1972 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1972 BC Interior
1972 Vancouver Island
OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE
The 1972 circuit was reduced to just three teams with the departure of the Penticton franchise. Kamloops Okonots
Kelowna Mavericks
Vernon Labatts
(May 11) The Vernon Labatts roared to a 5 to 1 victory over the Kamloops Okonots at Riverside Park in the OMBL opener. Vernon’s Wayne Dye, with a five-hitter, outduelled Bob Bridges in the battle of slab artists. Both heavers recorded 13 punchouts but Bridges struggled with his control, especially early in the game. Dick Gibb supplied the hitting power for the Labatts with a double and a solo home run.
(May 17) Bill Anderson connected for a triple and two doubles, driving in three runs, as the Kamloops Okonots collected their first victory of the OMBL season with an 8 to 7 win over the hosting Kelowna Mavericks. Winning tosser Mike Kellogg fanned nine and allowed four hits while losing heaver Dave Ayres punched out five and was nicked for six safeties.
(May 18) Jeff Bloom fashioned a no-hit, no-run gem in pitching the Kamloops Okonots to a one-sided 12 to 0 whitewashing of the invading Kelowna Mavericks. In posting his no-no, Bloom rang up 15 punchouts. Kelowna starter Jim Craig, kayoed in the second stanza, was nailed with the setback.
(May 23) A ninth-inning error by second baseman Bob Cyca allowed Kelowna’s Larry McKenzie, who had reached base on a walk and was perched on third base, to score the the game’s lone run as the homestanding Mavericks edged the Kamloops Okonots 1 to 0. It was a heartbreaking loss for Okies’ slabster Bob Bridges who whiffed 13 and yielded just two base hits. Winning chucker Brian Shot gave up four hits, all singles, and fanned seven.
(May 25) A tenth-inning counter allowed the Vernon Labatts to squeak out a come-from-behind 3 to 2 triumph over the hometown Kamloops Okonots. Dick Gibb reached base on a single, stole second base,moved to the hot corner on passed ball and scored on a wild pitch heaved by losing flinger Jeff Bloom, who had ascended the bump in the seventh stanza in relief of starter Mike Kellogg. Wayne Dye went the distance for the visitors to collect the win. The Okies had an 8 to 5 margin in base knocks. Bob Bridges of the vanquished nine led all swatsmiths with a double and two singles. Teammates Vince Smith and Bob Cyca both delivered a brace of one-baggers. Rick Munk’s triple drove in the first two Vernon counters in the seventh, erasing a 2 – 0 deficit.
(May 28) The Kamloops Okonots survived a couple of tough battles while their pitchers were combining for 28 punchouts during a doubleheader sweep in Vernon against the highly-competitive Labatts’ aggregation. Both games were extremely close with 4 to 3 and 3 to 2 victories being the prize. The opener, with Bob Bridges on the hill for the victors, took ten innings to decide. Bridges and his opposing moundsman, Clark Inglis, both rang up 14 punchouts. Vince Smith of the Okies, who had reached base on a free pass, scored the winner on an error by shortstop Wayne Dye.
Jeff Bloom breezed 14 in the seven-inning finale to take the mound verdict over Doug Chilton who registered five whiffs. Bob Cyca’s double drove in the third and ultimate winning tally in this contest for the Kamloops contingent.
(June 1) Winning heaver Mike Kellogg and sixth-inning Jeff Bloom combined for 11 strikeouts as the Kamloops Okonots marched to a 7 to 2 victory over the Kelowna Mavericks at Riverside Park. Ron Sarnecki drove in three runs on a pair of singles for the Okies. Carl Nelson was tagged with the defeat.
(June 6) Portsider Bob Bridges stepped back into the groove by ringing up 16 punchouts and belting a two-run tater to lead the Kamloops Okonots to a 5 to 2 conquest of the Kelowna Mavericks. Playing in the Regatta City, the Okies found themselves down 2 – 1 until Bridges launched his four-ply clout in the sixth stanza. Ron Sarnecki connected for a solo dinger in the same panel for Kamloops’ fourth run. Losing chucker Norm Duplessis was given the hook in the seventh spasm. Carl Nelson banged out a bases-empty round-tripper for the Mavs.
(June 18) A sluggish band of Kamloops Okonots, idled for some time because of flooding problems, dropped a 3 to 1 verdict to the Vernon Labatts. The Okies tallied their only counter in the opening session when losing tosser Bob Bridges hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Bill Anderson. Vernon shattered Kamloops’ narrow lead in the fifth when Ed Johnstone crossed the pan on a base hit while Rick Munk and Brian Usher both followed as a result of wild pitches on the part of Bridges. Winning slabster Vern Dye and Bridges were both nicked for four safeties.
(June 29) Following six postponed home games, three caused by the waters of Thompson River flooding Riverside Park and three others due to rainouts, the Kamloops Okonots were finally ready to resume OMBL play on their home turf. However, the Kelowna Mavericks who were scheduled to play the Okies, were under the impression that field conditions were still unplayable so failed to show up. Under the existing rules of the OMBL, the Okonots will receive the victory by default.
(July 4) Looking ill-prepared for game action after a long layoff, the Kamloops Okonots dropped a close 5 to 4 decision to the hosting Kelowna Mavericks. The Mavs led all the way after picking up a three-spot in the opening panel. Norm Meunier, with 11 punchouts, got the win over Bob Bridges, who registered 14 whiffs.
(July 6) The Vernon Labatts laid a 16 to 5 whipping on the defending OMBL champion Kamloops Okonots at Riverside Park. Two errors by the Okies, to start things off, led to three Vernon runs in the opening round and set the tone for the game. The Kamloops nine would ultimately commit a total of eight miscues. Vern Dye racked up the compete-game mound victory while Kamloops’ starter Vince Smith was nailed with the loss.
(July 13) The star shone bright at Riverside Park where the Kamloops Okonots broke out of their OMBL funk and skyrocketed to an easy 11 to 2, five-inning victory over the visiting Kelowna Mavericks. Lefthander Bob Bridges allowed just one hit while fanning 11 in the abbreviated contest. With the bat, he delivered four RBI’s with a triple and single.
(July 16) A pair of impressive victories, by scores of 5 to 0 and 13 to 1, over the Kelowna Mavericks extended the mini-win streak for the Kamloops Okonots to three games following a long drought. Bob Graham, pitching his first game for the Okonots, fanned six and silenced the Mavs on five hits in the opener of the twin-bill. Woody Harris provided a pair of doubles to the Kamloops’ offensive thrust. Losing hurler Norm Meunier allowed six hits while breezing three.
Second-game Okonot heaver Vince Smith had a no-hitter going until the fifth frame and wound up yielding just one safety. Chris Swaine and Bob Bridges picked up a double and a single each for the winners.
(July 27) The Kamloops Okonots roared to their fourth straight triumph, pasting the visiting Kelowna Mavericks 10 to 3. Starter and winner Bob Davisson, along with Vince Smith and Bob Bridges, combined on a five-hitter. Kelowna pitchers Carl Nelson and Norm Meunier were combed for 11 base knocks. Bob Bridges drilled a brace of doubles and a single for the Kamloops nine while playing-skipper Lynn Bylund chipped in with three singles.
(August 3) Taking an 8 to 1 lead after four frames, the Kamloops Okonots lazily glided to an 11 to 5 victory over the Vernon Labatts at Riverside Park. Winning chucker Bob Davisson hurled into the fifth frame before leaving because of a swollen thumb on his pitching hand after being clipped by a line drive. Randy Wiens completed the heaving assignment, Davisson was nicked for three hits while Wiens allowed one. Vernon tossers Wayne Dye and Doug Chilton gave up 11 hits. Bob Bridges paced the Okies with the baton, stinging the horsehide for a double and two singles.
(August 6) The defending champion Kamloops Okonots trounced the hometown Vernon Labatts 7 to 1 to once again find themselves at the top of the final standings as the OMBL season skidded to a premature halt. Directors of the league agreed to end the schedule as both the Kelowna and Vernon entries were having trouble fielding teams. In the clash at Riverside Park, Bob Bridges struck out 11 batters and allowed only four hits in taming the Vernonites. Labatt heaver Mike McAvoy swished six and gave up nine safeties. Both Bridges and McAvoy lit up the opposing flinger for a four-ply clout. Senior Babe Ruth League call-ups Randy Rota and Ed Dempsey both stroked a couple of base raps for the Okies.
In a strange decision by the league moguls, the second-place Vernon club was awarded a bye into the league finals while the pennant-winning Okonots will face Kelowna in the semi-finals.
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Kelowna vs Kamloops (best-of-three series)
(August 13) Woody Harris, one of the Kamloops Okonots’ mightiest willow-wielders, connected for a grand-slam home run, a triple and two singles, stole home once, picked up five RBI’s and scored four counters himself as the hosting Okies ran roughshod over the Kelowna Mavericks 16 to 1 in the opener of the OMBL semi-finals. Chris Swaine and Danny Rota clipped the spheroid for three safeties each with a double included in Swaine’s total of knocks. Winning flinger Bob Bridges had his usual fine effort on the knoll, punching out 12 while holding the Mavs to just four safeties. Kelowna’s three tossers, Larry McKenzie, Rick Favell and Brian Shot, were mauled for 17 base blows.
(August 20) Slacking off after they had built up a 7 to 2 fifth-frame lead, the Kamloops Okonots had to hang on to finally defeat the Kelowna Mavericks 8 to 7 and annex the OMBL semi-finals in consecutive games. Appearing over-confident with a substantial margin, the Okies frittered away their lead as the Mavs began to take advantage of walks and errors to narrow the gap. Bob Bridges, who had started on the hill for Kamloops and hurled the first three innings, was seconded to the knoll once again in relief of Bob Davisson in the seventh to put out the fire and preserve his victory. Davisson just couldn’t find the strike zone during his term on the bump, walking eight Kelowna batters. The Mavericks used three chuckers with Carl Nelson taking the loss.
FINALS Vernon vs Kamloops
(August 24) Unable to field a competitive team, the Vernon Labatts bowed out of the OMBL playoffs, forfeiting the 1972 championship to the Kamloops Okonots.
QUESNEL SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
The four clubs comprising the 1972 circuit, all returnees from 1971, had their original 48-game league schedule reduced to 42 games in order to properly prepare the playing field and spectator seating at Alex Fraser Park.
Once the season got underway, the reporting of game results within the Quesnel Cariboo Observer for May and most of June amounted to nothing more than just final scores thrown together in two-week clusters. The content began to improve in late June and continued throughout most of the remaining campaign although the number of games reported upon and the frequency of such started to diminish within the same period.
Billy Barker Inn
Jen’s Hobos
Merchants
Selects
(May 23) The Selects decisioned Jen’s Hobos 12 to 4 in the league opener.
(May 25) Billy Barker opened the season by crushing the Merchants 11 to 4.
(May 27) The Selects handed the Merchants their second consecutive setback, toppling the Retailers 12 to 9.
(May 28) The Merchants broke into the win column by fashioning a 16 to 2 conquest of Jen’s Hobos.
(May 30) Billy Barker blanked Jen’s Hobos 10 to 0.
(May 31) The Selects and Merchants battled to an extra-inning 8 – 8 tie. The deadlock will be broken prior to the start of their next clash.
(June 1) Billy Barker prevailed 7 to 5 over the Selects to stretch their record to three wins against no losses.
(June 3) The Selects romped over Jen’s Hobos 13 to 3, their second straight win against the Tramps.
(June 4) Billy Barker stretched their unbeaten streak to four by defeating the Merchants 6 to 2.
Standings W L Pct.
Billy Barker Inn 4 0 1.000
Selects 3 1 .750
Merchants 1 3 .250
Jen’s Hobos 0 4 .000
(June 6) The Merchants and Selects failed to produce a winner for the second time this season, battling it out to an 8 – 8 tie in a suspended finish. The winner will be determined before the nest regularly-scheduled contest between the two foes.
(June 8) A 10 to 4 spanking of Jen’s Hobos was the fifth consecutive triumph for the Billy Barker squad.
(June 10) The Merchants spanked the winless Jen’s Hobos 7 to 4.
(June 13) Billy Barker edged the Merchants 3 to 2 in a hard-fought skirmish.
(June 17) The rich got richer and the poor got poorer at Alex Fraser Park where the penthouse-dwelling Billy Barker nine nudged the last-place Jen’s Hobos 3 to 1.
(June 18) Triple-header action at Alex Fraser Park saw the Selects come up with two wins and the Merchants one. The teams completed two tie games that had been suspended earlier in the season because of darkness before locking horns in their scheduled clash of this date. The first tilt, a completion of the game begun on May 31, went to the Selects 9 to 8 after four additional innings of overtime were played.
The sandwich event, which was started June 6, was captured by the Selects 12 to 11. In the regularly-scheduled scuffle, the Merchants finally prevailed, coming out on top with a 9 to 8 victory. Tom Spooner gathered in the route-going victory for the Retailers. First sacker Wally Pruden of the Selects lit Spooner up for a second-inning circuit-clout, a mammoth no-doubter.
Standings W L Pct.
Billy Barker Inn 7 0 1.000
Selects 5 2 .714
Merchants 3 6 .333
Jen’s Hobos 0 7 .000
(June 20) After seven straight setbacks to begin the season, Jen’s Hobos finally recorded a win, knocking off the Merchants to the tune of 10 to 4. Eric Sanderson earned the pitching win by spinning a four-hitter while Harry West was saddled with the loss. Syd Cyca and George Williams hit doubles for the winners.
(June 21) Picking up where they left off on the previous evening, Jen’s Hobos made it two in a row by upsetting the second-place Selects 5 to 3. Steve Huska and Brad Gassoff shared pitching chores for the Hobos, holding the Selects scoreless until the final inning. Dale Phoenix went the distance on the knoll for the vanquished nine.
(June 22) The Selects had little difficulty in handing the Billy Barker squad their first defeat this season, clipping the Innkeepers 10 to 4. Winning tosser Arnie Prediger fanned nine in going the route while Pete Swanson absorbed the setback. The Selects pounded out a dozen safeties including home runs by Doug Rudolf and Jim Alton.
(June 25) Billy Barker coasted to a 12 to 4 win over the Merchants. Winning pitcher Terry Yalowega went seven innings on the hillock before turning things over to Pete Swanson. Wayne Boucher was nailed with the loss after being driven to the showers in the fourth inning. Catcher Wayne Inglis had a double for the Innkeepers.
Standings W L Pct.
Billy Barker Inn 8 1 .889
Selects 6 3 .667
Merchants 3 8 .273
Jen’s Hobos 2 7 .222
(June 30, July 1-2) Quesnel Dominion Day weekend tournament
(July 6) Jen’s Hobos picked up their third win in succession, squeezing past the Merchants 9 to 8. The win allowed the Tramps to vacate, at least temporarily, the Quesnel Senior League cellar position. Brad Gassoff went the route on the bump for the victors, striking out five while walking six. The Hobos’ Randy Chernsnook batted in the winning tally in the ninth inning when he doubled to score Ken Gassoff. Lorne “Lefty” Rodonets, in a relief role, was charged with the loss.
(July 9) A winning streak that had gone three games for Jen’s Hobos ended abruptly when they were dumped 8 to 3 by the Selects. Arnie Prediger limited the Hobos to three hits while ringing up 11 punchouts while his mates from the Selects’ dugout were hammering losing flinger Wayne Stuckleberger for a dozen base knocks.
(July 16) The Merchants and Selects split a pair of games during Quesnel Senior Baseball League action at Alex Fraser Park. In the opener, a makeup game which was scheduled for July 13, the Retailers came from behind to nip the Selects 7 to 6. In arrears 6 to 2, the Merchants pulled out the first-game triumph on the strength of a five-run rally in the sixth inning. Although holding a significant 11 to 6 advantage in base raps, the Selects weren’t able to capitalize on many of their scoring opportunities. Rod Dyck, who went the route, took the pitching verdict over Arnie Prediger, the third of three tossers utilized by the vanquished nine.
The Selects handily annexed the second battle 8 to 2 as Glen Nordin earned the knoll triumph with late-inning relief help from Dale Phoenix. Wayne Boucher, nicked for ten safeties, took the loss.
(July 18) Billy Barker put up a seven-spot in the third canto en route to a 10 to 2 bombing of Jen’s Hobos. Flychaser Art Leer, leading off the frame, nailed a solo home run to ignite the splurge. Terry Yalowega triumphed over Brad Gassoff in their quest for hillock supremacy.
(July 20) Jen’s Hobos scored three times in their final turn at bat but it was too little, too late as they dropped a 9 to 5 decision to the Selects. Dale Phoenix of the victors lit up losing twirler Greg Halvorson for a tater while the Hobos’ Steve Huska replicated the feat with a dinger off winning slabster John Booth.
(July 22) The Merchants got off on the right foot in their two-game weekend set with Jen’s Hobos, blanking the Tramps 6 to 0. Joe Weremy picked up the shutout win at the expense of Wayne Stuckleberger.
(July 23) Jen’s Hobos overcame a 6 to 0 deficit, forging ahead 11 to 8 before finally succumbing 15 to 13 to the Merchants in a sloppily-played affair. Tom Spooner, who toed the rubber on two different occasions for the Retailers during the long, drawn-out affair, was credited with the win while Eric Sanderson, who was ejected during the late stages of the game, was saddled with the loss.
(July 28-30) An all-star team from the four Quesnel Senior Baseball League teams participated in the B. C. senior amateur championship tournament held in New Westminster but bowed out in two straight games, losing out to the Mid-Island All-Stars 8 to 0 before taking it on the chin 9 to 0 against the Victoria Senior League All-Stars.
(August 2) A disappointing week for the Billy Barker diamond pastimers began with a 4 to 3 loss to the Selects. Winning flinger Dale Phoenix yielded six safeties in copping the narrow verdict. Losing chucker Terry Yalowega was lit up for a dozen base raps by the winners.
(August 3) The Merchants spanked the sphere for a dozen safeties in upending the fumble-fingered Billy Barker baseballers 8 to 2. Harry West limited the league-leaders to three hits while his mates were taking advantage of four errors committed by the Innkeepers. Pete Swanson was charged with the loss.
(August 5) Jen’s Hobos got back on the winning track, getting past the Selects 3 to 1 at Alex Fraser Park. The Tramps struck for a deuce in their first turn at bat when Steve Huska went yard, connecting for a round-tripper with one mate aboard. Wayne Stuckleberger tossed a four-hitter for the win outdueling Arnie Prediger.
(August 6) Continuing to light up Billy Barker slab artists with a bombardment of base blows, the Merchants once again slugged their way to a conquest of the slumping Innkeepers. The score this time was 14 to 5 as the Retailers piled up 16 safe swats. Wayne Boucher cruised to the hillock victory over Bob Gibb. For the losing Barkers, this contest was their first of a three-team twin-bill scheduled for the day.
Billy Barker appeared to have little trouble in taking the Selects to task 11 to 6 in the second half of the double-dip despite the fact that the Selects had more hits and the Barkers committed more errors. Terry Yalowega survived an 11-hit Selects’ offensive thrust to go the distance for the knoll triumph. The trio of Glen Nordin, John Booth and Dale Phoenix worked off the bump for the losers, surrendering nine hits.
(August 8) Jen’s Hobos were whitewashed 9 to 0 by the pace-setting Billy Barker nine as Randy Thompson of the Innkeepers connected for a two-run circuit-jack in the third canto which set the wheels in motion for the lopsided result. Pete Swanson breezed 11 in twirling the four-hit shutout.
(August 10) The Merchants wound up their regular season on a winning note when the blanked the cellar-dwelling Jen’s Hobos 6 to 0. Rod Dyck of the Retailers fashioned a one-hitter in hurling the shutout win.
(August 12) Catcher turned pitcher Wayne Inglis, at least for this tilt, ascended the knoll and successfully led the Billy Barker Inn to a 5 to 1 conquest of Jen’s Hobos.
(August 13) In the battle for top spot in the QSBL, nothing changed as Billy Barker and the Selects split a doubleheader, leaving the Barkers still in front of the Selects by a half-game. The Innkeepers took the opener 7 to 4 before dropping the sunset event 5 to 1.
Pete Swanson of the Barkers and Selects’ catcher Pat Morgan traded home runs in the matinée tilt as Bob Gibb bested Glen Nordine on the elevated portion of the diamond.
Dale Phoenix went the distance on the hillock for the Selects in the evening affair, packing in the victory with a two-hitter while swishing ten. Terry Yalowega took the loss.
(August 14) After briefly losing the leadership of the circuit during the latter portion of the pennant race, Billy Barker finally clinched top spot in the Quesnel Senior baseball standings and the 1972 pennant by trouncing bottom-feeding Jen’s Hobos 17 to 7 in the final league game. Winning tosser Pete Swanson surrendered a four-bagger to losing mound opponent Steve Huska who, in turn, served up a juicy meatball which the Innkeepers’ Randy Thompson lit into for a round-tripper.
Final Standings W L Pct.
Billy Barker Inn 14 7 .667
Selects 13 8 .619
Merchants 11 10 .529
Jen’s Hobos 4 17 .190
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Merchants vs Billy Barker Inn & Jen’s Hobos vs Selects (best-of-three series)
(August 15) Rod Dyck achieved a pitcher’s dream as the Merchants’ right-hander fired a seven-inning no-hit, no-run game in leading the Merchants to an upset 6 to 0 victory over pennant-winning Billy Barker Inn as the semi-finals got underway.
(August 16) The Selects nosed out the youthful Jen’s Hobos 7 to 6 to take a one-game lead in their semi-final playoff series. John Booth and Arnie Prediger combined forces on the bump to pull out the win for the Selects, surrendering six base raps between them. Losing twirler Brad Gassoff went the route and was combed for ten safeties by the winners. Two of the swats yielded by Gassoff were home runs off the bat of Jim LeBourdais in the third and fifth frames.
(August 17) After going scoreless and hitless in the opening game, pennant-winning Billy Barker turned the tables on their adversaries in the second match of their showdown series. With Pete Swanson on the mound, the Innkeepers tied the series at a game apiece as Swanson hurled the second no-hit, no-run game of the series in pitching the Barkers to a narrow 1 to 0 victory over the Merchants. Swanson rang up nine punchouts and did not issue even one base on balls. The B-B’s managed only three hits off losing chucker Joe Weremy in squaring the series.
(August 19) The Selects eliminated the pesky Jen’s Hobos from the playoff picture by eking out a 2 to 1 win in the second match of their series. Dale Phoenix whiffed a dozen and walked just one in hurling a four-hitter for the mound victory. Losing flinger Wayne Stuckleberger was impactful in the hard-luck defeat. The Hobos’ slab artist was touched for just two safeties while fanning 13 and walking two.
(August 20) After back-to-back no-hitters, the bats for both teams showed some life in the third semi-final clash won by Billy Barker Inn 7 to 4 over the Merchants. Third baseman Randy Thompson of the Innkeepers had the game’s most telling blow, a two-run homer in the second frame off losing twirler Rod Dyck. Winning moundsman Terry Yalowega gave up six hits, struck out seven and walked one.
FINALS Selects vs Billy Barker Inn (best-of-five series)
(August 22) Pennant-winning Billy Barker came out of the gate with strength, annexing the opening game of the 1972 QSBL finals by taking the Selects into camp 7 to 4. Ed Lang was credited with the pitching victory, yielding four base raps along the way. Losing chucker John Booth was also touched for just four safeties but was hampered by some poor defensive work by his mates in the sloppily-played affair.
(August 23) In a tense second game of the QSBL finals, the lead changed hands three times before the Selects prevailed 3 to 2 over Billy Barker to square things at one win each. The Selects, with Glen Nordin on the bump, were full credit for the triumph, outhitting the Innkeepers 6 to 2. Terry Yalowega went the distance for the Barkers.
(August 24) The Billy Barker Inn in put together a string of four one-run innings to edge the Selects 4 to 3 in the third game of a hard-fought final series which took an extra inning to decide. Randy Thompson crossed the pan with the deciding counter in the overtime session to give Terry Yalowega the pitching decision over Dale Phoenix.
(August 27) After falling behind 1 to 0 on a solo home run by Selects’ shortstop Jim Alton in the first inning, Billy Barker roared back to down the runners-up for the pennant 7 to 1 and, in the process, captured the 1972 QSBL championship finals three games to one.. The Barkers played errorless afield as winning pitcher Pete Swanson stymied the Selects on just two hits. The Innkeepers had eight hits off the slants of losing slabster Arnie Prediger and reliever Dale Phoenix.
SLOCAN-ARROW LAKES
The long-standing Slocan-Arrow Lakes Senior Baseball League folded following the fourth consecutive championship season posted by the 1971 New Denver-Silverton Combines. New Denver-Silverton, along with a team representing Slocan, joined the West Kootenay Senior Baseball League in 1972 while Nakusp, Winlaw and Kaslo did not field senior teams.
WEST KOOTENAY SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE (A.K.A. KOOTENAY MAJOR BASEBALL LEAGUE)
Following the departure of the Grand Forks Mets and the Creston Maroons from the circuit, the membership within the 1972 loop remained at five entries with the addition of New Denver-Silverton from the defunct Slocan-Arrow Lakes Senior League and a team representing Slocan. With the adoption of an unbalanced schedule, the two newest clubs were both slated to play 16 games while the holdover squads, Rossland, Trail and Nelson, were each booked to participate in 20 league contests.
Unfortunately, newspaper coverage of games by the usually reliable Trail Times was sub-par for the 1972 season while results of games featuring the two Arrow Lakes/Slocan Valley teams were seldom published, resulting in a number of missing games for this circuit.
Nelson Indians
New Denver-Silverton Combines
Rossland Capilanos
Slocan Spikes
Trail Silver Kings
(May 11) Wayne Plummer scattered five hits and his teammates took advantage of some erratic Trail pitching as the Nelson Indians dumped the hosting Silver Kings 5 to 1 in the 1972 opening game of the West Kootenay Senior Baseball League. The Tribe broke a 1 – 1 tie in the fifth frame, scoring four times off losing pitcher Russ Paterson who ran into a wild streak. Ernie Moisey began the inning for the Indians with a single and, after a sacrifice and walks to Craig Simmons/Symons and Plummer loaded the sacks, Len Bousquet drove in a pair with a single. Bousquet later scored on a fielders choice. Bob Jeffs drove in Nelson’s first tally with an opening-inning double. Three Trail pitchers issued a total of 13 bases-on-balls. Trail threatened mildly in the seventh stanza but a sparkling fielding play by Terry Minnis bailed Plummer out of the inning.
(May 14) Nelson defeated Slocan twice in WKSBL doubleheader action. No final scores or game details located.
(May 14) The New Denver-Silverton Combines were generous hosts, serving up two victories to the invading Rossland Capilanos by scores of 7 to 3 and 7 to 6. In the opening match, lefthanded chucker Joe Zanussi of the Caps, with a five-hitter, bested New Denver-Silverton starter Bill Markin who was lifted in the fourth frame in favor of Jack Kelly. Len Cedarholm starred at the plate for the Golden City aggregation, collecting three hits in four tries. Kelly was the lone Combines’ hitter with plural hit totals, raking Zanussi for a triple and one–bagger.
Trailing 6 to 4 in sixth stanza of the second joust, New Denver-Silverton greeted Rossland reliever Steve McFarland, who had ascended the bump replacing starting hurler Barry Seal, with four straight singles to tie the score. That earned McFarland the hook as first-game winner Zanussi was called upon to put out the fire. Pitching no-hit ball the rest of the way, Zanussi earned his second hillock triumph of the afternoon when teammate Rich Miller delivered a two-out solo homer in the eighth episode. Reliever Ed Elsmore, who was lit up for Miller’s dinger, was saddled with the loss. Rocky Cull of the Caps and ageless Nobby Hayashi of New Denver-Silverton both stung the sphere for a triad of base knocks.
(May 18) The Trail Silver Kings evened their record at 1 – 1, capturing an uphill battle from the homestanding Rossland Capilanos by a 9 to 8 margin. On the short end of an 8 to 4 count after 5-1/2 innings of play, the Silver Kings struck for a four-spot in the sixth to create a deadlock. Then, in the seventh, a double by Reg Cherenko followed by Rob Paterson’s single gave the Smelter City nine the lead which reliever, and winner, Dale Payette protected for the remainder of the skirmish. Barry Seal, the second of three Rossland twirlers, was nailed with the loss. Cherenko had an earlier run-scoring two-bagger in the third panel to go along with his game-winning rap.
(May 22) Bob McIvor’s three-run homer in the eighth inning broke up a tight pitching duel between Wayne Plummer and John Nesbitt, giving the Nelson Indians a 5 to 1 victory over the New Denver-Silverton Combines in WKSBL action. The win for the undefeated Lakesiders was their fourth consecutive in the young season. The Combines took a 1 – 0 lead in the second stanza when Doug Nelson singled, went to second on a walk to Nesbitt and scored after a line-drive double by Bill Markin. The Tribe’s starting pitcher, Craig Simmons/Symons settled down at that point and retired two in a row before walking Nobby Hayashi to load the bases. Nelson manager Frank Hufty then went to his bullpen and brought in Plummer who struck out Jack Kelly to end the threat. Nesbitt was breezing along with a three-hitter until the sixth spasm when the Indians struck for a brace of tallies on RBI-singles by Al Roemer and Ernie Moisey. The one-run differential remained in tact until the eighth when McIvor’s blast put a bow on things.
(May 23) The winning streak of the heavy-hitting Nelson Indians came to an abrupt halt when portsider Joe Zanussi of the Rossland Capilanos blanked them 4 to 0 at the Nelson Civic Centre. The Caps plated all four of their markers in the third inning. Zanussi, who whiffed three en route to his shutout, started the Rossland outbreak in the third with a leadoff double and later scored the Caps’ initial run. The Golden City nine added two more runs on fielders’ choices and an additional insurance counter on a passed ball.
(May 30) A solo homer by winning chucker Don Mainland in the top-of-the-sixth inning was the difference in a 5 to 4 victory by the Trail Silver Kings at the expense of the hosting Rossland Capilanos. Mainland’s blast put the visitors in front 5 to 3 which proved to be cushion enough for the Trail righthander who held on for the win after the Caps had narrowed the margin to a single run by scoring an unearned tally in their half of the same frame. Mainland finished with a seven-hitter while southpaw Joe Zanussi, combed for ten safeties, was hit with his first hillock defeat of the campaign. Mike Ward tripled twice for the winners while teammate Kevin Oliver had a single and a three-bagger.
(May 31) Unbeaten slab artist Wayne Plummer picked up his third knoll triumph of the season as the first-place Nelson Indians subdued the Rossland Capilanos 3 to 1 in the Lakeside City. Plummer struck out five, walked just one and limited the Caps to four hits in going the distance. Losing flinger Barry Seal was nicked for seven safeties. Plummer and Bob Jeffs both clipped the orb for a brace of base raps with a triple included in Jeffs’ production and a two-bagger in Plummer’s sum of swats. Joe Zanussi stroked a single and double for the vanquished nine.
Standings W L Pct.
Nelson Indians 5 1 .833
Rossland Capilanos 3 3 .500
Trail Silver Kings 3 3 .500
New Denver-Silverton Combines 2 2 .500
Slocan Spikes 0 4 .000
(June 1) The Trail Silver Kings took over sole possession of second spot in the WKSBL by whitewashing the front-running Nelson Indians 5 to 0.
(June 4) The hosting Slocan Spikes earned their initial win of the season by taking a first-game decision from their valley neighbors, the New Denver-Silverton Combines. A setback in the late portion of the two-game set left them with a 1 – 5 record. No final scores or game details were located in print for either game.
(June 6) Gifted with four unearned runs in the opening inning, the Nelson Indians went on to double the Rossland Capilanos 6 to 3 behind the three-hit pitching of Wayne Plummer. The Tribe managed six hits off lefthander Joe Zanussi who was tagged with his second loss of the season against three wins. Plummer fanned seven in picking up his fourth mound triumph of the campaign. Nelson’s Terry Minnis was the only player in the contest to register two hits, one of them being a solo home run.
(June 7) The Nelson Indians hung on to defeat the invading Trail Silver Kings 6 to 5 at the Nelson Civic Centre. Trail had taken a 1 – 0 lead in the first inning but quickly fell behind in the third. With two retired, Al Roemer and Armando Porco walked. A single by Terry Minnis followed which produced the first Nelson counter. Bob Jeffs gave the Tribe a 3 – 1 lead with a two-RBI hit. The Silver Kings responded with a brace of tallies in the fourth frame following a walk to Ernie Schleppe and three consecutive singles by Tom Volpatti, losing chucker Don Mainland and Rick Brown. The Tribe took charge in the fifth, plating a deuce on a sacrifice fly by Minnis an a sacrifice bunt by Bob Jeffs.
(June 13) The Rossland Capilanos won their first home fixture of the WKSBL season, grabbing an early 4 to 0 lead and holding on to defeat the high-flying Nelson Indians 4 to 2. Barry Seal went the route for the hillock triumph, surrendering six safeties to the Tribe. Losing flinger Bob Jeffs was raked for seven safeties. Three extra-base knocks helped the Caps, a long round-tripper by Don Holmes and doubles by Bob Profili and Seal. Jeffs and Terry Minnis cuffed two-baggers for the Lakesiders.
(June 14) The Nelson Indians had payback on their minds as they easily avenged their setback of 24 hours previous by scalping the Rossland Capilanos to the tune of 15 to 1. Rossland used four chuckers and they were all roughed up badly by the Nelson swatsmiths. To make matters worse for the visitors, their defensive play was atrocious. Nelson’s pitching ace, Wayne Plummer, chalked up the mound triumph, his fifth of the campaign.
Standings W L Pct.
Nelson Indians 8 3 .727
Trail Silver Kings 4 4 .500
Rossland Capilanos 4 5 .444
New Denver-Silverton Combines 3 4 .429
Slocan Spikes 2 5 .286
(June 18) Some 44 base hits were piled up by the invading New Denver-Silverton Combines and the Rossland Capilanos in their two-game set at Jubilee Park. The Golden City Gang annexed both contests by scores of 10 to 8 and 14 to 8 in which the participants combined for 11 extra-base blows, three of which were doubles, four going for triples and another four sailing out of the park for circuit-jacks. Even 47-year old New Denver-Silverton backstop Nobby Hayashi got into the act, lighting up first-game winning pitcher Joe Zanussi for a grand-slam ding-dong. Other four-ply clouts were launched by Rossland’s Barry Seal, a solo tater in the fourth fame of the opener, and by Jack Kelly and Bill Markin of the Combines who both belted three-run shots in the nightcap. Seal recorded the game two pitching win while Markin was tagged with the loss. Reliever Don Nesbitt absorbed the knoll setback in the curtain-raiser.
Standings W L Pct.
Nelson Indians 8 3 .727
Trail Silver Kings 5 4 .556
Rossland Capilanos 6 5 .545
New Denver-Silverton Combines 3 6 .333
Slocan Spikes 2 6 .250
(June 27) The Rossland Capilanos captured their first decision in three meetings with the Trail Silver Kings this season, doubling the visitors 8 to 4 at Jubilee Park. Barry Seal won his third game of the campaign, taking the mound verdict over Trail starter Russ Paterson. Seal gave up nine hits, four of which were garnered by the Silver Kings’ rookie shortstop Kevin Oliver. Mike Ward also had the hex on Seal, combing the hard-throwing righthander for a triad of safe swats. Joe Zanussi was best with the baton for the victors, spanking the sphere for a double and single, good for three RBI’s.
(June 29) Larry Brandt struggled with control issues through 5-1/3 innings on the bump, walking 11 batters while allowing just one hit, but managed to persevere long enough to collect the win as the Rossland Capilanos bounced the hosting Trail Silver Kings 9 to 5 at Butler Park. The win for the Caps was their second in a row over the Smelter City nine. Lloyd McLellan preserved the hillock triumph for Brandt while Reg Cherenko, who went the distance for Trail, was nicked with the loss. Rocky Cull cuffed a pair of doubles and a single for the victors.
(July 2) Wayne Plummer scattered three hits and his teammates scored in every inning as the Nelson Indians blasted the Spokane Spikes 10 to 2 in a one-sided WKSBL contest. Plummer, who is the league’s top mound winner with seven victories, got all the runs he needed in the first inning when the Indians nicked losing twirler Brian Hamagami for three hits and four tallies, a pair of them coming on a two-RBI single by Terry Minnis. Plummer lost his shutout bid in the third round when the Spikes scored a single counter on a single by Barry O’Bara, a fielder’s choice, a hit batsman and Plummer’s throwing error.
(July 4) Entertaining the front-running Nelson Indians at Jubilee Park, the second-place Rossland Capilanos fell short of their objective of swapping positions in the standings with the Tribe as they fell 12 to 6 to the hard-hitting Lakesiders. Nelson teed off on starter Jim Cotton and relievers, Joe Zanussi and Larry Brandt, for 14 base blows. Led by husky Al Roemer, with three hits in four trips to the plate, the Indians got at least one base knock from every player in the lineup. First baseman Mike Berridge, relief pitcher Craig Simmons/Symons and season-long mound ace Wayne Plummer each stung the horsehide for a brace of safeties. Bob Jeffs was the starting and winning pitcher. Steve McFarland picked up a single, double and triple for the Golden City Gang.
(July 10)
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Nelson Indians 10 5 .667 ----
Rossland Capilanos 8 7 .533 2.0
Trail Silver Kings 8 8 .500 2.5
Slocan Spikes 4 7 .364 4.0
New Denver-Silverton Combines 3 6 .333 4.0
(August 6) New Denver-Silverton and Nelson divided the spoils in a regular season-ending twin-bill in Nelson. The co-leading Indians won the first match 3 to 2 but the Combines came back to nose out the Lakesiders 4 to 3 which put the losers in peril of slipping into second place in the final standings.
(August 6) The West Kootenay Senior Baseball League wound up its regular schedule in Appledale where the Rossland Capilanos won their seventh and eighth games in succession by sweeping a doubleheader from the cellar-dwelling Slocan Spikes by scores of 20 to 2 and 13 to 0. The twin wins allowed the rampaging Caps to edge out the Nelson Indians and claim the 1972 pennant. Barry Seal struck out ten and spun a three-hitter to collect the win in the opener. Ron Cull blasted a home run for the winners.
Jim Cotton blanked Slocan in the follow-up tilt, clinching the pennant.
Senior Babe Ruth League call-up Art Mercer had an outstanding debut with the Caps in their two-game annihilation of the lowly Spikes. In seven plate appearances, the speedy flychaser walked twice, was hit by a pitched ball and hit safely on four other occasions with two of those hits being doubles.
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
Rossland Capilanos 13 7 .650 ----
Nelson Indians 12 8 .600 1.0
Trail Silver Kings 11 9 .550 2.0
New Denver-Silverton Combines 6 10 .375 5.0
Slocan Spikes 4 12 .250 7.0
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS New Denver Combines vs Rossland Capilanos
& Trail Silver Kings vs Nelson Indians (best-of-three series)
(August 14) Barry Seal fashioned a complete-game five-hitter as the Rossland Capilanos struck first in their semi-final playoff series with hosting New Denver-Silverton, bouncing the pesky Combines 9 to 2. Seal received good defensive support from his clubmates and helped his own cause at the plate with a pair of base hits. Mike Mukanik ripped two doubles, Joe Zanussi a double and a one-bagger and Bob Profili a brace of clean singles. Jack Nesbitt stated on the hill for New Denver-Silverton and was hit with the loss. He was relieved, in turn, by Ed Elsmore and Jack Kelly. Between them, they yielded ten hits to the Caps. Phil Angrignon had two safeties for the vanquished nine.
(August 17) Ernie Brown’s three-run homer highlighted a five-run sixth inning which ignited the visiting Trail Silver Kings a 5 to 3 win over the Nelson Indians in the opener of their WKSBL semi-final bracket. Don Szilagyi drove in the other two counters for the Kings in the same session. Nelson pitcher Wayne Plummer, the league’s top hurler during the regular season with an 8 – 1 record, was cruising along with a 2 – 0 lead when the Smelter City uprising began after two were out. Nelson broke through to winning pitcher Mike Ward for single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth spasms.
Ward (W) and DeRosa
Plummer (L) and xxx
(August 20) A 5 to 1 loss to the Trail Silver Kings at Butler Park eliminated the Nelson Indians from the playoff picture. A fine pitching performance by Trail’s Rick Brown wrapped up the best-of-three semi-final series in two straight games.
(August 20) The Rossland Capilanos roared out of the gate at Jubilee Park, registering seven runs in the first two innings, and then hung on to defeat the New Denver-Silverton Combines 10 to 5 to earn a spot in the West Kootenay Senior Baseball League finals against the Trail Silver Kings. Winning flinger Jim Cotton went the distance, giving up six hits while walking five. Combines’ starter, Jack Kelly, derricked in the second spasm in favor of Bill Markin, was nailed with the loss. Rossland’s Barry Seal pounded the horsehide for a pair of two-run singles while teammate Rich Miller socked a bases-empty dinger and a run-producing double. Relief flinger Markin went two-for-two for the Combines.
FINALS Trail Silver Kings vs Rossland Capilanos (best-of-five series)
(August 24) Hard-throwing righthander Barry Seal won his fifth successive pitching decision, coming through with a five-hitter, as the Rossland Capilanos maintained their late-season momentum by downing the Trail Silver Kings 6 to 2 as the West Kootenay Senior Baseball League finals got underway at Butler Park. The Caps got to mound opponent Rick Babcock for ten safeties and never trailed in the contest after striking for a deuce in the second spasm on a run-scoring double by Seal and Ron “Rocky” Cull’s RBI single. They sewed it up with a three-spot in the seventh, highlighted by Bob Profili’s two-run single. Mike Ward was responsible for both Trail counter’s, his long single driving in a third-inning tally and his tremendous bases-empty, four-ply jack over the left field fence in the sixth stanza, accounting for the other.
(August 29) The Trail Silver Kings’ Don Mainland silenced the bats of the hosting Rossland Capilanos on five hits at Jubilee Park as the Silver City nine evened the best-of-five WKSBL finals at a game apiece by taking a darkness-shortened game two 8 to 5. Keith Healey’s three-run round-tripper in the second panel sent Caps’ starter Larry Brandt down to defeat. The Kings put the game on ice with another triad in the sixth, highlighted by Ernie Brown’s four-bagger. Rossland’s runs were scored on three Silver King errors and three base raps. Bob Profili connected for three hits in a losing cause.
(August 30) Bouncing back after a second-game setback, the Rossland Capilanos regained control of the WKSBL final series by blanking the Trail Silver Kings 6 to 0 behind the five-hit pitching of Joe Zanussi. Trail starter Mike Ward gave up six of the Capilanos’ seven hits and all of their runs. Second baseman Steve McFarland celebrated his return to the Golden City lineup, after recovering from shoulder surgery, with a single and double accounting for two RBI’s while teammate Barry Seal also drove in a pair with a two-run tater in the fifth episode.
(August 31) In a game-four battle of fireballing righthanders at Butler Park, the Trail Silver Kings had just five hits off the slants of Rossland’s Barry Seal while the Capilanos managed to nick Don Mainland for eight safeties, yet the Smelter City nine prevailed when it came to runs, coming through with a narrow 6 to 4 conquest to deadlock the WKSBL finals at two-games each. A pair of sixth-inning errors by the Rosslanders, plus Keith Healey’s long triple, saw the tie-breaking runs scamper home. Big Don Holmes of the losing nine, with three hits, was the lone player in the game to produce plural swat totals.
(September 7) A disastrous fourth-inning defensive meltdown erased an early 2 to 0 lead and led to the downfall of the defending-champion Rossland Capilanos who were dethroned in losing a 9 to 2 decision to the Trail Silver Kings in a fifth-game showdown. A pair of seemingly routine outs that were muffed in the outer pasture led to eleven Trail batters coming to the plate in the game-changing fourth frame that saw the Kings emerge with a five-spot. After Capilanos’ starting pitcher Barry Seal and Trail’s playing-skipper Al Doherty were both ejected from the game in the top-of-the-seventh panel, Senior Babe Ruther Russ Lafreniere took over on the hillock for the Golden City Gang but had difficulty finding the plate. Three singles and three walks later, four additional Trail counters had been plated and Steve McFarland was called in from his keystone-sack position to get the final out. Another Senior Babe Ruth call-up, Rick Babcock, went all the way on the knoll for the Smelter City squad to cop the victory with a five-hitter.
(September 16-17) Trail major baseball tournament
(July 14-16) BC Junior Championship