1972 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1972 BC Interior
1972 Vancouver Island
VANCOUVER INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE
Despite the departure of the Stylers from the circuit, membership within the loop increased from four to five entries in 1972 with the addition of the Frasers and the return of the Longshoremen after an absence of a year. Press coverage of game results was very hit-or-miss, especially during the early part of the season.
C.Y.O.
Frasers (also known as Fraser Arms)
Longshoremen
Merchants
North Vancouver
(May 12) North Vancouver ambushed C.Y.O. chuckers for eight counters in the fourth inning en route to a 10 to 1 thrashing of their foe at the Powell Street grounds. Losing pitcher Bill Bayne suffered the brunt of the North Van barrage in that frame, facing 13 batters during which time his mates imploded for five errors. C.Y.O.’s lone run came in the third when Stu Winrob homered off winning pitcher Jim Calli.
(May 14) In a pitching duel which saw 18 strikeouts, the Longshoremen came from behind to nip the Frasers 3 to 2 in Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. Steve Herbert went the distance on the knoll for the winners, fanning ten while scattering four hits. The Frasers’ Rick Mosher whiffed eight while holding the Dock Workers scoreless over five innings but was replaced by Ralph Thom with two retired in the sixth. Reliever Thom, however, was unable to hold the Stevedores off the scoreboard as he allowed three runs to score, two of which were driven in by second baseman John Stellick.
Mosher (L), Thom (6) and Bird
Herbert (W) and Koehler
(May 18) The Longshoremen put up an eight-spot in the opening inning but had to hang on to emerge with a 12 to 10 victory over C.Y.O. in a darkness-shortened Industrial League contest. Catcher Howie Stephens/Stevens was potent at the dish for the losers, driving in five runs on a brace of safeties which included a three-run homer in the third inning.
Hall, Krieger (L) (1), Grant (3) and Stephens/Stevens
Richards, Kobayashi (W) (1) and Koehler
(May 22) Bill Bazaluk struck out 16 batters in tossing a four-hitter as the Merchants blanked Fraser Arms 8 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. Terry Schuss and Ken MacKenzie each slammed a pair of hits for the winners who started things rolling with a four-spot in the first inning. Losing chucker Larry Webster yielded eight safeties, fanned ten and walked five. He also had the only extra-base hit off Bazaluk, a double.
Webster (L) and Bird
Bazaluk (W) and White
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Merchants 3 0 1.000 ----
Longshoremen 3 2 .600 1.0
North Van 2 3 .400 2.0
Fraser Arms 1 2 .333 2.0
C.Y.O. 1 3 .250 2.5
(May 23) Pete Thiessen slammed a double and home run as the Frasers overpowered North Vancouver 9 to 4 in Industrial League action. Thiessen’s round-tripper came in the fifth inning with the bases empty but his sixth-inning two-bagger drove in two runs. Winning tosser Rick Mosher surrendered eight hits and struck out seven.
J. Calli (L) and Luniw
Mosher (W) and Bird
(May 24) Ron Peterson cracked a three-run homer to pace the Merchants to a 7 to 2 Industrial League win over the Longshoremen at the Powell Street grounds. Winning pitcher Brant Wragg gave up a two-spot in the opening canto but blanked the losers with goose eggs for the remainder of the contest. In going the distance, he gave up six hits, struck out eight and allowed three walks.
Wragg (W) and White
Pearce (L), Kobayashi (7) and Koehler
(May 26) Les Babuin threw a no-hitter, struck out eight and walked three as Fraser Arms thumped the Longshoremen 9 to 1 at the Powell Street grounds. The Frasers, who slammed five doubles and stole six bases in the rout, put the game on ice in the third panel when they erupted for six runs.
Kobayashi (L), Pearce (3), Schick (6) and Koehler
Babuin (W) and Bird
(May 28) North Vancouver forfeited its scheduled match to the first-place Merchants.
(May 28) A bevy of first-inning bases on balls paved the way for pitcher Bert Nichol’s downfall and a 5 to 3 C.Y.O. triumph over the Frasers at the Powell Street grounds. Nichol forced in a pair of tallies with walks and John Rowell drove in two more in the opening spasm as C.Y.O. won only its second game of the season. Dave Kirk and Bill Grant combined to scatter eight Fraser Arms’ hits with Kirk getting credit for the win.
Nichol (L), Zinio (5) and Bird
Kirk (W), Grant (5) and Stephens/Stevens
(May 29) John Kirk slammed three hits, two of them doubles, as North Vancouver swept past the Longshoremen 5 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. Jim Calli, who scattered six hits in going the route for the mound victory, contributed a two-bagger to the 12-hit Norvan offensive attack as did teammates Barry Elson and Bob Ewing.
J. Calli (W) and DeWitt
Schick (L) and Koehler
(May 30) The Merchants capitalized on C.Y.O. pitching troubles and romped to a 6 to 1 Industrial Baseball League victory at the Powell Street grounds. The Retailers managed only two safeties throughout the clash while C.Y.O. tagged four. The victors plated all their runs in the third stanza, five being initiated on walks and the sixth on a hit batter. C.Y.O. pitchers walked a total of 13 batters while whiffing nine. Winning flinger Keith Wilson walked a pair and fanned seven.
Bevans (L), Krieger (3) and Lowery
K. Wilson (W) and White
(June 1) Rick Mosher’s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning drove in what turned out to be the winning marker as Fraser Arms edged the Longshoremen 3 to 1 at the Powell Street grounds. Warren Coughlin hit a double after Mosher’s sacrifice to drive in an insurance counter for the Frasers. Winning pitcher Les Babuin yielded four hits, rang up 11 punchouts and walked only one while loser Dave Pearce was nicked for five safeties, fanned six and issued four free passes.
Babuin (W) and Bird
Pearce (L) and Koehler
(June 2) Bill Grant tossed a five-hitter over six innings and struck out ten as C.Y.O. bombed North Vancouver 9 to 1 at the Powell Street grounds. Losing chucker Brian Windjack was rocked for six runs in the second inning.
(June 4) The Longshoremen remain entrenched in the Industrial Baseball League cellar, losing 3 to 1 to third-place C.Y.O. at the Powell Street grounds. Winning flinger Bryan Hall scattered five hits and fanned an equal number in the darkness-shortened match.
Krieger (L) and Koehler
Hall (W) and Stephens/Stevens
(June 4) The Frasers defeated hosting North Vancouver 6 to 2 at Mahon Park in Industrial League action. Warren Coughlin smashed a home run for the winners while teammate Tom Bird connected for a double and triple in support of winning pitcher Bert Nichol.
Nichol (W) and Bird
J. Calli (L) and DeWitt
(June 5) Relief pitcher Sam Kobayashi drove in three runs but also surrendered three runs as the unbeaten Merchants clipped the Longshoremen 7 to 4. Kobayashi, who replaced losing pitcher Dave Pearce in the fourth stanza, began his RBI output by slamming a solo homer in the fifth. Brant Wragg, with relief assistance from Keith Wilson, picked up his third mound decision of the campaign.
Pearce (L), Kobayashi (4) and Koehler
Wragg (W), K. Wilson (5) and White
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Merchants 8 0 1.000 ----
Fraser Arms 5 4 .556 3.5
C.Y.O. 4 5 .444 4.5
North Van 4 7 .364 5.5
Longshoremen 3 8 .273 6.5
(June 7) C.Y.O. moved into a second-place tie with Fraser Arms by dumping the Frasers 6 to 1 at the Powell Street grounds. Pete Blanchard with a two-run homer and Ken Chubb with two singles and a double swung the big sticks for the victors.
Grant (W) and Lowery
Elliott (L) and Bird
(June 8) The Frasers, smarting from a loss to C.Y.O. the evening previous, regained sole possession of second place in the Industrial Baseball League, tromping the last-place Longshoremen 10 to 6 at the Powell Street grounds. Southpaw Dennis Zinio went the distance on the bump for the winners, fanning ten and yielding seven hits. His batterymate, catcher Tom Bird, connected for a two-run homer in the opening panel and had four RBI’s while John Stellick of the Dock Workers replied with a double and single.
Hora (L) and Koehler
Zinio (W) and Bird
(June 9) The unbeaten Merchants continued to ravage all Industrial League opposition as they doubled third-place C.Y.O. 4 to 2 at the Powell Street grounds. Moundsman Keith Wilson scattered seven hits and breezed nine in elevating his personal win total to three for the season. The Retailers banged the horsehide for a dozen base knocks with Mike White and Ron Frederick combining for seven of that total.
K. Wilson (W) and White
Krieger (L) and Lowery
(June 11) A pinch-hit double in the seventh inning by Bob Elson drove in Bob Anderson from first base with the winning counter as North Vancouver edged C.Y.O. 5 to 4 in an Industrial League fracas at Mahon Park. The C.Y.O. squad had a slight 7 to 6 advantage in base hits as Ed Folk, Ken Chubb and Gord Lowery all contributed doubles.
Hall (L) and Stephens/Stevens
J. Calli (W) and Scott
(June 13) The cellar-dwelling Longshoremen climbed a step closer to fourth spot, nipping North Vancouver 1 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. Catcher Don Schick singled home Gord Nishi from second base for the lone run of the game.
Fellerdeau (W) and Schick
D. Calli (L) and Scott
(June 15) The Longshoremen vacated the Industrial baseball league basement, blanking C.Y.O. 5 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. Mike Hora swished five, walked an equal number and yielded only one-hit in registering the shutout win. Colin McKay led an 11-hit attack by the Stevedores, blasting three doubles. Outfielder Derek Rustemeyer followed with a double and single.
Hall (L), Winrob (2), Grant (2), Blanchard (3), Lefebvre (5) and Lowery
Hora (W) and Schick
(June 16) Winning pitcher Barry Elson struck out eight as North Vancouver edged the Merchants 2 to 1 at the Powell Street grounds. It was the first loss of the season for the league-leading Retailers who got their only run on a solo homer by Darryl Fenton in the fourth frame. Al Embley’s sacrifice fly in the third panel scored Brian Windjack with the first Norvan counter. Windjack then singled in the fourth spasm to drive in what turned out to be the winning run.
Elson (W) and Scott
Bazaluk (L) and White
(June 18) Second-place Fraser Arms ambushed the pace-setting Merchants 6 to 2, stinging the Retailers with their second successive defeat. Tom Bird drilled a two-run homer in the first inning, in support of winning tosser Bert Nichol, to get the Frasers off and running. The winners did all their scoring in the first three innings as loser Brant Wragg was lit up for eight safeties. Ron Peterson relieved Wragg in the fourth and held the Frasers scoreless and hitless for the remainder of the contest. Keith Wilson had a bases-empty homer and a single for the vanquished nine.
Nichol (W) and Bird
Wragg (L), Peterson (4) and White
(June 18) At Mahon Park in North Vancouver, C.Y.O. dropped the Norvans 5 to 2 in Industrial League play. Third baseman Ed Folk and catcher Howie Stephens/Stevens homered to lead the C.Y.O. offense. Losing twirler Jim Calli replied with a double and single for the home club.
Grant (W) and Stephens/Stevens
J. Calli (L) and Scott
(June 19) North Vancouver exploded for four runs in the last inning to take down the Longshoremen 6 to 3 at the Powell Street grounds. Catcher Frank DeWitt doubled to drive in left fielder Dan Calli for the only hit in the rally. Jim Calli and John Kirk also drilled two-baggers for the Norvans. Dan McCarroll, pitching his first full game of the season, fanned six, walked six and scattered six hits in earning the knoll decision.
McCarroll (W) and Scott, DeWitt (5)
Hora (L) and Schick
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Merchants 10 2 .833 ----
Fraser Arms 8 6 .571 3.0
C.Y.O. 7 8 .467 4.5
North Van 7 11 389 6.0
Longshoremen 5 10 .333 6.5
(June 20) The Merchants put a stop to their losing streak of two and returned to their old habit of winning, whitewashing third-place C.Y.O. 7 to 0 in Industrial League play at the Powell Street grounds. The league-leaders had three singles and an RBI from Mike Arden and a double with a pair of RBI’s from outfielder Darryl Fenton. Undefeated Keith Wilson, in garnering his fourth win, gave up five hits, swished three and walked an equal number.
Krieger (L) and Stephens/Stevens
K. Wilson (W) and White
(June 21) Don Schick and Ken Lorenz each drove in two runs as the lowly Longshoremen tied the first-place Merchants 4 –4 in a Vancouver Industrial Baseball League game called at the end of seven innings. Flychaser Darryl Fenton pounded out a four-bagger for the Retailers.
Gill and Schick, Hora (7)
Bazaluk, Wragg (7) and White
(June 25) A two-run double in the first inning by Dennis Lefebvre and the four-hit pitching of Bill Grant was all C.Y.O. needed for a 4 to 1 win over the last-place Longshoremen. The late-starting game at the Powell Street grounds was called after 4-1/2 innings because of darkness.
Kobayashi (L) and Koehler
Grant (W) and Stephens/Stevens
(June 25) Fraser Arms had a homer from Warren Coughlin and a two-run double off the bat of Les Babuin en route to a 4 to 1 win over North Vancouver at Mahon Park. Each team was able to garner four base hits. Portsider Dennis Zinio fanned seven and was walk-free in taking the mound verdict.
Zinio (W) and Bird
D. Calli (L) and Scott
(June 28) Darryl Fenton’s grand-slam home run in the final frame gave the first-place Merchants a 6 to 2 walkoff win over C.Y.O. in an Industrial League scuffle at the Powell Street grounds.
(June 29) Larry Fellerdeau swished nine, walked a pair and limited the Frasers to just two safeties as he hurled the Longshoremen to a 2 to 0 shutout win. The Stevedores scored both of their runs in the third inning on Colin McKay’s bases-loaded single and a fielder’s choice.
Nichol (L), Zinio (3) and Bird
Fellerdeau (W) and Koehler
(July 3) Keith Wilson struck out 14 and scattered five hits in pitching the top-dog Merchants to a narrow 2 to 1 verdict over North Vancouver in an Industrial League match. Wilson walked four batters in the fourth inning, forcing in the Norvan’s only run. The Retailers bunched five hits in the sixth panel as second baseman Ron Frederick and catcher Mike White drove in their tallies.
K. Wilson (W) and White
Elson (L) and Scott
(July 4) First baseman John Rowell singled home Dennis Lefebvre in the eighth inning with the winning run as C.Y.O. edged the Longshoremen 3 to 2 at the Powell Street grounds. Lefebvre had earlier doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice. Winning pitcher Bill Grant struck out seven, walked two and gave up six hits.
Grant (W) and Lowery
Pearce, Gill (L) (3) and Schick
STANDINGS W L T Pts.
Merchants 13 2 1 27
Fraser Arms 9 8 0 18
C.Y.O. 9 10 0 18
North Van 7 12 1 15
Longshoremen 7 13 0 14
(July 5) The Merchants struck for 16 hits en route to a 17 to 0 bludgeoning of the Longshoremen in a one-sided tilt at the Powell Street grounds. Terry Dreger struck out six and scattered six hits for his third win. Teammate Terry Schuss delivered a three-run homer in his support in the second inning.
Dreger (W) and White
Pearce (L), Gill (4), Rustemeyer (5) and Schick
(July 6) Keith Wilson, playing first base between pitching starts, slammed a two-run homer in the third-inning which helped the Merchants squeeze by C.Y.O. 7 to 6 at the Powell Street grounds. The league-leaders also had a two-hit performance from outfielder Ed Ems. The left fielder batted in a pair of runs with a double and single. Pete Blanchard was best with the baton for C.Y.O., chalking up a brace of doubles and two RBI’s.
Wragg (W), Bazaluk (5) and White
Kirk (L), Bayne (7) and Stephens/Stevens
(July 7) Pitcher Jim Rentmeester made his first start on the hillock this season by spinning a five-hitter, ringing up nine punchouts and walking a pair as penthouse-dwelling Merchants torpedoed the Longshoremen 8 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. Flychasers Terry Schuss and Darryl Fenton provided the Retailers with some offensive help in this blowout win. Schuss went yard with an opening-canto dinger and Fenton ripped a two-run single in the fourth.
Rentmeester (W) and White
Hora (L), Schick (6) and Schick, McKay (6)
(July 14) Pitcher Larry Fellerdeau ran his unbeaten streak to three as the Longshoremen dumped North Vancouver 4 to 1 in Industrial League play at the Powell Street grounds. Fellerdeau threw a one-hitter, fanned 14 and walked just one. Shortstop Sam Kobayashi was four-for-four at the platter for the Dock Workers, driving in a pair of tallies.
McCarroll (L), Elson (2) and Scott
Fellerdeau (W) and Luniw
(July 14) The first-place Merchants blanked the runner-up Frasers 4 to 0 in a game played at Brighouse Park in Richmond. Catcher Mike White drilled a solo homer and an RBI single to account for two of the Retailers’ runs.
Dreger (W) and White
L. Webster (L) and Bird
(July 16) Bill Grant hurled his sixth win of the season as C.Y.O. dumped the Longshoremen 10 to 4 at the Powell Street grounds. Grant struck out six and walked four while losing chucker Mike Hora fanned eight and issued nine free passes. C.Y.O. capitalized on two errors by the Dock Workers in the second inning to score five of their runs. The victory boosted C.Y.O. into a tie for second place with Fraser Arms. Each team had 20 points, 17 behind the runaway-leading Merchants.
(July 17) Six straight hits, three of them doubles, produced five runs in the seventh inning as the Frasers bounced North Vancouver 6 to 2 at the Powell Street grounds. First baseman Larry Webster and outfielder Rick Mosher slammed two-run doubles while catcher Tom Bird drove in another run with a two-bagger to back up Dennis Zinio’s four-hit pitching. The Norvans had taken the lead in the fourth on a two-run double by Doug Scott after Dan Calli opened with a double and Jim Calli, the losing pitcher, singled.
Zinio (W) and Bird
Spragg, J. Calli (L) (3) and Scott
(July 18) The Merchants padded their insurmountable lead atop the Industrial Baseball League standings by doubling the lowly Longshoremen 6 to 3. Pete Wilson delivered two timely singles for the Retailers, driving in a pair of runs for winning pitcher Ron Peterson. A feature of the game was a triple play reeled off by the Stevedores in the fifth inning.
(July 19) The runner-up Frasers nosed out the pace-setting Merchants 2 to 1 in Industrial League action at the Powell Street grounds. First baseman Larry Webster had two hits for the winners, including a double, and scored the winning run in the sixth stanza on a line drive by Les Babuin. Rick Mosher earned his third win against two defeats while Keith Wilson suffered his initial setback in six pitching decisions.
K. Wilson (L) and White
Mosher (W), Babuin (7) and Bird
(July 20) Kit Krieger, a 23-year-old left-hander, fired a no-hitter as CYO nipped North Vancouver 1-0 in Vancouver Industrial League action Thursday. Going into the game Krieger was 0-4. He fanned eight and walked one. Dave Kirk smacked a run-scoring double in the fifth inning for the game's only run. Dan Calli yielded six hits in taking the loss.
Dan Calli (L 1-6) and Frank DeWitt
Kit Krieger (W 1-4) and Howie Stephens
(July 23) Darryl Fenton, leading hitter in the Industrial League with a .444 average, slammed his fifth home run of the season as the Merchants blanked North Vancouver 1 to 0 at the Powell Street grounds. The Norvans managed only one hit. Winning pitcher Bill Bazaluk walked two batters and struck out four before he was relieved by Keith Wilson in the fifth inning. Wilson struck out seven of the nine batters he faced. The victory was the Retailers’ 20th of the season and consolidated their hold on first place, 19 points ahead of the second-place Frasers.
Bazaluk (W), K. Wilson (5) and White
J. Calli (L) and Scott
STANDINGS W L T Pts.
Merchants 20 3 1 43
Fraser Arms 12 9 0 24
C.Y.O. 11 12 0 22
Longshoremen 8 17 1 17
North Van 8 18 0 16
(July 24) Dennis Zinio and Tom Bird combined their respective pitching and hitting talents at the Powell Street grounds as Fraser Arms blanked the Longshoremen 3 to 0 in an Industrial League game. Zinio allowed only two hits, whiffed eleven and walked one batter in recording his fourth win of the campaign. Losing chucker Larry Fellerdeau also fanned eleven. Bird was involved in all three runs plated by the winners. His first-inning single, combined with an error by the Dock Workers on the same play, drove in two runs and his fifth-frame two-bagger, again with a miscue involved, sent across the third tally.
Zinio (W) and Bultitude
Fellerdeau (L) and Luniw
(July 25) With the regular-season pennant already in the bag, the Merchants decided to try something different at the Powell Street grounds as catcher Mike White did the pitching while ace chucker, Keith Wilson, went behind the plate. It didn’t work out that well as the Retailers fell 6 to 2 to C.Y.O. who moved into a second-place deadlock with the Frasers on the basis of that win. The loss was the Merchants’ fourth in 25 starts. White’s main problem was locating the strike zone as he walked seven in 4-2/3 innings before being replaced by Brant Wragg. Bill Grant won his eighth in ten decisions with a two-hitter.
White (L), Wragg (5) and K. Wilson
Grant (W) and Stephens/Stevens
(July 28-30) B. C. Senior Amateur Baseball championship tournament
(July 31) Keith Wilson’s solo homer in the first inning started things rolling for the pennant-winning Merchants as they went on to nip the Longshoremen 3 to 2 in an Industrial League tilt at the Powell Street grounds. Bill Bazaluk copped his seventh pitching win with a five-hitter while Graham Frezell, making a rare appearance on the knoll this season, was nicked with the defeat.
Bazaluk (W) and White
Frezell (L), Fellerdeau (2) and Luniw
(August 1) Bill Grant hurled his ninth victory of the season to spark C.Y.O. to a 2 to 0 victory over Fraser Arms in Industrial Baseball League action. Grant gave up only two hits, breezed five and walked two. The win boosted second-place C.Y.O. four points ahead of the Frasers.
Zinio (L), Babuin (6) and Bird
Grant (W) and Stevens
(August 2) Brant Wragg scattered five hits and slammed a two-run double during a four-run uprising in the second inning as the Merchants stopped the Longshoremen 7 to 3 at the Powell Street grounds. The other gig lumber swingers for the Retailers were Keith Wilson with a solo homer in the fifth, and catcher Mike White, who belted a two-run double in the sixth.
Fellerdeau (L) and Luniw
Wragg (W) and White
(August 3) Terry Dreger survived a shaky first-inning then went on to record his fifth straight Industrial Baseball League victory as he pitched the Merchants to a convincing 13 to 3 victory over Fraser Arms at the Powell Street grounds. The Frasers scored all three of their runs in the first inning but Dreger rebounded with a 12-strikeout performance including six punchouts in succession. Catcher Mike White and outfielder Darryl Fenton backed Dreger as each pounded a two-run homer.
Babuin (L), B. Webster (5), Babuin (5) and Coughlin
Dreger (W) and White
(August 5) Fourth-place North Vancouver finished off the regular schedule in fine style, thumping C.Y.O. 6 to 3 as Tom Nyhart went the distance on the hillock for the complete-game win.
(August 6) The Fraser Arms baseballers were unable to overcome the season-long hex that the C.Y.O. nine has over them. Playing at the Powell Street grounds, the south Vancouver club saw their last chance slip away as C.Y.O. struck for all their tallies in the first three frames to drop the Frasers 4 to 1 in the closing game of the Industrial Baseball League regular season. Bryan Hall went the distance for the winners, fanning seven, walking one and scattering five hits.
Mosher (L) and McEwan
Hall (W) and Lowery
FINAL STANDINGS W L T Pts.
Merchants 23 4 1 47
C.Y.O. 16 13 0 32
Fraser Arms 13 14 0 26
North Van 11 18 0 22
Longshoremen 8 22 1 17
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (best-of-five series) North Vancouver vs Merchants & Fraser Arms vs C.Y.O.
(August 7) The Merchants, runaway leaders of the Industrial Baseball League during the regular season, stumbled in the first game of the semi-final playoffs at the Powell Street grounds, dropping a 4 to 2 decision to North Vancouver. The Norvans, fourth-place finishers, rattled the Retailers with three doubles in the fifth inning to plate all four of their counters. Winning pitcher Jim Calli struck out six, scattered four hits and issued nary a walk.
J. Calli (W) and Thibeault
K. Wilson (L), Bazaluk (6) and White
(August 8) The seemingly-jinxed Fraser Arm pastimers were edged 1 to 0 by C.Y.O. at the Powell Street grounds in the opener of their semi-final series. The Frasers blasted six hits to just three for C.Y.O. and recorded stronger pitching statistically but left 11 baserunners stranded in falling once again to their castigator. Catcher Howie Stephens/Stevens drove in Stu Winrob with the lone counter in the clash with a fourth-inning two-bagger. Bill Grant went the distance on the hill for C.Y.O., fanning five, while left-hander Dennis Zinio punched out seven and walked one in absorbing the loss.
Zinio (L) and McEwan
Grant (W) and Stephens/Stevens
(August 9) No final result of the second semi-final playoff game featuring the Merchants and North Vancouver appeared in either the Vancouver Sun or Province. However, the Merchants apparently were winners, tying the best-of-five showdown at one win apiece.
(August 10) The Frasers still haven’t toppled C.Y.O. this season but the Marpole club got a piece of them in the second game of their best-of-five series when they managed a 2 – 2 tie at the Powell Street grounds. The draw gives C.Y.O. a three points to one edge in the series. Warren Coughlin and Bob Schwabb figured in all the Fraser’ scoring as Scwabb crossed the dish twice, the first time on Coughlin’s double in the opening stanza and the second occasion on Coughlin’s fifth-inning sacrifice fly. Stu Winrob’s solo homer and Paul Pederson’s RBI double accounted for the C.Y.O. counters.
Krieger and Lowery
Nichol, L. Webster (5) and McEwan
(August 11) Bill Bazaluk struck out 16 batters in pitching the Merchants to a 2 to 0 victory over North Vancouver and a 2 – 1 edge in their best-of-five Industrial League semi-finals. The Retailers wrapped things up early in the errorless game, scoring the winning run in their first turn at bat when Rick Houghton nailed a double and raced home on Al Forman’s single. Keith Wilson tagged another two-bagger in the sixth inning and plated an add-on run when Darryl Fenton doubled.
Elson (L) and Scott
Bazaluk (W) and K. Wilson
(August 13) Fraser Arms unleashed an 11-hit attack at the Powell Street grounds but it wasn’t enough as C.Y.O. took the third game of the best-of-five semi-final 4 to 1. C.Y.O., which hasn’t lost to the Frasers all season, leads the series two games to none with one game tied. Stu Winrob scored the first run for the winners on a balk by Frasers’ starting pitcher Les Babuin in the opening inning. Howie Stephens/Stevens doubled home a second C.Y.O tally in the fourth while a two-run double by pinch-hitter Bob Tonsaker in the fifth completed the scoring for the victors. The lone counter tallied by the Frasers came in the fifth when shortstop Benny Webster doubled home Babuin. Larry Mann recorded the hillock triumph, fanning six and walking one.
Babuin (L), Zinio (5) and B. Webster, Schwabb (2)
Mann (W) and Stephens/Stevens
(August 14) The Merchants jumped on North Vancouver for three runs in the second inning and went on to post a 3 to 2 victory, a win that gives them the semi-final series three games to one. Three successive walks, Ken MacKenzie’s sacrifice fly and a two-run single by Keith Wilson accounted for the Retailers’ second-stanza bonanza. Catcher Doug Scott and second baseman Jim Mosher drove in the two Norvan tallies.
Wragg (W), Dreger (7) and K. Wilson
Bogue (L), Elson (3) and Scott
(August 15) It finally happened. The Frasers, with elimination staring them in the face, defeated C.Y.O. for he first time all season, taking a 3 to 0 decision at the Powell Street grounds. C.Y.O. still leads the series five points to three and needs only a tie in the fifth game to advance to the finals against the Merchants. Warren Coughlin held the hot hand with the willow for the winners, bashing a brace of solo homers.
Grant (L), Kirk (5), Tonsaker (5) and Stephens/Stevens
Zinio (W) and McEwan
(August 16 to 19) Within this range of dates, the semi-final series between C.Y.O. and Fraser Arms ended with C.Y.O. prevailing. However, no result(s) of the game(s) played was/were published in either of the Vancouver dailies.
FINALS (best-of-seven series) C.Y.O. vs Merchants
(August 20) The Merchants pounced on C.Y.O. for 13 markers in the third inning then cruised to an easy 15 to 2 victory in the first game of the Industrial Baseball league finals. Seventeen batters stepped up to the dish for the Retailers in the fateful third – seven were walked and five got hits. Outfielder Terry Schuss led the offensive barrage with three RBI’s.
Krieger (L), Tonsaker (3), Pederson (3) and Stephens/Stevens
Dreger (W), Peterson (7) and K. Wilson
(August 21) A 6 to 3 doubling of C.Y.O. at the Powell Street grounds stretched the margin of the pennant-winning Merchants to two games in the best-of-seven series. Third sacker Ron Peterson drove in five runs for the Retailers, four of them on a third-inning grand slam homer. Two of the three C.Y.O. counters came on a circuit-clout by Stu Winrob.
Bazaluk (W) and K. Wilson
Grant (L), Foulks (4) and Stephens/Stevens
(August 22) The Merchants plated a three-spot in their final turn at bat to down C.Y.O. 4 to 2 and take a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the Industrial Baseball League finals. Darkness halted play following the sixth-frame splurge. Catcher Howie Stephens/Stevens figured in both C.Y.O runs, driving in the first with an opening-inning single and scoring the second on an error in the fourth stanza. Darryl Fenton homered for the Retailers’ first counter. Terry Dreger’s two-run double in the sixth provided the winning marker with an insurance tally coming as a result of a balk.
Pederson (L) and Stephens/Stevens
Wragg (W) and K. Wilson
(August 24) The Merchants won the 1972 Industrial Baseball League championship at the Powell Street grounds with a 12 to 3 thumping of C.Y.O., sweeping the final series in four straight games. Darryl Fenton clouted a first-inning three-run homer off losing chucker Kit Krieger. The Merchant outfielder, the league’s leading hitter, drove in four runs.
K. Wilson (W), Forman (6) and Peterson
Krieger (L), Bayne (6) and Stephens/Stevens
PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
It was almost as if the Pacific International Baseball League, a high-calibre senior-level circuit, didn’t exist during the 1972 campaign when it came to press coverage within editions of the Vancouver Sun and Province. Granted, only one British Columbia entry was involved in the action, that being the Burnaby Villas, which may have had some bearing upon the indifference.KNOWN TEAMS
Bellingham WA Bells
Burnaby Villas
Everett WA Royals
Seattle Burien
Seattle Cheney
(June 27) Jeff Oscarson powered the Bellingham Bells to a 2-0 victory over Burnaby Villas Tuesday at Bellingham. The win gave the Bells a share of first place in the Western International League. Oscarson, an outstanding infield prospect from Arizona, hammered a two-run homer in the third inning and added two singles. The Villas chased Bells' starter Joe McIntosh to the showers in the seventh inning only to have Fred Stewart come on in relief and preserve the shutout.
Joe McIntosh (W), Fred Stewart (7) and Greg Gustavson
Ken Myette (L) and Norm Caig
(July 22-23) Burnaby Villas scored just three runs in four games over the weekend but came away with three victories thanks to shutout pitching by Rodney Dirk, Greg Lindsay and Nick Miller, each with a five-hit, 1-0 triumph over Cheney of Seattle. The Americans romped to a 14-0 win in the other contest. On Saturday, Larry Kissock lashed a pinch-hit single to score Jim Thomas with the lone run in the 1-0 victory in the first game of a double-header. They got trounced in the second game but rebounded to take both Sunday games by 1-0 counts. Catcher Syd Sharpe and centre fielder Don Archer drove in the winning runs.
(July 28-30) BC Senior Amateur Baseball Championship Tournament
(August 3) Burnaby Villas jumped into an early lead and held off a late charge by Bellingham Bells to notch a 5-4 victory Thursday at Bellingham. Don Archer double to score a pair of runs for Burnaby in the third inning and Henry Sommers' two-bagger accounted for two of three Villas runs in the fourth. Bellingham rallied with three runs in the seventh, two scoring on a double by Jim Chapados. Rod Dirks, with relief from Mike Burdette, was credited with the win.
Rod Dirks (W), Mike Burdette (7) and Syd Sharp
Jeff Clark (L), Joe McIntosh (5), Tom Thompson (7), Fred Stewart (9) and Bill Sanford
PACIFIC COAST JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Coquitlam Comets
New Westminster Royals
North Shore Molsons
Vancouver Trojans
(May 14) The Cypress Trojans and North Vancouver Molsons ruined each others perfect records Sunday as they split a Pacific Coast Junior League double-header at Central Park. Doug Lowe scattered six hits and fanned eight as the Mols squeaked by Trojans 2-1 in the opener. Don Gurniak scored both runs for the winners, one a homer in the first inning off losing pitcher Larry Mann. Trojans rebounded in the second contest, scoring three runs in the first inning en route to a 5-1 victory.
(July 26-30) Canadian Junior Baseball Championship
(August 18) North Shore Mols advanced to the finals of the Pacific Coast Junior League Friday with an 8-3 win over New Westminster Royals. Two-run singles by George Lyle and Brian Lownsborough helped North Shore to a six-run fifth inning that locked up the third game of the best-of-three series. Jim Thomas held the Royals to seven hits in doing the distance for the winners.
(August 23) Gary Picone doubled in two runs for Vancouver in the first inning and the Trojans hung on for a 3-2 victory Wednesday to take a 2-1 game lead in the final series. Rick Hougton scored the eventual winning run in the second inning scoring on an error after the Mols had tied the game in the top of the second with a pair. Larry Fellerdeau gave up eight hits in going the route for the win. Lindsay Thompson suffered the loss yielding just four hits.
(August 25) Dick Hazel fired a two-hitter Friday as North Shore Mols tied the best-of-five Pacific Coast Junior League final at two games apiece edging Vancouver Trojans 1-0 at Ambleside Park. It was Hazell's second two-hit effort of the series. He fanned ten and walked five in besting Larry Mann who allowed just four hits. Cam Hair got the only run in the fifth inning scoring on a double by Henry Somers.