1961 . . . The final season, a runaway victory & a stunning upset

1961 Stats
1961 Rosters
1961 Tournaments 
1961 Humboldt, California, Crabs
       
WESTERN CANADA LEAGUE      
Saskatoon Commodores 46 16  
Lloydminster/M-Hat Meridains 28 29 15.5
Lethbridge White Sox 25 38 21.5
Edmonton Eskimos 20 36 23.0
1961 Game Reports
1961 Playoffs
1961 Photo Gallery
1961 Snapshots
1961 Lethbridge White Sox

SASKATCHEWAN
NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LEAGUE
Unity Cardinals 19 9  
Kindersley Klippers 18 10 1.0
Neilburg Monarchs 14 13 4.5
N-Battleford Beavers 14 15 5.5
Rosetown Macs 13 15 6.0
Biggar Acmes 6 22 13.0
1961 Game Reports/Playoffs    
1961 Neilburg Monarchs  
 
SOUTHERN LEAGUE      
Regina Red Sox 20 8  
Estevan Maple Leafs 15 9 3.0
Moose Jaw Steelers 17 12 3.5
Swift Current Indians 16 13 4.5
Notre Dame Hounds 8 15 9.5
Balcarres Braves 7 16 10.5
Fort Qu'Appelle Sioux Indians 7 17 11.0
1961 Game Reports/Playoffs  
1961 Moose Jaw Steelers  
1961 Regina Red Sox
       
NORTHEASTERN SASK LEAGUE
NESBL History
1961 Saskatchewan Photo Gallery  
1961 Saskatchewan Snapshots 
1961 Saskatoon Amassadors 
       
ALBERTA
BIG SEVEN LEAGUE

City Police Athletics 16 5  
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox 15 7 1.5
North Edmonton Rockets 11 11 5.5
Army & Navy Cardinals 9 12 7.0
St. Josaphat's Saints 2 18 13.5
       
NORTH PEACE LEAGUE
       
SOUTH PEACE LEAGUE   Donnelly, Falher, High Prairie, McLennan, Peace River, Tangent, Valleyview
1961 Game Reports  
1961 Photo Gallery 
1961 Alberta Snapshots
1961 Donnelly        
1961 Peace River Stampeders     
1961 Medicine Hat Superiors 
       
MANITOBA
MANITOBA SENIOR LEAGUE 
     
Hamiota Red Sox 12 4  
Dauphin Red Birds 8 8 4.0
Binscarth Buffaloes 7 9 5.0
Brandon Cloverleafs 7 9 5.0
Riverside Blues  6 10 6.0
* Binscarth beat Brandon in a playoff for 3rd
* Dauphin won the title with a playoff victory over Hamiota
1961 Game Reports  
1961 Photo Gallery       
1961 Dauphin   
 
POLAR LEAGUE
Cranberry Kings, Creighton Braves, Flin Flon Cardinals, Flin Flon Stylers, The Pas TeePees
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA
VANCOUVER INDUSTRIAL-BURRARD LEAGUE

Boilermakers, CYO, Longshoremen, North Van, Optimists, Simon Fraser,South Hill, Westerns
       
DEWDNEY LEAGUE
Coquitlam, Duffs, Maillardville, Maple Ridge, South Burnaby, Whalley
       
VICTORIA SENIOR LEAGUE
Douglas Hotel, Naval Vets, Transport Workers, Wakeman-Trimble
       
OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE    
Kamloops, Kelowna, Merritt Metros, Oliver, Penticton, Trail Smoke Eaters, Vernon
 
PRINCE GEORGE CITY SENIOR LEAGUE
Legion, Northern Dairies, Prince George Tire
 
KASLO-SLOCAN-ARROW LAKES LEAGUE
Kaslo, Nakusp, New Denver-Silverton, Slocan Redman, Winlaw
 
WEST KOOTENAY JUNIOR LEAGUE
East Trail, Fruitvale, Nelson, Salmo, Rossland, West Trail
 
EAST KOOTENAY SENIOR LEAGUE
Cranbrook Cubs, Kindersley Dynamos, Kimberley Hobos, Nelson Outlaws
1961 Vancouver Game Reports   
1961 BC Interior Game Reports      
1961 BC Photo Gallery     
1961 BC Snapshots    
1961 Whalley Cubs          
1961 Kimberley Jr. Angels        
       
ONTARIO      
INTERCOUNTY LEAGUE      
Brantford Red Sox 30 4  
Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers 20 14 10.0
Hamilton Cardinals 19 15 11.0
Galt Terriers 16 18 14.0
Listowel Legionnaires 16 18 14.0
Guelph Merchants 15 19 15.0
London Diamonds 12 22 18.0
St. Thomas Elgins 8 26 22.0

TORONTO WESTERN CITY LEAGUE 
1961 Ontario Game Reports  
1961 Ontario Snapshots       
1961 Ontario Photo Gallery 
1961 Brantford Red Sox
 
MARITIME BASEBALL
 
SOUTH DAKOTA
BASIN LEAGUE   (Incomplete)
Watertown Lake Sox 32 16  
Rapid City Chiefs 24 24 8.0
Huron Jims 22 26 10.0
Pierre Cowboys 22 26 10.0
Sturgis Titans 22 26 10.0
Winner Pheasants 22 26 10.0
Pierre defeated Rapid City in the playoff final for its 4th straight championship.
1961 Game/Playoff Reports
1961 Photo Gallery
       
MINNESOTA      
SOUTHERN MINNY LEAGUE
Mankato Merchants
17
7
Mason City Braves
14
10
3.0
Albert Lea Packers
12
12
5.0
Austin Packers
5
19
12.0
       
       
       
       

 

 

1961 Lethbridge Program
Lethbridge
did it again!  

In the final season of the Western Canada Baseball League (this version) the White Sox took the title for the second straight season.

The Sox upset Saskatoon, the runaway regular season champs, in six thrilling games in the best-of-nine final series.  

The Sox, bolstered with players from Edmonton and Lloydminster / Medicine Hat, got brilliant pitching in the final to send the highly-favoured Commodores down to defeat.  Dick Dyer tossed a 15-inning shutout, Jerry McDonald pitched a three-hitter, Willie Walasko allowed just two unearned runs, and Dave Dowling won the final game with a five-hit, 18 strike out performance.

Fans were treated to three extra inning games in the final, and four games decided by a single run.

It was a tremendous climax to a year in which financial troubles forced the league to move the Lloydminster franchise to Medicine Hat in early July and, a month later, suspend the operation of the Edmonton club.

Lyle OlsenDan SchneiderWith the exception of the playoffs, it was a season dominated by the Saskatoon Commodores.  They finished with 46 wins in 62 games, had the batting champion in Lyle Olsen (left) and the pitching leader,  Dan Schneider

Commodores won 10 of the 11 spots on the all-star team.  Outfielder Stan Busch of Lethbridge was the lone all-star not from the Saskatoon roster.  

Two Saskatoon players were unanimous selections (chosen by press, radio and television reporters) -- John Boccabella at first base, Lyle Olsen at second base and as the top manager.

John Boccabellac - Gary Herrington; 1b - John Boccabella (left); 2b - Lyle Olsen; 3b - Tim Cullen; ss - Midge Fazio; of - Stan Busch, Bob Levingston, Mickey McDermott; rhp - Bob Peters; lhp - Dan Schneider; mgr - Lyle Olsen.

Dave DowlingAmong the season's highlights were one-hitters by Darrell Sutherland of Saskatoon and Dave Dowling (right) of Lethbridge.  Dowling also registered 18 strikeouts on two occasions  -- in the final playoff game and in the Lethbridge tournament, and he fanned 17 in a regular season match. 

Link Curtis of Saskatoon had one of the biggest days at the plate with a 6-6 day.  

Lethbridge rolled up 22 runs in trouncing the Meridians. Marve Marchbanks was the only White Sox not to get a hit.  He was released following the game. 

Fans in Saskatoon must have thought they had Cy Young on the hill.  18-year-old Floyd Thionnet posted four consecutive shutouts at Cairns Field.

Eventually, five members of the Commodores would advance to the major leagues -- Boccabella, Cullen, Fazio, Schneider and Sutherland.  

Baseball at LethbridgeIn tournament play,  Lloydminster / Medicine Hat copped both major events winning in Lacombe and in Lethbridge.  Tim Cullen had a rare day in tourney play -- consecutive grand slam homers. 

Curly Williams loved Lacombe.  He had three hits in the semi-final and another trio in the final.  The previous year at Lacombe he had reached base 14 times in 15 plate appearances. 

In mid-August, bugs forced delays in two games in Lethbridge.  Moths were so thick they forced Stan Busch to flee from his outfield position.  

Ray BarbozaCompetition was often fierce but not without compassion.  In a twin-bill in Lethbridge, Lloydminster catcher Bob Milano was injured in the first game leaving the club without a backstop.  Between contests the White Sox released catcher Jerry King who suited up with the Meridians for the second game.  

The Bee-Boys were a big hit.  Ray Barboza (right) of Edmonton led the circuit with 15 homers and Boccabella was second with 13.  


Glee to grief.  July 31st Saskatoon announced it had acquired outfielder Kenny Washington, from USC,  to replace all-star Bob Levingston who was forced to return to university classes. 

Washington, son of a former NFL great, scored a run and made a sensational catch in his first game.  He had two hits, including a double in his second game.  In his third game he had a homer, two runs batted in and two steals. Then, in the 6th inning, disaster.  On a double steal, Washington collided with catcher Bob Milano at the plate.  Fractured leg.  



A touch of irony is that coinciding with Eskimos' return to the WCBL, it almost came to pass that there was a Charnofsky bossing the Saskatoon Commodores this season ... When Spero Leakos was here last weekend, he disclosed that Roland Jones, who is back with the Esk pitching staff, was one of the last three when the Hub City managerial candidates were narrowed down ... Obviously, another was Lyle Olsen, the eventual choice ... Now it turns out that the third was Hal Charnofsky, twin brother of Stan Charnofsky, who is Rex' predecessor at the helm of the Eskimos  (Edmonton Journal, June 9, 1961)

In their return to the league, the Eskimos had a new look at the top.  Long-time general manager John Ducey was no longer affiliated with the team.  Roy Edwards headed up the new organization with Lou SImon, Bob Sharp and Lou Hiatt also prominent.


The 1961 season was the end of baseball for one of the league's most colourful characters. 

Clif Pemberton started the season as the playing-manager of the Meridians but, in late June, a fractured hand put him on the sidelines.  He wasn't inactive for long, getting back on the field as an umpire as he turned over the Meridians to veteran Curly Williams.  While his stint as an official drew high praise, he was soon back in uniform as playing-manager of the Edmonton Eskimos.  The Esks would soon fold and Pemberton packed his bags for his last trip home from Canada.


(July 14)  Lyle Olsen, playing manager of the Saskatoon Commodores was fined $15 for "directing abusive language at game officials" during a July 6th tilt in Saskatoon.  Also, Jim Lester, third baseman for the Lethbridge White Sox, was fined $10 for being evicted from a game July 2nd after he had "threatened an umpire with a bat"


Mike DayneThe Regina Red Sox repeated as Southern League regular season pennant winners in 1961 but were upset by the fourth place Swift Current Indians in a semi-final playoff round. The Moose Jaw Steelers also advanced to the league's final playoff series after steamrolling over the Estevan Maple Leafs in three straight games. The Steelers, under the leadership of Mike Dayne, (left) carried the momentum into this final showdown and swept the Tribe in four straight meetings.

Lionel RuhrLionel Ruhr (right) of The Regina Red Sox finished with a lofty .415 batting average to walk off with the hitting crown. Ruhr, who finished .057 percentage points ahead of runner-up Duane Ring of the Fort Qu'Appelle Sioux Indians, was also selected as the league's MVP. Pitchers Gord McDonald of the Estevan Maple Leafs and Denny Weston of the Swift Current Indians posted the top winning percentages as both finished with identical 5 - 1 records. Doug Modrell of the Balcarres Braves recorded 53 strikeouts to lead the league in that department.



Pete PredigerNeilburg downed Unity 3-0 in the deciding game of the final series to win the Northern Saskatchewan title. 

Peter Prediger (left), the 47-year-old playing-manager, belted a homer to win it for the Monarchs.

Don Stewart, the former Lloydminster playing-manager, drove in the tying run and scored the winner as Unity captured top prize in the Exhibition tournament with a 3-2 win over Neilburg. Stewart won $25 as the top hitter in the tournament

August 4th  Bentley MacEwen pitched a no-hitter as Kindersley beat Unity Cardinals 5-0.  The Klippers' lefty ace fanned nine and didn't issue a single free pass in the abbreviated contest, called after seven innings because of darkness.  Three Kindersley errors kept MacEwen from a perfect game.


1961 Vernon progam

In British Columbia, the Okanagan Mainline League remained as the leading senior circuit in the Interior.

The 1961 edition featured seven teams - Kamloops Okonots, Kelowna, Merritt Metros, Oliver OBCs, Penticton Red Sox, Trail Smoke Eaters and the Vernon Carlings.


1961 marked the revival of the Manitoba Senior Baseball League.  Five teams competed in the inaugural season which each team playing 16 games.  Hamiota Red Sox easily won the pennant but was upset in the playoffs as the Dauphin Red Birds captured the title with playoff wins over Binscarth and Hamiota.  Bill Berezinski of Binscarth captured the batting title with a .549 batting average. Neil Amy of Hamiota was the top hurler with a 7-1, won-lost mark.

Brandon placed four players on the All-Star team.  First baseman Tommy Town, second baseman Lloyd Brown, right fielder Don Hunter and pitcher Lorne Lilley all made the squad.  The pennant-winning Red Sox had just one player selected, pitcher Amy.  Dauphin had a pair, shortstop Gerry Shumanski and left fielder Al EvasonBerezinski took the centre field slot with teammate Del Stainer at third base and Cliff Seafoot of Riverside chosen as the catcher.