1968 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1968 BC Interior
1968 Vancouver Island

VANCOUVER INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE

Team composition increased from four to to five clubs in 1968 despite the departure of the defending playoff champion Regents. Additions to the circuit were the Merchants, representing Vancouver East, as well as a new entry from Port Coquitlam. Interlocking games were once again instituted, this time with the Metropolitan Baseball League.

C.Y.O.
Longshoremen (sometimes referred to as the Longshore Canadians)
North Vancouver (also referred to as North Shore)
Port Coquitlam
Vancouver East Merchants

(May 12) Larry Shannon and Larry Webster combined to throw a four-hitter as the Longshoremen stopped Vancouver East Merchants 5 to 3 in the Industrial League opener at the Powell Street grounds. The Stevedores exploded for three first-inning runs on doubles by Doug Ross and Don Ricketts as well as a single by Ben Webster. Dennis Lefebvre did the most damage with the baton for the Merchants, slashing a two-run triple in the fourth inning.

Elliott (L), McGuire (6) and McNabb
Shannon (W), L. Webster (6) and Schick, Ricketts (4)

(May 13) North Vancouver and Port Coquitlam of the Metro League played to a 1 – 1 tie in senior amateur play at the Powell Street grounds. Norsemen chucker Barry Elson fanned a dozen while toeing the slab and added a pair of hits at the dish. Ken Bathgate drove in the North Van counter with an opening-inning single. A double by Harley Bradley in the sixth plated Jack Tippe with the lone marker for the Portmen.

Elson and Sullivan
Windjack and Jensen

(May 14) Slick southpaw slab artist Larry Webster rang up 16 punchouts, gave up only two hits and drove in the winning run as the Longshoremen clipped C.Y.O. in eight innings of Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. C.Y.O. opened the scoring in the second panel when Pete Blanchard was hit by a pitch, stole two bases and came home on an error by catcher Don Schick. Ben Webster’s single and a fielding miscue by centre fielder Doug Carr allowed the Stevedores to plate their first counter in the third. Nothing but goose eggs appeared on the scoreboard for the following 4-1/2 frames and set the scene for Webster in the bottom-of-the-eighth. With the bases loaded, he nailed a ground-rule two-bagger, forcing in Don Ross and John Stellick.

Mosher (L), Bayne (8) and Doyle
L. Webster (W) and Schick

(May 16) The Longshoremen continued their winning ways during the early portion of the Industrial League season when they stopped the North Vancouver gang of baseballers 5 to 3 at the Powell Street grounds. Winning pitcher Dave Kirk helped his own cause by doubling in the fifth inning to ignite a three-run uprising. Gord Webb of the Dock Workers had the contest’s only extra-base blow, a three-bagger in the second frame.

Newcombe (L), Meglaughlin (6) and Sullivan
Kirk (W), Mezzarobba (6) and Gardner

(May 23) Darryl Fenton’s fourth-inning home run, a solo blast, proved to be the game-winning blow which propelled the Vancouver East Merchants to a 2 to 0 blanking of the North Vancouver contingent of pastimers. Ron Crosato provided the insurance run in the fifth inning of this Industrial League match when he walked, was sacrificed to second, made it to third on an infield safety and scored on an overthrow to the plate. Bob Elliott picked up the shutout win, tossing a four-hitter.

Miller (L) and Edwards
Elliott (W) and McNabb

(May 24) The Longshoremen continued to set the pace in the Industrial Baseball League when they clipped Port Coquitlam 4 to 1 in a tussle at the Powell Street grounds. The game was settled in the first inning when the Stevedores drove Port Coquitlam starter Rod Cornish to the showers after he had been raked for three straight hits and two runs.

Cornish (L), Shizewski (1) and Jensen
Kirk (W) and Schick, Ricketts (7)

(May 26) North Vancouver nosed out the Longshoremen 3 to 2 at Mahon Park as pinch-hitter Eddie Cannon cracked a single to drive in Julie Bilesky with the winning run in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning. Gary Meglaughlin, making his first start of the campaign on the hill for the Shoremen, threw a five-hitter for the win.

L. Webster (L) and Schick
Meglaughlin (W) and Sullivan

(May 26) The Vancouver East Merchants whitewashed C.Y.O. 5 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds as winning slab artist Graham Frezell threw a three-hitter with eleven strikeouts. Teammate Roy Archer supplied the offensive punch with a three-run circuit-jack.

Frezell (W) and McNabb
Thom (L), Bayne (1) and Lowery

(May 27) The Merchants representing Vancouver East circuit clipped Port Coquitlam 3 to 2 in an Industrial League skirmish at the Powell Street grounds. Rick Gruhn, making his debut as a starting pitcher in senior amateur competition, came out on top in the win column but began to struggle in the seventh inning and needed relief help from hard-throwing Bob Elliott in that frame to close the deal. Elliott wasted no time in striking out the two batters he faced after inheriting a pair of baserunners aboard with one retired.

Windjack (L) and Jensen
Gruhn (W), Elliott (7) and McNabb

(May 30) The C.Y.O. diamond troopers scored twice in their final turn at bat to cash in with a 5 to 4 win over the North Vancouver nine at the Powell Street ball yard. It was the first Industrial League triumph of the season for the Catholics. Pete Blanchard drove in Paul Peterson with a single to tie the game and then Mike Dagenais scooted home with the winner when a throwing error occured on the same play.

Nichol, Newcombe (L) (7) and Edwards
Mosher (W) and Lowery

(June 2) Portsider Larry Webster was dialed in at the Powell Street grounds in an interlocking fracas. The slick slabster tossed a seven-inning no-hit, no-run gem as the Longshoremen of the Industrial League bombed the Metro League’s Vancouver Villas 11 to 0. Webster was no slouch with the lumber either, slashing a pair of doubles and a single during the barrage. Offensive help was also supplied by teammate Gordie Webb who cracked a two-run round-tripper in the first and later added a two-run double.

Wragg (L), Huck (4), Greiger (5), Ball (6) and Haar
L. Webster (W) and Schick

(June 2) The invading Vancouver East Merchants handed the North Vancouver balltossers a 7 to 2 pasting at Mahon Park. Bob Elliott threw a five-hitter for the victory while teammate Al Gossman contributed a brace of singles.

Elliott (W) and McNabb
Newcombe (L), Elson (3), Nichol (6) and Binns

(June 3) Bill Green smacked a two-run circuit jack to lead the North Vancouver aggregation past Port Coquitlam 4 to 2 in Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. Green’s ninth-inning blast backed up winning pitcher Ken Newcombe’s four-hit pitching. Newcombe fanned 13 and walked two in going the distance.

Windjack (L) and Jensen
Newcombe (W) and Edwards

(June 4) Three proved to be the unluckiest number for the C.Y.O. senior baseballers at the Powell Street grounds. It was the third inning of their game with the Vancouver East Merchants when things began to unravel. In that fateful third panel, both Ron Crosato and Darryl Fenton hammered three-run homers and, when the damage was over, the Eastsiders had plated ten counters en route to a 15 to 1 thumping of C.Y.O. The Retailers plastered six C.Y.O. tossers for 14 base blows. Meanwhile winning chucker Rick Gruhn was methodically spinning a four-hitter for his second Industrial League triumph.

Mosher (L), Bayne (1), Bryant (1), Thom (3), Grant (3), Lowery (6) and Doyle, Blanchard (6)
Gruhn (W) and McNabb

(June 5) North Vancouver paraded ten men to the plate in the third inning, exploding for six big runs, to dust off the Port Coquitlam 8 to 1 in an Industrial League clash at the Powell Street grounds.

Peterson (L) and Jensen
Elson (W) and Edwards

(June 6) The second-place Vancouver East Merchants saw their 3 to 0 lead vanish in the fourth inning and dropped a 5 to 4 decision the the first-place Longshoremen. Winning pitcher Larry Shannon and teammate Don Ricketts sparked the fourth-inning comeback. Shannon stroked a two-run single and Ricketts followed with a double which drove in two more runs.

Trinder (L), Frezell (4) and McNabb
Shannon (W), L. Webster (5) and Schick, Fairbrother (7)

(June 7) Ron Frederick doubled in the only run of the game as Burnaby of the Metro Baseball League nipped C.Y.O. of the Industrial League 1 to 0 in an interlocking game at Central Park. Larry Weinrauch, taking to the hill for the first time this season, pitched a four-hitter and whiffed five in earning the win.

Thom, Bayne (L) (2) and Doyle
Weinrauch (W) and Osadczuk

(June 9) North Vancouver edged the top-dog Longshoremen nine 2 to 1 in Industrial League action at Mahon Park. Jeff Hastings scored the winning counter for the Shoremen in the sixth frame when Stevedore catcher Don Schick made an errant throw to the keystone sack to catch a runner after Bill Ruby’s suicide squeeze attempt had failed. Hastings scooted home from third.

Mezzarobba (L), L. Webster (6) and Schick
Miller (W) and Edwards

(June 9) New Westminster of the Metro League bopped the Industrial League’s C.Y.O. band of diamondeers in interlocking play 10 to 5 at the Powell Street grounds. Wyatt Dreger’s three-run homer and Terry Docker’s three-for-four output at the platter paced the Royal City offensive attack.

Sambrook (W) and Wallace
Mosher (L), Bryant (1), Baines (7) and Lowery

(June 11) Rookie chucker Bob Noble of the Metro League Villas handcuffed the Industrial League’s C.Y.O. diamond troopers on two hits, pitching his team to an impressive 7 to 2 victory in interlocking action at the Powell Street grounds. Noble held the C.Y.O. gang hitless for 6-2/3 innings before issuing a walk and being raked for a single by Gord Lowery and a two-run double off the bat of Pete Blanchard. The Villas took a commanding 5 to 0 lead in the first inning, primarily on the strength of a bases-loaded triple by Bill Stebbings, and were never headed.

Noble (W) and Wilson
Bryant (L), Grant (3), Baines (7) and Lowery

(June 12) The Longshoremen increased their lead atop the Industrial Baseball League by 2-1/2 games when they exploded for an eight-spot in the second inning and went on to polish off North Vancouver 11 to 3 at the Powell Street grounds. John Kochan’s double and Ray Marshall’s triple were the key blows in the uprising. Meanwhile, winning flinger Dave Kirk tossed a steady two-hitter and rang up eleven punchouts in going the route.

Newcombe (L), Miller (2), MacKenzie (6) and Edwards
Kirk (W) and Schick

(June 14) The Vancouver Villas of the Metro League exploded for nine fifth-inning counters to clobber the Industrial League’s Vancouver East Merchants 12 to 4 in an interlocking battle at Central Park.

Elliott (L), Frezell (5) and McNabb
McCarrell, Whyte (W) (5) and Haar

(June 14) Port Coquitlam bunched all of their runs in the fifth inning to clip the C.Y.O. pastimers 5 to 2 in an Industrial League joust at the Powell Street grounds. Bernie Wild, Randy Fraser and Jack Tippe all collected a brace of safeties for the winners.

Windjack (W), Wild (7) and Jensen
Bayne (L), Grant (5), Chubb (6) and Lowery

(June 17) Dave McKay, up from the Connie Mack circuit, threw a three-hit 5 to 0 shutout at C.Y.O. for the Longshoremen in Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. McKay issued only two bases on balls and struck out seven in his first appearance in senior company.

McKay (W) and Schick
Mosher (L), Bayne (5), Thom (5) and Lowery

(June 19) Larry Webster came to the rescue as a fireman as the Longshoremen hung on to clip the Vancouver East Merchants 5 to 4 in Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. Southpaw Webster ascended the bump in the seventh inning with runners at second and third, walked the first batter he faced, then doused the flames of the Eastsiders’ rally by fanning Rick Gruhn and enticing Roy Archer to ground into a force-out to save the victory for Stevedores’ starter Bert Mezzarobba. Rick McPhee was the top willow wielder for the winners, collecting a brace of two-baggers.

Mezzarobba (W), Kirk (4), L. Webster (7) and Schick
Trinder (L), Hargreaves (4) and McNabb

(June 19) Southpaw chucker Danny Miscisco rang up ten punchouts as the Burnaby Rebels of the Metro circuit dropped the Industrial League’s Port Coquitlam squad 4 to 1 in interlocking play at Central Park. Miscisco also contributed a pair of singles in support of his efforts on the hill.

Windjack (L), Schwartz (6) and Jensen
Miscisco (W) and Keller

(June 21) Late for the first five innings of the game because he had to work, Roy Archer made up for his early absence in the remainder of the Industrial League contest as the East Vancouver Merchants dumped C.Y.O. 6 to 2 at the Powell Street grounds. After drawing a walk in the sixth inning, Archer scored on a sacrifice fly by Warren McNabb and then drove in a pair of seventh-inning runs with a double. Bob Elliott went the distance on the bump for the pitching win, twirling a three-hitter.

Elliott (W) and McNabb
Bayne (L), Thom (5), Ball (7) and Stephens

(June 23) Veteran left-hander Bert Nichol fired a two-hitter to give North Vancouver a 5 to 0 Industrial League win over the Vancouver East Merchants at Mahon Park. Infielders from the North Shore squad backed up Nichol by reeling off three double plays. Bill Green and Harold Edwards both singled twice for the Norsemen.

Hargreaves (L), Trinder (5) and McNabb
Nichol (W) and Edwards

(June 23) The invading Vancouver Villas of the Metropolitan circuit topped Port Coquitlam of the Industrial loop 4 to 0 in interlocking action at McLean Park as Gordie Whyte and Don Sweet combined to throw a five-hitter.

Whyte (W), Sweet (5) and Haar
Schwartz (L) and Jensen

(June 23) The first-place Longshoremen blanked the cellar-dwelling C.Y.O. nine 3 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds on the strength of southpaw Larry Webster’s slick one-hitter.

Grant (L) and Stephens
L. Webster (W) and Fairbrother

(June 24) Bob Schwab made a successful debut in the Industrial Baseball League, pitching the lowly C.Y.O. squad to a 3 to 1 victory over North Vancouver at the Powell Street grounds. The 18-year old right-hander, fresh from the Connie Mack circuit, limited the third-place Shoremen to just three hits. He struck out eight and walked only one.

Miller (L), Newcombe (6) and Edwards
Schwab (W) and Stephens

(June 26) Bill Stebbings and Bob Noble combined to throw a one-hit 1 to 0 shutout for the Metro League’s Vancouver Villas over the North Vancouver aggregation of the Industrial League in an interlocking skirmish at Central Park. The Villas realized their lone run in the second inning when catcher Keith Wilson singled home first baseman John Haar who had nailed a one-bagger earlier in the frame. Stebbings, who left in the fifth, struck out eight and marked up the fourth straight shutout win for Villa pitchers.

Elson (L) and Edwards
Stebbings (W), Noble (5) and Wilson

(July 2) The Vancouver East Merchants crept a bit closer to first place in the Industrial Baseball League by stopping the leading Longshoremen 9 to 7 at the Powell Street grounds. The win moved the second-place Retailers to within four games of the top. The Merchants broke a 7 – 7 tie in the top-of-the-seventh frame, scoring a pair of markers without the aid of a base hit. Three bases on balls, a sacrifice fly and an error produced the brace of tallies. Rick Gruhn was the leading swatsmith for the Eastsiders, nailing a three-run circuit-jack in the third panel to go along with a single.

Hargreaves (W) and McNabb
Mezarobba, B. Webster (L) (6) and Schick

(July 3) A three-run surge in the top-of-the-final canto lifted Port Coquitlam to a 5 to 2 decision over the C.Y.O. nine in an Industrial League fracas at the Powell Street grounds. Brian Windjack fanned three and walked an equal number in going the distance on the hill for the win. Bob Schwab, the third of three C.Y.O. chuckers was tagged with the loss.

Windjack (W) and Jensen
Ball, Thom (2), Schwab (L) (7) and Stephens

(July 4) The Vancouver East Merchants took advantage of four C.Y.O. errors to post a 3 to 0 Industrial League victory at the Powell Street grounds. Winning pitcher Bob Elliott surrendered six safeties, fanned three and didn’t issue a walk while losing tosser Bill Bayne was nicked for five base raps, whiffed six and gave up one free pass.

Bayne (L) and Lowery
Elliott (W) and McNabb

STANDINGS *                   W      L     T       Pts.
Longshoremen                 14      5     0        28
Vancouver East Merchants     10      8     0        20
North Vancouver               7      8     2        16
Port Coquitlam                6      7     1        13
C.Y.O.                        3     15     1         7

* imbalanced won-loss totals reflect interlocking game results with Metropolitan League teams

(July 7) North Vancouver blasted C.Y.O. at Ambleside Park 7 to 1 as winning pitcher Barry Elson hurled a two-hitter and struck out eleven. Bill Green swatted a three-run homer for the victors.

(July 7) In an interlocking game at the Powell Street grounds, Dick Hargreaves struck out 10 and scattered four hits as the Vancouver East Merchants of the Industrial loop edged the Metro League’s New Westminster nine 2 to 1.

(July 8) “Duke” Fairbrother, mounting the elevated portion of the diamond for the first time this season, pitched the Longshoremen to a 4 to 2 decision over his former North Vancouver teammates in an Industrial League match at the Powell Street grounds. A two-run homer by Don Ricketts in the eighth inning provided the winning margin.

Meglaughlin, Nichol (L) (5) and Edwards
Fairbrother (W) and Schick

(July 9) Don Sweet tossed a two-hitter in leading the Vancouver Villas of the Metropolitan League past the Industrial League’s Vancouver East Merchants in an interlocking contest at the Powell Street grounds. Sweet struck out six and walked four in going the distance. Stu Winrob and John Haar both drove in a pair of runs for the winners.

Sweet (W) and Haar
Elliott (L), Gruhn (7) and McNabb

(July 10) A final-inning, seven-run onslaught gave the second-place Vancouver East Merchants an 8 to 2 decision over Port Coquitlam at the Powell Street grounds.

Gruhn (W) and McNabb
Shizewski (L), Windjack (7) and Jensen

(July 12) Warren McNabb’s first-inning triple that drove in Al Gossman provided all that was needed for the Vancouver East Merchants who went on to drop North Vancouver 2 to 0 in an Industrial League game at the Powell Street grounds. Bob Trinder went all the way on the hill for the Retailers, earning the win with a three-hitter.

Elson (L) and Edwards
Trinder (W) and McNabb

(July 12) The Metro League’s Burnaby Rebels nudged past the Longshoremen of the Industrial League 2 to 1 in an interlocking clash as Mel Dorey singled in the winning run in the sixth inning.

Kirk (L) and Schick
Miscisco (W) and Keller

(July 14) Burnaby moved to within a half-game of the Vancouver Villas, the Metropolitan League leaders, by taking two interlocking games at different venues. The Rebels clipped Port Coquitlam of the Industrial circuit 5 to 3 in Coquitlam, then traveled to the Powell Street grounds to stop the Longshoremen, the top team in the Industrial League, 7 to 4. A trio of Rebel chuckers held the Ports to just three hits in the first game.

Weinrauch (W), Maki (4), Mitzel (5) and Keller
Tanner (L) and Jensen

Terry Schuss led the winners with the stick in the second contest, stroking three safeties. His final swat drove in the winning run before Ron Peterson iced the game with a two-run homer.

Aksaniuk, Mitzel (W) (5) and Keller, Osadczuk
L. Webster (L) and Schick

(July 14) North Vancouver nosed out the Vancouver East Merchants 4 to 3 at Mahon Park. Winning chucker Don Miller singled to score Pete MacKenzie and Dave Rodenhizer with the tying and winning runs in the sixth inning. Darryl Fenton cracked a home run for the Merchants in the fifth.

Hargreaves (L) and McNabb
Miller (W) and Edwards

(July 15) John Kochan drove in three runs to pace the offense of the Longshoremen on the way to an 8 to 0 pasting of the Vancouver East Merchants at the Powell Street grounds. Winning pitcher Dave Kirk blanked the Retailers on two hits.

Kirk (W) and Schick
Frezell (L), Trinder (5) and McNabb

(July 17) Roy Archer drove in four runs with a homer and double in leading the Vancouver East Merchants to a 10 to 0 whitewashing over Port Coquitlam in a one-sided Industrial League game at the Powell Street grounds. The pitching tandem of Bob Trinder and Lloyd Chalmers limited the Ports to just three safeties.

Shizewski (L), Clarke (2) and Jensen
Trinder (W), Chalmers (5) and McNabb, Archer (2)

(July 18) The Longshoremen boosted their first-place margin atop the Industrial League to four games by pounding out an 11 to 1 thrashing of C.Y.O. at the Powell Street grounds. Don Cowan paced the Dock Workers’ attack with a home run and two doubles, good for three RBI’s while teammate Brent Carpenter stung the spheroid for a two-run dinger.

Bayne (L), Mosher (2, Ball (4), Pederson (5) and Lowery
L. Webster (W), Carpenter (7) and Fairbrother

(July 21) Gord Nishi’s three-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Longshoremen an 8 to 5 Industrial League victory over C.Y.O. at the Powell Street grounds.

Kirk (W), L. Webster (6) and Schick
Bryant, Schwab (7), Thom (7) and Lowery

(July 21) Mike Bodnar’s sixth-inning single produced the winning run in the Metro loop’s Vancouver Villas’ 2 to 1 win over North Vancouver of the Industrial circuit in interlocking action at Ambleside Park.

Sweet (W), Noble (6) and Haar, McKinnon (4)
Nichol (L) and Sullivan

(July 22) The Vancouver East Merchants put together three successive doubles for two runs and a 2 to 0 Industrial League victory over North Vancouver.

Miller (L) and Binns, Sullivan (3)
Hargreaves (W) and Chalmers

(July 23) The Burnaby Rebels of the Metropolitan League had a field day at the expense of the cellar-dwelling C.Y.O. nine from the Industrial League, clobbering the Catholics 13 to 0 in interlocking action at the Powell Street grounds. Gary Schuss and Danny Miscisco hit homers for the winners.

Miscisco (W), Mitzel (3), Aksaniuk (5), Carter (7) and Keller
Grant (L), Thom (2), Bayne (2), Ball (3), Pederson (4) and Stephens

(July 23) The much-improved New Westminster squad from the Metropolitan League posted their third straight victory, edging the Industrial League’s Vancouver East Merchants 4 to 3 in an interlocking match at Central Park.

Trinder (L) and Ross
Sambrook, Baird (W) (3) and Wallace

(July 25) A seventh-inning triple by Rick Gruhn provided the Vancouver East Merchants with the necessary runs to defeat the hapless C.Y.O. aggregation 6 to 4 at the Powell Street grounds. The win moves the Retailers to within two games of the leading Longshoremen. Graham Frezell struck out eleven in going the distance for the win.

Mosher (L) and Lowery
Frezell (W) and Chalmers

(July 26) Gary Meglaughlin threw a six-hitter as North Vancouver downed Port Coquitlam 7 to 3 in Industrial Baseball League action at the Powell Street grounds.

Clarke (L), Windjack (4) and Jensen
Meglaughlin (W) and Sullivan, Binns (6)

(July 28) Right-hander Don Miller fired a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader, leading North Vancouver to a 10 to 1 ambush of the C.Y.O. balltossers. The Catholics had upset the Shoremen 4 to 1 in the first half of the afternoon proceedings at Ambleside Park. Jim Bryant struck out eight and scattered three hits in pitching C.Y.O. to a rare win in the opener.

Bryant (W) and Lowery
Newcombe (L), Nichol (7) and Binns

Miller whiffed seven and contributed a pair of singles to his cause in the late affair. The lone C.Y.O. run was unearned, scoring on a walk and two errors in the second inning.

Schwab (L), Bayne (1) and Lowery, Chubb (3)
Miller (W) and Sullivan

(July 28) Lefthander Larry Webster of the Longshoremen had his bid for a no-hitter spoiled when Vancouver East player Ken MacKenzie beat out a bunt single with two out in the final inning. Webster still recorded the shutout as the Stevedores prevailed 4 to 0. Fourteen of the Merchants went down via the strikeout route against Webster’s slants.

Elliott (L) and Gruhn
L. Webster (W) and Schick

(July 29) Ben Webster clouted a grand-slam home run to cap an eight-run first inning as the Longshoremen trampled over North Vancouver 8 to 3 in an Industrial League fixture. Don Kirk cruised to the mound victory with a three-hitter.

Elson (L), Meglaughlin (1) and Sullivan
Kirk (W) and Schick

(July 30) Burnaby of the Metro circuit of baseballers erased a 4 to 0 fifth-inning deficit, scoring twice in the sixth panel and adding three more in the seventh canto, to take a 5 to 4 decision from the Vancouver East Merchants of the Industrial League in an interlocking joust at the Powell Street grounds. The Merchants had plated a three-spot in the third inning, thanks in part to Darryl Fenton’s two-run tater, and appeared headed toward victory as starter Dick Hargreaves was breezing along with a no-hitter until the Rebels’ Keith Common got to him for a two-out double in the sixth.

Mitzel, Weinrauch (W) (7) and Keller
Hargreaves, Trinder (L) (7) and Ross

(July 31) Portsider Larry Webster spun a second consecutive one-hitter and struck out 15 as the Longshoremen blasted Port Coquitlam 8 to 0 in Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. Jack Tippe slashed a sixth-inning single to spoil the no-hit bid. John Kochan contributed a brace of one-baggers to the 11-hit Stevedore attack.

Tippe (L), Shizewski (4) and Jensen
L. Webster (W) and Fairbrother

(August 1) Rick Mosher put together a no-hit pitching performance as the C.Y.O. band of diamond troopers cruised to a 13 to 0 shellacking of Port Coquitlam at the Powell Street grounds. Pete Blanchard socked two triples and Doug Carr launched a two-run homer as C.Y.O. continued its battle to avoid last place. Mosher fanned nine and walked two in going the route.

Windjack (L), Hollis (4), Fraser (4), Pederson (5) and Jansen
Mosher (W) and Lowery

(August 4) Pitcher Terry Dreger singled in the winning run as New Westminster of the Metro Baseball League nipped North Vancouver of the Industrial association of teams 3 to 2 in an interlocking fracas at Mahon Park.

T. Dreger (W) and Wallace
Meglaughlin (L), Elson (4), Nichol (6) and Sullivan, Binns (7)

(August 4) The Longshoremen blanked C.Y.O 7 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds as Brent Carpenter drove in a pair of runs.

Thom (L), Bryant (3), Grant (5), Hunter (5), Pederson (6) and Carr
Mezzarobba (W), Kirk (5), Kochan (7) and Fairbrother

(August 5) C.Y.O secured a playoff spot by edging the pennant-winning Longshoremen 5 to 4 in the final league contest between Industrial League foes. Rick Mosher stole home in the final frame to break a 4 – 4 deadlock. C.Y.O. had tied the score in the sixth with a three-run outburst capped by Bill Grant’s two-run triple.

Marshall, Carpenter (4), Nishi (L) (6) and Schick, B. Webster (7)
Ball, Hunter (4), Chubb (W) (5) and Stephens

(August 6) Bill Stebbings pitched a sparkling no-hitter to lead the Vancouver Villas of the Metro League past C.Y.O. of the Industrial League 6 to 0 in an interlocking contest at Central Park. A solo homer by teammate Tim Chapman was all that Stebbings needed to cop the win. He recorded 15 punchouts and issued only one free pass.

Bayne (L), Mosher (5), Pederson (6) and Stephens, Carr (6)
Stebbings (W) and Haar

PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS
North Vancouver vs Longshoremen & C.Y.O. vs Vancouver East Merchants (best-of-five series)

(August 7) The pennant-winning Longshoremen captured the opener of their semi-final playoff with North Vancouver, annexing the game by a 5 to 1 decision at the Powell Street grounds. Game details and batteries not found in print.

(August 8) Pete Blanchard’s single in the seventh and final inning destroyed pitcher Bob Trinder’s dream of a perfect game but, no matter, Trinder and his Vancouver East Merchant teammates were not deterred and went on to blank C.Y.O. 4 to 0 in the opening game of their semi-final series at the Powell Street grounds.

Bryant (L) and Lowery
Trinder and Ross

(August 9) The second game of the Longshoremen - North Vancouver series went unreported in both Vancouver newspapers. The result was apparently a tie game.

(August 11) The second game in the C.Y.O. vs Vancouver East series also went unreported in both the Sun and Province. The Merchants won to take a 2 – 0 lead in games

(August 12) The Longshoremen moved to within one point of locking up their Industrial League semi-final playoff with a 4 to 0 victory over North Vancouver at the Powell Street grounds. Dave Kirk pitched a sparkling three-hitter for the mound triumph and helped his own cause with a two-run double. The Stevedores now hold a 2 – 0 advantage with one tie game in the series.

Meglaughlin (L), Newcombe (5) and Burns
Kirk (W) and Schick

(August 13) Not unlike game two, the third game of the semi-finals featuring the Vancouver East Merchants and C.Y.O. received no press coverage. Presumably, Vancouver East triumphed and moved into the final series.

(August 16) The Longshore Canadians reached the Industrial League finals by blanking North Shore 7 to 0 behind the combined four-hit pitching of Larry Webster and “Duke” Fairbrother.

L. Webster (W), Fairbrother (3) and Fairbrother, Schick (3)
Miller (L), Nichol (2), Elson (4), Newcombe (6) and Sullivan

FINALS
Vancouver East Merchants vs Longshoremen (best-of-seven series)

(August 18) Five runs in the third inning paved the way for a 6 to 3 Longshoremen triumph over the Vancouver East Merchants in the opening game of the Industrial League finals. Lefthander Larry Webster struck out eleven in going the distance for the win. Don Cowan and John Kochan both delivered a pair of RBI’s for the winners.

Frezell (L), Chalmers (3) and McNabb
L. Webster (W) and Schick

(August 19) Result and details of game two, presumably won by the Vancouver East Merchants, went unreported in the Vancouver dailies.

(August 20) As if the three-hit pitching of Dick Hargeaves wasn’t enough to stymie the Longshoremen, they also had to contend with the timely hitting of Darryl Fenton. The result was a 2 to 0 victory for the Vancouver East Merchants which provided them with a two games to one lead in the Industrial League finals. Fenton doubled in the third inning to score Warren McNabb and his one-bagger in the fifth enabled Pete MacKenzie to race home after MacKenzie had doubled.

Hargreaves (W) and McNabb
L. Webster (L) and Schick

(August 26) Darkness prevented further play after six full innings of game four were in the books with the Longshoremen and Vancouver East Merchants tied 1 – 1 in their battle for Industrial League supremacy.

Kirk and Schick
Elliott and McNabb

(August 27) The Vancouver East Merchants moved a step closer to settling the drawn-out Industrial League finals by nipping the Longshoremen 1 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. The Retailers plated their counter in the first canto when Ken MacKenzie and Darryl Fenton singled and then Dennis Lefebvre came through with a clutch two-bagger to send a scurrying MacKenzie across the pan. Bob Trinder chucked a four-hitter to grab the mound decision over Larry Webster.

Trinder (W) and McNabb
L. Webster (L) and Schick

(August 28) The Longshoremen captured their second win in the final series, presumably on this date, although no evidence was found in either of the Vancouver newspaper publications that such did occur.

(August 29) In an odd move, the Vancouver East Merchants and Longshoremen agreed to be the Siamese-twin champions of the 1968 Industrial baseball League. That decision was reached once-and-for-all at the Powell Street grounds when the Longshoremen nudged past the Merchants 3 to 2 to leave their best-of-seven final in a dead heat, each team having won three games with another tied. Thus, management from both squads agreed to share the championship trophy. Brent Carpenter’s two-run homer in the sixth inning came after Rich McPhee had singled home Don Cowan to provide the Dock Workers with a 3 to 0 lead. The Eastside Retailers made a bid to tie the game in the seventh when Darryl Fenton and Dennis Lefebvre clouted back-to-back homers before relief pitch Dave Kirk came on to save the game for “Duke” Fairbrother.

Trinder (L) and McNabb
Fairbrother (W), Kirk (7) and Schick

VANCOUVER METROPOLITAN LEAGUE

For the third successive season, this lower mainland circuit changed names and franchise content. Interlocking games with teams in Vancouver’s Industrial Baseball League continued in 1968 and, although regular in number, were not nearly as frequent as in the previous season.

Burnaby Rebels
New Westminster
Vancouver Villas

(May 15) For six full innings, ex-New York Yankee farmhand Terry Dreger had the Vancouver Villas eating out of his hand. The New Westminster pitcher had limited the opposition to just one hit while fanning ten and walking one. His teammates, however, had only been able to muster up two hits, good for one run, and the score was deadlocked at 1 – 1. Things then began to unravel for the Royal City nine in the bottom-of-the-seventh. With one out, Villa right fielder Bob Noble drew a bases-on-balls, was wild-pitched to second, and scored the winner on catcher Terry Docker’s throwing error after a dropped third strike, giving the Villas a 2 to 1 triumph in the opening game of the Metropolitan Baseball League at Central Park.

T. Dreger (L) and Docker
Huck, Wragg (W) (5) and Wilson

(May 24) The Burnaby Rebels blanked New Westminster 4 to 0 in a Metropolitan League game at Central Park. Dan Miscisco tossed a three-hitter for the shutout win, fanning 15 and walking one along the way.

Smith (L), Sambrook (5) and Wallace
Miscisco (W) and Keller

(May 27) New Westminster edged past the Vancouver Villas 3 to 1 in a Metro League battle at Central Park. Terry Dreger was the big noise for the Royal City diamond troopers, throwing a two-hitter with nine punchouts in taking the hillock verdict while also blasting a two-run double in the third inning.

Maki (L), Noble (3) and Wilson
T. Dreger (W) and Docker

Wragg (L), Huck (4), Greiger (5), Ball (6) and Haar
L. Webster (W) and Schick

(June 5) Ex-Vancouver Mountie catcher Charlie White, out of retirement only on a very temporary basis, donned the mask and shin guards and played in his first Metro League battle of the season. The 40-year old backstop slashed a single and guided winning pitcher Keith Wilson to a two-hitter as the Vancouver Villas thumped the Burnaby Rebels 7 to 2 at Central Park.

Wilson (W) and White
Miscisco (L) and Keller

Thom, Bayne (L) (2) and Doyle
Weinrauch (W) and Osadczuk

(June 9) New Westminster of the Metro League bopped the Industrial League’s C.Y.O. band of diamondeers 10 to 5 in interlocking play at the Powell Street grounds. Wyatt Dreger’s three-run homer and Terry Docker’s three-for-four output at the platter paced the Royal City offensive attack.

Sambrook (W) and Wallace
Mosher (L), Bryant (1), Bayne (7) and Lowery

(June 11) Rookie chucker Bob Noble of the Metro League Vancouver Villas handcuffed the Industrial League’s C.Y.O. diamond troopers on two hits, pitching his team to an impressive 7 to 2 victory in interlocking action at the Powell Street grounds. Noble held the C.Y.O. gang hitless for 6-2/3 innings before issuing a walk and being raked for a single by Gord Lowery and a two-run double off the bat of Pete Blanchard. The Villas took a commanding 5 to 0 lead in the first inning, primarily on the strength of a bases-loaded triple by Bill Stebbings, and were never headed.

Noble (W) and Wilson
Bryant (L), Grant (3), Baines (7) and Lowery

(June 12) With Ron Carter and Larry Weinrauch sharing the pitching chores, Burnaby blanked the Vancouver Villas 5 to 0 in a Metropolitan League affair. Ron Peterson slashed a two-run double for the winners.

Carter (W), Weinrauch (4) and Obadczuk
Huck (L), Stebbings (2), McCarrell (4) and Wilson

Elliott (L), Frezell (5) and McNabb
McCarrell, Whyte (W) (5) and Haar

(June 14) The Burnaby Rebels thumped New Westminster 7 to 0 in Metro League action at Queen’s Park. A six-spot in the second frame, highlighted by Keith Common’s two-run single,pretty well settled the issue. Terry Schuss had a triple and double for the Burnabyites.

Miscisco (W), Mitzel (6) and Keller
Smith (L), Strayski (2), Baird (4) and Docker

(June 17) The Burnaby Rebels took over first place in the Metropolitan Baseball League when they nipped New Westminster 7 to 6 at Central Park. Ron Carter’s two-run double in the final inning decided the issue.

T. Dreger (L) and Wallace
Mitzel, Weinrauch (W) (5) and Aksaniuk, Osadczuk (6)

Windjack (L), Schwartz (6) and Jensen
Miscisco (W) and Keller

(June 21) Catcher John Haar drove in two of the four Vancouver Villas’ runs in their 4 to 0 Metropolitan League win over Burnaby at Central Park. Bob MacDonald spun a three-hitter in going the distance for the hillock victory.

Carter (L), Weger (5), Peterson (6) and Osadczuk
MacDonald (W) and Haar

Whyte (W), Sweet (5) and Haar
Schwartz (L) and Jensen

(June 24) Burnaby and New Westminster battled to a 1 – 1 draw in a Metro League game at Queen’s Park Stadium. The game called at the end of ten innings because of darkness.

(June 26) Bill Stebbings and Bob Nobel combined to throw a one-hit 1 to 0 shutout for the Metro League’s Vancouver Villas over the North Vancouver aggregation of the Industrial League in an interlocking skirmish at Central Park. The Villas realized their lone run in the second inning when catcher Keith Wilson singled home first baseman John Haar who had nailed a one-bagger earlier in the frame. Stebbings, who left in the fifth, struck out eight and marked up the fourth straight shutout win for Villa pitchers.

Elson (L) and Edwards
Stebbings (W), Noble (5) and Wilson

(July 3) The Vancouver Villas consolidated their hold on first place in the Metropolitan Baseball League by stopping Burnaby 6 to 2 at Central Park. Gordie Whyte threw a three-hitter in taking down the second-place Rebels.

Whyte (W) and Haar
Carter (L), Weinrauch (5) and Keller

(July 9) Don Sweet tossed a two-hitter in leading the Vancouver Villas of the Metropolitan League past the Industrial League’s Vancouver East Merchants in an interlocking contest at the Powell Street grounds. Sweet struck out six and walked four in going the distance. Stu Winrob and John Haar both drove in a pair of runs for the winners.

Sweet (W) and Haar
Elliott (L), Gruhn (7) and McNabb

(July 10) A pair of singles by Ken Markley accounted for three of four runs as the Vancouver Villas nipped New Westminster 4 to 3 in Metro Baseball League play at Central Park.

Sambrook (L), Vattoy (5), Baird (5) and Wallace
Whyte (W), Noble (5), Wragg (7) and Haar

(July 12) The Metro League’s Burnaby Rebels nudged past the Longshoremen of the Industrial League 2 to 1 in an interlocking clash as Mel Dorey singled in the winning run in the sixth inning.

Kirk (L) and Schick
Miscisco (W) and Keller

Weinrauch (W), Maki (4), Mitzel (5) and Keller
Tanner (L) and Jensen

Terry Schuss led the winners with the stick in the second contest, stroking three safeties. His final swat drove in the winning run before Ron Peterson iced the game with a two-run homer.

Aksaniuk, Mitzel (W) (5) and Keller, Osadczuk
L. Webster (L) and Schick

(July 15) Gary McLean’s first-inning single drove in the game’s lone run as New Westminster outlasted the Vancouver Villas 1 to 0 at Central Park.

Wragg (L), Whyte (5) and Haar
T. Dreger (W) and Wallace

(July 17) Ted Black provided most of the power in New Westminster’s 4 to 1 Metro League triumph over Burnaby at Central Park. Black slashed three singles which produced a brace of RBI’s for the Royal City nine.

Smith (W), Baird (7) and Wallace
Miscisco (L) and Keller

Sweet (W), Noble (6) and Haar, McKinnon (4)
Nichol (L) and Sullivan

(July 22) The cellar-dwelling New Westminster side scored a 4 to 0 upset win over second-place Burnaby at Central Park. Dave Schill drove in a pair of runs for the winners, climaxing a three-run third inning.

T. Dreger (W) and Wallace
Hamilton (L), Mitzel (5) and Osadczuk

(July 23) The Burnaby Rebels of the Metropolitan League had a field day at the expense of the cellar-dwelling C.Y.O. nine from the Industrial League, clobbering the Catholics 13 to 0 in interlocking action at the Powell Street grounds. Terry Schuss and Danny Miscisco hit homers for the winners.

Miscisco (W), Mitzel (3), Aksaniuk (5), Carter (7) and Keller
Grant (L), Thom (2), Bayne (2), Ball (3), Pederson (4) and Stephens

Trinder (L) and Ross
Sambrook, Baird (W) (3) and Wallace

(July 26) Terry Schuss drove in two runs, including the winner, to spark the Burnaby Rebels to a 3 to 1 win over the Vancouver Villas at Central Park.

Miscisco (W) and Keller
Whyte (L), MacDonald (5) and McKinnon, Haar (4)

(July 29) Gary Miller’s two-run triple and Rod Aksaniak’s home run gave Burnaby a 4 to 0 win over the Vancouver Villas. Ron Carter tossed a five-hitter and fanned six to grab the hillock triumph for the Rebels.

Noble (L) and Haar
Carter (W) and Keller

Mitzel, Weinrauch (W) (7) and Keller
Hargreaves, Trinder (L) (7) and Ross

(August 2) The Vancouver Villas zeroed in on first place in the Metropolitan Baseball League by defeating New Westminster 1 to 0 at Central Park. The win moved the Villas to within one point of leading Burnaby. The only run of the game came in the third inning when Dave Graas doubled and came in on Ken Markley’s single to left field. Bob MacDonald limited the Royal City nine to two hits in going the distance.

MacDonald (W) and McKinnon
Baird (L) and Wallace

T. Dreger (W) and Wallace
Meglaughlin (L), Elson (4), Nichol (6) and Sullivan, Binns (7)

Bayne (L), Mosher (5), Pederson (6) and Stephens, Carr (6)
Stebbings (W) and Haar

PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS New Westminster vs Burnaby Rebels (best-of-three-series)

(between August 10 and 14) First game of semi-finals played sometime within this time frame and never reported for publication. Third-place New Westminster upset second-place Burnaby.

(August 15) Wyatt Dreger drove in a pair of runs as New Westminster dumped Burnaby 6 to 2 at Central Park to win the Metropolitan League semi-finals in two straight games.

Sambrook (W) and Wallace
Mitzell (L) and Keller

FINALS New Westminster vs Vancouver Villas (best-of-five series)

(August 16) A pair of opening-inning counters stood up for the balance of the game as the Vancouver Villas hung on to beat New Westminster 2 to 0 in the first tussle of the Metro League finals at Central Park. Bob MacDonald earned the hillock victory with a nifty four-hitter.

Dreger (L) and Wallace
MacDonald (W) and McKinnon

(August 20) Nothing found in either Vancouver publication as to the game two result, presumably won by the Villas.

(August 26) Bob MacDonald threw a six-inning no-hitter at Central Park as the Villas of Vancouver beat New Westminster 5 to 1 to grab a two games to one lead in the best-of-five Metro League finals. Darkness prevented play beyond the six-inning mark. Stu Winrob stroked a single and double for the winners, drove in one run and scored another.

T. Dreger (L) and Wallace
MacDonald (W) and Haar

(August 27) With darkness enveloping the skies in the bottom-of-the-sixth inning of a 3 – 3 stalemate, New Westminster chucker Ray Sambrook had the misfortune of letting one of his pitches slip away that hit Villa batter Keith Hartley with the bases loaded, forcing in the winning tally as the Vancouver Villas disposed of the Royal City troupe 4 to 3 to annex the 1968 Metropolitan Baseball League crown. Bill Stebbings and Bob Noble combined to limit the vanquished nine just three hits in the Central Park affair that terminated early because of lack of illumination.

Sambrook (L) and Wallace
Stebbings, Noble (W) (3) and Haar