1945 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1945 BC Interior
1945 Vancouver Island
OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE
The Okanagan Mainline Baseball League was the only senior amateur baseball circuit operating entirely within the interior of British Columbia during 1945 which was comprised entirely of civilian players as, in most areas, a sufficient number of playing personnel simply weren’t available unless a military training base was nearby. Understandably, rosters were composed primarily of junior age players who had been spared induction into the military with the wars on two fronts nearing an end. As well, the occasional grizzly veteran, too old for active armed services duty, delayed retirement to rekindle previous diamond dreams.
Teams in the 1945 Okanagan Mainline Baseball League
Kamloops
Kelowna
Revelstoke
Salmon Arm
(May 14) A seventh-inning downpour shortened the OMBL opener in Kamloops in which the hosts were declared winners by a 9 to 4 count over Kelowna. The two teams traded runs in both the first and second frames before the homesters went ahead to stay by plating four counters in the fourth canto. Winning pitcher Paul Prehara and reliever Pete Plasteras of Kamloops combined to handcuff the visitors on three scattered hits. The Kelowna hurlers, Gourlie and Morrison, were lacking in control, issuing eight free passes. 17-year old phenom Jack McNeil of Kamloops had a three-run homer and an RBI single to his credit. Joe Desjardine and Johnny Garay both singled twice for the winners while McGinnis had a home run and single for the Orchard City crew.
Gourlie (L), Morrison (4) and Leier
P. Prehara (W), Plasteras and xxx
(May 20) Kamloops won their second straight OMBL game by taking Salmon Arm into camp 7 to 2. Jack McNeil’s big bat set the pace for the Kamloops nine as he pounded out three timely hits, two of which went for extra bases. Salmon Arm opened up a two-run lead in their first turn at bat but, after that, their bats went quiet. Kamloops tallied single counters in the fourth, sixth and seventh frames before blowing the game open with a four-run ninth inning. The pitching tandem of Paul Prehara and Pete Plasteras held Salmon Arm to six hits.
P. Prehara, Plasteras (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(May 20) Trailing for the first seven innings, Kelowna erupted for four eighth-inning runs to topple the Revelstoke Spurs 8 to 5. White’s bases-clearing double in that frame was the big blow for the winners.
Pratico (L) and Rota
Bach, Gourlie (W) (7) and Leier
(May 27) The Kamloops nine chalked up their third consecutive win, edging out Salmon Arm 8 to 7 in a ding-dong battle at Riverside Park. The lead changed hands continually in this encounter. In the final stanza with the score knotted, Kamloops’ Jack McNeil drove home the winning marker. McNeil was the heavy hitter of the day with three singles and a double. Shortstop Julie Ivanco had a two-run circuit-clout for Kamloops in opening frame. Second Sacker Johnny Garay of the winners picked up three singles while losing pitcher Dave Syme of Salmon Arm led his team offensively with a pair of doubles.
Syme (L) and Scott
Plasteras, P. Prehara (W) (5) and J. McQuarrie, G. Prehara (5)
(May 27) Pitcher “Bud” Gourlie stymied the Spikes on four hits as Kelowna hammered the hosting Revelstoke team 11 to 1. The Orchard City crew lit up three Mountain City twirlers for 14 base blows.
Gourlie (W) and xxx
xxx (L), xxx, xxx and xxx
(June 3) The three game winning streak for Kamloops came to a sudden stop at Revelstoke when they were edged out by the Mountain City gang 4 to 3. Kamloops held an 11 to 10 edge in base hits but one bad inning, the second, spelled their doom when winning pitcher Couston distracted young first baseman Jack McNeil so that three runners were able to score.
Plasteras (L) and xxx
Couston (W) and xxx
(June 3) Although holding a 7 to 4 advantage in base hits, Salmon Arm lost a close game to Kelowna by a 4 to 3 score. Losing chucker Dave Syme allowed only one hit up to the ninth but finally weakened. With the score tied 3 – 3, pinch-hitter Phinney of the Kelownans came through with a base hit to drive home the winning tally. Val Leier had a home run and single for the victors.
Syme (L) xxx
Bach, Gourlie (W) (5) and xxx
(June 10) Revelstoke edged Kamloops 3 to 2 in exciting OMBL action at Riverside Park. Al Pratico, cool Revelstoke southpaw, tossed a three-hitter for the win. Pete Plasteras, on the Kamloops mound, scattered six hits for only two earned runs but two successive fourth inning errors gave the visitors their one extra run which decided the game. Kamloops catcher Jim McQuarrie was the only batter on either team to garner two hits, both being doubles.
Pratico (W) and Rota
Plasteras (L) and J. McQuarrie
(June 10) Visiting Kelowna emerged on the long end of an 8 to 6 score against the hosting Salmon Arm team. Making his first appearance of the season, outfielder Pat Chapman of Kelowna banged out a two-run homer. Val Leier of the winners stroked a brace of doubles and a single in addition to drawing a pair of walks.
Bach (W), Gourlie (6) and xxx
Syme (L) and xxx
(June 17) Hosting Kelowna hammered out nine hits and took advantage of four Kamloops’ miscues to shellac the youthful visitors 8 to 1. Kelowna held a 13 to 6 advantage in base hits. Top hitter in the game was Tommy McGinnis of Kelowna with three base blows while teammates Val Leier and “Bud” Gourlie as well as Humphreys and Jack McNeil of Kamloops all had two raps with one of Gourlie’s being a double.
P. Prehara (L), Plasteras and G. Prehara
Gourlie (W) and McGinnis
(June 24) Kelowna banged out 12 hits to hammer Kamloops by a score of 7 to 4. Veteran Kelowna players Val Leier, Pat Chapman, Rudy Kitsch and Bob Murphy nailed two hits apiece including triples by Chapman and Murphy. The game’s top swatter, however, was young Jack McNeil of Kamloops who rapped a double plus a brace of singles.
Murphy, Sawayama and McGinnis
Plasteras (L) and G. Prehara
(July 2) Fred Kitsch’s grand-slam home run in the top of the ninth inning broke a 5 – 5 deadlock and lifted the Kelowna nine to a 9 to 5 win over the Spikes in an exhibition game as part of the Golden Spike celebration in Revelstoke.
Murphy, Sawayama (W) (5) and McGinnis, Mulhern (5)
Pratico (L) and Rota
(July 8) The baseballers from Kamloops squeezed out a narrow 11 to 9 win over the invaders from Salmon Arm in OMBL action.
xxx (L) and xxx
Plasteras (W) and xxx
(July 8) The Revelstoke Spikes defeated Kelowna 7 to 6 to end a drought against the defending OMBL champions. A Kelowna ninth-inning rally, with the potential tying run on third base, fell just short. Al Pradolini whiffed eight batters while surrendering six hits in earning the mound win. The Spikes got to loser Paul Bach for 11 base blows with Morrison collecting three while Sam Rota and Wasylik touched him for two apiece.
Bach (L) and xxx
Pradolini (W) and Rota
(July 15) Kamloops went down to defeat before the heavy hitting Revelstoke team 10 to 4 in an OMBL game played in the Mountain City.
(July 15) Kelowna moved into a tie for top spot in the OMBL by virtue of an 11 to 0 victory over Salmon Arm. The winners put the game on ice with a six-run outburst in the first inning. Bob Murphy allowed only four scattered hits in taking the mound decision.
Syme (L) and xxx
Murphy (W) and xxx
(July 22) For the second time in as many weeks, the Kamloops diamondeers bowed to Revelstoke, this time by a 7 to 2 margin. An oddity occurred in the ninth inning when Revelstoke first baseman Al Pradolini, in the process of being issued an intentional walk, reached for a high outside pitch and drilled it into the right field corner for a three-RBI inside-the-park home run. In the seventh, he had hit his first three-run circuit-jack of the afternoon, again an inside-the-park four-bagger.
Pratico (W) and xxx
Plasteras (L) and xxx
(July 22) Kelowna remained tied with Revelstoke for first-place in the OMBL by dumping host Salmon Arm 7 to 1. Winning chucker Paul Bach yielded only three hits. Pat Chapman picked up two hits for the winners.
Bach (W) and xxx
Syme (L) and Donnelly
(July 29) Kamloops crushed Kelowna 10 to 2 before the largest crowd of the season in the Orchard City. Regular infielder Johnny Garay of Kamloops, pitching in his first ever OMBL game, came through with flying colours to get the mound triumph. He was backed up by a 100 per cent clicking team.
Garay (W) and J. McQuarrie
xxx (L) and xxx
(July 29) Salmon Arm suffered another tough loss when the visiting Revelstoke Spikes managed a 3 to 1 win. Both teams collected four base hits. Brilliant fielding displays in crucial situations was largely responsible for the Revelstoke victory. Don Jamieson, Salmon Arm first sacker, was the game’s top swatter with three base raps.
Pratico (W) and Rota
Syme (L) and Donnelly
(August 5) Salmon Arm captured their first win of the season on their home diamond when they defeated Kamloops 11 to 10 in a ten-inning match. Salmon Arm starting chucker Dave Syme was credited with 11 strikeouts while reliever and winning tosser, “Nobby” Tanaka, chalked up a pair. The hosts had several threats go down the tube with twin-killings by the Kamloops defense. Mac Turner drove in Tanemura with the winning run in the bottom of the extra-frame to settle the issue. Earlier in the contest, Turner had lit up losing pitcher Paul Plasteras with a circuit-clout.
P. Plasteras (L) and xxx
Syme, Tanaka (W) (10) and xxx
(August 5) Revelstoke won a first-place bye into the OMBL finals by taking a one-sided 11 to 1 decision over Kelowna. The outcome was never in doubt as the Spikes ran up a total of 16 hits including two home runs, two triples and a trio of doubles. Couston’s opening-frame homer set the pace for the game. He later drilled a second round-tripper and added both a triple and single to his daily total.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L), xxx and xxx
PLAYOFFS
(With pennant-winning Revelstoke earning a bye, runner-up Kelowna faced third-place Kamloops in a best-of-three matchup for the right to enter the finals)
Semi-finals (best-of-three)
(August 12) The Kelowna baseball nine started its playoff campaign with a solid 10 to 3 win over the Kamloops squad. Kamloops took an early 3 to 1 lead but the hosts plated four counters in each of the sixth and seventh frames to give them their wide margin. Kelowna starting flinger “Bud” Gourlie, who remained in the game after two innings on the hillock, led all swatters with a double and three singles. Young southpaw Bob Murphy went seven frames to get the win. Murdock had a home run and single for the winners
Garay (L), P. Plasteras and J. McQuarrie
Gourlie, Murphy (W) (3) and Leier
(August 26) The second game of the OMBL semi-final series, delayed one week owing to road restrictions in the Kelowna district, finally took place at Riverside Park and saw Kamloops emerge as the winner with a 6 to 3 decision over Kelowna, tying the series at a game apiece. Pete Plasteras went the distance on the hill for Kamloops to earn the important win. Kelowna held an 11 to 4 advantage in base blows but Kamloops was better able to make theirs count. Jack McNeil doubled twice for the winners, driving in a run on each occasion. White was the outstanding Kelowna hitter with four base knocks.
Sawayama (L) and xxx
P. Plasteras (W) and xxx
(September 9) Playing on their home turf in the showdown game of the series, the Kelowna baseballers of the OMBL eliminated Kamloops from further playoff action by scoring an exciting 2 to 1 verdict in ten innings. Both pitchers of record allowed the opposition eight hits. Kamloops had opportunities to take the lead in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings but failed to do so. Catcher Jim McQuarrie’s errant throw to second base in the overtime frame allowed baserunner Hashimoto to scamper home from third base with the winning tally. Kelowna will now face Revelstoke for the league championship.
P. Plasteras (L) and J. McQuarrie
Sawayama (W) and xxx
Finals (best-of-three)
(September 16) The Revelstoke Spikes nailed down the first game of the OMBL finals when they came from behind to score a close 4 to 3 win over Kelowna. The Railroad Towners tallied the tying and winning runs in the eighth on a brace of base hits, a sacrifice and some daring base running. Although not at his best, big Al Pradolini got the pitching win, yielding ten Kelowna hits. Tommy Sawayama, the one-time Vancouver Asahi veteran, was nicked for six safeties in absorbing the loss. Couston singled in the eighth to tie the game and, after pilfering the keystone sack, scored the winning counter on Pradolini’s one-bagger. Shortstop Mike Maruno had two base knocks for the winners while Hank Wostradowski and Andy Kitsch duplicated the feat for Kelowna.
Sawayama (L) and Leier
Pradolini (W) and Rota
(September 23) The Revelstoke Spikes took the 1945 Okanagan Mainline League championship by defeating Kelowna, last year’s champs, 7 to 4 at the City Park Oval in the Orchard City. The homesters held a 4 to 0 lead after five frames but saw their lead disappear when the Spikes roared back with five counters in the sixth to assume to lead for good. Kelowna’s Tommy McGinnis led the hitters on both teams with three hits.
Pradolini (W) and Rota
Sawayama (L), Terada (5) and McGinnis
NORTH OKANANGAN
During the final year of World War II, the cities of Vernon, Enderby and Armstrong experienced inactivity within the civilian ranks of senior amateur baseball. However, an Army team, stationed in the Vernon area, did occasionally engage in friendly exhibition games with Okanagan civilian opposition.
SOUTH OKANAGAN
Softball was the sole form of diamondball played on the diamonds of the south Okanagan during the spring and summer of 1945. No evidence existed in the 1945 editions of the Penticton Herald that any senior amateur baseball took place in Penticton, Oliver, Summerland and Peachland, all traditional Okanagan baseball hotbeds, nor in the adjacent Similkameen communities of Keremeos and Princeton.
WEST KOOTENAYS
Senior level baseball was non-existent within the West Kootenays during 1945. No inter-city leagues of any calibre operated during that summer although a number of different communities had freelance, leagueless intermediate teams, often with junior-age rosters, which played occasional weekend exhibition games against one another.
ARROW LAKES / SLOCAN VALLEY
As the European conflict headed into the home stretch, 1945 saw a trickling back of returning servicemen and the formation of a three-team Arrow Lakes circuit comprising Edgewood, Burton and Nakusp. A few games were played in June but the 1945 season really never got back on track after fighting forest fires rightly took precedence over playing baseball and what available manpower there was, already depleted by WW2, was deployed in that direction.
(June 3) The hometown Edgewood nine trounced Nakusp 10-2.
(June 10) Nakusp defeated Burton 7-2 at Nakusp.
(June 17) Burton travelled to Edgewood and shutout the home squad 10-0.
(June 24) Playing at home, Nakusp took a 10-7 decision from Edgewood.
(July 8) Nakusp at Burton, postponed because of forest fires.
(July 15) Burton at Edgewood postponed because of forest fires.
(July 22) Nakusp at Edgewood postponed on account of forest fires.
(July 29) Burton at Nakusp
(August 5) Edgewood at Burton
(August 12) Edgewood at Nakusp
PRINCE GEORGE SENIOR BASEBALL
A three-team senior baseball league operated in Prince George during the 1945 season. A short-season circuit, the combination civilian/service loop scheduled games between May 27 and July 4 with each member club playing 8 times throughout a 12-game schedule.
1945 Prince George Senior Baseball League
Army Sad Sacks
Prince George Sourdoughs
R.C.A.F. Bushmen