EDMONTON METROPOLITAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
The A & W Klondikes, adorned in uniforms of the 1890 era, replaced the Blue Willow Angels in this four-team circuit. The loop adopted a partial interlocking schedule for 1966 with three strong Calgary teams from the crack Southern Alberta Junior Baseball League. The Metro League, the only senior “A” league operating in Alberta that was affiliated with the Alberta Baseball Association in 1966, showed no interest in entering an inter provincial playoff.
A & W Klondikers
Army & Navy Cardinals
Safeway Seals
Weiller-Williams Colts
INTERLOCKING SCHEDULE OPPONENTS
Calgary Dodgers
Calgary Indians
Calgary White Sox
(May 25) The Army & Navy Cardinals drew first blood in the 1966 Metro League season by edging the A & W Klondikers 7 to 6, but only after surviving a near disastrous seventh inning. It looked as though left-hander Jim Stroble would go the distance for the Cardinals as they led by a 3 – 1 margin after five frames. But the Redbirds blew up in the seventh and Stroble led the way with the first of several near game-losing errors which helped put A & W in front 5 - 3. Eventually, Stroble was lifted and right-hander Gord Labossiere came on to preserve the victory. The Cards rallied back with a singleton in the bottom-of-the seventh and then took the lead once again, this time for good, with a trey in the eighth. The Klondikes used three chuckers with Dave Gareau, the last of the trio, being charged with the loss. Harry Hodgson, the Cardinals’ catcher, came up with the most timely blow of the contest for the winners, an eighth-episode two-run double.
(May 27) The Weiller-Williams Colts fought off a determined late-inning bid by the Safeway Seals to win their season’s opener 9 to 7 at Renfrew Park. The Equines doubled the Marine Mammals in hits, garnering 12 to six for the losers. Winning pitcher Gord Huolt lasted on the bump until the Safeway uprising in the seventh spasm that drove him to the showers. Gerry Powlik homered for the winners and Ross Speers had the longest swat of the game for the Seals, a double.
(May 28-29) The A & W Klondikers vaulted into first place in the Metro Baseball League over the weekend with a double victory over the Army & Navy Cardinals, winning 9 to 6 on Saturday and 6 to 1, before 2,000 fans, on Sunday. The Redbirds appeared to be well on their way to victory in the Saturday tilt, leading 6 – 3 after four frames, but the Klondikers came roaring back with a bevy of extra-base knocks to plate a five-spot in the fifth and a singleton in the eighth.
The Sunday clash had the added entertainment bonus of a scuffle involving the banishment of Gord Labossiere and Rich Pohle, both of the Cards, for charging the mound and initiating a shoving match after Pohle had been nearly hit by a pitched ball from winning heaver Dave Waddle. Losing twirler Richard Vale was kayoed from the hill in the opening canto and replaced by Harvey Popik who went the rest of the way. Waddle twirled a steady five-hitter and drove in a pair of runs.
(June 3) The Army & Navy Cardinals partially avenged their two weekend losses to the A & W squad by blanking the Klondikers 5 to 0 at Renfrew Park. Gord Labossiere spun a three-hitter for the shutout mound win. A two-run homer by Stan Kulka in the first inning provided Labossiere with all the offensive margin he would need. The Klondiker pitching duo of Wayne Wagner and Larry Murray gave up only seven hits but with Labossiere limiting A & W to nothing but goose eggs on the scoreboard, it was a lost cause.
(June 4-5) With 12 to 0 and 10 to 3 weekend victories over a Safeway Seals aggregation that just couldn’t get untracked, the Weiller-Williams Colts took over first place in the Metro Baseball League. In his first mound appearance of the campaign in the Saturday encounter, Bob Hood allowed the Seals only five hits in going the distance. He never experienced any serious trouble, especially after his mates gave him a 5 – 0 cushion to work with after the third inning. Don Stewart led the Colts’ 11-hit assault against three Safeway pitchers, collecting four one-base hits.
Dave Kosteniuk scattered eight hits over nine innings in the Sunday affair in leading the W-W’s to victory. Al Symington had three of the winners’ 11 base raps, one of which was a double. Ross Speers belted a solo homer for the Seals.
(June 7) Rollie Miles and his Weiller-Williams Colts continue unbeaten atop the Metro Baseball League , but only after nosing out the Army & Navy Cardinals 8 to 7 in a 14-inning squeaker. For the first five frames, the Colts had the Cards on the run, leading 6 – 1 but the Redbirds and their ace right-hander, Gord Labossiere, settled down and put the run on W-W pitcher Gord Huolt for five runs in the sixth to tie the score. The Colts went ahead 7 – 6 in the seventh when Gaalen Erickson singled and later scored on an error by Rod Gauf. For the second time in the game, the Redbirds rallied back to tie the score in the bottom-of-the-ninth when Rich Vale singled, was sacrificed to second base and raced the remainder of the way home on a miscue by Colts’ shortstop Eldon Ostby. In the fifth bonus round of overtime, the Colts were beneficiaries of another fielding flub, this one by Cards’ shortpatcher Dick Pohle, which allowed Don Stewart to reach first base. Consecutive singles by Ostby and Henry Hodgson followed which brought Stewart home with the lead run. The Army & Navy baseballers threatened in the bottom-of-the-fourteenth but reliever Dave Kosteniuk, with some solid defensive support, was able to douse the flames. Hodgson with four singles in seven times at bat led the Colts’ 16 hit-attack against Labossiere who toiled the entire 14 chapters on the bump. Erickson and Gary Hawkey contributed three safeties each while Ostby had a three-bagger to go along with his single. George Stickle was the heaviest willow wielder for the losers with three hits, one of them a double.
(June 11-12) The Army & Navy Cardinals took a pair of weekend games from the winless Safeway Seals, capturing the Saturday evening contest 8 to 0 and then coming back on Sunday afternoon to win 7 to 3. Jim Stroble went the distance on the mound for the Cards in the Saturday shutout, allowing but five hits while his mates collected eight. Lyle Kortzman picked up three of those safeties while Wayne Samis checked in with a pair.
The Redbirds scored all seven of their counters in the Sunday joust during the sixth frame as losing heaver Dale Turner couldn’t find the strike zone and walked several batters. Cliff Dombrowsky came to the aid of Turner but was nailed for a grand-slam homer by winning pitcher Rich Vale. The Cards managed only three hits in the clash but made them all count. Vale pitched well in going the route, surrendering six hits.
(June 14) A two-run double by George Stickle in the top-of-the-tenth inning broke up a tie ball game and led to an ultimate 8 to 5 victory for the Army & Navy Cardinals over the league-leading Weiller-Williams Colts. An RBI-single by George Kjenner then scored Stickle with an additional insurance run. Dave Kosteniuk’s two-run triple in the eight inning had tied the game at 5 – 5 and eventually led to overtime. The defeat for the Equines was their first in five games. Gord Labossiere scattered a dozen hits in earning the route-going mound triumph. Third-inning reliever Bob Hood was nailed with the loss.
Labossiere (W) and Hodgson, Kulka
Read, Hood (L) (3) and Erickson
(June 15) A late surge by the Safeway Seals fell just short as they dropped their seventh Metro League game in succession, a 6 to 5 loss at the hands of the A & W Klondikers. The victory for the Klondikers kept them hanging on grimly to second place in the circuit, just ahead of the oncoming Army & Navy Cardinals. Winning slabster Marv Chupka had the Seals fairly-well tamed going into the eighth inning, holding a comfortable 6 – 2 lead, but when he gave up a single to Fred Oakley, sandwiched around two walks, Wayne Wagner was summoned into the game as bullpen help. With the sacks occupied, he served up a double to Grant Cunningham which closed the gap to 6 – 4. An error then cost the Klondikers another run and, with the Seals within a single tally of knotting the count, Wagner steadied down and snuffed out the rally.
Lynn (L), Dombrowsky (5) and Jost
Chupka (W). Wagner (8) and Lambert
(June 16) The Weiller-Williams Colts thumped the A & W Klondikers 13 to 5 at Renfrew Park to stretch the lead atop the Metro baseball loop. Gord Huolt scattered seven hits in going the distance for the mound victory. He was also potent at the plate, slugging a triple and double which resulted in three RBI’s. Teammate Henry Hodgson also hit well, accumulating three of the Colts’ 13 hits.
Huolt (W) and Erickson
Gareau, L. Murray (L) (4), D. Waddle (4), Wagner (8) and Lampert
(June 17) The pace-setting Weiller-Williams Colts were forced to come from behind to score a 5 to 2, tenth-inning win over the Safeway Seals. It was the eight loss of the season for the winless Seals. Andy Skujins drove in Don Stewart with the run that turned out to be the winner with a sharp single. Al Symington’s double added a pair of insurance runs.
Stewart (W) and Symington
Turner (L) and W. Waddle
(June 18) The Weiller-Williams Colts won their sixth game of the season, thumping the hapless Safeway Seals 13 to 3. Dennis Murray scattered eight hits in pitching the complete-game victory. He received excellent batting support from Dave Kosteniuk who singled twice and laced out a double. Eldon Ostby also garnered two singles. The Seals used four tossers with starter Bob Salahub being stung with the defeat.
Salahub (L), Dombrowsky (4), Lynn (6), Pollard (8) and Mudie
Murray (W) and Erickson
(June 19) The largest crowd of the current baseball season turned out at Renfrew Park for a rain-abbreviated Edmonton-Calgary interlocking doubleheader. Before rain washed out the second game, the multitude of fans liked what they saw as the Army & Navy Cardinals edged the Calgary Indians 6 to 5 in a seven-inning opener. The Redbirds were in the lead in the second tussle before the precipitation ended things in the third frame.
Three Cardinal pitchers limited the Calgarians to just four hits in the matinée tilt. The hosts, meanwhile, banged out 11 base blows as Larry Proctor led the way with a triple and Dick Pohle rapped out two singles.
Reid (L), Szabo (5) and Sidle
Fischbach, Kachuk (W) (5), Harry Hodgson (7) and Kulka
(June 19) The hosting Calgary Dodgers of the Southern Alberta Junior Baseball League resembled anything but a first-place club at Buffalo Stadium during an interlocking doubleheader with Edmonton’s A & W Klondikers. The Dodgers came up with atrocious performances in losing 10 to 5 and 9 to 0 to the more experienced Metro League team. The youthful Cow Towners booted the ball 20 times over the course of the two-game set. Right-hander Alf Sedran received shoddy support in the opener and lost out to A & W’s Marv Chupka. Sedran received relief help from Ricky Horb.
Dave Waddle blanked the Dodgers on six hits in the nightcap while Guy Gibbs, the first of three Dodger hurlers, was tagged with the loss.
(June 20) Al Symington’s three-run double in the eighth inning broke a 1 – 1 deadlock and sparked the Weiller-Williams Colts to an eventual 4 to 3 conquest of the A & W Cardinals at Renfrew Park. Winning pitcher Dale Schultz got himself into hot water in the bottom-of-the ninth when the Cards scored a pair on an error and had the tying counter on base when he enticed the ever-dangerous Gord Labossiere to loft a game-ending pop up.
Schultz (W) and Erickson
Stroble (L), Labossiere (8) and Harry Hodgson
(June 21) The Army & Navy Cardinals battered three Safeway hurlers for 12 hits as they trashed the winless Seals 8 to 2 at Renfrew Park. Each team used three hurlers with losing heaver Alex Romaniuk of the Seals the first to hit the showers. Rod Gauf, Dick Pohle and George Stickle provided much of the hitting power for the Redbirds.
Romaniuk (L), Dombrowsky (1), Pollard (8) and W. Waddle
Hanna, Vale (W) (3), Labossiere (6) and Harry Hodgson
(June 22) Although outhit by a 14 to 9 margin, the Weiller-Williams Colts continued their dominance in Metro League play by posting a 10 to 9 squeaker over the A & W Klondikers. The win for the Equines was their ninth against one loss. Don Stewart, the second of a triad of Colt hurlers was credited with the victory while starter Dave Gareau of the Root Beer gang was nicked for the loss. Top hitters in the contest both came from the vanquished nine. Sherman Kaufman paced the Drive-In nine with two doubles and a single while teammate Ron Watamaniuk ripped three singles.
Huolt, Stewart (W) (2), D. Murray (8) and Erickson
Gareau (L), D. Waddle (5) and Tanner
(June 24) Big Gord Labossiere held the Safeway Seals to just five hits in pitching the A & W Cardinals past the cellar-dwellers by a 10 to 4 count. Seals’ manager Wes Montgomery, who pitched to only three batters in the opening inning, took the defeat. In addition, he was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpire.
Labossiere (W) and Harry Hodgson
Montgomery (L), Turner (1) and W. Waddle, Mudie (9)
(June 25-26) The A & W Klondikers came out on top in two-out-of-three weekend games against the top-dog Weiller-Williams Colts. A & W picked off the Saturday contest by a narrow 4 to 3 score and then divided the spoils in a Sunday twin-bill, dropping the opener 7 to 3 before gaining a split with another 4 to 3 squeaker in the late tilt.
Wayne Wagner tossed seven-hit ball before turning the horsehide over to fireman Marv Chupka in the ninth canto of the Saturday bout.
In Sunday’s seven-inning opener, the Colts broke the game open with deuces in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
The Drive-In gang overcame a 4 to 0 deficit in the wrap-up affair as Larry Murray pitched eight scoreless innings after coming to the aid of Dave Gareau. The winners clubbed Dave Schultz and Trann Dawson for a pair of fourth-inning tallies and added three more in the fifth to secure the come-from-behind win.
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Weiller-Williams Colts 10 3 .769 ----
Army & Navy Cardinals 8 4 .667 1.5
A & W Klondikers 9 5 .643 1.5
Safeway Seals 0 11 .000 9.0
* includes interlocking games with three Calgary junior teams
(June 28) The Army & Navy Cardinals rallied for five runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Safeway Seals 6 to 2 in a Metro League fixture at Renfrew Park. Rich Vale struck out seven Seals in going the distance for the pitching win. Dale Turner suffered the loss, dipping his record to 0 – 5. George Kjenner was the big hitter for the Cards with a double and single.
Turner (L), Lynn (7) and W. Waddle
Vale (W) and Kulka
(June 29) The Weiller-Williams Colts continued their winning ways by turning back the A & W Cardinals 7 to 5 in Metro Baseball League action. Winning slabster Dale Schultz, pitching for the Equines, persevered to the end as the Burger Boys threatened with a three-run ninth inning. Al Symington, Andy Skujins and Gaalen Erickson each singled twice for the victors
(June 30) The A & W Klondikes improved their Metro League record to 10 – 6 with a 12 to 11 conquest of the lowly Safeway Seals. The Root Beer Barons, who trailed 5 – 3 after three innings, chased a pair of Seal’s pitchers, including losing chucker Cliff Chapman, in the fourth frame when they exploded for eight runs. Damon Kandrow, the second of three moundsmen used by the Klondikes, copped the hillock verdict and drove in what proved to be the winning counter in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly.
Chapman (L), Salahub (4), Taylor (4) and W. Waddle
Chupka, Kandrow (W) (3), Andres (8) and Tanner
(July 4) Some untimely errors by the A & W Klondikers allowed the Weiller-Williams Colts to scrape out a 3 to 2 decision over the Burger Boys at Renfrew Park. In arrears by a 2 – 1 count going into the bottom-of-the-eighth inning, the Equines pounced on three A & W miscues and scored single runs in each of the last two panels to pull out the victory. Gord Huolt yielded seven hits in taking the win over the Klondikers’ Dave Waddle.
D. Waddle (L) and Tanner
Huolt (W) and Symington
(July 5) The Safeway Seals dropped another encounter at Renfrew Park, a 15 to 5 drubbing at the hands of the Weiller-Williams Colts, to further extend their record of futility to 0 – 14 in the Metro Baseball League. Three Seals’ chuckers were combed for 15 hits by the winners. Henry Hodgson pounded out for base knocks and Dave Kosteniuk contributed three.
Schultz (W), Dawson (9) and Symington, Erickson (7)
Dombrowsky (L), Pollard (2), Sharun (8) and W. Waddle
(July 6) The Army & Navy Cardinals scored three unearned runs in the seventh inning to defeat the A & W Klondikers 5 to 3 in a Metro League contest. Harry Hodgson scattered nine hits in going the distance for the victory. Two crucial errors by his mates in the seventh proved to be the curse for Wayne Wagner, who gave up seven hits and was victimized with the loss. Lyle Kortzman picked up a double and single for the Redbirds while Ron Watamaniuk and Sherman Kaufman had two singles each for A & W.
Wagner (L) and Tanner, Holowiski (8)
Harry Hodgson (W) and Kulka
(July 8) Gord Labossiere allowed five scattered hits in leading the Army & Navy Cardinals past the Weller-Williams Colts 3 to 0 at Renfrew Park. Labossiere was seldom in difficulty as he spaced the hits and walks he surrendered so well that ten Colt runners were left on base. Only one of the three tallies scored by the winners was earned, that coming in the third frame on an RBI-single by George Kjenner.
Labossiere (W) and Harry Hodgson
D. Murray (L) and Erickson
(July 9-10) The Safeway Seals were overwhelmed with their own generosity in two weekend games at Renfrew Park. The Metro League cellar-dwellers absorbed their 15th and 16th losses of the campaign, bowing twice to the A & W Klondikes. The Marine Mammals committed a whopping 12 errors in the two clashes, eight in the final game.
Saturday, the Root Beer Barons blasted the Seals 11 to 4. Damon Kandrow went yard with a tater for the Klondikes.
Chupka (W) and Tanner
Dombrowsky (L) and W. Waddle
The Sunday tilt was even more of a rout and ended after eight innings because of rain with the Klondikes in command 15 to 4.
Kachuk (L), Mudie (6) and W. Waddle, Simpson (6)
D. Waddle (W), Wagner (6) and Tanner
(July 12) Rollie Miles’ Weiller-Williams Colts fattened their Metro Baseball League lead by picking off a 6 to 2 win over the fumble-prone Army & Navy Cardinals. Bob Hood led the Colts in their winning action at Renfrew Park by tossing a four-hitter. The W-W’s also received ample assistance from the Redbirds who committed seven errors. Don Stewart paced the Miles’ mob at bat with three singles while Gerry Powlik rapped out a pair.
Hood (W) and Erickson
Stroble (L) and Kulka
(July 13) The Safeway Seals did what seemed an impossibility, ending their winless drought by sidelining the A & W Klondikers 10 to 8 at Renfrew Park. The long sought-after win came after 12 innings of intense play when it appeared the Grocers were about to blow another one after giving up an 8 to 4 sixth-inning lead. Such was not to be the case, however, as the Safeways battled on even terms through two scoreless sessions of overtime before picking up a deuce in the top-of-the-twelfth and then holding the Klondikers off the scoreboard in their half of the canto.
(July 14) Gord Huolt improved his pitching record to 4 – 0 for the season by hurling the Weiller-Williams Colts to an 11 to 3 win over the Safeway Seals at Renfrew Park. Huolt was touched for six hits in going the route while his mates were banging out 15 safeties off a tandem of Seal twirlers including losing heaver Ron Pollard.
Pollard (L), Kachuk (3) and Bradshaw
Huolt (W) and Erickson
(July 16) The Army & Navy Cardinals broke a second-place deadlock with the A & W Klondikers by blanking the Fast Food contingent 10 to 0. Gord Labossiere ran his pitching record to 6 – 1 with a six-hitter. Dick Pohle of the Redbirds got to losing chucker Wayne Wagner and two relievers for two doubles and a single.
Wagner (L), D. Waddle (1), Chahley (7) and W. Waddle
Labossiere (W) and Harry Hodgson
(July 17) The Safeway Seals, doormats in the Metro Baseball League, split a pair of games with the visiting Calgary Dodgers, front-runners in the Southern Alberta Junior League, in an interlocking set-to played before more than 1,000 fans at Renfrew Park. The Seals, 5 to 4 losers in the matinée tilt, won only their second start in 20 tries by copping the nightcap by the identical score. In the first game, the Safeway squad out-hit the junior Dodgers by a 9 to 5 count. Calgary’s Ron Moffat unloaded a three-run round-tripper in the opening canto to start the demise of the Seals.
Horb (W) and Wallin
Kachuk, Dombrowsky (L) (7) and W. Waddle
Ross Speers powered the Seals to victory in the twilight tilt, pounding the horsehide for two singles and two doubles, one of which drove in a pair of fourth-inning runs to protect the win for pitcher Bill Mudie.
Sedran (L), Horb and Wallin
Dombrowsky, Mudie (W) (5), Sharun (9) and Simpson
(July 17) The invading Weiller-Williams Colts of Edmonton outclassed the Calgary junior Indians in SAJBL-Metro League interlocking action at Buffalo Stadium. The Colts posted 5 to 4 and 13 to 8 victories over the Tribe and defeated highly-regarded Los Angeles Dodgers’ bonus left-hander Barry McGillivray in the process.
McGillivray experienced control difficulties, walking eight while striking out six, in the first game. An untimely error by Indians’ shortstop Don Maxwell in the fourth inning opened the gates for four unearned Colt tallies. McGillivray was nicked for seven singles, two off the bat of Don Stewart, while the Calgarians managed six safeties off southpaw winner Dennis Murray. Playing-manager Rollie Miles drove in the winning counter for the W-W’s with a seventh-inning single. Maxwell was the top swatsmith for the Indians, nailing a double and single to push in three runs.
The Colts came from behind to tag reliever Ian Reid with the loss in the nightcap, a marathon slugfest of 28 hits. Miles and Gary Hawkey belted four safeties each in the Colts’ 15-hit attack on three Tribe chuckers. Stewart was the winning heaver in a relief role.
(July 19) George Kjenner and Wayne Samis combined to lead the Army & Navy Cardinals to a 10 to 3 win over the A & W Klondikers in Metro Baseball League play. Kjenner collected three hits, two singles and a double, while Samis came up with a pair of two-baggers in carrying the Cardinals to their decisive victory. Winning flinger Jim Stroble allowed eight hits and struck out four in boosting his record to 3 – 2 for the season. Bill Chahley, the first of three Klondiker tossers, was creamed with the loss. Ron Watamaniuk belted a solo homer for the vanquished nine.
Stroble (W) and Harry Hodgson
Chahley (L), D. Waddle (7), Kaufman (9) and Holowiski
(July 22) Malcolm Lynn, a 19-year old call-up from the Sunburst League, pitched a three-hitter and punched out 12 in propelling the Army & Navy Cardinals to an 11 to 1 thrashing of the bottom-feeding Safeway Seals. The Redbirds controlled the play, collecting 13 hits off two Seal chuckers and played perfect defensive ball. First baseman Gord Labossiere added to the woes of the Grocers when he lashed out a three-run homer in the eighth inning.
(July 29) The Army & Navy Cardinals tripped the A & W Klondikers 6 to 3 in Metro League action at Renfrew Park. The Redbirds pounced on six Klondiker errors to score four runs in the sixth inning and another pair in the ninth. All but one of the tallies was unearned. Harry Hodgson went the route on the hill for the victory, fanning ten batters.
Harry Hodgson (W) and Kulka
D. Waddle (L) and Tanner
(July 30-31) The hosting Calgary junior Indians won two of three interlocking games against the Edmonton Metro League’s Army & Navy Cardinals over the weekend. The Tribe downed Stan Kulka’s Cardinals 11 to 8 Saturday night, then took the first of a Sunday twin-bill 5 to 3 before running out of steam in the nightcap, bowing 15 to 0.
Gord Karch slapped homers in pacing the Tribe to their two wins. Ian Reid and Jim LaDuke gained the pitching victories over Redbirds while Bob Luft suffered the Sunday night defeat.
(July 31) Bill Chahley hurled the Edmonton A & W Klondikers to a 4 to 0 conquest of the Calgary junior White Sox in the matinée portion of an interlocking double-dip at Renfrew Park. A costly error in the ninth inning of the late tussle provided the A & W nine with a pair of unearned runs and a 3 to 2 victory.
(August 1) The Weiller-Williams Colts, top-dogs in Edmonton’s Metro Baseball League, nosed out the visiting Calgary Indians 4 to 3 in the opening half of an interlocking doubleheader at Renfrew Park. The Cow Town juniors roared back to annex the owl encounter 10 to 3, sending losing tosser Gord Huolt to the showers after just three innings.
(August 1) In interlocking action at Calgary’s Buffalo Stadium, the White Sox of the Southern Alberta Junior circuit traded decisions with the lowly Safeway Seals from Edmonton’s Metropolitan Baseball League. The Pale Hose won the opener 4 to 3 behind left-hander Robb Donville but were blanked 7 to 0 by the Seals’ Ron Kachuk in the sunset skirmish.
(August 2) Dave Waddle hurled the A & W Klondikers to a 7 to 2 win over the Safeway Seals in Metro League play at Renfrew Park. Waddle struck out six batters in going the route, squaring his season’s record at 5 – 5. Dick Staples was the top batter for the Klondikers, slapping out three hits including a double. Bill Mudie, the first of three Seals’ pitchers, absorbed the loss.
Mudie (L), Turner (4), Dombrowsky and Bradshaw
D. Waddle (W) and Tanner
(August 3) The A & W Klondikers took advantage of nine Safeway errors to defeat the Seals 14 to 9 at Renfrew Park. The Seals, cellar-dwellers in the Metro League, had a 3 to 0 lead after three frames but the wheels began to fall off in the middle innings. The Klondikers cuffed the offerings of three Safeway tossers, including losing slabster Don Sharun, for 15 base raps. Wayne Wagner, who ascended the bump in a fifth-inning relief role, annexed the pitching win. Julie Owchar doubled twice for the winners.
(August 7) Making his debut in the Metro League this season, Dennis Lindstrand tossed a two-hitter to send the Army & Navy Cardinals to a 5 to 1 victory over the Safeway Seals. Lindstrand whiffed eight batters and struck out the side twice in going the distance. An error by third baseman George Stickle of the Cards sent Jim Bradshaw home with the Seals’ only run in the first inning. The Redbirds amassed ten hits in support of Lindstrand.
(August 8) The lowly Safeway Seals pulled off the biggest upset of the current Metro Baseball League season when they waltzed to a surprisingly easy 16 to 6 victory over the first-place Weiller-Williams Colts at Renfrew Park. Playing in their last regularly scheduled game, the Marine Mammals shelled three Colt pitchers for 23 hits. A five-run seventh inning off losing pitcher Bob Hood broke a 3 – 3 tie and vaulted the Grocers to the lopsided win. Ron Kachuk, who went 8-1/3 innings on the bump, was the winning tosser. Kirk Evenrude collected four hits to lead the Safeway squad at the dish.
Kachuk (W), Turner (8), Kachuk (9) and Chappel
Schultz, Hood (L) (6). Huolt (8) and Erickson
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Weiller-Williams Colts 18 6 .750 ----
Army & Navy Cardinals 17 8 .680 1.5
A & W Klondikers 15 12 .556 4.5
Safeway Seals 5 23 .179 15.0
* includes interlocking games with three Calgary junior teams
(August 9) The front-running Weiller-Williams Colts saw their lead atop the Metro League shrink even further when they absorbed their second loss in as many nights at Renfrew Park after being edged 4 to 3 by the second-place Army & Navy Cardinals. The Redbirds’ victory pushed them to within a half-game of the league-leaders. Right-hander Cord Labossiere was in unbeatable form, ringing up 15 punchouts in going the distance for his seventh win. Dennis Murray fanned 11 in absorbing the loss. The Cards scored the winning tally in the bottom-of-the eighth canto as a result of a dropped ball on a routine outfield fly. Dick Pohle of the victors and the W-W’s Gaalen Erickson both knocked in two counters for their respective squads.
(August 12) The Army & Navy Cardinals, recovering from a 4 to 0 first-inning deficit, edged the Weiller-Williams Colts 9 to 8 to move a half-game ahead of the W-W’s in their battle for first-place and the Metro League pennant. Dennis Lindstrand, who relieved Malcolm Lynn in the first frame, was credited with the pitching victory while route-going Dale Schultz of the Colts was tabbed with the loss. Lindstrand and Wayne Samis each had a pair of RBI’s for the Redbirds.
Lynn, Lindstrand (W) (1), Labossiere (9) and Kulka
Schultz (L) and Kitt
(August 14) The Army & Navy Cardinals climaxed a late-season surge to nose out the Weiller-Williams Cots, league-leaders for the bulk of the season, 2 to 1 to capture the 1966 Metropolitan Baseball League regular-season pennant. Pinch-hitter Larry Procktor/Proctor supplied the deciding punch, slicing a long single in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning to drive in Dick Pohle with the winning run. Gord Labossiere whiffed ten and went the distance on the mound for the important victory which gives the Redbirds a first-round bye in the playoffs.
(August 19) Weiller-Williams Colts 6 A & W Klondikers 2
Final standings * W L Pct. GBL
Army & Navy Cardinals 20 8 .714 ----
Weiller-Williams Colts 19 9 .678 1.0
A & W Klondikers 15 13 .536 5.0
Safeway Seals 5 23 .179 15.0
* includes interlocking games with three Calgary junior teams
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS A & W Klondikers vs Weiller-Williams Colts (best-of-seven series)
(August 19) In a contest that doubled as the final game of the regular season and the opening game of the semi-finals, the Weiller-Williams Colts hung a 6 to 2 defeat on the A & W Klondikers. The two clubs were scoreless until the top-of-the-sixth inning when the Klondikers hit up left-hander Dennis Murray of the W-W’s for four hits to take a short-lived 2 – 0 lead. The Colts loaded the bases in their half of the frame and scored four runs on just one hit, aided by three errors from A & W third baseman Dick Staples. Murray yielded seven hits and struck out seven in grabbing the hurling decision. Losing flinger Dave Waddle, the first of three Klondiker chuckers, gave up all six runs and fanned five.
(August 21) The Weiller-Williams Colts put together 3 to 2 and 14 to 0 victories over the A & W Klondikes at Renfrew Park to take a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the Metro Baseball League semi-finals. They scored the necessary runs in the first two innings for their opening-game victory and got to three A & W heavers for 17 hits in the lopsided nightcap win. Gord Huolt walked eight and yielded five hits in earning the hillock verdict in the seven-inning lid-lifter.
Dale Turner won his first game of the season with a neat four-hitter in the late contest. The Colts put this game on ice by pouncing on reliever Wayne Wagner for seven hits and eight runs in the eighth episode.
(August 23) A 9 to 6 verdict over the A & W Klondikers sent the Weiller-Williams Colts into the finals of the Metro Baseball League against the Army & Navy Cardinals. The Equines captured the best-of-seven series in four games straight. Right-hander Bob Hood was the complete-game winner. With the score knotted at 6 – 6 and the bases loaded in the eighth panel, Harry Hodgson sliced a ball toward Klondiker second baseman Pat Gibson who fielded the grounder but his throw to home plate was not in time to get the force out at the plate. The W-W’s added two more insurance tallies before the inning was over.
FINALS Weiller-Williams Colts vs Army & Navy Cardinals (best-of-seven series)
(August 26) The Weiller-Williams Colts, pace-setters for most of the Metro League campaign who went into a late-season funk, began to make amends in the opening game of the league finals. The Colts defeated the pennant-winning Army & Navy Cardinals 3 to 2 at Renfrew Park, scoring all three runs during a four-hit fourth inning, the big blast of which was a two-run triple by shortstop Eldon Ostby. The Cards came back with two runs in the sixth inning but never managed another serious attack. Trann Dawson went the distance for the victory. Both he and loser Gord Labossiere were touched for nine hits. Stan Kulka, Harry Hodgson and Dick Pohle of the Redbird, with a single and double each, were the top hitters in the game.
Dawson (W) and Erickson
Labossiere (L) and Kulka
(August 31) With big Gord Labossiere in top form, the Army & Navy Cardinals squared the Metro League finals at a game apiece by blanking the Weiller-Williams Colts 7 to 0 at Renfrew Park. While Labossiere was keeping the Colt batters under control by spinning a nifty one-hitter, his teammates were steadily pounding the offerings of losing slabster Bob Hood for 13 safeties. Rod Gauf tripled and doubled for the Redbirds while Harry Hodgson had a three-bagger and single.
(September 4-5) Following a pair of holiday weekend games, the Metro Baseball League finals remained in a stalemate. A Sunday 4 to 3 win by the Weiller-Williams Colts had vaulted them into a one-game lead but a 12 to 0 Monday shellacking by the Army & Navy Cardinals tied the series at two games each.
The Colts scored all their runs in the first inning Sunday and it became a nip-and-tuck battle as the Cards roared back with three counters in the second as the pitchers held the batters in check the rest of the way. Trann Dawson hurled his second victory in the series for the W-W’s. Malcolm Lynn started on the hill for the Redbirds but was kayoed to the sidelines and replaced by Dennis Lindstrand during the Colts’ opening-episode uprising.
Reliable right-hander Gord Labossiere limited the Equines to eight hits in the Monday encounter while the Cardinals were busy unleashing a 14-hit attack against losing tosser Dale Schultz and reliever Bob Hood. Wayne Samis was the big gun with the baton for the victors, spanking the sphere for five singles. Teammate Lyle Kortzman had a double and single.
(September 7) The Army & Navy Cardinals somehow managed to out-fumble the Weiller-Williams Colts and, as a result, fell within one game of elimination after bowing 5 to 4 to the Colts in a sloppily-played game five. The Redbirds committed seven errors to five for the W-W’s and the Equines took advantage to the fullest, scoring three unearned runs for a 3 – 2 series lead. Gord Huolt got credit for the hurling triumph although he needed relief help in the fifth frame from Trann Dawson. The duo limited the Cards to five hits. Jim Stroble, the losing chucker, and his successor on the knoll Gord Labossiere, were nicked for ten safeties including three singles by Dave Kosteniuk. Only one Colts’ batter was credited with an RBI. Skipper Rollie Miles, in a pinch-hitting role, drove in second baseman Gary Hawkey in the fourth inning with a double. Hawkey had connected for a triple.
(September 11) Errors once again proved costly for the Army & Navy Cardinals as the Weiller-Williams Colts won the 1966 Metropolitan League Baseball championship at Renfrew Park. The Colts pounced on the openings afforded them with the miscues to nose out the Redbirds 4 to 3 in ten innings, taking four of the six games played in the best-of-seven affair. All four of their victories were nail-biters, each coming with only a one-run margin. Key blows by Dave Kosteniuk and Gerry Powlik in the bottom-of-the-overtime round of play sent the curtain down on the season. Kosteniuk led off with a two-bagger and, after one had been retired, Powlik laced a second double to plate Kosteniuk with the winning tally. Dale Schultz, who relieved starter Bob Hood in the sixth inning, was credited with the win. Losing hurler Gord Labossiere tried vainly to win the game with two singles and a double. Kosteniuk paced the new champions with an identical performance at the plate while Powlik added a one-base hit to his game-winning double.
The game also featured the presentation of awards from league play. George Kjenner of the Cardinals was crowned the batting champion. Labossiere was voted the leading pitcher in the loop while Ron Watamaniuk of the A & W Klondikers was selected as the circuit’s MVP.
WHEAT BELT BASEBALL LEAGUE
This well-established senior loop, unaffiliated with the Alberta Baseball Association, added a club representing Rycroft for the 1966 season to replace the loss of the Falher Pirates. Big on tournament ball, the stronger member teams in this circuit devoted much of their attention to participating in regular prize money events. Beaverlodge Royals
Fairview Outlaws
Grande Prairie Eskimos
Peace River Stampeders
Rycroft Rebels
Sexsmith Rainiers
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Grande Prairie vs Sexsmith & Peace River vs Fairview (best-of-three series)
(August 17) The Peace River Stampeders dropped the opening game of their best-of-three semi-final series 7 to 5 to the pennant-winning Fairview Outlaws.
(August 21) The Fairview Outlaws bounced the Peace River Stampeders 3 to 0 in a darkness-shortened six-inning playoff fixture to eliminate them from the playoffs. Terry Watchorn fashioned a four-hitter in hurling the shutout win. Pete Czuy, with two doubles, had half of the Stamps’ offensive production.
FINALS Grande Prairie vs Fairview (sudden-death showdown)
(September 13) Flexing their muscles in the early innings, the pennant-winning Fairview Outlaws stacked up an early lead and then snuffed out a Grande Prairie rally in the late going to claim a 9 to 8 victory over the visiting Eskimos. The win for the Law Breakers in the sudden-death encounter gave them the Wheat Belt Baseball League championship for the second year in succession. Fairview batters worked over losing pitcher Jim Johnston for four runs in their first turn at bat, two of the tallies coming on a circuit-clout by Pat Friedel with one mate aboard. Another two-run shot, this one by Ken Fox in the fifth, upped the Bandits lead to 9 to 3. But, after that, the Esks began to peck away and closed the gap to 9 – 8 in the eighth episode on a grand-slam home run by Murney Nellis. Only fine relief work from Ken Fox, who came on to garner the save in the ninth, prevented the Igloo Dwellers from getting on the scoreboard again. Starter Jim Fox, who cut down ten batters on strikes, got the win.
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CENTRAL ALBERTA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Bentley
Clive
Czar
Great Bend
Nebraska
Red Deer Juvenile Eskimos
Stettler Juveniles
PLAYOFFS
FINALS
(August 21) Great Bend clobbered hosting Czar 17 to 4 to win the Central Alberta intermediate “A” baseball championship and gain a berth into the provincial final. Bob Trautman went the distance to take the pitching win.
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OILFIELD BASEBALL LEAGUE
Breton Eagles
Calmar Angels
Calmar Cubs
Devon Safeway Kings
Glen Park Orioles
Leduc Oilers
Warburg Buffaloes
PLAYOFFS
SUDDEN-DEATH SEMI-FINALS
(July 31) The Devon Safeway Kings and Warburg Buffaloes emerged as winners in sudden-death Oilfield Baseball League playoff action. The Kings dropped the Leduc Oilers 4 to 2 in one semi-final while the Buffs edged the Calmar Angels 6 to 5 in the other.
Devon broke a 1 – 1 deadlock with a pair of runs in the seventh inning to take control of their tilt. Phil Hamula picked up the mound decision in a relief role. Harvey Wetzel, Ken Thorne and Adrian Bouchard poked two hits each for the winners.
Warburg was forced to come from behind with three runs in the eighth episode to capture their encounter. Albert Morden crashed three hits and drove in the tying marker. Larry Lafreniere went the distance on the knoll to record the win.
SUDDEN-DEATH FINAL
(August 6) The Warburg Buffaloes edged the Devon Safeway Kings 7 to 6 in ten innings to win the 1966 Oilfield League playoff crown and represent the circuit in the provincial playoffs.
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EDMONTON SUNBURST BASEBALL LEAGUE
Black, Sivalls & Bryson Tankers
Blue Willow Junior Angels
Edmonton City Police Athletics
Maple Leaf Athletics
Martin Estate Esso
Safeway Skylarks
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BOW VALLEY BASEBALL LEAGUE
BassanoCarseland
Mossleigh Giants
Standard Red Sox
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SOUTHERN IRRIGATION BASEBALL LEAGUE
Bow Island Combines :
Foremost Flyers
Foremost Junior Braves
Irvine Mercurys
Medicine Hat Juniors
Redcliff Red Sox
1966 ALBERTA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYDOWNS
SENIOR DIVISION
ONLY ONE SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE THAT WAS AFFILIATED WITH THE A. B. A., EDMONTON’S METRO CIRCUIT, WAS OPERATIONAL IN 1966 SO, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN SUCCESSION, NO NORTH-SOUTH FINALS IN THE SENIOR DIVISION WERE HELD.
1966 ALBERTA INTERMEDIATE “A” BASEBALL PLAYDOWNS
NORTHERN ALBERTA SEMI-FINALS Oilfield Baseball League winners vs Edmonton Sunburst Baseball League champions (best-of-three series)
(August 7) After claiming the Oilfield Baseball League championship just 24 hours previous in an extra-inning thriller, the Warburg Buffaloes once again were carried into overtime, going 11 innings before subduing the pennant-winning Safeway Skylarks of the Edmonton Sunburst League in the opening game of the northern Alberta intermediate “A” semi-finals.
(August 7) Cold Lake blanked the Viking Shamrocks of the Eastern Alberta Baseball League 6 to 0 as their portion of the northern Alberta semi-finals got underway.
(August 14) The Warburg Buffaloes of the Oilfield baseball League stopped the Edmonton Safeway Skylarks 4 to 1 to move into the northern Alberta intermediate “A” baseball finals. Veteran right-hander Leeson Ruff allowed only four hits in recording the victory. Don Sharun was the loser. Gary Panky’s seventh-inning double was the big blow for the Buffs.
(August 14) Cold Lake advanced to the provincial intermediate “A” finals by edging the Viking Shamrocks 5 to 4.
NORTHERN ALBERTA FINALS Warburg Buffaloes vs Cold Lake Cardinals (best-of-three series)
(August 21) The Warburg Buffaloes thumped the homestanding Cold Lake Cardinals 8 to 5 in the opening game of the northern Alberta intermediate “A” finals
(August 28) The Warburg Buffaloes of the Oilfield baseball League were declared northern Alberta intermediate “A” champions. When rain cancelled completion of the best-of-three series against the Cold Lake Cardinals at Warburg, the Buffs were ruled winners on the basis of their first-game victory. Warburg now meets Great Bend in a sudden-death game at Great Bend to decide the provincial champion.
ALBERTA FINALS
(September 4) Great Bend, representing the Central Alberta Baseball League, captured the Alberta intermediate “A” baseball title by doubling the northern Alberta champions, the Warburg Buffaloes, 14 to 7.
(August 31) Slim right-hander Wayne McKee fired a no-hitter Wednesday to lead the Red Deer Eskimos to a 7-2 victory over the Lloydminster Combines in the Alberta Juvenile baseball final at Lloydminster.