1940 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1940 BC Interior
1940 Vancouver Island
VICTORIA SENIOR LEAGUE
Rejoining the 1939 champion Pitzer & Nex squad in the 1940 Capital City circuit were the Eagles, Tillicum Athletics and Navy. The schedule was modest with each team playing just eleven league games. An all-star aggregation from the loop participated in a litany of exhibition matches against both American and Vancouver opposition.
Teams in the 1940 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League
Eagles
Navy
Pitzer & Nex
Tillicum Athletics
(May 10) Manager Eddie Kelpin's Tillicum Athletics drew first blood as the 1940 Victoria Senior League schedule got underway at Royal Athletic Park with the A's nosing out 1939 champion Pitzer & Nex 9-8 in a six inning contest. The A's fell behind 3-1 in the first inning but responded with a four-run splurge in the second and stayed in front the rest of the way. The gasmen made it close with two runs in the fifth and another pair in the sixth. Second baseman Axel Kinnear led the winners with three hits while Ray Casey, Massa Kuwabara and Ted Maitland chipped in with two apiece.. Ray Maitland had two hits and two runs for Pitzer & Nex.
Leonard (W), Rowe (5) and Kuwabara
Hornsby (L) and Cosier
(May 11) In a three-team double bill Saturday, the Eagles got their season off to a terrific start with a pair of victories, 13-3 over Navy and 9-8 over Tillicum. In the matinee attraction, manager Bill Bridgewood's Eagles trounced the sailors exploding for eight runs in the seventh inning after Navy had managed to keep it close for six frames. Bridgewood led the offensive with three hits and three runs. Jack Blake added a triple, single and a pair of scores. Stan Davies held Navy to six hits in pitching the victory. He fanned 11 and walked just one.
Southan (L), Freland (7) and Grover
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
The Tillicum Athletics booted the ball 11 times, four at second base by Axel Kinnear, in the second game and still nearly pulled out a victory. After five innings the A's held a 7-3 advantage. However, in the top of the sixth and final frame the Eagles paraded ten batters to the plate scoring six times. The A's pushed one run across in the bottom of the inning but Les Stobo, former Port Alberni hurler, making his first Victoria start bore down to fan the side to end the game. Eagles had just six hits off Sonny Walker while Tillicum produced eight off Stobo. Ted Maitland and Whalen each collected a double and single.
Stobo (W) and Bridgewood
Walker (L) and Kuwabara
Eagles 2 - 0
Athletics 1 - 1
Pitzer & Nex 0 - 1
Navy 0 - 1
May 13) Lorne Murray's sharp single drove in two runs in the final inning to hand Pitzer & Nex a 7-6 victory over Navy in a McGavin Cup fixture Monday at Royal Athletic Park. Trailing 6-5 going into the sixth and final frame, playing manager Bert Nex reached safely with a single with one out and Noel Morgan's lazy pop fly dropped in behind third. A pass ball advanced the runners and Murray brought them home. The gasmen had earlier blown a 5-0 lead to let Navy back in the game. Murray, who relieved starting pitcher Ray Maitland to blank the sailors in the bottom of the sixth, was the game's top batsman with three hits, one of them a two-bagger.
R.Maitland (W), Murray (6) and Woodford
Bennett (L), Vreeland and Grover
(May 15) Victoria Eagles cracked out 18 hits Wednesday to crush Tillicum Athletics 8-1 for their third straight victory. Steve Dunc led the way with a five for five performance, a double and four singles. Barney Barnswell and Charlie Stroulger each rapped three hits and winning pitcher Russ Richardson and catcher Bill Bridgewood had two apiece. Richardson held the A's to six hits and rang up 12 strikeouts. Tillicum got its only run in the top of the first inning after which Richardson pitched shutout ball.
Leonard (L) and Patterson
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
Eagles 3 - 0
Pitzer & Nex 1 - 1
Athletics 1 - 2
Navy 0 - 2
(May 17) Tillicum Athletics rode one big inning to an 11-6 win over Navy in Victoria Senior ball Friday at Royal Athletic Park. The A's punched out seven hits, highlighted by Harry Barber's three-run home, to push across seven runs. The outburst also featured a pair of two-baggers and two Navy errors. Navy made things interesting in the seventh bunching three hits and two walks for five runs. Porter's bases-loaded double knocked in three of the markers. Winning pitcher Chuck Rowe, Sonny Walker and Ray Casey each had a pair of safeties for the winners. Walker's hits included a triple and Rowe and Casey had doubles.
Vreeland (L) and Grover
Rowe (W), Walker (7) and Main
(May 18) The undefeated Victoria Eagles got a double-play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth and final inning to escape with a 3-1 victory over Pitzer & Nex Saturday. The birdmen bunched five of their six safeties in the second and fourth innings when they did all their scoring. Shutout for seven frames, the gasmen rallied in the final frame. "Rogers" Hornsby drew a walk as a pinch-hitter and Ray Maitland and Gordon Jones followed with singles to load the sacks. Playing manager Bert Nex hit into the twin-killing which brought in the lone run. The game ended seconds later when Lorne Murray grounded out. Eagles got two hits and two runs from Steve Dunc and a pair of singles by Les Stobo. Stan Davies fired a four-hitter for the win. He rang up nine strikeouts and just one free pass.
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
Acres (L), Waddell (6) and Cosier
Eagles 4 - 0
Athletics 2 - 2
Pitzer & Nex 1 - 2
Navy 0 - 3
(May 20) Navy handed the Eagles their first loss of the season Monday riding a five-run fifth inning to a 9 to 6 triumph fuelled by a 12-hit attack. Left fielder Nelson pounded three doubles to pace the winners. Benny Southan picked up the pitching win with six innings of relief. Steve Dunc cracked a homer for the Eagles.
Lansdell (L), Stobo (5) , Davies (7) and Bridgewood
Richards, Southan (W) (3) and Grover
(May 24) The Victoria All-Stars put on two impressive performances before a crowd of about 1,800 spectators Friday in downing Bob Brown's Vancouver Athletics in both games of an exhibition double-header, 5-0 and 4-2. Russ Richardson, a former Vancouver hurler, turned in a two-hitter, with 11 strikeouts and no walks, for the shutout in the morning game. The right-hander was also a force at the plate with three hits. Victoria broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the seventh inning on five base blows, two of them doubles. They added a final run in the eighth.
Clarke (L), McIntyre (7) and VanHatten
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
Stan Davies heaved Victoria to the 4-2 win in the second game holding the visitors to seven hits while the locals won the match with a three-run rally in the sixth inning. Steve Dunc, whose two-run single keyed the outburst, had three hits to lead a 10-hit offensive. Charlie Stroulger and Patrick each had a pair of safeties.
Musgrave (L) and Holden
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
(May 25) Duff Waddell, a former Winnipeg hurler making his first start at the Caledonia Avenue ball lot, fired a three-hitter Saturday to pitch Pitzer & Nex to a 2-1 verdict over Tillicum Athletics. A passed ball in the sixth inning gave the A's their only run and deprived Waddell of a shutout. The left-hander fanned 16. Tillicum's Lloyd Cann, who had 11 strikeouts, blanked the gasmen until the seventh when Waddell punched out a single to score catcher Henry Woodford to tie the game at 1-1. They got the winner in the 8th on a squeeze play as Bill Pollard laid down a bunt to bring in Bert Nex.
Waddell (W) and Woodford
Cann (L) and Kuwabara
Eagles 4 - 1
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 2
Athletics 2 - 3
Navy 1 - 3
(May 27) The Tillicum Athletics brought their hitting shoes Monday as every batter in their lineup had at least one base blow in an 11-5 win over Navy. The A's swatted out 17 safeties, four by shortstop Charlie Restell. Ray Casey and winning chucker Louis Leonard each produced two hits and two runs.
Leonard (W) and Main
Vreeland (L) and Grover
(May 29) Russ Richardson, who fired a two-hit shutout against the Vancouver Athletics on Friday, did it again Wednesday in blanking Pitzer and Nex 1-0 in a Victoria Senior League encounter. The Eagles' right-hander, making his last start before his wedding at Vancouver Saturday, rang up 11 strikeouts with one free pass, that intentional. The two hits against him were both infield singles. Duff Waddell surrendered just three hits and four walks in taking the pitching loss. The only run came in the second frame on two singles and a sacrifice hit. The gasmen threatened in the final frame. With two down and runners on second and third, Lorne Murray was given an intentional pass to fill the sacks. Ray Maitland, the big centre fielder drilled one between first and second but a smart fielding play by second sacker Charlie Stroulger got Maitland at first for the final out.
Waddell (L) and Cosier
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
(May 31) Pitzer & Nex wound up their 1940 McGavin Cup series with a 7-2 triumph over Navy to finish in a second place tie with the Athletics. Monday will see the opening game in the Rithet Cup series with Tillicum battling Navy. Forerunner to the city championship play-downs, the draw has each team facing the other four times. Fred Acres allowed ten hits but kept them well scattered in going the route for the pitching win. Acres also starred at the plate with two hits and scored three times. Navy second basemen Jack Rogers also had three safeties.
Davis (L) and Grover
Acres (W) and Woodford
McGavin Cup, Final Standings
Eagles 5 - 1
Athletics 3 - 3
Pitzer & Nex 3 - 3
Navy 1 - 5
(June 1) In an international series played at Royal Athletic Park Saturday, Bellingham edged Victoria 3-2 in the first game of a double-header but the locals charged back to cop an 11-5 triumph in the second. The visitors got the winning run the seventh inning of the opener as Maikawa, the Bellingham shortstop singled and move up on a sacrifice. With two out, catcher Smith laced a single to bring home the deciding marker. Landon held Victoria to five hits in gaining the pitching win. Les Stobo yielded seven in taking the loss.
Landon (W) and Smith
Stobo (L) and Bridgewood
Victoria broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the fifth frame and went on to dump the visitors 11-5 behind a 14-hit attack in the second game. Right-fielder Sonny Walker led the All-Stars with three hits, including a two-run homer over the Pembroke Street fence. Third sacker Ray Casey added three singles. Left-fielder Steve Dunc and pitcher Lloyd Cann each added two hits and two runs. Cann held Bellingham to seven hits and compiled seven strikeouts. With three victories in four inter-city games, Victoria will rest up until June 15th when they are scheduled to battle Tacoma in a double-header.
Martinolich (L) and Smith
Cann (W) and Macauley
(June 3) Tillicum Athletics unleashed an 18-hit offensive Monday, led by third baseman Ray Casey, in crushing Victoria Navy 15-6. Casey clouted a two-run homer and a pair of singles, scoring four times. Three players -- Sonny Walker, Charlie Restell and Massa Kuwabara -- each had three hits. Scotty Robinson, in his first game as manager of the A's, went two for two with two runs scored. Louis Leonard went the route for the A's and gave up seven base knocks.
Southon (L), Davis (5) and Grover
Leonard (W) and Kuwabara
(June 5) Eagles broke fast with five runs in the top of the first inning en route to an easy 13-6 victory over Pitzer & Nex Wednesday. Hot hitting Steve Dunc smacked a homer and two singles to lead a 12-hit attack by the Eagles. Stan Davies managed to go all the way for the pitching win in spite of ten hits, four walks and two hit batters. Lorne Murray collected three safeties for the gasmen.
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
Hornsby (L), R.Maitland (3) and Cosier
(June 7) Taking advantage of costly bobbles by Tillicum Athletics, Pitzer & Nex defeated the A's 12-5 Friday in a Rithet Cup fixture at Royal Athletic Park. For six innings it was a tight contest with the lead changing hands four times. At the end of the sixth the clubs were deadlocked 5-5 and then Pitzer & Nex brought their new bats to life and the A's kicked the ball around like a football. In all they made ten errors, four at shortstop. The gasmen ran up four runs in the seventh and three more in the ninth. Noel Morgan clubbed a double and two singles to lead the winners. He scored three times. Lorne Murray also had three scores and had a double and single. Ray Maitland pounded a pair of two-baggers to go along with two scores. Duff Waddell gave up ten hits and seven walks but managed to go all the way for the winners. He fanned 11.
(June 10) With a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth and final stanza Navy upset the Eagles 7-6 Monday to give all four teams a win and a loss in Rithet Cup play. Catcher Tony Grover cracked three safeties as part of an 11-hit attack by the sailors. "Ginger" Vreeland allowed six hits in pitching for Navy.
Stobo (L) and Macaulay
Vreeland (W) and Grover
(June 12) Taking a three run lead in the opening frame and closing the gate just in time to halt a dangerous rally by their opponents, manager Scotty Robinson's Tillicum Athletics nosed out the Eagles 7-6 Wednesday night in a Rithet Cup match. The A's rang up a 6-1 lead before the Eagles got to starter Chuck Rowe for three safeties, two of them for extra bases, to push across a pair of runners around the paths in the fifth.. In the sixth they added three more to come to within a run. Lloyd Cann relieved the young starter and proceeded to blank the Eagles for the last three innings. The winners produced 11 hits, two each by Robinson, Ray Casey and Art Chapman.
Rowe (W), Cann (7) and Kuwabara
Davies (L) and Bridgewood
(June 14) Manager Benny Southon's Navy balltossers have hit their stride, now sharing top berth with Tillicum in the Rithet Cup race. Friday night, the sailors took a 6-3 decision over Pitzer & Nex for their second win of the week. Southon heaved good ball for Navy going six innings giving up just one run before handing over mound duties to McKinnon when his arm became a little sore. Fred Acres started for the defending champions and went along nicely until the sixth when the sailors got to his offerings for four hits and an equal number of runs. Padgett, the Navy third baseman, pulled the hidden ball trick in the fourth stanza catching Noel Morgan napping a few feet off the base. Padgett and Porter led a 10-hit attack each with a pair.
Acres, R.Maitland (7) and Woodford
Southon (W), McKinnon (7) and Grover
Athletics 2 - 1
Navy 2 - 1
Eagles 1 - 2
Pitzer & Nex 1 - 2
(June 15) The heavy-hitting nine from Jacobs' State Hospital in Tacoma had too much firepower for the Victoria All-Stars Saturday sweeping a double-header 8-2 and 12-6, punching out 30 hits in the process. Left fielder Wallace led a potent Tacoma offense in the first game clouting a homer and two singles. Right-fielder McDougal punched out a double and two singles and winning pitcher Greer added two hits and two runs. Whalen was best for Victoria with three singles. Duff Waddell fanned 11 with no free passes in taking the loss. Greer had just one strikeout and four walks.
Greer (W) and Rasmussen
Waddell (L) and Bridgewood
There were 25 hits in the second game, 12 going for extra bases. Tacoma scored four times in the top of the first inning and coasted to the 12-6 win. Catcher Rasmussen smacked a triple, double and single for the visitors. Wallace continued his hot hitting with a double and triple and Greer, in right field, added a triple and single. McDougal, former University of Washington hurler, worked for the visitors utilizing a sizzling fast ball and effective change-of-pace. He allowed eight hits and was let down by his infield which made six errors. He fanned seven and walked one. Al Condon, Charlie Restell and Bill Bridgewood each rapped a pair of safeties for the locals.
McDougal (W) and Rasmussen
Cann (L) and Bridgewood
(June 17) Beaten in the first game in the Rithet Cup series, Navy has since notched three straight victories to move into first place in the competition. The Tillicum Athletics were the latest victims falling 8-7 Monday evening. Davis, Navy's teenage shortstop was the hero as he blooped one behind first base in the last of the eighth inning to score two runs to give the sailors the triumph. Porter, Navy's left fielder had kicked off the sailor;s attack in the first inning with a blast over the left centre field fence scoring Tony Grover ahead of him.
Leonard (L) and Kuwabara
Vreeland (W) and Grover
(June 19) Bunching their hits in the third and sixth innings, when they scored all their runs, Pitzer & Nex defeated the Eagles 9-6 Wednesday night at Royal Athletic Park. Gasmen laced our 13 hits, three for extra bases, to hand Russ Richardson his initial loss of the season. Making his first start since his honeymoon on the Mainland, Richardson bumped into plenty of trouble before he was yanked in the sixth. Second sacker Ralph Cozier led the winners with a triple and two doubles. Catcher Henry Woodford added three singles. Ray Maitland held the birdmen to seven hits, with Reg Patterson and Jack Blake each producing a double and single.
R.Maitland (W) and Woodford
Richardson (L), Davies (6) and Bridgewood
(June 21) Led by third sacker and team captain Ray Casey, who punched out four hits in five trips to the plate, Tillicum Athletics trounced Pitzer & Nex 8-2 to boost the A's into second place in the Rithet Cup standings. Lloyd Cann, on the mound for Tillicum, was in good form tossing shutout ball for eight innings before the gasmen broke through with a pair in the ninth frame. He allowed just seven hits, fanned 12 with two free passes. The winners cracked out a total of 16 hits off young Fred Acres, Ted Maitland added three and Gordon Cooper, Doug Lindsay and Harry Barber each had a pair.
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
Acres (L) and Woodford
(June 22) Gordon Wreckers of Ferndale, Washington, the leaders in the Bellingham City Baseball League, took both games of Saturday's international series twin-bill at Royal Athletic Park, 6-1 in the afternoon and 7-2 in the evening fixture. Wes Hopman held Victoria to six hits in the opener as the visitors ran up a 4-0 lead before the locals got on the scoreboard in the seventh inning. The Americans got two hits apiece from Toby, Dunlap and Peterson.
Hopman (W) and McCartin
Stobo (L) and Patterson
In the evening, Raymond, a young left-hander, fired a five-hitter for the Wreckers as they punched out 12 safeties in the 7-2 triumph. He collected seven strikeouts and walked a pair. Third baseman Grimm smacked four hits, scored twice and had three steals.
Raymond (W) and McCartin, Toby
R.Maitland (L) and Bridgewood
(June 24) Victoria Eagles cracked out 17 hits and saw the Navy nine boot the ball eight times Monday to run up a 20-1 victory. And, all this in just six innings. They scored three in the first inning, three more in the third before putting together seven run stanzas in the fourth and fifth. Mercifully, for Navy, the game was called after six frames. The top three batters in the Eagles' lineup collected a total of nine hits and scored 12 times as Jack Blake, Barney Barnswell and Bill Bridgewood each had three hits and four runs. Blake provided the power with a triple and two doubles. Reg Patterson added a brace of two-baggers. The birdmen ran wild on the bases collecting ten stolen bases, three by Bridgewood. Stan Davies held the bewildered sailors to six hits, all singles, and whiffed eight.
Davies (W) Bridgewood, Macaulay
McKinnon (L), Vreeland (4), Grover (5), J.Rogers, Bremner and
Grover, xxx
(June 26) Diminutive Charlie "Schoolboy" Rowe sparkled on the hill for the Tillicum Athletics Wednesday as the A's downed the Eagles 7-2. Hitting the corners all night, Rowe limited the hard-hitting Eagles to five safeties and fanned seven in his complete game victory. Harry Barber broke up a tight game with a three-run homer in the seventh inning. Barber, who had two hits, and Charlie Restell with three, led a 10-hit effort by the Athletics.
Richardson (L) and Bridgewood
Rowe (W) and Kuwabara
Athletics 4 - 2
Navy 3 - 2
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 3
Eagles 2 - 4
(June 28) Pitzer & Nex broke a 3-3 draw with five runs in the seventh inning en route to a 9-5 triumph over Navy. Winning pitcher Ray Maitland allowed just six hits but had control troubles walking eight. With the win the gasmen moved into a tie with Navy, a game back of first place Tillicum. Henry Woodford, "Rogers" Horsnby and Bert Nex each had two safeties for the winners. Porter led the sailors with a two-run homer and a double.
Southon (L) and Grover
R.Maitland (W) and Woodford
(July 1) In the Dominion Day inter-city series Victoria All-Stars and Vancouver Athletics split a twin-bill, 8-4 for Vancouver in the morning game and 12-4 for the locals in the second. Getting to Stan Davies for five hits, two for extra bases, in the first inning, Vancouver pushed across four runs and were never headed. Third baseman Ken Lawn cracked a double, triple and single for the visitors and left fielder Bentley added three singles. Jimmy Van Hatten and Jimmy McKissock each had two hits and scored two runs, Charlie Restell poked three safeties for Victoria. Roy Holden gave up ten hits and five walks but held on to go the distance for the win.
Holden (W) and McCarthey
Davies (L) and Bridgewood
Both teams came out swinging in the second game collecting a total of 38 hits, eight for extra bases, as Victoria rebounded for a 12-4 victory. The locals plated three runs in the first inning and cruised to the triumph. Ray Casey belted a homer and four singles for the All-Stars and Charlie Restell clouted a double and two singles. Bill Bridgewood and winning hurler Russ Richardson helped out each with a double and single and two runs. Vancouver had four players with three hits - Bentley Joe Naples, McCarthey and Molyneaux.
Boston (L), Clarke (4) and McCarthey
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
(July 3) Navy out-hit Tillicum Athletics Wednesday night but seven errors, three at first base, handed the win to the Athletics, 11 to 6. The sailors fell behind 11-0 before getting on the scoreboard in the 8th and 9th innings. Jack Rogers, making his debut on the hillock for the losers, heaved good ball allowing just seven hits, but his porous defense made the difference. Scotty Robinson and Harry Barber poked triples for the winners and Ted Maitland had a double and single. The game featured 15 stolen bases, three each by the A's Charlie Restell and Gordon Cooper. Louis Leonard was the winning hurler.
Leonard (W) and Kuwabara
J.Rogers (L) and Grover, Porter
(July 5) Outstanding hurling featured the Friday contest won by the Eagles, 4-1 over Pitzer & Nex. The Eagles' Stan Davies had a shutout for six innings before giving up a run in the seventh. He twirled a four-hitter and fanned 13 in picking up the win. Ted Maitland had a two-hit shutout over 6 2/3s innings of relief for the gasmen. He came in for Fred Acres after the Eagles had scored all their runs in the first inning. The spree was highlighted by Tommy Rooney's home run clout over the centre field fence.
Acres (L), T.Maitland (2) and Woodford
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
Athletics 5 - 2
Pitzer & Nex 3 - 4
Navy 3 - 4
Eagles 3 - 4
(July 6) Victoria All-Stars took it on the chin in both games of Saturday's twin-bill against Port Orchard, the leaders of the Tri-County Baseball League in an international series at Royal Athletic Park. The visitors took the matinee 10-6 and followed up with a 7-2 victory in the nightcap. In an error-filled first game, Port Orchard started fast with five runs in the top of the first inning en route to the 10-6 victory. They smacked 12 hits, with Monkus, Anderson and Tommy Jarstad each with a pair. Bill Ahearn, a University of Washington pitcher, held the locals to six safeties while setting down 12 via the strikeout route. He allowed just one free pass. Victoria booted the ball seven times, two more than the visitors.
Ahearn (W) and Johnson
Richardson (L) and Bridgewood
The visitors also took an early lead in the second game scoring two in the top of the first and adding three more in the fourth. Tommy Jarstad, another University of Washington hurler, tossed a five-hitter for the win while Lloyd Cann, on the hill for Victoria, yielded nine safeties.
Jarstad (W) and Johnson, Hester
Cann (L) and Bridgewood
(July 8) Tillicum Athletics widened their lead in the Rithet Cup chase Monday edging Pitzer & Nex 4-3. It was a tough loss for the gasmen who had nine hits to seven for the A's and pulled off the first triple play in many years at Royal Athletic Park. The unusual triple killing came in the very first inning. With Charlie Restell on third and Massa Kuwabara on second base, Harry Barber of the A's lined to Lorne Murray at shortstop who caught Restell off the bag at third for the second out. The throw back to second hit the runner and went past the bag as Kuwabara raced to third base beating the throw to third sacker Henry Harris. But Harris pulled the old hidden ball trick catching Kuwabara off the bag for the third out. Schoolboy Rowe, the smallest pitcher in the league, checked in with his second straight win in the Rithet Cup series. He allowed nine hits and had just one strikeout. Duff Waddell, who surrendered seven safeties, fanned 13 in taking the loss. Ralph Cosier had three hits for the winners.
Rowe (W) and Kuwabara
Waddell (L) and Woodford
(July 13) Displaying a marked improvement over their exhibitions of a week ago, Victoria All-Stars took both ends of a double bill from visiting Bremeton, Washington, Saturday. Locals won the afternoon fixture 4-2 while being out-hit 10 to 5 and then came back to win the nightcap 10-6. Victoria broke a 1-1 deadlock in the fifth frame of the opening game as Jack Blake, the speedy outfielder, stole home to put Victoria in the lead and Barney Barnswell came in from third with what proved to be the winning run when pitcher Bob Deal threw a wild pitch. Stan Davies was nicked for ten hits but kept them well scattered. He struck out an even dozen in capturing the mound victory. Deal allowed just five hits but gave up six free passes. Barnswell was the game's top hitter with three safeties. Deal had a double and single for the visitors.
Deal (L) and Critser
Davies (W) and Patterson
Victoria pounded out 14 hits in the second game, three by Charlie Stroulger, in the 10-6 win. Bremerton took the lead with a run in the first inning but Victoria responded with two in the second and another pair in the third to move ahead. The visitors fought back to tie with two in the fifth and another in the top of the sixth before the locals wrapped it up with six runs in their last three at bats. Lloyd Cann was the winning hurler giving up ten hits.
Critser (L) and Plotz
Cann (W) and Rooney
(July 15) Navy got the first run Monday night and tied 3-3 in the fourth but that's about all they had to cheer about as the Eagles responded with nine unanswered runs to take a 12-3 victory. Russ Richardson fired three-hit ball with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3s innings of relief to post the pitching win. He was part of an 11-hit attack with a pair of singles. Reg Patterson had one of the longest clouts, a triple, and scored three times. Barney Barnswell also had a three-bagger. Lawrence, a former Grand Forks high schooler, started for the Eagles but had control troubles as he gave up two walks and tossed a wild pitch and was replaced by Richardson.
J.Rogers (L) and Porter
Lawrence, Richardson (W) (1) and Bridgewood
(July 17) Tillicum Athletics consolidated their hold on first place in the Rithet Cup series downing the Eagles 5-3 to open up a three-game lead atop the standings. The A's who had just four hits took advantage of four walks, a balk and four Eagles' errors to run up a 5-0 lead after seven innings. The birdmen put a scare into the A's with an eighth inning rally as Tommy Rooney smacked a three-run homer and Art Chapman followed with a double but Lloyd Cann settled down to retire the side and put down the Eagles one, two, three in the ninth for the victory. Rooney had a double in addition to his four-bagger and Reg Patterson smacked a pair of doubles and a single in a losing cause. Cann allowed nine hits and a walk while whiffing eight.
Davies (L) and Bridgewood
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
Rithet Cup
Athletics 7 - 2
Eagles 4 - 5
Navy 3 - 5
Pitzer & Nex 3 - 5
(July 19) In a wild first inning, Pitzer & Next sent 15 batters to the plate scoring 11 times to crush Navy 14-3 Friday. Every batter in the lineup had at least one hit with Gordon Jones leading the parade with three hits and three runs. Lorne Murray also scored three times and had two base blows. Porter, the Navy catcher, was the lone bright spot for the sailors pounding out a homer. Pitzer & Nex also pulled off a triple play, their second of the season. In the sixth inning with runners on first and second, Murray, at shortstop, nabbed a liner and threw to second to catch Johnny Rogers off the bag and the relay to first got Milne tagged out to complete the triple play. "Rogers" Horsnby held Navy to six hits and rang up eight strikeouts in going the distance for the winners.
Murphy (L), Southon (1), Richards (5) and Porter
Hornsby (W) and Woodford
(July 20) In the Hart International Trophy series, Victoria and Port Angeles broke even in Saturday's double-bill. The locals took the matinee event 11-7 but the visitors came back to eke out a 5-4 decision in the abbreviated nightcap. Barney Barnswell drove in five runs for the winners with a triple and two singles in the first game as Victoria broke open a tight game with four runs in the sixth inning. Thomas, the husky Port Angeles first sacker, cracked a home run and two doubles in four trips to the plate. Stan Davies was the winning hurler.
Schmuch (L), D.Loghry (6) and Young
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
The visitors rapped four hits in the top of the first inning of the second game and took a four-run lead, winding up on the long end of a 5-4 score. Erickson, the Americans hurler, got Victoria playing manager Bill Bridgewood to ground out with two runs in and runners on first and third in the final frame to end the game. Williams, the Port Angeles third sacker, smacked a triple and single in thee official trips to the plate to lead the winners.
Erickson (W) and Staeger
R.Maitland (L), Stobo (1) and Kuwabara
(July 22) The Ethiopian Clowns, a coloured nine from Miami, defeated Victoria 10-7 Monday in the first of a two game series. In addition to solid baseball skills, the visitors brought their entertaining shadow ball, pepper act and fishing routine to the ballpark. Centre fielder Mofike led a 12-hit attack with a double and a pair of singles. First sacker Gerlogibi had a two-bagger and a single and scored four times. Winning pitcher Impo added two hits and three runs. Charlie Stroulger poked three hits, one a double, for Victoria.
Macan, Impo (W) (2) and Tarzan, Khora
Richardson (L) and Patterson
(July 27) Making their only appearance on Vancouver Island this season, the Cincinnati Buckeyes, associate members of the National Colored Baseball League, took both ends of Saturday's exhibition double-header with Victoria. The visitors eked out a 3-2, 10-inning decision in the matinee attraction and then notched a 4-2 verdict in the evening contest. In defeat, Victoria gained considerable praise from fans as they left the Caledonia Avenue ball lot, quick to point out how well the locals had performed against their professional opponents. The locals seemed headed to a shutout win in the first game but an error, with two out in the third inning allowed the visitors to push across two unearned runs after Victoria had opened the game with a pair in the first inning. The teams then played scoreless ball until Cincinnati pushed across the winner in the tenth. Barner was outstanding for the visitors holding Victoria to three hits while whiffing 11 and issuing just one free pass. Ted Gibson smacked three hits for the Buckeyes, including a double and a triple.
Barner (W) and Dunbar
Stobo (L) and Bridgewood
Pitcher Alvin Gibson won his own game in the nightcap by punching out a single to score two runs in the seventh inning of the 4-2 victory for the Buckeyes. Reg Patterson clouted a homer for the locals.
A.Gibson (W) and Bland
Davies (L) and Patterson
(July 31) Russ Richardson, displaying the form that featured his work early in the season, set down Pitzer & Nex on two hits Wednesday as the Eagles won 4-2 in a seven-inning contest. Both hits against the young soldier were singles and he rang up an even dozen strikeouts. Outfielders Steve Dunc and Reg Patterson each produced two hits for the Eagles.
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
R.Maitland (L) and Woodford
Athletics 7 - 2
Eagles 5 - 5
Pitzer & Nex 4 - 6
Navy 3 - 6
(August 2) Manager Harry Crump's barnstorming Colored House of David did all their scoring in two innings, the third and the eighth Friday, to down Victoria 8-1 in the opening game of their exhibition series. Slightly built Schoolboy Lomax put on a show with his mound work, featuring a sharp breaking curve ball, holding Victoria to two hits and ringing up 13 strikeouts with no walks. Both hits against him came in the first inning. The Davids' got two big blows, Ewing, the right fielder poked a bases-loaded triple while Saunders, at shortstop, punched a two-run double for the visitors. Tommy Rooney singled to plate Barney Barnswell with the lone Victoria run in the first stanza.
Lomax (W) and McCray
Cann (L) and Kuwabara
(August 3) The Colored House of David swept their three-game series in Victoria taking both games of Saturday's twin-bill, 10-2 and 5-4. The visitors took advantage of some porous defense to score four runs in the first inning of the opener and went on to crush the hosts 10-2, getting shutout pitching by Ewing until the seventh when the locals managed to plate a pair. The winners got three hits apiece by shortstop Saunders and right fielder Schoolboy Lomax. Stan Davies, who allowed 12 hits in taking the loss, managed to ring up 10 strikeouts.
Ewing (W) and McCray
Davies (L) and Bridgewood
Pee Wee Mays, the Davids third sacker lashed out four hits, one a two-bagger, as the visitors squeezed out the one-run victory in the second game. Ewing, the winning pitcher in the first game, had a double and triple as a right fielder in the second contest. Tommy Rooney had three safeties for the locals.
Boyd (W) and McCray
R.Maitland (L) and Kuwabara
(August 7) Tillicum Athletics opened up a four-game margin atop the Rithet Cup standings Wednesday edging the Eagles 2-1 at Royal Athletic Park. Big Ted Maitland was the hero of the victory as he poked out a clean single in the third inning to score both the A's runs. It was a sharp drive over second base sending Prior and Charlie Restell home. Sharing the spotlight was Lloyd Cann, pitching one of his best games of the season. Cann handcuffed the Eagles on three hits, all singles. He struck out seven and walked one.
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
Stobo (L) and Bridgewood
Athletics 9 - 2
Eagles 5 - 6
Pitzer & Nex 4 - 6
Navy 3 - 7
(August 9) Pitzer & Nex, the 1939 City champions, scored all their runs in the first three innings and held off a fourth inning rally by Navy to notch an 8-5 victory to tie for second spot in the Rithet Cup series. The gasmen collected just four hits but were helped by five Navy errors. Trailing 8-0 the sailors bunched four hits in the fourth for their big frame.
Murray (W), Esplen (3), R.Maitland (4) and Woodford
J.Rogers (L) , Southon (2) and Smith
Rithet Cup, Final Standings
Athletics 9 - 2
Eagles 5 - 6
Pitzer & Nex 5 - 6
Navy 3 - 8
PLAYOFFS
Semi-finals (best-of-five)
Pitzer & Nex vs Eagles
(August 12) Second baseman Ralph Cosier drove in the tying and winning runs with a bases-loaded double in the seventh inning to give Pitzer & Nex a 3-2 victory over the Eagles in the opening game of the best-of-five semi-final series. Ray Maitland held the Eagles to three hits in going the route for the winners to best Russ Richardson who yielded six hits.
Richardson (L) and Patterson
R.Maitland (W) and Woodford
(August 14) Pitzer & Nex fell behind 3-1 before rebounding with three markers in the third on the way to a 5-3 win over the Eagles to take a two to nothing game lead in the best of five semi-final series. Noel Morgan's two-run double was the key blow in the big frame for the gasmen. Duff Waddell settled down after a shaky start to hurl a five-hitter for the win.
Waddell (W) and Woodford
Stobo (L) and Patterson
(August 16) Getting the winning run on a bases-loaded hit batsman and an insurance run on an error, Pitzer & Nex downed the Eagles 4-2 Friday to take the semi-final series in three straight games. They'll now face the Tillicum Athletics in a best-of-seven final series. The gasmen had just two hits but the Eagles made it easy for their opponents by booting the ball eight times. With the scored knotted at 2-2 in the fourth inning and Barney Barnswell on second base thanks to an error, Stan Davies walked Henry Woodford and Lorne Murray to load the sacks. Noel Morgan then took one of Davies' benders in the shoulder and jaw to force in the tie-breaking run. Lorne Murray tossed four-hit ball for the winners. The game was called after six innings.
Davies (L) and Bridgewood
L.Murray (W) and Woodford
Finals (best-of-seven)
Pitzer & Nex vs Tillicum Athletics
(August 17) Tillicum Athletics had just five hits, but they were timely and the A's played errorless ball to shutout Pitzer & Nex 3-0 in the opening game of the Rithet Cup final series. The A's were helped by six errors by the gasmen. Tillicum got on the scoreboard in the second stanza when Art Chapman reached on an error, advanced on a fielder's choice and came home when pitcher Ray Maitland dropped the ball after fielding Gordon Cooper's bunt and trying to tag Chapman at home. The A's got two more runs in the fourth inning. Chapman and Ted Maitland led off with back-to-back singles and moved up on a sacrifice. Winning pitcher Lloyd Cann singled to score Chapman and Maitland came home on at error at first base. Cann gave up nine hits and fanned nine in going the route for the winners.
R.Maitland (L) and Woodford
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
(August 19) Pitzer & Nex rallied for two runs in the sixth inning to come from behind to edge Tillicum Athletics 2-1 to tie the final series at a game apiece. The A's took the lead in the second frame when Harry Barber punched out a triple to deep right field with Ray Casey on first by virtue of a base on balls. Tillicum threatened to break the game wide open by loading the bases with none out. But the gasmen pulled off a smart double play as pitcher Lorne Murray fielded a grounder and tossed to catcher Henry Woodford who tagged Harry Barber for the first out and the relay to first was in time for out number two. Murray then got a ground out to get out of the inning. After being blanked for five innings, Barney Barnswell and Murray led off the sixth for the gasmen with consecutive singles. After a fly out, Ralph Cosier loaded the sacks with the third hit of the inning. Ray Maitland laced a single to score Barnswell and Duff Waddell laid own a bunt to bring in Murray with the winning run. Louis Leonard fielded the bunt and threw to Massa Kuwabara but the catcher was unable to hold on to the ball.
Leonard (L) and Kuwabara
Murray (W) and Woodford
(August 21) In yet another low scoring affair, Tillicum Athletics got a six-hit shutout by Lloyd Cann in a 2-0 victory over Pitzer & Nex for a 2 to 1 game advantage in the Rithet cup series. The A's won in spite of being held to just three hits by Duff Waddell. A's scored both runs in the first inning. Charlie Restell worked Waddell for a walk and proceeded to steal second. Sacrificed to third, Restell scooted home on a single by Harry Barber. After Ray Casey walked to send Barber to second, Art Chapman connected for a base blow to bring in the second and final run. Tillicum had a chance to add to the lead in the seventh as Lawrence Given opened the stanza with a three-bagger but was thrown out at home as part of a double play. Bill Pollard in right field picked off Gordon Cooper's fly ball and fired to the plate to double up Given in a spectacular play. The fans gave Pollard a big hand as he raced in from the field.
Waddell (L) and Woodford
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
(August 23) In a series of stellar pitching, Ray "Copper" Maitland topped them all Friday tossing a no-hitter as Pitzer & Nex blanked Tillicum 1-0 in a six-inning contest to knot the final series at two games each. The only run came in the second inning. Noel Morgan opened with a stinging double to the left centre field fence and scored on a single to left by Henry Harris. Schoolboy Rowe hurled nice ball, a three-hitter, but this was Maitland's night. He fanned six and walked four.
Rowe (L) and Kuwabara
R.Maitland (W) and Woodford
(August 28) In the highest scoring game of the Rithet Cup final, Tillicum Athletics downed Pitzer & Nex 5-1 to move to within a game of copping the championship. The At's only managed four hits but got six walks and wobbly fielding by the gasmen combined with the A's speed on the base paths enabled them to push across the five big runs. Lloyd Cann, with shutouts in games one and three, lost a shutout bid in the sixth and final frame when two errors allowed a run to score against him. Cann had a four-hitter with nine strikeouts and one free pass.
Murray (L), Waddell (3) and Woodford
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
(August 30) Tillicum Athletics blanked Pitzer & Nex, 3-0 in a six-inning encounter for their third shutout in six games to take the Rithet Cup championship four games to two. The A's got the win despite producing just one hit, a sixth inning double by catcher Massa Kuwabara which knocked in two insurance runs. A's got their first marker in the third inning thanks to pitcher Ray Maitland's wildness. He hit a batter then dished up three successive walks to force in the initial marker. Louis Leonard held the gasmen to four hits and walked just one. In the six game series, Tillicum pitchers allowed just four runs, three of them earned. On the other hand, Pitzer & Nex hurlers logged a no-hitter and a one-hitter.
Leonard (W) and Kuwabara
R.Maitland (L) and Woodford
COWICHAN MID-ISLAND AREA
Two senior leagues were operational within the Cowichan/Mid-Island area during the 1940 baseball season.
Teams in the 1940 Chemainus/Mid-Island Baseball League
Chemainus Green Lanterns
Chemainus Longshoremen
Duncan Cubs
Nanaimo
Teams in the Mid-Island Japanese Baseball League
Chemainus Nippons
Hillcrest Giants
Hillcrest Rangers
Mayo Athletics
(May 12) The Chemainus Baseball League kicked off the 1940 season Sunday when a large crowd saw Joe Bennie of Nanaimo send down the ceremonial first pitch to batter J.A. Humbrid, manager of the V.L.& M. Co. with Captain J.L. Williams behind the plate. In the afternoon game, Nanaimo topped the Chemainus Longshoremen 7-5 in 11 innings while the Duncan Cubs whipped Chemainus Green Lanterns 6-0 in the seven-inning evening game.
Nanaimo punched out 11 hits in claiming the 7-5 triumph. Bill McGarrigle, who had four hits in five trips to the plate, knocked in both overtime runs for the victory. Ed Davis, with three hits, and Tommy Shaw with a pair, provided other key blows. Ritchie Nichol, making his debut with Nanaimo, allowed just four hits in his five innings of work. Reliever Joe Gailus picked up the win. He entered the game in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and just one out and retired the side without any damage. Gailus surrendered just one hit in his three innings of relief. Shorty Berkey went the distance for the Longshoremen yielding 11 hits.
Nichols, Biggs (6), T.Naylor (7), Gallous (W) (9) and T.Naylor, Gallous (7), T.Naylor (9)
Berkey (L) and D.Wyllie
Eric Smythe fired a six-hitter for the shutout in the second game as Cubs won 6-0. Duncan's big inning was the fourth when they combined four hits and a walk for five funs.
Smythe (W) and B.Hagg
Jackson (L), J.Naylor (3) and Cushing
(May 19) At Chemainus Sunday, Duncan Cubs spotted the Longshoremen a 3-0 lead then charged back to outscore the Longshoremen 7-4. Pete Hawryluk cracked a homer with two aboard in the first inning to put Longshoremen ahead. But Duncan battled back with a run in third, three in the fourth, two in the fifth and another in the sixth. Eric Smythe went the distance on the hill for the winners.
Smythe (W) and B.Hagg
xxx and xxx
Meanwhile, at Nanaimo, the home club downed the Chemainus Green Lanterns 7-5. Nanaimo was down by five runs until the fifth when they began a whittle away at the Green Lanterns' advantage. Chemainus had scored three runs in an unusual third inning. Ritchie Nichol, on the hill for Nanaimo hit two batters, Shillito and Babe Work, and issued an walk to Hitoshi Okada fill the bases. Laidlaw smacked a Texas Leaguer to score two and Nichol then hit Dave Murray to re-load the bases and Okada scored the third run on an error at shortstop. Chemainus added two more in the fifth on two walks and an error. Nanaimo scored once in the fifth as Nichol drove in Toss Naylor with a single and added four in the sixth to tie. Hank Gailus brought in a pair with a long two-bagger and scored on an error. Ed Davis clouted a double to plate Naylor with the tying counter. Joe Gailus brought in the tie-breaking marker in the seventh as he drew a free pass, advanced on an error and came scampering home on Ed Davis' two-base clout. Tommy Shaw added an insurance run in the 8th with a blast over the right field fence. Joe Gailus was credited with the win after pitching one-hit ball over the last four innings. The winners had ten safeties off Jack Naylor who fanned 13 in his route-going effort.
J.Naylor (L) and xxx
Nichol, Gailus (W) (6) and xxx
(May 19) The four-team mid-Island Japanese League swung into action on Sunday when Hillcrest Rangers beat Mayo Athletic Club 7-6 in an afternoon game at the Mayo school grounds and Hillcrest Giants beat Chemainus Nippons 11-7 at Duncan's Athletic Park in the evening.
(May 26) Longshoremen beat Lanterns 7-6.
(May 26) Stymied for seven innings, Duncan Cubs went wild in a weird eighth inning to score seven runs on just one hit and no errors after two were out to post an 8-3 victory over Nanaimo. Nanaimo held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 8th inning before a large turnout at Athletic Park. Ritchie Nichol, although showing spotty control, had yielded just one run in the third inning when Gil Bruce walked and came home on three consecutive wild pitches. With one out in the 8th, John Inouye was hit by a pitch and Houg Hagg received a free pass. Nanaimo manager Hank Gailus yanked Nichol and brought in Joe Gailus from right field to take over on the mound. He got one out but a run scored. Bill Hagg was hit by a pitch and Preston "Sonny" Bruce was walked intentionally to fill the sacks. Gailus walked Don Inouye and Roy Izumi was nicked by a pitch to bring in runs two and three. Pat Weaver drew a walk to push in the fourth marker and Nanaimo brought in another chucker, Ed Davis. Gil Bruce, who flied out in leading off the inning, didn't miss this time with a double to centre field to clear the bases. John Inouye got yet another walk but Houg Hagg ended the merry-go-round by flying out to right field. Seven runs on one hit, three hit batters and five walks. Sonny Bruce picked up the win with three-hit ball over seven relief innings.
Nichol (L), Joe Gailus (8), E.Davis (8) and T.Naylor
Smythe, Sonny Bruce (W) (3) and B.Hagg
(May 26) Hillcrest Rangers beat the Giants 13-4 in the Mid-Island Japanese League contest at Athletic Park while the Nippons posted a 4-1 victory over Mayo.
(May 30) Chemainus Green Lanterns topped the Cubs at Duncan Thursday taking a 7-5 decision.
Smythe, P.Bruce and B.Hagg
J.Naylor (L) and Cushing
(May 30) Haley Jackson held Nanaimo to four hits and rang up 12 strikeouts in pitching Chemainus Longshoremen to a 10-1 victory in the seven inning contest. Jackson fanned six in a row to end the game. Pete Hawryluk's homer with two on base gave Chemainus a three-run lead in the first inning. The winners collected nine hits with Joe Garner producing two safeties and scoring three times. George Syrotuck had a pair of hits and two scores. Nanaimo's only run came in the fifth when Fulla came home on Bill Clark's single.
H.Jackson (W) and D.Wyllie
Biggs (L), Nichol (5) and Naylor
(June 2) Port Alberni Waterfronts and Chemainus All-Stars battled to a thrilling 1-1 draw in 13 innings at Chemainus Sunday. It was a tremendous pitchers' duel in which Haley Jackson of the All-Stars fired a five-hitter and fanned 16 and Philip Houbregs of the visitors allowed just six hits and whiffed 12. There was just one extra base hit, Joe Horton's double for the All-Stars. Horton led all batters with three hits.
Houbregs and Rooney
H.Jackson and Wyllie
(June 2) In the Mid-Island Japanese loop, Hillcrest Rangers beat Chemainus Nippons 7-6 and Hillcrest Giants whipped Mayo Athletics 13-2.
Hillcrest Rangers 3 - 0
Hillcrest Giants 2 - 1
Chemainus Nippons 1 - 2
Mayo 0 - 3
(June 6) L. "Shorty" Berkey twirled a three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts at Duncan Thursday as the Longshoremen trounced the Cubs 9-0. The winners pounded out 13 hits off Roy Haines and Eric Smythe.
L.Berkey (W) and Wyllie
Haines (L), Smythe and B.Hagg
(June 6) The Green Lanterns beat Nanaimo 11-7 in a heavy hitting affair Thursday at Chemainus. The Lanterns had 14 hits, two more than Nanaimo. Lefty Jackson survived the dozen hits to go the distance for the pitching win.
Jackson (W) and Cushing
Moretti, Gailus and Naylor
(June 9) Shortstop Pete Hawryluk cracked out two homers and a pair of singles to highlight the Longshoremen's offensive explosion Sunday as they crushed the Green Lanterns 23-1 with a 23-hit assault on three hurlers, one of them recalled for an encore. Haley Jackson yielded eight hits in the easy triumph.
H.Jackson (W) and Wyllie
Work (L), McGladrey, Okada, Work and Cushing
(June 9) Nanaimo's Joe Gailus gave up 13 hits and his squad made 12 errors Sunday but still escaped with a wild 14-13 victory over Duncan Cubs in an 11-inning affair at the Central Sports Ground. Duncan held a 4-2 lead through six innings before Nanaimo broke loose in the seventh with seven runs. Undaunted, the Cubs responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the margin to 9-7. Nanaimo got a singleton in the top of the eighth but the Cubs produced another three-run rally to tie at 10-10. Nanaimo seemed to have snatched the win with three runs in the top of the 10th, but the pesky Cubs got three of their own in the bottom of the extra frame to tie it up once again. In the 11th, Ritchie Nichol brought in the winning run on a single by Alex Jarvie after reaching on an error and Gailus held Duncan off the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame for the ugly triumph. The winners collected 18 hits with Lefty Biggs, Toss Naylor and Hank Gailus leading the way with three apiece. Duncan managed 13 hits. Don Inouye was best with three singles and three runs scored.
J.Gailus (W) and Naylor
Smythe, P.Bruce (L) (7) and B.Hagg
(June 9) In the Japanese circuit Sunday, Hillcrest Giants smashed out an 18-8 victory over Mayo Athletics and Chemainus Nippons downed Hillcrest Rangers 4-1.
(June 13) Duncan's 2-1 victory over the Green Lanterns at Chemainus on Thursday was one of the fastest and best exhibitions in the park this season. Freddy Gibbons scored the winning run in the ninth inning coming home on Hagg's sacrifice fly. Lanterns got their lone marker in the first inning when Ted Cushing, who had three hits, doubled to drive in Babe Work, who had reached on an error. The Cubs evened the count in the third as Don Inouye reached third base on three successive errors and scored on a sac fly by his brother Johnny Inouye. Each team had just five hits as Preston "Sonny" Bruce earned the pitching win over Lefty Jackson.
P.,Bruce (W) and Bl.Hagg
Lefty Jackson (L) and Naylor
(June 16) Duncan Cubs jumped into first place in the Chemainus League standings Sunday with a pair of high-scoring wins over Nanaimo. The Cubs clouted 18 hits in the opener for a 18-3 verdict then added 15 hits in the second game in a 17-2 bombardment. Cubs kicked off with five runs in the first inning and another five in the second and cruised to the easy win behind the solid hurling of Eric Smythe. The outstanding performance of Roy Izumi Duncan's peppy little second sacker was a feature of the double bill. Izumi had played in the morning pitching his Chemainus Nippons team in the Japanese League to a 7-2 win over the Giants. In the opening frame of his Chemainus League tilt, Izumi smashed a bases-loaded triple to set the Cubs on the way to the easy win.
In the evening game, Nanaimo took the lead with a pair of runs in the first inning but that's all they would get as Duncan took the lead in the fourth and piled it on in the 17-2 triumph. Izumi followed up his first game heroics with a bases loaded double and four other safeties and starred on defense with a pair of double plays among his fielding achievements. John Inouye went five for five. Joe Gailus, who was belted in his turn on the mound for Nanaimo, was better at the plate with four hits in four trips. Sonny Bruce surrendered six hits in going the distance for the win. He fanned seven. In spite of allowing 15 hits, Bill Clarke stayed in for the losers.
H.Gailus (L), J.Gailus (2) and xxx
Smythe (W) and xxx
Clarke (L) and T.Naylor
P.Bruce (W) and B.Hagg
Duncan Cubs 6 - 3
Longshoremen 4 - 2
Nanaimo 3 - 5
Green Lanterns 2 - 5
(June 16) Sunday's games in the Japanese League saw Hillcrest Rangers slaughter Mayo 25-3 and Chemainus Nippons get by the Hillcrest Giants 7-2 behind the strong hurling of Roy Izumi. Rangers remain in first place.
(June 20) Green Lanterns shaded the Longshoremen 5-4 Thursday behind Jack Naylor's 14 strikeout performance. The left-hander allowed nine hits and walked just one. Danny Wyllie, the Longshoremen's catcher had smacked a homer in the top of the ninth for a 5-5 tie but two successive bobbles in the bottom of the frame allowed the Lanterns to plate the winning marker.
xxx and D.Wyllie
J.Naylor (W) and xxx
(June 23) The Chemainus Longshoremen moved into the top spot in the Chemainus Baseball League Sunday with twin victories over the Duncan Cubs 6-3 and 6-5. Cubs were so shorthanded they had their batboy, Donnie McColl in right field. Their four errors in the opener heavily contributed to their defeat. In the second game, Sonny Bruce had a no-hitter for seven innings for the Cubs but his teammates made eight errors. Even at that, Cubs led 5 to 2 going into the bottom of the ninth before Chemainus rallied. With one out, Joe Horton doubled, Pete Hawryluk singled and Irving walked to load the bases. An error at second base allowed three runs to score and another error let in the winning marker.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
Bruce (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 23) The Chemainus Green Lanterns had everything going their way in trouncing Nanaimo 14-4 and 15-2 at Nanaimo. With the Lanterns smoking the ball to all corners of the lot, Hitoshi Okada's effort was still a highlight as he managed to steal home twice.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
Longshoremen 6 - 3
Duncan Cubs 6 - 5
Green Lanterns 5 - 5
Nanaimo 3 - 7
(June 23) Mayo Athletics notched their first win of the season Sunday downing the Nippons 9 to 7. Hillcrest Giants topped the Rangers 14-4 to move into a tie for first place.
(June 27) Haley Jackson allowed just three hits and rang up 15 strikeouts Thursday as the Longshoremen whipped the Green Lanterns 6-1. Shortstop Pete Hawryluk paced the winners with a homer and single. Catcher Danny Wyllie had three of the winners' 13 hits.
J.Naylor (L) and T.Cushing
H.Jackson (W) and D.Wyllie
(June 30) The Chemainus All-Stars held the famous Vancouver Asahis to a split in a Sunday double-header at Chemainus. The Japanese speedsters took the afternoon game 7-3 but Chemainus fought back for a thrilling 3-2, 10-inning victory in the second game. A four-run eighth inning on a single, two walks and two errors, carried the Asahis to the first game triumph. Kaz Suga was the winning pitcher with a complete game six hitter. He fanned seven. Jack Naylor, who yielded eight hits, took the loss. Suga and Mike Maruno each had two hits for the winners. Sonny Bruce had a triple for the home club and Pete Hawryluk added a two-bagger.
K.Suga (W) and Kutsukake
J.Naylor (L) and B.Hagg
The Asahis had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth in the evening game. Then Preston "Sonny" Bruce smacked a pinch-hit double and a single by brother Gil Bruce brought him home to tie the contest. In the tenth, Ted Cushing led off with a single and advanced on Berkey's sacrifice. Veteran George Syrotuck brought the fans to their feet with a single to centre to score the winning run. Berkey held the visitors to seven hits in going the distance for the winners. Nag Nishihara took the loss. Cushing, Gil Bruce and Bill Hagg each had two hits for Chemainus. Frank Shiraishi had three safeties and Kaz Suga a pair for the visitors
Nishihara (L) and Mitsui
Berkey (W) and B.Hagg
(July 4) Eric Smythe tripled in "Sonny" Walker with the winning run in the seventh and last inning Thursday as Duncan Cubs edged the Green Lanterns 6-5. First baseman Walker, a former member of the Victoria All-Stars is the newest acquisition for the Cubs. Two rookie pitchers lasted the entire game. Southpaw Lloyd Leeming got the win for the Cubs with a six hitter while Ronnie Shillito, just up from the juniors, yielded 11 hits. Gil Bruce blasted a homer for the winners.
R.Shillito (L) and J.Naylor
Leeming (W) and B.Hagg
(July 7) At Nanaimo Sunday, the home club and Duncan split a twin bill. Cubs took the opener 7-3 while Nanaimo rebounded to take the second game 11-8. A four-run fifth inning rally by Duncan marked the margin of victory in the opening game. In the evening event, Bill Clarke cracked a bases-loaded triple to lead Nanaimo to the triumph.
P.Bruce (W) and B.Hagg
Clarke (L) and T.Naylor
Smythe (L), P.Bruce and B.Hagg
T.Naylor (W) and J.Gailus
(July 7) Hillcrest Giants took over sole possession of first place in the Mid-Island Japanese League when they walloped Hillcrest Rangers 12 to 2. Chemainus Nippons blanked Mayo Athletics 7-0.
Hillcrest Giants 5 - 2
Chemainus Nippons 4 - 3
Hillcrest Rangers 4 - 3
Mayo Athletics 1 - 6
(July 7) Bill Clarke of Nanaimo is the league's top hitter with a batting average of .435 according to figures which do not include results from Thursday or Sunday. Pete Hawryluk of the Longshoremen is the runner-up with a .410 mark, ahead of teammate Joe Horton, at .389. Gil Bruce of the Cubs sits at .373 just ahead of Dan Wyllie of the Longshoremen, .371, and Eric Smythe of the Cubs, at .353.
(July 11) Duncan Cubs ran up a 4-1 lead and held off a Green Lanterns rally in the bottom of the ninth to post a 4-3 victory. Cubs got singletons in the first and second innings and Eric Smythe came home in the seventh on three successive errors. Three singles in the eighth chased in the winning run. Lanterns didn't get on the scoreboard until the sixth when three singles resulted in a run. In the ninth, with two out, Lefty Jackson doubled, and Norm "Rookie" Work drew a walk before Ken McGladrey smoked a three-bagger to put the Lanterns just a run back. However, McGladrey was stranded at third. Smythe fashioned an eight-hitter for the pitching win while the Cubs collected a dozen hits off Lefty Jackson. Right fielder George McLeod paced the winners with three hits.
Smythe (W) and B.Hagg
E.Jackson (L) and J.Naylor
(July 14) Longshoremen exploded for seven runs in the first inning and coasted to a 9-2 victory over Nanaimo in the first game of a Sunday twin bill. Nanaimo bounced back to take a 3-2 decision in the second game. Third sacker Joe Garner punched out four hits for the Longshoremen in the opener.
W.Jackson (W) and Sommerville
Clarke (L) and Naylor
In the evening contest, both teams scored in the fifth and the Longshoremen went ahead in the next frame on a pair of singles. Nanaimo retaliated in the eighth with two doubles and a bunt good for two runs and the win. Each team had seven hits. Joe Gailus pitched steady ball pitching out of a bases loaded, one out, jam to pick up the win.
J.Gailus (W) and Naylor
L.Berkey, E.Jackson and Sommerville
Longshoremen 8 - 4
Duncan Cubs 9 - 6
Green Lanterns 5 - 8
Nanaimo 5 - 9
(July 14) Hillcrest Giants held on to first place in the Mid-Island Japanese circuit whipping the Nippons 9 to 6 at Duncan's Athletic Field. Hillcrest Rangers won by default from Mayo.
(July 21) Chemainus Longshoremen picked up two wins Sunday downing Nanaimo in both games of a double-header, 5-2 and 15-3. Haley Jackson bested Bill Clarke in a battle of hurlers in the first game.
H.Jackson (W) and xxx
Clarke (L) and xxx
Chemainus scored early and often in the evening game rolling up 11 runs by the fifth inning. Shorty Berkey went the route for the pitching win.
Berkey (W) and xxx
J.Gailus (L), E.Davis (3) and xxx
(July 21) Duncan Cubs remained in the running for first place getting a run in the bottom of the ninth to edge the Green Lanterns 4-3. Roy Izumi singled for the Cubs and advanced to third from where Lloyd Leeming brought him home with the winner with a surprise squeeze bunt. Donnie McColl, who started out the season as the Cubs bat boy, made a game-saving catch in the third inning. With the bases loaded, McColl made a spectacular one-handed catch of Dave Murray's hard smash. Izumi and Lloyd Leeming each produced two hits for the winners.
Cy Shillito (L) and J.Naylor
Smythe (W) and B.Hagg
Longshoremen 10 - 4
Duncan Cubs 10 - 6
Green Lanterns 5 - 9
Nanaimo 5 - 11
(July 21) In the Japanese League, the Mayo Athletics again defaulted and again the Hillcrest Rangers gained the gift points. The game between the Nippons and the Giants was cancelled "because the time was inconvenient".
(July 24) The barnstorming Ethiopian Clowns had their hands full against the Chemainus All-Stars Wednesday before a crowd of 500. All-Star hurlers Shorty Berkey and Jack Naylor held the visitors to just three hits, but two of them were home runs as the Clowns won 4-1. The locals collected four hits off Kalahari who fanned 12.
Kalahari (W) and Tarzan
J.Naylor, L.Berkey and B.Hagg, D.Wyllie
(July 25) Playing in a drizzling rain Thursday, the Longshoremen clipped the Green Lanterns 7 to 1 to move to within a win of clinching the league pennant.
(July 28) Duncan Cubs stayed in the race for first place with a 10-1 triumph over the Longshoremen in the first game of Sunday twin-bill but handed over the title in the second game losing 3-0. Cubs out-hit the Longshoremen 13 to 8 in the first game as Gil Bruce led the attack with a three for four effort, Houg Hagg went three for five and Sonny Bruce had a pair of hits. Sonny Walker in his first appearance on the hill for Duncan scattered eight hits.
xxx and xxx
Walker (W) and xxx
Longshoremen wrapped up the championship with the 3-0 shutout in the second game. Lasting just one hour and 12 minutes it was the quickest of the season. The game featured spectacular fielding and solid pitching. Haley Jackson allowed just three hits in gaining the win while Preston "Sonny" Bruce yielded just six hits in taking the loss. The champs plated all three runs in the fourth inning. Shortstop Pete Hawryluk reached on an error and catcher Dan Wyllie followed with a single and took second on an error as Hawryluk scored. Joe Garner's one-bagger brought in the second run and George Robinson hit a sacrifice fly to centre field scoring Garner.
H.Jackson (W) and D.Wyllie
P.Bruce (L) and B.Hagg
(July 28) The Green Lanterns notched a pair of one-run victories Sunday downing Nanaimo 5-4 and 9 to 8. It took 12 innings for the Lanterns to get the win in the opener. They got back to back walks to Doug Kernachan and Ken McGladrey before Hitoshi Okada advanced them with a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Ted Cushing's grounder was fumbled long enough to allow Kernachan to notch the winner.
The evening game turned out to be a comedy of errors as Nanaimo made eight and the Lanterns four. Five of the Nanaimo miscues came in the second inning when the Lanterns capitalized on them for seven runs.
(August 1) Longshoremen took an early 7-0 lead but had to battle to beat the Green Lanterns 8-6. Pete Hawryluk, at catcher this game, and winning pitcher Haley Jackson each poked out a pair of hits for the winners.
H.Jackson (W) and Hawryluk
E.Jackson (L) and T.Cushing
Longshoremen 12 - 5
Duncan Cubs 11 - 7
Green Lanterns 7 - 10
Nanaimo 5 - 13
(August 4) Duncan Cubs took the opening game of the best-of-three semi-final playoff 6-1 over the Green Lanterns. Preston "Sonny" Bruce twirled a five-hitter to make it easy for the Cubs. He fanned seven. Sonny Walker and Houg Hagg each produced three hits for the winners who raked Jack Naylor for 12 hits. Five errors further hurt the Lanterns.
J.Naylor (L) and T.Cushing
P.Bruce (W) and B.Hagg
(August 4) The Green Lanterns knotted their semi-final series Tuesday coming from behind with three runs in the seventh inning to down Duncan Cubs 4-1. Jack Naylor opened the inning with a single and Dave Murray reached when hit by a pitch. Huch Pombert and Lefty Jackson hit back to back doubles to bring in the three runs. Cy Shillito scattered nine hits for the win and the Lanterns pulled off a pair of crucial double plays.
Shillito (W) and J.Naylor
Smythe, Walker (5) and B.Hagg
(August 6) The Mid-Island Japanese League wrapped up the regular season with Chemainus Nippons downing the Hillcrest Rangers 5-2 and Mayo defaulting to the Hillcrest Giants who get a playoff bye for finishing in first place. Rangers and Nippons will meet in a best of three semi-final.
(August 11) Duncan Cubs crushed the fumbling Green Lanterns 17-1 Sunday to win the semi-final series to advance against the Longshoremen for the league championship. The Cubs slugged 16 hits and the Lanterns defense just fell apart as they made 15 errors. Sonny Walker and Sonny Bruce led the attack each with three hits. Gil Bruce, Freddy Gibbons, Bill Hagg and Houg Hagg each added a pair. Bruce gave up eight hits in hurling for the winners. The only Lanterns' run scored on a rare double steal with Hitoshi Okada sliding across the plate.
P.Bruce (W) and B.Hagg
Shillito (L), L.Jackson, Okada, J.Naylor and J.Naylor, T.Cushing
(August 11) Hillcrest Rangers won the opening game of the semi-final series with the Chemainus Nippons 7-4.
(August 13) Longshoremen spotted Duncan Cubs a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning before launching a rally to score nine times in the next three innings to take the opening game of the league final series 9-4. The Cubs walloped Haley Jackson for eight hits in the early going but could garner just one hit off reliever L.Berkey. Eric Smythe shutout the Longshoremen for three frames before the pennant winners erupted for four runs in the fourth on two singles, three hit batters and two errors. They added two more in the fifth on a single by Joe Garner, double by Irving, two walks, a hit batter and an error. Three more in the sixth wrapped up the scoring.
Smythe (L), Walker (6) and B.Hagg
H.Jackson, Berkey and D.Wyllie
(August 18) Nanaimo registered a win and a tie in an exhibition series with Chemainus Green Lanterns Sunday. They had an easy time in the first game winning 11-2 to capture the Day Cup and in the nightcap held the Lanterns to a 4-4 draw. They'll now meet the winner of the Duncan - Longshoremen series in the final of the Japanese Cup series.
Toss Naylor hurled steady ball in the opener backed by Lefty Biggs' grand slam homer in the sixth inning and Jarvie's three for four hitting. Jack Naylor took the loss.
J.Naylor (L), Hutchinson (6) and T.Cushing
T.Naylor (W) and Joe Gailus
The second game went into extra innings but the teams settled for a 4-4 tie.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(August 22) Chemainus Baseball League teams are now competing for the Tanaka Insurance Cup in a knock-out series. Nanaimo trounced the Green Lanterns 12-2 at Nanaimo and Duncan Cubs topped the Nippons 7-3 at Chemainus Thursday.
Fine relief work by Eric Smythe helped the Cubs to their victory. Lloyd Leeming started for Duncan but ran into trouble in the first inning walking four batters and giving up a double to Hitoshi Okada for two runs. Smythe took over and allowed just two hits and a run the rest of the way. Trailing 3-0, Cubs scored three in the fourth, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth for the win. Sonny Walker and George McLeod had two hits each.
M.Okada, H.Okada and Yoshida
Leeming, Smythe (W) (1) and J.Inouye
(September 1) The Chemainus All-Stars split an exhibition double dip with the Port Alberni Waterfronts at Port Alberni on Sunday. All-Stars took the first game 3-1 behind the strong hurling of Haley Jackson and lost the second 5-3.
Haley Jackson (W) and Bill Jackson
Houbregs (L) and Rooney
Berkey, Bill Jackson, H.Jackson and xxx
Stobo (W) and Hansen
(September 1) Hillcrest Rangers beat Chemainus Nippons 6-4 Sunday to take the deciding game of the Japanese League semi-finals and qualify to meet the Hillcrest Giants for the championship. After the Nippons had come from behind to tie 4-4 in the top of the seventh, Rangers plated a pair in the bottom of the frame for the win.
M.Okada, R.Izumi and T.Yoshida
B.Ogaki and S.Yoshino
(September 8) Hillcrest Giants clobbered the Hillcrest Rangers 13-3 at Athletic Park Sunday in the first game of a best-of-three series for the Mid-Island Japanese Baseball League championship.
B.Ozaki ((L), K.Ito, F.Kawaguchi and S.Tateyama
J.Inamoto (W) and Johnny Inouye
(September 15) Unable to field a team in the playoffs for the Tanaka Cup, Duncan Cubs imported some players for a trip to Nanaimo Sunday for an exhibition double-header. The teams battled to a 6-6 draw in the first game before Nanaimo took an abbreviated evening game 7-1.
Berkey and T.Cushing
xxx and xxx
Smythe, Walker and T.Cushing
xxx and xxx
(September 15) Hillcrest Giants captured the Japanese League title Sunday with a thrilling 10-9 12-inning victory over the Hillcrest Rangers Union Fish, winners of the Vancouver Japanese League, have offered to play the Giants for the BC Japanese championship. There's no word yet on whether the Giants have accepted the challenge.
COMOX VALLEY TWILIGHT LEAGUE
The 1940 Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League consisted of five teams, four of which (Courtenay, Cumberland, Royston and Union Bay) were old standbys. Joining the returnees from 1939 was a new outfit from Bevan, a coal-mining community near Cumberland.
Teams in the 1940 Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League
Bevan Tigers
Courtenay Native Sons
Cumberland Cubs
Royston Lumbermen
Union Bay
(May 19) Cumberland Cubs kicked off the Comox District Twilight Baseball League Sunday afternoon downing defending champion Union Bay 10-6 in an thrilling 10-inning affair. Westfield rapped a bases loaded single in the extra frame to drive in two runs for the win. Bill Herchuk singled to knock in a pair of insurance markers. Cubs had blown a 6-0 lead, letting Union Bay climb into a tie in the bottom of the ninth with four runs.
Baird (W) and xxx
Pratt, Marshall (L) (7) and xxx
(May 19) Courtenay Native Sons handed the Bevan Tigers a 6-2 defeat. Sons got on the scoreboard in the second inning on Roy Moore's single then added two more in the third. Sonny McKenzie, the team's leading hitter in 1939, laced a long blow to plate Bob Rickson and Thomson. Union Bay got close with a pair in the fourth but the Sons scored three in the fifth to salt away the game. The game produced a total of 25 strikeouts, with winning pitcher Rickson fanning a dozen while fashioning a seven-hitter.
H.McNeil (L), B.Combs and R.Hoffman
Rickson (W) and R.Moore
(May 22) Lefty Kimoto hurled a five-hit shutout Wednesday as Royston won it's opener 9-0 over Union Bay. Kiyonaga and Kato powered the offense with four-baggers, Kiyonaga's was a three-run blast and Kato's came with one runner aboard.
Auchinvole (L), Pratt (2) and xxx
Kimoto (W) and xxx
(May 24) Before a record crowd, the fast-stepping Royston Lumber crew upended Cumberland Cubs 6-3 as the final attraction on Cumberland's Empire Day program. Cubs took an early 3-0 lead but were quickly over-run by the mighty Nippons. As the Cubs were unable to field a full team they borrowed four players from Union Bay but even that could not check the Royston boys. Yano surrendered ten hits but managed to go all the way for the pitching win. Doug Baird allowed just seven hits in taking the loss. Second baseman Kumabe and centre fielder Yoshikuni each smacked a double for the winners. Harvie had three hits for the Cubs.
Baird (L) and Conti
Yano (W) and Doi
(May 26) Royston broke open a tight game with six runs in the sixth inning and went on to a 10-1 triumph over Bevan Tigers Sunday. Fujimoto was outstanding on the hill for the winners racking up 14 strikeouts.
Fujimoto (W) and xxx
Hoffman (L), Combs (6) and xxx
(May 26) Courtenay Cubs chalked up their second win of the Twilight League season Sunday topping the Native Sons 6-3. Bill Herchuk held the Sons to seven hits in twirling for the winners.
Haramboure (L) and R.Moore
Herchuk (W) and Conti
(June 2) Lefty Kimoto fanned 13 in a route-going performance Sunday as Royston shaded Courtenay Native Sons 3-2. Kimoto and second sacker Kumabe each had two hits for the winners. The Lumbermen got the winning run on a disputed play in the seventh inning. With Kimoto on first, Kumabe powered a drive that hooked sharply down the left field line. The umpire ruled the ball had passed the short left field flag in fair territory. Sons manager Lorne Kerr protested that the ball was foul but after a brief conference umpire Johnny Cummings reaffirmed his decision.
Kimoto (W) and Doi
Rickson (L) and R.Moore
(June 2) Cumberland Cubs opened with two runs in the first inning en route to an 11-4 victory over Bevan Tigers. Bill Herchuk, on the mound for the Cubs, fanned the first three batters and went on to whiff nine of the first 12 Tigers to face him. Tigers fought back to tie 3-3 in the fourth, but the Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth and a triple by Red Harvie put the game on ice.
Herchuk (W) and xxx
McNeil (L), Combs (6) , Hoffman (7) and xxx
(June 5) in a thriller at Cumberland, the Cubs fell behind 6-1 to Royston before rallying for a 7-6 triumph, scoring the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Down 6-5, Good reached on a free pass, and Bono was safe on an error. Watson, playing in his first game of the season, singled to tie the count at 6-6. Westfield smacked a triple for the winner.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 9) Smarting from a last minute defeat at Cumberland last Wednesday, Royston turned on the league leaders Sunday and demolished the Cubs 15-1 with a 15-hit attack against Doug Baird, Spit Quinn and Bill Herchuk. Lefty Kimoto held the Cubs to seven scattered safeties. The hard hitting Royston loggers clouted five doubles and a home run by Kato, his second of the season. Yoshikuni rapped three hits in four trips. Westfield had a pair for the Cubs.
Baird (L), Quinn (2), Herchuk (7) and xxx
Kimoto (W) and xxx
(June 16) In an outstanding Twilight League pitching duel, Union Bay wrested third place from the Native Sons Sunday at Lewis Park posting a 1-0 victory despite being one-hit by Bobby Rickson of the Sons. The only run came in the fifth inning as a result of two Courtenay errors. Highashi reached second base on an overthrow and scored when a toss to third was wide of the mark. Ronnie Pratt fired a four-hitter for the shutout. He rang up 16 strikeouts to set a new high for the season. Rickson fanned nine and walked none. Pratt had three free passes. Sonny McKenzie had three of the four hits for the Sons.
Pratt (W) and James
Rickson (L) and R.Moore
(June 16) The Cumberland Cubs again stepped into first place in the Twilight League Sunday when they took a 9-6 decision from Bevan Tigers. Red Harvie was the big gun for the Cubs with a double and triple. Hoffman led the losers with a pair of doubles.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 19) Cumberland Cubs solidified their hold on the top rung of the league standings Wednesday in topping Courtenay Native Sons 7-2. The Cubs took a three run lead in the first inning highlighted by L.Bannerman's timely two-bagger and coasted to the victory. Spit Quinn held the Sons to five hits in the complete game win.
S.Quinn (W) and P.Bono
Haramboure (L) and R.Moore
(July 7) Bevan Tigers chalked up their first win in nine starts Sunday slipping by the short-handed Native Sons 6-5 at Lewis Park. Trailing 5-3, Bevan, helped by loose defensive play by the Sons, rallied with two runs in the 7th and another in the 8th for the triumph. Courtenay manager Lorne Kerr donned a uniform for the first time this summer to share batting honours with Lyle McKenzie, each with two hits.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 10) Spit Quinn tossed a three-hitter and powered the offense with a homer to lead the Cumberland Cubs by the Courtenay Native Sons 5-4. Quinn smacked a two-run homer in the first inning and drove in another run in the third as the Cubs took a 5-0 lead and held on for the win. Quinn struck out ten and walked one in besting Bob Rickson of the Sons who allowed four hits, fanned nine and walked one. Lyle McKenzie had two of the three hits for Courtenay, one of them a run-scoring triple.
Rickson (L) and R.Moore
Quinn (W) and Bono
(July 14) Union Bay spotted the Courtenay Native Sons six runs in the top of the first inning then roared back to dump the Sons 12-7 Sunday at Union Bay. They replied with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first then added four more in the second to take the lead for good. Ron Pratt settled down after his first inning troubles to hurl a six hitter with 16 strikeouts. The McKays, Jim and Bill, each rapped three hits to pace the winners. Don Marshall clouted a triple and single and scored three times. The McKenzies were best for the Sons, Lyle had a double and single and Sonny had a pair of one-baggers.
Rickson (L) and R.Moore
Pratt (W) and James
(July 21) Johnny Haramboure came within two outs of a no-hitter Sunday as the Native Sons whipped Royston 11-0. With one out in the ninth, M.Kimoto drilled a single to right field for the loggers' only hit of the game. With the bases loaded on a pair of errors, Haramboure fanned Shig Kiyono and got Kato to ground out to end the game and preserve the shutout. A five-run second inning gave Courtenay a commanding lead. Haramboure drove in the first two runs with a double. In the sixth, two-baggers by Wally Thompson and Lyle McKenzie and a single by Sonny McKenzie, along with a couple of miscues, accounted for five more tallies. A final run came in the eighth as Thompson and Lyle McKenzie each collected their third hit of the afternoon. Lefty Kimoto, who suffered his first defeat to the Native Sons in two years, gave up 12 hits and was hampered by sloppy fielding by his teammates.
K.Kimoto (L) and Doi
Haramboure (W) and R.Moore
(July 24) With Spit Quinn hurling four-hit ball, Cumberland Cubs downed Royston 3-1 Wednesday at Cumberland. The Cubs were confident of a win after the trimming Courtenay had handed the Nippons Sunday but took no chances and had four men change shifts to get out their strongest team.
xxx and xxx
Quinn (W) and xxx
(July 28) In a thriller at Cumberland, the Cubs edged Royston 2-1 behind the five-hit twirling of Spit Quinn. Lefty Kimoto allowed just six hits in taking the loss. An error, Royston made seven of them, made the difference. After the Cubs opened the scoring in the third with Conti's single chasing in Good, the Cubs got the winner in the seventh on Bobba's single and an error. Royston got it's lone marker in the eighth as Kimoto scored on Yano's single.
Kimoto (L) and Doi
Quinn (W) and Conti
(July 31) Courtenay Native Sons were eliminated from playoff action Wednesday when they dropped a 3-2 decision to Union Bay to leave them four full games out of third place. The Sons had taken a 2-0 lead but allowed the visitors to notch singletons in the fourth, fifth and sixth to pull out the victory. The winning marker was scored by Dunc Marshall who singled and came home on a throwing error. Marshall led the winners with three hits. Lorne Kerr had a pair for the Sons. Ron Pratt fired a three-hitter for the pitching win. He had nine strikeouts.
Pratt (W) and James
Rickson (L) and Thompson
Cumberland 10 - 2
Union Bay 8 - 4
Royston 8 - 5
Courtenay 4 - 9
Bevan 1 - 11
(August 4) Cumberland Cubs have secured at least a tie for first place in drubbing the Bevan Tigers 10-0. Cubs lead second place Union Bay by three games with just three games to play. Doug Baird allowed just two hits in his six innings of work and "Hen" Watson completed the shutout with two more hits over the last three frames. "Chut" Bobba was the big gun for the Cubs with a triple, and two doubles. Playing manager Oscar Hoffman did the hurling for the Tigers and came through with three of his team's four hits.
Baird (W), Watson (7) and xxx
O.Hoffman (L) and xxx
(August 4) Cumberland Native Sons jumped out to an early lead and held off a Royston rally in the 8th to escape with an 8 to 7 triumph Sunday. Royston fell behind 6-0 after three innings and trailed 8-3 before launching a four-run spree in the 8th. Three times Royston had a runner thrown out at the plate, once on an attempted steal of home. Native Sons pounded out 14 hits in the victory, three each by Bill Moore and Chick Anderton. Moore had the game's big blow, a three-bagger. Royston had a 13-hit attack as Shig Kiyono, Kato and M.Fujimoto each with a double and single.
Haramboure (W) and R.Moore
Yano (L), K.Kimoto and Yamada
(August 7) In a game featuring outstanding pitching, Union Bay squeezed out a 4-1 victory over Royston. Each team had just two hits as Ronnie Pratt for Union Bay and Yano for the Nippons displayed top form. Royston got the first run in the fifth when they loaded the bases on a hit batter, passed ball and a wild pitch and scored on a balk. Union Bay responded with four runs in the sixth with the aid of two errors.
Yano (L) and xxx
Pratt (W) and xxx
(August 11) Cumberland Cubs plated two runs in the top of the first inning and that's all they needed Sunday in 2-1 victory over the Courtenay Native Sons. After Watson drew a walk and Bobba smacked a double, L.Bannerman singled to score both runners. The Sons got their lone tally in the third when Lorne Kerr reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and was brought in on a single by Sammy Telosky. Spit Quinn scattered six hits and fanned ten in taking the pitching win. Bob Rickson gave up just nine hits and fanned nine in being saddled with the loss. Quinn and Bobba each had two hits for the winners.
Quinn (W) and P.Bono
Rickson (L) and R. Moore
(August 18) Cumberland Cubs swept a double-header from Union Bay Sunday to capture the Twilight League pennant and win a bye in the playoffs for the Comox District League Cup. Cubs took the afternoon affair 6-5 and went on to win 7-3 in the evening contest. The Cubs started fast in the first game driving Bays' ace hurler Ron Pratt to the showers in the second inning scoring five times. Cubs took a 6-0 lead in the second before the visitors rallied for three in the third and another two in the fourth. The Bay's lost an opportunity for a tie in the eighth when Marshall tried to score on a single by McKay only to be cut down on a strong throw by left fielder Westfield to Bobba to Conti. Bobba and L.Bannerman each had two hits for the winners. Union Bay, which out-hit the
Cubs 11 to 8, had three hits apiece from Don Marshall and Magnone.
Pratt (L), Don Marshall (1) and James
Baird, Quinn (W) (4) and Conti
"Hen" Watson took over mound duties for Cumberland in the second game and went the distance in the 7-3 victory. Ronnie Pratt took his second loss of the day. Don Marshall of Union Bay produced another three hits for six on the day, four of them doubles.
Pratt (L) and xxx
Watson (W) and xxx
PLAYOFFS
(August 23) Dunc Marshall slammed a bases-loaded home run in the first inning to account for all the Union Bay scoring in a 4-1 victory over Royston in the opening game of their semi-final series. Royston got its only run, also in the initial frame, when Shig Kiyono scored on Kiyonaga's single, Royston's only hit.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(August 25) Royston hammered Union Bay 11-2 Sunday to even the semi-final series at a game apiece. The loggers jumped into a three run lead in the second inning and cruised to the easy win. Yoshikumi had the big blow, a homer in the sixth inning. M.Kimoto, S.Fujimoto and Doi each had two hits and two runs.
R.McKay (L), Pratt (8) and James
K.Kimoto (W) and Doi
(August 28) Royston blew an early 4-0 lead then exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to dump Union Bay 10-4 to move on to the league final against the Cumberland Cubs. The Nippons had just three hits in the big inning but were helped by a flock of Union Bay errors. Lefty Kimoto settled down after one rough inning to get the pitching win.
Kimoto (W) and xxx
Pratt (L) and xxx
(September 1) Cumberland Cubs took the opening game of the Comox Twilight League final series Sunday downing Royston Lumbermen 8-6. It was the Cubs' ninth consecutive victory. A five-run fourth inning proved to be decisive for the Cubs who had 11 hits, three by McMillan and two each by John Bannerman, Bobba and Westfield. M.Kimoto led the loggers with four hits and three runs. Shig Kiyono and Kato each collected two hits for Royston which showed up in new uniforms.
Yano (L) and Doi
Baird (W) and xxx
(September 8) Winning pitcher Lefty Kimoto clouted a two-run double in the eighth inning to knock in the winning run as Royston tied the Twilight League final series at a game apiece with a 6-4 victory over the Cubs at Cumberland. Before Kimoto lashed his winning blow, Royston got a run as Doug Baird allowed a bases-loaded walk. Lefty Kimoto and M.Kimoto each had two hits for the winners while John Bannerman led the Cubs with three.
Herchuk, Baird (8) and McMillan
Kimoto (W) and Doi
(September 15) Playing at home, Cumberland Cubs captured the championship of the Comox District Twilight Baseball League defeating Royster 9-4 in the deciding game of the best-of-three final. Cubs won the opener and the Nippons tied the series last Sunday. Spit Quinn, the veteran Cub hurler, won his own game driving in four runs with a home run and a single. Yano, the diminutive lefty, took the tough loss for Royston.
Yano (L) and xxx
Quinn (W) and xxx