchinko into the path of the runner and the ball got away. Marchinko was injured and Melfort players came to his aid, forgetting about the ball in play. As they attended to their teammate, all three runners came around to score.
Hayden (W), Schommer (7) and O'Sullivan
Young (L), Goodman (3) and M. Cheyne
(July 15) Pete Duncan smashed a two-run homer, triple and single, driving in four runs, to lead Asquith Braves to a 7-4 decision over Neilburg Monarchs.
Neilburg had taken a three-run lead in the 1st inning. Jim Johnston tripled in Dirk Van Dyke, who had singled. Neil Urlacher doubled to scored Van Dyke and scored on John Dubey's grounder. Braves got one back in their half of the 1st as John Erickson singled in Randy Munch. They went ahead for good with three in the 3rd. Duncan's triple brought in winning pitcher Ken Haanen and Duncan tied the count on Gerry Lister's single. Les Stack singled to put the Braves into the lead.
D. McIntyre (L), Henricks (3) and Dubey
Haanen (W) and Erickson
(July 16) Unity Cardinals advanced at the Exhibition Tournament as they shaded the North Central All-Stars 5-4 behind Rudy Arroyo's 17 strikeout performance. The 19-year-old, from Foothills Junior College in California, pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the 7th to preserve the win. He allowed just four hits, but issued six bases on balls.
North Central went up 3-0 in the first inning on a walk, single and two errors. Unity rebounded with four in the 3rd frame, the key blow a two-run single by Erwin Doerksen. Arroyo scored the first run when he led off with a double and scored on Jim Shaw's two-bagger to centre. Ivan Gutfriend had three singles and two runs batted in for the Cardinals. Dick Schmidt had two singles as did George Thiessen, who drove in three runs, for the All-Stars.
Arroyo (W) and Wandler, Doerksen (7)
Strueby (L), Fogen (5) and R. Korte, Braun (7)
(July 17) 19-year-old Dave Pagan struck out 22 batters in going all 14 innings in Eston's 5-4 victory over Kindersley. Pagan also drove in the winning run. Merle Brynes, Eston's speedy second sacker, reached on bunt single, stole second and came around to score on Pagan's single. Murray Steeves smashed a two-run homer in the 3rd inning to give Eston the lead. Lane Jackson's solo shot in the bottom of the 3rd made it a 2-1 ball game. Ramblers went up 4-1 in the 4th on a double and two singles. Klippers came back with three in the 5th to tie on a triple, two singles and a dropped third strike. Steeves led the Eston offense with the homer and two singles. Tim Hayden went the distance for the Klippers allowing 11 hits. He fanned 11 and walked just one.
Pagan (W) and Fetch, Marshall (6)
Hayden (L) and O'Sullivan
(July 18) In a wild 25-hit affair, the Unity Cardinals blew an 8-1 lead, then rebounded to down Asquith 11-9 to advance to the final of the Saskatoon Exhibition Tournament. Jim Shaw kick started the Unity offense tripling in a run in the first inning then scoring on an error. He belted an inside-the-park homer in the 3rd. The Cardinals widened the lead with three more in the 4th inning with the big blows being a lead-off triple by Mel Dahlseide and Al Ferchuk's two-run homer. Dahlseide singled in two more runs in the 5th. The Braves responded with a seven-run eruption in the 6th. Don Anweiler's pinch-hit triple scored a pair. Randy Munch followed with a two-run homer. Still down three runs, Cam Sternig came to bat with two outs and Ken Haanen and Pete Duncan on base with walks. Sternig's towering drive knotted the count at 8-8. Back came the Cardinals. Ivan Gutfriend singled in one run and Dahlseide doubled in two more. Asquith got one back in the 8th, but it was not enough.
Ferchuk, Haylor (W) (6) and Doerksen
Cleghorn, Hemstead (L) (7), Duncan (7) and Erickson
(July 19) Jim Shaw powered the Unity Cardinals to a 7-1 victory over Eston in the final of the Saskatoon Exhibition Tournament. Shaw, who was key in Unity's semi-final victory, blasted a homer, double and two singles to pace a 14-hit attack. Larry Haylor tossed a six-hitter for the mound victory. It was the third game in 24 hours for Unity. After Friday's win over Asquith, they travelled to Kindersley for the tournament there, defeating Regina, before headed back to Saskatoon for the final of the Ex Tourney.
Haylor (W) and Doerksen
Fensom (L), Fitzmaurice (5) and Marshall
Stars of the final Exhibition Tournament:
Jim Shaw (left) of the Unity Cardinals had the most hits and was the hitting star of Unity's 7-1 victory over Eston in the final. Reg Andrew (centre) hit the first homer of the tourney. At the right is Unity captain Erwin Doerksen. Dave Pagan (above, right) had the most strikeouts in a game, 22, and the most for the tournament, 33.
PEACE RIVER TOURNAMENT
(July 19-20) The Edmonton Blue Willow Angels Juniors went 14 innings Sunday to down the host Peace River Stampeders 4-1 in the final of the 10th Annual Peace River Tournament at Twelve Foot Davis Stadium. Ron Wilson hurled a seven-hitter in going the route for the Angles who racked up nine hits including home runs by Dick Thompson and Al McKee. Thompson smackled his long ball in the fourth inning and it stood up until Peace River pushed across the equalizer in the bottom of the ninth. Mel Korte, first up for the Stampeders was hit by a pitch and scooted all the way home on a pair of throwing errors. In the 14th, Max Lindstrand doubled and Ray Chapman followed with another two-bagger for the winning run. McKee closed out the scoring with his two-run blast. Pete Czuy fanned 13 in a losing cause.
Wilson (W) and Thompson
Pete Czuy and Kozie
Don Kadatz pitched the Angels to a 7-4 win over Grande Prairie Eskimos in the first game. Ed Welsh was the loser. In the semi-finals, Edmonton thumped Fairview 14-1 behind the steller hurling of Kadatz while the Outlaws ran through three hurlers, Pat Friedel, Jim Fox and Gerry Howard. Stampeders reached the final defeating Sexsmith Rainiers. Stamps fell behind in the seventh when Jerry Zaichowsky cracked a grand-slam homer for the visitors but rallied with four of their own in the eighth on a key hit by Al Hebert. Ken Gall was the winning moundsman over Wayne Johnson.
The opening day games saw the Stamps blank KInuso-Widewater Saints 6-0 with Al Hebert the winning pitcher over Ken Olson. Sexsmith edged the Linaria Flyers 11-9 as Chuck Stojan bested Les Orn on the hill. Fairview Outlaws scored three in the eighth to rally for a 4-2 victory over Beaverlodge. Lefty Jerry Howard was the winner, Vic Tardiff the loser. Terry Watchorn and Lloyd Haddon had home runs.
Just before the tournament, in a column in the Peace River Record Gazette, Fred Winjack provided a little history on the event.
Peace River Stampeders' annual baseball tourney will take place this weekend at Peace River's Twelve Foot Davis Stadium with eight top teams battling for prize money totalling $1,300.Twelve Foot Davis Stadium, which is situated in a natural amphitheater, was built in 1959 and in that same year the powerful Stampeder machine got organized under the coaching of Joe Weremy.
In 1969 the Stampeders drew record crowds for all league, exhibition and tournament games.
There were some spectacular games played and there were some spectacular players around the Peace River country.
Wes Montgomery, who played the "hot corner" at third base, was a spectacular third baseman, along with shortstop Frank Brown who left the current edition of the Stampeders on account of his job.
In 1959, Al "Boomer" Adair and Joe Weremy batted back to back and former the most potent batting pair in the Stampeder lineup. Both of these players cracked over 20 home runs that year and were a threat every time they came to the plate.
Weremy is now retired. Adair retired in 1960 after an unfortunate accident while playing in the final game of the Grande Prairie tournament in 1959. Al was heading for third base when he decided to slide and broke his ankle. He never did fully recover from the accident.
Last year, Weremy came back to defeat the Stampeders for whom he had pitched for a number of years. He was with the Dawson Creek Cardinals. However, it is doubtful if Weremy will make the Peace River tournament this year.
And so, 1959, was the year of a new Peace River baseball team.
And as the years went on, Peace River's popular two-day tournament began to operate as one of the best in the province.
There were many great performers in Peace River's two-day event but one player that always stood out in my mind would be the great John Doucette of Donnelly. John won many a game in a Donnelly uniform, a Grande Prairie uniform, and Edmonton Eskimo uniform and also a Peace River uniform.
It was Doucette who gave the Peace River Stampeders a big win in the Ponoka tournament a half dozen years ago and it was Doucette who gave the Grande Prairie Eskimos a 2-1 win over the Peace River Stampeders in the 1959 tournament in that city.
And the unusual thing about Doucette was that he not only pitched a masterful game but climaxed things with a winning home run from his bat. He will be missed, but not forgotten for what he has done for the game in the north.
And of course there were many others that showed up. Wally Waddle has always been a great performer in the popular tournament; Mel Watchorn of the Fairview Outlaws, along with team-mates Jim Fox, Pat Friedel and now Jerry Howard; Lloyd Haddon of the Dawson Creek Cardinals who cracked out five home runs in last year's tournament; Ray and Dale Stokke of the Grande Prairie Eskimos, Garth Roberts of the Grande Prairie Eskimos; John Zahara of the Peace River Stampeders who cracked out three consecutive home runs in a single game.
Looking Back
In 1959, the Peace River Stampeders won the first tournament ever held in Twelve Foot David Stadium as they shut out the Donnelly Cubs 5-0.
In 1960, Dawson Creek Cardinals defeated the Barrhead club 4-3 in the final game. A real highlight of the tournament in 1960, was the 17 strikeouts by Merv Currie (and he was a great one) against Fort St. John. He still lost the game.
In 1961, the Stampeders defeated Donnelly Cubs 6-1 as John Zahara hit three consecutive home runs, all off big John Doucette. No doubt that was one ball game Doucette would like to forget.
In 1962, umpire John Mason of Edmonton had to call the final game between the Peace River Stampeders and the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox.
A number of hockey players appeared in Red Sox uniforms in the names of Gord Labossiere, Bob Solinger and Roger Bourbonnais. Many baseball fans claimed that this game could have topped them all as both clubs were loaded with talent.
In 1963, the Fairview Outlaws, or should we say Mel Watchorn, edged the Peace River Stampeders in the final game 4-2. Watchorn hit a pair of round trippers to account for the Fairview runs.
In 1964, there was no final game, not because of a rainout. The semi-final game between the Falher Leths and the Edmonton Weiller and William Colts went 18 innings before a winner was decided. Bill Lupul hit a home run in the bottom of th 18th to give the Edmonton club a win and a split of the money. The Edmonton team was to meet Donnelly Cubs in the final, but that game was not played because the semi-final game was not concluded until 8:30.
In 1965, the Stampeders bounced right back to take their tournament, defeating the Edmonton Weiller and William Colts 10-5. A big visitor to the tournament from the city was John Bright of the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club.
In 1966, the Edmonton A and W - Klondikers trounced the Stampeders 13-1. There was some great ball as several of the games went into extra innings.
And the last two years belonged to Fairview Outlaws. The Outlaws, with Jerry Howard on the pitching staff, will be out to try and make it three in a row. But they will have others trying to do the same.
Teams taking part this year are the host Peace River Stampeders, Kinuso-Widewater Saints, Linaria Flyers, Sexsmith Rainiers, Fairview Outlaws, Beaverlodge Royals, Grande Prairie Eskimos and the Blue Willow Angels from Edmonton.
The tournament is expected to draw capacity crowds as it has done in the past. the final game of the opening day draw will see the Grande Prairie Eskimos, who are Alberta's representatives in the Canadian Games at Halifax in August, against another club that will be representing our province in the Canadian Junior finals at Sarnia, Ont. The team is the Blue Willow Angels from Edmonton and they no doubt will be bolstered with other players for the trip to Peace River.
In fact, all the teams taking part in the Peace River tournament will probably be bolstered with pitching and hitting stars to try to win the money.
KINDERSLEY TOURNAMENT
(July 20) North Battleford Beavers scored nine runs in the first two innings Sunday and coasted to an 11-2 win over the Klippers in the final of the Elks Tournament at Kindersley. Pete Duncan pitched and batted Beavers to the triumph belting a pair of homers, one a grand slam, while hurling a five-hitter. Jack Rowley also had a homer for the winners while Bob Swick bashed one for the Klippers.
Duncan (W) and Bunyan
Hunchak (L), Sewell (2) and xxx
North Battleford made the final by edging the Unity Cardinals 6-5. Gerry Lister went all the way for the win. Rudy Arroyo started for the Cards, giving way to Ferchuk and Rucobo.
Lister (W) and xxx
Arroyo (L), Ferchuk, Rucobo and xxx
Although out hit 12 to 7, Kindersley Klippers downed Eston Ramblers 4-1 to win a berth in the final. Al Paganucci went the distance for the win. Barry Ellis took the loss.
Paganucci (W) and xxx
Ellis (L), Fitzmaurice and xxx
In opening action on Saturday, Eston topped Lethbridge White Sox 3-2 with Bob Burchfield the winner over Dennis King. Unity downed Regina Red Sox 4-3 behind the pitching of Vince Rucobo. Doug Homme took the loss. North Battleford eliminated the Vernon Luckies 4-3 on Manny Primeau's 10th inning homer and Greg Dvorak's pitching. (8-0/12-0) Reg Main was tagged with the loss. A highlight of opening action was Don Belluomini's one-hitter for Kindersley it a 5-1 victory over Winnipeg, Fort Rouge, Mallards. Doug Bennett's first inning single was the only safety allowed by Belluomini. Ken Lowry was handed the loss.
(July 22) In an exhibition game at Calgary, the Vernon Luckies downed the Giants 6-4. Luckies, pennant winners in the the Okanagan Mainline League, used the game as a warm-up for the Lacombe Tournament. They took an early lead, with two in the 1st and another three in the 3rd and led all the way. Outfielder Jerry Reimer, a pro with the Vancouver Mounties last season, led the Luckies' offense with a towering triple and single and score twice. Vernon out hit Calgary 10-6. The big blow for Calgary was Murray Heatley's two-run triple in the 5th.
Carmack, Marquardt (W) (5), Main (8) and Inglis
Taylor (L) , Erhardt (8), Horb (9) and Heatley
LACOMBE TOURNAMENT
(July 24) North Battleford Beavers took top money at the Lacombe Tournament thrashing Vernon Luckies 11-1 in the final. The game was called after seven innings because of the "mercy rule" (10 run lead). Greg Dvorak clubbed a three-run homer in the third inning when the Beavers exploded for six runs. Winning pitcher Pete Duncan had a three-run circuit clout in the 4th. Beavers outhit the Luckies 12 to 4. Duncan, with the four-hitter, wrapped up a sterling tourney. He also had four hits in 10 tries, hit two homers and drove in six runs. Dvorak matched that, with four hits, two homers and six RBI.
Cermack (L), Murch (3), Marquartd (5) and Inglis
Duncan (W) and Bunyan
Beavers reached the final with a 5-2 triumph over Drumheller. They took the lead with three runs in the first inning and, after Drumheller had scored in the second, added two more in the fifth to salt way the victory. Gerry Lister tossed a six-hitter for the win. Bill Shuetz of Spokane took the loss for the Miners. Bobby Trembecky was best for Drumheller with three hits. Jimmy Berlando, the Miners' playing manager, suited up for his 18th consecutive Lacombe Tournament.
Bill Shuetz (L), Pushkarenko (1), Pasutto (6) and Bonham
Lister (W) and Bunyan
Vernon used a 12-hit attack to down Unity 5-3. Rick Sugden smacked a homer for the Luckies. Reg Main scattered ten hits for the pitching win.
Main (W) and Inglis
Arroyo, Ferchuk (L) (5), Haylor (9) and Doerksen
(July 23) The Vernon BC Luckies upended the defending champion Moose Jaw Regals 10-1 in one of four opening games at the 20th Annual Lacombe Baseball Tournament. Vernon had just seven hits but took advantage of nine Moose Jaw errors. Jerry Reimer, former Vancouver Mountie of the Pacific Coast League, led Vernon with three hits including a tremendous three-run shot over the right field fence in the eighth inning. He drove in four runs. Al Murch went the route for the win.
Birchfield (L) and Tollesfson
Murch (W) and Inglis.
North Battleford Beavers downed Edmonton Angels 5-2 on Greg Dvorak's three-run homer in the 10th inning. Angles had tied the game 2-2 with a pair in the ninth after Dvorak, working on his 13th straight win of the season, fanned the first two batters. A triple and Don Darling's run-scoring single tied it. Then Dvorak followed a walk and an infield hit with his circuit blow.
McKee, Chahley (3), Lynn L) (8) and Symington
Dvorak (W) and Bunyan (8-0/13-0)
Unity Cardinals topped Cold Lake Parrots 2-1 as Vince Rucobo fired a one-hitter and struck out 17 for the Cards. Russ Painter allowed just three hits in taking the loss. Unity got the winner in fourth on an error and Mel Dahlside's base hit.
Painter (L) and Waddle
Rucobo (W) and Doerksen
Drumheller Miners got a run in the bottom of the eighth on Gord Tucker's double to shade Kindersley Klippers 4-3 behind the steady hurling of former Klipper Harold Hunchak. Tucker had four hits for the Miners and Don Maxwell, a pickup from Calgary, added three more. Playing manager Wayne Morgan had three hits for the losers.
Hayden, Bellominni (L) (5) and Swick
Hunchak (W) and Bonham
WESTERN CANADA SENIOR “A” BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
(August 30-31) This two-day event, played in its entirety at Riverside MB, was originally planned to be a double-knockout tornament featuring teams from the four western provinces. When British Columbia advised they would not be sending a team, two representatives from the host province of Manitoba, regular-season pennant-winners from the east and west divisions of the MSBL, the Balmoral Orioles and Riverside Canucks, were awarded berths in the tourney. At the last minute, however, both Alberta and Saskatchewan withdrew leaving a watered-down version of the original concept in the works.
Undeterred, the two regular-season pennant winners went ahead and locked horns in a three-game weekend series with the Riverside Canucks, relegated to the sidelines in the west-division playoffs, capturing the Saturday tilt 7 to 6 in a darkness-shortened, eight-inning encounter and then, on Sunday, sweeping their eastern-division counterparts 4 to 2 in an eleven-inning opener and 12 to 2 in a meaningless second encounter. Riverside outfielder Barry Moffatt finished the three-game series and the season with his consecutive-games hit streak in tact at 32.
The Canucks prevailed in the Saturday evening joust on the basis of a four-run outburst in the seventh stanza. A three-bagger by Barry Moffatt sparked the late surge. Riverside pitcher Russ Reid and Les Lisowski of the Orioles, both in relief roles, were the pitchers of record. Cliff Seafoot had a brace of doubles for the victorious Canucks.
Lisowski (L), Marks (7) and Hardy
Lilley, Reid (W) (7) and C. Seafoot
Sunday afternoon, the Riversiders needed three runs in the top-of-the second overtime round to annex the win and the series. The Canucks had a healthy 14 to 7 margin in base hits but allowed the Balmoral baseballers to hang around by booting the ball six times. Bob Neufeld, picked up from Dauphin for the series, got credit for the mound win in relief of starter Wayne Kaplar. Ed Carson, the last of three heavers used by the Birds, was tagged with the defeat. Cliff Seafoot was top dog with the baton for the winners with two singles and a double. Chris Erlendson belted a bases-empty round-tripper for the vanquished nine.
Kaplar, Neufeld (8) and C. Seafoot
Marks, Nichol (2), Carson (8) and Hodges
The Sunday finale was simply an exhibition affair and the O’s showed little of the pep and enthusiasm they had displayed in the previous two games. The highlight of this one-sided bout was the two-hit performance of Canuck flychaser Barry Moffatt who checked in with a single and double in this concluding performance to give him at least one hit in 32 consecutive games.
NOTE: The August 31 record-extending game would be the last time that Barry Moffatt suited up for the Riverside Canucks and play in the MSBL. Just four months later, on December 30, 1969, an unhelmeted Moffatt died during a hockey game after hitting his head on the ice following a cross-check.
KAMLOOPS LABOUR DAY TOURNAMENT
(Aug 30-Sept 1) Kamloops shrugged off a dismal Okanagan Mainline League season over the weekend to win top money in the annual Labour Day Tournament at Riverside Park. The host nine shaded Victoria Greaves 3-2 in the championship contest.
It was the first Kamloops win since 1963. The win in the final, Kamloop's third of the tournament, was especially sweet for Gordie Beecroft. After more than 15 years with the team, the last ten as player-coach, Beecroft has accepted a business position outside Kamloops and turned the club over to Ed Begg.
The team, which finished last with a 2-22 record during the regular season, was bolstered by imports for the tourney.
Kamloops won its first two games, 12-2 and 4-3, with Oregon pitcher Casey Feroglia picking up both wins, going the distance against Vancouver CYO in the first game and hurling five innings in relief against Vancouver Longshoremen. Import catcher Kip Patterson blasted a three-run homer to highlight an eight-run sixth inning in the opener. Begg had four singles and a pair of walks while Feroglia scattered seven hits and fanned seven. The young lefty had a rude awakening in the second game. In relief with two runners on base, Graham Frizzel crushed his second pitch over the left field wall to wipe out a 2-0 Kamloops lead. The locals regained the lead in the sixth as Dave Murphy cracked a homer to tie at 3-3 and Feroglia singled to bring in the go-ahead marker. Ed Folk, who had a homer in the opening game, and Randy Rota paced Kamloops each with two hits. Another Oregon import, shortstop Curt Daniels, displayed outstanding work in the infield.
A pair of local players helped the host club to the win in the final. Dave Murphy and Vince Smith, who went the first four innings on the hill in the second game, combined to stop hard-hitting Victoria in the final. Murphy overcame control problems to pitch seven strong innings and Smith came on to retire six in a row to preserve the win.
Victoria Greaves, who reached the final a year ago, played a sloppy first two innings in the final giving up three runs on only one hit. Two errors allowed Ed Folk to score in the first and another miscue let Bud Atkins cross the plate and put Chris Swaine in scoring position in the second. Folk then singled to give Kamloops a 3-0 advantage. Victoria got one back in the second and it stayed that way until the eighth when John Yankoski reached on a throwing error and Les Brice followed with a double.
Kamloops received $575 for winning, Victoria took home $375. Longshoremen and South Burnaby Athletics each won $175. South Burnaby knocked out defending champion Vernon Luckies 6-3 as the tournament got underway on Saturday.