1963 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1963 BC Interior
1963 Vancouver Island
VICTORIA SENIOR AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE
This 1963 circuit presented the same four-team set-up with a new look. The Independent Athletic Association took over the franchise previously held by the Eagles. When the Naval Vets of previous seasons decided against continuing sponsorship, the association also stepped in to back that club and had two teams in the 1963 loop, the I.A.A. Athletics and the Independents. Builder’s Sash & Door
I.A.A. Athletics
Independents
Transport Workers
(May 18) The curtain went up on the 1963 Victoria Amateur Baseball League with a Saturday two-game set at Royal Athletic Park. The Independents took the opening contest by clipping the I.A.A. Athletics 4 to 3 behind the two-hit pitching of Keith Todd.
Todd (L) and Cunningham
G. Brice (L) and Grant
Four runs in the 11th inning of the second tilt helped Builder’s Sash & Door knock over the Transport Workers 6 to 2.
Moseley (W) and Cosier
Siddons (L), L. Brice (1) and Moody
(May 20) Another double-dip graced the diamond at Royal Athletic Park on the holiday Monday and featured a fine two-hit hurling performance by Stan Thame in the matinée tussle as he pitched the Independents to their second weekend victory, a 6 to 0 blanking of Builder’s. Seventh-inning singles by Barry Cosier and Don Bell spoiled Thame’s no-hit bid.
Scott (L) and Haslam
Thame (W) and Cunningham
The Transport Workers went into extra innings for the second time in their two weekend skirmishes and outlasted the I.A.A. Athletics 5 to 2 in fourteen frames in the late Victoria Day event. Les Brice went all the way on the bump for the Transports, ringing up 21 punchouts along the way. Gary Bishop’s two-out single plated Jim Moody and Gary Leibel/Liebel with the ultimate winner and an add-on marker in the fifth session of overtime.
L. Brice (W) and Moody
Yankoski (L), G. Brice (14) and Grant
(May 22) A six-run third inning propelled the I.A.A. Athletics to a 12 to 6 conquest of the Independents in Senior Amateur Baseball League play. George Brice went the route for the winners, giving up six hits. Teammate Bob Holness ripped three singles in support of Brice’s pitching efforts.
G. Brice (W) and Grant
Todd (L), Sadler (3) and Johnson
(May 23) The Transport Workers doubled Builder’s Sash & Door 4 to 2 as winning pitcher Brent Siddons gained some revenge for his opening day loss to the Transports. Siddon whiffed 13 and allowed just one safety, a harmless third-inning single by Barry Cosier. The Workers got to him for their two counters in the fourth canto when he walked three, hit a batter and uncorked a wild pitch. The Transports plated the winning markers in the seventh on a two-run double by Barry Harvey.
Siddons (W) and McAvoy
Murdoch, Moseley (L) (6) and Cosier
(May 25) Batters from Builder’s Sash & Door didn’t have much to show for their Royal Athletic Park twin-bill against the I.A.A. Athletics. They managed only five hits in the two games and dropped 2 to 1 and 6 to 0 decisions to fall squarely into last place in the standings. George Brice was their pitching tormentor in the first game, striking out eight and tossing a four-hitter. Back-to-back triples by Ricky Blake and “Bud” Brice in the sixth inning snapped a 1 – 1 tie and plated the winning tally.
G. Brice (W) and Grant
Moseley (L) and Haslam
Bob Mabee was blazing on the mound for the Athletics the the second game. He swished nine and allowed only one hit, a sixth-inning single by Don Bell. A five-run outburst in the sixth stanza put this one on ice.
Scott (L) and Haslam
Mabee (W) and Grant
(May 28) The Transport Workers stepped a half-game ahead of their two nearest rivals and boosted their bulge over last-place Builder’s to three games with a 4 to 3, extra-inning decision over the Sash & Door squad at Royal Athletic Park. Jerry Cooper’s well-executed squeeze bunt pulled this one out for the Transports in the bottom-of-the-tenth. “Bud” Taylor led off the overtime session with a single, stole second base and moved to third on Ron St. Denis’ infield hit, setting the stage for the exciting squeeze play. The hillock verdict went to 17-year old Bruce McKenzie. He yielded five base raps, three of them in the sixth chapter when Builder’s scored all of their runs on Don Bell’s bases-loaded triple.
Murdoch, Moseley (L) (5) and Haslam
Bruce McKenzie (W) and Moody
(May 29) After a slow start in the Victoria Senior Amateur League season, the I.A.A. Athletics gained a piece of the league lead by dumping the Independents 6 to 4. The win was the fourth in a row for the A’s who dropped their first two starts. Steady pitching by George Brice and the ability to capitalize on bases-on-balls made the difference. Third inning singles by Norm Curran, “Hap” Whalen and “Bud” Brice each drove in a run. Two more tallies touched home in the sixth when Ron Grant and George Brice hit one-baggers after walks had been issued. Brice struck out 14, allowed six hits and walked seven.
Thame (L), McIntosh (6) and Sadler
G. Brice (W) and Grant
(May 30) Builder’s Sash & Door, bottom-feeders in the Senior Amateur Baseball League, were bopped 10 to 3 by the I.A.A. Athletics but, in taking it on the chin, may have discovered a reliable pitcher in regular shortstop Larry Montgomery. Trailing by a 9 to 1 margin in the second inning, the Woodworkers summoned Montgomery to the knoll in hopes of stopping the bleeding. The shortpatcher-turned- slabster promptly tossed a loop over the Athletics’ bats, allowing only two hits in his eight-inning mound effort while yielding just a single run in the ninth. The A’s pretty well put a bow on this one with a six-spot in the opening panel on three walks, two errors, three singles and “Bud” Brice’s triple.
Yankoski (W) and Grant
Scott (L), Murdoch (2), Montgomery (2) and Haslam
Standings W L Pct. GBL
I.A.A. Athletics 5 2 .714 ----
Transport Workers 4 2 .667 0.5
Independents 2 2 .500 1.5
Builder’s Sash & Door 1 6 .143 4.0
(June 1) The Transport Workers got a pair of superb mound outings from starters Les Brice and Brent Siddons at Royal Athletic Park to trip the Independents 3 to 1 and 4 to 0 and, in the process, take over first place in the Senior Amateur loop. Les Brice served up a four-hit, route-going effort in the first half of the double-dip as Jim Moody nailed a solo dinger in the opening canto for the Transports.
L. Brice (W) and McAvoy
S. Bishop (L) and Cunningham
Brent Siddons made it 13 consecutive scoreless innings in the second tussle as he also stymied the Independents on four hits.
Todd (L) and Cunningham
Siddons (W) and McAvoy
(June 5) The I.A.A. Athletics did all the work at Royal Athletic Park but still had to settle for a 1 – 1 tie with the Transport Workers. The A’s banged out ten base raps through nine innings while the Transports had only one hit, a double by Brent Siddons in the sixth stanza.
(June 6) Errors made the difference at Royal Athletic Park as Builder’s Sash & Door upset the Transport Workers 3 to 1 in a Senior Amateur Baseball League battle. Des Moseley was in fine form on the hillock for Builder’s, allowing only three hits. Art Worth, pitching for the Workers, was also tough on rival batters, yielding but five hits and striking out 13. But his effort went for naught as his mates booted the ball on two occasions, both of which resulted in unearned tallies.
Worth (L) and McAvoy
Moseley (W) and Haslam
(June 11) A 13 to 4 shellacking of Builder’s Sash & Door vaulted the I.A.A. Athletics back into top spot in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League. John Todd, patrolling the middle pasture for the A’s, cracked two timely doubles and a single which drove in seven runs. Right-hander John Yankoski spaced eight hits to pick up the pitching win.
Murdoch (L), Scott (7) and Cosier
Yankoski (W) and Grant
(June 12) A total of 27 walks turned a Senior Amateur League game between the Transport Workers and the Independents into a walkathon. The Transports eventually won 9 to 7 but not until Brent Siddons and Bruce McKenzie gave up a combined total of 17 bases-on-balls. The Independents’ duo of Keith Todd and Don McIntosh added ten more to the list.
Siddons (W), Bruce McKenzie (4) and Brian McKenzie
Toss (L), McIntosh (3) and Sadler
(June 13) Trailing 5 to 2 after five frames, the Independents pushed across four large counters in the sixth stanza to take a 6 to 5 squeaker from the I.A.A. Athletics. I.A.A. starting twirler John Dodd seemed to have things under control until the Independents’ Chuck Bennett lashed a double, Stu Mitchell singled, a pair of errors were committed and Larry Johnston drilled a one-bagger to tie it at 5 – 5. Dodd was given the hook at this point and reliever John Yankoski served one up to Barry Sadler that was drilled for a solid single to drive home the tie-breaker and ultimate winner.
Dodd (L), Yankoski (6), G. Brice (7) and Grant
S. Bishop (W) and Sadler
(June 14) The Independents played a game of give-away at Royal Athletic Stadium and came out as 5 to 1 losers to Builder’s Sash & Door. Errors and bases-on-balls were the death knell of the Independents in this fracas. Both pitchers, winner Des Moseley of Builder’s, and the Independents’ Stan Thame surrendered just two hits but Thame walked six while his clubmates were committing four errors. Every thing was even until the fourth spasm when the Woodworkers proceeded to wrap up the game with a four-run rally that started on catcher Ken Cunningham’s throwing error. Moseley struck out 13 for the winners.
Thame (L) and Cunningham
Moseley (W) and Haslam, Wetherall (3)
(June 15-16) Each of the four teams in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League picked up a win and each tasted defeat once in weekend action at Royal Athletic Park. Builder’s Sash & Door and the first-place Transport Workers divided a Saturday double-bill while the I.A.A. Athletics and the Independents also shared the wealth in their Sunday two-game set. Last-place Builder’s broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the top-of-the-tenth inning to defeat the Workers 3 to 1 in Saturday’s first game.
Scott (W), Moseley (10) and Cosier
L. Brice (L) and McAvoy
The pace-setters won the second contest 7 to 3 on Brent Siddon’s seven-hitter.
Siddons (W) and McAvoy
Moseley (L) and Cosier
Sunday, George Brice gave up five hits in copping the matinée-game win as the Athletics prevailed 3 to 2.
G. Brice (W) and Patterson
Klinick (L) and Sadler
The Independents came back in the nightcap to triumph 8 to 4 as Joe Patterson laced three safeties for the victors.
Johnston (W), Thame (5) and Cunningham
Mabee (L), G. Brice (5) and Grant
(June 18) Deadlocked 7 – 7 with the Independents going into the bottom-of-the-ninth inning, the Transport Workers parlayed a double by Dave Pollock and a single by Gary Leibel/Liebel into a run and an 8 to 7 victory, a win which boosts them a full-game ahead of the I.A.A. Athletics in the race for top-place in the Senior Amateur circuit. Les Brice, moving from first base to the mound in relief of starter Bruce McKenzie, was credited with the pitching win. Brice and Pollock each had three hits for the winners
S. Bishop, Thame (5), Klinick (L) (8) and Sadler
Bruce McKenzie, L. Brice (W) (8) and Moody
(June 19) Relief pitcher George Brice doubled in top-of-the ninth inning, driving in the tying and winning runs, then scored an insurance counter on an error as the I.A.A. Athletics scored an 8 to 6 come-from-behind victory over Builder’s Sash & Door. Brice then toed the rubber and proceeded to shut the door on the Woodmen in the last half of the frame.
Yankoski, G. Brice (W) (8) and Blake
Montgomery (L), Scott (9) and Cosier
(June 20) The Transport Workers, behind the solid pitching of veteran left hander Art Worth, drubbed the I.A.A. Athletics 6 to 0 in Senior Amateur League action. Worth only fanned one batter but also only issued one walk. The Transports picked up their tallies on the long-ball hitting of Dave Pollock, Jim Moody, “Bud” Taylor and Gary Bishop.
Worth (W) and Moody
G. Brice (L), Blake (7) and Grant
(June 22) The Independents beat down Builder’s 7 to 2 in the opening game of a doubleheader and followed that up by bombing them 20 to 2 in the nightcap. Sharp at the plate for the winners was 16-year old outfielder Bob Burrows, seconded from the Connie Mack League for the twin-bill. Burrows poled a two-run double in the opener and slashed a double, triple and home run in the second game. Stu Mitchell also had the hex on pitchers from the Woodworkers, slamming three doubles and a triple.
Moseley (L) and Cosier
S. Bishop (W), McIntosh (5) and Sadler
Todd (W), Smith (7), Thame (7) and Sadler
Udy (L), Smith (2), Bell (6), Karadimas (7) and Cosier
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 9 3 .750 ----
I.A.A. Athletics 8 5 .615 1.5
Independents 6 8 .429 4.0
Builder’s Sash & Door 4 11 .267 6.5
(June 25) Des Moseley and George Brice threw hummers as they locked horns at Royal Athletic Park but the dice didn’t fall for Moseley. He gave up three hits, struck out 15 and was stung with the loss as the I.A.A. Athletics squeezed past Builder’s Sash & Door 2 to 1 in a sparkling Senior Amateur League struggle. Brice allowed only five hits, whiffed 17 and was in trouble only once. That was in the first inning when a single by Jerry Whitman, a passed ball and two errors allowed Builder’s to score their only run. Moseley leaned on that margin until the sixth. A single by Norm Curran, sandwiched between two walks and a sacrifice fly by Brice was worth two I.A.A. runs and the ball game.
Moseley (L) and Cosier
G. Brice (W) and Grant
(July 26) Connie Mack League call-up Bob Burrows continued to impress in senior competition when he drilled two singles as well as launching his second homer in his two-game appearance as the Independents dumped the Transport Workers 14 to 6.
Siddons (L), L. Brice (4), Bruce McKenzie (6) and Moody
Johnston, Thame (W) (4) and Burrows
(June 27) The Independents waited until their last turn at bat to sew up their Senior Amateur League game 2 to 1 against Builder’s at Royal Athletic Park. With the score tied 1 – 1 in the bottom-of-the-ninth, Stu Mitchell singled, Mike Hodge and Larry McKinty both bunted safely to load the bases and relief hurler Barry Scott walked Chuck Bennett to force in the winning run.
Murdoch (L), Scott (9) and Cosier
Todd (W) and Parker, Sadler (4)
(June 29) The Transport Workers went 3-for-3 at Royal Athletic Park to break open a tight race in the Victoria Senior circuit. The Workers won three games to move 3-1/2 games in front of the I.A.A. Athletics, defeating the A’s 4 to 3, 3 to 1 and 4 to 1. The first result was the completion of a suspended game begun on June 5.
(July 3) A bad fourth inning turned out to be the difference as the Transport Workers nudged last-place Builder’s Sash & Door 6 to 5 at Royal Athletic Park. The Woodworkers were in front 2 to 1 as they took the field in the fourth but then four errors suddenly changed the momentum of the game and they were suddenly in arrears by a 5 to 2 count. They gave it their best to stay in the game, scoring one in the fifth and two in the ninth but the Transports’ final run in the sixth proved to be too much.
Moseley (L), Scott (6) and Cosier
Skinner (W), G. Bishop (5) and McAvoy
(July 4) Ten walks in the first five innings, plus a number of defensive miscues, led to the demise of Builder’s Sash & Door by a 7 to 3 count at the hands of the I.A.A. Athletics. The victors managed to collect just two hits in the contest.
Yankoski (W) and Grant
Udy (L), Scott (5) and Rivers
(July 7) Doubleheader action at Royal Athletic Park produced a pair of extra-inning thrillers. Successive singles by Mike Hodge and Larry McKinty plus Barry Sadler’s sacrifice fly gave the Independents a 4 to 3 victory over the league-leading Transport Workers in the opener. Stan Thame notched the knoll triumph, getting solid batting support from Hodge who went four-for-four at the plate.
Thame (W) and Sadler
L. Brice (L) and Moody
The Workers came back to pull out the nightcap in overtime. Veteran portsider Art Worth won his own game 3 to 2 by singling home catcher Mike McAvoy with the tie-breaking tally.
Siddons, Worth (W) (6) and McAvoy
Todd (L) and Sadler
(July 10) After losing more one-run decisions than they care to admit, cellar-dwelling Builder’s Sash & Door finally annexed a one-run victory by downing the Independents 4 to 3 at Royal Athletic Park. Neil Worboys singled home playing-manager Des Moseley with the winning run in the eighth inning. It was his second base rap of the contest.
Todd (L) and Burrows
Moseley (W) and Cosier
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 14 5 .737 ----
I.A.A. Athletics 11 8 .579 3.0
Independents 9 11 .450 5.5
Builder’s Sash & Door 6 15 .286 9.0
(July 11) The Independents blew a 5 to 0 cushion in the seventh inning, surrendering a six-spot as the Transport Workers rampaged on to a 6 to 5 triumph. Gary Bishop started the whole thing off with a bottom-of-the-seventh bingle. Three walks and four hits later the comeback was complete. Dave Rees’ double off reliever Steve Bishop pushed across the tying and winning runs to highlight the big splurge. The Independents held a hefty 13 to 6 margin in base hits.
Thame, S. Bishop (L) (7) and Parker, Sadler (5)
L. Brice (W) and Brian McKenzie
(July 12) A pair of seeing-eye singles by I.A.A. batters, combined with unsteady pitching and a couple of defensive miscues by the Independents, spelled the difference as the Athletics posted a 7 to 4 win in Senior Amateur Baseball League play at Royal Athletic Park. Right-hander George Brice, touched for six hits, was the winning pitcher. Mistakes by the Independents and a brace of well-placed safeties by the A’s added up to four runs by the winners in the fourth frame. John Yankoski drove in a pair of counters during the rally.
G. Brice (W) and Grant
S. Bishop (L), McIntosh (4), Hemming (8) and Parker, Sadler (4)
(July 13) The second-place I.A.A. Athletics were dealt a blow when tail-end Builder’s Sash & Door swept a doubleheader from them by scores of 10 to 4 and 5 to 3. The double loss dropped the A’s four games behind the front-running Transport Workers who, with two games in hand, appear to be a shoo-in for the pennant. The Woodmen displayed sharp defensive work to earn the twin triumphs, backing up winning tossers Barry Scott and Des Moseley in route-going performances.
Scott (W) and Haslam
G. Brice (L), Dodd (4), Emery (5) and Grant
Kirchner (L), Emery (5) and Grant
Moseley (W) and Cosier
(July 16) A come-from-behind 2 to 1 victory by the Transport Workers over the I.A.A. Athletics at Royal Athletic Park dropped the A’s five full games behind in the pace-setters in the standings and virtually put a bow on the pennant race. Hits by John Yankoski and Rick Blake, combined with an error, gave the Athletics a first-inning 1 to 0 lead which they carried until the final frame. Then, singles by Art Worth, Gary Leibel/Liebel and Mike McAvoy, along with a sacrifice and an error, pulled it out for the Workers. Worth gained the hillock victory while Dave Emery was the loser in a brace of standout route-going efforts.
Worth (W) and McAvoy
Emery (L) and Grant
(July 17) Chuck Bennett slammed an inside-the-park home run, good for two runs, to sparks the Independents to an 11 to 2 bruising of Builder’s in a Senior Amateur League affair at Royal Athletic Park. The Independents had the game all sewed up by the third inning as they erupted for five runs, a splurge capped by Bennett’s four-bagger. For insurance, they added another five-spot in the fourth frame. Keith Todd was the master on the mound all the way, allowing only four hits to the Woodmen. The winners collected 11 base blows.
Murdoch (L), Udy (3) and Haslam
Todd (W) and Sadler
(July 18) Cellar-dwelling Builder’s Sash & Door reached up and tripped the league-leading Transport Workers 5 to 4 in Senior Amateur League action. Larry Whitman crossed the dish with the winner in the bottom-of-the-ninth. Newcomer Art Jones posted the knoll victory.
Pollock, Bruce McKenzie (L) (6) and Harvey
Jones (W) and Cosier
(July 23) The Transport Workers stepped five games ahead of their closest rivals, erupting for a five-spot in the third canto that carried them to a 6 to 4 victory over the Independents. The Royal Athletic Park game was called at the end of the seventh stanza because of darkness. A two-run error touched off the five-run spree. Gary Leibel/Liebel then stole home and the final two counters were driven in on one-baggers by Keith Dagg and Cliff Kilduff.
Siddons (W) and Murphy
Todd (L) and Parker
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 17 6 .739 ----
I.A.A. Athletics 12 11 .522 5.0
Independents 10 14 .417 7.5
Builder’s Sash & Door 9 16 .360 9.0
(July 24) Builder’s Sash & Door belted out ten hits and, behind solid pitching and errorless fielding, clobbered the second-place I.A.A. Athletics 9 to 1. Des Moseley did a fine job on the bump for the winners, limiting the A’s to only two hits, both singles by John Todd. Neil Worboys drove in two runs with a triple while another brace of tallies crossed the dish after the A’s booted the ball on a drive off his bat that should have resulted in an out. The win left Builder’s one game behind the third-place Independents.
Moseley (W) and Cosier
Blake (L), Kirchner (8), Yankoski (8) and Grant
(July 27) Builder’s and the Transport Workers divided a Royal Athletic Park doubleheader with the Woodworkers triumphing 6 to 4 in the matinée event before being bounced 10 to 3 in the finale.
Holt (W) and Haslam
Worth (L) and McAvoy
L. Brice (W) and Moody
Mosely (L) and Cosier
(July 30) Gary Tuttle’s two-out single in the eighth inning drove in the game’s lone run as Builder’s Sash & Door registered a 1 to 0 win over the I.A.A. Athletics in a game that was immediately called at that point because of darkness. Both chuckers of record, winner Grant Udy and loser George Brice, yielded just two hits to opposition batters.
G. Brice (L) and Grant
Udy (W) and Cosier
(July 31) The Independents dumped the league-leading Transport Workers 6 to 0 at Royal Athletic Park as Connie Mack recruit Norm Billsborough stymied the Transports on four hits and chipped in with a two-run double. Reliever Stan Thame took over in the eighth frame and preserved the shutout by striking out two batters. Mike Hodge drove in a pair of counters for the victors with a single and sacrifice fly.
Billsborough (W), Thame (8) and Parker, Sadler (3)
Siddons (L) and Moody
(August 3) The first inning proved to be disastrous for the I.A.A. Athletics in both games of their Senior Amateur twin-bill with the pennant-winning Transport Workers. The Transports scored four runs in the opening canto of each contest in downing the A’s 5 to 1 and 8 to 3. Two bases-on-balls by I.A.A. pitcher George Brice, coupled with a fielding error and hits by “Bud” Taylor, Gary Leibel/Liebel and Dave Pollock, produced a four-spot for the Workers in the first game.
G. Brice (L) and Grant
Worth (W) and Moody
In the second tussle, the first four Transport batters all scored. An Athletics’ error, triples by Jim Moody and Art Worth and singles by Barry Harvey and Dave Pollock sent the Workers well on their way to victory.
Emery (L), G. Brice (1) and Grant
Jolly (W), L. Brice (4), Siddons (6) and Strongman
(August 6) A 4 to 1 loss to the Independents at Royal Athletic Park dropped the I.A.A. Athletics from second place into the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League cellar. Builder’s moved out of the cellar spot, a mere four percentage points in front of the A’s, for the first time all season.
S. Bishop (W), Thame (5) and Sadler
Emery (L), Yankoski (4) and Grant, Blake (3)
(August 7) After a 24 hour reprieve from the cellar, Builder’s Sash & Door were shoved back into last place when they were trounced 13 to 4 by the Transport Workers at Royal Athletic Park. The Workers had nine hits and were helped along by four errors. Pete Jolly batted in four runs and Dave Rees three, one of them coming on a solo homer.
Jones (L), Scott (2), Moseley (2), Udy (3) and Cosier
Strongman (W), Skinner (6) and McAvoy
(August 8) Builder’s wound up their regular-season schedule on a winning note by blanking the Independents 2 to 0 at Royal Athletic Park. The Woodmen still have some hope of capturing third place and the final playoff berth but must rely upon assistance from other teams to do so.
Klinick (L), Billsborough (7) and Parker, Sadler (7)
Moseley (W) and Haslam
(August 10) A pair of losses to the Transport Workers put the free-falling I.A.A. Athletics in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Bounced 3 to 1 and 9 to 1 by the Workers in double-dip action at Royal Athletic Park, the A’s now trail Builder’s Sash & Door by a full game and must win both of their remaining contests just to force a sudden-death tie-breaker. Athletics’ pitcher Bob Mabee held the Transports to just two hits, a double by Jim Moody and a single by Art Worth, in the opening-game loss but his mates were unable to bunch their eight bingles into bacon.
Worth (W) and Moody
Mabee (L) and Blake, Emery (4)
In the second tilt, Art Worth drove in four runs as winning chucker Brent Siddons handcuffed the A’s on one hit.
G. Brice (L), Yankoski (L) and Emery
Siddons (W) and Strongman
(August 13) A perfectly executed squeeze bunt assured the Independents of a berth in the Senior Amateur Baseball League playoffs. Stu Mitchell was the executioner and Larry Johnston, sliding in from third base, the accomplice in the act that gave the Independents a 5 to 4 ten-inning victory over the Transport Workers.
L. Brice (L) and Strongman
Todd, Thame (W) (5) and Parker, Sadler (5)
(August 14) The Independents tripped the I.A.A. Athletics 4 to 3 at Royal Athletic Park to eliminate the A’s from any chance of making the playoffs. Overcoming a three-run deficit, the Independents plated a triad in the sixth to square matters. Then, in the bottom-of-the-ninth chapter, Joe Patterson drilled a two-out double and came around to score the winner on Larry Johnston’s fourth hit of the game.
Yankoski (L) and Emery
Billsborough, Thame (W) (7) and Sadler
(August 15) In a meaningless tussle that wrapped up the regular-season schedule, the Independents edged the I.A.A. Athletics 2 to 1
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 23 9 .719 ----
Independents 16 16 .500 7.0
Builder’s Sash & Door 14 18 .438 9.0
I.A.A. Athletics 12 20 .375 11.0
VANCOUVER ISLAND SENIOR AMATEUR BASEBALL FINAL PLAYOFFS
Cumberland (Up-Island Baseball League vs Victoria Transport Workers (best-of-three series)
(August 18) Victoria Transports won the Vancouver Island Senior Baseball title Sunday clipping Cumberland 5-1 and 10-4, to take the set in two straight. Tranports will now compete in the provincial playoffs in Kelowna over the Labour Day weekend.
Des Moseley held Cumberland to two hits in the opener as Victoria scored three runs in the first inning, enough for the victory. Again in the second game they had a quick start sending nine batters to the plate in each of the first two innings scoring five in the first and four in the second. Shortstop John Yankoski wielded a big bat for the winners drilling three hits in the opener and with lead-off singles to start both scoring sprees in the second contest. Veteran lefty Art Worth allowed ten hits but cruised to the win.
Cumberland 1 Transports 5
Bruce Taylor, Jack Mosdell (2) and Fred Patterson
Des Moseley and Jim Moody
Cumberland 4 Transports 10
Doug Williams, Taylor (1) and Patterson, Ken Allen (7)
Art Worth and Moody
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Builder’s vs Independents (best-of-three series)
(August 20) 17-year old right-hander Norm Billsborough tossed a three-hitter as the Independents clobbered Builder’s Door & Sash 9 to 1 in the opener of the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League semi-finals. The game was terminated after six innings of play because of darkness. Larry Johnston stroked a brace of safeties for the winners while teammates Larry McKinty and Mike Hodge drove in two runs each.
Holt (L), Jones (3) and Cosier
Billsborough (W) and Sadler
(August 21) Builder’s did an about-face at Royal Athletic Park and tied the best-of-three Senior Amateur semi-finals at a game each when they edged the Independents 1 to 0. Des Moseley was the secret weapon of the Woodworkers in this tilt, allowing only one hit during his tour of duty on the knoll as well as scoring the game’s lone run. Moseley walked in the fifth inning, moved to second on a single by batterymate Jay Haslam and scored on a hit by Dave Rivers.
Klinick (L) and Sadler
Mosely (W) and Haslam
(August 22) Builder’s Sash & Door, season-long cellar-dwellers who just squeezed into the playoffs in the final week of the regular schedule, qualified for the league finals by tripping the Independents 10 to 8 to win the best-of-three semi-finals 2 – 1 at Royal Athletic Park. Playing-manager Des Moseley of the winners reached base on five occasions and came around to score three runs.
Moseley, Holt (W) (4), Udy (7) and Haslam
Thame, Klinick (L) (6), Todd (7) and Sadler
FINALS Builder’s vs Transport Workers (best-of-three series)
(August 27) Gary Bishop accounted for all Transport runs at Royal Athletic Park as the Workers squeezed by Builder’s Sash & Door 3 to 2 in the opening game of the Senior Amateur League finals. Bishop’s bloop single to right field drove in a pair of first-inning runs and then, with darkness closing in rapidly and the score tied 2 – 2 in the bottom-of-the-sixth and final inning, he drew a bases-on-balls, was sacrificed to second base and plated the winning run on Mike McAvoy’s single. Winning pitcher Brent Siddons and Des Moseley of the vanquished nine each doled out four hits in a well-played match.
Moseley (L) and Haslam
Siddons (W) and McAvoy
(August 28) The Transport Workers captured the 1963 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League championship in two straight games when they pounded a trio of chuckers from Builder’s Sash & Door for 22 base blows in crushing the Woodmen 20 to 2.
L. Brice (W), Bruce McKenzie (6), Jolly (9) and Moody
Udy (L), Holt (3), Jones (4) and Haslam
MID-ISLAND BASEBALL LEAGUE
The 1963 Mid-Island Baseball League expanded to four teams as Ladysmith joined the circuit while Nanaimo remained conspicuous by its absence of senior-level baseball in favor of softball.
Chemainus
Duncan
Ladysmith
Lake Cowichan
PROVINCIAL SENIOR "A" PLAYOFFS
(August 31-September 2) For the second straight year Victoria is the Senior A champion of British Columbia having downed Terrace 6-3 on Monday. Victoria went unbeaten through the four-day, double knockout tournament. They advanced to the final on the one-hit, shutout pitching of Des Mosely as Victoria beat Kelowna 3-0 Saturday night. Terrace lost their first game 11-5 to Haney-Hammond but rallied with three consecutive wins, including a 6-5 victory over the Haney team in the semi-final. Victoria had earlier topped Haney 6-2 behind a four-hitter by Art Worth. Victoria and Terrace battled on even terms in the final until the sixth inning when Les Brice smacked a three-run, inside-the-park, homer to break a 3-3 tie.
Kelowna 0 Victoria 3
Sheelsy, Shafer (8) and Leonard
Moseley and Moody
Terrace 5 Haney 11
Victoria 6 Haney 2
Worth and Moody
Schwartz, Deans (5) and Bowyer
Terrace 6 Haney 5
Trinder, Gillespie (5) and Bowyer
Tenmark, Orr (5) and Swanson
Terrace 3 Victoria 6
Orr, Nelson (6) and Sunberg
Siddons, Moseley (9) and Moody