1973 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1973 BC Interior
1973 Vancouver Island
VANCOUVER METRO BASEBALL LEAGUE
The Vancouver Metro Baseball League emerged in 1973 as a four-team senior-level loop following the demise of the long-standing Industrial Baseball League.
A series of interlocking games with member teams from the crack Pacific Coast Junior circuit was instituted into the schedule. Another unique arrangement was made with the independent Kamloops Okonots, formerly of the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball loop, who were accepted as an associate member of the circuit and played a compressed, but limited, schedule against the four Vancouver-based senior-level teams. The results of weekend games with the Okonots were counted in the standings. Stacked with elite players from not only the Okanagan but from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island as well, the Okonots proved to be a formidable opponent. The league struggled financially as fan attendance at Vancouver’s Capilano Stadium was below expectations. Nevertheless, every one of the senior entries from the lower mainland was able to survive the season.
Budgets
Landmarks
North Vancouver Capilanos
Stylers
INTERLOCKING GAME OPPONENTS
New Westminster Junior Royals
North Vancouver Junior Mariners
Surrey Junior Sandpipers
Vancouver Junior Trojans
Whalley Junior Chiefs
ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF LEAGUE
Kamloops Okonots
(May 20) Baseball made a triumphant return to scenic Capilano Stadium as the revamped Metro Baseball League opened its 1973 season. With 500 fans on hand for doubleheader action, the Landmarks got things underway by blanking the North Van Capilanos 4 to 0 while the Budgets smashed the Stylers 8 to 2 in the second match.
Landmarks’ pitcher Terry Dreger rose to the occasion with a sparkling four-hitter in the matinée contest. Dreger, a former Class A player in the New York Yankees chain, struckout five en route to the victory.
D. Calli (L), Seredick (4) and Scott
Dreger (W) and White
Larry Fellerdeau tossed a four-hitter to lead the Budgets to victory in the finale.
Fellerdeau (W) and Stephens
Frezell (L) and Markley
(May 21) The Stylers lost their second in a row, bowing to the North Vancouver Capilanos 7 to 4 in the curtain-raiser of a Victoria Day twin-bill. In the late encounter, an interlocking clash, the Budgets stomped the Trojans of the Pacific Coast Junior Baseball League 8 to 1. Winning chucker Jim Rentmeester of North Van rang up a dozen punchouts in the early tussle.
Babuin (L), Sebastian (3), Elliott (7) and Schick
Rentmeester (W) and Scott
A three-run homer by Tom Bird ignited a six-run third inning for the Budgets in the wrap-up affair.
Grant (W) and Stephens
Thompson (L) and Kaufman
(May 22) Steve Herbert hurled a two-hitter at Capilano Stadium to lead the Landmarks to a 3 to 2 victory over the North Vancouver Mariners in Metro-Junior interlocking play. The victory preserved the Landmarks’ unbeaten Metro League record and moved them into a first-place tie with the Budgets, each with 2 – 0 marks. Outfielder Al Forman’s line-drive dingle to centre field scored pinch-runner Bill Bazaluk from second base with the winning run.
Thomas, Thomson (L) (5) and Gurniak
Herbert (W) and White
(May 24) The Stylers broke loose for four runs in the opening inning in defeating Surrey 5 to 2 in an interlocking Metro-Junior tilt at Capilano Stadium. Sam Kobayashi opened the inning with a single, went to second on a error and scored on Brian Morgan’s single single up the middle. Later in the frame, Derek Rustemeyer launched a two-run tater to increase the lead to 4 to 0, a margin the Juniors were never able to overcome.
Hanaberry (L), Johnson (1), Hamagami (5) and Jones
Babuin (W) and Schick
(May 27) Winning moundsman Don Mainland struck out eight as the Landmarks beat the Budgets 7 to 1 in Metro Baseball League action at Capilano Stadium. All the Landmark scoring occurred in the fourth and fifth innings on only three hits as the Budgets brought about their own demise, committing four costly errors. The win puts the Landmarks at the top of the league with a 3 – 0 record.
(May 28) The Landmarks advanced their start-to-the-season win streak to four games by pounding the Budgets 7 to 3 in Metro Baseball League action at Capilano Stadium. Catcher Mike White smashed a leadoff tater in the second frame and shortstop Keith Wilson followed suit to begin the fifth canto. Wilson also drove in two more runs with a pair of singles as the Landmarks lit up Budgets’ starter Bill Grant for 11 safeties before he was given the hook. Terry Dreger went the route on the knoll for the winners, earning his second victory.
Dreger (W) and White
Grant (L), Elliott (5) and Stephens
(May 29) Despite a fifth-inning three-run circuit-jack by Len Gamlin of the North Vancouver Capilanos at Ambleside Park, the Norvans were jolted 10 to 4 by the unbeaten Landmarks in Metro League action. A five-run outburst by the Landmarks in the sixth panel put this contest on ice.
Bazaluk, Wilson (W) (5) and White
Seredick (L), D. Calli (6) and Scott
(May 31) The Metro League’s Landmarks took a close 2 to 0 decision over the Surrey Junior Sandpipers in an interlocking joust at Capilano Stadium. Winning tosser Brant Wragg allowed only two hits and whiffed eleven, seven of them coming in succession.
Hynek (L) and Hatch
Wragg (W) and Whyte
(May 31) At Ambleside Park, Robbie Kemp of the Capilanos hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom-of-the-seventh stanza to plate the tying marker as the visiting Budgets and North Van finished in a 1 – 1 stalemate in a Metro League fracas called because of darkness.
Mosher, Grant (7), Fellerdeau (7) and Stephens
Rentmeester and Gurniak
(June 1) The lights went on for the first time at Capilano Stadium this season for Metro Baseball League action but Dennis Zinio of the Budgets kept the Landmarks in the dark throughout the contest on his way to pitching the Auto Leasers to an impressive 8 to 1 conquest of the previously unbeaten league-leaders. Southpaw Zinio, throwing a bedevilling array of off-speed pitches, allowed just four hits in going the distance. The Budgets’ trio of Stu Winrob, Stan Gamlin and Morris L’Heureux had three hits each as Winrob’s swats drove in three runs. Chipping in with a pair of RBI’s was teammate Russ Lombardo.
(June 1) The Vancouver Trojans of the Pacific Coast Junior Baseball League blanked the Metro Baseball League’s North Vancouver Capilanos 5 to 0 in an interlocking skirmish at Ambleside Park. 16-year old Gord Pladson stuck out 11 and allowed only two scratch singles in posting the win. Designated hitter Dave Schwabb provided the game’s offensive punch by going three-for-three with a brace of RBI’s.
(June 2) Power pitching gave the visiting Kamloops Okonots, considered as associate members of the loop only, a 2 to 0 and 3 to 1 doubleheader sweep against the Metro League’s North Vancouver Capilanos in action at Capilano Stadium. Fireballing Jeff Bloom of the Okonots struck out 14 in the opener.
Bloom (W) and Spirou
Seredick (L) and Scott
Bob Bridges tamed the Norvan batters on two safeties in the second tilt as John Haar led the victors at the dish with a double and single which produced a pair of RBI’s.
Bridges (W) and Spirou
D. Calli (L), Elson (6) and Scott
(June 3) The Kamloops Okonots ended their weekend visit to Vancouver with a 3 to 2 loss to the Budgets of the Metro circuit in another interlocking skirmish. With the score tied 2 – 2 in the ninth inning, Stu Winrob of the Budgets popped up for the apparent third out but Kamloops’ pitcher John Hogg dropped the ball allowing the winning run to score.
Hogg (L) and Spirou
Fellerdeau (W) and Stephens
(June 3) The North Vancouver Capilanos recovered from their interlocking losses to Kamloops to whip the Stylers 6 to 2 in Metro League play. Rookie Len Gamlin of the Caps picked up another two hits in this game, giving him six in three games. Jim Schwab belted a two-run homer for the Stylers in the third spasm.
D. Calli (W), Elson (7) and Scott
Carey (L), Frezell (3), Evans (6) and Markley
(June 4) The hitters had a field day at Capilano Stadium where the Stylers nipped the Budgets 8 to 6 in Metro League action. The adversaries racked up 25 base blows between them with the losers acquiring 15 of the total. The Stylers’ middle pasture patroller Terry Stein tagged a pair of doubles and had three RBI’s while fellow flychaser Ken Markley contributed two singles. For the Budgets, shortstop Stan Gamlin and third sacker Tom Bird both registered three safeties.
Babuin (W), Frezell (6) and Schick
Grant (L) and Stephens
(June 5) Terry Dreger was overpowering as the Metro League Landmarks clobbered the junior New Westminster Royals 10 to 1 in an interlocking game at Capilano Stadium. Dreger struck out 15 before handing the ball over to Brant Wragg in the eighth inning. Al Forman and Keith Wilson drove in two runs each for the winners.
Nicholson (L), Steele (5) and Miller
Dreger (W), Wragg (8) and White
(June 5) An all-North Vancouver clash at Ambleside Park saw the Capilanos of the Metro League squeak out a 1 to 0 interlocking win over the Junior Mariners. Winning pitcher Tom Bogue and Jim Rentmeester of the Juniors matched six-hitters but Rentmeester’s throwing error cost him the game. On a routine comebacker to the mound, Rentmeester overthrew first base allowing Doug Scott to score from second base with the game’s only tally.
Bogue (W) and Scott
Rentmeester (L) and Watson
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Landmarks 7 1 .875 ----
x – Kamloops 4 2 .667 2.0
Budgets 4 3 .571 2.5
Stylers 4 4 .500 3.0
North Van 3 5 .375 4.0
x – associate member
* Imbalanced won-lost totals reflect interlocking results with teams from Pacific Coast Junior Baseball League
(June 8) Bert Haas smashed a triple, double and single which accounted for six RBI’s as the Junior Vancouver Trojans whipped the Metro League Stylers 10 to 7 in an interlocking game at Capilano Stadium.
Evans (L), Hall (5), Sebastian (7) and Gurniak, Genetti (5)
Pladson, Anderson (W) (5) and Kaufman
(June 9-10) With outfielder Pete Thiessen knocking in six runs and Steve Herbert, Terry Dreger and Bill Bazaluk coming up with solid pitching performances, the Landmarks of the Vancouver Metro Baseball League swept three games from the hosting Kamloops Okonots over the weekend. Four runs in the top-of-the-ninth inning lifted the Landmarks to a 7 to 4 triumph Saturday while Dreger’s two-hitter gave the Metro League club a 4 to 0 win in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader. The Okonots, who won two games in a three-game trip to the coast last weekend, dropped the second Sunday game 5 to 3.
(June 11) Jim Calli had three hits in four trips to the plate at Ambleside Park where the North Vancouver Capilanos doubled the Budgets 4 to 2. Len Gamlin also enjoyed a productive night at bat for the winners with a pair of doubles.
Fellerdeau (L) and Stephens
Bogue (W), Elson (6) and Scott
(June 14) The Landmarks, runaway leaders in the Metro Baseball League, needed ten innings to nip the Junior Vancouver Trojans 5 to 4 in an interlocking match at Capilano Stadium. The Trojans, trailing 4 to 3, tied things up on Russ McKee’s solo homer in the ninth inning sending the game into overtime. Ron Frederick drove in Pete Thiessen with the winning counter in the extra panel.
Pladson, Finlayson (L) (6) and Kaufman
Mainland, Wilson (W) (10) and White
(June 15) Ron Peterson’s grand-slam home run in the eighth inning accounted for all the scoring as the Landmarks blanked the North Vancouver Capilanos 4 to 0 at Capilano Stadium. The win was the Landmarks’ 12th in 13 starts.
D. Calli (L) and Gamlin
Wragg (W) and Mark
(June 18) Centre fielder Rick Houghton was the only hitter capable of consistently solving Landmarks’ Terry Dreger in a Metro League skirmish at Capilano Stadium but he alone wasn’t enough to turn the tide as the Budgets suffered a 4 to 0 setback. Houghton collected three of the four safeties garnered by the Auto Leasers as Dreger whiffed eleven and ran his record for the season to 5 – 0. Ron Peterson sported the hot bat for the winners, driving in two runs with a pair of singles.
Dreger (W) and White
Zinio (L), Elliott (9) and Stephens
(June 19) Left fielder Bert Haas tagged three hits and scored three times to lead the Junior Vancouver Trojans to an 8 to 5 victory over the Budgets in interlocking Metro-Pacific Coast Junior baseball play at Capilano Stadium. Centre fielder Rick Houghton tripled and singled, scoring twice for the losers.
Bultitude, Thompson (W) (4) and Gurvich
Crosato (L), Grant (5) and Stephens
(June 19) In interlocking action at Ambleside Park, the Landmarks of the Metro circuit chalked up their 14th victory of the season with a 5 to 4 conquest of the North Vancouver Junior Mariners. Catcher Mike White slammed a two-run homer in the seventh inning for the winning margin.
Wilson (W) and White
Morris, Thomas (L) (2), Kilner (6) and Gurniak
(June 20) The Budgets crawled a half-game out of the Metro Baseball League cellar by edging the North Vancouver Capilanos 3 to 2 at Capilano Stadium. Larry Fellerdeau of the Auto Leasers and the Caps’ Tom Bogue turned the game into a pitcher’s duel, allowing only five hits each and striking out 16 batters between them. A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Morris L’Heureux in the bottom-of-the-eighth inning broke a 2 – 2 tie and allowed Ed Folk to scamper home from third base with the winning run.
Bogue (L) and Gamlin
Fellerdeau (W) and Bird
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Landmarks 14 1 .933 ----
x – Kamloops 4 5 .444 7.0
Stylers 4 5 .444 7.0
Budgets 5 7 .417 7.5
North Van 4 7 .364 8.0
x – associate member only
* Imbalanced won-lost totals reflect interlocking results with teams from Pacific Coast Junior Baseball League
(June 22) Bill Bazaluk tossed a no-hitter to lead the runaway Metro League leading Landmarks to a 6 to 2 triumph over the Stylers at Capilano Stadium. Bazaluk whiffed 13 and gave up the two runs after a couple of walks and a wild pitch in the sixth inning.
(June 22) In a Metro-Pacific Coast Junior interlocking contest at Ambleside Park, Gary Pennington’s two-run single in the bottom-of-the-sixth inning lifted the North Van Capilanos to a 5 to 4 triumph over the New Westminster Junior Royals.
(June 23-24) The Budgets dropped three weekend games to the homestanding Kamloops Okonots, associate members of the loop. On Saturday, the hosts swept both ends of a doubleheader, 10 to 4 and 10 to 6, before edging the Vancouver club 7 to 6 in ten innings on Sunday.
(June 24) The North Vancouver Capilanos became only the second team to beat the Landmarks this season, walking their way to a 4 to 1 triumph in a Metro League game at Capilano Stadium. The Caps had only three hits in the contest but took full advantage of the generosity of Landmark chuckers Steve Herbert and Terry Dreger who issued 11 bases-on-balls. Winning hurler Jim Calli also limited the opposition to just three safeties.
(June 25) Bolstered by the two-hit pitching of Tom Bogue, the North Vancouver Capilanos blanked the Stylers 2 to 0 at Capilano Stadium. Bogue had 12 strikeouts and only three walks in going the distance. The Caps plated both of their counters in the third spasm. With two out, Norvan catcher Len Gamblin walked and stole second. First baseman Ron Turner lined a single to left field to score Gamlin with the initial counter. Back-to-back one-baggers by second sacker Colin Thompson and shortstop Gary Pennington then plated Turner.
(June 26) Runaway Metro League leading Landmarks dropped only their third game of the season, but second in a row, as the lowly Budgets blasted them 11 to 3 at Capilano Stadium. The Budgets’ Rick Mosher, relieving a wild Ray Crosato in the second inning, went the rest of the way for the knoll victory allowing four hits and two runs. Leading the winners at the dish was Tom Bird who went yard with a two-run dinger in the fifth and doubled in a run in the sixth. Teammate Ed Folk lashed three singles and drove in a pair of counters. Also contributing to the offense of the Auto Leasers was Rick Houghton who nailed a timely two-run double.
(June 28) The Budgets handed the North Vancouver Capilanos a 4 to 2 defeat to move into a tie with the Caps for third place in the Metro Baseball League. Both clubs sport 7 – 9 records.
(June 29-July 2) B. C. Senior Baseball championship tournament
(July 2) Mike White’s solo home run in the opening inning and Bill Jackson’s two-run-double in the fourth frame set the Landmarks back on the winning track as they posted a 3 to 1 triumph over the Stylers at Capilano Stadium. Ken Markley clipped the horsehide for three singles in leading the Stylists offensively but it didn’t stop them from sinking further into the cellar position in the circuit while the Landmarks rule the roost with a 16 – 3 mark.
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Landmarks 16 3 .842 ----
x – Kamloops 7 5 .583 5.5
Budgets 7 9 .438 7.5
North Van 7 9 .438 7.5
Stylers 4 10 .286 9.5
x – associate member only
* Imbalanced won-lost totals reflect interlocking results with teams from Pacific Coast Junior Baseball League
(July 3) Rain halted an interlocking thriller at Capilano Stadium with the North Vancouver Mariners of the Junior League and Budgets of the Metro circuit tied 3 – 3 in the bottom-of-the-seventh-inning. Centre fielder Jim Kilner smashed a second-inning home run to lad the Mariners’ attack while Stan Gamlin and Pete Blanchard collected two singles apiece for the Budgets. The game will be continued later on in the season.
(July 4) The Budgets edged ahead of the North Vancouver Capilanos in the battle for third place in the Metro Baseball League, dispatching the Caps 5 to 1 at Capilano Stadium. Winning pitcher Rick Mosher of the Auto Leasers struck out 12 and allowed only three hits while teammate Stu Winrob contributed a pair of hits. The win leaves the Budgets with an 8 – 9 mark for the season compared to the Caps’ 7 – 10 record.
(July 4) Pitcher Brian Morgan gave up only one hit and drove in the only run of the game with a double in the bottom-of-the-fifth inning as the lowly Stylers of the Metro League blanked the New Westminster Royals of the Pacific Coast Junior loop 1 to 0 in an interlocking contest at Central Park.
(July 7) The Surrey Junior Sandpipers nosed out the North Vancouver Capilanos 3 to 3 in a Metro-Junior interlocking fixture at Whalley Park.
(July 7-8) The invading Kamloops Okonots took two of three games against Metro Baseball League opposition on a weekend swing to the coast. The two wins secured their position, as an associate part of the loop, on second place in the standings. Bob Bridges hurled a no-hitter and fanned nine Saturday at Capilano Stadium as the Okies bombed the cellar-dwelling Stylers 5 to 0 in the second game of a doubleheader after dropping the opener 3 to 2.
Sunday, the visitors slammed the league-leading Landmarks 7 to 3.
(July 8) Winning pitcher Jim Calli of the North Vancouver Capilanos and the Budgets’ southpaw Dennis Zinio traded two-hitters at Ambleside Park with the Caps coming out on top 2 to 0.
(July 9) Larry Fellerdeau mowed down eleven batters as the Budgets thumped the Stylers 9 to 3 in Metro Baseball League play at Capilano Stadium to secure their hold on third place. Stu Winrob collected a brace of safeties and a pair of RBI’s in leading the Budgets’ batting punch. The Auto Leasers now sit one game up on North Van and 2-1/2 games ahead of the Stylers in the standings.
(July 10) Five errors led to four unearned runs as the Metro League Stylers dropped a 6 to 1 verdict to the Vancouver Junior Trojans in an interlocking game at Capilano Stadium. Pitcher Willie Anderson went all the way, striking out six, to even the Trojans’ season record at 14 – 14. Power hitter Russ McKee doubled twice and singled, scoring twice for the Trojans. The loss for the Stylers dropped them deeper into the Metro League cellar.
(July 12) Darryl Fenton collected three singles in leading the Landmarks to a 7 to 5 win over the Stylers at Capilano Stadium. Fenton drove in three runs, including the winner, while teammates Ron Frederick and Bill Jackson clipped the orb for two safeties each.
(July 12) The Mariners’ Jim Rentmeester pitched his way around five of his teammates’ errors as the North Shore Juniors defeated the Metro League Capilanos in an interlocking clash featuring the two North Vancouver squads. Punching out 11 at Ambleside Park, Rentmeester ran his pitching record for the campaign to 10 – 2. Lonnie Miles and George Lyle stroked two safe knocks each for the victors.
(July 14) The first-place Landmarks won their 20th game of the season, beating the fourth-place Capilanos from North Vancouver 11 to 5. The victors bunched seven of their tallies in the seventh and eighth frames to give Steve Herbert the pitching win.
(July 15) Bill Grant twirled a two-hitter in leading the third-place Budgets past the last-place Stylers 6 to 0.
(July 17) The Vancouver Trojans of the Pacific Coast Junior League upset the league-leading Landmarks of the Metro League 4 to 2 in an interlocking match at Capilano Stadium. Jim Nedelak gave up eight scattered hits for the win while the Landmarks’ Bill Bazaluk struck out 11 but gave up triples to Gary Picone and Russ McKee. McKee went two-for-four to drive in a pair of runs.
(July 17) The Junior League’s pace-setters, North Shore Mariners, dropped a 7 to 2 decision to the bottom-feeding Stylers of the Metro League at Ambleside Park. Stylers’ outfielder Terry Stein went three-for-five at the dish and had four RBI’s.
(July 18) The Metro League’s cellar-dwelling Stylers, for the second evening in succession, pinned back the ears of the front-running North Vancouver Junior Mariners 8 to 7 in a Metro-Junior interlocking tilt at Capilano Stadium. Versatile John Haar, normally an infielder-catcher, took to the hillock for the Stylers and struggled along on a ten-hitter to get the win in his first starting assignment since returning to Vancouver from Kamloops. Terry Stein dropped in a Texas-Leaguer for a single in the ninth to drive in the winning run for the Metro League doormats.
(July 20) The Budgets handed the Landmarks their sixth defeat of the season, dispatching the league-leaders 6 to 5 at Capilano Stadium. Flychaser Rick Houghton led the offense for the Auto Leasers, smashing a grand-slam homer with two out in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning.
(July 22) In a Metro League game at Ambleside Park, the Landmarks blanked the hosting North Vancouver Capilanos 5 to 0. Steve Herbert struck out eight and tossed a three-hitter in earning the shutout knoll triumph.
(July 23) The streaking Budgets, winning their ninth in a row, downed the Stylers 7 to 3 in Metro League action at Capilano Stadium. Larry Fellerdeau picked up his seventh win of the season. Outfielder Rick Houghton paced the Budget hitting attack with a single and double, driving in two runs, while Stu Winrob and Ed Folk had a pair of singles each. After a rocky start to the season, the Budgets have moved to within five games of the league-leading Landmarks.
(July 24) With the keys to the cellar at stake, the North Vancouver Capilanos popped the Stylers 4 to 2 as two of the Metro League’s lesser powers fought it out at Capilano Stadium. The result left the Caps with a two-game bulge over the Stylers in their quest for fourth spot in the circuit. Norvan pitcher Dan Calli went the distance for the win, striking out six while limiting the Stylers to seven singles. Gary Pennington drove in two runs for the winners with a single and double.
(July 25) The Budgets, taking a late run at first place in the Metro Baseball League, made a small rise in altitude with a 4 to 1 win over the Stylers at Capilano Stadium, Outhit by a 6 to 5 margin, the Auto Leasers took advantage of ten bases on balls to secure the win. Second baseman Russ Lombardo gathered in three of the free passes to add to a couple of singles and a pair of RBI’s. Dennis Zinio was sharp on the hill for the Budgets, striking out nine and allowing one walk.
(July 26) Rick Houghton’s squeeze bunt drove in the game’s only run and gave the Metro League Budgets their 11th straight victory, a 1 to 0 interlocking baseball decision over the North Vancouver Junior Mariners at Capilano Stadium. Reliever Larry Fellerdeau of the Budgets snuffed out a Mariner rally late in the contest, striking out the pair of batters he faced with the bases loaded.
(July 27) Bill Bazaluk allowed only five hits and struck out nine at Capilano Stadium to pace the league-leading Landmarks to a 14 to 0 annihilation of the shorthanded Stylers. Crippled by injuries lately, the Stylers had only ten players on hand for the game as shortstop Sam Kobayashi ended up on the mound and took the loss.
(July 30) Left fielder Al Forman tagged a three-run homer in the seventh inning to lead the Landmarks to an 11 to 8 victory over the Stylers in Metro League play at Capilano Stadium. Forman, who was four-for-four at the plate, also scored three times himself to spark the league-leaders to their 23rd victory of the season.
(July 30) The Budgets tripped the North Vancouver Capilanos 5 to 2 at Ambleside Park. Morris L’Heureux had three RBI’s for the winners while winning pitcher Bill Grant struck out four and allowed only four North Shore hits.
(August 1) The Budgets erupted for eight hits while taking advantage of five opposition errors to past an easy 10 to 0 victory over the Stylers at Capilano Stadium. Winning pitcher Dennis Zinio allowed only one hit while fanning five and walking three. Outfielder Stu Winrob topped the victors with the baton, tagging a single and double, good for a pair of RBI’s.
(August 2) Metro Baseball League’s cellar-dwelling Stylers pulled off an unaccustomed win at Capilano Stadium, scoring five times in the ninth inning to double the North Vancouver Capilanos 8 to 4. Ken Ruesch’s single drove in Sam Kobayashi with the winning run. Derek Rustemeyer drove in three runs for the winners as shortstop John Haar, ascending the hillock as a reliever in the seventh inning, picked up the pitching win.
(August 4-5) The arm and bat of Steve Herbert were impactful as the pennant-winning Landmarks concluded their regular-season schedule over the weekend with two Metro League victories at Capilano Stadium. Herbert was on the mound Saturday, three-hitting the second-place Budgets as the Landmarks took a 5 to 4 win. Sunday, playing the outfield, Herbert went three-for-five with the lumber and scored a brace of tallies as the Landmarks handled the Stylers 11 to 5.
(August 7) In a sneak preview of their upcoming semi-final series, the North Vancouver Capilanos dumped the Budgets 7 to 2 in the final Metro Baseball League regular-season game at Capilano Stadium. Dan Calli pitched the Norvans to their fourth straight win while catcher Doug Scott drove in four runs for the winners.
Final Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Landmarks 26 6 .813 ----
Budgets 20 13 .606 6.5
x – Kamloops 9 9 .500 10.0
North Van 14 16 .467 11.0
Stylers 9 24 .273 17.5
x – associate member only
* Imbalanced won-lost totals reflect interlocking results with teams from Pacific Coast Junior Baseball League
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS North Vancouver Capilanos vs Budgets (best-of-five series)
(August 12) Tom Bogue, with eleven strikeouts and a stingy allotment of four yielded hits, took care of the pitching and Doug Scott handled the offensive side of things with two RBI’s as the North Vancouver Capilanos nipped the Budgets 3 to 1 in the opener of the Metro League semi-finals at Capilano Stadium. Scott drove in the winning winning run while teammate Len Gamlin crossed the pan twice.
(August 13) With pitcher Dan Calli providing the spark, the North Van Capilanos moved two games up on the Budgets in their best-of-five series by taking a 7 to 5 decision from the Auto Leasers. Calli allowed eight hits while on the bump and kicked in with two safeties and a brace of RBI’s when in the batter’s box. Nick Miller, Doug Scott and John Kirk also contributed a pair of base raps for the winners.
(August 15) The Budgets prolonged their Metro Baseball League playoff lifespan by doubling the North Van Capilanos 4 to 2 in the third game of their semi-final series. Russ Lombardo, Tom Bird and Howie Stephens led the Budgets’ offense with each picking up two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
(August 16) Darkness halted play during the fourth game of the Metro Baseball League semi-final between the Budgets and North Vancouver Capilanos at Central Park. After seven full innings had been completed, the teams were deadlocked at 4 – 4. Nick Miller, with two hits and a pair of RBI’s to boot, was the most effective hitter for the Caps while teammates Bill Wheeler and Gary Pennington, the league’s batting champion, also stroked two hits apiece. Stan Gamlin, with three hits, was the top swatsmith for the Budgets at the time the game was suspended while sidekick Russ Lombardo picked up two.
(August 20) The North Vancouver Capilanos defeated the Budgets 6 to 3 at Capilano Stadium to win their best-of-five Metro Baseball League semi=finals three games to two. The series went the limit when the Budgets staved off elimination by edging the Norvans 5 to 4 in 14 innings in the completion of the game suspended on August 16.
Rick Mosher was the winning pitcher in the Budgets’ overtime victory as Stan Gamlin went four-for-six at the plate.
Dan Calli went the distance on the slab for the Norvans in the deciding game. Len Gamlin and Nick Miller both ripped two hits in support of Calli’s tossing.
FINALS North Vancouver Capilanos vs Landmarks (best-of-seven series)
(August 21) The pennant-winning Landmarks drew first blood in the Metro League finals by striking down the North Vancouver Capilanos 7 to 1 at Capilano Stadium. Pitcher Jim Nedelak, a pickup from the Vancouver Junior Trojans for the series, scattered seven hits in copping the mound victory. Ron Peterson led the Landmarks with the willow, scoring two runs and driving in a pair. Another Junior addition to the Landmarks’ playoff roster, Jim Kilnev from the North Van Mariners, had a timely single in the third inning which drove in two of the winners’ four markers that inning.
(August 23) North Van Capilanos nosed out the Landmarks 1 to 0 behind the three-hit pitching of Tom Bogue to deadlock the Metro League finals at a game apiece. Bogue struck out a dozen Landmark batters and also stroked two singles. The Caps won it in the ninth when Al Rogers singled with one out, stole the keystone sack, moved to third on Bogue’s second one-bagger and scored on a safety squeeze by Dan Calli.
(August 25-26) The Landmarks won two Metro League playoff games over the weekend and now lead the best-of-seven final series three games to one. On Saturday, the Landmarks pummelled the North Van Capilanos 10 to 1 at Capilano Stadium as the winners scored seven runs in the eighth inning to salt the game away. Sunday’s tussle was almost as one-sided with the pennant-winners prevailing 9 to 1. Jim Nedelak, up from the junior ranks for the series, posted his second knoll victory of the playoffs for the Landmarks.
(August 27) The Landmarks scored the winning run in the tenth inning at Capilano Stadium to defeat the North Vancouver Capilanos 10 to 9 and take the Metro Baseball League finals four games to one.
WESTERN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Adairs
Cheney Studs
Everett
Seattle El Chicanos
Vancouver Fraser Arms
Washington-Bellevue
(June 17) Don Rogelstad and Ron Biggs pitched Fraser Arms to a 6-2, 5-2 double-header sweep over the Washington All-Stars at Seattle in the season opener of the Western International Baseball League. Dale Ramsay led the winners at the plate with six hits in the two games while Wayne Martin lashed a triple to score a pair in the second contest. Fraser Arms entertain Seattle's Cheney Studs next Sunday at Queens Park.
(June 29-July 2) B. C. Senior Baseball championship tournament
(July 21-22) It was a successful weekend for Fraser Arms in the Western International Baseball League as they took three of four games at Queens Park. They swept on Sunday downing Seattle El Chicanos 6-1 and 4-3 after splitting a pair of 1-0 games with the Cheney Studs on Saturday. Jim Gulbranson drove in the winning run in the eighth inning of the second game Sunday after Wayne Martin's two hits led Fraser Arms to the win in the opener.
Saturday, Don Rogelstad allowed just four hits as Fraser Arms won the first game and then the Studs Larry Angell yielded just four hits to give Cheney the second encounter. Sunday at Capilano Stadium, Cheney divided a pair with the Metro League Budgets dropping the first 4-3 before rebounding for a 3-1 victory in the second. John Haar, added to the Budget roster for the games, belted a three-run homer in the third inning for the first game win.
(July 28-29) Seattle Adairs assumed sole possession of first place in the Western International League Sunday sweeping a pair from Fraser Arms. Lorne Copenhaver hurled a two-hitter to spark a 5-3 Adairs' win in the first game and then smacked a double to score two runs in a 3-1 win in the second game. Steve Schulte was the winner pitcher allowing just three hits. On Saturday, Frasers whipped Everett Twins 9-3.
Everett and Landmarks of the Metro League divided an exhibition twin bill on Sunday. Everett took the first 5-2 at Capilano Stadium and Landmarks went 13 innings to take the second game 2-1. On Saturday, Everett whipped Budgets 9-4 paced by Tom Slater's first inning grand slam homer.
(August 5) Fraser Arms managed just six hits off Budgets' Rick Mosher Sunday but escaped with a 2-1 victory. Larry Kissock and Syd Sharpe drove in the runs for the winners.
(August 18-19) Fraser Arms crushed Landmarks of the Metro League 11-1 Sunday and now will represent BC in the Casey Stengel World Baseball Championships over the Labour Day Weekend at Reno, Nevada. Nick Mitchell fired a two-hitter for Frasers to win the final game of the tournament. Landmarks had earlier topped Fraser Arms 8-2 behind Terry Dreger's six-hit, 10 strikeout performance.
PACIFIC COAST JUNIOR LEAGUE
New Westminster Royals
North Shore Mariners
Surrey
Vancouver Trojans
Victoria ?
(May 10) Doug Lowe tossed a one-hit shutout Thursday but needed a wild pitch by opposing hurler Nick Nicholson to get a 1-0 victory for North Shore over New Westminster. With two out and runners on first and second in the eighth inning a Nicholson pitch got away from catcher Nick Miller allowing Rob Kemp to scoot home with the game's only run. The Mariners managed just four hits. Nicholson was the fourth Royals' hurler.
(May 12-13) The Cypress Trojans vaulted into second place in the Pacific Coast Junior League standings over the weekend knocking off New Westminster 5-2 Saturday at Queen's Park then sweeping both ends of a double-header from Surrey 2-0 and 7-5 at Whalley Park Sunday.
Dave Schwab's three-hit pitching with nine strikeouts provided the margin Saturday as Trojans bunched their runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In Sunday's opener Ron Biggs fired a two-hit shutout while Bert Haas' three-run homer in the second inning of the nightcap ignited a six-run outburst which carried the Trojans to victory. Rick Bultitude, with relief help from Jeff Lachbaum, got the mound victory.
(May 17) Jim Rentmeester fired a three-hitter Thursday for the North Shore Mariners in their 5-1 victory over New Westminster Royals in action at Ambleside Park. Don Gurniak led the winners with a pair of doubles, two scores and two runs batted in. Wayne Rogers added a triple and single. It was Rentmeester's third win of the season.
(May 29) A two-run double in the first inning by Murray Wilcox proved to be enough Tuesday as New Westminster Royals shutout the Vancouver Trojans 2-0. Dave Steel and Len Evans had led off the inning with back-to-back singles to set the stage for Wilcox's winning blow. John Mickey allowed the Trojans just two hits in firing the shutout for his second win of the season. Dave Schwab took the loss.
(June 3) With Bert Haas and Russ McKee providing the heavy lumber, the Vancouver Trojans swept a Pacific Coast Junior League double-header Sunday from New Westminster, 14-2 and 6-3 in games at Queen's Park.
Haas, the leadoff hitter, went five-for-five in the opener with two doubles, then smacked another two hits in the nightcap while McKee had four hits in the opener and drove in the winning run in the second contest.
(June 11) Rick Bultitude surrendered just three hits Monday night and racked up 12 strikeouts over the seven-inning contest as Vancouver Trojans blanked New Westminster Royals 6-0. Dave Schwab provided most of the offensive punch knocking in four runs. Bultitude and Bert Haas each had three hits.
(June 19) Left fielder Bert Haas rapped three hits and scored three times to lead the Vancouver Trojans to an 8-5 victory over the Budgets in interlocking Metro-Pacific Coast Junior play at Capilano Stadium. Centre fielder Rick Houghton collected a triple and single and scored twice. Budgets out-hit the Trojans 11-8 but made four errors to none for the juniors. Terry Thompson got the win in relief of starter Rick Bultitude.
(June 19) In interlocking action at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, Landmarks shaded the North Shore Mariners 6-4. Catcher Mike White slammed a two-run homer in the seventh inning for the winning margin.