GREATER WINNIPEG SENIOR LEAGUE
Overshadowed for fan attention and newspaper coverage by the 1957 champion Winnipeg Goldeyes of the professional Class C Northern League, the four entries of talented home-brew diamondeers comprising the Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League nevertheless displayed an entertaining, well-played calibre of amateur baseball.
(June 4) The Elmwood Giants and C.U.A.C. Blues collected wins as the 1957 Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League got underway. The Giants used a tidy four-hitter by Hal Westburg to dump the Transcona Trojans 6 to 2 at Transcona while the homestanding Blues came from behind an early four-run deficit to knock off the St. Boniface Native Sons 7 to 6. Westburg blanked the Trojans in every inning but the sixth when he was touched for both runs. John Kachmar clubbed a pair of doubles to spark the 12-hit Giant attack. Two hits by Holliday were tops for the Transcona nine.
Westburg (W) and Craib
Groutte (L), Saunders (6) and Perrault
Al Seymour survived a shaky 4-run opening canto for the Blues to get credit for the knoll triumph although he was derricked in the sixth stanza. C.U.A.C. Catcher Ab Bruce nailed a bases-empty round-tripper in the second frame and singled in what proved to be the winning marker in the fifth. Both teams had five hits.
Hogue, Bartell (L) (4), Rettie (8) and Busby
Seymour (W), Miller (6) and Bruce
(June 6) The St. Boniface Native Sons evened their record at a win and a loss by hammering the Transcona Trojans 16 to 5 at Provencher Park. Ken Busby was dialed in for the Sons at the platter, driving in seven runs with a single, double and bases-loaded triple. Winning flinger Garnet Boutet and reliever Ed Mazur combined to hold the Trojans to eight hits including a double and single off the bat of Bill Nykoluk.
Boutet (W), Mazur and xxx
Currie (L), Saunders (5) and xxx
(June 6) The Elmwood Giants moved into first place in the GWSBL by dumping the C.U.A.C. Blues 7 to 5 at Elmwood. Marc Rajotte and Aggie Kukulowicz hooked up in a mound duel with Rajotte coming out on top. The Giants outhit the Blues by a 6 to 4 margin. Elmwood’s Billy Sutherland, with two singles, was the only swatter from either club to amass plural hit totals.
Rajotte (W) and xxx
Kukulowicz (L) and xxx
(June 13) The Elmwood Giants won their third straight GWSBL contest by blanking the C.U.A.C. Blues 5 to 0 at Elmwood. Hal Westburg fanned 11 and went the distance for the hillock win, on a seven-hitter. Doug Ingram laced a brace of singles for the winners while Mark Flynn singled twice for the Blues.
Miller (L), Seymour (5) and Bruce
Westburg (W) and Craib
(June 16) The Elmwood Giants consolidated their hold on the top rung of the GWSBL standings by whitewashing the Transcona Trojans 12 to 0 at Elmwood. Marc Rajotte fired a three-hitter and rang up five strikeouts in earning his second mound triumph of the campaign. Ray Hoskins and Bucky Titterman led a 16-hit Giant barrage with three hits each. Bob Charman, Doug Craib, Billy Sutherland and Barry Thornson all checked in with a pair of safeties.
Saunders (L) and Craib
Rajotte (W) and Perrault
(June 16) Behind the three-hit pitching of Pete Rettie, the St. Boniface Native Sons, romped to their third straight victory, an 11 to 1 whipping of the C.U.A.C. Blues. Backed by errorless support and a 13-hit Sons’ offense, Rettie rang up a dozen strikeouts. Two of the three knocks he surrendered were chalked up by Mark Flynn. Russ Smith paced the St. Boniface attack, spanking the sphere for a triad of base swats while Fred Dunsmore, Ken Little, Gord Simpson, Jim Wilson and Gary Aldcorn all had two base raps to their credit.
Rettie (W) and xxx
Thompson (L) and xxx
(June 23) The St. Boniface Native Sons whipped the Transcona Trojans 10 to 2 in GWSBL action while the Elmwood Giants saw their four-game win skein snapped 5 to 3 by the up-and-coming C.U.A.C. Blues.
Versatile Freddie Dunsmore of the Sons, in a fireman’s role, quieted the Trojans on five hits after assuming mound duties in the second inning. He also emerged as the game’s top hitter by slugging a home run to go along with a brace of one-baggers. Teammate Murray Couch was right behind with a bases-loaded triple and two doubles. Gary Aldcorn chimed in with a pair of singles. Veteran Tony "Phil" Rizzuto along with Trojan cohorts Don Twerdochlib and Bill Nykoluk all clipped the horsehide for a pair of safe swats.
Buffet, Dunsmore (W) (2) and xxx
Saunders (L) and xxx
Fireballing Al Seymour whiffed seven and yielded six safeties in cooling off the Behemoths, besting Hal Westburg who was nicked for eight base knocks. Ab Bruce doubled and singled for the victors while Bucky Titterman and Billy Sutherland each laced a pair of singles for Elmwood nine.
Seymour (W) and xxx
Westburg (L) and xxx
(June 24) The surging St. Boniface Native Sons kept their winning streak in tact by edging the C.U.A.C. Blues 6 to 5 at Provencher Park. Ed Mazur, with a nine-hitter, earned the mound verdict over Ed McDonald who was nicked for 11 hits. Ken Busby and Murray Couch both had a brace of base raps for the winners while Albert Secondiak, Ab Bruce and Ray DeVouno replicated the feat for the Blues.
McDonald (L) and Bruce
Mazur (W) and Busby
(July 2) The Elmwood Giants defeated the Transcona Trojans 10 to 3 at Transcona. Elmwood had an 11 to 8 advantage in base hits. Bucky Titterman drove in four runs for the Giants, hitting safely in four times out of five tries.
Rajotte (W) and xxx
Saunders (L) and xxx
(July 2) The St. Boniface Native Sons routed the C.U.A.C. Blues 19 to 4 in a GWSBL contest. Winning chucker Garnet Boutet allowed four safeties in going the distance.
Chopp (L) and xxx
Boutet (W) and xxx
(July 4) The St. Boniface Native Sons consolidated their hold on first place in the Greater Winnipeg Senior loop by blanking the Elmwood Giants 6 to 0 at Elmwood. The win was the seventh straight for the Native Sons and put them a game-and-a-half up on the second-place Giants. Pete Rettie picked up his second win of the season for the Sons, firing a four-hitter while striking out nine. Johnny Rendall collected two singles for St. Boniface while Billy Sutherland did likewise for the Giants. Kenny Little shone in the middle pasture for the Native Sons.
Rettie (W) and Busby
Westburg (L), Craib (6) and Craib, Hewitt (6)
(July 9) The once-beaten St. Boniface Native Sons reeled off their eighth triumph of the season, a 6 to 2 conquest of the Elmwood Giants at Provencher Park. Ron Hogue struck out five, walked none and issued six hits in securing the pitching win over Marc Rajotte. Ken Little of the winners and Elmwood’s Doug Ingram paced their respective clubs offensively, each singling twice.
Rajotte (L) and xxx
Hogue (W) and xxx
(July 9) The C.U.A.C. Blues won their third game in eight starts by outslugging the winless Transcona Trojans 10 to 7. Reg Chopp’s three-run homer in the seventh broke a 6 – 6 tie and fuelled the Blues’ triumph. Chopp also picked up a two-bagger in support of winning flinger Gerry/Jerry Krantz who tossed a seven-hitter. Howie Hughes ripped three singles for the Trojans.
Saunders (L) and Perrault
Krantz (W) and Bruce
(July 11) The St. Boniface Native Sons trounced the lowly Transcona Trojans 15 to 1 in GWSBL action. Garnet Boutet held the Trojans to four hits in taking the mound decision. Kenny Little stroked three singles for the winners.
Boutet (W) and xxx
Saunders (L) and xxx
(July 11) Doug Ingram was locked in at the dish as he laced six one-baggers in six attempts in pacing the Elmwood Giants to a 12 to 5 victory over the C.U.A.C. Blues. Bob Charman tossed a six-hitter in grabbing the hillock verdict. Loser Al Seymour was lit up for six first-inning counters before being driven to the showers.
Seymour (L), xxx (1) and xxx
Charman (W) and xxx
(July 16) The C.U.A.C. Blues scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the St. Boniface Native Sons 12 to 11, snapping the Sons’ win streak at nine games. Blues’ pitcher Al Seymour staggered through nine innings of 11-hit mound work to get credit for the win. Pete Rettie surrendered 13 safeties in absorbing the loss. Ed McDonald smacked a two-run circuit-jack for the Ukes while teammate Art Vandel poked a trio of one-baggers. Ken Busby smashed a solo round-tripper for the Native Sons.
Rettie (L) and Busby
Seymour (W) and Bruce
(July 16) The Elmwood Giants closed in on the top-dog St. Boniface Native Sons by clobbering the Transcona Trojans 12 to 6 at Transcona Stadium. Al Tressor belted a triple and double for the Giants. Howie Hughes collected three singles for Transcona.
Westburg (W), Rajotte (5) and Craib
Saunders (L) and Holliday
(July 18) The St. Boniface Native Sons continued their winning ways when they nipped the C.U.A.C. Blues 3 to 2 in a ten-inning thriller. Garnet Boutet allowed nine hits and whiffed six Blues in going the rote for the win. Jim Wilson’s long single off losing chucker Ed McDonald drove in the winning counter in the overtime session.
McDonald (L) and xxx
Boutet (W) and xxx
(July 21) The St. Boniface Native Sons unleashed a 17-hit offensive attack to blast the Elmwood Giants 15 to 1 at Provencher Park. The win was the tenth in eleven outings for the Sons. Garnet Boutet went the distance on a five-hitter to register the mound triumph. The Giants used three chuckers in a vain attempt to stop St. Boniface. Ken Nichol sparked the winners’ arsenal with a grand-slam homer in the sixth inning. Don Porterfield added a single and triple while Gary Aldcorn ripped three singles. Bob Charman topped the Giants at the dish, creaming the orb for a three-bagger and single.
Boutet (W) and xxx
Rajotte (L), Westburg, Charman and xxx
(July 23) The Elmwood Giants and C.U.A.C. Blues battled to a 10 – 10 tie in a GWSBL tussle full of home runs and errors. Elmwood’s Billy Sutherland belted a brace of four-baggers, a three-run shot in the opening round and a solo dinger in the third. Teammate Bob Charman socked a bases-empty four-ply clout in the ninth canto to tie the score. Al Secondiak of the C.U.A.C. nine smashed one for the distance in the third panel. The Giants had a 14 to 11 margin in base hits.
Krantz, Miller, Seymour and xxx
Westburg, Rajotte and xxx
(July 25) The pennant-winning St. Boniface Native Sons continued their torrid league-leading pace by thumping the second-place Elmwood Giants 11 to 3 at Elmwood. Unbeaten Ronnie Hogue ran his mound record to 3 – 0 as he fanned seven while giving up an equal number of bingles. Junior call-up Kenny Tressor, on the hill for the Giants, was nicked for 16 safeties in absorbing the loss. Freddie Dunsmore socked two doubles and two singles for the Sons while teammate Jim Wilson poked four one-baggers. Garnering two singles apiece were Ken Little and Ken Nicol of the winners as well as Bob Charman, Billy Sutherland and Bucky Titterman of the Elmwood nine.
Hogue (W) and xxx
K. Tressor (L) and xxx
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (best-of-five series)
C.U.A.C. Blues vs Elmwood Giants
(August 18) The Elmwood Giants won the opening game of their GWSBL semi-final series, edging the C.U.A.C. Blues 4 to 3. The Giants rallied for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning after the Blues had knotted the count 3 – 3 in the top half of the frame. Al Johnson doubled home Buck Titterman with the winning counter. Marc Rajotte tossed a four-hitter to take the mound deciaion.
Seymour (L) and xxx
Rajotte (W) and xxx
(August 20) The C.U.A.C. Blues squared their best-of-five showdown with the Elmwood Giants at a game apiece by doubling the Giants 6 to 3 at Sinclair Park. Winning pitcher Aggie Kukulowicz limited the Elmwood baseballers to just four safe swats.
xxx (L) and xxx
Kukulowicz (W) and xxx
(August 22) The Elmwood Giants took a two games to one lead in the GWSBL semi-finals by downing the C.U.A.C. Blues 3 to 0. Marc Rajotte stymied the Blues on two hits in taking the knoll verdict over Eddie McDonald. Al Tressor singled twice for the winners.
Rajotte (W) and xxx
McDonald (L) and xxx
(August 25) The Elmwood Giants staved off a ninth-inning C.U.A.C. rally to defeat the Blues 6 to 4 at Sinclair Park, a win which sewed up the semi-final series series three games to one and advanced the Gargantuans to the GWSBL finals against the pennant-winning St. Boniface Native Sons. The Blues, facing elimination, knocked Elmwood starting chucker Al Johnson from the hillock with two runs to open the bottom of the ninth. Marc Rajotte came in to put out the fire and protect the win for Johnson. Aggie Kukulowicz, tagged for 11 hits, went the distance for the vanquished nine. Ron Hewitt paced the Elmwood offensive attack with a solo home run and a single while Johnson and Bob Charman contributed two singles apiece. Eddie Flatt belted a triple and Reg Chopp a double for the C.U.A.C. nine.
Kukulowicz (L) and xxx
Johnson (W), Rajotte (9) and xxx
FINALS (best-of-seven series)
Elmwood Giants vs St. Boniface Native Sons
(August 29) The St. Boniface Native Sons and Elmwood Giants battled to a 4 – 4 draw in the first game of the best-of-seven GWSBL finals. Darkness prevented any extension of the game. Al Tressor banged out a triple and single for Elmwood while teammate Al Johnson as well as Freddie Dunsmore and Jim Wilson of St. Boniface all slapped out a pair of singles.
Rajotte and xxx
Boutet and xxx
(September 5) The St, Boniface Native Sons drew first blood in their GWSBL final series against Elmwood, blanking the Giants 5 to 0, Winning pitcher Pete Rettie gave up four hits, struck out six and walked two, Marc Rajotte went the distance on the knoll for the Elmwood nine. Paul Martel and Gary Aldcorn drove in two runs apiece for the winners on the strength of a brace of timely singles each.
Rettie (W) and xxx
Rajotte (L) and xxx
(September 8) A narrow 7 to 6 decision over the Elmwood Giants moved the St. Boniface Native Sons into a 2 to 0 best-of-seven series lead and a step closer to the the GWSBL crown for 1957. Ronnie Hogue went the distance for the winners on the hill, being touched for four hits and an equal number of bases on balls while whiffing five. Russ Smith, Jim Wilson and Gary Aldcorn all lit up losing twirler Al Johnson for two singles while teammate Freddie Dunsmore drove in a pair of counters with an eighth-inning triple.
Johnson (L) and xxx
Hogue (W) and xxx
(September 10) The St. Boniface Native Sons took a commanding three games to none lead in the GWSBL finals by edging the Elmwood Giants 6 to 5 at Giants Field. Although needing relief help from Fred Dunsmore, Garnet Boutet received credit for the mound victory. Between the duo, they surrendered eight hits and fanned six. Bob Charman went the distance on a seven-hitter for Elmwood. Russ Smith slammed two singles and a third-inning bases-loaded triple for the Sons. Ron Hewitt and Al McKim were best with the baton for the Giants with a pair of one-baggers each.
Boutet (W), Dunsmore (6) and xxx
Charman (L) and xxx
(September 15) The Elmwood Giants prolonged the Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League finals by nudging the St. Boniface Native Sons 2 to 1 at Elmwood. The Giants captured the thriller in the last of the ninth after two were out when two walks and an error allowed John Kachmar to score from second base. Marc Rajotte fired a four-hitter to best Ron Hogue in a pitchers’s duel. Hogue gave up only two singles but kept himself in hot water by issuing ten walks. Hogue collected two of the four St. Boniface base hits while Al McKim and Ron Hewitt were the only Elmwood batters who were able to hit safely.
Hogue (L) and xxx
Rajotte (W) and xxx
(September 16) The St. Boniface Native Sons won the Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League title for 1957 by defeating the Elmwood Giants 8 to 3 at Provencher Park. Winning chucker Pete Rettie gave up only two hits, both off the bat of Ron Hewitt, walked a pair and rang up six strikeouts. Freddie Dunsmore led the Sons’ hitting attack with a brace of one-baggers.
Rajotte (L) and xxx
Rettie (W) and xxx
NEEPAWA & DISTRICT BASEBALL LEAGUE
League Finals
(September 1) The Wellwood diamondeers won the 1957 championship of the Neepawa & District Baseball League with an 8 to 2 win over the defending champion Neepawa Cubs in the third and deciding game of the series. The Cubs won the series opener 3 to 2 with Wellwood coming back to take the second game 3 to 1. Although issuing ten walks, Del Hanson, sturdy lefthander of the Wellwood club, picked up his second pitching victory in the series, setting the Neepawa nine down on six hits while disposing of ten batters via the strikeout route. Outfielder Alex Wells blasted a solo homer for the victors while first baseman Clem Murray smashed a two-run double.
Hanson (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx