1962 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1962 BC Interior
1962 Vancouver Island
VICTORIA SENIOR AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE
The only thing that seems to differ from year-to-year in this stable, four-team circuit is an occasional change in team sponsorship. In 1962, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and Builder’s Sash & Door replaced Wakeman-Trimble Construction and the Hotel Douglas.Builder’s Sash & Door
Eagles
Naval Vets
Transport Workers
(May 13) The pitchers were in command as the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League opened the 1962 season with a doubleheader at Royal Athletic Park. The Naval Vets got things underway by blanking the defending champion Transport Workers 5 to 0 as winning moundsman George Hemming, starting his first full year in senior company, was dominant. In the follow-up match, the Eagles tripped Builder’s 4 to 2 as George Brice emerged victorious in a knoll struggle in which squads from both dugouts managed only three hits each.
Hemming whiffed 15 batters in the opener while yielding five safeties.
S. Bishop (L), and O’Connell, Grant (6)
Hemming (W) and Cunningham
Brice rang up nine punchouts in his route-going win as teammate Norm Curran ripped a home run.
G. Brice (W) and Frumerie
Murdoch (L), Moseley (4) and Rivers
(May 15) An eight-run seventh-inning outburst broke open a close tussle, propelling Builder’s to an 11 to 1 conquest of the Naval Vets at Royal Athletic Park. With the Sash & Doormen holding a slim 3 to 1 lead in the fifth frame, playing-manager Des Moseley came stomping to the rescue of winning flinger Dave Murdoch frame when the Vets leaded the sacks with none out. Moseley promptly closed the door, retiring the side without any damage on a strikeout, an infield pop up and an outfield fly.
Murdoch (W), Moseley (5) and White, Rivers (5)
Siddons (L), Todd (5) and Cunningham
(May 16) The Eagles and Transport Workers were not able to declare a winner after battling to a 2 – 2 saw-off in a game which ended prematurely after eight innings of play because of darkness. The Big Birds had the best opportunity to come out on top the sixth when, after plating a deuce to knot the count, their rally died when playing-manager Art Worth of the Transports ascended the hillock in relief and whiffed Vic Skinner with the sacks full.
Booth, G. Brice (7) and Moody, Frumerie (7)
McKenzie, Kilduff (6), Worth (6) and O’Connell
(May 17) Mike Hodge blasted a double, two triples and a home run as the Naval Vets raked four Eagle pitchers for 14 hits en route to a 16 to 2 thumping of the Feathered Flock. Rod Fuller went all the way on the bump for the Sailors, holding the Big Birds to four base knocks.
Fuller (W) and Cunningham
Ash (L), Gaston (3), G. Brice (3), Moody (5) and Frumerie, Moody (2), Lumley (5)
(May 19) Builder’s Sash & Door shot down the Eagles 5 to 3 in the opening tilt of a Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League twin-bill as Bernie Anderson banged out three hits for the winners. In the late encounter, George Hemming of the Navy Vets held the Transport Workers to two measly hits but handed out a generous total of ten free passes which, in the end, caused his downfall as the Vets fell 4 to 3 to the Workers at Royal Athletic Park. It was a bases-loaded walk to Gary Bishop in the ninth-inning that forced in the winning counter.
(May 23) Darkness, rain and the Naval Vets closed in together on Builder’s Sash in an abbreviated Senior Amateur Baseball League game at Royal Athletic Park. Ahead 2 to 0 after dour innings, Builder’s gave up a pair of runs to the vets in both the fifth and sixth stanzas and lost the tussle 4 to 3 when the elements halted festivities before the seventh inning could be started. A bases-filled walk and an error accounted for the winning tallies. Rod Fuller, on the hill for the victors, held the vanquished nine to four sparse blows while losing tosser Des Moseley was nicked for six safeties.
Fuller (W) and Cunningham
Moseley (L) and Rivers
(May 24) Bruce McKenzie’s superb relief pitching in the bottom-of-the-seventh canto saved the day for the Transport Workers who held on for a 3 to 1 victory over the Eagles in a game which was called immediately after McKenzie’s dousing of the flames because of a lack of illumination. Summoned to quell a fire created by starter Barry Menzies after the Birds, trailing by a deuce, had loaded the bases with nobody out, McKenzie whiffed two batters and got the third on a pop fly. The loss was a disappointment for the Eagles’ George Brice. He gave up only two hits, one a solo homer to Art Worth, but received shoddy defensive support from his clubmates.
Menzies (W), McKenzie (7) and O’Connell
G. Brice (L) and Moody, Lumley (7)
(May 25) The Transport Workers continued their winning ways, trimming Builder’s Sash 8 to 2 behind the two-hit pitching of Steve Bishop.
S. Bishop (W) and Grant, O’Connell (6)
Woods (L), Stevenson (7) and White, Anderson (7)
(May 26) The two pace-setting clubs during the first two weeks of the young season, the Transport Workers and the Naval Vets, came out on to in a pair of games at Royal Athletic Park. The Vets beat the Eagles 5 to 3 and the Transport Workers worked over Builder’s 4 to 2.
Booth (L), G. Brice (6) and Moody, Lumley (8)
Todd (W), Hemming (8) and Cooper
Moseley (L) and Anderson
L. Brice (W) and Grant, O’Connell (5)
(May 29) The Transport Workers marked up their fifth straight victory at Royal Athletic Park by knocking off the second-place Naval Vets 7 to 5. The win pushed Art Worth’s defending champions a game-and-a-half ahead of the Tars in the standings. Gary Bishop supplied the offensive push for the victors. His three-run triple in the seventh inning gave the Workers a commanding 7 to 0 lead. When the Sailors started a comeback in the bottom of the same frame, the other half of the Bishop boys, pitcher Steve Bishop ascended the hillock in relief and choked off the rally. Another late splurge, this one in the final canto involving a two-run dinger by the Vets’ Mike Hodge, also fell short of the desired mark and left the Swabbies in arrears by a deuce when the final out was made.
McKenzie (W), S. Bishop (7) and O’Connell
Hemming (L), Udy (6), Todd (7) and Cunningham
(May 30) A barren bench cost Builder’s Sash & Door bigtime in their joust with the Eagles at Royal Athletic Park. The Woodworkers had to default to the Birds when they ran out of players after six scoreless innings. Starting with the minimum of nine men, the roster was reduced to eight when second baseman Earl Woods sprained his ankle in the top-of-the-seventh.
(May 31) Scoring six times during their last three turns at bat, including a four-spot in the ninth, the second-place Naval Vets broke open a tight game to do a number on the Eagles by an 11 to 5 count.
Siddons, Udy (1), Todd (W) (6) and Cunningham
Moody (L) and Lumley
(June 2) Doubleheader day in the Victoria Amateur Baseball League turned out to be “Brice Brothers Day” when all four teams hit the diamond at Royal Athletic Park. Les Brice earned his third straight mound triumph as the Transport Workers nosed out the Naval Vets 2 to 1 while brother George Brice picked up the hillock decision in the Eagles’ 10 to 4 conquest of Builder’s Sash and Door. The Workers were fortunate to prevail in the opener but took maximum advantage of bobbles by Vets’ infielders to inflict the knoll defeat upon hard-luck George Hemming who fashioned a one-hitter.
Hemming (L) and Cooper
L. Brice (W) and O’Connell, Grant (6)
Worboys (L) and Anderson
G. Brice (W) and Frumerie
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 6 1 .857 ----
Naval Vets 5 4 .556 2.0
Eagles 3 5 .375 3.5
Builder’s Sash & Door 2 5 .286 4.0
(June 5) Norm Curran blasted a home run and two doubles, good for four RBI’s, as the Eagles clobbered Builder’s 13 to 5 to move to within one game of second place in the Senior Amateur circuit. Curran’s slugging made it relatively easy for Bob Mabee, a youngster up from Victoria’s minor ranks, to go all the way on the bump despite yielding ten hits. Des Moseley picked up three of those blows but the Big Birds were in no danger of losing this one
Mabee (W) and Lumley
Ash (L) and White
(June 7) Last-place Builder’s Sash & Door upset the front-running Transport Workers 8 to 5 in a Senior Amateur fracas at Royal Athletic park. Des Moseley was the winning hurler as well as being his team’s top batter with three hits. He gave up nine base raps to the Transports but spaced them well. Stu Mitchell’s two-run double in the third inning was the blow that gave Builder’s an 8 to 1 cushion. The Workers picked up relied with a singleton in the seventh and a trey in the ninth to narrow the deficit to a three-spot but that was as close as they got.
Menzies (L), Worth (4) and Grant, O’Connell (5)
Moseley (W) and Anderson
(June 9) Playing-manager Art Worth of the Transport Workers stole the show in his squad’s 15 to 6 mauling of the Eagles in the lid-lifter of a Senior Amateur twin-bill at Royal Athletic Park. Worth hammered out a home run and three singles, scored five runs and drove in another four to help young Bruce McKenzie to an easy victory. Also adding to the Workers’ 16-hit attack was outfielder Gary Bishop who cracked out a triple and three singles to drive in three runs.
G. Brice (L), Mabee (3), Yankoski (5), Moody (6), G. Brice (9) and Moody, Frumerie (6)
McKenzie (W) and McAvoy
The last-place Builder’s, cashing in on four errors, defeated the second-place Naval Vets 7 to 2 in the other part of the double-dip. Winning pitcher Mike Ash aided his own cause by nailing two doubles and a single.
Ash (W) and White
Fuller (L) and Cooper
(June 12) George Hemming was humming but Bishop was better. That sums up the Senior Amateur baseball story at Royal Athletic Park where the Transport Workers nudged the Naval Vets 1 to 0. Hemming used his sizzling fastball to crank out 13 punchouts, walk only two and surrender eight hits for the Swabbies while Gary Bishop, on the mound for the Transports, gave up only two scattered hits and swished 14. His command wasn’t quite as sharp as Hemming’s as he issiued six free passes. A triple by Les Brice followed by Art Worth’s one-bagger produced the game’s only run in the opening inning.
S. Bishop (W) and McAvoy
Hemming (L) and Cunningham
(June 13) Bob Mabee did enough by himself to warrant victory but he still needed help from Norm Curran. Mabee yielded only five hits, struck out 12 and laced a pair of singles at Royal Athletic Park but he still would have come out a loser if Curran hadn’t unleashed a grans-slam home run to give the Eagles a 6 to 3 win over the Transport Workers. It was Curran’s third tater of the season.
McKenzie (L), Worth (8) and Grant
Mabee (W) and Lumley
(June 14) Keith Todd was not particularly spectacular as he scattered six hits, but he made certain that after Builder’s had plated their lone run in the first inning, they got no more. His mound foe at Royal Athletic Park, Des Moseley, meanwhile was mowing down 14 Vets via the strikeout route but a combination of eight hits, walks, a balk, a hit batter and three errors led to single counters in five separate innings. That was the difference as the Naval Vets triumphed over Builder’s Sash & Door 5 to 1 in a Senior Amateur Baseball League tilt.
Todd (W) and Cunningham
Moseley (L) and White
(June 16) Infielders from the Transport Workers reeled off four double play in backing their pitcher-manager Art Worth to a 9 to 2 victory over Builder’s Sash & Door in the opener of a four-team twin-bill. Offensively, the Transports’ skipper was aided by outfielder Gary Bishop whose single extended his consecutive hit streak to cover each of the winners’ 13 games.
Ash (L), Moseley (5) and White
Worth (W) and McAvoy
Brent Siddons, surviving a final three innings in the follow-up event, went all the way on the hill as the Naval Vets doubled the Eagles 16 to 8. Ken Gregory, seconded from the Connie Mack ranks for the tussle, poked three hits for the Swabbies.
Siddons (W) and Cunningham
Yankoski (L), Weeks (2), Moody (4) and Moody, Lumley (4)
(June 19) Former Connie Mack pitching ace Bob Mabee made it three wins in three Senior Amateur League starts at Royal Athletic Park, serving up a six-hitter, striking out six and walking just one as the Eagles dumped Builder’s 9 to 3. Most of Mabee’s bat support came from Norm Curran who belted his fourth homer of the season to go along with a pair of doubles.
Murdoch (L), Worboys (2), McLellan (4) and Rivers
Mabee (W) and Moody, Frumerie (8)
(June 20) Rookie slab artist George Hemming set a new record for strikeouts in a Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League game when he rang up 23 punchouts in pitching the Naval Vets to an 11 to 1 conquest of Builder’s Sash & Door. The young fireballer gave up only three hits. The vets played errorless ball although Hemming didn’t need much help. The only run scored by the Woodmen came after Dave Rivers walked, stole second and came home on Bernie Anderson’s single. Top swatsmith for the Sailors was Mike Hodge who banged out four hits, including a double, and drove in three runs. Teammate Larry Johnston contributed a brace of two-baggers.
Moseley (L), Anderson (5) and Rivers
Hemming (W) and Cunningham
(June 21) George Hemming, 17-year-old pitcher has signed a contract with the New York Yankees for an unreported but "quite satisfactory" bonus. The six-foot-two, 180 pound Victoria High School graduate chose the Yankees over the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Hemming is the first product of Victoria's minor baseball organization to sign directly with a major league team. In his last start in the city's senior league, the left-hander set a league record by striking out 23 batters. He is set to begin his pro career at Harlan, KY, of the Class D Appalachian League.
(June 21) The brothers Brice had themselves a wild time at Royal Athletic Park but only the Transport Workers enjoyed the result. Both Les, a southpaw tossing for the Transports, and sibling George, a righthander who hurls for the Eagles, faced each other on the knoll but neither of them was able to complete the mission by going nine innings. Both were derricked in the seventh frame as the Workers went on to decision the Feathered Flock 12 to 8.
G. Brice (L), Mabee (7) and Lumley, Frumerie (4)
L. Brice (W), Worth (7) and McAvoy
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 10 3 .769 ----
Naval Vets 9 6 .600 2.0
Eagles 7 8 .467 4.0
Builder’s Sash & Door 4 11 .267 7.0
(June 22) The Naval Vets built up a 10 to 0 lead and went on to dump last-place Builder’s 13 to 4 in Victoria Senior Amateur League play. The Tars whomped out 15 base knocks to supply winning pitcher Keith Todd with more than enough offensive power to annex his third pitching victory of the campaign. Mike Hodge ripped three singles, good for three RBI’s while catcher Ken Cunningham knocked in three runs with two hits.
Todd (W), Udy (8) and Cunningham
Tyrell (L), Stubbings (8) and White
(June 23) The Transport Workers just keep rolling along in the Victoria Senior Amateur circuit. In the matinee portion of a Royal Athletic Park doubleheader, they edged Builder’s Sash & Door 6 to 5 while the second-place Naval Vets fell 2-1/2 games off the pace, losing 13 to 12 to the Eagles in a wild second game.
Emery (W), G. Brice (6) and Moody
Fuller (L), Siddons (7) and Cunningham
McKenzie, Worth (W) (5) and McAvoy
Moseley (L) and White, Haslam (4)
(June 26) The Transport Workers failed to oblige in making it a fond farewell for 18-year old portsider George Hemming, scheduled to leave for duty in the class D Appalachian League. Front-runners in the Senior Amateur circuit, Art Worth’s Workers parlayed alert baserunning and a tight defense into a 3 to 1 victory over the Naval Vets and Hemming. It was the fifth loss for the stylish southpaw against two wins. All five setbacks have been at the hands of the Transports while one of his triumphs, an opening-day shutout, was also against his nemesis. Hemming was touched for only two hits in his parting performance, an abbreviated affair that was shortened to six innings because of poor weather conditions. Winning pitcher Steve Bishop surrendered just three safeties and was the beneficiary of a great running catch by “Bud” Taylor of a sinking liner, destined to be a game-changer, with two out and two runners aboard in the fourth inning.
Hemming (L) and Cunningham
S. Bishop (W) and McAvoy
(June 27) The Eagles moved to within a half-game of the second-place Naval Vets by squeezing past Builder’s at Royal Athletic Park. Power at the plate by hitters from the Birds helped make up the wildness on the part of their pitchers. Neither pitcher of record, winner Jim Moody and loser Barry Menzies, was around at the end of the game.
Moody (W), G. Brice (5) and Frumerie
Menzies (L), Moseley (3) and White
(June 28) Keith Todd fashioned his fifth mound victory as the Naval Vets decisively spanked the Eagles 8 to 0 at Royal Athletic Park. Todd spun a three-hitter and punched out nine while his mates were combing the offerings of losing chucker Bob Mabee for a dozen base blows. Mike Hodge did the most damage at the plate with three doubles and two walks while Chuck Bennett went four-for-five with the baton.
Todd (W) and Cunningham
Mabee (L) and Amthelcate
(June 29) Three innings of scoreless relief by George Brice allowed the Eagles to prevail 6 to 4 over the league-leading Transport Workers. The Feathered Tribe plated a deuce in the top-of-the-seventh to move ahead before Brice replaced winning tosser Dave Emery on the knoll. Emery and John Yankoski contributed singles that had plated the winning and insurance markers in the seventh.
Emery (W), G. Brice (7) and Lumley
L. Brice (L) and McAvoy
(June 30) George Brice pitched a total of 12 innings for the Eagles at Royal Athletic Park Saturday but because the Big Birds failed to score any runs in the first five frames, Brice came off with a win and a loss against the Transport Workers. The combatants started out the afternoon to finish a 2 – 2 tie that had been called earlier in the season. Barry Harvey of the Transports whacked a solo homer in the bottom-of-the thirteenth panel off Brice to put an end to that contest. The second game was different. Brice was stingy with hits, giving up only four, and his teammates responded with the lumber, banging out a dozen base raps for a 10 to 2 triumph.
McKenzie (L), S. Bishop (4), Worth (5) and McAvoy
G. Brice (W) and Moody
In the evening, the Navy Vets beat Builder’s Sash & Door by an identical 10 to 2 score.
Worboys (L), Rivers (8) and Wetherall
Fuller (W) and Cunningham
(July 3) George Brice whacked two triples and tossed three scoreless innings in relief as the Eagles nipped Builder’s 8 to 6 in a Senior Amateur Baseball tilt. Builder’s lost it all in the first inning, allowing the Feathered Flock six fat runs before calling on Mike Ash to stop the fireworks.
Rivers (L), Ash (2) and White
Moody (W), G. Brice (7) and Frumerie
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 13 5 .722 ----
Naval Vets 12 8 .600 2.0
Eagles 12 10 .545 3.0
Builder’s Sash & Door 4 16 .200 10.0
(July 4) Keith Todd pitched the Naval Vets to a narrow 2 to 1 victory over the Transport Workers, a win which moved the Tars to within a game of the league-leaders. Todd yielded just four hits in besting Art Worth who was nicked for seven safeties. Todd’s only trouble came in the fourth inning when the Transports scored their lone run after Worth singled, moved to second base on a balk and raced home on a single by Gary Bishop.
Worth (L) and Grant
Todd (W) and Cunningham
(July 5) The Transport Workers gained a bit of altitude in the standings by drubbing cellar-dwelling Builder’s 12 to 3 at Royal Athletic Park. In increasing their lead to 1-1/2 games atop the Senior Amateur circuit, the Transports climbed all over a tandem of pitchers from the Woodmen for 14 hits including a single, double and home run by Lyall Cornett. Catcher Bill White ripped a ding-dong for the vanquished nine.
Menzies (L), Ash (5) and White
L. Brice (W), G. Bishop (5) and McAvoy
(July 6) Lowly Builder’s Sash & Door registered a rare victory, spanking the Eagles 11 to 1 at Royal Athletic Park. Playing-manager Des Moseley pitched a five-hitter and fanned 13 batters in grabbing the mound decision. Offensively, he was ably assisted by Dave Rees who banged out five hits to drive in three runs.
Moseley (W) and White
Emery (L), Moody (6) and Frumerie
(July 7) The front-runners both tasted defeat at Royal Athletic Park in Senior Amateur League doubleheader action. The third-place Eagles bounced the top-dog Transport Workers 8 to 3 in the opening game of the day and Builder’s won their second in succession, surprising the second-place Naval Vets 6 to 3 in the finale.
Seven errors by the Transports helped the Eagles to their win.
G. Brice (W) and Frumerie
G. Bishop (L), Worth (7) and Grant
Builder’s took command of the late tilt in the middle innings when they did all their scoring.
Siddons (L), Fuller (7) and Cunningham
Ash (W) and Haslam
(July 10) The Naval Vets stomped all over last-place Builder’s 12 to 2 to edge slightly closer to the front-running Transport Workers. Keith Todd pitched his seventh straight victory with a seven-hitter. George Graham and Joe Patterson were the big guns at the plate for the winners, each banging out three hits.
Menzies (L), Moseley (2), Anderson (4) and White, Haslam (5)
Todd (W) and Cunningham
(July 11) George Brice persevered, pitching himself out of numerous bad spots, as the Eagles hung on to defeat the Transport Workers 11 to 9 at Royal Athletic Park. A five-run eighth inning turned the tide in favor of the Feathered Tribe. The two big blows during that explosion were Norm Curran’s two-run homer and a single by John Yankoski that drove in a pair of counters. Lyall Cornett’s four-ply blast with one mate aboard in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning represented the Workers’ last gasp.
McKenzie, L .Brice (L) (3), Worth (8) and McAvoy
G. Brice (W) and Moody
(July 12) The Transport Workers successfully staved off the Naval Veterans’ bid to take over first place in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League by edging the Vets 9 to 8 at Royal Athletic Park. The win gave the Transports a game-and-a-half breathing room atop the Capital City loop. The loss was a heartbreaker for the Sailors who seemed headed for a win after they opened up a 6 to 1 lead in the second inning. The Workers collected the triumph against starry Keith Todd who entered the game as a third-inning reliever only to give up three runs that proved to be the difference. It was Todd’s first loss after seven victories.
Fuller, Todd (L) (3), Siddons (5) and Cunningham
S. Bishop, G. Bishop (W) (2), L. Brice (5) and Grant
(July 13) Following a crushing setback 24 hours previous, Keith Todd and the Naval Vets bounced back at Royal Athletic Park by tripping the Transport Workers 4 to 2 to once again close to within a half-game of the league-leaders. In going the route to earn his eighth hillock verdict of the season, Todd doled out eight fairly scattered hits. Chuck Bennett gave Todd lots of offensive help by clipping the orb for three safeties while teammate Mike Hodge connected for a solo ding-dong.
Todd (W) and Cunningham
Pollock (L) and McAvoy
(July 14) Last-place Builder’s Sash & Door rose up to strike down the front-running Transport Workers 5 to 2 in the matinee portion of a Royal Athletic Park double-bill. Playing-manager Des Moseley spun a five hitter to grab the knoll decision.Transports’ Art Worth and Ron Grant were both ejected from the game for arguing a call.
McKenzie, Worth (L) (7), McKenzie (7), L. Brice (8) and Grant, McAvoy (7)
Moseley (W) and Haslam
Eagles’ slugger Norm Curran blasted a grand-slam dinger to pace the Big Birds to a 5 to 4 victory over the Naval Vets in the last half of the twin-bill. It was his seventh homer of the season and his fourth bases-loaded shot.
G. Brice (W) and Moody
Fuller (L) and Cunningham
(July 18) The Eagles vaulted over the Naval Vets into second place as George Brice fashioned a one-hitter to give the feathered Flock a 3 to 0 shutout win. Brice had to be good as his counterpart on the bump, Brent Siddons, gave up only three singles in going the distance but the Vets let him down by committing four errors. All three Eagle tallies were unearned. Brice struck out nine and walked only three.
Siddons (L) and Cunningham
G. Brice (W) and Moody
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 15 10 .600 ----
Eagles 16 12 .571 0.5
Naval Vets 15 12 .556 1.0
Builder’s Sash & Door 7 19 .269 8.5
(July 19) The Bishop frères went together like ham and eggs at MacDonald Park, lowering the boom on Builder’s Sash & Door as they guided the Transport Workers to a 4 to 0 blanking of the Woodmen. Steve Bishop did most of the work, pitching a no-hitter while striking out eight and walking five. But things could have been a lot different if Gary Bishop had not been patrolling centre field. The big assist came in the second inning while the Transports were nursing a slim 1 to 0 lead. Herb Wetherall slammed one of Steve’s right-handed pitches far into the outfield. At Royal Athletic Park, where the senior circuit games are usually played, Wetherall’s blast would have been far gone over the fence but in cavernous MacDonald Park the fence is a country mile from the plate and flychaser Gary had room to gallop and make a spectacular catch. It didn’t end there. Gary was also hot at the plate, giving his brother another big boost as he connected for two of the four hits that the Transports managed against Barry Menzies, stroking a double and triple to drive in two runs. The victory boosted the Workers’ league-lead to a full game over the Eagles.
Menzies (L) and White, Haslam (7)
S. Bishop (W) and McAvoy
(July 24) Keith Todd scattered ten hits and emerged with the hurling win as the Naval Vets captured an 8 to 6 victory over the league-leading Transport Workers at MacDonald Park. The game was called after 6-1/2 innings because of darkness. The loss for the Workers cut their lead over the Eagles and Vets to just half-a-game. Todd had lots of assistance in running his pitching record to 9 – 1 as the Swabbies bunched six of their nine hits in the fourth inning to plate a five-spot.
S. Bishop (L), L. Brice (4) and Grant
Todd (W) and Cunningham
(July 25) The Transport Workers edged last-place Builder’s 4 to 3 at MacDonald Park to inch into a full-game lead over both the naval Vets and Eagles atop the Senior Amateur loop. The Workers won the game on a run that was scored without a hit. Les Brice reached base on an eighth-inning error and circled the bases on a sacrifice, a fielder’s choice and a bad throw which prevented the completion of a double-play. It was a hard-luck loss for pitcher Des Moseley who whiffed eleven and allowed only three hits, none after the second inning.
(July 26) The Naval Vets and Eagles, deadlocked in second place one-game behind the Transport Workers, failed to trim the leaders’ margin when they played to an eight-inning 5 – 5 tie at MacDonald Park. The game, suspended by darkness, will be resumed at a later date.
(July 31) A two-way jam-up exists at the top rung of the Senior Amateur league ladder with a 10 to 5 conquest of the Transport Workers by the Eagles in a game that was halted after six innings by darkness. The pitching victory went to tall George Brice who scattered a measly four hits and struck out a dozen. Steve Bishop, on the bump for the Transports, yielded just six hits but he had his hands full with Norm Curran and Jim Moody. Curran cut loose for a triple and double to drive in five runs while Moody lashed out three hits.
S. Bishop (L) and McAvoy
G. Brice (W) and Murphy
(August 1) A three-team deadlock exists at the top of the Victoria Senior Amateur baseball League after the Naval Vets disposed of bottom-feeding Builder’s Sash & Door 16 to 3. Rod Fuller picked up the easy pitching win for the Vets at MacDonald Park in which his teammates backed him up with 15 base knocks. He fanned eight, walked two and allowed five hits. Mike Hodge had four RBI’s for the winners on the strength of a double and single. Eric Newell stroked three singles and Larry McKinty blasted a four-bagger.
Ash (L), Menzies (3) and White
Fuller (W) and Cunningham, Cooper (5)
(August 2) The Eagles scored four times in the third inning and went on to a 7 to 1 victory over Builder’s Sash & Door in a game at MacDonald Park called after six innings because of darkness and fog. The win hoisted the Feathered Tribe a half-gam ahead of the Transport Workers and Naval Vets in the race for the regular-season pennant. With no lights at MacDonald Park, few games are expected to go the nine-inning route until the clubs move back to Royal Athletic Park. Slugger extraordinaire Norm Curran got the Big Birds rolling in this contest, drilling a two-run single in the third inning.
Mabee (W) and Frumerie
Menzies (L) and Haslam
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Eagles 18 12 .600 ----
Transport Workers 17 12 .586 0.5
Naval Vets 17 12 .586 0.5
Builder’s Sash & Door 7 23 .233 11.0
(August 8) After several days of rain delays, play finally resumed in the Victoria Amateur Baseball League as the Naval Vets grabbed a share of top spot with the Eagles by dumping last-place Builder’s 5 to 1. Winning pitcher Rod Fuller was the big man for the Tars. He struck out nine, walked four and held the Woodmen to a sparse two hits in the six innings played before darkness intervened.
Fuller (W) and Cunningham
Moseley (L) and Haslam
(August 9) The Transport Workers dropped the Naval Vets out of their share of the Senior Amateur lead as playing-manager Art Worth unfurled a four-hit shutout for a 4 to 0 triumph at MacDonald Park. The Workers and eagles now share the lead. Errors and walks, plus a two-run single by “Bud” Taylor, did most of the damage to the Vets’ cause.
Worth (W) and Grant
Siddons (L) and Cunningham
(August 10) A 6 to 0 conquest of bottom-feeding Builder’s Sash & Door put the Transport Workers in the driver’s seat in the three-team battle for the Senior Amateur League pennant. The Transports marked up their second straight shutout victory on the strength of Steve Bishop’s one-hitter. Ron Karadimas singled in the third inning for the only blow off Bishop.
S. Bishop (W) and Grant
Ash (L) and Anderson
(August 11) The Eagles drew into a tie for first place with the Transport Workers by annexing two decisions over the Naval Vets as part of doubleheader action at MacDonald Park. It took two innings for the Feathered Flock to score a run and win 6 to 5 in the continuation of a game that had been tied after eight innings earlier in the season.
G. Brice (W) and Moody
Siddons, Fuller (7), Todd (L) (9) and Cunningham, Cooper (9)
With the momentum gathered from that overtime victory, the Birds then doubled the Sailors 4 to 2 in the regular-scheduled skirmish as George Brice registered his second pitching win of the day.
Thame (L) and Cooper, Cunningham (4)
G. Brice (W) and Moody
In the other half of the scheduled double-dip, the Transport Workers clipped Builder’s Sash & Door 7 to 4 to maintain a tie in the standings with the Eagles.
Menzies (L) and Wetherall, Rivers (5)
Benn (W) and Grant
(August 12) The soaring Eagles reeled off their 12th straight victory, tripping the Transport Workers 5 to 3, to clinch the 1962 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League regular-season pennant. The victory at MacDonald Park earned the Birds a bye in the first-round of playoffs. Tireless George Brice earned his third hurling decision in two days, besting his brother Les Brice in a final-game showdown for the banner. Both allowed eight hits but George, who whiffed 12 batters, was tougher in tight spots. Most of George’s troubles came from Workers’ playing-manager Art Worth who cracked a triple and a pair of singles as well as Gary Bishop who nailed a four-bagger and a single. Catcher Jim Moody paced the Eagle batters with a triple, double and single while Ricky Blake chipped in with a pair of safeties.
G. Brice (W) and Moody
L. Brice (L) and Grant
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
Eagles 21 12 .636 ----
Transport Workers 20 13 .606 1.0
Naval Vets 18 15 .545 3.0
Builder’s Sash & Door 7 26 .212 14.0
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Naval Vets vs Transport Workers (best-of-three series)
(August 14) The Transport Workers drew first blood, toppling the Naval Vets 7 to 5 in a seven-inning, darkness-shortened affair, as the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League semi-finals got underway at MacDonald Park. Both aggregations stung the sphere for eight safeties. Art Worth, he of sinewy portside wing, went all the way on the knoll for the Transports, holding the Vets off the scoreboard until the fourth inning and benefiting with a five-spot by his clubmates in the fifth canto. Four singles, two bases-on-balls and a double by Gary Bishop off losing twirler Keith Todd did the damage for the Workers in that spasm.
Todd (L) and Cunningham
Worth (W) and Grant
(August 15) The Naval Vets staved off elimination and deadlocked the best-of-three semi-final series at a game apiece by edging the Transport Workers 4 to 3 at MacDonald Park. The game ended, because of darkness, in the sixth inning just after the Vets pushed across the tying and winning runs. Singles by George Graham and Larry Montgomery were the key blows in the Vets’ wrap-up rally. The Swabbies used three pitchers to hold the Transports in check and the trio responded by holding the losers to two hits.
Benn (L), L. Brice (6) and Grant
Siddons, Thame (3), Fuller (6) and Cunningham
(August 16) Art Worth pitched the Transport Workers into the finals of the Victoria Senior Amateur League against the Eagles when he stopped the Naval Vets 5 to 2 at MacDonald Park. Worth’s bat and clever baserunning didn’t hurt the Transports either. The southpaw playing-skipper singled in two runs in the opening chapter and then scored what turned out to be the winner in the third panel on one of his favorite manoeuvers, the delayed double steal with runners at the corners.
Thame (L), Fuller (3) and Cunningham
Worth (W) and Grant
(August 19 & 22) Lower Vancouver Island Senior Baseball championship series
Chemainus Horseshoe Inn Bay Comets vs Victoria Transport Workers (best-of-three series)
The Transport Workers, second-place finishers and semi-final winners in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League were required to qualify for the B. C. Senior Baseball championship tournament by defeating the Mid-Island champions from Chemainus while the pennant-winning Eagles received a bye into the provincial tournament. Chemainus, however, prevailed in the best-of-three series, two games to one.
The teams split the opening series at Chemainus Sunday with the up-Island team rallying for five runs in the seventh inning to win the opener 7-5. Glen Carlson led the winners with three hits. Doug Latta relieved in the fourth and went the rest of the way for the victory.
Steve Bishop, Keith Todd (7) and Ken Cunningham
Darrell Brinham, Doug Latta (W) (4) and Carl Bonde
Victoria got four-hit pitching from Les Brice in taking the second game 2-1. They got the winning marker in the seventh inning on a single by Bud Taylor, who stole second, and a run-scoring double by Gary Bishop.
Les Brice (W) and Grant, Cunningham (7)
Dwight Smith (L) and Carl Bonde
On Wednesday, Chemainus edged Victoria 6-5 to capture the Lower Vancouver Island championship. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Chemainus fell behind 5-4 after six innings. They got the tying and winning runs in the seventh as Lynn Irving singled, Skip Montgomery drove him in with a three-bagger and Ralph Endridge then brought in Montgomery for the victory. Darrell Brinham allowed just five hits but remained in trouble with 11 free passes. Art Worth, the Victoria playing manager gave up 11 hits in handling the mound duties. He was a one-man force at the plate, however, as he drove in four runs and scored the fifth himself.
Darrell Brinham (W) and Carl Bonde
Art Worth (L) and Ken Cunningham
FINALS Transport Workers vs Eagles (best-of-five series)
(August 25) The Transit Workers, still stinging from their ouster at the hands of Chemainus in the Lower-Island playdowns, captured the first two games of the Victoria Senior Amateur League finals at MacDonald Park where they clipped the pennant-winning Eagles 12 to 10 and 9 to 2.
McKenzie (W) and McAvoy
G. Brice, Emery (L) (5) and Moody
Mabee (L), Yankoski (5) and Moody
Pollock (W) and McAvoy
(August 26) Vancouver Island Senior Baseball championship series
FINALS Cumberland vs Chemainus Horseshoe Inn Comets (best-of-three series)
Cumberland won a berth in the BC championship tournament ousting Chemainus 4-1 and 6-4 in weekend action. Bruce Taylor held Chemainus to three hits in the six-inning opener Saturday. On Sunday, Cumberland capitalized on control troubles by the Chemainus moundsmen to win 6-4. Tied at 1-1 in the fifth, Chemainus walked in three runs with the bases loaded.
Bruce Taylor (W) and Perozzini
Brinham (L) and Bonde
Larry Compton (W), Innes Bosonworth (7) and Perozzini
Dwight Smith (L), Tom Nicholson (5), Doug Latta (5) and Carl Bonde
(September 1-3) B. C. Senior Baseball championship tournament
Riding outstanding pitching, the Victoria Eagles captured the BC Senior Amateur Baseball crown Monday trimming the defending champions from Kelowna 2-0 and 8-3 at Royal Athletic Park in the final games of the four-team, double-loss, knockout tourney. Before Kelowna managed three runs in the fourth inning of the final game, the Victoria slab artists had chalked up a string of 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
Kelowna, winners last year, appeared to be a solid bet to repeat when they kicked off the tournament with a 16-0 triumph over Cumberland Saturday as Mike Carnahan fired a three-hit shutout and Kelowna rapped out 16 hits.
Bruce Taylor (L), Innis Bosomworth and Joe Piozzini
Mike Carnahan (W) and Wayne Leonard
The Eagles struggled to get by Terrace 7-6, notching the winner in the bottom of the ninth. George Brice went the route with a six-hitter for the mound victory.
Howie Enmark, Dale Orr (5), Bob Miller (5), Alf Davey (L) (7) and Keiran O'Neill
George Brice (W) and Ken Cunningham
On Sunday, Des Moseley held Cumberland to four hits as Victoria slipped by with a 2-0 triumph.
Des Moseley (W) and Cunningham
Jack Mosdell (L) and Joe Pirozzini
Kelowna was out-hit 13 to 11, but managed to top Terrace 7-6, to leave Kelowna and Victoria to fight it out for the provincial championship;
Howie Enmark (L), Bill Smith (3), Dale Orr (4) and Keiran O'Neill
Les Schaeffer (W), Englesby (9) and Culos
A best-of-three series was set for Monday to determine the champion. Art Worth was the Eagles' hero in the first game Monday holding Kelowna to four hits in the 2-0 shutout victory.
Art Worth (W) and Ken Cunningham
Bud Englesby (L) and Jack Burton
In the second game, the Eagles fell behind 3-0 in the fourth inning before rallying with two in their half of the fourth on Norm Curran's home run and adding three in the sixth and three more in the seventh on a three-run double by Art Binks for the 8-3 win and the BC title. George Brice scattered ten hits for the mound triumph.
Les Schaeffer, Englesby (L) (4), Mike Carnahan (8) and John Culos
George Brice (W) and Cunningham
(September 6) The Transport Workers stayed alive in their quest to win the Senior Amateur Baseball League finals. After dropping the first two contests, the Transports, with playing-manager Art Worth providing the impetus, nosed out the Eagles 4 to 3 at Royal Athletic Park. Worth provided the fire and put out the blaze. With the bases loaded in the seventh stanza, Worth walloped a double to clear them, driving home the winner amongst that triad. When the Eagles threatened in the ninth, on to the mound in relief strolled Worth. With one retired and the potential tying counter on second base, Worth promptly struck out the next batter and induced the final out with a pop-up.
L. Brice (W), Worth (9) and McAvoy
G. Brice (L) and Moody
Nothing was found in print that this final series was ever completed.
MID-ISLAND BASEBALL LEAGUE
The Chemainus team, runaway winners in the 1962 circuit, were known as the Red Sox during the early part of the regular season but latched onto a sponsor for the balance of the campaign and playoff action, coming to be known as the Chemainus Horseshoe Bay Inn Comets.Chemainus Horsehoe Inn Bay Comets (a.k.a. Red Sox)
Duncan Luckies
Lake Cowichan Indians