FOOTHILLS BASEBALL LEAGUE
Expansion from four to six teams characterized the 1943 Calgary-based Foothills Senior Baseball League. Joining the circuit were the A – 16 / No. 3 S.F.T.S. Currie Combines, the No. 10 Repair Depot Fixers, Ogden Munitions, Shepard RCAF Training School, Rolling Mills and a second joint venture team with players from both H.M.C.S. Tecumseh and the United Service All-Stars. This combined club operated under the team name, Navy. Two venues, Riverside Park and Bowness Park, hosted the league action.
1943 Foothills Senior Baseball League rosters
A – 16 / No. 3 Service Training Flying School (Currie) : Aldridge, Angers Ray P, Baer OF, Baker OF/P/SS/C, Bentley Max 3B/P, Cairns 1B/OF, Deshields OF, Finn Joe SS/3B, Hainstock Bill P, Hansen Bill 2B/OF/MGR, Hargrave/Hargraves SS/OF, Haynes OF, Hunt 3B, Lane Doug 1B, Marshall Bob 1B/OF, McDonald C, Morgan P, Niskanen OF, Ornest Harry SS/3B/2B, Renauld Rene P/3B/OF, Rimstad “Whitey” C/3B, Stark OF, Stewart 2B, Titley OF, Wynn “Rusty” OF/P, Yehle Fred P/1B
HMCS Tecumseh/United Service (Navy) : Albin OF, Anderson, Burns 2B/OF/C, Chidlow OF, Colley OF, Cook OF/2B, Coy 2B/P, Cruikshank OF, Dahl Ollie C/2B/OF/SS, Davey OF, Draper P/OF, Dudley OF, Erickson 3B/SS/2B, Fitzgerald C/2B, Funk OF, Gates P, Giacomuzzi P/OF/1B, Gill “Pee Wee” 2B/P, Gorbous P, Hall OF, Hansen/Hanson Ted P/SS/3B, Kanik Joe P/SS/3B/2B, Lewis C, McCallum OF, McFee SS, Moski OF, Raimer 1B, Riddle Kelly P, Seaman SS/OF, Smythe 1B, Starcher Alec SS/OF/2B/P, Umari OF, Usselman Johnny 2B/OF/P, Valentin OF, Young 1B
No. 10 Repair Depot Fixers : Arthurs C/3B, Bawn 2B/SS/3B, Brearly C/OF/3B, Empey Johnny P/3B/2B, Guinn OF, Hendricks P, Holmes P/OF, Johnson/Johnston OF, Kirkman Bob 3B, Knox P, Kulski OF, Litchfield OF, Loblick Herman P/1B/OF/MGR, Melnychuk OF, Mills 1B/3B/OF, Peterson P, Skulski 1B/OF, Sparrow C, Tripp SS, Turner OF, Vaughan 2B, Ward 2B/OF/P/SS, Webber 1B
Ogden Munitions : Albers OF/SS/2B/3B, Armstrong C, Bell P, Beddome Jimmy P/MGR, Bishop SS/P, Bukowicki Joe OF/1B/P, Burns C, Crawford OF, Dodds OF, Fawcett OF, Free OF, French 3B, Gardner OF, Harmon P/1B, Hawkins OF/P, James 2B/OF, Jordan SS, Kennedy SS/OF/2B, King C/SS, Larrabee George 1B/P/OF, Logan OF, McConnell 2B/1B/P/OF, McLaughlin 3B/2B/OF, Mosely/Mosley OF, Neis Bernie P/3B/2B/SS, Oberholtzer C, Potvin C, Prokopy 3B/P, Ramsay Ernie 1B, Sangster Alec 3B/C/P/SS, Uffelman Alec P, Wilson C, Winters C, Wolman George C/OF
Rolling Mills : Bell C, Cameron C/1B, Carr Lorne OF, Fath Jerry OF, Gage OF/P, Hicklin 1B/OF, Hides Norm C/OF, Hodges Everett 1B, Inderston OF, Johnson OF, Latiff Alex SS/2B, Lewis P/OF/2B, Mack Blair OF/P/2B, Matheson Bill P/OF/2B/3B, McGoldrick Joe 3B/SS/C, Montemurro 2B, Read/Reid 3B/C/OF, Schriner Dave “Sweeney” OF/1B, Stahl Roy OF, Starr OF, Stupak P/OF, Thomson Eddie 2B/SS/OF, Uffelman C, Willis “Lefty” P/OF, Yarrow 1B/SS/2B
Shepard RCAF Training School : Aydt OF/2B, Comeau 1B, Fernuik Walter P/1B/SS/2B, Fisk OF/2B, Gregg OF, Huseby 1B/OF/P, Ireland 3B/SS/C, Johnson OF/3B/2B, Lees C/OF, Kelly 3B, Kinley OF/3B/2B, McFayden SS, Oulette “Smokey” OF, Pylypa Pete P, Richmond Les P/3B, Rublecki/Rubleski OF, Snape P, Tiller 2B, Vang 2B
1943 Final Standings
W L Pct.
A-16 / No.3 SFTS 18 2 .900
Rolling Hills 10 9 .526
Navy 9 10 .474
No. 10 Repair Depot 9 11 .450
Shepard 7 13 .350
Ogden 6 14 .300
PLAYOFFS
Semi-Final Playoff Pairings (best-of-three series)
A – 16 / No. 3 SFTS vs No. 10 Repair Depot
Rolling Hills vs Navy
(August 24) Working two pitchers to great advantage, Navy got out of the playoff gate on a positive note and defeated Rolling Mills 5 to 1. The tandem of Gorbous and Joe Kanik limited the Rollers to three scattered hits. With the score deadlocked at 1 – 1 after four innings, the Tars struck for four big counters in the fifth frame and never looked back. Back-to-back singles by Kanik and Colley drove in the deciding runs.
Gorbous, Kanik (W) (5) and Dahl
Willis (L) and Hides, McGoldrick
(August 25) With Lady Luck in their back pocket, the combined A-16 and No. 3 SFTS nine picked up the first of a best-of-three showdown with No. 10 repair Depot of the RCAF when a tenth-inning run gave the Curries a 9 to 8 victory at Riverside Park. The break that won the game came with two retired in the overtime inning. Doug Lane reached first on an error and got into scoring position by stealing second base. An infield comebacker by Harry Ornest bounced off pitcher Johnny Empey who beat out the throw to first, allowing Lane to streak for third. The throw from first sacker Webber to the hot corner was well off the mark and Lane continued home with the winning run. Both teams hit the ball hard and often in this affair. Ornest laced three hits for the winners and infielder Bawn reciprocated with a trio of base raps for the Fixers.
Loblick, Empey (L) (7) and Sparrow
Yehle (W) and McDonald
(August 26) Showing speed on the basepaths, Navy was able to gain a 3 – 3 tie with Rolling Hills in the second joust of their series. The Rollers out hit the Sailors 10 to 6 but the seven bases swiped by the Tars allowed them to stay on even terms with the Foothills League regular-season runners-up. Second baseman Read of Rolling Hills topped all swatters with a three-hit performance.
Willis and Lees
Colley, Riddle (3) and Dahl
(August 27) The combined Army-Air Force baseball club from Currie Barracks qualified for the finals of the 1943 Foothills League playoffs by defeating No. 10 RCAF Repair Depot 8 to 4. Bill Hainstock tossed a five-hitter and whiffed eight in taking the mound win. The Combines touched loser Les Richmond for eleven base blows with lead-off hitter Harry Ornest accounting for three of them, including a triple.
Hainstock (W) and McDonald
Richmond (L) and Sparrow
(August 28) Navy advanced to the Foothills League finals by taking a 7 to 6 win over Rolling Hills. Extra innings appeared imminent in this tussle as, in the bottom of the ninth with the score knotted at 6 – 6 and two away, infielder Erickson of the Sailors connected for a single, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and romped home with the winning counter on a two-strike single by outfielder Albin. Erickson’s total of three safeties topped the game’s willow wielders.
Willis (L) and Uffelman
Gorbous, Draper (W) (2) and Dahl
Finals (best-of-five series)
(August 30) Backed by the four-hit pitching of Fred Yehle, the A-16 / No. 3 SFTS Combines launched the heavy artillery and trounced Navy 8 to 3 in the opening match of the Foothills League finals. The only loophole in Yehle’s 11 strikeout performance were a pair of back-to-back four-baggers served up to Young and Lewis in the third inning. The Curries countered with round-trippers by Joe Finn and Harry Ornest. A triple and single also came off the bat of Ornest.
Usselman (L), Kanik (5) and Dahl
Yehle (W) and McDonald
(September 1) Navy showed plenty of offensive strength in slamming 15 hits to conquer the Currie Combines 7 to 2 and tie the final series at a game each. Kelly Riddle toed the rubber for the Swabbies, going the route by effectively scattering ten hits. Giacomuzzi and Erickson both had three base blows for the Sailors with a double included in Giacomuzzi’s total. Max Bentley put on a one-man show for the losers, drilling four base hits and swiping a pair of bases.
Hainstock (L), Wynn (4) and McDonald
Riddle (W) and Dahl
(September 3) Navy took a two games to one lead in the Foothills League finals with an 8 to 6 victory over the pennant-winning Currie Combines. The Riverside Park match was terminated after eight innings. It was a tough loss for Currie chucker Rene Renauld who hurled five-hit ball and struck out ten. The Tars were opportunistic and took full advantage of the breaks that came their way. Top swatter in the game was third sacker “Whitey” Rimstad of the A-16/No. 3 Combines who singled three times. His teammate, Joe Finn, had a brace of blows including a four-bagger.
Draper, Kanik (W) (6) and Dahl
Renauld (L) and McDonald
(September 5) Exploding for a six-run outburst in the second inning while providing stellar defense, the combined Army–Air Force team from Currie hung up an 11 to 3 victory over Navy to even the Foothills Baseball League finals at two games apiece. Both squads banged out ten hits but the A-16/No. 3 gang was better able to bunch theirs and, on the other side of the coin, were sounder in completing defensive assignments. Outfielder Baer had a triple and single for the winners. His mate, Whitey Rimstad singled twice as did losing pitcher Ted Hansen, Erickson and Lewis of the Navy nine.
Yehle (W) and McDonald
T. Hansen (L) and Dahl
(September 8) Kelly Riddle, lanky pitcher from Medicine Hat, hurled Calgary’s Navy ball team to the 1943 Foothills League championship by setting down the favoured Currie Army-Air Force Combos 5 to 2 at Riverside Park. With a crowd of about 3,000 roaring approval, the slim chucker used a baffling change-of-pace and sharp-braking curve to scatter seven Currie hits while his shipmates solved Fred Yehle for nine blows, all singles, and aided by a shaky Currie second inning, stormed in with a well-earned victory. The A-16/No. 3 aggregation was far from its best defensively and wound up with six fielding miscues. Riddle, Albin and Lewis all singled twice for the victors while Max Bentley with a triple and single as well as “Whitey” Rimstad with a double and one-bagger were best with the lumber for the vanquished.
Riddle (W) and Dahl
Yehle (L), Renauld (9) and McDonald
Navy now goes on to face the powerful U. S. Army Yankees out of Edmonton in a north-south inter-city series for Alberta bragging rights.
Alberta North-South Challenge Series (best-of-five series)
(September 12) U. S. Army Yanks, winner of the Edmonton Senior Baseball League, took a one-game lead in their best-of-five series with Calgary Navy, coming out on top with a 7 to 6 victory over the visitors. A crowd of about 7,500 saw the game. The Yanks were out-hit 10 to 4, made six errors against Calgary’s two but capitalized on the wildness of losing chucker Rene Renauld who walked six and hit two others. The winning run was scored in the final inning on a base on balls, a passed ball and a dropped outfield fly ball.
Renauld (L) and McDonald
Misosky (W) and Lolio
(September 13) The United States Army Yanks, playing heads-up baseball, defeated Calgary Navy for the second time in succession by a 7 to 6 count. A four-run splurge in the second inning, sparked by shortstop Miller’s three-run homer, decided the contest. The Calgary Sailors again out-hit the Yanks, this time by a 16 to 9 margin, but were unable to take full advantage of their many opportunities.
Riddle (L) and McDonald
Nelson (W) and Lolio
(September 14) Calgary Navy defeated the U. S. Army Yanks 5 to 4 in a seven inning, darkness shortened game to stave off elimination. The Calgary club manufactured six hits against the Yanks’ three. Valentin had a solo homer in the third frame for the winners.
Kanik (W) and McDonald
Adams (L) and Lolio
(September 15) U. S. Army Yanks won the Alberta senior baseball challenge series with an 8 to 5 victory over Calgary Navy. A three-run splurge in the eighth inning won it for the Yanks. Johnny Gray went the distance, tossing a seven-hitter, for the win.
Wynn (L), Riddle (3) and McDonald
Gray (W) and Lolio