1941 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1941 BC Interior
1941 Vancouver Island
1941 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League
With the Navy team no longer able to field a regular and stable roster because of continual military transfers, the 1941 Victoria Senior loop was temporarily reduced to a three-team association. This void, however, was summarily filled when two Chemainus senior teams, the Green Lanterns and Longshoremen, joined forces to provide a fourth entry. The Up-Islanders exceeded expectations and led the circuit for most of the early season but finally lost out to the Eagles in the McGavin Cup playoffs for the overall league crown. The three Capital City clubs battled it out for the Rithet Cup which the Birdmen also captured. As in the previous campaign, an all-star aggregation from the three Victoria teams also partook in a number of exhibition encounters with both Vancouver and American opposition.
Teams in the 1941 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League
Chemainus
Eagles
Pitzer & Nex
Tillicum Athletics
(May 2) The Victoria Senior League has a new entry - from Chemainus. With the Royal Canadian Navy unable to field a senior nine because of the continual transfer of men, league officials set about the task of securing a fourth team. The Up-Islanders will play twelve games.
(May 10) Charlie Stroulger, new manager of the Victoria Eagles, made an impressive debut Saturday at Royal Athletic Park piloting the birdmen to an 11-0 trouncing of Pitzer & Nex in the season opener at Caledonia Avenue ball diamond. Russ Richardson hurled a three-hitter for the shutout. The young right-hander fanned eight and did not allow a free pass. He also helped his own cause with two hits, one of them for two bases. Ned Sparks, just up from the Second Division, also had a double and single for the winners. Charlie Restell, the Eagles' leadoff hitter, poked a pair of singles and had three stolen bases.
Richardson (W) and R.Patterson
W.Osman (L),
R.Maitland (4) and
(May 14) Pitzer & Nex turned back the 1940 champion Tillicum Athletics 4-2 in an abbreviated contest at Royal Athletic Park. Southpaw Ritchie Nichol yielded just two hits in the six-inning contest but allowed five walks. Seven errors, three by shortstop Tommy O'Connell hurt the A's chances. Barney Barnswell's two-run single in the fourth frame proved to be the winning blow. Lloyd Cann took the loss.
Nichol (W) and Harris
Cann (L) and Condon
(May 18) Chemainus made quite the debut in the Victoria Senior League Sunday downing Pitzer & Nex 14-3 and 8-1 in a double-header at the Up-Island diamond. Jack Naylor was the pitching and hitting star in the opener as he hurled seven-hit ball and smacked a three-run homer. Chemainus had 14 hits and two five-run innings in the runaway victory. The All-Stars continued their high-scoring ways with three runs in the first inning of the evening game and L. "Shorty" Berkey held the visitors to seven hits in going the route for the pitching win. Chemainus overcame some sloppy defensive play to post the two triumphs. They made five errors in the first game and another three in the second. The Gasmen made just one error.
R.Maitland (L), L.Murray and Woodford
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
R.Nichol (L), Osman and Harris
Berkey (W) and T.Naylor
(May 19) Victoria Eagles turned back the Tillicum Athletics 4-2 Monday behind the strong hurling of Les Stobo who rang up 13 strikeouts while hurling a seven-hitter. Playing manager Charlie Stroulger led the winners with a pair of singles. Young lefty Louis Leonard was nicked for six safeties in taking the loss.
Leonard (L) and Kuwabara
Stobo (W) and Bridgewood
Chemainus 2 - 0
Eagles 2 - 0
Pitzer & Nex 1 - 3
Tillicum A's 0 - 2
(May 21) Pitzer & Nex came from behind with three runs in the seventh and final inning to top the Eagles 6-4. They got the winning run on a steal of home by Gordon Jones. Quiet-spoken Lorne Murray, one of the most versatile members of Manager Bert Nex's gashouse gang, made his season's debut on the hill and pitched well giving up just four hits. Except for the sixth when he faltered, Murray was in complete control. He also punched out two hits. 17-year-old Stanley Curry, up from the Second Division, started for the Eagles and showed plenty of promise. He had the gasmen eating out of his hand for five frames, holding them to a pair of singles. In the sixth he ran into trouble and was yanked in favour of Stan Davies.
Murray (W) and Woodford
Curry, Davies (L) (6) and Patterson
(May 24) Victoria baseball fans witnessed two wild and wooly diamond exhibitions Saturday at Royal Athletic Park when the local All-Stars split with Diethers of Vancouver in a holiday double bill. Diethers took the opener 11-7 before Victoria rebounced to win the evening event 13-8. Diethers took a 5-1 lead in the first game and put the game away with six runs in the seventh inning. The locals had their own six-run inning in the eighth but fell well short. Ed Henry led the winners with a double and three singles while winning hurler Tommy Musgrave punched out a triple and single and scored three times. On the hill, Musgrave compiled 12 strikeouts.
Musgrave (W) and Henry
Richardson (L), Davies (7) and Condon, Patterson
The teams combined for 23 hits in the second game as Victoria All-Stars jumped into a 7-1 lead and stayed in front all the way in a 13-8 victory. Third basemen Ray Casey hit for the cycle, a homer, triple, double and single, and scored three times to pace the winners. Stan Davies survived 11 hits and four walks to go the route for the pitching win. Six errors, three by shortstop Sam Waxstein, hurt the losers. Catcher Ed Henry, who had four hits in the first game, added three more in the second, including a home run and a double.
Boston (L) and E.Thirsk, Henry
Davies (W) and Patterson
(May 25) Chemainus All-Stars beat the big boys again, taking both games of Sundays twin-bill from the Tillicum Athletics 10-0 and 5-1 to remain unbeaten after four games in the Victoria Senior League. Speedball king Jack Naylor fired a two-hit shutout in the opening game while his teammates collected 13 off a pair of Victoria hurlers. Right fielder Ted Cushing had the big blow for the winners, a home run.
Leonard (L), Rowe and Holmes
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
Chemainus got another outstanding mound effort in the second game as L."Shorty" Berkey held the Athletics to just one hit in his seven innings of work. He fanned 10. Lefty Jackson finished the game allowing two hits and the lone Victoria run. Ronnie Pratt yielded nine hits, three by shortstop Sonny Bruce, in taking the loss.
Pratt (L) and Stroulger
Berkey (W), L.Jackson (8) and A.Davis
(May 26) Bunching their base knocks in the fourth and seventh innings, Eagles eked out a 3-2 decision over Pitzer & Nex at Royal Athletic Park. The victory was the third in four starts for the birdmen. Stan Davies, who hurled Victoria to a victory Saturday, returned to the hill Monday and pitched eight-hit ball to best Ritchie Nichol the young lefty for the gasmen. Right fielder Reg Patterson punched out a double and two singles to lead the winners' ten hit attack.
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
Nichol (L) and Woodford
(May 28) Manager Scotty Robinson's Tillicum Athletics roared from behind to score three runs in the top of the seventh and final inning to gain a 3-3 draw with Pitzer & Nex Wednesday. Ray Maitland of the gasmen had a two-hitter for six innings before the Athletics laced our three successive safeties to tie the count. Pitzer & Nex had a golden opportunity for the win in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded but Ralph Cosier grounded out, catcher to first, to end the game. Jimmie Jenks, the A's new pitching find, gave up just four hits in going the distance.
Jenks and Condon, Given
R.Maitland and Woodford
Chemainus 4 - 0
Eagles 3 - 1
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 4
Tillicum A's 0 - 4
(June 1) Chemainus All-Stars remain at the top of the Victoria Senior League but suffered their first loss of the season Sunday dropping a 4-0 decision to the Victoria Eagles in the first game of a double-header. The locals bounced back to take the second game 10-5. Les Stobo held Chemainus to three singles in getting the first game shutout. Losing pitcher Jack Naylor surrendered just two hits, but one, by Stew McNeill in the second inning, produced three runs. The games were scheduled to be played in Victoria but rain forced the teams to re-locate to Chemainus.
Stobo (W) and xxx
J.Naylor (L) and xxx
The locals won the second game with a six-run splurge in the sixth inning. E.Jackson went the route for the pitching win for Chemainus holding the Eagles to eight hits. Chemainus pounded out 16 safeties against three Eagles' hurlers. Gil Bruce led the way with a double and three singles.
Davies (L), Richardson (6) , Curry (7) and Bridgewood
E.Jackson (W) and T.Naylor
(June 6) Lloyd Cann allowed just one hit - a ninth inning single by Stew McNeil -- in hurling Tillicum Athletics to a 10-1 triumph over the Eagles. Cann fanned eight and walked one. The run against him was an unearned marker in the second frame. The A's made five errors behind Cann. Playing manager Scotty Robinson rapped a double and two singles to pace a nine-hit attack for the winners.
Cann (W) and Kuwabara
Pratt (L), Curry (7), Davies (8) and Patterson
Chemainus 5 - 1
Eagles 4 - 3
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 4
Tillicum A's 1 - 4
(June 7) Facing their first test away from home, Chemainus All-Stars ran their league record to 7-1 Saturday in sweeping a double-bill 9-8 and 15-10 over Pitzer & Nex at Victoria. Sloppy defensive play resulted in 23 errors, 11 in the first game and 12 in the second. Chemainus gained a huge early lead with eight runs in the third inning but the club needed strong relief pitching by Shorty Berkey to put down the Victoria nine. Ted Cushing smacked a double and single for the winners. Harper had three hits for the gasmen.
Smythe (W), Berkey (7) and T.Naylor
Maitland (L) and Woodford
Chemainus came from behind to win the second game. Down by a run in the eighth inning, pitcher Haley Jackson singled in the tying and winning markers. Houg Hagg led a 12-hit attack with three safeties, one a triple, in four times at bat. He also scored three times. Ray Moretti slugged a triple and double and Toss Naylor added a double, single and two scores.
H.Jackson (W) and T.Naylor
Nichol, Murray (8) and Clanton
(June 9) Victoria Eagles ran up a 7-0 lead then held off a last inning rally by Tillicum to notch a 7-4 victory Monday and gain a measure of revenge for a 10-1 beating by the A's last Friday. The Eagles pushed across two runs in the second inning when Noel Morgan laced a long single with the bases loaded. In the fifth, the birdmen used a bunting spree and some costly boots by the A's to push across four more runs. They got their final tally in the sixth. Held to an infield single for six frames, the Athletics unloaded on Les Stobo in the top of the seventh for four base blows, two for extra bases to push across four counters. Art Chapman's two-run double was the key hit. Eagles had just six hits off Jimmy Jenks but capitalized on 11 walks, a hit batter and three errors.
Jenks (L) and Condon
Stobo (W) and Patterson
Chemainus 7 - 1
Eagles 5 - 3
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 6
Tillicum A's 1 - 5
(June 11) Eagles rang up seven runs in the first two innings and cruised to an 8-4 victory over Pitzer & Nex. Charlie Restell clouted a three-run homer for the winners. Sergeant Russ Richardson scattered six hits in going the route for the pitching win.
R.Maitland (L), Nichol (3) and Garnet
Richardson (W) and Patterson
(June 13) Tillicum Athletics downed Pitzer & Nex 9 to 1 Friday to climb out of the league cellar and push the gasmen to last place. The Athletics pounded out 11 base blows opening the scoring in the first inning when Art Chapman laced a double to the Pembroke Street fence for two runs. Young lefty Louis Leonard was nicked for eight hits, three by Lorne Murray, in hurling the victory.
Leonard (W) and Condon
Osman (L) and Woodford
(June 14) At the Caledonia Avenue ball yard in Victoria Saturday, Chemainus earned a split of a double-bill with the Eagles winning the opener 3-2 but suffering a 10-1 trouncing in the evening contest. Jack Naylor was key to the Chemainus win, pitching an eight-hitter while banging out two of the six hits for the winners. Charlie Stroulger had three safeties for the Eagles. The All-Stars took the lead with a run in the third inning, fell behind 2-1 in the fourth as Norm Blackburn laced a single with runners on second and third, before rallying for a pair in the fifth.
In the second game, the Eagles pounded Haley Jackson's offerings all over the lot. Their 15 hits included a home run, a triple and five doubles. Les Stobo, who blanked Chemainus 4-0 previously, nearly had another shutout. In the final inning, a grounder took a bad bounce to allow Ted Cushing to cross the plate with the lone Chemainus counter. Stobo allowed seven hits. Jack Stratton paced the onslaught with an inside-the-park homer and a single. Stew McNeill smacked a triple and single. With the split, Chemainus moved to within a game of clinching the McGavin Cup series. They now lead the pennant chase by a game and one-half over the birdmen.
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
Davies and Patterson
H.Jackson (L), T.Naylor (7) and xxx
Stobo (W) and Bridgewood
(June 16) Turning in his second two-hitter of the season, Ritchie Nichol, the former Nanaimo southpaw, hurled Pitzer & Nex to a 7-1 triumph over the Tillicum Athletics, the 1940 Victoria baseball champions. Nichol had control problems with eight walks and the only run against him came on a bases-loaded free pass. Nichol helped out at the plate with two hits. Harper had two hits and three runs scored and Wack Osman smacked a pair of two-baggers. Young Toad Garnet, a catcher up from the Second Division, punched out a triple for the longest hit of the ball game.
Leonard (L) and Kuwabara
Nichol (W) and Garnet
Chemainus 8 - 2
Eagles 7 - 4
Pitzer & Nex 3 - 8
Tillicum A's 2 - 5
(June 20) Cliff Flaherty, a young Second Division player up in senior company for the second time, clouted a three-run double to bring the Eagles a 6-4 win over Pitzer & Nex in the opening game of the Rithet Cup, city championship series. Flaherty's timely two-bagger came in the eighth frame with the Eagles trailing 4-3. Russ Richardson scattered six hits for the pitching win. Ritchie Nichol also yielded six safeties in taking the loss. Nichol rapped a triple for the gasmen while Richardson had a double for the Eagles.
Richardson (W) and Patterson
Nichol (L) and Garnet
(June 21) The Tillicum Athletics took a pair from Chemainus to tighten up the race in the Victoria Senior League. The A's won the first game 4-3 in 11 innings and, with a five-run spree in the fourth inning, won the evening contest 8-6. The results left Chemainus just a half-game ahead of the Eagles in the battle for first place. Diminutive second sacker Earl Barnswell was the A's hero in the first game coming through with a single in the 11th frame to score Vic Dale with the winning run. The base blow broke up one of the more interesting baseball exhibitions at Royal Athletic Park. Tommy Musgrave, the former Vancouver hurler, making his Victoria debut for Tillicum, and Jack Naylor, the Chemainus ace southpaw, hooked up in the exciting contest. The teams combined for 23 hits. Harry Barber led the A's with a double and two singles. Haug Hagg punched out three singles for Chemainus.
J.Naylor (L) and T.Naylor
T.Musgrave (W) and Kuwabara
A five-run fifth inning propelled the Athletics to the 8-6 win in the second game as the A's displayed some power with three triples, by Art Chapman, Earl Barnswell and Al Condon. Ray Casey smacked a pair of doubles. Scotty Robinson added three singles and three runs. Jimmie Jenks and Tommy Musgrave combined to hold Chemainus to five hits.
H.Jackson (L) , J.Naylor (4) and T.Naylor
Jenks (W), Musgrave (7) and Condon
(June 23) Victoria Eagles trounced Tillicum Athletics 10-2 Monday to move into a first place tie with Chemainus and force a playoff to determine the pennant winner and recipient of the McGavin Cup. Stan Davies tossed a six-hitter for the win, fanning 11 and issuing six walks. Reg Patterson, Charlie Restell and Charlie Stroulger each poked a double and single for the winners. Ray Casey rapped a two-bagger and two singles for the A's.
Davies (W) and Patterson, Bridgewood
Leonard (L) and Condon
(June 27) After falling behind 5-0 in the third inning, the Tillicum Athletics roared back with six unanswered runs to top Pitzer & Nex 6-5 Friday in the final game of the regular schedule. The gasmen loaded the sacks on errors in the third and four hits brought in the five markers. The Athletics got on the scoreboard with a singleton in the fourth and then exploded for the five spot in the sixth for the win. Tommy Musgrave picked up the win with five innings of relief. The gasmen out-hit the winners 7 to 4 with Barney Barnswell leading all hitters with a double and two singles.
Shouldice (L), Nichol (6) and Garnet
Leonard, Musgrave (W) (5) and Condon
Chemainus 8 - 4
Eagles 8 - 4
Tillicum A's 5 - 7
Pitzer & Nex 3 - 9
(June 28) In an exhibition double-header Saturday at Royal Athletic Park, the Victoria All-Stars gained a split with the Tacoma Chiefs, dropping the opener 7-1 but bouncing back with a 5-4 win in the second game. Held scoreless for five frames in the afternoon contest, the Chiefs opened the scoring in the sixth when Smith, the visiting hurler, lifted the ball over the Pembroke Street fence. They added two in the seventh, three in the eighth and another in the final stanza. Tacoma poked out 13 hits from the slants of Jack Naylor. Victoria was held scoreless by Smith, University of Santa Clara pitcher, until the ninth when they tallied their lone marker. First baseman Rooney and shortstop Hurney each cracked three hits and scored twice for the winners. Reg Patterson and Charlie Stroulger each had two hits for Victoria.
Smith (W) and Spurgeon
J.Naylor (L) and Kuwabara
Victoria registered their first victory in three years over Tacoma when they eked out a 5-4 victory in the nightcap. Les Stobo twirled eight-hit ball for the locals and rang up ten strikeouts. Hebert, working for the Chiefs, was nicked for seven hits. Lorne Murray, the Victoria shortstop drove in three runs with a pair of hits. Rooney and Rassmussen each collected two hits for Tacoma.
Hebert (L) and Spurgeon
Stobo (W) and Bridgewood
(July 1) The Victoria All-Stars celebrated Dominion Day in grand style Tuesday with a sweep of a double-header over the Vancouver Patricias, 3-0 and 7-5. Manager Joe Casey and his Victoria balltossers became the first club to take possession of the handsome Dominion Day Challenge Trophy presented for annual competition by the Civic Celebration Committee. In his best pitching performance of the season, Stan Davies handcuffed the visiting sluggers on three hits, all singles, in firing the shutout. Davies fanned seven. Victoria bunched four of their seven hits in the fourth frame to produce all their scoring. Reg Patterson singled and Ray Casey followed with a two-bagger. Charlie Stroulger brought both of them home with a double of his own and later scored on Jack Stratton's single.
Moser (L) and Beaumont
Davies (W) and Patterson
In the evening encounter, the locals first went ahead 3-0 with runs in the first and second innings only to fall behind 5-3. They pulled into a tie with a pair in the bottom of the fourth and broke the deadlock with a run in the seventh and an insurance marker in the eighth. The All-Stars collected 11 hits, two each by Barney Barnswell, Lorne Murray, Ray Casey and winning pitcher Tommy Musgrave.
Wallis (L) and VanHatten
Musgrave (W) and Bridgewood
(July 2) Eagles' playing manager Charlie Stroulger smacked a triple, double and single and scored three times to lead his charges to their second straight victory over Pitzer & Nex in the Rithet Cup city championship series. The birdmen pounded out ten hits, five for extra bases in the 10 to 3 triumph. Russ Richardson held the gasmen to just three hits while compiling seven strikeouts and just one free pass. Ritchie Nichol took the loss giving up seven hits, six walks and a pair of wild pitches.
Nichol (L), Osman (6) and Garnet
Richardson (W) and Patterson
(July 4) Pitzer & Nex pounded a pair of Tillicum hurlers for 15 hits Friday in waltzing to a 10-4 victory in Rithet Cup play. The gasmen scored in the first inning and were never headed. Lorne Murray hurled a steady game allowing seven hits with eight strikeouts and no free passes. Outfielder Wilf Shouldice led the winners with two doubles and a single. Murray added a double and two singles and Barney Barnswell produced three one-baggers.
Murray (W) and Garnet
Leonard, Casey (3) and Kuwabara
Rithet Cup Series
Eagles 2 - 0
Pitzer & Nex 1 - 2
Tillicum A's 0 - 1
(July 5) Victoria gained a split of a Saturday double-header against Bellingham winning the opener 3-0 before a 6-5 loss in the second. Russ Richardson shutout the visitors on four hits in the first game while the locals punched out eight hits for three runs off losing hurler John Marshall. Dupenthaller of Bellingham had three of the visitors' four safeties, one a two-bagger. Reg Patterson was the lone Victoria hitter to have two hits.
J.Marshall (L) and Hickok, Dupenthaller
Richardson (W) and Patterson
A triple play highlighted Bellingham's second game victory. With Victoria loading the bases in the fifth inning, Charlie Stroulger flied out to Hickok at second. The keystone sacker relayed to third to double up Lorne Murray and the throw to first caught Ray Casey off the bag for the third out. Victoria again had the sacks jammed in the seventh but failed to score. Reg Patterson brought the fans to their feet in the last of the ninth when he laced a circuit drive to the Vancouver Street fence with Murray aboard. Clarence Marshall pitched into the ninth inning to capture the win for the visitors. Dupenthaller again led the Americans with three hits, a double and two singles. Dzurick added two hits and three runs.
C.Marshall (W), H.Marshall and Smith
Davies (L) and Patterson
(July 7) Victoria Eagles jumped into a 9-4 lead going into the last of the ninth but had to hold off a furious Tillicum rally to escape with a 9-8 victory in Rithet Cup action. Noel Morgan, the Eagles' first sacker, had a huge game with a triple, double and three singles in five trips to the plate. Jack Stratton punched out three hits and scored a pair. Charlie Restell and Charlie Stroulger each had two hits and two runs. Cooper, the Athletics' shortstop, rapped a pair of singles and had two scores.
Curry (W), Davies (9) and
Musgrave, Leonard and Condon
Rithet Cup Series
Eagles 3 - 0
Pitzer & Nex 1 - 2
Tillicum A's 0 - 2
(July 9) Maurice Carroll rapped five hits Wednesday to pace a 12-hit Pitzer & Nex attack in a 9-5 win over Tillicum Athletics. The gasmen spotted the A's a two-run lead in the first inning before quickly responding with four markers and coasting to the victory. Wilf Shouldice yielded 14 hits, four to catcher Massa Kuwabara but managed to go the distance for the pitching win. Pitzer & Nex took advantage of four Tillicum errors and ten walks by young hurler Cliff Jones.
C.Jones (L) and Kuwabara
Shouldice (W) and Garnet
(July 13) North Vancouver Shipyards took both games of a double-header with Victoria scoring an easy 13-1 victory in the opener, but needing an extra inning to win 7-5 in the nightcap. North Vancouver smacked 20 hits in the first game while Jack McIntyre held the home team to just eight. Vancouver had a 6-0 lead after two innings and coasted to the triumph. Ted Walker, Kennedy and Joe Naples led a potent Vancouver lineup each with four hits. Walker and Kennedy each had a pair of doubles while Kennedy smacked a triple. Ray Casey cracked a homer in a losing cause.
McIntyre (W) and Petrunia
Musgrave (L), Richardson, Murray and Patterson
The visitors blew a 5-1 lead but rebounded to score twice in the top of the tenth to post the 7-5 win. Dude Kendricks went all the way on the mound giving up 11 hits in gaining credit for the win. North Vancouver had 13 hits off a pair of Victoria hurlers. Kendricks led the winners with a double, single and three runs scored. Noel Morgan and Barney Barnswell had three hits apiece for Victoria.
D.Kendrick (W) and Petrunia
Davies, Musgrave (L) and Condon, Patterson
(July 14) Eagles rang up their fourth straight win in the Rithet Cup series Monday downing Pitzer & Nex 7-2. Bill Yardley poked a double and two singles to lead a 15-hit attack for the winners. Charlie Stroulger rapped two hits, one a double and Jack Stratton, Bill Bridgewood and Russ Richardson each had two safeties. Richardson heaved a five-hitter with six strikeouts and five walks for the win.
Murray (L) and Garnet
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
(July 16) Art Chapman's seventh inning single drove in Earl Barnswell with the winning run as Tillicum Athletics got their first win in the Rithet Cup series, 3-2 over the Eagles. Barnswell had reached on a free pass, and with two out, Eagles decided to walk Ray Casey to pitch to Chapman. The strategy backfired as the A's centre fielder laced a long drive to deep left field to bring Barnswell across the plate. Tommy Musgrave allowed just four hits to register the pitching win.
Davies (L) and Bridgewood
Musgrave (W) and Kuwabara, Condon
Eagles 4 - 1
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 3
Tillicum A's 1 - 3
(July 19) The barnstorming Ethiopian Clowns came to town for a twin-bill Saturday and delighted the 3,000 fans not only with their shadow ball and pepper ball routines, among others, but with a display of baseball skills that left the locals with 10-1 and 11-2 defeats at Royal Athletic Park. The visitors pounded out a total of 31 base knocks, 14 for extra bases, They didn't wait long to begin putting runs on the scoreboard with three in the first inning of the first game. Centre fielder Mofike rapped four hits, one a triple, and scored three to lead the visitors who got home runs by Kalahara, the winning pitcher, shortstop Rivera, and right fielder Gerlogubi.
Kalahara (W) and Khora
Berkey (L), Richardson (2) and Telosky
In the second game, winning tosser Gerlogubi cranked out a triple, two doubles and two singles in five trips to lead a potent lineup in which every hitter had at least one safety. Playing manager Showboat Thomas, a crowd favourite, had a triple and single to lead a group of four players with two hits apiece in the 11-2 triumph. Ray Casey had a pair of singles for Victoria.
Gerlogubi (W) and Khora
Davies (L) and Telosky
(July 21) A five-run rally in the seventh and final inning carried the Tillicum Athletics to an 11-8 victory over Pitzer & Nex Monday, the A' s second win in the Rithet Cup series. The contest featured 20 hits, 17 walks, six wild pitches and six errors. Earl Barnswell and Shorty Berkey each punched out two hits and scored twice for the winners. Reliever Eric Smythe picked up the win.
Berkey, Smythe (W) (7) and Condon
Nichol, Shouldice (L) (4) and Garnet
(July 23) Victoria Eagles broke a 5-5 tie with three runs in the 8th inning to down Tillicum Athletics 8-5 for their fifth win in six games in the Rithet Cup series. With two out and the bases loaded and a three and two count on the batter, the A's tried for an out at second base instead of an easier out on a slower runner at the initial bag. It was the start of the three-run rally. Earlier Noel Morgan smacked a two-run homer for the winners as part of a four-run fifth inning. Gordon Porter belted a two-run shot for the A's in the sixth. Stan Davies scattered nine hits and fanned six in going the distance for the Eagles.
Musgrave (L) and Kuwabara
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
Eagles 5 - 1
Tillicum A's 2 - 4
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 4
(July 27) North Shore Shipyards took both ends of an exhibition double-header over Victoria, 9-7 at Powell Street grounds in the afternoon and 6-3 at Mahon Park at night. Both were seven inning contests. The North Shore nine punched out 21 hits in the first game scoring three times in each of the second, third and sixth innings. Victoria out-hit the Shipyards crew 15-10 in the second game and Vancouver made five errors to just two for Victoria, but the capital city crew still fell 6-3. Ray Casey, who caught for Victoria, suffered a broken thumb in the fifth inning of the second game.
Nichols, Davis and Casey
Mann, Rogers and Petrunia
Nichol, Davis and Casey, Statton (5)
Ballam (W) and Petrunia
(July 28) Manager Charlie Stroulger's Eagles clinched first place in the Rithet Cup baseball series and a bye to the final round of the playoffs when they came from behind to defeat Pitzer & Nex 10-8 at the Caledonia Avenue ball lot. Tied 8-8, Charlie Restell singled to drive in the winning run in the 8th inning. Jack Stratton's double in the ninth plated Bill Bridgewood with an insurance marker. Stratton led a 12-hit attack with three safeties. Noel Morgan had two hits and scored three times. Ritchie Nichol, in right field for the gasmen, was the game's top slugger with a home run, triple and single in four trips to the plate.
Curry, Richardson (W) (5) and Bridgewood
Harper, Shouldice (L) 6) and Woodford, Cosier
(July 31) Pitzer & Nex smacked 16 hits, including a homer by Ritchie Nichol, triple by Maurice Carroll and a pair of doubles off the bat of Barney Barnswell in running up a 14-3 lead before Tillicum launched a furious rally in the ninth inning. The A's scored seven times but fell short as the gasmen won 14-10. Ted Maitland, in centre field for the winners, finished with a double and four singles in five at bats. Bill Harper scored four runs and Barnswell added three hits and three runs.
R.Maitland (W), Shouldice (8) and Cosier
Smythe (L), Leonard (3), Casey (9) and Condon
(August 2) In an exhibition game at Victoria, the local All-Stars shaded Port Orchard, Washington, 3-2 as Charlie Restell knocked in the winning run in the seventh inning With two out and two on, Restell laced a single through short and brought Jack Stratton home with the deciding marker. 19-year-old Ritchie Nichol pitched a steady six-hitter and rang up seven strikeouts for Victoria. The locals had ten hits of right-hander Frank Plouf. Victoria took the lead in the second inning when they laid down three near-perfect bunts and with the aid of a fielder's choice, chased two runners home. Port Orchard knotted the count in the sixth. Catcher Rassler tripled and Plouf drew a walk to put two men on base and Dick Blakey brought them home with a long single. The scheduled second game was cancelled due to rain.
Plouf (L) and Rassler
Nichol (W) and Patterson
(August 4) Tillicum Athletics were out-hit 13 to 5 but managed to upset the Eagles 5-4 in the final game of the first round of the Rithet Cup series. A's scored the winner in the last of the ninth inning when Tommy Musgrave, running for Earl Barnswell, scampered home on a long fly ball to left field by Ray Casey. Left-hander Louis Leonard allowed five walks along with the 13 hits but managed to go all the way to pick up the pitching victory. Stan Davies was the hard-luck loser. The Eagles aided the A's cause by making six errors.
Davis (L) and Bridgewood
Leonard (W) and Condon
Rithet Cup, Final
Eagles 6 - 2
Pitzer & Nex 3 - 5
Tillicum A's 3 - 5
PLAYOFFS
Rithet Cup semi-finals (best-of-three)
Pitzer & Nex vs Tillicum Athletics
(August 6) Pitzer & Nex pounded out 14 hits Wednesday to upset the defending champion Tillicum Athletics 16-8 in the first game of the best-of-three semi-final series. The gasmen started fast with five runs in the first two innings and wrapped up the win with six runs in the final frame. Shortstop Lorne Murray paced the winners with a pair of doubles and a one-bagger. He scored twice. Ritchie Nichol overcame nine walks, nine hits, a hit batter and three wild pitches to go all the way for the winners. Tommy Musgrave, the losing pitcher, led the A's with three hits.
Nichol (W) and Garnet
Musgrave (L), Smythe (5) and Kuwabara
(August 9) Victoria All-Stars captured both games of Sunday's double-header with Port Angeles, Washington, both by 5-4 counts, the second game in 11 innings. The wins gave Victoria the John Hart International Trophy presented by British Columbia's Minister of Finance for annual competition between the two communities. It was the third straight year Victoria has won the event. Ritchie Nichol, the 19-year-old southpaw, had a two-hitter for seven innings in the matinee attraction before being blasted from the hill in the eighth frame as Port Angeles hammered two singles and two doubles for three runs. Russ Richardson finished up. 18-year-old Bob Schmuck was nicked for five hits and five runs in the first three innings before firing no-hit ball the remainder of the game. Charlie Restell had two of Victoria's five hits. Catcher Staeger belted a triple and single for the visitors.
Schmuck (L) and Staeger
Nichol (W), Richardson (8) and Patterson
Ray Casey clouted a triple, his fourth hit of the game, to score Jack Stratton with the winning marker in the 11th inning of the 5-4 triumph in the second contest. Victoria had taken the early lead with a pair in the second inning but by virtue of a four-run spree in the third inning, Port Angeles looked to be on the way to victory. However, the locals got one back in the bottom of the third and then in the eighth Charlie Stroulger singled to knock in Bill Bridgewood with the tying marker. Lorne Murray blanked the visitors for 8 2/3s innings in relief of starter Stan Davies, to pick up the win. Port Angeles hurler Don Loghry was ejected from the game in the 8th inning after throwing a punch at the umpire after a close call at the plate on the tying run. The locals out-hit the visitors 16 to 8. Casey's four blows featured a triple and two doubles. Jack Stratton and Bill Bridgewood each collect two hits and scored twice.
Loghry, Schmuck (L) (8) and Staeger
Davies, Murray (W) (3) and Bridgewood
(August 11) Tommy Musgrave hurled a five-hitter as Tillicum Athletics whipped Pitzer & Nex 9-2 to tie their semi-final series at a game apiece. The A's scored three times in the third inning and coasted to the win, adding three in the fifth and three more in the eighth. Musgrave greatly aided his own cause with a five for five performance. Lawrence Given went three for three.
Musgrave (W) and Kuwabara
Shouldice (L) and Garnet
(August 13) Pitzer & Nex whipped Tillicum Athletics 11-3 Wednesday to eliminate the defending champions from the playoff picture. The gasmen clouted 13 hits with Bill Harper leading the attack with two doubles and two singles. Barney Barnswell added three hits and Lorne Murray and Ritchie Nichol each had a pair. Ray "Copper" Maitland held the A's to five hits.
R.Maitland (W) and Cosier
Leonard (L), Casey (6) and Kuwabara
McGavin Cup finals (best-of-five)
Chemainus vs Eagles
(August 15) In a high-scoring affair Friday which featured 30 hits and 13 errors, Victoria Eagles took the opening game of the McGavin Cup series 15-12 over Chemainus All-Stars. Chemainus led until the seventh inning when the Eagles splurged for six runs. The game featured two homers, Reg Patterson for the winners and Babe Work for the All-Stars. Tom Cushing of Chemainus led all batters with three hits and three runs. Every player in the game with the exception of Eagles starter Stan Davies got at least one hit. Bill Yardley punched out a double and single and scored three for the winners. Charlie Stroulger also had a two-bagger and single.
J.Naylor (L) and W.Hagg
Davies, R.Richardson (2) and Patterson
(August 16) The Victoria All-Stars stretched their latest winning streak to five games Saturday in taking both games of a double-dip against Gordon Wreckers of the Bellingham City League, 6-3 and 10-8. A four-run attack in the eighth inning of the matinee attraction and a six-run scoring splurge in the seventh inning of the evening affair brought victories to the locals. Young Victoria southpaw Ritchie Nichol was a star of the opener firing seven-hit ball with 11 strikeouts and no walks. With the visitors leading 3-2 in the 8th stanza, Bill Harper smacked a bases-loaded double to clear the sacks and later scored on Nichol's two-bagger, one of three hits for the winning hurler. Pete Zender took the loss.
Pete Zender (L) and D.Zender
Nichol (W) and Bridgewood
The evening game was a heavy hitting affair with a total of 23 hits. The Bellingham squad got on the scoreboard first with runs in the second and third innings. Victoria tied the score with a pair in the fifth and went ahead with two more in the sixth. The six-run 7th put the locals in a commanding lead but they had to subdue a furious Bellingham rally in the eighth, when the visitors scored five times, to post the triumph. Jack Stratton poked a triple and two singles to pace the winners while Charlie Restell added a triple and single. Charlie Stroulger scored three times and had two one-baggers. Provost had three safeties, two of them doubles, for the visitors and Gilday added two hits and two runs.
Adkinson (L), Provost (7) and D.Zender
R.Maitland, Murray (W) (6) and Patterson
(August 17) Victoria Eagles captured the Victoria Senior League championship with a come-from-behind 9-6 triumph over Chemainus. Trailing 5-3, the birdmen went on a six-run scoring spree in the seventh inning to secure the win. Noel Morgan's three-run homer highlighted the rally. Stan Curry, the 17-year-old lefty, went the route for the winners and gave up 12 base blows.
Curry (W) and Bridgewood
H.Jackson, Smythe (7) and T.Naylor
j
With the title already decided, the second game turned out to be an exhibition contest which the Eagles also won, 8-6, and, again, with a late rally. Down 6-4, Eagles erupted for four runs in the ninth to post the 8-6 triumph. Miles, a former Port Alberni hurler, was the winning pitcher in relief of Charlie Restell.
Restell, Miles (3) and Burke, Patterson
J.Naylor, T.Naylor (9) and W.Hagg
(August 18) In an exhibition match at the Caledonia Avenue ball lot, the Royal Canadian Air Force downed Pitzer & Nex 5-1. A four-run fifth inning proved to be the difference. Lefty Bert Appleby was in charge all the way firing a four-hitter in going the distance for the Airmen. He fanned six. The R.C.A.F. collected 11 hits and played errorless ball while the gasmen booted the horsehide four times.
Appleby (W) and Julian
Harper, Nichol (4), R.Maitland (4), Murray and Cosier
Rithet Cup finals (best-of-five)
Pitzer & Nex vs Eagles
(August 20) Sergeant Russ Richardson and Ritchie Nichol hooked up in a dandy pitching duel as the Eagles and Pitzer & Nex opened the Rithet Cup final series. The teams had to settle for a 1-1, 10-inning draw as darkness set in to force an end to the contest. The two clubs combined for just five hits. Eagles pushed across their lone tally in the first inning and the gasmen tied it with a run in the seventh. Richardson allowed two hits and rang up nine strikeouts while Nichol yielded three safeties and fanned just two.
Nichol and Cosier
Richardson and Patterson
(August 27) Eagles bunched four of their seven hits into two big innings to post a 6-1 victory over Pitzer & Nex to take a one game lead in the best-of five Rithet Cup series. The birdmen picked up a pair of runs in the fourth inning on some sloppy fielding by the opposition and added a third counter on a timely double by George Syrotuck. Then in the fifth, outfielder Jack Stratton cracked a two-bagger with the bases loaded to score three more runs. Stan Davies held the gasmen to five base knocks.
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
Nichol (L) and Cosier
(August 29) Pitzer & Nex came from behind with seven runs in the last two innings to upend the Eagles 9-5 to tie the Rithet Cup series at a game apiece. After the gasmen had knotted the count with three runs in the seventh frame, Maurice Carroll, who had fanned four times earlier in the game, once with the bases loaded, cracked an 8th inning triple with the sacks jammed to plate three. He later came around to score the final run of the evening. Ted Maitland had started the 8th with a single through the infield and the next two batters drew walks. In the seventh, the gasmen filled up the bases and Bert Nex knocked in one and Barney Barnswell drove in a pair. Ray Maitland went the route to pick up the win, allowing eight hits. Russ Richardson took the loss.
R.Maitland (W) and Cosier
Richardson (L) and Bridgewood
(September 5) Blanked for eight innings, Eagles plated a run in the final frame to escape with a 1-1 tie with Pitzer & Nex in the fourth game of the Rithet Cup series. It was the second time the teams had battled to a 1-1 draw. The gasmen scored their marker in the third inning when they bunch three successive singles off Stan Davies. Charlie Restell started the Eagles' rally when he poked a one-out double and advanced on a sacrifice fly. Reg Patterson singled up the middle to bring in the tying run. Ray Maitland gave up just four hits while Davies allowed eight.
Davies and Bridgewood
R.Maitland and Cosier
(September 8) Eagles scored twice in the top of the first inning and that proved enough as they downed Pitzer & Nex 3-1 to take a 2-1 game lead in the final series. Russ Richardson fired a three-hitter to keep the gasmen at bay. Jack Stratton singled in the two first inning runs and Reg Patterson knocked in the third marker in the second frame. Richardson gave up two hits and a run in the bottom of the first then blanked the gasmen the rest of the way. Ritchie Nichol surrendered just six hits in taking the loss.
Richardson (W) and Bridgewood
Nichol (L) and Cosier
(September 10) Charlie Stroulger's Victoria Eagles blew a 5-0 lead then rebounded to crush Pitzer & Nex 11-5 to win the Victoria baseball championship. The birdmen, who won the best-of-five series three games to one with two ties, made a clean sweep of local competitions. They defeated Chemainus in the playoffs for the McGavin Cup after the teams broke even during the regular schedule. The Eagles' second division club followed by taking the Humphreys Cup and Wednesday evening the seniors walked off the Caledonia Avenue ball park with the Rithet Cup. Centre fielder Charlie Restell paced the winners with a pair of three-baggers and two singles. Reg Patterson and Jack Stratton each swatted a double and single and Bill Yardley added two safeties and two scores. Stan Davies held Pitzer & Nex to four hits
Davies (W) and Bridgewood
R.Maitland (L), Nichol (7) and Cosier
Nanaimo
The 1941 Nanaimo senior baseball team did not rejoin the Chemainus circuit of which they were a part during the 1940 campaign. Instead, they opted for a complete schedule of exhibition encounters, primarily with teams from the 1941 Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League. Their rivalry with the Chemainus baseballers was renewed as the season wound down with a few exhibition tilts capped off by a seven-game challenge series for the Day Cup.
(June 8) In a masterful five-hit chore, Johnny Haramboure hurled Courtenay to a 4-0 triumph over Nanaimo in the season opener at the Central Sports Grounds Sunday afternoon. Haramboure whiffed 11 and walked a pair. Courtenay pushed across two runs in the second inning on two hits, one a double by Andy Telosky, and a costly error in centre field. They added another pair in the fifth with Telosky's run-scoring double the key blow.
J.Haramboure and A.Telosky
B.Clarke (L), J.Naylor (7) and T.Naylor
(June 15) Tommy "Toss" Naylor fashioned a six-hit shutout and belted a triple Sunday to lead Nanaimo to its first win of the summer, a 9-0 verdict over Union Bay. Leading 1-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, the locals pounded 15-year-old Robin McKay all over the lot forcing reliever Mickey McGuire into the game as Nanaimo combined five hits and two errors to score six times. Art "Pepper" Davis had a three-bagger for the winners and "Smiley" Emery added a double.
McKay (L), McGuire (4) and James
T.Naylor (W) and McQuade
(June 22) Playing their first road games of the season, manager "Mush" Aitken's Nanaimo nine split a double-header at two Upper-Island centres. In the afternoon, Spit Quinn of Courtenay tossed a three-hitter as Nanaimo dropped a 7-2 decision. Later, at Union Bay, Nanaimo crushed the home club 15-3.
A bad fifth inning did in Nanaimo in the opener as Courtenay plated five runs. The winners out-hit Nanaimo 12 to 3 as five players each had two hits. Quinn and Grieve each produced a double and single. Bobby Rickson scored twice and had the only stolen base.
T.Naylor (L) and McQuade
Quinn (W) and A.Telosky
In the second game, Nanaimo put the game out of reach with a seven-run splurge in the third inning. They smacked 16 hits, with Art Davis leading the way with a pair of doubles and a single. Toss Naylor had three hits, Storey had two hits and two runs and Haswell scored three times. "Smiley" Emery pitched nine-hit ball for the win,
Emery (W) and T.Naylor
Coe (L), Younger and James
(July 6) Nanaimo staged an awesome offensive display Sunday pounding three Cumberland hurlers for 27 hits, including eight doubles, to crush the visitors 23-3. The host club had a 10-1 lead before exploding for 12 runs in the fourth inning. Second baseman Art Davis led the hit parade going six for six and scoring five times. Ed Davis and Smiley Emery each produced four hits and Haswell and Bob Anderson had three apiece. Toss Naylor added a pair of two-baggers.
Rosenthal (L), Damonte (2) Baird (4) and James
Morton (W), Emery (5) and Anderson
(July 10) As a warm-up for Sunday's tilt with Vancouver's Angelus Hotel, Nanaimo clobbered the Dufferin-Haldimand Rifles 15-0 Thursday. The visitors, sadly out of practice and having devoted most of their efforts to softball contests, were short on manpower and equipment. The game became so one-sided that Nanaimo team captain "Smiley" Emery switched over to take up the mound work for the service club. Bill Clarke fired the shutout for the locals ringing up 15 strikeouts in the abbreviated encounter. He allowed just six hits.
Brydon, Bradley, Dyson, Emery and Hamilton
Clarke (W) and McQuade
(July 13) Nanaimo rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge Angelus Hotel of Vancouver 7-6 Sunday at the Central Sports Grounds. After the locals had pulled into a 5-5 tie with a pair in the bottom of the eighth, Angelus regained the lead in the ninth. Lewis doubled to bring in Frank Ambler with the go-ahead run. Then Nanaimo struck in their last at bat. Hoppus reached on an error at shortstop and Jack Naylor advanced Hoppus with a sharp single. Art "Pepper" Davis connected for his second hit of the afternoon to make it 6-6. Ray Moretti followed with a single to send Jack Naylor home with the winning counter. Buster Morton, former Toronto hurler, worked the first six innings for the locals, giving way to Jack Naylor who was credited with the win. Nanaimo racked up 14 hits with Art Davis and "Smiley" Emery each with a double and single. Billy Adshead smacked a pair of two-baggers and scored twice for Angelus.
Peterson, L.Holden, Condon and Bill
Morton, J.Naylor (W) (7) and
(July 20) Preston "Sonny" Bruce clouted a three-run homer in the seventh inning to give Nanaimo a 7-7 with the barnstorming Miami Ethiopian Clowns. Trailing 7-3, the locals got back-to-back-to back singles by Jack Naylor, Art "Pepper" Davis and Ray Moretti for the first run and set the stage for Bruce's dramatic swat. Nanaimo had a chance for the win in the ninth as Moretti drew a walk and Bruce's single advanced the centre fielder to third. With "Smiley" Emery at the plate and the squeeze sign on, Clown's catcher Haywood Khora called for a pitch-out and Moretti was caught halfway to home for the second out and Emery fanned to end the game, as heavy rain began to fall. Nanaimo surprised the visitors with a 15-hit attack off Showboat Thomas, three each by Moretti and Bruce. Jack Naylor allowed ten hits in going the route for Nanaimo.
Thomas and Khora
J.Naylor and T.Naylor
(July 27) Despite being out-hit in both games, Nanaimo took both ends of a double-header over Courtenay Native Sons, 4-1 and 4-2. Playing errorless ball in the opener, the locals were helped by five miscues by Courtenay. Bill Clarke scattered nine hits, three each by shortstop Wally Thompson and right fielder Roy Moore. Clarke and Toss Naylor each had two safeties for the winners.
Quinn (L) and A.Telosky
Clarke (W) and T.Naylor
Nanaimo spotted Courtenay a two-run lead in the first inning but rebounded with two runs in the second inning and singletons in the fourth and fifth to drop the visitors 4-2. Jack Naylor survived ten hits in going the distance to pick up the pitching win. Johnny Haramboure yielded just seven hits and fanned 11 in a losing cause. Toss Naylor and Lefty Biggs each produced two hits for Nanaimo while Lyle McKenzie and Haramboure had three hits apiece for Courtenay.
Haramboure (L) and A.Telosky
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
(August 10) Nanaimo notched another double-header sweep Sunday downing Chemainus 2-1 in the opener and 12-3 in the evening affair. Bus Morton bested Haley Jackson in the finest hurling duel of the season in the 2-1 game played in ideal weather before an enthusiastic crowd. Nanaimo got the winning marker with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. With Bill Clarke on first with a walk, Ed Davis belted one to deep left field for a triple to plate the deciding run. Each team had six hits.
H.Jackson (L) and P.Wyllie
Morton (W) and Anderson
Chemainus booted the ball ten times in the second game to hand Nanaimo a 12-3 victory. The locals broke open a tight ball game with a seven run explosion in the 8th inning. First baseman Grahame led Nanaimo with three hits and a pair of runs. Ray Moretti added two hits and two runs. Sonny Bruce of Chemainus led all hitters with four safeties..Bill Clarke surrendered 10 ten hits and racked up 13 strikeouts in gaining the pitching win.
C.Shillito (L), Bruce, Work and J.Naylor
Clarke (W) and T.Naylor
(August 24) Nanaimo ran its unbeaten streak to ten games Sunday in a 6-5 overtime win over Chemainus Green Lanterns. After the teams battled to a 2-2 draw in regulation play, Nanaimo broke loose for four runs in the top of the tenth then held off a Chemainus rally in the bottom of the frame for the win. Nanaimo combined a double, two singles, two walks, a wild pitch and an error for their tenth inning outburst. Chemainus came right back loading the bases with none out and plating three runs before reliever Bill Clarke got the final out. Lefty Biggs and Chick Kilbey led the winners each with three hits, The Bruce brothers, Gil and Sonny, each produced two hits and two runs for the Green Lanterns.
Morton (W), Clarke (10) and Anderson
B.Work (L) and and J.Naylor
(August 31) In the opening game of the best-of-seven Mid-Island Day Cup challenge series, Nanaimo downed the Chemainus All-Stars 5-1 behind the five-hit hurling of Bus Morton. Nanaimo broke fast with four runs in the first inning on three doubles, a wild pitch and an error. Lefty Biggs led a 10-hit attack with two doubles and a single. Toss Naylor and Jim Neilson each had a pair.
H.Jackson (L), R.Shillito (1) and J.Naylor
Morton (W) and Anderson
(September 7) With a sweep of Sunday's double-header at Chemainus, Nanaimo ran its undefeated streak to 13 games and took a commanding 3-0 game lead in the Day Cup challenge series. In a thrilling opening game, Nanaimo took an 11-10, 11-inning decision, then notched a 4-1 victory in the second game.
After spotting Chemainus a 9-1 lead in the third inning as a result of six errors and unsteady hurling by Buster Morton, the locals battled back to tie 9-9 in regulation play then combined a pair of singles, a double and a fielder's choice to score two in the 11th for the win. Chemainus fought back with one run in the bottom of the 11th but fell just short. Toss Naylor belted a homer for the winners.
Morton (W) and Anderson
E.Smythe, H.Jackson (L) (5) and J.Naylor
In the seven-inning evening encounter, Nanaimo took a 4-0 lead after three innings and, behind Bill Clarke's three-hitter coasted to the triumph. Lefty Biggs was the day's top swatter with five hits, three of them going for two bases.
B.Clarke (W) and T.Naylor
B.Work (L) and T.Inouye
(September 14) Chemainus All-Stars halted Nanaimo's 13-game winning streak taking both ends of Sunday's twin-bill 4-1 and 4-0 getting superb pitching from Jack Naylor and Sonny Bruce and outstanding defense which turned seven double plays, five in the first game. The short-handed Nanaimo nine had Bill Clarke throw both games. The two wins left Nanaimo with a 3-2 game lead in the Day Cup series.
J.Naylor (W) and xxx
Clarke (L) and xxx
Sonny Bruce (W) and xxx
Clarke (L) and xxx
(September 21) In an exciting wrap up to the 1941 season, Chemainus downed Nanaimo 2-1 and 2-0 to capture the Mid-Island Day Cup challenge series four games to three after losing the first three games. Jack Naylor and Sonny Bruce again provided sterling mound efforts for the winners.
Clarke (L) and T.Naylor
J.Naylor (W) and Yoshida
T.Naylor (L) and Anderson
Sonny Bruce (W) and Yoshida
Cowichan Valley
With European operations in World War II in full swing, the 1941 baseball season presented challenges for at least one team in the Cowichan Valley. The Duncan Cubs were unable to field a complete team so disbanded for the campaign. Another of the entries in the 1940 Cowichan/Mid-Island League, the Nanaimo team, did not re-join the loop but, instead, opted for exhibition matches, primarily with teams from the Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League. The two remaining Chemainus entries from 1940, the Longshoremen and Green Lanterns, were then joined by the Chemainus Nippons, up from the Mid-Island all-Japanese League, to form a local three-team circuit for 1941.
An all-star team from this Chemainus loop was welcomed into the Victoria City League to play against the likes of the Eagles, Pitzer & Nex and the Tillicum Athletics. The Chemainus entry did surprisingly well in the Capital City loop, jumping into a hefty early-season lead but faded down the stretch and lost out to the Eagles in the city playdowns. Later in the campaign, they also took on the Nanaimo baseballers in a best-of-seven challenge series for mid-Island supremacy, losing the first three games in a best-of-seven series only to storm back and capture the final four.
Aside from playing a regular schedule of games in the Chemainus Baseball League, the Chemainus Nippons club also maintained their membership in the Mid-Island all-Japanese association of teams which included entries representing Duncan, Coombs, Mayo and the defending champion Hillcrest Giants.
Teams in the 1941 Chemainus Baseball League
Chemainus Green Lanterns
Chemainus Longshoremen
Chemainus Nippons
Teams in the 1941 Victoria Senior City League
Chemainus All-Stars
Victoria Eagles
Victoria Pitzer & Nex
Victoria Tillicum Athletics
Teams in the 1941 Japanese Mid-Island baseball League
Chemainus Nippons
Coombs
Duncan
Hillcrest Giants
Mayo
(May 8) The Cowichan Leader reported that it appeared Duncan will not have a senior baseball teams this season. It was though that Duncan players might be utilized by Chemainus teams -- the Green Lanterns, Longshoreman and Nippons. A new development this summer, according to reports in Victoria, is the entry of a Chemainus team in the Victoria City League.
(May 11) Chemainus Green Lanterns chalked up an 11-7 victory over the 1940 champion Longshoreman in an exhibition game at Chemainus Athletic Park on Sunday afternoon. First baseman Babe Work and catcher A. Davis paced a 15-hit assault each with three safeties. The Bruce brothers had quite the day for the Longshoremen, Sonny went four for five and Gil three for four, one of them a homer. Cy Shillito had a circuit clout for the Lanterns. Lefty Jackson allowed 12 hits in gaining credit for the win. Haley Jackson took the loss.
Lefty Jackson (W), J.Naylor and A.Davis
H.Jackson (L) and Sommerville
(May 14) In league play Wednesday, Green Lanterns shaded Nippons 4-3 but the result has been protested. In the sixth inning, with the scored tied at 3-3, Nippons had the bases loaded with one out and a squeeze play called. As Doug English of the Lanterns started his windup Okada made a dash for home. Catcher Davis stepped on the plate to make the catch and tag the runner while not allowing the batter an opportunity to swing. The pitch was called strike three to retire the side.
I.Taniwa (L) and T.Yoshida
English (W) and A.Davis
(May 18) The Chemainus All-Stars made a promising start in the Victoria Senior League Sunday by taking both games of a double-header from Pitzer & Nex, 14-3 and 8-1. Jack Naylor starred for the locals on the mound and at the plate in the first game tossing a seven-hitter with 11 strikeouts and smacking a three-run homer and a pair of singles.
R.Nichol (L), Murray, R.Maitland and Woodford
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
Pitzer & Nex had some hard hit balls in the second game against Shorty Berkey, but a sensational performance in centre field by Gil Bruce prevented much trouble. The way he made shoe-string catches and picked the ball off the fence drew rounds of applause.
R.Nichol, R.Osman and H.Harris
Berkey (W) and T.Naylor
(May 18) In the Island Japanese League, Chemainus Nippons beat Coombs 7-2 Sunday at Chemainus and Coombs topped the Hillcrest Giants at Duncan 3-1.
(May 21) Eric Smythe hurled the Longshoremen to a 7-1 victory over the Nippons in a seven inning contest. Smythe allowed just two hits. Catcher Houg Hagg and centre fielder Gil Bruce each had three hits as the winners collected 11 hits off M.Izumi.
M.Izumi (L) and T.Yoshida
Smythe (W) and H.Hagg
(May 25) Chemainus All-Stars beat the big boys again, taking both games of Sundays twin-bill from the Tillicum Athletics 10-0 and 5-1. Speedball king Jack Naylor fired a two-hit shutout in the opening game while his teammates collected 13 off a pair of Victoria hurlers. Right fielder Ted Cushing had the big blow for the winners, a home run.
Leonard (L), Rowe and Holmes
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
Chemainus got another outstanding mound effort in the second game as L."Shorty" Berkey held the Athletics to just one hit in his seven innings of work. He fanned 10. Lefty Jackson finished the game allowing two hits and the lone Victoria run. Ronnie Pratt yielded nine his, three by shortstop Sonny Bruce, in taking the loss.
Pratt (L) and Stroulger
Berkey (W), L.Jackson (8) and A.Davis
(June 1) Chemainus All-Stars remain at the top of the Victoria Senior League but suffered their first loss of the season Sunday dropping a 4-0 decision to the Victoria Eagles in the first game of a double-header. The locals bounced back to take the second game 10-5. Les Stobo held Chemainus to three singles in getting the first game shutout. Losing pitcher Jack Naylor surrendered just two hits, but one, by Stew McNeill in the second inning, produced three runs. The games were scheduled to be played in Victoria but rain forced the teams to re-locate to Chemainus.
Stobo (W) and xxx
J.Naylor (L) and xxx
The locals won the second game with a six-run splurge in the sixth inning. E.Jackson went the route for the pitching win for Chemainus holding the Eagles to eight hits. Chemainus pounded out 16 safeties against three Eagles' hurlers. Gil Bruce led the way with a double and three singles.
Davies (L), Richardson (6) , Curry (7) and Bridgewood
E.Jackson (W) and T.Naylor
(June 7) Facing their first test away from home, Chemainus All-Stars ran their league record to 7-1 Saturday in sweeping a double-bill 9-8 and 15-10 over Pitzer & Nex at Victoria. Sloppy defensive play resulted in 23 errors, 11 in the first game and 12 in the second. Chemainus gained a huge early lead with eight runs in the third inning but the club needed strong relief pitching by Shorty Berkey to put down the Victoria nine. Ted Cushing smacked a double and single for the winners. Harper had three hits for the gasmen.
Smythe (W), Berkey (7) and T.Naylor
Maitland (L) and Woodford
Chemainus came from behind to win the second game. Down by a run in the eighth inning, pitcher Haley Jackson singled in the tying and winning markers. Houg Hagg led a 12-hit attack with three safeties, one a triple, in four times at bat. He also scored three times. Ray Moretti slugged a triple and double and Toss Naylor added a double, single and two scores.
H.Jackson (W) and T.Naylor
Nichol, Murray (8) and Clanton
(June 11) Nippons got just five hits Wednesday but combined a walk, three errors and a couple of hits for four runs in the sixth inning to edge the Longshoremen 5-4. Longshoremen threatened in the last frame when Tommy Garner walked and pitcher Eric Smythe doubled to bring him home. M.Izumi saved the day by getting the next three batters to pop to the infield.
Smythe (L) and Sommerville
M.Izumi (W) and K.Izumi
(June 14) At the Caledonia Avenue ball yard in Victoria Sunday, Chemainus earned a split of a double-bill with the Eagles winning the opener 3-2 but suffering a 10-1 trouncing in the evening contest. Jack Naylor was key to the Chemainus win, pitching an eight-hitter while banging out two of the six hits for the winners. Charlie Stroulger had three safeties for the Eagles. The All-Stars took the lead with a run in the third inning, fell behind 2-1 in the fourth as Norm Blackburn laced a single with runners on second and third, before rallying for a pair in the fifth.
In the second game, the Eagles pounded Haley Jackson's offerings all over the lot. Their 15 hits included a home run, a triple and five doubles. Les Stobo, who blanked Chemainus 4-0 previously, nearly had another shutout. In the final inning, a grounder took a bad bounce to a llow Ted Cushing to cross the plate with the lone Chemainus counter. Stobo allowed seven hits. Jack Stratton paced the onslaught with an inside-the-park homer and a single. Stew McNeill smacked a triple and single. With the split, Chemainus moved to within a game of clinching the McGavin Cup series. They now lead the pennant chase by a game and one-half over the birdmen.
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
Davies and Patterson
H.Jackson (L), T.Naylor (7) and xxx
Stobo (W) and Bridgewood
(June 15) In preparation of the Rithet Cup series, soon to commence, the Tillicum Athletics announced that Tommy Musgrave, formerly with the Vancouver Capilanos in pro ball, would soon join the club.
Chemainus 8 - 2
Eagles 7 - 4
Tillicum A's 2 - 5
Pitzer & Nex 2 - 8
(June 21) The Tillicum Athletics took a pair from Chemainus to tighten up the race in the Victoria Senior League. The A's won the first game 4-3 in 11 innings and, with a five-run spree in the fourth inning, won the evening contest 8-6. The results left Chemainus just a half-game ahead of the Eagles in the battle for first place. Diminutive second sacker Earl Barnswell was the A's hero in the first game coming through with a single in the 11th frame to score Vic Dale with the winning run. The base blow broke up one of the more interesting baseball exhibitions at Royal Athletic Park. Tommy Musgrave, the former Vancouver hurled, making his Victoria debut for Tillicum, and Jack Naylor, the Chemainus ace southpaw, hooked up in the exciting contest. The teams combined for 23 hits. Harry Barber led the A's with a double and two singles. Haug Hagg punched out three singles for Chemainus.
J.Naylor (L) and T.Naylor
T.Musgrave (W) and Kuwabara
A five-run fifth inning propelled the Athletics to the 8-6 win in the second game as the A's displayed some power with three triples, by Art Chapman, Earl Barnswell and Al Condon. Ray Casey smacked a pair of doubles. Scotty Robinson added three singles and three runs. Jimmie Jenks and Tommy Musgrave combined to hold Chemainus to five hits.
H.Jackson (L) , J.Naylor (4) and T.Naylor
Jenks (W), Musgrave (7) and Condon
(June 23) Chemainus All-Stars and the Victoria Eagles will need a playoff to determine the winner of the McGavin Cup. Needing a win to clinch the championship, Chemainus lost to the Eagles on Monday and both teams finished with records of 8-4.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 6) In the Chemainus Baseball League, the Longshoremen got brilliant one-hit pitching by Shorty Berkey in blanking the Green Lanterns 2-0. Berkey fanned ten and helped at the plate with a pair of pairs. The Longshoremen, who scored singletons in the first and sixth, garnered eight hits off Cy Shillito.
Berkey (W) and Sommerville
Shillito (L) and J.Naylor
(July 30) Chemainus Green Lanterns tightened the Chemainus League standings Wednesday with a 7-4 victory over the first-place Longshoremen.
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 30) In playoff action in the Japanese circuit, the Hillcrest Giants ousted Mayo 10-3 in a sudden-death contest and are slated to meet Coombs in a best of three semi-final series. The Nippons, who finished first, await the winners of the semi-final set.
(August 10) In a warm-up for their Victoria Senior League playoff, the Chemainus All-Stars dropped both games of a double-header at Nanaimo 2-1 and 12-3.
H.Jackson (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Cy Shillito, Sonny Bruce, Work and xxx
xxx and xxx
(August 15) In a high-scoring affair Friday which featured 30 hits and 13 errors, Victoria Eagles took the opening game of the McGavin Cup series 15-12 over Chemainus All-Stars. Chemainus led until the seventh inning when the Eagles splurged for six runs. The game featured two homers, Reg Patterson for the winners and Babe Work for the All-Stars. Tom Cushing of Chemainus led all batters with three hits and three runs. Every player in the game with the exception of Eagles starter Stan Davies got at least one hit. Bill Yardley punched out a double and single and scored three for the winners. Charlie Stroulger also had a two-bagger and single.
J.Naylor (L) and W.Hagg
Davies, R.Richardson (2) and Patterson
(August 17) Victoria Eagles captured the Victoria Senior League championship with a come-from-behind 9-6 triumph over Chemainus. Trailing 5-3, the birdmen went on a six-run scoring spree in the seventh inning to secure the win. Noel Morgan's three-run homer highlighted the rally. Stan Curry, the 17-year-old lefty, went the route for the winners and gave up 12 base blows.
The second game turned out to be an exhibition contest which the Eagles also won, 8-6, and, again, with a late rally. Down 6-4, Eagles erupted for four runs in the ninth to post the 8-6 triumph. Miles, a former Port Alberni hurler, was the winning pitcher in relief of Charlie Restell.
Curry (W) and Bridgewood
H.Jackson, Smythe (7) and T.Naylor
Restell, Miles (3) and Burke, Patterson
J.Naylor, T.Naylor (9) and W.Hagg
(August 24) In Japanese League play, Coombs trounced the Hillcrest Giants 13-4 to win the sudden-death semi-final and the right to face the Nippons for the league championship.
(August 31) In the opening game of the Day Cup challenge series, for mid-Island baseball supreme cy, Nanaimo ran its winning streak to 11 games with a 5-1 triumph over Chemainus at the Central Sports Grounds. The home club took a four run lead in the first inning and coasted to the win. Nanaimo combined four hits, three of them doubles, by Art Davis, Lefty Biggs and Jim Neilson, along with a wild pitch and two errors in the big inning. Biggs, who added another two-bagger and a single, was the game's top hitter. Winning pitcher Bus Morton held Chemainus to just five hits
H.Jackson, R.Shillito and J.Naylor
Morton (W) and Anderson
(September 7) Nanaimo took a commanding 3-0 game lead in the best-of-seven Day Cup Challenge Series taking both games of Sunday's double-header, 11-10, in 11 innings, and 4-1. In the opener, Tommy Naylor's homer was the winning blow. Chemainus outfielder Sonny Bruce was outspoken about the lack of effort by some of his teammates, "Our team losses are due to lack of interest by the players. If more of them had come out to play instead of going hunting, we would have had a better chance."
xxx and xxx
Smythe, H.Jackson and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
(September 14) On the brink of elimination, Chemainus All-Stars swept a twin-bill at Nanaimo, 4-1 and 4-0 Sunday, to stay alive in the Day Cup challenge series. Nanaimo leads the series three games to two. In the afternoon contest, Nanaimo held a 1-0 lead until the fifth inning when Chemainus jumped ahead 2-1. They added a pair in the eighth to clinch the win. In the seven-inning evening contest, Chemainus scored four times in the first inning before the clubs settled down to play scoreless ball the rest of the way.
J.Naylor (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Sonny Bruce (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(September 21) In a stunning comeback, Chemainus, once down three games to none in the Day Cup series for the mid-Island baseball championship, edged Nanaimo 2-1 and 2-0 to capture the best-of-seven series. In the first game, Jack Naylor held Nanaimo to eight hits while the winners collected eleven off Bill Clarke.
Clarke (L) and T.Naylor
J.Naylor (W) and Yoshida
In the seven-inning second game, Chemainus plated a pair in the second inning and they stood up for the 2-0 win and the championship. Sonny Bruce shutout Nanaimo on five hits to best Tommy Naylor.
T.Naylor (L) and Anderson
Bruce (W) and Yoshida
Comox Valley
The same five entries from the 1940 campaign returned to the fold for the 1941 season. Three of the 1941 Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League entries also engaged in regular exhibition games with the senior team from Nanaimo.
Teams in the 1941 Comox Valley Twilight Baseball League
Bevan Tigers
Courtenay Native Sons
Cumberland Cubs
Royston Lumbermen
Union Bay
(May 18) Royston kicked off the new season with an 8-0 victory over Cumberland Cubs as K. "Cowboy" Kimoto tossed the shutout and was key at the plate with three hits.
Kimoto (W) and xxx
Baird (L), Watson, Bono and xxx
(May 24) Cumberland Cubs and Royston Lumbermen brought the May 24th sports program to a thrilling end Saturday when they battled to a 1-1 draw before a large crowd of Empire Day fans. Cubs took an early lead when Buchanan reached on an error, advanced on Hunt's infield hit and came home on a sacrifice fly. Royston knotted the count in the fourth on an error and successive singles by Kato and K.Kimoto. Royston had an opportunity in the ninth with runners on first and second but Double Bono fanned the last two batters to end the game.
Kimura, Yano (6) and Yoshikuni
Double Bono and McMillan
(May 25) Cumberland Native Sons punched out four of their six hits in the first inning to score three runs and Spit Quinn blanked Royston on two hits in a 4-0 triumph Sunday at Cumberland. Robby Rickson started the attack with a single followed by back-to-back doubles by Sammy Telosky and Andy Telosky. With two runs in, L.Grieve singled for the third run before Cowboy Kimoto whiffed a pair to end the inning. Andy Telosky cracked a homer over the left field fence in the sixth to end the scoring. Quinn had eight strikeouts and one walk in his shutout effort. Kimoto fanned 11 with one free pass.
A.Quinn (W) and A.Telosky
K.Kimoto (L) and Yoshikuni
(June 1) Courtenay Native Sons broke up a closely fought battle with a six-run spree in the eighth inning Sunday at Lewis Park in defeating Bevan Tigers 9-2. Courtenay slammed four hits and took advantage of four Bevan errors in the big inning. Veteran Wally Thompson had three hits to lead the winners in his first game of the season. Lyle McKenzie and Robby Rickson each had a pair as did Bud Combs for the Tigers. Johnny Haramboure held Bevan to four hits in going the distance on the hill for the Sons.
Herchuk (L) and Hoffman
J.Haramboure (W) and A.Telosky
(June 1) Union Bay, minus McKay its star hurler, upset Cumberland Cubs 5-4 in an extra inning affair at Cumberland. Les Coe, filling in for McKay, not only hurled a fine game but scored the tying and winning runs for the Bay boys. In the ninth inning of the scheduled seven-inning contest, Coe led off with a single, stole second and came home on Jack Younger's infield grounder. Coe had tied the game in the seventh when he reached and advanced to third on two overthrows and scored when an attempt to pick him off third was wide of the mark. Cumberland had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh but failed to score sending the game into extra innings.
Coe (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 8) Cumberland Cubs beat Royston Lumber at its own game Sunday with bunts, steals and good defense in a 6-1 victory. Cubs opened the scoring in the first inning when John Bannerman beat out an infield hit, stole second and scored on Buchanan's one-bagger to centre. Kiyonaga singled for Royston and Double Bono walked Yano but the threat was ended by a neat double play. Cubs added to their lead in the second when Davis singled and completed the circuit on Royston errors. Two more came in the third when A.Harvie doubled, stole second and Davis walked. Both eventually scored on an error. Cubs last two runs came in the the fifth when McMillan singled, J.Harvie walked and both came home on Buchanan's double.
Bono (W) and McMillan, Harvie
Yano, Shirakoa and Yoshikuni
(June 8) Bevan registered its first win of the season Sunday in edging Union Bay 3-2. Bill "Iron Man" Herchuk got out of a jam in the final frame to escape with the win. Union Bay had scored once in the seventh on an error and hits by Magnone and Les Coe but Coe was forced at home for the final out.
Herchuk (W) and Hoffman
McKay (L), Younger (6) and James
(June 8) In an exhibition game at the Central Sports Grounds, Courtenay Native Sons shutout Nanaimo 4-0 in the season opener at Nanaimo. Johnny Haramboure turned in a masterful five-hitter for the triumph. The Sons went in front in the second inning when Andy Telosky doubled to centre field and came all the way home when McKenzie's line drive was misplayed in the outfield. McKenzie scored on a sacrifice fly. They added two more in the fifth as Haramboure singled, advanced on a sacrifice and wild pitch and scored as Sammy Telosky was safe on an error. Andy Telosky's second double plated his brother with the fourth run.
Haramboure (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(June 11) Spit Quinn fired a three-hit shutout Wednesday as Courtenay Native Sons blanked Royston Lumber Company 1-0. Quinn also brought the crowd to its feet when he clouted a line drive into the spruce trees and tried, unsuccessfully, to stretch a triple into a home run. The "Mad Russians" - the Teloskys - highlighted the action as Sammy smacked a three-bagger and catcher Andy knocked in the lone marker with a single.
xxx and xxx
Quinn (W) and xxx
(June 15) Tommy "Toss" Naylor fashioned a six-hit shutout and belted a triple Sunday to lead Nanaimo to its first win of the summer, a 9-0 verdict over Union Bay. Leading 1-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, the locals pounded 15-year-old Robin McKay all over the lot forcing reliever Mickey McGuire into the game as Nanaimo combined five hits and two errors to score six times. Art "Pepper" Davis had a three-bagger for the winners and "Smiley" Emery added a double.
McKay (L), McGuire (4) and James
T.Naylor (W) and McQuade
(June 18) Bevan Tigers downed Royston 3-0 in a game called in the fifth inning as rain moved in. It was the Lumbermen's third shutout loss of the season. Tigers got the only run they needed in the first inning when Bevan loaded the bases as Webber was safe on an error, Hoffman singled and Coates received a free pass. Rookie hurled Tsuroka issued another walk to force in a run. In the third, Bevan got its second run on a double by Fiddler Bates and another two-bagger by Rab Brown. Webber scored his second run of the game in the fifth, again reaching on an error, moving to second on Gibson's grounder and coming home on manager Hoffman's hit to right field.
Hoffmann (W) and xxx
Tsuroka (L) and xxx
(June 22) Cumberland baseball fans were treated to one of the best games of the season Sunday when Union Bay slipped by Royston 2-1 in a 13-inning thriller. The Lumbermen broke a scoreless tie in the seventh as Fujimoto reached on an error and came around to score on pinch hitter Yano's double to deep centre field. The Bay boys responded in the eighth when veteran Bill McKay, playing his first game of the summer, doubled to left and Les Coe followed with a smash to right field to knock in McKay. In the top of the 13th, Sammy Shillito, who had just pulled off a circus catch in the 12th, led off with a single, advanced on an infield grounder and came home with the deciding marker on Coe's fourth hit of the day. Union Bay needed a double play in the bottom of the frame to hold off a Royston rally. Yoshikuni drew a free pass and stole second and third with just one out. K.Kimoto tried to squeeze him home but his fly ball was caught and the runner tagged out to end the game.
McGuire, McKay (W) (8) and James
Kimoto (L) and Kiyonaga
(June 22) Courtenay Native Sons continued their winning ways Sunday at the Recreation Grounds at Cumberland when they posted a 4-2 win over the Cubs. It was their fifth straight victory. The Sons got on the scoreboard early as leadoff man Robby Rickson cracked a double and scooted home on Lyle McKenzie's one bagger. Cubs responded with a run in the second inning on a double by Hunt and single from McMillan. In the third, the Sons regained the lead when Sammy Telosky tripled and came home on an error. Courtenay increased the margin with two more runs in the fifth on successive singles by Johnny Haramboure, McKenzie and Andy Telosky. The Cubs threatened in the seventh and final frame when pinch hitter James singled and Harvie knocked him in with a double but Haramboure bore down to end the rally. Both teams had six hits. Cubs hurt their chances making five errors.
Haramboure (W) and A. Telosky
Baird (L), R. Watson and McMillan
(June 29) Spit Quinn held Nanaimo to two hits Sunday as Courtenay Native Sons won another, its sixth consecutive victory, 7-2 in the first game of a three-team, split location double-header. A five-run fifth inning for the Sons proved to be the difference. Sam Telosky led the winners with two hits and two runs. Quinn helped scoring twice. Art Davis had both Nanaimo safeties.
T.Naylor (L), Storey (6) and McQuade
Quinn (W) and A. Telosky
(June 29) Nanaimo had much better luck in a stopover at Union Bay on the way home as they smacked 16 hits in a 15-3 victory over Union Bay. Art Davis, Grahame, and Toss Naylor each clicked for three hits and Grahame and Haswell each scored three times. "Smiley" Emery pitched nine-hit ball for the winners.
Emery (W) and T.Naylor
Younger, Coe and James
(July 6) Spit Quinn fired his third shutout of the season, racking up 16 strikeouts, Sunday in a 5-0 win for the Native Sons over Bevan Tigers. The right-hander allowed just four hits. Courtenay broke open a tight contest with three runs in the seventh inning. Bob Rickson, Sammy Telosky and Lyle McKenzie each had three of the Sons' 14 hits.
Quinn (W) and Telosky
Herchuk (L), R. Hoffman and O.Hoffman
(July 6) Nanaimo put an explosive offense on display Sunday as "Mush" Aitken's hard-hitting nine clobbered three Cumberland Cubs hurlers for 27 hits in a 23-3 trouncing at the Central Sports Grounds. Art "Pepper" Davis laced out six safeties, including a double, in six times at bat. Nanaimo already with ten runs blasted out 12 hits for 12 runs in the fourth.
Rosenthal (L), Damonte (2), Baird (4) and xxx
Morton (W), Emery and Anderson, McQuade
(July 16) Cumberland Cubs snared a 4-2 victory over the Tigers at Bevan. Cubs' highlights included a long three-base rap by catcher McMillan and a running, shoe-string catch by James which cut off a sure Tiger run. Bevan hurt its chances by making four infield errors. Each team had seven hits.
Baird, Damonte, Bono and xxx
Eis (L) and xxx
(July 20) Courtenay Native Sons ran their winning streak to nine games by drubbing Bevan 13-3 at Lewis Park Sunday. Spit Quinn was tagged for ten hits but managed to go the distance for the winners racking up 15 strikeouts in his fifth win of the season. Lyle McKenzie smacked a homer in the fourth inning to highlight a 12-hit attack. Quinn added two hits and two runs. Left fielder Ken Cessford drove in three markers with a pair of singles. He also scored twice. Catcher Oscar Hoffman collected three hits and a walk for the Tigers.
Eis (L), Herchuk (3) and xxx
Quinn (W) and xxx
(July 20) Union Bay edged Cumberland Cubs 5-4 at the Recreation Grounds to tighten up the race for second place behind the undefeated Native Sons in the Twilight League standings. Ronnie Pratt held the Cubs to four hits in hurling for the Bay boys who made it interesting by committing five errors. The winners got eight hits off Doug "Squirrel" Baird.
Pratt (W) and xxx
Baird (L) and xxx
(July 20) Courtenay fans were treated to perhaps the best game of the season Monday evening when the Native Sons were extended to take a 3-2 decision from the Comox Navy. Big Alex Rosinoski showed the Native Sons the best pitching they've faced this season as he set down 13 of them on strikeouts. Ken Cessford held the sailors to seven safeties while whiffing seven. Rosinoski also helped his cause at the plate with a double, single and two stolen bases. Bill Moore led the locals with two singles.
Rosinoski (L) and Elliott
Cessford (W) and R.Moore
(July 23) Roy Grieve's timely single in the seventh inning broke up a tight pitching duel at Union Bay Wednesday evening when the Native Sons edged the home squad 2-0. With two out in a scoreless game, L.Grieve reached first on an error and Ken Cessford drew a walk. Roy Grieve cracked one to right field scoring his brother and he headed for second, beating the throw. Before the ball could be relayed home, Cessford had crossed the plate with the insurance run. Johnny Haramboure was outstanding in firing the shutout. Ronnie Pratt took the tough-luck loss.
Haramboure (W) and xxx
Pratt (L) and xxx
(July 27) Despite being out-hit in both games, Nanaimo took both ends of a double-header over Courtenay Native Sons, 4-1 and 4-2 halting the Sons 11-game winning streak. Playing errorless ball in the opener, the locals were helped by five miscues by Courtenay. Bill Clarke scattered nine hits, three each by shortstop Wally Thompson and right fielder Roy Moore. Clarke and Toss Naylor each had two safeties for the winners.
Quinn (L) and A.Telosky
Clarke (W) and T.Naylor
Nanaimo spotted Courtenay a two-run lead in the first inning but rebounded with two runs in the second inning and singletons in the fourth and fifth to drop the visitors 4-2. Jack Naylor survived ten hits in going the distance to pick up the pitching win. Johnny Haramboure yielded just seven hits and fanned 11 in a losing cause. Toss Naylor and Lefty Biggs each produced two hits for Nanaimo while Lyle McKenzie and Haramboure had three hits apiece for Courtenay.
Haramboure (L) and A.Telosky
J.Naylor (W) and T.Naylor
(August 3) Joe Damonte's Cumberland Cubs upset the league-leading Courtenay Native Sons 5-4 in 10 innings Sunday at Lewis Park. Catcher McMillan powered the Cubs attack with a home run and two singles. Doug Baird was clipped for 11 hits in besting Johnny Haramboure of the Sons in the pitching matchup. Davis singled to open the Cubs' 10th and was sacrificed to second and came all the way home to score the winning run on a throwing error. Cubs had taken an early lead punching out a double, two singles and taking a walk good for three runs in the second frame. The Sons bounced back with a pair in the sixth on doubles by Telosky and Spit Quinn. They got the tying run in the eighth when Baird committed a balk after Wally Thompson had tripled to left field. "Skipper" McMillan's homer put Cumberland back in the lead in the ninth but the home squad evened it up on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice in the bottom of the ninth.
Baird (W) and McMillan
Haramboure (L), Quinn (10) and xxx
(August 10) The Native Sons brought Courtenay its first Twilight League Championship in years Sunday whipping the Cumberland Cubs 8-3. The victory was doubly sweet for manager Dick Damonte as it avenged last week's loss to his brother's team. Spit Quinn allowed just one earned run to his former teammates in chalking up his eighth straight pitching win. A four-run second inning proved enough for the Sons to gain the win. Ken Cessford knocked in three of the tallies with a bases-loaded double. The lead went to 7-0 in the seventh as the Sons punched out four hits and capitalized on three Cub errors. "Diny" Grieve led a 13-hit attack for the winners with three hits.
Quinn (W) and A.Telosky
Baird (L) and McMillan
(August 17) Johnny Haramboure tossed a two-hit shutout Sunday as the Courtenay Native Sons trounced the Bevan Tigers 9-0. Haramboure fanned ten and walked five. Bob Rickson led the 15 hit assault with three safeties while Ken Cessford displayed power with a double and a triple. Bevan added to its troubles making eight errors.
Haramboure (W) and Cessford
Eis (L) and Bilton
(August 24) Courtenay Native Sons ended their regular schedule with a victory, 4-2 over Cumberland Cubs for their 14th win in 16 games. Johnny Haramboure, who tossed s two-hit shutout a week ago, stopped the Cubs on four safeties. Two long wallops by Lyle McKenzie played a large role in the victory. His double drove in Bob Rickson in the first inning and a triple sent Andy Telosky home in the fifth. The Cubs had a chance in the ninth with a runner on second base as McMillan sent a long drive down the left field line. Outfielder Grieve saved the day by cartwheeliing over the low fence in making a sensational catch for the final out.
Bono (L) and xxx
Haramboure (W) and xxx
PLAYOFFS
Semi-finals (best-of-three)
Union Bay vs Cumberland Cubs
(September 3) Union Bay took the opening game of the best-of-three-semi-final with Cumberland notching a 4-2 win behind the hurling of Ron Pratt. Red Harvie took the loss for the Cubs.
Harvie (L) and McMillan
Pratt (W) and James
(September 7) With Ron Pratt pitching shutout ball, Union Bay knocked Cumberland Cubs out of the playoff picture with a 5-0 win at Cumberland taking the series in two straight games. Union Bay got its first marker in the fifth inning as the Cubs made three errors. They added two more in the sixth on three hits and a walk and pushed in another pair in the seventh. It's the first time in four years Cumberland hasn't been represented in the final round.
Pratt (W) and James
Baird (L), Harvie and McMillan
Finals (best-of-three)
Union Bay vs Courtenay Native Sons
(September 14) Union Bay errors played a prominent role as Courtenay Native Sons escaped with a 4-3 victory in the first game of the best-of-three final series. In the first inning a two-base error by "Gump" Magnone allowed two runs to score after Ron Pratt had hit the first two batters to face him and given up a single to Sammy "Club" Telosky. Sons added two more in the second inning combining a hit, a wild pitch, a balk and another error. Johnny Haramboure pitched shutout ball until the sixth inning when three hits and an error account for two runs for Union Bay. Jim McKay bagged his third hit and drove in the tally that brought the visitors to within a run of tying the game In the final frame. Pratt and Jack Younger singled with one out and the count on Rob McKay reached three and nothing. But Haramboure settled down and fanned McKay but Les Coe drove the next offering far down the right field line, foul by inches. Coe then hoisted a long fly to Spit Quinn in deep left to end the game. The losers out-hit the Sons 10 to 8. Quinn smacked a pair of doubles for the winners.
Pratt (L) and James
Haramboure (W) and A.Telosky
(September 21) Losing the first game of the playoff by sloppy play in the field, Union Bay took advantage of an Courtenay error to score the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning to remain alive in the final series as the clubs fought to a 5-5, 11-inning, draw. Trailing 5-3, Rob McKay led off the frame with a single and, with one out, Magnone drew a free pass before Bill McKay smacked a single bring to make it 5-4 and both runners moved up on the throw to the plate. A moment later, catcher Andy Telosky dropped Bob Rickson's throw home and Magnone plated the tying marker. Union Bay looked to have won the game as Sammy Shillito lined a ball to left but Junior Chalmers made a sensational catch and doubled the surprised Bill McKay off third base for the final out.The game was called after 11-innings because of darkness. Each team made six errors. Ronnie Pratt surrendered seven hits, fanned 10 and walked three in his mound effort for Union Bay while Spit Quinn allowed eight hits, rang up nine strikeouts and issued four free passes for the Native Sons.
Quinn and A.Telosky
Pratt and James
(September 28) In a thrilling 14-inning battle at Lewis Park, Union Bay topped Courtenay 3-2 to force a fourth and final game game in the best-of-three Twilight League final series. The teams fought to a 5-5 draw in the last contest. Magnone's triple followed by Bill McKay's single decided a pitching duel between Ronnie Pratt, who rang up 19 strikeouts for Union Bay, and the Sons Johnny Haramboure who fanned 17 and walked just one. Pratt allowed five free passes. Native Sons drew first blood with a run in the first inning with Lyle McKenzie crossing the plate on Andy Telosky's smash. The Baymen took a 2-1 lead in the fifth as Rob McKay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Magnone hit a sacrifice fly. In the sixth, Magnone's error and singles by Junior Chalmers and Haramboure deadlocked the count at 2-2. Chalmers had three safeties to lead all the hitters.
Haramboure (L) and A.Telosky
Pratt (W) and James
(October 5) Courtenay's Native Sons copped the coveted Twilight League Cup Sunday edging Union Bay 3-2 in the most closely contested series in years. The Sons notched 4-3 and 3-2 victories, losing 3-2. One game ended in a 5-5 draw. One game went 11-innings, another, 14 innings. Veteran Spit Quinn held the Baymen in check save for Les Coe's prodigious two-run homer in the sixth inning. Wally Thompson, who journeyed from Victoria to bolster the Sons' infield, led an eight-hit attack and started two fast double plays that bogged down Union Bay's offensive. Sons took the lead in the first inning as Bob Rickson scored from third on Andy Telosky's infield grounder. Union Bay lost a chance to tie in the bottom of the first when Rob McKay was thrown out a home by Sam Telosky trying to score on Magnone's sacrifice fly. Sons added a marker in the second as Bill Moore came home on Sam Telosky's infield tap. Lyle McKenzie made in 3-0 in the fifth driving in Thompson who had reached on an error. Coe put the Baymen back in the game in the sixth with his long smash to deep centre field with Rob McKay aboard. Quinn then retired the next 12 men to face him although it took a great catch by Thompson to wipe out a ninth inning threat. It was turned into the Sons' third double play of the contest. Again, the pitching was outstanding. Quinn allowed just five hits and two walks while fanning 12. Ronnie Pratt yielded eight hits while compiling 16 strikeouts and just one walk.
Quinn (W) and A.Telosky
Pratt (L) and James