1938 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1938 BC Interior
1938 Vancouver Island
The senior echelon baseball scene in Vancouver during 1938 was a crowded one with three separate leagues operating in addition to the professional Maple Leafs of the class B Western International League.
Launching the 1938 campaign was the revised Commercial loop which began play in late April. The established Burrard League, having added the Asahis from the Commercial League, followed shortly thereafter. The Senior City Baseball League, generally regarded as the most prestigious association of the triad as reflected by their frequent importation of playing personnel plus more in-depth press coverage, was the last out of the gate, swinging into action in mid-May. The Burrard and Commercial loops utilized mostly home-grown talent while the Senior City circuit had a mixture of both local diamondeers and outside hired-guns.
Arrow Transfer had two sponsored teams in different circuits, each with a unique set of players although there were several instances of players from one league also performing for a different team within a second loop.
Teams in the 1938 Vancouver Commercial Baseball League
Chilliwack Cherries
Lowney’s Chocolate
Merritt-Gordon Hotel
Patricia Hotel
Twigg Island Dairy (disbanded in late June)
Teams in the 1938 Burrard Baseball League
Arrows
Asahis
Canadians (folded in mid-May after only one game)
St. Regis Hotel
White Pine Ski & Sport
Teams in the 1938 Vancouver Senior City Baseball League
Arnold & Quigley
Arrow Transfer
United Distillers Limited (U.D.L.)
VANCOUVER SENIOR CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE
The Vancouver print medium afforded the 1938 Senior City League excellent coverage for the most part with box scores and detailed summaries appearing regularly for this semi-pro circuit. American imports, generally fringe players from the class B Western International Baseball League as well as west coast college signees, were allowed on rosters, coming and going as merited by their individual performances.
(May 14) A story book finish highlighted the City Senior League opener before 2,500 fans at Athletic Park when the Arrows crashed through with two runs in the last half of the ninth inning to defeat the fighting U.D.L. squad 6 to 5. Even with a healthy 10 to 4 advantage in base hits, it took a late rally by the Transfermen to pull the game out of the fire. Ken Walker’s two-run double in the eighth panel had put the Distillers ahead 5 to 4. With two retired in the ninth, losing chucker Ernie Kershaw uncorked a wild pitch allowing baserunner Tommy Kennedy to score the tying counter from third. A walk to Pat Thomas followed and then second sacker Hofeditz ended the game by driving in Thomas with a walkoff double. Ralph Stong, Thomas and Hofeditz all had a double and single for the winners while Ross Edy blasted a two-run three-bagger and a single for the vanquished nine.
Kershaw (L) and Meyers, Henry
Odom (W) and Beard
(May 16) The defending champion Arnold & Quigley squad got the first game of the season out of their system at Athletic Park but came away empty-handed after the powerful Arrows nine defeated them 6 to 4. A four-run fifth inning by the Transfermen was the pivotal point in the contest. Both teams registered ten bingles with shortstop Art McLarney of the Clothiers registering four of his team’s total, one of which was a two-bagger. Ralph Stong of the Bow Missiles as well as A & Q’s Sandy Henderson poled out circuit-clouts.
Straight (W) and Beard
Yehle (L), Boston (6) and Trasolini, Padovan
(May 18) An errant pickoff attempt to the keystone sack by Arnold & Quigley catcher Norm Trasolini in the last half of the tenth inning allowed eluding baserunner Ed Henry of the United Distillers’ nine to round third and plate the deciding run in a 6 to 5 walkoff triumph for U.D.L. The thrown horsehide trickled past shortstop Art McLarney, covering the bag, into the middle pasture and made extra-inning reliever Reg Jowett the winner. Teammate Tommy Musgrave, who was summoned to the slab after only one batter had been retired in the initial canto, pitched superbly for the winners, striking out 15 of the Clothiers while his sidekicks were fighting back from an early 4 to 0 deficit. Billy Adshead slammed a home run for the Distillers while Jimmy Morrison doubled and singled for A & Q.
Greenlaw (L) and Trasolini
McGahan, Musgrave (1), Jowett (W) (10) and Henry
(May 20) Jimmy McKissock’s ninth-inning home run broke up a 2 – 2 deadlock and gave the Arrows a 3 to 2 win over U.D.L. in a smartly-played and tightly-contested Senior City League joust. Dave Odom tossed a six-hitter for the mound victory, fanning 12 along the way. Shortstop Art Mann stroked three hits for the winners, all singles. Outfielder Ross Edy doubled twice for the Distillers while teammate Billy Adshead slammed a solo homer.
Odom (W) and Beard
Jowett, Kershaw (L) (8) and Henry
(May 21) Behind the solid seven-hit chucking of Reg Wallis, the defending champion Arnold & Quigley nine captured their first victory of the new campaign, a 10 to 4 shellacking of the Arrows. The Clothiers led from start to finish before some 3,500 fans. In addition to his pitching performance, Wallis was potent with the lumber, drilling a double and two singles. Teammate Sandy Henderson belted a round-tripper in his support.
Wallis (W) and Padovan
Lewis (L), Odom (4) and Beard
(May 23) The United Distillers Limited baseball team defeated the Arnold & Quigley nine. No final score or game details were published.
Greenlaw (L) and xxx
Richardson (W) and xxx
(May 24) Before a crowd of over 2,000 customers, U.D.L. came from behind in the final inning to capture a 9 to 7 victory over the Arrows, a win which sent the Distillers into a tie for top spot in the Vancouver Senior City circuit with the Transfermen. Keystone sack guardian Johnny Keith was the hero of the game for the Liquor Makers. He started off in the first inning by cracking a two-run round-tripper off Arrow starter Hal Straight. In the ninth frame with the score tied, he laced a sharp single, his third hit of the night, off losing chucker Dave Odom which drove in the winning and insurance markers. The game featured three homers. In addition to Keith’s blast, teammate Jackie Sherman as well as Coley Hall of the Bow Missiles also connected for circuit-clouts.
Musgrave, Kershaw (W) (3) and Henry
Straight, Odom (L) (9) and Beard
(May 25) Curve-balling veteran Elmer Bray limited the Arrows to eight hits as the Arnold & Quigley baseballers ran roughshod over the Transfermen 7 to 1. Shortstop Art McLarney paced the Clothiers at the dish with a two-bagger and a trio of singles. Heaviest stickman for the Arrows was Tommy Kennedy who had three base blows, including a double.
Lewis (L) and Beard
Bray (W) and Padovan
(May 27) The Arnold & Quigley Clothiers unlimbered a 14-hit artillery in knocking off U.D.L. 6 to 2 at Athletic Park. The A & Q victory created a three-way deadlock for top spot in the Van-City loop. Cy Greenlaw and his southpaw slants stifled the Distillers on four hits while whiffing ten. Art Shirley’s two-run homer accounted for all of the United scoring. Art McLarney continued his torrid production at the platter for the winners, drilling four solid pokes, one of them good for two sacks. Keystone combo sidekick, Jimmy Morrison, also did well in the batter’s box, pounding out a pair of singles and a two-bagger.
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
Jowett (L) and Henry
(May 28) The visiting Bremerton WA Merchants of the Northwestern Baseball League made it look easy by disposing of a pair of Vancouver’s finest in exhibition doubleheader play at Athletic Park. The Washington-state smoothies dismantled the Arrows 11 to 4 in the early match of the day and then later hammered U.D.L. 12 to 1 in the finale. Southpaw Earl Johnston held the Transfermen to just six hits in the matinee match, one of which was a home run by Jimmy McKissock.
Johnston (W) and Resler
Odom (L), Straight (4) and Beard
Bremerton outfielder Holevas walloped two home runs and a single in the late encounter. Fellow fly chaser Preston of the invaders also belted a round-tripper plus a brace of one-baggers.
Percival (W) and Ritter, Resler
Richardson (L), Musgrave (4) and Meyers
(May 30) The Bremerton Merchants completed a sweep of their three-game exhibition series against Van-City opposition by edging past Arnold & Quigley 5 to 4. Both teams registered ten hits with Ross Edy of the Clothiers cracking the game’s lone four-bagger.
Johnston (W) and Ritter
Boston (L), Greenlaw (6) and Padovan
(June 1) An eleventh-inning single by playing-manager Ed Henry produced the winning tally as the U.D.L. warriors captured a thrilling 6 to 5 overtime battle from Arnold & Quigley at Athletic Park. Outfielder George Smith of the Clothiers was the top hitter in the contest, smashing a triple plus a brace of singles. His trio of base blows drove in three od the A & Q five runs. Best with the stick for the winning Distillers was Bruce Thirsk who doubled and singled.
Kershaw (W) and Henry
Wallis, Boston (L) (7) and Padovan
(June 3) It took playing-manager Coley Hall and his Arrows ten innings to stop the league-leading U.D.L. squad 9 to 6. With the score knotted at 4 – 4 after nine frames, Hall started an overtime rally that netted the victors five runs when he cracked out a drifting double against the right field wall. The Distillers later responded with a brace of counters in their half of the extra frame but it was a case of too little, too late. Shortstop Bert Mann had three base knocks, all singles, for the triumphant nine while Hall had a one-bagger in addition to his double. Ross Edy smashed a round-tripper for the Whiskey Warriors.
Millard, Odom (W) (9) and Beard
Jowett, Richardson (L) (7) and Henry
(June 4) Cy Greenlaw evened his hill record at a pair of wins and losses, holding the Arrows to seven hits, while his Arnold & Quigley mates backed him to a 7 to 2 victory. The Clothiers roughed up losing flinger Dave Odom for 13 base smashes with second baseman Jimmy Morrison leading the way with four of them. Teammate Frankie Plouf was next in line, registering a trio of raps. Both had doubles in their total of bingles.
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
Odom (L) and Beard
(June 8) Catcher Bill Beard’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning provided the Arrows with an 8 to 7 walkoff win over the United Distillers diamondeers. Beard also picked up a double, single and a stolen base in the contest. Teammate Tommy Kennedy doubled and singled while Ed Henry and stating pitcher Dewey Soriano both had a triple and one-bagger for the vanquished nine.
Soriano, Richardson (L) (9) and Henry
Anderson, Straight (W) (6) and Beard
(June 10) Defending champion Arnold & Quigley arrived back in front of the heap by virtue of a stretch finish that nipped a bewildered Arrow nine 6 to 5. Four very large counters in the bottom of the eighth inning did the trick for the A & Q gang who were out hit by a 10 to 7 margin. Three successive one-baggers, an infield error followed by playing-manager Jimmy Watters screaming double accounted for the late outburst which won the game. Losing chucker Dave Odom and teammate Bert Mann were the game’s top swatters, each producing a double and single. Catcher Joe McNamee of the Transfermen and the Clothiers’ Norm Trasolini both clouted home runs.
Odom (L) and McNamee
Boston (W), Greenlaw (9) and Padovan
(June 11) Playing a three-team exhibition doubleheader, the strong Renton WA Northwestern Baseball League club divided the spoils before a capacity crowd at Athletic Park, taking the opener 3 to 1 over U.D.L. but dropping the finale 5 to 4 to Arnold & Quigley. The visitors tallied all three of their runs in their last turn at bat in the matinee tussle.
Dailey (W) and Paglia, Carlson
Musgrave (L) and Henry
Base hits by winning tosser Cy Greenlaw, Jimmy Watters and Jimmy Morrison produced the winning run for the Clothiers in the late contest.
Ulrich (L) and Carlson
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
(June 13) With Elmer Bray doing the flinging in his usual artistic style, the Arnold & Quigley pastimers had little trouble in turning back a makeshift squad of Arrows 8 to 1 in a Senior City League tilt at Athletic Park. The Quigs pounded loser “Hunk” Anderson for 12 base blows with Art McLarney registering four of them and Ed Holden three.
Bray (W) and Padovan
Anderson (L) and McNamee
(June 15) In a sloppily-played contest at Athletic Park, the Arrows defeated U.D.L. 13 to 7. The Bow Missiles led all the way after jumping out in front 5 to 0 in the top of the first stanza. Base hits, 27 in total, were plentiful as well as fielding miscues with eleven errors occurring. Tommy Kennedy and Ralph Stong each had a double and a pair of singles for the Transfermen while “Wimpy” Quinn, making his seasonal debut in the loop, cracked out three singles for the Distillers.
Soriano (L), Edy (6) and Henry
Odom (W), Straight (7) and McNamee, McCarthy
(June 17) Fast fielding and sharp pitching featured one of the season’s best games, a contest in which U.D.L. stopped Arnold & Quigley 4 to 3. Playing-manager Ed Henry’s long home run over the leftfield fence in the fifth inning gave the Distillers a lead they never relinquished. Both chuckers worked quickly as each was touched for eight safeties. Billy Adshead ripped a double and a pair of singles for the winners while shortstop Art McLarney of the Clothiers had a two-bagger and single.
Greenlaw (L) and Trasolini
Kershaw (W) and Henry
(June 18) The battling Arrows climbed back into the fight for the Senior City League when they came from behind to take the measure of the classy Arnold & Quigley troopers 9 to 6 in an entertaining struggle fought out before another large crowd. After a wobbly start in which he was touched for four first-inning tallies, winning tosser Hal Straight tightened up and survived as his mates began delivering with the hickory, including home runs by Tommy Kennedy and new hot corner custodian, Harry White. Art McLarney had three safeties for the Clothiers, two of them doubles, but not one of them was a hard drive.
Straight (W) and Meyers
Yehle (L), Boston (5) and Padovan
(June 20) Breaking the game open with a five-spot in the sixth canto, the Arnold & Quigley nine drubbed the United Distillers gang 9 to 6. The Quig swatters did some healthy hitting, accumulating 15 safe blows in their triumph. Only one starter in the Clothiers’ lineup failed to register a bingle. Jimmy Morrison had three hits while Jimmy Watters, Art McLarney, Andy Padovan, Sandy Henderson and winning flinger Elmer Bray each posted a pair. Paul McGinnes led the Whiskey Warriors at the dish with a triad of knocks.
Bray (W) and Padovan
Musgrave (L), Richardson (6) and Henry
(June 24) Scoring a singleton in the eighth and then adding three in the ninth frame, the Arrows dug themselves out of a 7 to 4 deficit and went on the defeat league-leading Arnold & Quigley 8 to 7. Jimmy McKissock’s two-out single, his second hit of the contest, settled the walkoff issue. Harry White and starting chucker Dave Odom had four-baggers for the Bow Missiles as did Art McLarney of the Clothiers.
Wallis (L) and Padovan
Odom, Stefan (6), Anderson (W) (8) and Meyers, McCarthy (8)
(June 25) Piling up a substantial early lead, the league leading Arnold & Quigley Clothiers throttled a late U.D.L. rally and carried off a 9 to 5 win over the Distillers. Both teams hit the horsehide hard with the Quigs holding a 13 to 11 margin in base hits. Art McLarney drilled four singles for the winners while teammates Jimmy Watters and Jimmy Morrison both slammed home runs. Ross Edy sparked the Booze Boys with the paddle, collecting two doubles and a one-bagger.
Jowett (L), Musgrave (3) and Henry
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
(June 27) Portsider Hal Straight was saddled with his first defeat of the season after the U.D.L. nine lit him up for three opening-inning runs and went on to defeat the Arrows 4 to 2. Wimpy Quinn’s two-run dinger in the first canto was the spark that ignited the Distillers to victory. Shortstop Bert Mann, playing his first game for U.D.L. after transferring over from the Arrows, picked up three bingles. Ernie Kershaw tossed an effective game from the hill for the victors, giving up seven hits, most of which were scattered.
Straight (L) and McCarthy
Kershaw (W) and Henry
(June 29) The cellar-dwelling U.D.L. club picked up some lost ground at Athletic Park when they climbed aboard three Arnold & Quigley chuckers to score an 8 to 2 victory. Getting off smartly behind the pitching of new import Joe Malman, the Distillers were never seriously challenged after the fourth inning. During that stanza, they drove two A & Q flingers to the showers while adding seven of their eight runs. Lanky Malman was lit up for a first inning homer by Jimmy Morrison but settled in to finish with an eight-hitter. Paul McGinnis led the hit parade for the winners, going three-for-five. He also swiped a pair of bases.
Boston (L), Yehle (4) , Wallis (4) and Padovan
Malman (W) and Henry
(June 29) Playing in Bremerton WA, the Vancouver Arrows lost both ends of a three-team exhibition twin-bill, going down 10 to 3 to the hosting Bremerton squad in the first tussle and later succumbing to the Olympia WA nine by a 6 to 4 count. Bremerton had too much power for the visitors in the opener, piling up 14 hits. Harry White and Ty Hofeditz hit round-trippers for the Arrows.
Stefan (L), Anderson and Telosky
Percival (W) and Ritter
In the second game, reliever Dave Odom of the Arrows hit a grand-slam home run to tie the score but upon returning to the plateau, was ineffectively wild and allowed the winning and insurance runs.
Anderson, Odom (L) and Telosky
Risse (W) and Ennis
(July 1) The Napier & Scott crew of Seattle dropped their first pair of exhibition encounters against teams from the Vancouver Senior City loop. Just when it appeared as though the league-leading Arnold & Quigleys were sunk, they broke through with a pair of runs in the last frame to turn it into a 6 to 5 win. The U.D.L. gang then charged home with two belated runs to score another victory, 13 to 11. Jimmy Watters had a home run for the Clothiers in the opener against Johnny Plouf, brother of A & Q’s Frankie.
J. Plouf (L) and Marx
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
Ross Edy of the Distillers belted the game’s lone four-bagger in the second tilt.
Barr, Moore (L)(3), Schaab (6) and Norrie
Creighton, Kershaw (W) (4) and Henry
(July 4) Following a weekend of inactivity due to rain, the visiting Seattle Napier & Scott nine were again swept in an exhibition twin-bill, taking it on the chin 5 to 2 from the Arrows in the matinee game and falling badly 10 to 1 to U.D.L. in the late encounter. Other than giving up a home run to second baseman Moore, Dave Odom had little trouble stopping the visitors in the opener.
Jacobson (L) and Norrie
Odom (W) and McCarthy
Paul McGinnes was the heavy hitter for the Distillers in the finale with three bingles.
Plouf (L), Barr (1) and Norrie
Brysch (W) and Henry
(July 6) It took ten innings of sizzling baseball for Arnold & Quigleys to dust off a determined U.D.L. aggregation of pastimers 4 to 3 before a large crowd at Athletic Park. The Distillers came from behind to square the game by chasing runs across in the eighth and ninth, but finally had to yield to the Clothiers when outfielder George Smith smashed one of southpaw Joe Malman’s speedballs to the middle pasture to score Art McLarney from third base with the winning tally in the extra stanza. Paul McInnes/McInnis of the Whiskey Fermenters was the game’s best clouter with three base raps. Norm Trasolini homered for the winners.
Malman (L) and Henry
Wallis (W) and Padovan
(July 9) Harry White’s big bat and Hal Straight’s strong left arm combined to set down the league-leading Arnold & Quigley tribe as the Arrows won handily 8 to 2. White clouted one of portsider Cy Greenlaw’s choicest curves for a home run with the bases loaded in the second canto, which proved more than enough to settle the game. White also had a double and plated a second counter as well. Straight, who outside of a little wildness, pitched one of his better games, allowed six hits and fanned three.
Straight (W) and Meyers
Greenlaw (L) and Padovan
(July 11) The Arrows moved into second-place in the Senior City circuit by outlasting U.D.L. 9 to 7. Both teams came out slugging, with a total of 23 base blows being recorded. Ralph Stong of the winners had a phenomenal power performance at the platter, smashing a home run and two triples. Billy Adshead singled on three occasions for the Distillers while teammate Johnny Brysch clubbed a four-bagger.
O’Neill (W) and Meyers
Kershaw (L), Musgrave (7) and Henry
(July 13) In the course of receiving credit for a 3 to 1 victory over the league-leading Arnold & Quigley nine, starting twirler Dave Odom of the Arrows blew his stack after being given the hook by manager Coley Hall in the seventh inning with the Quigs threatening. The temper outburst may have cost Odom his spot on the roster depending upon the forgiveness level of skipper Hall. In any event, the strategy was successful as reliever Hal Straight was able to put out the fire with the aid of some fine defensive play by his mates. George Boston went the route for the Clothiers, being nicked for ten safeties while fanning nine with his southpaw slants. Harry White drove in runs with each of his two doubles for the winners while teammate Ralph Stong emerged as the tussle’s apex swatter with three base knocks including a four-ply clout.
Boston (L) and Padovan
Odom (W), Straight (7) and Meyers
(July 15) Swinging out from behind their bushy beards, the barnstorming Israelite House of David squad nipped the U.D.L. side 6 to 4 in a sparkling exhibition tilt. Outfielder Willard Pike blasted a pair of home runs for the Whiskered Wonders. Paul McGinnes tripled and singled for the Distillers and teammate Art McLarney ripped a trio of one-baggers.
O’Brien (W) and Keller
Brysch (L), Musgrave (4) and Henry
(July 16) Arnold & Quigley’s reign at the top of the Senior City Baseball League was further imperilled as the U.D.L. gang dusted them off in expert style, 2 to 0. in the quickest game of the campaign. Pitching four-hit ball, Ernie Kershaw went the distance with ease in earning the shutout mound triumph. The Distillers plated both of their counters in the fourth frame on run-scoring singles by Ross Edy and Ed Henry. “Wimpy” Quinn and Henry shared the hitting honours for the evening with a brace of safeties each.
Greenlaw (L) and Padovan
Kershaw (W) and Henry
(July 18) The Arrows battered the offerings of Merritt Hubbell, left handed curve dispenser of the House of David and brother of the illustrious Carl of New York Giants fame, for 15 base blows in 7 2/3 innings as the hosting Cartage Crew hammered the Unshaven nine for a 10 to 3 trouncing. Back on the hill after a temper-tantrum which could have cost him his job, Dave Odom calmly set the tourists down on five hits. Tommy Kennedy with three singles and Harry White with a two-run circuit-dinger plus a one-bagger led the Transfermen at the platter.
Hubbell (L), Swinehart (8) and Keller
Odom (W) and Meyers
(July 19) The bewhiskered boys known as the House of David concluded their three-game exhibition series in Vancouver by taking a convincing 6 to 2 victory over the Arnold & Quigley nine. Slapping the offerings of a tandem of heavers from the Clothiers for eleven safeties, the travellers led from start to finish. The Hairy Hardballers backed winner Swinehart’s eight-hit mound outing with three double plays.
Swinehart (W) and Keller
Wallis (L), Boston (2) and Padovan
(July 20) Scoring six times in the third frame , U.D.L. created a three-way tie for supremacy in the Vancouver Senior City League by taking down Arnold & Quigley 8 to 6. Mounsdmen from both sides were pounded hard with a total of 29 base blows being struck. “Wimpy” Quinn of the Distillers was the only player on either team, including the four chuckers used, who failed to register at least one safety. Coming through with three-hit performances were Jimmy Watters and Andy Padovan of the Quigs as well as Ross Edy of the Whiskey Barons. Eddie Holden blasted a four-bagger for the Clothiers.
Greenlaw (L), Wallis (3) and Padovan
Kershaw (W), Malman (7) and Henry
Standings W L Pct.
Arnold & Quigley 13 13 .500
U.D.L. 13 13 .500
Arrows 12 12 .500
(July 22) The Arrows again wielded wicked willows in whipping the fading Arnold & Quigley aggregation 11 to 2 to take the lead in the close battle for top place in the Senior Baseball circuit. Opening up with a bombardment which produced four first-inning runs, the Transfermen left the Clothiers in the dust as Emmett O’Neill went the route for the pitching victory. Ty Hofeditz bludgeoned a pair a circuit-clouts for the Cartage Carriers while playing-manager Coley Hall slapped out a triad of one-baggers.
O’Neill (W) and Meyers
Greenlaw (L), Boston (1), Yehle (9) and Padovan
(July 23) Before a jam-packed house, the U.D.L. baseballers exchanged places with the Arrows atop the Senior City circuit by virtue of a thrilling 3 to 1 win over the Transfermen. With two retired and the score knotted at 1 – 1 in the eighth canto, Billy Adshead of the Distillers dumped a slow single down the third base line which Arrow hot corner custodian Pat Thomas knocked down and should have eaten, with two runners aboard, but instead pegged wild to first base, allowing a pair of unearned counters to cross the platter. Thomas and Jimmy McKissock of the vanquished nine as well as Paul McGinnes/McGinnis and “Wimpy” Quinn of the United gang each had a brace of singles.
Musgrave (W) and Henry
Straight (L) and Meyers
(July 25) The much-improved U.D.L. aggregation handed the slumping Arrows a 12 to 2 pasting at Athletic Park. The Clothiers trotted out three chuckers who were battered for 17 base blows. Paul McGinnis, leading hitter in the circuit to date, added to his average with three healthy clouts, one of them a triple with the bases loaded. Bruce Thirsk also had a big night with the war club, delivering four safe blows while “Wimpy” Quinn pasted the horsehide for three bingles.
Brysch (W) and Henry
Wallis (L), Boston (3), McLarney (8) and Padovan
(July 27) The suddenly-hot U.D.L. baseballers continued their dizzy gait at the expense of the smooth-working Arrows, bumping the Movers 9 to 4. The Distillers made their move in the opening frame when they took advantage of a couple of soft hits to pounce on Dave Odom for six runs highlighted by Bill Adshead’s three-run round-tripper. Joe Malman kept the Arrows in line with his left handed shoots and finished with a complete-game seven-hitter. Paul McGinnes/McGinnis had a double plus a pair of singles for the victors.
Odom (L) and Meyers
Malman (W) and Henry
(July 29) Veteran Joe Dailey went head-to-head against U.D.L.’s Ernie Kershaw for thirteen innings before his Arnold & Quigley mates scored in the bottom of the fourth extra-frame to give him a well-earned 5 to 4 conquest of the Distillers. Norm Trasolini’s double settled matters in walkoff manner, driving in Frankie Plouf with the deciding tally. Plouf had three hits to top all swatters. Catcher Andy Padovan delivered a couple of doubles in support of Dailey and outfielder Eddie Holden drilled a two-run four-bagger.
Kershaw (L) and Henry
Dailey (W) and Padovan
(July 30) With effective pitching figuring in both games, the Olympia WA team of the Northwestern League divided a doubleheader with a pair of Vancouver opponents. In the leadoff encounter, the Arrows took out the visitors 4 to 1 while the Washingtonians came back to blank Arnold & Quigley 4 to 0 in the nightcap. Right-hander Emmett O’Neill of the Transfermen whiffed 12 and allowed six hits in earning the first game mound victory. A home run by outfielder Lewis accounted for the only run he surrendered. Harry White and Pat Thomas led the Bow Missile attack, Thomas belting a home run plus a double and White delivering a triple, double and single.
Risse (L) and Ennis
O’Neill (W) and Meyers
“Lefty” Johnstone of the Olympians held the Quigs down on six hits in taking the second game shutout win. Nothing but horse collars dotted the scoreboard until the sixth inning when Olympia got to losing flinger Cy Greenlaw for three runs due to some hitting, an error and a wild pitch. They plated another in the final frame.
Johnston (W) and Ennis
Greenlaw (L) and Padovan
(August 1) Tommy Musgrave put away another win for the charging U.D.L. tribesmen when he went a sizzling nine innings to shutout the Arrows 4 to 0. Two runs in the third and two more in the seventh spelled the undoing of losing pitcher Hal Straight. Ross Edy drove in the first two runs for the Distillers with a clean single and four frames later, Ed Henry replicated the feat. Jimmy McKissock’s 25-game hit streak came to an end when he drew the collar against Musgrave.
Straight (L) and Meyers
Musgrave (W) and Henry
(August 2) The Arrows suffered a second trimming in two nights , dropping an 11 to 9 count to Arnold & Quigley. The Cartage Crew had a 5 to 2 lead after six innings were in the books but an eight-run outburst by the Clothiers in the seventh stanza sealed their doom. Hits by both teams were plentiful. Sandy Henderson rapped three base blows for the victors, two of them doubles. Coley Hall, Dave Odom and Tommy Kennedy each collected a trio of knocks for the Movers, totals which included a home run by Hall and a double by Odom.
Boston, Wallis (W) (4), Greenlaw (8) and Padovan
Odom (L) and Meyers
(August 3) Joe Dailey made it two straight victories since being seconded to the hill by Arnold & Quigley, shutting out U.D.L. 4 to 0 with a four-hitter. Johnny Brysch turned in a pretty fair mound performance for the Distillers,yielding eight hits but his support was rather feeble in two innings and three of the runs against him came almost directly from miscues. Dailey was in good form at the plate as well as on the mound, cracking out three singles.
Dailey (W) and xxx
Brysch (L) and xxx
(August 5) U.D.L. baseballers, current occupants of the top rung in the Senior City League, marched home to a sparkling 2 to 0 victory over the Arrows at Athletic Park. Ernie Kershaw of the Distillers dealt off one of those better mound performances he is occasionally capable of, stymying the Cartage Crew on three hits. Emmett O’Neill was able to stay on even terms with Kershaw for three innings but, in the fourth, “Wimpy” Quinn smashed a homer for the longest of seven blows that O’Neill would surrender. The winners added an insurance counter in the ninth and that was the ball game. Ross Edy stroked a couple of base raps for the Fermentation Gang, a double and a one-bagger.
Kershaw (W) and Henry
O’Neill (L) and Meyers
(August 6) With three regulars missing from the lineup, the Arrows were no match for big Joe Dailey and his Arnold & Quigley sidekicks who throttled the Movers 9 to 2. Dailey wasn’t particularly stingy with the hits but he was able to slam the door on the Bow Missiles when he had to. He also led the Quigs with the stick, collecting a triad of base knocks. Tommy Kennedy grabbed three blows for the Arrows.
Straight (L) and Meyers, McCarthy
Dailey (W) and Padovan
Standings W L Pct.
U.D.L. 18 15 .545
Arnold & Quigley 17 16 .515
Arrows 14 18 .438
(August 8) Through the able pitching of Joe Malman, the U.D.L. ball club moved two games in front of their closest rivals in the Senior City Baseball League when they defeated Arnold & Quigley 2 to 0. The elongated southpaw fanned four and gave up an equal number of safeties in posting the shutout win. Roy Holden, in his initial mound appearance for the Quigs, was touched for eight base blows in absorbing the defeat. “Wimpy” Quinn homered off Holden in the fourth and the Distillers added a second counter in the seventh that was aided by an infield error. Bill Adshead of the Whiskey Gang and the Clothiers’ Eddie Holden both had a double and single.
Malman (W) and Henry
R. Holden (L) and Trasolini
(August 10) The U.D.L. baseballers of Vancouver won an exhibition encounter at Bremerton WA, defeating the strong Northwestern League team from that city, 4 to 2.
(August 10) Everett O’Neill gave his best mound display of the season when he limited the hard-hitting Arnold & Quigley aggregation to six hits and whiffed 16 batters as the Arrows outplayed the Clothiers 4 to 1. Ably assisted by a flawless defense and a batting order which produced eight hits, three from the bat of outfielder Tommy Kennedy, O’Neill lost his bid for a shutout in the final frame on back-to-back two-out singles, the first of which had taken a bad hop in qualifying for base hit status. Kennedy’s triad of raps included the game’s longest blow, a triple.
Greenlaw (L), Boston (8) and Padovan
O’Neill (W) and Meyers
(August 15) A cluster of nine runs in the fourth inning was the main factor in an 11 to 9 victory for the Arrows over the league-leading U.D.L. club at Athletic Park. The win for the Bow Missiles moved them into a tie with Arnold & Quigley for second-spot in the Senior City loop. Winning pitcher Dave Odom’s two-run triple in the explosive fourth proved to be the turning point that opened the floodgates for the Transfermen. Outfielder Tommy Kennedy had a huge game at the dish for the winners, smacking the horsehide for five safeties. “Wimpy” Quinn had three base blows for the Distillers including a bases-empty four-ply dinger.
Odom (W) and Meyers
Brysch (L), Malman (4), Kershaw (9) and Henry
Prolonged rainy weather forced the curtailment of the remaining regularly scheduled league games with the result that league officials decided to begin a best-of-three semi-final series between the two teams tied for second place, the Arrows and Arnold & Quigley, with the winner to meet U.D.L. in the finals.
PLAYOFFS
Semi-finals (best-of-three)
(August 18) The Arrows pummeled the offerings of Joe Dailey for 16 bingles, fielded perfectly and rode the seven-hit hurling of Emmett O’Neill to take down Arnold & Quigley 5 to 2 in the first of a three-game set to decide which team will battle U.D.L.’s for the league championship. Despite the bevy of hits that they were amassing, the Transfermen were behind 2 to 1 until the seventh when they tied matters and then went on to win rather handily. Third baseman Pat Thomas starred with the lumber for the Movers, blasting a home run and two singles.
O’Neill (W) and Meyers
Dailey (L) and Padovan
(August 19) Portsider Cy Greenlaw fired a one-hitter and fanned 15 to bounce the Arnold & Quigleys back into the running with the Arrows in their showdown series as the Quigs prevailed 5 to 0. Shortstop Harry White crashed a single against the right field wall for the lone hit gathered by the Cartage Crew. Meanwhile, the Clothiers were raking eleven safeties off a trio of Bow Missile twirlers as outfielder Sandy Henderson led the way with three singles.
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
Odom (L), Straight (3), Stong (5) and Meyers
(August 20) In front of close to 5,000 enthusiastic fans, the Arnold & Quigley diamondeers won their way into the Van-City senior finals when they squeezed out a sizzling tenth-inning 4 to 3 victory over the Arrows. A two-base error by relief pitcher Emmett O’Neill in the bottom of the extra frame paved the way for the deciding run in the torrid contest. In making a hurried throw to first base on a short grounder down the third base line, O’Neill was the goat in allowing Jimmy Watters to reach the keystone sack. It gave Art McLarney, who had previously homered, a chance to be the hero of the game. McLarney delivered in grand style by smashing the first pitch to right field as Watters raced home with the winning tally. Both teams acquired nine hits in the joust as outfielder Sandy Henderson of the Clothiers had his second consecutive three-hit performance.
Straight, O’Neill (L) (9) and Meyers
Boston, Dailey (W) (7) and Padovan
Finals (best-of-seven)
(August 22) Roy Holden blanked the U.D.L. troupe on six hits and chopped a single over shortstop to climax a rally in the eighth frame that allowed the Arnold & Quigley nine to take the opening game of the City Senior finals 1 to 0. Holden and Ernie Kershaw worked neck-and-neck for seven innings before the winning tosser’s hit produced the contest’s lone counter. Kershaw was in fine form for the Distillers, being touched for just five safeties. Billy Adshead of the Whiskey Fermenters had the tussle’s only extra-base hit, a double, to go along with a one-bagger.
Kershaw (L) and Henry
R. Holden (W) and Padovan
(August 24) “Wimpy” Quinn pushed the league-winning U.D.L. squad right back into the hunt for the Senior City crown with his late-inning batting heroics as the Distillers came from behind to edge Arnold & Quigley 2 to 1 in eleven frames. Just when it appeared that the Clothiers were about to squeeze out a 1 to 0 victory, Quinn delivered a bottom-of-the tenth inning single to tie the game for a second time. The teams had battled through nine scoreless stanzas before the Quigs chased a run across in the first half of the initial overtime canto. In the last half of the eleventh, Quinn again responded to the pressure situation, slapping an RBI one-bagger, his third hit of the contest, off Joe Malman which sent Bert Mann home with the winning tally.
Greenlaw (L) and Padovan
Malman (W) and Henry
(August 26) Getting to losing chucker Joe Dailey for four runs in the opening frame, the U.D.L. baseball machine appears to be once more functioning smoothly as shown by a 7 to 1 decision over the Arnold & Quigley swat merchants in the third game of their final series. Tommy Musgrave, on the hillock for the Fermenters, subdued the A & Q nine on six hits, including three singles by catcher Andy Padovan. Eddie Holden’s circuit-clout in the sixth canto stopped Musgrave from recording a shutout. Heading the ten-hit production of the victorious Distillers was Ed Henry with a trio of one-baggers and Bruce Thirsk with a two-run homer plus a single.
Musgrave (W) and Henry
Dailey (L) and Padovan
(August 27) The U.D.L. diamond pastimers laid a severe 12 to 3 walloping on Arnold & Quigley in the fourth game of the series for the championship of the Senior City circuit. The Booze Barons raked a quartet of A & Q tossers for 13 base blows in capturing their third win. It was a close affair for six frames. In fact, the Clothiers put on a batting surge in the first half of the seventh which netted them all three of their runs after the Distillers had jumped out in front as a result of a two-run circuit-jack by “Wimpy” Quinn in the initial panel. The bottom of that stanza, however, proved to be a nightmare for the Quigs as the United troupe put an eight-spot on the scoreboard to virtually wrap things up. Hard-hitting outfielder Ross Edy did the heavy work for the victors with the hickory, smashing two doubles and a triple while Quinn had a two-bagger to go along with his dinger.
R. Holden (L), Dailey (7), Boston (7), Wallis (7) and Padovan
Kershaw (W) and Henry
(August 29) Staving off elimination, Arnold & Quigley jumped back into the hunt for the Senior City League crown with a 5 to 3 triumph over the United Distillers Ltd. squad. A four-run first-inning which erased a two-run deficit helped immensely in sealing the win. After grabbing the lead, winning flinger Cy Greenlaw took control and never let the Whiskey Makers get within one run of tying the contest. Infielder Frankie Plouf doubled and singled twice for the winners.
Brysch (L), Malman (1) and Henry
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
(August 31) The U.D.L.’s polished off the Arnold & Quigley aggregation 6 to 0 at Athletic Park to win the Vancouver Senior League championship four games to two and advance to play Bremerton WA for the Pacific Northwest baseball crown. The new Van-City tiara holders sent A & Q starter Roy Holden to the showers early, battering him for all six runs in the first 1 1/3 frames. Joe Dailey did a commendable job in relief, holding the Distillers off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game but the Clothiers were unable to mount any semblance of an offense off the superlative five-hit pitching of Tommy Musgrave. Billy Adshead’s first-inning single drove in the initial two counters for the winners. Outfielder Bruce Thirsk contributed a two-run homer and a single.
R. Holden (L), Dailey (2) and Padovan
Musgrave (W) and Henry
PACIFIC NORTHWEST SERIES (best-of-seven)
(September 4) U.D.L. started off on the right foot in their series with the Bremerton Cruisers as they emerged with a 4 to 2 win in the opening game. It was a tight pitcher’s duel between Joe Malman and Middendorf of the Cruisers in which the Vancouver southpaw had a slight edge in a light-hitting contest.
Middendorf (L) and Ritter
Malman (W) and Padovan
(September 5) After Bremerton got off to an early 2 to 0 lead, the U.D.L. baseballers roared back with three counters of their own and later added another trio of tallies to grab game two of the series 6 to 2. Left-hander Cy Greenlaw had the visitors pretty well baffled after their opening-frame two-spot while the U.D.L. sluggers went to work on Percival, a right-hander, and polished him off in a little more than two frames. Greenlaw went the route and whiffed 13 along the way, finishing with a seven-hitter. “Wimpy” Quinn’s triple in the bottom of the inaugural canto was directly responsible for U.D.L. marking up three runs and taking a lead which they never relinquished. It was the same Quinn who doubled in the third to help the Distillers mark up two more counters.
Percival (L), Johnson (3) and Ritter
Greenlaw (W) and Padovan
The best-of-seven series was scheduled to resume on September 9.
MID – PACIFIC NORTHWEST SERIES EXHIBITION GAMES
(September 7) By way of keeping the U.D.L. diamondeers warm for the continuation of their series with Bremerton, the Tacoma Cammaranos came to town, made it hot for U.D.L. in the ninth inning by tying the score 3 – 3 and went on to burn the Vancouverites with a 5 to 3 triumph in the eleventh inning. Heading into the ninth canto, the Distillers held a 3 to 0 edge and appeared to be headed for certain victory. An infield error followed by a two-run homer off the bat of shortstop Jess Brooks narrowed the difference to a single tally. A bingle surrendered by losing twirler Tommy Musgrave followed by shortstop Bert Mann’s error allowed the tying run to score. Tacoma first baseman Spadafore led off the eleventh stanza with a double and a pair of pair of ensuing one-baggers staked the Cammaranos to the two-run lead which they continued to hold for the balance of the contest.
Houston (W) and Paine
Musgrave (L) and Henry
(September 8) U.D.L. clobbered the Tacoma Cammaranos 11 to 3 to square their exhibition series the Washingtonians. The Distillers jumped on three Tacoma chuckers for fourteen hits in the walkaway win. Eddie Holden, Bruce Thirsk and Billy Adshead all registered three hits for the winners. The game proved to be the final contest of the campaign as the remainder of the Pacific Northwest series with Bremerton was called off following the news that the Cruisers team, trailing in the series by two games, had decided to disband for the season.
Michelson (L), Elmore (4), Bland (5) and Hodeman
Kershaw (W) and Henry
COMMERCIAL LEAGUE
The 1938 Commercial Leaguers initially were recipients of adequate coverage of their games within editions of the Vancouver Sun but, as the season progressed, rumours of internal trouble within the circuit surfaced and reporting of game results began to shrink almost to the same level which was afforded the Burrard League. The circuit began the campaign with five entries but was reduced to four when the Twigg Island Dairy team disbanded in late June. Merritt-Gordon captured the first-half championship and went on to defeat the Patricias, second-half winners, for the overall league playoff crown.
First-half
(April 28) Vancouver’s Commercial Leaguers had the honour of breaking in the 1938 baseball season when they showed off to advantage under the glittering lights at Con Jones Park in doubleheader action. The Patricias had one big inning which propelled them to an 8 to 5 win over Merritt-Gordon while the Twigg Island Dairymen showed class in beating Lowney’s Chocolate 6 to 1. Although out hit 10 to 9 over the course of the game, the Pats scored six times in the fourth frame to salt away the opener.
Gibb (W), Burton (5) and McLachlan
Condon, Stewart (L) (4), Brown (4) and Rustler
The second game was the best of the two with both teams fielding sensationally. Catcher Charlie Vernon of the Islanders provided the game’s most decisive blow, a fourth-inning triple that accounted for three runs.
Richardson (W) and B. Peters
Onofrychuk (L) and Vernon
(April 29) The Patricia Hotelmen made it two straight in Commercial League warfare, trouncing Twigg Island 10 to 4 at Con Jones Park. The Dairymen enjoyed a 4 to 1 lead at the end of four innings but the Pats staged a five-run outburst in the fifth to alter the complexion of the game. Outfielders Tom Fullen and Montador both had three safeties for the victors with one of Fullen’s raps going for two bases. Third sacker Noble of the Pats contributed a triple and single.
Burton (W) and Grant, McLachlan/McLaughlan
Townsend (L), Biggars (8) and Lowes
(May 2) Scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth frame, Merritt Gordon slipped past Twigg Island 9 to 8 at Con Jones Park. Frank Ambler’s single drove in the tying and winning counters. Ambler wound up the game with four base hits.
Francis (L), Biggars and Lowes
Stilinovich, Muskett (W) and Mauro
(May 4) Big Jack Smith twirled a five-hitter and fanned 15 tp pace Chilliwack Cherries to an 8-2 victory over Lowneys at Con Jones Park Wednesday. Playing manager Red Nichol and Claude Semple each had three hits to pace a ten hit offensive. The game featured 26 strikeouts as Lowneys starter Wallyer whiffed eight and reliever Richardson added three.
Smith (W) and Nicol
Wallyer (L), Richardson (5) and B.Peters, Tinling.
(May 6) Before a bumper opening day home crowd, the Chilliwack Cherries picked up their second win of the campaign, nosing out the Patricia Hotel nine 2 to 1. A pair of portsiders, “Duke” Baer of the Cherries and the Pats’ Len “Lefty” Sears locked horns in a tight pitching duel in which each was touched for four hits. The Patricias drew first blood when outfielder Tom Fullen smacked a solo homer over the right field fence in the second inning. Following a leadoff single to Chilliwack’s Bill Beetlestone in the third-inning, losing twirler Sears experienced control problems, walking three batters in succession to force in the tying marker. His fatal error in the eight canto also allowed the Cherries to break the tie with Mickey Burden scoring.
Sears (L) and McLachlan
Baer (W) and Nicol
(May 13) A four-run barrage in the fourth inning enabled the Patricias to down Lowney’s 5 to 3 in Commercial League play. Rival first sackers, French of the Pats and “Scotty” Lister of the Chocolate Soldiers, led their respective nines at the dish, each singling on three occasions.
McKenzie (W) and Grant
Sauder (L), Walyer (5), Davis (9) and B. Peters
(May 17) The Twigg Island Dairymen suffered a double loss at Con Jones Park, dropping a 7 to 2 decision to the Patricia Hotelmen as well as losing their playing-manager, “Peggy” Duff who was taken to hospital after being struck on the head by a pitched ball. French and McLachlan set the pace with the hickory in the 15-safety Patricia attack.
Montador (W) and xxx
Peterson (L) and xxx
(May 24) Chilliwack picked up an easy win at the Coast Tuesday trimming Peggy Duff's Twigg Islanders 9-1 in five innings. Duke Baer was coasting along with the big lead when Duff became too vociferous in his complaints and Umpire Don Stewart called the game. Baer yielded four hits and fanned eight in his short stint. The Cherries rang up ten hits, three by George Burns and two apiece from Red Nicol and Jack Smith.
Baer (W) and Nicol
Gibbons (L), Townsend and White
(May 25) The Merritt-Gordon Hoteliers continued their win streak in Commercial League baseball, nosing out fellow inn-keepers, the Patricias, 7 to 6 at the Powell Street grounds. Johnny Stewart went the route on the hill for the Emgees, surrendering eleven safeties. First baseman Ralph Spicer picked up three hits for the winning nine.
Stewart (W) and Mauro
Doris (L), Sears and Grant
(May 26) Len “Lefty” Sears of the Patricias had his high hard one working to perfection at Con Jones Park as he whiffed 17 Chilliwackers in the course of the Pats 13 to 5 victory over the Cherries. Chilliwack led the game 4 to 2 until the seventh canto when the Hotelmen scored four times and then added a crushing seven counters in the eighth. Shortstop “Gummy” Leach, first baseman French and third sacker Noble each stroked three safeties for the winners.
Ballam (L) and Nicol
Sears (W) and Grant
(May 27) The high-flying Patricias worked over three Lowney’s chuckers for thirteen hefty hits at Con Jones Park and came away with an 8 to 3 triumph in a free-swinging contest. The winning nine presented a very balanced offensive attack while the Candymen were led at the plate by Ken Van Hatten and Murray West who stroked four and three hits respectively.
Sauder (L), Esplen, Richardson and xxx
Montador (W) and xxx
(May 27) Merritt-Gordon added to their list of victories by taking a 7 to 4 decision over the Cherries at Chilliwack. Victorious tosser Chuck Holmes kept the hosts pretty well under control, lapsing only in the third inning when the homesters scored all their runs. Ralph Spicer and Charlie Crawford contributed home runs to the Emgee offensive attack.
Holmes (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(May 28) Larry Holden, veteran Merritt-Gordon chucker, produced another hurling gem at Con Jones Park when he set the Twigg Island Dairymen down on two singles as the league-leading Emgees chalked up a sparkling 2 to 0 victory. Holden whiffed 14 during his vintage nine-inning mound performance. Losing flinger Bob Gibbons was also in fine form, yielding just four hits. It was his wildness in the fifth frame which cost him the game. After loading the bases on walks, Gibbons dished up a clean single to Frank Ambler which drove in the game’s only two markers.
Gibbons (L) and Vernon
Holden (W) and Mauro
(June 1) The Patricias drubbed Twigg Island 9 to 2 at the Powell Street grounds in Commercial League action. It was the Pats’ ability to produce timely hitting that made the difference in the game. Harold Davies of the Hotelmen and Bobby Townsend of the Twiggs both hammered out home runs.
Patton (W) and xxx
Alexander (L), Townsend and xxx
(June 1) Despite being out hit by the Chocolate Soldiers, Merritt-Gordon emerged with a 10 to 8 victory against the Lowney’s aggregation in a game played at Con Jones Park. Larry Holden, on the hill for the Gordons, yielded 13 hits, three of them doubles, but his mates gathered 11 bingles off the offerings of two Lowney chuckers. Outfielder Roy Brown of the Emgees was ousted from the game for protesting umpire Don Stewart’s ruling on a doubtful catch.
Holden (W) and xxx
xxx (L), xxx and xxx
(June 3) Chilliwack got the winner on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge Patricia Hotel 4-3 Friday at Chilliwack. Behind Dean Ballam's smart hurling, Cherries had a 3-0 lead going into the ninth but the visitors combined a couple of bingles and an error to plate three and tie the match. Chilliwack responed loaded the bags in the bottom of the frame then getting the winner on a wild pitch. Ballam struck out ten in his seven-hitter.
Gibb, Montador (8), Sears (9) and Grant
Ballam (W) and Nicol
(June 6) A five-run fifth inning propelled the Merritt-Gordon Hoteliers to a 9 to 3 win over Twigg Island. Winning tosser Johnny Stewart checked the Dairymen on five hits. Catcher George Rustler of the Emgees and Twigg third sacker Barney Kadey shared batting honours with each claiming a double and single.
Stewart (W) and Rustler
Alexander (L) and Mauro
(June 8) Timely hitting allowed Lowney’s Chocolate to defeat the Patricia Hotel 5 to 3 in Commercial League play. Maximizing their opportunities, the Candymen scored twice in the third on Hec McDonald’s single and Jimmy Tough’s double and counted three more in the next canto when Ken van Hatten, Fred Tinling and “Scotty” Lister were driven home on clutch base hits.
Sears (L), xxx (6) and xxx
Richardson (W) and xxx
(June 10) Ted Karr was the offensive and defensive star for Chilliwack as the Cherries edged Lowneys 5-4 Friday. Karr poked out three of Chilliwack's 13 hits and made a spectacular game-saving catch in the ninth inning. Dean Ballam relieved starter and winner Jack Smith with one on and one out in the ninth. He hit a batter, then fanned the second before giving up a long drive which Karr ran down to end the game.
Esplen (L) and McDonald
Smith (W), Ballam (9) and Nichol
(June 13) The cellar-dwelling Twigg Island Dairy crew slammed the door on the league-leading Merritt-Gordons, blanking the Hoteliers 4 to 0 at Powell Street grounds. Losing pitcher Larry Holden was touched for six hits while Bob Gibbons, who went the distance for the Twiggs, gave up five. Playing-manager Peggy Duff and Charlie Vernon supplied the power hits for the victorious nine, Vernon collecting a three-bagger in the opening frame and Duff a circuit-clout in the fourth. In the sixth canto, a walk followed by doubles from Joe Naples and Ken Van Hatten gave the Islanders their last two runs.
Holden (L) and xxx
Gibbins (W) and xxx
(June 15) A five-run fourth inning, climaxed by winning pitcher Doug Sauder’s double, enabled the Lowney’s Chocolate nine to set the Patricia Hotel squad down 5 to 2. Tom Fullen drove in both runs for the Pats, also in the fifth frame, with his second bingle of the game.
Sears (L) and xxx
Sauder (W) and xxx
(June 17) Merritt-Gordon increased their Commercial Baseball League lead at Chilliwack, knocking off the Cherries 11 to 8 in a loosely-played game. Opposing twirlers Frank Minckler of Chilliwack and Chuck Holmes of the Emgees both were lit up for 12 hits but the Hoteliers were superior in capitalizing on Cherry fielding miscues. Outfielder Ted Karr and “Duke” Baer both hit home runs for Chilliwack.
Holmes (W) and xxx
Minckler (L) and xxx
(June 17) The barnstorming Zulu Giants defeated a get-together Commercial League group of players from Lowney’s Chocolate, Twigg Island Dairy and the Patricia Hotel 8 to 2 in exhibition action at Con Jones Park.
(June 18) Wendy Walyer tossed a brilliant one-hitter as Lowney’s nosed out Twigg Island 1 to 0 in a superb pitching joust held at the Powell Street grounds. A double to the Twigg’s W. Paterson was the only bingle surrendered by Walyer. The loss for chucker Peterson of the Dairymen was a bitter one as he dished up a three-hitter. The Chocolate Men scored the game’s lone run, an unearned counter, in the last inning when Ken Van Hatten singled, advanced to second on an infield out and scored on shortstop Kadey’s wild throw to first on Walyer’s ground ball.
Peterson (L) and xxx
Walyer (W) and xxx
(June 20) Duke Baer fired a six-hitter and rang up 17 strikeouts but came away a 4-2 loser as Merritt-Gordon topped the Cherries Monday. Gibbons yielded 11 hits but went the distance for the win. Naples and Mauro each had two hits for the winners.
Gibbons (W) and Mauro
Baer (L) and Nicol
(June 22) Merritt-Gordon pushed over a brace of counters in the final frame to edge Twigg Island 7 to 5 at the Powell Street Grounds. Emgee catcher Rustler and Joe Naples of the Dairymen tangled after exchanging words and were both ejected in that last canto. Before his banishment, Naples had contributed a home run to the Twigg Island total.
Stewart, Condon and Rustler, xxx
Peterson (L) and Vernon
(July 24) The Patricias prevailed in a tightly-fought Commercial League struggle at Chilliwack to slip by the hosting Cherries 9 to 8.
(June 25) Merritt-Gordon Hoteliers enhanced their position at the head of the Commercial Baseball League by trouncing the Patricia Hotel nine 9 to 4 at the Powell Street grounds. The Emgees tallied four markers in the top of the initial stanza and were always in the lead. Larry Holden and Lee Morley singled and Jimmy Condon doubled to get the Gordons off to their flying start. Montador and Noble hit home runs for the Pats.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 27) Lacking in pitching depth, the Twigg Island Dairymen were forced to use two position players in relief roles, moves which didn’t pan out well as the Islanders went down to a 9 to 6 defeat at the hands of the Patricias. The Pats came from behind and struck for six big runs in the fifth stanza as Twigg starter Bobby Gibbons’ arm gave out and those seconded to the mound were ineffective.
Montador (W) and Grant
Gibbons (L), Naples (5), Kadey (5) and Vernon
(June 27) Lowneys whipped Chilliwack 12-1.
(June 29) Russ Richardson preserved the win for Wendy Walyer, coming to the rescue of the Lowney’s starter in the final frame with the bases loaded and one out, as the Chocolate Soldiers hung on for a 5 to 3 win over Merritt-Gordon. Walyer had been sailing along with a 5 to 0 lead but suddenly lost his focus and control, walking one batter and then hitting four in succession.
Walyer (W), Richardson (7) and Tinling
Stewart (L) and Rustler
(July 1) Merritt-Gordons of the Vancouver Commercial League split an exhibition doubleheader with the Victoria All-Stars, taking the first game 9 to 6 and dropping the second 14 to 7.
Second-half
(July 4) First-half winners of the Commercial League, the Merritt-Gordons, took a 9 to 4 beating from the Patricias in the opening game of the second-half schedule. The Pats virtually clinched the verdict in the opening frame, shelling losing flinger Roy Brown for six runs before they were stopped. Outfielder Paul Thompson, Chicago Black Hawks forward, hit a home run for the Emgees in his first plate appearance.
Brown (L), Condon (1) and xxx
Clark, Gibb and xxx
(July 6) Johnny Keith, better known as an infielder, made an auspicious return to the pitching mound, setting Lowney’s down on two hits as Merritt-Gordon registered a 3 to 1 Commercial League victory. Losing heaver Doug Sauder worked a five-hitter for the Chocolate Makers. However, two of those bingles were for extra-bases, a home run by Lee Morley and a double by Dan Kulai.
Keith (W) and xxx
Sauder (L) and xxx
(July 8) Leadoff batter Ted Karr punched out three hits to lead the Cherries to a narrow 4-3 verdict over Merrit-Gordon Friday at Chilliwack. Jack Smith had 11 strikeouts while Reg Jowett registered a dozen in taking the loss.
Smith (W) and Nicol
Jowett (L) and Loews
(July 9) A six-run explosion in the third inning was the payoff as the Patricias trounced Lowney’s 8 to 1 in Commercial League action. Jack Gibb twirled a four-hitter in grabbing the mound win for the Pats. Joe Naples, over from the disbanded Twigg Island team, made his debut with the Patricias, slamming two doubles and making a sensational catch in centre field. Neal Fullen belted a round-tripper for the Pats.
Gibb (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(July 11) Joe Naples’ tenth-inning home run gave the Patricia Hotel baseballers a 3 to 2 decision over the Chilliwack Cherries in a Commercial League tilt played in the Fraser Valley centre. A homer by Patricia's Hank Grant in the ninth has tied the count at 2-2. Although surrendering 11 safeties, Norm Smith recorded the overtime pitching decision over “Duke” Baer. The Chilliwack southpaw allowed seven base hits while ringing up 12 strikeouts.
Smith (W) and xxx
Baer (L) and xxx
(July 11) Thanks to the relief pitching of Johnny Keith, who quelled a last-inning rally after walking two batters to load the bases, the Merritt-Gordons chalked up their first win in the second-half of the schedule, edging past Lowney’s 4 to 3. Keith relieved winning flinger Johnny Stewart after the latter had been nicked for two runs on successive singles by Jimmy Tough, Hec McDonald and Ken Van Hatten. The Gordons pasted losing chucker Wendy Walyer solidly in the third and fifth innings, scoring a pair in each panel on a triple by “Tiny” Thompson and doubles by Paul Thompson and Larry Holden.
Walyer (L) and xxx
Stewart (W), Keith (9) and xxx
(July 13) The Patricias, second-half leaders in the Commercial baseball League, scored another close victory at the Powell Street grounds, defeating Lowney’s Chocolate 6 to 4. Opposing moundsmen Burton of the Pats and Doug Sauder of the Candymen both allowed nine hits. Sauder fanned 11 and had a perfect evening at the plate.
Burton (W) and xxx
Sauder (L) and xxx
(July 15) The Chilliwack Cherries defeated Lowney’s 5 to 1 with Roy Holden as both the pitching and batting star. He fashioned a five-hitter on the mound and walloped a homer and single at the plate. Ted Karr added a homer and two singles.
Richardson (L) and McDonald
Holden (W) and Nicol
(July 16) The win streak of the Patricias came to an end at the Powell Street grounds as Merritt-Gordon outscored them 7 to 6.
(July 18) In spite of out hitting their opponents 12 to 9, the Patricia Hotel baseballers suffered their second straight setback in the Commercial League, falling 10 to 8 to Lowney’s Chocolate in a ragged game at the Powell Street grounds. Hec McDonald led the Lowney offensive thrust, driving in five runs with a home run and single.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(July 20) Scoring six runs in the last inning, the Patricias trounced Merritt-Gordon 9 to 2 to regain the lead in the Commercial Baseball League.
Patton (W) and Bentley
Stewart (L), Condon (7) and Lowes
(July 20) Chilliwack's 10-6 victory over the House of David was front page news in the Chilliwack Progress.
Cherries Trim House of
David Ball Team to
Score Spectacular UpsetThree years ago, when House of David played here before the largest crowd ever assembled in our Athletic park, if someone had said that Chilliwack would some day have a ball team that would take the bearded boys, that someone would have been laughed out of town. But this precious victory -- the sweetest one that could come to a local ball club -- was marked up Wednesday night at the start of a good baseball week; a week in which baseball as it should be played by a good team marked at least a temporary return of that team to customer fancy.
Wednesday night's game against the House of David team, although it is history now, will live for a long time in the minds of fans and ball players, It sparkled from first to last; it was hot. It had puncho and good ballo, it was fast and it was smart. The local lads ... really had it on the ball. Even the cynics, who might well question the attitude of the Davids in the opening frames, couldn't help but feel that the Benton Harbor missionaries were shooting the works after the fifth. They did, but what they had wasn't enough. They shook big Jack Smith who threw a superlative game, in the seventh, but the steady righthander settled down in the face of two successive home runs. With the score at 10-5 for the Cherries, Pike hit another homer over rightfield fence in the eighth. When the ninth came around with the score still at 10-6, fans were still looking for David's famed dynamite to explode. It never did. Smith struck out big John Tucker, mainspring of the whiskers. He forced Velcheck, who had previously homered over the long leftfield fence, to bloop to short left for an easy out. Gilbert went down, Beetlestone to Holden. And that was that.
The Cherries pounded out 14 hits, three by Roy Holden, Velcheck led the visitors with his homer, double and single.
Pike (L), Tucker and Keller
Smith (W) and Nicol
(July 22) Winning pitcher Frank Minckler scored the winning run on a passed ball in the tenth inning as Chilliwack nosed out Merritt-Gordon 3-2 on Friday. Leading off the 10th, Minckler reached on an error, advanced as Cece Shaw beat out an infield hit and Red Nicol followed with a bunt to load the bases. Cherries won with just seven hits, three by Nicol. Shortstop Moser had four of the 12 safeties by the visitors.
Minckler (W) and Nicol
Larry Holden (L) and Mauro
(July 23) Lowney’s made it two in a row in Commercial League action, exploding for three runs off losing tosser Reg Jowett in the sixth frame to dispose of Merritt-Gordon 4 to 2. Doubles by Ken Van Hatten and Doug Sauder featured the outburst. Russ Richardson hurled a six-hitter for the Chocolate Soldiers while Jowett was touched for five bingles. Frank Ambler belted a solo home run for the Emgees in the last inning.
Jowett (L) and xxx
Richardson (W) and xxx
(July 25) A little bit of everything that makes a baseball game was thrown into the mix at the Powell Street diamond where the Patricias nosed out the Merritt-Gordons 11 to 10. Playing-manager Jimmy Condon of the Emgees was given the heave-ho for protesting too vigorously on a judgement call at first base.
Keith, Condon, Holden and Mauro
Gibb, Patton (W) and Grant
(July 27) With chucker Jimmy Condon firing a five-hitter, the Merritt-Gordons dumped Lowney’s Chocolate 5 to 2. The Emgees collected 11 hits in registering the victory and will now tackle the Patricias, who galloped through the second-half of the schedule on top, for the overall Commercial League championship.
xxx (L) and xxx
Condon (W) and xxx
(July 29) The Chilliwack Cherries were handed a 6 to 1 defeat by the Patricias in winding up their second-half of the schedule. The Pats had previously clinched the last-half title and now go up against the Merritt-Gordons for the Commercial League tiara. “Lefty” Sears went the distance in earning the mound win for the Hotelmen. Naples smacked a two-run homer and scored three runs for the winners.
Sears (W) and Grant
Minckler (L) and Holden
PLAYOFFS (best-of-nine)
(August 1) Although out hit by a 12 to 6 margin, Merritt-Gordon got the jump on the Patricias in their Commercial League final series, scoring a 5 to 4 victory. Larry Holden was able to keep most of the dozen bingles he yielded well scattered and escaped with the mound triumph. Jack Gibb, the first of three Pat chuckers, contributed to his own defeat in the second canto when he threw wild to second base on an easy double-play chance. The Gordons took advantage of that break to push over three runs and were never headed.
Gibb (L), Patton, Burton and xxx
Holden (W) and xxx
(August 3) A combination of Pete Mauro’s hickory wielding and Reg Jowett’s horsehide flinging gave the Merritt-Gordons their second straight victory over the Patricias in the Commercial Baseball League finals. Mauro contributed a grand-slam home run in the sixth inning while Jowett set the Pats down on three hits as the Emgees triumphed 6 to 2. Jack Gibb was nailed with the hillock defeat, giving up all seven hits acquired by the winning nine before getting the hook.
Jowett (W) and xxx
Gibb (L), Montador (7) and xxx
(August 6) Merritt- Gordon and the Patricias made no progress in their squabble to decide a Commercial League playoff champion when they faced off in the third game of their series. After the bats had been tucked away following eight innings of sparkling baseball, the Gordons retained their two games to none advantage as the scoreboard was monopolized by horse collars in a 0 – 0 stalemate. Jimmy Condon and Bob Montador put on a stellar display of pitching in the scoreless affair.
Condon and xxx
Montador and xxx
(August 8) Reg Jowett stymied the Patricias on two hits as the Merritt-Gordon diamondeers captured their third win in the best-of-nine Commercial League finals, blanking the Pats 5 to 0. The score could have been even more one-sided had an umpire’s faux pas not allowed a third-inning triple play by the Patricias which clearly should have been an automatic infield fly. The vanquished nine let their frustration surface through the actions of outfielder Neil Fullen who was banished for poking his bat into the umpire’s chest protector following a called strike.
Jowett (W) and T. Mauro
Clark (L) and Grant
(August 10) “Gummy” Leach’s Patricias will have to win five straight, an almost impossible task, to capture the Commercial Baseball League honours. The Pats were throttled for the fourth time in the final series at the Powell Street grounds, losing a 4 to 1 decision. The Emgees came from behind to plate all of their counters in the fifth inning. Johnny Keith’s three-bagger with the bases full was the clout that defeated Bob Montador. Victorious moundsman Roy Brown limited the Patricias to two bingles, one of which was a third-inning home run by Hank Grant.
Montador (L) and xxx
Brown (W) and xxx
Sporting a four games to none lead with one contest tied, it was almost a certainty that the Merritt-Gordon baseball team would take the series. They did indeed cop the Commercial circuit title, advancing to play against the Asahis, Burrard League champions, for city supremacy. However, no date(s), final score(s) or details of any game(s) in their Commercial League final series beyond game #5 played August 10 were found within the editions of the Vancouver Sun. Three possible scenarios for such come to mind:
1) the Patricias saw the situation as being hopeless and simply forfeited the rest of the series
2) no one bothered to report the details of the playoff clincher to the Sun
3) game #6 was played on Saturday, August 13, the results of which were published in the Monday, August 15 edition of the Sun, the sports pages of which were missing from the microfilm reel
1938 Burrard League – Commercial League challenge series
See 1938 Burrard Baseball League page for game reports of series.
(August 24) The Chilliwack Progress reported in its August 24th edition that a playoff series had been arranged between Merritt-Gordon and the Cherries for the league championship with the winner likely to take on the Asahis the champions of the Vancouver-Burrard League.
(August 26) In the first of what was supposed to be a best-of-five series, Chilliwack shaded Merritt-Gordon 3-2 in 10 innings.. Ted Karr, who had led off the extra frame with his fourth hit of the night, came around to score the winner on Cece Shaw's hard smash to centre field. Jack Smith held the visitors to eight hits and whiffed 10 in a route-going performance for the win. Vosberg and Thompson each had two hits for the Cherries. After the game, Merritt-Gordon disclosed it would not return without a large traveling expense guarantee which Chilliwack officials could not meet. During the discussions it was learned the coast team had already scheduled a series with the Asahis, the Burrard League winners, and had no intention of completing the Chilliwack series.
Jowett (L) and Mauro
Smith (W) and Cox
BURRARD LEAGUE
Of the three operational senior-level loops in Vancouver during 1938, the Burrard Leaguers received the least of all coverage within editions of the Vancouver Sun. Box scores were never printed, line scores occasionally showed up and game details were scanty at best. One of the starting 1938 entries, the Canadians, managed to play only one game before folding. Most of their roster was absorbed by the White Pine aggregation.
(May 5) Behind the effective four-hit pitching of Nag Nishihara, the Asahis celebrated their return to the Burrard League by capturing an easy 13 to 1 decision over the Arrows. The Nippons raked three Bow Missile chuckers for ten hits in steamrolling their opponents. Leadoff hitter Roy Yamamura began the game by cracking a solo homer as the Asahis sent losing flinger Russell to the showers with a six-run first-frame outburst. Pinch-hitter “Toots” Lamond/Lamont belted a bases-empty round-tripper in the fifth stanza for the lone Arrow tally.
Russell (L), Winterbottom (2), Pauche (4) and xxx
Nishihara (W) and Masuda
(May 13) The strong Asahi baseballers blanked St. Regis Hotel 8 to 0 in Burrard league action at the Powell Street grounds. Kaz Suga fired a three-hitter to earn the shutout victory. Suga also belted a home run off the slants of losing chucker McIntyre who went the route while yielding ten base hits to the Nippons.
K. Suga (W) and xxx
McIntyre (L) and xxx
(May 19) Behind the 16 strikeout performance of pitcher Percy Doolan, the Canadians nosed out the Arrows 6 to 5 in Burrard League play. The Canucks had to score four times in their last turn at bat to secure the triumph. “Toots” Lamond hit a home run for the Arrows.
xxx (L) and xxx
Doolan (W) and xxx
(May 20) The Asahis are renowned base stealers but they reached an all-time Burrard League high at the Powell Street grounds when, in only six turns at bat of a seven-frame contest, they pilfered nineteen bases in walking away with a 16 to 2 victory over the St. Regis Hoteliers. The Nippons ripped out 14 hits including homers by winning tosser Kaz Suga and Frank Shiraishi as well as triples by Roy Yamamura and "Mousie" Masuda.
Goepel (L), McInstry and McAuley
K. Suga (W) and Masuda
(May 26) With chucker McIntyre dishing out a five-hit, eleven strikeout performance, the St. Regis Hotelmen registered their first Burrard League victory of the season, defeating White Pine 5 to 2. “Rusty” Goepel led the St. Regis offensive attack with a double and triple.
McIntyre (W) and McAuley/McCauley
Mertz (L), Chubey and McKellar, Chalmers
(May 27) The Asahis added another Burrard League scalp to their belts, trouncing the Arrows 10 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. The Nippons went on a base-stealing bender in the opening frame, pilfering nine sacks while piling up a 4 to 0 lead. Roy Yamamura blasted a bases-empty four-bagger in the second inning. Nag Nishihara breezed to the mound win on a two-hitter.
Howard (L), Stillwell and Mitsui
Nishihara (W) and Masuda
(May 31) When Mills pilfered home in the final inning of the Burrard Baseball League contest between the Arrows and White Pine, he carried with him the run that gave the Arrows a 6 – 6 tie. The Piners had piled up a 6 to 1 lead in the first four innings but chucker Doolan failed to preserve the advantage. Faulkner led the Arrow offensive thrust with four base hits while “Toots” Lamond/Lamont and Pete Mauro had home runs.
Doolan and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 2) With ace chucker McIntyre controlling things from the mound in crucial situations, the St. Regis nine squeezed through to a 4 to 3 victory over the Arrows in Burrard League play at Powell Street. All four runs plated by the Hoteliers came at the expense of losing flinger “Rookie” Randall. Pete Mauro’s timely double in the third inning drove in two of the St. Regis counters.
McIntyre (W) and xxx
Randall (L), Howard (5) and xxx
(June 3) Second sacker Henry of the White Pine baseballers wore both the goat horns and hero mantle following the Burrard League battle at the Powell Street grounds. After committing a pair of infield bobbles, both of which contributed to Asahi runs, Henry stepped up to the plate in the Pine’s last at-bat and spanked one of Nag Nishihara's offerings out of the lot for a home run that ended the scoring in a 5 – 5 stalemate. The game was marred by a free-for-all in the fifth frame when Nippon starting chucker Kaz Suga and catcher Chalmers of White Pine tangled with both being sent to the showers.
Doolan, Mertz and Chalmers
K. Suga, Nishihara and Masuda
(June 7) The Arrows finally hit the Burrard League win column, nosing out the Canadians 5 to 4 in a game featured by four home runs. The Arrows tied the score in the sixth inning on Faulkner’s four-bagger and scored the winning tally in the top of the last frame when Stewart walked, was sacrificed to second, stole third and touched home after an error. Mitchell, Merkle and catcher Chalmers had circuit-clouts for the Canucks.
Crosato/Crosetti, Howard (W) and Lamond
Mertz, McMillan (L) and Chalmers
(June 9) The White Pine nine outscored the St. Regis Hoteliers 9 to 7 in Burrard League action at the Powell Street grounds. Although the Saints nicked him for six runs in a huge third inning, moundsman Alexander went the route for the winners. McKellar and Doolan led the willow wielders, each stroking a triad of raps for the Pines.
Alexander (W) and Chalmers
xxx (L) and Webber
(June 10) The Asahis absorbed their first loss of the campaign, falling 10 to 6 to a strengthened St. Regis nine. The Saints piled up a five run advantage in the first two innings and then put the game on ice with a four-run outburst in the sixth, highlighted by Jack Mathieson’s four-bagger. Yuki Uno and Frank Shiraishi connected for round-trippers for the vanquished Nippons.
McIntyre (W) and Davis
Fukui (L), K. Suga and Masuda
(June 14) With Nag Nishihara twirling a nifty five-hitter, the Asahis got back into their winning Burrard League mode with a 10 to 1 pasting of the White Pine aggregation. The Nippons staged a vicious 15-hit offensive attack as Nishihara led the way with a brace of doubles plus a one-bagger.
Nishihara (W) and Masuda
Merkle (L) and Chalmers
(June 17) Henry Dodd, veteran Arrow elbower, committed a balk in the final inning which plated the winning run for the Asahis in their 3 to 2 win. Kaz Suga went the route on the hill for the Nippons, checking in with a five-hitter.
K. Suga (W) and xxx
Dodd (L) and xxx
(June 20) Limited to just three hits by complete game winning flinger Howard, the White Pine baseballers fell 7 to 0 to the Arrows in Burrard League action. Losing tosser Alexander of the Pines was slammed for nine bingles including doubles by Mitsui, Thompson, Faulkner and Howard.
Alexander (L) and xxx
Howard (W) and xxx
(June 24) Veteran Ty Suga showed that there is still life in his aging soupbone as he set the Arrows down on two singles in leading the Asahis to an 8 to 0 whitewashing of the Cartage Crew. A five-run eruption in the sixth inning cinched the game for the Nippons. Mousie Masuda, George Shisido and Fukui led the Asahi 12-hit attack against losing twirler Henry Dodd.
T. Suga (W) and xxx
Dodd (L) and xxx
(July 5) The Asahis squeezed out another Burrard League win, leaving St. Regis on the short end of a 2 to 1 count. The game featured a terrific mound joust between veteran Nippon hurler, Ty Suga, and Charlie Davis of the Saints. The Asahis pushed across the winning run in the fifth inning on a scratch single by Yuki Uno, who stole second, advanced to third on a balk by Davis and scored when George Scott fumbled Nag Nishihara’s roller.
T. Suga (W) and Masuda
C. Davis (L) and H. Davis
(July 7) The aimless Arrows fell 8 to 1 to the Asahis as rookie flinger, left-hander Roche Korenaga of the Nippons, handcuffed the Arrows on three hits. Shortstop George Shisido led the eight-hit Asahi attack with a home run, triple and single.
Dodd (L), xxx (6) and xxx
Korenaga (W) and xxx
(July 8) The Arrows are no longer in the basement of the Burrard League following their 5 to 2 victory over White Pine. With veteran catcher Johnny Vernon from the disbanded Twigg Island Dairy team of the Commercial League guiding him, Vic Howard, a 17-year old southpaw, tossed a four-hitter and rang up ten strikeouts in taking the decision over Dick Alexander who also was touched for just four bingles.
Alexander (L) and xxx
Howard (W) and Vernon
Standings W * L Pct.
Asahis 14 1 .933
St. Regis 7 6 .538
Arrows 5 9 .357
White Pine 4 9 .307
* inflated win totals reflect forfeitures by disbanded Canadians team being credited as victories
(July 12) The Asahis scored at least one run in every inning in piling up a 14 to 1 victory over the White Pine baseballers. Roy Yamamura and Frank Shiraishi clouted homers for the victors. Johnny Sullivan, White Pine second baseman, faces suspension for his actions in assaulting home plate umpire, Charlie Stevenson.
K. Suga (W) and Masuda
Mertz (L), Humphrey and Chalmers
(July 14) The White Pine ball tossers had their usual bad inning at the Powell Street grounds and it cost them a tough 4 to 2 loss to the St. Regis Hotelmen. The Saints drove losing flinger Percy Doolan to the showers in the sixth frame in the course of pushing across three runs. Doubles by McLachlan and “Rusty” Goepel featured the eruption which was helped along by a pair of White Pine fielding miscues. Ernie Strachan pitched an effective game for St. Regis, yielding seven hits and fanning nine. Until getting the hook, Doolan had rang up ten strikeouts. The two White Pine counters came in the second frame on successive bingles by Julian, Mitchell and Doolan.
Doolan (L), xxx (6) and xxx
Strachan (W) and xxx
(July 15) The Asahis clubbed the Arrows into submission, blasting the Bow Missiles 16 to 2. Nag Nishihara stymied the vanquished nine on four hits. Umpire Charlie Stevenson became the target of a player, this time pugnacious Pete Mauro of the Arrows, for the second time in three days.
Nishihara (W) and Maruno
Howard, Crosato/Crosetti (2) and Lamond
(July 19) The Arrows upset the second-place St. Regis outfit 4 to 3 at the Powell Street grounds as southpaw Vic Howard spun a two-hitter and rang up ten strikeouts in earning the mound triumph. Both bingles surrendered by Howard came off the bat of “Rusty” Goepel, a long three-run homer and a double. Dave Stewart led an eight-hit attack on losing flinger Jack McIntyre, going three-for-three at the plate.
McIntyre (L) and xxx
Howard (W) and Bellamy
(July 21) The Arrows collected only four hits off Ed Merkle but, combined with five White Pine miscues, that was sufficient to give them a 5 to 2 win. The Piners nicked winning flinger Guido Crosato for five safeties but only managed to push across two belated runs in the sixth inning on successive singles by McKellar, Dooks and Carl Mertz. Tommy Faulkner contributed a triple for the Bow Missiles while Crosato and Mitsui had doubles.
Crosato (W) and xxx
Merkle (L) and xxx
(July 22) Plating three counters in the bottom of the fifth frame, the Asahis wiped out a 5 to 4 deficit and captured a 7 to 5 Burrard League tussle from the St. Regis Hoteliers. The Saints twice held the lead in the contest that was curtailed after the fifth-inning Asahi outburst by darkness. Hurler Chuck Davis of the Hotelmen enabled Kaz Suga to tie the score on a wild pitch and then gave up successive hits to Frank Shiraishi, George Shisido and Jim Fukui which brought in two more. Suga earned the mound win in relief of rookie starter Roche Korenaga.
C. Davis (L) and xxx
Korenaga, K. Suga (W) (5) and xxx
(July 26) The White Pine troupe stayed in contention for a Burrard League playoff berth by nosing out St. Regis 3 to 2 at the Powell Street grounds. Jack Wright’s third-inning home run with two on base was the blow that beat the Saints. The Pinemen played errorless ball to give Carl Mertz the mound triumph over Ernie Strachan. St. Regis loaded the bases in the last inning but third sacker Dick Alexander stabbed George Scott’s line drive to save the White Pine bacon.
Strachan (L) and xxx
Mertz (W) and xxx
(July 28) With their pitching ace, Nag Nishihara, firing a two-hitter, the Asahis blanked White Pine 6 to 0. Singles by Dinsmore and Dooks, the latter a scratchy one, were the lone bingles secured by the Pinemen. The Nippons climbed aboard losing heaver Percy Doolan for four counters in the third inning with George Shishido’s double being the key blow. Roy Yamamura poled a bases-empty four-ply clout in the sixth.
Doolan (L) and xxx
Nishihara (W) and xxx
(July 29) Coming from behind a two-run deficit, the St. Regis Hotelmen plated six runs in the fifth frame and took a 6 to 3 win from the Arrows in Burrard League play. Jimmy Biggan led the St. Regis offense with a pair of doubles. Winning chucker Jack McIntyre limited the Arrows to four hits. Guido Crosato whiffed seven and was nicked for nine base raps in absorbing the loss.
Crosato (L) and xxx
McIntyre (W) and xxx
(August 2) White Pine’s opportunity to reach the Burrard League playoffs evaporated when they absorbed a 7 to 1 thrashing from a strengthened St. Regis nine. Newcomer Ken Van Hatten, formerly of Lowney’s of the Commercial League, went three-for-three at the plate for the Saints. Fellow reinforcement from the Chocolate Factory nine, Dan Peters belted a home run for his new club. The Pinemen out hit the Hotelmen 8 to 5 but were not effective in bunching their blows. Chuck Davis picked up the hillock triumph over southpaw Dick Alexander.
C. Davis (W) and xxx
Alexander (L) and xxx
(August 4) The Asahis, runaway pennant-winners, and White Pine drew down the curtain on the Burrard League regular schedule when the Nippons added to their huge lead with a 4 to 1 triumph. Ty Suga, on the hillock for the Asahis, was generous with the base hits, allowing eleven bingles, but was given perfect support by his mates who saved him a lot of grief in bailing him out with three snappy double plays including an unassisted one by Jim Fukui. Semi-final playoffs will now begin with St. Regis and the Arrows tangling in a best-of-three affair, the winner to face the Asahis in the finals.
xxx (L) and xxx
T. Suga (W) and xxx
Semi-finals (best-of-three)
(August 5) The St. Regis Hotelmen exploded for five runs in the fourth inning to score a 7 to 4 victory over the Arrows in the opener of the Burrard League semi-finals. In that fateful fourth, losing flinger Henry Dodd was nicked for five base hits and catcher Pete Mauro delivered a couple of wild pegs to the keystone sack. Jack McIntyre worked on the rubber for the Saints and had only one difficult inning, the third, when the Arrows scored three times. He rang up ten strikeouts.
McIntyre (W) and B. Peters
Dodd (L) and Mauro
(August 9) Manager Johnny Kasmer’s St. Regis outfit marched into the Burrard League finals after squeezing past the Arrows 2 to 1 to sweep their semi-final showdown in two straight games. Dan Peters’ sixth-inning double drove in the runs that turned the tide for the Saints. Until that time, young Vic Howard had kept them well throttled and the Arrows were riding along with a 1 to 0 lead obtained on Pete Mauro’s RBI single in the initial canto. Ernie Strachan picked up the hillock triumph with a seven-hitter.
Howard (L) and xxx
Strachan (W) and xxx
PLAYOFFS
Finals (best-of-seven)
(August 11) Taking advantage of a porous St. Regis infield, the Asahis scored a 9 to 1 victory over the Hotelmen in the first game of the Burrard League finals. Nag Nishihara, in addition to setting the Saints down on six hits and ringing up 12 strikeouts, hammered a grand-slam home run in the fourth frame. Roy Yamamura also homered for the winners.
C. Davis (L) and B. Peters
Nishihara (W) and Masuda
(August 12) “Rusty” Goepel’s fifth-inning home run enabled St. Regis to defeat the Asahis 3 to 2 and even up the Burrard Baseball League finals at a game apiece. A two-run shot, Goepel’s wallop came after George Scott had drawn a base-on-balls. Three smart double plays helped the saints to hold the Nippons in check in the early innings. Doubles by Frank Shiraishi and George Shishido were instrumental in the Asahis plating of single tallies in both the first and third stanzas. Jack McIntyre was the winning pitcher, limiting the Nippons to four hits. McIntyre had the distinction of being the only Burrard League twirler to defeat the Asahis during league play.
xxx (L) and xxx
McIntyre (W) and xxx
(August 18) St. Regis, a team which couldn’t do a thing with the Asahis during the regular schedule, finds itself one game up in their Burrard League final series. The Hotelmen nosed out the Nippons 1 to 0 in the third contest of the best-of-seven showdown at the Powell Street grounds. It was quite a pitcher’s battle between Strong of the Saints and Nag Nishihara of the Asahis. Strong limited the Nippons to three hits while Nishihara yielded four. McLachlan scored the game’s lone counter in the second frame. After singling and swiping second base, the touched home plate following Ken Van Hatten’s two-out single.
Strong (W) and xxx
Nishihara (L) and xxx
(August 19) The Asahis made it two games apiece in the Burrard League finals, stopping St. Regis 13 to 5 in the fourth encounter for the title. The Nippons piled up an early lead and were never pressed. The Saints used the chuckers.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx(L), xxx, xxx and xxx
(August 23) With their ace chucker, Nag Nishihara, setting St. Regis down on four hits, the Asahis registered a 3 to 0 victory at the Powell Street grounds to assume a three games-to-two lead in their series with the Hoteliers. The Nippons plated all three of their counters off the slants of losing flinger Jack McIntyre in the second inning. A fumble by second sacker Davis of the Saints that would have retired the side gave the Asahis the opening they needed.and they followed up with a couple of bingles which produced the tallies.
McIntyre (L) and xxx
Nishihara (W) and xxx
(August 25) The Asahis captured the 1938 Burrard Baseball League playoff pennant by trouncing the St. Regis Hoteliers 15 to 1 in the sixth round of their playoff joust. The Nippons took the best-of-seven series four games to two. While winning flinger Kaz Suga was cooling off the Saints with a five-hitter, the Asahis climbed aboard three St. Regis heavers for 13 bingles. The Asahis will now match off against the Merritt-Gordon aggregation, playoff champions of the Commercial Baseball League in a challenge series.
K. Suga (W) and Masuda
Strachan (L), McIntyre, C. Davis and B. Peters
1938 Burrard League – Commercial League challenge series (best-of-five)
(August 27) With Nag Nishihara cutting off a last-inning Merritt-Gordon rally, the Asahis scored a 6 to 5 victory in the opening game of the Burrard-Commercial inter-league playoffs at the Powell Street grounds. Nishihara, in a relief role, came to the rescue of starter Ty Suga in the late part of the game and induced a double-play ball which ended the contest. The Nippons jumped on Roy Brown for three runs in the first inning and sprinkled single counters along the way to assume a 6 to 3 lead at the end of six innings.
Brown (L) and xxx
T. Suga (W), Nishihara and xxx
(August 29) The Asahis made it two straight over Merritt-Gordon in the Burrard-Commercial inter-league challenge series, pushing over three runs in the last inning to grab a 5 to 2 victory. The Emgees produced the more solid bingles in the game but only Johnny Keith’s RBI singles in the first and third stanzas drove in runs.
Nishihara (W) and xxx
Jowett (L) and xxx
(August 30) The Asahis completed the demolition of the Commercial League champions, Merritt-Gordon, with a 5 to 0 victory at the Powell Street grounds. In taking the inter-league challenge series in straight games, Kaz Suga handcuffed the Gordons on six hits while losing chucker Jimmy Condon was lit up for eleven base raps.
Condon (L) and xxx
K. Suga (W) and xxx