1975 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1976 BC Interior
1975 Vancouver Island

OKANAGAN-MAINLINE BASEBALL LEAGUE

After two seasons (1973 and 1974) in mothballs, senior baseball in the Okanagan was resurrected in 1975 in the form of the revived Okanagan Mainline Baseball League.

TEAMS
Kamloops Colts
Kelowna
Lumby Loggers
Vernon Legion

(May 19) Vernon Legion senior baseballers opened the 1975 season in impressive fashion with a 12 to 2 Victoria Day triumph over the hosting Lumby Loggers. Legion led throughout the game and had little trouble in posting the win. Vernon used three chuckers as starter Daryl Leier, who hurled three no-hit, no-run innings before being replaced by Leo Gauthier, was credited with the mound decision. Reg Main tossed the final three frames. The trio of Legion slabsters rang up 14 punchouts. Loggers’ starting heaver Peter Brooks was tagged with the loss. Infielder Dave Caldow was Vernon’s big gun at the plate, accumulating five RBI’s with a home run, triple and two singles. Teammate Clark Inglis collected two safeties and drove in a pair of runs. Rick Howkins went three-for-four at the plate for the vanquished Lumby aggregation.

(May 19) Kamloops beat Kelowna 11 to 7.

(May 24) Lumby slabster Peter Brooks tossed a five-hitter and rang up 13 punchouts in pitching the visiting Loggers past the Kamloops baseballers 1 to 0. The lone run of the game crossed the dish in the top-of-the-ninth canto when Cam Hanna smashed a stand-up double and romped home as Art Beck followed with a sizzling single.

(May 24 – 25) The Vernon Legion stretched their season-opening win streak to three games with back-to-back weekend victories over Kelowna. Saturday, in the Regatta City, the Legion bombed the host club 11 to 1 but, on Sunday, the visitors to Polson Park put up a stiff battle before falling to the Vernonites 9 to 8 in 11 innings.

Saturday, Leo Gauthier, Gord Nuyens and Daryl Leier all heaved three innings for the victors with Gauthier getting credit for the knoll verdict over Kelowna’s Dean Martin. Flychaser Ken Holland cracked a home run and double to lead the Vernon batting attack.

The lead in the Sunday engagement see-sawed back and forth as the Legion’s Reg Main, with a sparkling five-inning relief effort in which he gave up just two hits, copped the pitching win. Third-inning reliever Brian Brooks of the invaders was tagged with the setback. Gauthier scored the winning tally in the second overtime session on a double by Ed Folk. Charlie Briskham belted a grand-slam home run for Vernon in the third session.

(May 25) The Lumby Loggers edged visiting Kelowna to 7 to 6 as Fred Johnston won the knoll duel over R. Dodd.

(June 1) Despite a pair of solo home runs by Lumby playing-manager Marcel Charest and a third off the bat of Dave Couch, the homestanding Loggers were nosed out by the invading Kamloops nine 5 to 4. Charest had a third RBI when he drove in teammate Cam Hanna with a sacrifice fly. Kamloops heaver R. Archibald recorded nine punchouts in going the route for the mound decision while losing chucker Peter Brooks fanned eight.

(June 7 - 8) The front-running Vernon Legion baseballers kept on rolling, stretching their winning streak to five with a pair of Okanagan Mainline Baseball League victories over the weekend at Polson Park. Saturday night, Vernon edged the Lumby Loggers 4 to 2 and, Sunday, the Legion clobbered Kamloops 10 to 0.

Daryl Leier and Leo Gauthier combined to hold the Loggers to six safeties in the first tilt. Lumby starter Rick Hawkins was tagged with the defeat. Charlie Briskham launched his second round-tripper of the campaign for the victors while Leier had a pair of singles. Peter Brooks had a double and two singles for the vanquished nine.

Hosting Vernon cracked out a dozen hits, all singles, in romping to the easy Sunday conquest of the loop’s second-place squad. Gord Nuyens hurled the first four frames for the Legion while veteran Reg Main fanned nine and allowed only one baserunner, coming on a base-on-balls, over the final five chapters. Clark Inglis, Nuyens, Wayne Dye, Ed Folk and Main each registered two safeties for the Legion. Glen Kathler laced a pair of doubles for the losers.

(June 8) Kelowna pastimers recorded their first win of the season by clipping Kamloops 8 to 5. Both teams had five hits but five costly miscues by the losers decided the game. Mark Lang struck out 13 in taking the knoll verdict over Jeff Bloom. Lang was mincemeat for John Flann of Kamloops who lit him up for a grand-slam home run and three singles. Bloom fanned 17 before Reg Moorhouse took over mound duties in the ninth round

(June 14) By doubling the hosting Kamloops nine 6 to 3, the Vernon Legion chalked up their sixth successive win in Okanagan Mainline League action. Trailing 2 – 0 heading into the eighth episode, the Legion bats came alive as they ran across four counters to move in front for good. A deuce in the ninth, highlighted by Charlie Briskham’s third circuit-jack of the season, a solo shot, put the game on ice. Reg Main went all the way on the slab for the winning invaders, yielding eight hits and two walks while fanning ten. Kamloops’ Jeff Bloom, in relief, was saddled with the mound defeat. Gord Nuyens and Mike McAvoy stroked two safeties each for Vernon, a feat duplicated by Reg Moorhouse of the losers. Rob Kemp slammed a home run for Kamloops.

(June 14) Invading Lumby fell 7 to 2 to hosting Kelowna. Brian Brooks copped he mound verdict over Fred Johnston of the Loggers.

(June 17) Building up a 6 – 0 lead after five frames, the Vernon Legion went on to take a 6 to 2 decision from the homestanding Lumby Loggers. Winning heaver Daryl Leier tossed the first five innings before turning the horsehide over to Gord Nuyens, who gave up the two Lumby runs in the bottom-of-the-ninth canto. Losing chucker Peter Brooks went the distance. Mike McAvoy of the Legion and the Loggers’ playing-manager Marcel Charest led their respective nines offensively with three base raps each.

(June 22) The Lumby Loggers moved into sole possession of second spot in the Okanagan Mainline Baseball League by eking out a 4 to 3 victory over Kelowna. The game ended prematurely after five rounds when rain flooded the diamond. Lumby’s Peter Brooks, who had a two-run triple in support of his mound effort, earned the pitching win over Brian Brooks of the Regatta City nine.

(June 22) A 7 to 4 victory over Kamloops at Polson Park allowed the Vernon Legion to clinch first-place in the Okanagan Mainline Baseball League. It was Vernon’s eighth triumph in as many starts and moved them well in front of the runner-up Lumby Loggers. Winning twirler Leo Gauthier helped his own cause with a two-run homer in the first inning. Gauthier breezed ten and allowed just one run in five innings before giving way to Reg Main who gave up three runs in the four chapters that he toiled. Reg Moorhouse, who went all the way for Kamloops, suffered the loss. Both teams had ten hits.

(June 28 – 29) The Kamloops Colts regained second place in the Okanagan Mainline circuit by blasting Kelowna 6 to 1 on Saturday and followed that up with a come-from-behind 9 to 6 conquest of Lumby on Sunday.

Jeff Bloom punched out 17, walked four and fired a one-hitter for Kamloops in the Saturday triumph over Kelowna. Mark Lang, relieved in the seventh stanza by Rick Babcock, was nicked with the loss. Bloom helped himself at the platter by banging out a triple and a double, driving in a pair of runs. Teammate Rob Kemp also had a three-bagger and a double.

Five big counters in the eighth episode of the Sunday affair against travelling Lumby lifted Kamloops out of a 6 – 4 deficit. Starter John Hogg allowed ten of Lumby’s 14 safeties before winning flinger Rick Kopec/Kopech took over in the sixth session. Jeff Bloom’s two-run single in the bottom-of-the-eighth round tied the game and, before Lumby could escape the inning, they trailed by three runs. Losing chucker Peter Brooks was tagged for 13 hits. Star hitter in this contest was Jerry Gillen of the losing Loggers who went four-for-five at the dish. Teammate Marcel Charest followed with three singles. Reg Moorhouse was the top willow wielder for the victors, creaming the orb for a double and a brace of one-baggers. Glen Kathler laced three singles while John Flann stroked a double and single.

(June 30) Rookie hurler Daryl Leier pitched the Vernon senior baseballers to their ninth win in as many games as the homestanding Legion clipped the Lumby Loggers 8 to 1. Cam Hanna was tagged with the loss. Charlie Briskham and Guy Davison had three safe swats apiece for the victors.

(July 1) Runaway-leading Vernon continued with an unblemished record by doubling the visiting Kelowna nine 4 to 2 in a Canada Day tussle at Polson Park. Trailing 1 – 0 entering the bottom-of-the-fifth frame, the Legion batters began to get to losing right-hander Rick Babcock who had held them hitless for the first four innings. Consecutive singles by Mike McAvoy, Wayne Dye and Clark Inglis loaded the sacks for pinch-hitter Dave Caldow who promptly unpopulated the bases with a booming three-run triple. Caldow then scored on Eddie Johnstone’s sacrifice fly. Inglis later cracked a two-bagger and was the only player in the game with more than one safety. Winning tosser Gordie Nuyens and reliever Reg Main combined for 16 punchouts.

(July 5) Front-running Vernon picked up their eleventh consecutive win by dumping Kamloops 9 to 4. Reg Main copped the heaving triumph while starter Vince Smith of Kamloops was nicked with the loss. Dave Caldow propelled the Legion to the victory with a two-run homer and three singles while Mike McAvoy had a double and two one-baggers. Al McLeod and Rob Kemp had three safeties apiece for the vanquished nine.

(July 6) Kamloops rebounded from a setback less than 24 hours previous by taking a 5 to 2 decision from visiting Kelowna. Jeff Bloom scattered five hits in earning the knoll verdict while Rick Babcock suffered the loss. Al McLeod led the winners offensively with two doubles and a single.

(July 12) The Vernon Legion wrapped up an undefeated regular season by blasting Kelowna 12 to 1 for their twelfth consecutive OSBL triumph. Leo Gauthier was the winning slabster, allowing only two hits and one run in five innings. However, Gauthier’s fine performance was overshadowed by the perfect twirling of Reg Main. The veteran right-hander relieved Gauthier in the sixth stanza and didn’t allow a Regatta City runner to reach base. Wayne Dye and league batting champion Dave Caldow stroked two base knocks apiece for the Vernonites with a four-bagger, his second of the campaign, included in Dye’s brace of safeties.

(July 13) Peter Brooks was the winning pitcher over mound foe Kopec as Lumby defeated Kamloops 5 to 2 in the final OMBL contest of the regular schedule. A two-run homer by Rick Howkins in the last half of the sixth spasm broke a 2 – 2 tie and propelled the Loggers in front for good. Lumby added another insurance tally in the seventh when Howkins drove in Dick McLeod with an RBI-single.

PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Kelowna vs Vernon and Lumby vs Kamloops (best-of-three series)

(July 19) Lumby blasted Kamloops 8 to 1 in the opener of their semi-final series.

(July 19 – 20) Quesnel annual Billy Barker Days baseball tournament

(July 20) Kamloops dumped the Lumby Loggers 13 to 3 to square their playoff showdown at a game apiece. A six-spot in the opening panel and seven big counters in the fifth frame put the wraps of the final decision. Winning hurler Jeff Bloom fanned 14 and walked six in holding the Loggers hitless during his six stanzas on the hill. With a huge lead, he turned the horsehide over to Rick Kopec/Kopech who gave up just one safety the rest of the way. Logger starter Rick Howkins was saddled with the defeat. Bloom aided his own slab effort with a sparkling performance at the plate, slamming a triple to go along with two singles. John Hogg launched a two-run homer and a single for the victors while Al McLeod laced a double and single to drive in four runs.

(July 24) The Vernon Legion had no trouble in bouncing Kelowna 8 to 3 at Polson Park to grab a 1 – 0 series lead. Reg Main fanned eight Regatta City batters in the seven-inning tilt, shortened by darkness. Wayne Dye, Dave Caldow and Main all had two singles for the winners.

(July 26) Coming from behind, the Lumby Loggers ousted the Kamloops diamondeers from the playoffs by snatching a 16 to 15 win in the wild rubber match of the series. Pitchers were at the mercy of the hitters in this slugfest with the foes combining for 45 base hits, 23 by the losers. Marcel Charest had five safeties for the winners while Mike Irmen followed with four singles. Rod Laitenen cracked a grand-slam round-tripper, a double and a single for Kamloops.

(July 29) The junk pitching of Senior Babe Ruth recruit Don Thompson silenced the potent bats of the invading Vernon nine as Kelowna upset the invading Legion squad 7 to 1 in the second game of their best-of-three series. The defeat was the first of the season for the pennant-winning Vernonites. Legion starter Darryl Leier was nailed with the knoll setback.

(August 5) With a 5 to 1 conquest of Kelowna in the rubber match of their best-of-three series at Polson Park, the Vernon Legion advanced to the Okanagan Senior Baseball League finals against the Lumby Loggers. The contest was halted after seven stanzas because of dark skies. Reg Main worked the first five chapters on the hill for Vernon, striking out five, to annex the pitching victory. Leo Gauthier toiled the final two panels, whiffing four. The Legion batters had six hits off losing chucker Dale Sismey while the Regatta City nine managed just four safeties off the duo of Main and Gauthier.

FINALS Lumby Loggers vs Vernon Legion (best-of-five series)

(August 10) Vernon won the opening game of the Okanagan Mainline Baseball League finals with a convincing 9 to 3 triumph over the Lumby Loggers. Gord Nuyens went all the way on the mound for Vernon, allowing seven hits and striking out 12. Mike Irmen was tagged with the loss. Wayne Dye and Leo Gauthier both plastered round-trippers for the winners. Gauthier had a single in addition to his homer while teammate Mike McAvoy cuffed a double and a one-bagger. Irmen slashed three safeties for the vanquished Loggers.

(August 14) Rookie left-hander Daryl Leier was brilliant on the mound as he allowed just three hits and breezed 13 in seven innings as the Vernon Legion opened up a two-game lead over the Lumby Loggers in the OMBL finals with a narrow 4 to 3 win. Darkness prevented play beyond the seventh spasm. All three runs against Leier were unearned as the Vernonites were shaky defensively and were charged with five errors. Losing chucker Rick Hawkins was touched for eight base raps. Gord Nuyens knocked in two tallies for the victors with a double while Dave Caldow and Charlie Briskham had RBI-singles. Marcel Charest sent two runners across the dish for the Monashee Mountainmen with a clutch single while Dick McLeod’s two-bagger drove in the other Lumby counter.

(August 17) Methodically in charge from the first pitch, the Vernon Legion calmly captured the 1975 playoff title in the OMBL by dissecting the Lumby Loggers 6 to 2 to sweep the final series in three straight games. Reg Main went the distance on the knoll for the winners, firing a five-hitter while ringing up 11 punchouts. Marcel Charest lit Main up for a solo dinger in the sixth spasm but the blast did little to get the Loggers back in the game. Losing heaver Rick Hawkins was combed for nine Vernon safeties including run-scoring doubles by Main and Eddie Johnstone.

QUESNEL SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE

Biily Barker Hotel
Cariboo Clippers
Jen’s Hobos
Kopetski A’s

FINAL STANDINGS         W       L      Pct.    GBL
Kopetski A’s           14       2     .875    ----
Billy Barker Hotel     10       7     .588    4.5
Jen’s Hobos             7       9     .438    7.0
Cariboo Clippers        2      15     .118   12.5

PLAYOFFS
SEMI FINALS (best-of-five series)

Jen’s Hobos upset pennant-winning Kopetski A’s three games to two.

Kopetski A’s 4 Jen’s Hobo’s 1 WP – Bud Atkins LP – Harold Toombs Bud Atkins – one-hitter with 11 strikeouts

Jen’s Hobos 9 Kopetski A’s 7 WP – Bud Englesby LP – Pete Swanson

Kopetski A’s 2 Jen’s Hobos 1 WP – Pete Swanson LP – Bill Lacey Lacey had one-hitter in loss, a two-run double by Wayne Inglis

Jen’s Hobos 2 Kopetski A’s 0 WP – Bud Englesby LP – Bud Atkins Englesby – three-hit shutout Atkins – nicked for just two hits in loss

Jen’s Hobos 3 Kopetski A’s 0 WP – Bud Englesby LP – not known

Billy Barker disposed of the Cariboo Clippers in three straight games.

Billy Barker 10 Cariboo Clippers 9 WP – Bill Johnson LP – Lefty Rodonets Tom Spooner – winning RBI
Billy Barker 4 Cariboo Clippers 2 WP – Wayne Seaman LP – Terry Clark Ivan Malinoski – two-run single
Billy Barker 6 Cariboo Clippers 2 WP – Tom Spooner LP – Terry Clark Bill Kinder – three RBI’s

FINALS (best-of-five series)
Billy Barker swept Jen’s Hobos three games straight.

Billy Barker 4 Jen’s Hobos 2 WP – Arnie Prediger LP – Rod Dyck
Billy Barker 9 Jen’s Hobos 1 WP – Steve Huska LP – Bill Lacey
Billy Barker 4 Jen’s Hobos 3 WP – Steve Huska LP – Bud Englesby Jim Alton – two-out, bases-loaded single in final inning to win game and series

BULKLEY VALLEY BASEBALL LEAGUE

Houston Bees
Moricetown
Smithers Glaciers *
Terrace Colts
Terrace Reds

* 1975 regular-season pennant winner and playoff champion

WEST KOOTENAY BASEBALL

As in the season previous, no senior-level baseball league existed in the major centres of the West Kootenays. The Selkirk Senior Babe Ruth League did, however, operate for a second year in succession.

EXHIBITION GAMES

(June 6-7-8) The Selkirk Selects breezed their way to four wins over the weekend, clipping the Grand Forks Mets three times and the New Denver-Silverton Twins once.

The Selects opened with an 8 to 1 victory over visiting Grand Forks at Butler Park Friday evening. Righthander Russ Lafreniere limited the Mets to three hits and struck out 12 in earning the mound triumph.

The Selkirk squad hosted New Denver-Silverton Saturday night and came out on top 6 to 1. Gerry Hollett belted a solo homer for the Selects in support of winning pitcher Chris Vlanich who hurled a four-hitter, striking out eleven.

Homestanding Grand Forks dropped the first game of a Sunday twin-bill 12 to 2 as Selects’ southpaw heaver Ken Umbarger fanned eleven while mesmerizing the Mets on three hits. Dave Baines powered the Selkirk nine at the dish with a three-run homer. The visitors used four chuckers in the follow-up tilt in which they clipped the Mets 6 to 2. Starting Selkirk slabster Gerry Hollett nailed his second round-tripper of the weekend in this affair, a seven-inning tussle. Hollett, Baines and Ed Wilcox each took to the knoll for two innings while Bob Elliott tossed the final stanza.

PLAYOFFS (double round-robin format involving top three teams)

(June 22) The West Trail Blues, pennant winners during the regular season, jumped all over the shorthanded East Trail squad to clobber the Reds 13 to 0 in the opener of the Selkirk round-robin playoffs. Burly fireballing righthander Bob Elliott of the Blues gave up only two hits, both to Dave Baines, in recording the pitching conquest, whiffing eleven and walking five along the way. The Reds used three twirlers with portsider Ron Bergen absorbing the loss. Elliott helped his own cause with three safeties while teammate Mike Melatini clouted a triple and single.

(June 23) Beaver Valley defeated East Trail.

(June 24) A victory over the West Trail Blues vaulted Beaver Valley to the top of the double round-robin playoff standings.

(June 25) Beaver Valley clinched no worse than a tie for top-spot in the playoffs by ousting the East Trail Reds.

STANDINGS               W     L
Beaver Valley           3     0
West Trail Blues        1     1
East Trail Reds         0     3

(June 30) Beaver Valley vs West Trail

(July 1) East Trail vs West Trail

No results of the two remaining scheduled playoff games were found in print, although it was later announced that Beaver Valley had been declared the playoff champion for the second consecutive season.

(July 2-6) Trail International Baseball Tournament

(July 13) BC Interior Tournament

(July 26) BC Senior Babe Ruth Tournament

(August 1-3) Pacific Northwest Senior Base Ruth Tournament