1963 ... A rebirth of  the WCBL, the end of the line for Lloydminster

1963 Stats

1963 Rosters
1963 Tournaments/Exhibitions 


     
WESTERN CANADA LEAGUE
Saskatoon/M-Hat Commodores 42 26  
Edmonton Oilers 33 35 9.0
Lethbridge Cardinals 33 38 10.5
Calgary Giants 31 40 12.5
1963 Game reports 
1963 Photo Gallery 
1963 Snapshots 
1963 Sask-MH Commodores

     
SASKATCHEWAN
NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LEAGUE
North Battleford Beavers 19 11  
Lloydminster GreenCaps 19 11  
Kindersley Klippers 19 11  
Neilburg Monarchs 17 13 2.0
Unity Cardinals 15 15 4.0
Biggar Pontiacs 1 29 18.0
1963 Game Reports  
1963 Photo Gallery  
1963 Snapshots  
1963 North Battleford Beavers  
1963 All-Stars             
1963 Unity Cardinals   

SOUTHERN LEAGUE      
Moose Jaw Regals 19 11  
Swift Current Indians 16 10 1.0
Melville Millionaires 17 13 2.0
Regina Red Sox 16 14 3.0
Notre Dame Hounds 9 16 7.5
Fort Qu'Appelle Sioux Indians 8 21 10.5
1963 Game Reports 
1963 Photo Gallery  
1963 Snapshots  
1963 Melville Millionaires  
1963 Notre Dame Hounds  
1963 Moose Jaw Regals  
1963 Swift Current Indians 
1963 Regina Legion (Juvenile)
 
NORTHEASTERN SK LEAGUE
NESBL History
       
ALBERTA 
WHEAT BELT BASEBALL LEAGUE
Beaverlodge Royals, Dawson Creek Cardinals, Fairview Outlaws, Fort. St. John Huskies, Grande Prairie Eskimos, Sexsmith Rainiers 
 
SMOKY RIVER BASEBALL LEAGUE
Donnelly Cubs, Falher Leths, Grimshaw, McLennan, Peace River Stampeders
 
ROSEBUD BASEBALL LEAGUE
Carstairs Buffaloes, Crossfield, Didsbury, Innisfail Buckaroos, Olds, Red Deer Eskimos, Red Deer Juniors
 
OILFIELD BASEBALL LEAGUE
Drayton Valley Legionnaires, Warburg Buffaloes, Leduc Oilers, Breton Eagles, Thorsby Canucks, Mulhurst Elks, Calmar Cubs, Conjuring Creek Wizards, Devon Legionnaires
 
DRY BELT BASEBALL LEAGUE
Brooks Buffaloes, Coaldale Imperials, Medicine Hat Royals, Vauxhall Jets, Warner Elks
 
FOOTHILLS BASEBALL LEAGUE
Fort Macleod Chiefs , High River, Nanton, Okotoks
 
SUNBURST INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE
Beverly Crest, City Police, Mickey’s Bus Depot, North Edmonton Giants, Safety Supply, Safeway Seals, Safeway Skylarks, St. Albert Oilers, Union Clerks, Union Tractors, Winterburn Tomahawks
 
EDMONTON BIG SEVEN JUNIOR LEAGUE
Army & Navy Dodgers, Blue Willow Angels, Cal’s Dodgers, Safeway Athletics
1963 Alberta Photo Gallery         
1963 Alberta Snapshots         
1963 Alberta Game Reports        
1963 Fairview Outlaws      
 
MANITOBA
MANITOBA SENIOR LEAGUE 

St. Lazare Athletics,  Dauphin Red Birds, Riverside Blues, Hamiota Red Sox, Brandon Cloverleafs,Virden Oilers            
* Hamiota, captured the league title, the 2nd consecutive crown, beating Riverside in the playoff final. St. Lazare had won the pennant.
 
METRO & DISTRICT SENIOR LEAGUE 
Balmoral Orioles, Carman Cubs, Precious Blood, RCAF, Stonewall, Transacona Atomics Vita Mallards
 
SOUTH-CENTRAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
Belmont, Boissevain Border Kings, Brandon Canucks, Glenboro, Oakland Braves, Souris Cardinals
 
NEEPAWA & DISTRICT BASEBALL LEAGUE Birnie, Eden, Gladstone, Neepawa Cubs
 
MID-WESTERN BASEBALL LEAGUE
Elgin, Isabella, Rivers Comets
 
OIL DOME BASEBALL LEAGUE
Reston Colts, Sinclair
 
POLAR LEAGUE
Bowsman Valley All-Stars, Cranberry Kings, Flin Flon Cardinals, Flin Flon Stylers, The Pas TeePees, The Pas Trappers
1963 Game Reports           
1963 Photo Gallery
  
1963 Snapshots
1963 Angusville Cardinals   
1963 Carman Cubs 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA
VANCOUVER INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE

Astoria, Boilermakers, CYO, Longshoremen, North Shore, North Vancouver
       
DEWDNEY LEAGUE
Bellingham, Burnaby-Kingsway, DCAs (Coquitlam), Duffs, Haney_Hammond, Maillardville, New Westminster, Port Moody
 
VICTORIA SENIOR LEAGUE
Builders, IAA Athletics, Independents, Transport Workers.
 
MID-ISLAND BASEBALL LEAGUE
Chemainus, Duncan, Ladysmith, Lake Cowichan
 
OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE 
Kamloops Lelands, Kelowna Labatts, Merritt Luckies, Penticton Red Sox, Vernon Luckies
 
KASLO-SLOCAN-ARROW LAKES LEAGUE
Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson, New Denver-Silverton, Slocan City, Winlaw
 
SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL TWILIGHT LEAGUE
Fairchild Air Force Base Flyers, Kimberley Combines, Spokane Orphans, Spokane Palmer’s Dairy, Trail Smoke Eaters, Valley Indians
 
NORTHWEST B.C. BASEBALL LEAGUE
Prince Rupert Merchants, Smithers Pontiacs, Terrace Lumbermen
 
BULKLEY VALLEY BASEBALL LEAGUE
Hazelton Clippers, Houston, Smithers Tyees, Telkwa
1963 Vancouver Game Reports     
1963 BC Interior Game Reports      
1963 VCR Island Game Reports   
1963 BC Photo Gallery   
1963 BC Snapshots 
1963 BC Photo Gallery      
       
ONTARIO      
INTERCOUNTY LEAGUE      
Brantford Red Sox 25 7  
Galt Terriers 19 13 6.0
Kitchener Panthers 13 19 12.0
Guelph Royals 12 20 13.0
London Pontiacs 11 21 14.0
1963 Game Reports   
1963 Photo Gallery 
       
MARITIME BASEBALL      
       
SOUTH DAKOTA      
BASIN LEAGUE      
Winner Pheasants 30 18  
Valentine Hearts 29 19 1.0
Pierre Cowboys 25 23 5.0
Sturgis Titans 19 29 11.0
Rapid City Chiefs 17 31 13.0
Valentine Hearts downed Sturgis
in the playoffs to win the
Basin championship.
1963 Game/Playoff Reports  
1963 Photo Gallery    
1963 Winner Pheasants    
       
MINNESOTA      
SOUTHERN MINNY LEAGUE
Mason City Braves
11
9
Bloomington Athletics
11
9
Albert Lea Colonels
10
10
1.0
Mankato Merchants
10
10
1.0
Owatonna Aces
10
10
1.0
Austin Packers
8
12
3.0
1963 So.Minny Game Reports 
1963 Minnesota Photo Gallery 
    
       
       
       

 

 

The Western Canada League was back for an encore, while the Green Caps tied for the top spot in Lloydminster's final season in semi-pro ball.

And, Satch just kept rolling. 

The legendary Satchel Paige continued on the barnstorming circuit with a visit to Williston, two days after his 57th birthday (if, in fact, he was born in 1906 as thought.)  The story in The Herald said Satchel and his son Satchel Jr. combined to handle the mound work. 

Paige Swift CurrentOf course, Satch also appeared on the prairies with the hometown Swift Current Indians one of the teams to upset the travelers.

It was not the end of the line.  Paige would make an appearance in the major leagues with Kansas City in 1965 and toss a few innings in the minors in '66. It's believed 1967 was his final season. 

Clark Rex John CarbrayTwo former Pepperdine University colleagues - Clark Rex (left) and John Carbray (right) -- were the driving forces behind the revival of the Western Canada League. 

Rex, the Edmonton playing-manager in 1961, had brought Carbray up to play with the Eskimos and to suit up with Rex's winter league team in California. They transformed the circuit into mainly a development league for college players.  The Philadelphia Phillies were to supply the entire 17-man roster for the Saskatoon Commodores while the Edmonton Oilers arranged an affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The St. Louis Cardinals provided players for Lethbridge and Calgary relied on the San Francisco Giants.   Midway through the season, the Saskatoon franchise shifted to Medicine Hat.

Rex and Carbray, in Edmonton and Calgary, were one-man bands in their respective cities juggling ownership, general-manager and field-manager duties.

With George Wesley in Lethbridge not willing to continue his baseball sponsorship in the area, Rex turned to Dan Royer to run the Cardinals' franchise as general manager with Ralph Young, 27-year-old baseball coach from Stanford University, as the team's playing-manager. Spero Leakos headed the Saskatoon entry, with Lyle Olsen back as the playing manager.

The circuit attracted the best of college talent from the California schools including the California All-Star Righty Walt Petersonpitching combo of righthander Walt Peterson from the University of Southern California and lefty Tom Pederson from UCLA. 

Peterson was fresh off a 17-win season in leading the Trojans to the College World Series title. Other first team & honourable Lefty Tom Pedersonmentions to suit up in the WCBL included second baseman George Thatcher of Stanford, shortstop Gary Malvini of Santa Clara, catchers Bud Hollowell and Marty Piscovich of USC, third baseman Tim Cullen of Santa Clara and first baseman Bob Cox of Stanford.

Nelson BrilesRene LachemanThe Western Canada League proved to be a fertile training ground for major league clubs.

Quite a number of the 1963 competitors graduated to the majors, including such WCBL stars as Tug McGraw, Nelson Briles (left) Tim Cullen, Gary Sutherland, Jan Dukes, Ray Lamb, Larry Loughlin, Paul Edmondson and Rene Lacheman (right).

Wally BlaisdellWayne LeBereJackie McLeod's Swift Current Indians upset the Moose Jaw Regals to take the Southern League title. Merv Sanderson hurled a shutout in the fifth and deciding game of the playoffs to give Swift Current the league crown.

Wally Blaisdell (left) of the Regals captured the batting title with a .373 mark and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Wayne LeBere (right) of the Regals was the top hurler with a 7-0 won-lost record.


Harry WiseIn June, South Dakota's Rapid City Journal published its selections for the all-time Basin League all-stars. 

Based upon Basin League play only, the first team featured such stellar performers as outfielder Frank Howard and pitchers Jim O'Toole and Dick Radatz

Also named were John Edwards, Jerry Adair, Steve Boros, Dick Howser, Purn Goldy, Tom Brown, Joe Lutz, Don Quayle and Harry Wise (left).

For the 1963 season, Pierre and Valentine each placed three players on the Journal's all-star team.  First baseman Bill Davis, second sacker Dave Miller and starting pitcher Larry Sheckman represented the Cowboys. Catcher Ken Suarez, centre fielder Dale Mitchell and pitcher Al Closter were the picks from the Hearts.

Others named were pitcher Dick Joyce of Sturgis, third baseman Kal Segrist of Rapid City, shortstop Bob Floyd of Winner, outfielder Glen Lusk of Rapid City and outfielder Carl Morton of Winner.


Granum ... the end

A sign of the times. 

George Wesley, who built powerhouse teams for Granum beginning in the early 50s, marked the demise of his efforts by putting all the baseball gear up for sale.  "All professional type equipment in first class condition."


In September, 1963 the St. Louis Cardinals inked two former Western Canada stars on the same day. 

Left-hander Dave Dowling, University of California, (Lethbridge 1961) and right-hander Nelson Briles, Santa Clara University (Calgary 1963) were assigned to the the Cards' farm team in Atlanta.

Dowling appeared in just two games in the majors, one each with St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs (1.80 ERA in 10 innings). Briles pitched in the majors over 14 seasons, winning 129 games with a career ERA of 3.44.

Cards sign pair
           The Sporting News, October 24, 1964