Red Deer ended up with two teams. Bob Worobetz (left) manager of the M&K Generals did not wish to continue in the Alberta Major Baseball League and decided to form a barnstorming team to play in Alaska and in tournaments and exhibitions on the prairies.
With that news, Red Deer put together another team, the Border Players to suit up in the AMBL. Veteran Marty Coil returned to manage the Generals while Fred Cardwell and Al Herback took on senior roles for the new club. A few players made appearances with both teams.
(May 31) Out-hit 11-5, Red Deer Border Players made good use of 11 walks, a hit batsman and four Edmonton errors to down the Dusters 8-5 at Edmonton. Terry Hendley pitched into the 8th inning to register the win. Reliever Gorman Heimueller, in his debut with the Players, fanned five of the six batters he faced to preserve the victory. Heimueller had missed most of the US college season after being struck on his pitching arm by a line drive. Pete Duncan had two hits for the Players. Harold Johnson helped with a two-run double. For the Dusters, catcher Terry Faulkenbury had two singles and a three-run homer in four trips to the plate. Bob Elliott, Kevin Johnston and Greg Barrow each contributed a pair of singles to the 11-hit Dusters’ attack.
Hendley (W), Heimueller (8) and Price
Lychak (L), Kowalishen (4), Henry (8) and Faulkenbury
(June 2) Red Deer Border players scored in just two innings, but with five in the second and four in the seventh it was well enough for a 9-2 win over Edmonton Tigers in the home opener at Great Chief Park. Infielder Harold Johnson clouted a pair of homers, one a three-run shot, and Terry Hendley brought home three runs with a double and two singles. Brian McAusland (right) held the Tigers to eight hits in gaining the win. Randy Gregg and Gordie Graves each had two hits for the Tigers.
Erasmus (L) and Kennedy
McAusland (W) and Price
(June 3) In their home opener, the Barrhead Cardinals trampled the Edmonton Dusters 12 to 2 as southpaw import Fritz Brown (left) made his debut in a Cardinals’ uniform with a three-hit, 12 strikeout performance. Lorne Niven had three hits for the winners while teammate John Osborne homered and singled. Catcher Gary Sady was on base four times with a single and three walks. Rick Herkimer pitched in with a brace of base raps. Wayne Stower slammed a solo blast for Edmonton.
xxx (L) and xxx
Brown (W) and Sady
(June 3) In the first game of a five-team weekend round-robin tournament at Renfrew Park, the Lac La Biche Dodgers slapped down the hosting Edmonton Tigers 9 to 2. Although the Tigers managed 12 hits off winning pitcher Dennis King, they did not get them when they were needed and wound up stranding eleven runners. Rookie southpaw Jeff Craig was battered from the box in the fourth after allowing five runs on nine hits. Al Symington, Barney Malpass and Jim McDonald with three hits apiece led the Dodgers’ 14-hit offence. Gord Graves went four-for-four at the dish for the Tabbies.
King (W), Baptista (9) and xxx
Craig (L), Brown (4) and xxx
(June 4-5) Red Deer ran its season-opening winning streak to five over the weekend posting three straight wins in the first of the league's mini-tournaments, designed to reduced costs by bringing all the teams to one location. Players out slugged the Barrhead Cardinals 10-9 Saturday and followed with a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Tigers before wrapping up on Sunday with a 9-2 decision over Lac La Biche.
Gorman Heimueller picked up the win against Barrhead although needing relief help from Jim Peterson. Pete Duncan crushed a 450-foot homer off John Osborne. Harold Johnson's three-run triple wiped out a 2-0 Barrhead advantage.
Barrhead had taken a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Gary Sady and Mike Teahen scored on singles by Dale Tilleman and Rick Herkimer. Red Deer jumped on Cards' starter Clint Curtis in the third with four hits, including triples by Johnson and Wayne Schneider and three walks. Osborne came on in relief but before the dust had settled the Players had a 6-2 advantage. The Cardinals out hit Red Deer 15 to 9 paced by Girard Tondreau’s three-hit performance. Gary Picone, Mike Teahen, Dale Tilleman and Gerry Hollett each had a pair of hits for the Redbirds.
Heimueller (W), Peterson and xxx
Curtis (L) Osborne (3) and Sady
Fred Cardwell, sidelined most of last year with arm problems, tossed a one-hitter over five innings as Red Deer shaded the Edmonton Tigers 5-4.
With a 4-0 lead, Cardwell turned over the mound duties to Pete Duncan who received a rude reception as the first four men he faced hit safely. The big blow was Tim Young's three-run, inside-the-park homer. Players won it in the bottom of the 6th when Larry Nakonechny walked, stole second and scored on an error. Duncan had three of Red Deer's six hits and Blair Hanna had two, one a triple.
xxx and xxx
Cardwell, Duncan (6), Johnson (5), Peterson (W) (5) and xxx
Terry Hendley scattered nine hits to pick up his second win of the season in Red Deer's 9-2 decision over Lac La Biche. He also provided a big part of the offense with two hits, one a three-run double in the 9th. Brian McCook rapped a double and two singles and Grant Becker (left) who walked four times and stole four bases, scored four.
Hendley (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Barrhead topped Edmonton Dusters 9-5 as Gary Sady led the way knocking in three runs with a triple and single. Dale Tillemen added a pair of hits and Gary Picone had a triple. Jerry Cunningham and Brian Hamagami combined to strike out 12 Dusters. Hamagami picked up the win. Terry Faulkenbury was the loser.
Cunningham, Hamagami (W) and xxx
Faulkenbury (L) and xxx
Edmonton Tigers outlasted Barrhead 11 to 9 in ten innings. The Bengals roared from behind a five-run deficit to outlast the Cardinals in a marathon encounter. Barrhead led 9 to 4 after eight innings. In the top of the ninth, however, the Tigers rattled four consecutive hits off Cardinals’ starter Ray Paiement as they exploded for five runs on six hits to tie the score. The Cards failed to score in the bottom of the frame, sending the tilt into extra innings. Edmonton then tucked away the win by scoring twice on three hits. Winning chucker Phil Pence, with four safeties, singled home Gordie Graves with the winning counter. Randy Gregg had four singles while Randy Rasmussen contributed three hits including a pair of doubles. Lorne Niven had a brace of hits for the losers.
Brown, Erasmus (6), Gregg (6), Pence (W)(8) and xxx
Paiement (L) and xxx
Edmonton Dusters edged Lac La Biche 5 to 4.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L), Baptista (9) and xxx
Edmonton Tigers beat the Dusters 8 to 5. Randy Gregg held the Dusters to one hit during eight innings on the hill.
Gregg (W), xxx (9) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
Red Deer Border Players 5-0
Barrhead Cardinals 2-2
Edmonton Tigers 2-3
La La Biche Dodgers 1-2
Edmonton Dusters
1-4
(June 6) Pete Duncan (left) had a huge day at the plate driving in seven runs to lead Red Deer to a 13-7 victory over Barrhead in the opening game of a three-game semi-final series for the Alberta senior championship. Duncan had three hits, a pair of two-run homers and a two-run double. Al Price added a two-run shot for the Players. Lorne Niven and Gerry Hollett connected for back-to-back homers for Barrhead in the 7th. Brian McAusland struggled through 11 hits to gain the pitching victory. He fanned eight without a base on balls.
Van De Keere (L), Hamagami (6) and Hollett
McAusland (W) and Price
(June 7) Barrhead used the home run ball to dump the Edmonton Tigers 15-2. The Cardinals belted seven circuit blows, one each by John Osborne, Gary Sady, Steve Dergance, Girard Tondreau, Lorne Niven, Gary Picone and Keith Van De Keere.
(June 7) Edmonton Dusters 5 at Lac La Biche Dodgers 11
(June 8) The expansion Edmonton Dusters ripped 16 hits off two Barrhead pitchers in a 9 to 8 AMBL victory at Renfrew Park. Winning pitcher Bob Elliott, a Trail BC native, led the way for Edmonton with four hits in five at bats. The burly right-hander also scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Murray Wilson connected for three hits for the Dusters, including a solo homer in the sixth. Gary Sady with four hits and Dale Tilleman with a two-run four-bagger were the top batters for the visitors. Brian Hamagami took the loss in relief of starter Jerry Cunningham
Cunningham, Hamagami (L) (4) and xxx
Kowalishen, Elliott (W) (6) and xxx
(June 9) Light-hitting catcher Pat Kennedy drilled a single and a two-run triple, knocking in five runs as the Edmonton Tigers whitewashed the Lac La Biche Dodgers 12 to 0 at Renfrew Park. Winning pitcher Tom Erasmus picked up the shutout.
xxx (L) and xxx
Erasmus (W) and Kennedy
(June 10) The second of the AMBL's weekend tournaments was played at Red Deer. On Friday, the hometown Players got by Barrhead 9-6 as Pete Duncan again burned the Cardinals with a pair of homers. Gorman Heimueller was the winning hurler, Fritz Brown took the loss.
Brown (L) and Hollett
Heimueller (W) and Price
(June 11) Red Deer Players split a pair of games in another of the AMBL's mini-tournaments, dropping an 11-10 decision to Lac La Biche while downing the Dusters 8-6. Red Deer blew a 6-0 first inning lead as Lac La Biche rebounded with eight runs in its half of the first, then fell behind 10-8 before rallying with two in the 8th on a homer by Randy Erasmus and getting Jim McDonald's homer in the 9th for the win. Players out-hit the Dodgers 16-11 as Bob Papworth, Larry Nakonechny and Pete Duncan each collected three safeties. Erasmus, McDonald, Murray Steeves and Al Symington each had two hits for the winners. Dennis King went all the way for the win.
Peterson, McAusland (L) and McCook
King (W) and McDonald
Harold Johnson sparked the Red Deer attack with a homer, double and single, good for six RBI in a 8-6 win over the Dusters. Terry Hendley scattered ten hits to capture his third win of the young season. Bob Elliott was saddled with the defeat.
Hendley (W 3-0) and Price
Elliott (L) and Faulkenbury
Dusters 6 Tigers 9
Kowalishen (L) and Faulkenbury
Craig (W) and Kennedy
HR Graves EDT
(June 11) Barrhead crushed Lac La Biche 17-8 behind a home run spree that saw the Cardinals blast six long balls, two by Girard Tondreau. John Osborne, Ray Paiement, Gary Sady and Gerry Hollett each had one. Clint Curtis was credited with the win.
Malpass (L), Baptista (2), Robb (6) and McDonald
Curtis (W) and Sady
(June 12) Barrhead shaded the Edmonton Tigers 5-4 Sunday in what Cardinals' coach Gary Picone described as the team's best game of the season. Picone had high praise for hurler Ray Paiement.
Rivers (L) and Kingsolver
Paiement (W) and Hollett
(June 11) The Red Deer Generals dropped the opener of their 14-game Alaska tour, 4-1 to the Peninsula Oilers at Kenai. Oilers, a team of top major college prospects, collected only three hits off three Generals' hurlers but five errors and 11 walks told the tale. Bobby Sprowl, from the University of Alabama, went six innings for the win. Jack Lazorko, Mississippi State, finished up. Red Deer starter Ray Royce allowed just one hit, a bunt single, in 5 1/3 innings.
Royce (L), Dondero (6), Hinrichs (7) and Harris
Sprowl (W), Lazorko (7) and Taylor
(June 12) Red Deer out-hit Peninsula 7-4 in the opener of a doubleheader on Saturday, but were hurt by four errors behind starter Rick Hansen, an ex-pro from Fresno, California. John Butcher, the top draft pick of the Houston Astros, went five innings for the win.
Hansen (L), Henley (6) and Harris
Butcher (W), Brandenberg (6) and Taylor
Peninsula exploded for six runs in the first inning to wipe out a 2-0 deficit and went on to an 11-3 win over Red Deer Generals. Ramirez registered the win going five innings. Chris Camp was battered for 12 hits in taking the loss.
Camp (L) and Harris
Ramirez (W), Froelich (6) and Taylor
(June 12) Edmonton Tigers, down 4-2 after the first inning, scored ten unanswered markers to trounced Red Deer 12 to 4. Phil Pence led the Tigers' offence with four hits, one of them a home run. Players got back-to-back homers by Harold Johnson and Pete Duncan in the first inning, but little the rest of the way. Duncan and Blair Hanna each had three hits. Chet Grey, who relieved in the first inning, went the rest of the way for the win. Fred Cardwell, pitching with a sore arm because of a shortage of manpower, took the loss.
Gregg, Grey (W) (1) and Kingsolver
Cardwell (L), Peterson (6) and Price
Tigers 4 Barrhead 5
Rivers (L) and Kingsolver
Paiement (W) and Hollett
HR Tondreau BARR
Lac La Biche 12 Dusters 4
Kiernan (W) and McDonald
Henry (L), E.Tanner (4) and Faulkenbury
HR McDonald, Baptista, Chaba LAC
Red Deer second baseman Ron Blasetti takes the throw in time to force Gord
Graves of the Edmonton Tigers. (Red Deer Advocate June 13)
AMBL standings at end of June 11-12 weekend (Edmonton Journal, June 14, 1977)
W L Pct. GBL
Red Deer Border Players 7 2 .778 ---
Edmonton Tigers 5 5 .500 2 1/2
Barrhead Cardinals 5 5 .500 2 1/2
Lac La Biche Dodgers 4 4 .500 2 1/2
Edmonton Dusters 2 7 .222 5
Top Batters GP AB H Avg
Lorne Niven (Barrhead) 6 26 13 .500
Pete Duncan (Red Deer) 8 36 17 .472
Gord Graves (Tigers) 8 35 16 .457
Gerry Hollett (Barrhead) 6 26 11 .423
Murray Wilson (Dusters) 8 29 12 .413
Phil Pence (Tigers) 8 30 12 .400
Randy Rasmussen (Tigers) 7 30 12 .400
Gary Sady (Barrhead) 6 25 10 .400
Blair Hanna (Red Deer) 8 33 12 .363
Bob Elliott (Dusters) 8 29 10 .344
Top Pitchers IP W L H BB SO ERA
Terry Hendley (Red Deer) 25 3 0 25 5 21 2.1
Brian McAusland (Red Deer) 18 1 1 14 1 9 2.5
Fritz Brown (Barrhead) 17 2 1 11 6 21 3.1
Ray Paiement (Barrhead) 17 1 0 18 3 17 4.0
Gorman Heimueller (Red Deer) 18 1 0 11 4 8 5.0
(June 14) Red Deer third baseman Harold Johnson (right) celebrated his 20th birthday with a bang Tuesday - four hits, including two home runs, four runs batted in, plus a walk - as the Border Players clobbered Edmonton Tigers 14-2. Terry Hendley also belted a homer for Red Deer. Winning pitcher Gorman Heimueller, who held the Tigers to three safeties - was a big part of the Players' 19-hit offensive. He had three hits, two of them long doubles. On the mound, he rang up ten strikeouts and walked two. Starter Tom Erasmus took the loss. The win was sweet revenge for the Players after losing 12-4 to the Tigers on Sunday.
Erasmus (L), Hadiken (4), Wiebe (8) and Kingsolver
Heimueller (W 3-0) and Boston
Red Deer's Pete Duncan (left) receives the ball too late to tag Edmonton Tiger
Randy Gregg. Players trounced the Tigers 14-2. (Red Deer Advocate, June 15)
(June 14) Steve Dergance doubled to left centre field to drive in Dale Tilleman in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Barrhead a 6-5 win over Lac La Biche. Lawrence Niven and Girard Tondreau led the Cardinals' attack with homers.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(June 17) Slugger Harold Johnson drove home seven runs with a pair of three-run homers and two singles as Red Deer crushed Lac La Biche 13-5. They were Johnson's 7th and 8th homers of the season. Brian McAusland was the winning pitcher. Jim McDonald had a two-run homer for the Dodgers.
McAusland (W), Johnson (7), McAusland (8) and McCook
Kane, Baptista (L) (5) and McDonald
(June 17) Stan Behlen fired a three-hitter Friday as Red Deer Generals registered their first win of their Alaska tour, 3-2 over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, Behlen's former team. The victory broke a seven game losing streak. Generals took the lead in the second as Hal Harris doubled, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Grant Becker. Pilots knotted the count in the fifth on three walks and an error. In the 8th, Mike Anicich clouted his third straight double to plate two runs. Bruce Humphrey led off the 9th for Anchorage with a homer over the right field wall but Behlen got the next three batters to close out the ball game. Steve Howe allowed eight hits in taking the loss.
Behlen (W) and Johnson
Howe (L) and Capoferi
(June 17) Disposing of a three-game jinx in which they blew late inning leads at Renfrew Park, The Barrhead Cardinals held on to defeat the Edmonton Dusters 5 to 2. Winning hurler Clint Curtis and late-inning reliever Brian Hamagami combined to scatter seven Edmonton hits while fanning seven. Losing twirler Bob Elliott struck out nine in going the distance. He was touched for nine safeties while giving up an equal number of bases on balls. Gary Picone, Steve Dergance and Ray Paiement had a pair of safeties each for the Cards. Terry Faulkenbury was the only Duster with two hits. He blasted a solo homer in the second inning and added a single in the eighth.
Curtis (W), Hamagami (8) and xxx
Elliott (L) and xxx
(June 18) Red Deer lost a pair on the field but got one back in the boardroom. Lac La Biche topped the Players 9-7 Saturday with a three-run outburst in the 8th inning. Jim McDonald had a homer for the Dodgers. However, the win was taken away from the Dodgers after the club was found to have used five American imports, one more than the league rule allows.
King (W) and McDonald
Peterson (L), Bates (8) and Price
Edmonton Dusters took an early 5-0 lead, fell behind 7-5, then scored three in the 6th inning for an 8-7 victory over Red Deer. Terry Faulkenbury's two-run single in the 6th was the key blow. He had given the Dusters the lead in the first with a two-run homer. Larry Kowalishen scattered nine hits for the win. Gorman Heimueller belted a homer for the Players.
Kowalishen (W) and Faulkenbury
Hendley (L) and Price
(June 19) Keith Van De Keere fired a five-hitter as Barrhead tamed the Red Deer Players 4-1. Gorman Heimueller allowed 12 hits in taking the defeat.
Heimueller (L) and Price
Van De Keere (W) and Hollett
On the field Lac La Biche beat the Edmonton Tigers 11-6 and the Dusters 10-7, but both victories were taken away because of a rule infraction. The Dodgers’ attempt to use playing-manager Dave Robb as a Canadian backfired as all three weekend triumphs were reversed.
(June 19) Red Deer Generals divided a twin bill with the Alaska Goldpanners Sunday winning the opener 9-5 before dropping a 5-0 decision. After ten games the Generals have just two wins.
Junior college All-American Mike Garcia paced the Gens in the first game with three hits. Pete Duncan, Grant Becker and Bruce Chaney each had a pair. Goldpanners first baseman Dave Hostetler singled to drive in the first Alaska run and crushed a three-run homer in the 5th.
Hinrichs (W), Camp (6), Henley (6) and Johnson
Rharajsich (L), Michalczyk (3), Troedson (4) and Woodside, Shames (5)
Brian Hayes blanked the Generals 5-0 in the second game although the Goldpanners were out hit 7 to 4. Ray Royce took the loss in pitching to only four batters before being forced to leave the game when struck on the wrist by a line drive off the bat of Dave Elder which drove in Bob Woodside with the only run required.
Royce (L), Dondero (1), Christman (5) and Coil
Hayes (W0 and Shames
(June 19) In an exciting seven-inning affair, the Edmonton Tigers emerged with a narrow 2 to 1 victory over their city cousins, the Edmonton Dusters. Phil Pence drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh. 18 year old Chuck Hensley was very impressive in his AMBL debut with the Dusters, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard for the first six innings. Hensley scattered five hits and struck out five over the first six frames but two Duster errors in the seventh cost him the ball game. For the Tigers, Randy Gregg had a four-hitter and seven strikeouts. Terry Faulkenbury of the Dusters continued his torrid hitting pace with a triple and single.
Hensley (L) and xxx
Gregg (W) and xxx
(June 20) The Alaska Goldpanners rapped 16 hits in whipping the Red Deer Generals 14-6 Monday at Fairbanks. Shortstop Doug Stokke had four hits and drove in three for the 'Panners. Generals had 14 hits against four Alaska hurlers. The Generals' record fell to 2-9 on their 14-game swing. After Red Deer opened with a pair in the first inning, the Goldpanners roared back with seven in the 3rd and cruised to the win. Reliever Mike Boddicker picked up the win. Mike Anicich of Red Deer had the only homer.
Hansen (L), Camp (3), Royce (4), Coil (7) and Johnson
Lukish, Boddicker (W) (2), Lollar (7), Dawson (8) and Shames, Dowdy (6)
(June 21) Barrhead Cardinals moved into a first place tie with Red Deer downing the Players 4-2. Fritz Brown held Red Deer to seven hits in registering the pitching victory. Terry Hendley also gave up seven hits but took the loss.
Hendley (L) and Price
Brown (W) and Teahen
(June 21) Ron Wiebe, a 16-year old, made his AMBL debut as a starting pitcher and had no difficulty in pacing the Edmonton Tigers to a 17 to 4 pasting of their intra-city rivals, the Edmonton Dusters. Wiebe tossed the first six frames and held the expansion Dusters to four runs on eight hits and a walk. Phil Pence led the Tigers’ assault on losing pitcher Ken Lychak with three hits. Six other Tigers hit for two safeties.
Lychak (L), Kowalishen (7) and Faulkenbury
Wiebe (W), Erasmus (7) and Kingsolver
AMBL standings (Edmonton Journal, June 22, 1977)
W L Pct. GBL
Red Deer 12 5 .706 ---
Barrhead 10 5 .667 1
Edmonton Tigers 9 7 .563 2 1/2
Lac La Biche 5 10 .333 6
Edmonton Dusters 3 13 .200 8 1/2
(June 22) The expansion Edmonton Dusters took a 5 to 3 verdict from the Edmonton Tigers. Fireballer Bob Elliott relied mostly on his curve ball slants in taming the Tigers on a complete-game three-hitter. Wayne Stower, Stephen Henry and Ken Wiebe with two hits each led the Dusters’ ten-hit attack on Tiger pitchers Chet Gray and Ray Brown. Stower and Henry blasted back-to-back solo homers to lead off the eighth inning.
Elliott (W) and Faulkenbury
Gray (L), Brown (6) and Kennedy
(June 25-26) The Edmonton Dusters defeated the host Lac La Biche Dodgers 10 to 4 in the Friday night opener of the AMBL weekend tournament.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 25-26) Red Deer Players crushed ten home runs over the weekend to take two out of three during an Alberta Major Baseball League mini-tournament. Pete Duncan and Al Price had round trippers Saturday in a 10-6 loss to Edmonton Tigers, who used a 16-hit attack against Brian McAusland. Randy Rasmussen homered for the winners. Randy Gregg got credit for the win.
McAusland (L) and Price
Gregg (W) and Kennedy
The Players belted four homers in a 12-7 triumph over Lac La Biche to stop a five game losing streak, although they did get one of those back when the Dodgers were found to have had too many Americans in the lineup. Terry Hendley and Hal Harris had two-run homers while Harold Johnson and Gorman Heimueller had solo shots. The Dodgers had three long balls as Bob Baptista, Kevin Kane and Al Symington connected for circuit blows. Heimueller allowed 12 hits, four to Baptista, but survived to record his fourth win in five decisions. He fanned 11.
Kane (L) and McDonald
Heimueller (W) and Price
Down 5-0 after two innings, Red Deer rallied in a big way with four runs in the 3rd and six in the 4th to go on to a 12-5 victory over Edmonton Dusters. Players rapped 13 hits, including homers by Hal Harris, Pete Duncan, Al Price and Gorman Heimueller. Jim Peterson settled down after the rough start to stop the Dusters on four hits in the seven inning contest. The big blow against him was Greg Zunino's three-run blast in the second.
Peterson (W) and Price
Elliott (L), Hensley, Wilson and Faulkenbury
(June 25-26) The Edmonton Tigers opened a three-game weekend with a 10 to 9 victory over the Barrhead Cardinals in a game played at Lac La Biche.
Gray (W) and Kingsolver
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 25-26) The Edmonton Tigers picked up their third victory in the Lac La Biche league tournament when they decisioned the host Dodgers 9 to 4.
Erasmus (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 25-26) Lac La Biche lost to Barrhead 13 to 8.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 25-26) The Barrhead Cardinals defeated the shorthanded Edmonton Dusters 19 to 11. Edmonton’s Stephan Henry was saddled with the loss. Greg Zunino, playing his first games with the Dusters, was six for 11 at the plate during the weekend.
Henry (L), xxx, xxx, and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
W L Pct. GBL
Red Deer Border Players 14 6 .700 ---
Barrhead Cardinals 13 6 .684 1/2
Edmonton Tigers 12 9 .571 2 1/2
Edmonton Dusters 6 14 .300 8
Lac La Biche Dodgers 5 15 .250 9
(June 28) Red Deer moved back into a first place tie with Barrhead Cardinals with a 12-5 win over Lac La Biche Dodgers. For the third straight game the Players posted 12 runs, this time with 16 hits. Terry Hendley (left) won his fourth of the season with an eight-hit performance. He helped the offense with two hits, including his third homer of the season. Harold Johnson bashed his league-leading 10th in the third inning with Bob Papworth aboard. Blair Hanna, Al Price and Wayne Schneider each had three hits for the Players.
(Photo Terry Hendley, Red Deer Advocate June 29)
King (L), Malpass (5), Kane (5), Malpass (5) and McDonald
Hendley (W) and Price
(July 1) Two wins and some good news made it a good Friday for the Red Deer Players. Red Deer dumped the Edmonton Dusters 7-1 and downed Barrhead 5-1 to take a game and one-half lead atop the standings. The team also witnessed the revival of the pitching arms of Pete Duncan and Fred Cardwell who worked the first game. Duncan gave up just three hits and fanned nine in his six innings while Cardwell allowed three hits and had three strikeouts. Grant Becker led the offense with three hits and three stolen bases. Al Price had a four-bagger.
Duncan (W), Cardwell (7) and Price
Kowalishen (L) and Faulkenbury
Ray Royce, borrowed from the M & K Generals when Gorman Heimueller was loaned to Eston, his former team, for a tournament, held Barrhead to five hits to gain the win in the 5-1 victory over the Cardinals. Red Deer jumped into a 3-0 lead and cruised to the seven-inning win. Grant Becker, who added two more steals to bring his league-leading total to 15, started off the inning with a single and stole second. Terry Hendley drove him in and proceeded to steal second himself. Marty Coil collected the first of his two hits and Harold Johnson doubled to produce two more runs.
Royce (W) and Price
Curtis (L), Van De Keere (5) and Teahen
(July 2) In a dramatic end to Saturday's ball game, Harold Johnson belted a grand slam homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to give Red Deer a 6-3 win over Edmonton Tigers. Down 3-2, Grant Becker led off the 9th with a walk and Bob Papworth and Terry Hendley singled. With one out, Johnson clouted his 11th home run of the season. His four RBI brought his total to 53. Jim Peterson had a three-hitter into the 9th for the Players but a two-out homer by Curt Kingsolver and a single by Randy Gregg brought Marty Coil to the hill to get the final out.
Erasmus, Craig (6), Hadiken (L) (9) and Kingsolver
Peterson, Coil (W) (9) and Price
(July 3) The Players did it again! Again, trailing 3-2 going into the bottom of the final frame, Red Deer got a homer, a two-run shot from Al Price, to beat the Dusters 5-4 in the seven inning contest. Edmonton's Bob Elliott had a two-hitter and a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 7th. He walked Wayne Schneider and dished up an RBI double to catcher Brian McCook to bring Price to the plate. Greg Zunino had a solo homer in the 4th for Edmonton. Terry Hendley went the route for the win.
Elliott (L) and Faulkenbury
Hendley (W) and McCook
Red Deer 17-06
Barrhead 15-07
Edm Tigers 14-09
Edm Dusters 07-17
Lac La Biche 04-18
(July 5) Dusters at Red Deer
(July 11) With Brian McAusland their lone moundsman available after the weekend (and he had pitched to just two batters in over two weeks) the Red Deer Players used their bats to outlast the Dusters 18-16 in a slugfest at Great Chief Park. McAusland, who allowed six runs, lasted until the seventh after surrendering a 400-foot home run to Wayne Stower. Grant Becker who started behind the plate to give regular catcher Al Price a rest, worked 2 1/3 innings before giving way to manager Al Herback for the final two outs. Becker was charged with nine runs, eight walks and four hits. A seven run outburst by the Players in the sixth and a five-run eighth sealed the deal for Red Deer. Price drove in five runs with a three-run homer and a single and Blair Hanna cracked a two-run homer and two singles. Becker also had three hits. Greg Zunino, Ken Weibe and Stower each had three safeties for the Dusters
Bob Elliott, Bill Goodman (L) (6) and Falenburh, Wilson (6)
McAusland (W), Becker (7), Herback (9) and Becker, Price
(7)
(July 16-17) Barrhead Tournament
(July 18) Pete Duncan threw a four-hitter Monday as the Border Players downed the Tigers 4-1 at Edmonton in the opening game of the best-of-three Alberta amateur baseball final. The game also counts in the AMBL standings and moved the Players two games up on second place Barrhead Cardinals. Players took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. After Ron Blasetti singled and Jeff Craig hit Al Price and Wayne Schneider to load the bases, third baseman Randy Gregg made an error on Grant Becker's liner. Blair Hanna had a run-scoring single in the eighth and Becker belted a homer in the 9th. The Tigers scored an unearned run in the third on a single by Randy Rasmussen.
Duncan (W) and Price
Craig (L) and Kennedy
Red Deer 19-06
Barrhead 16-07
Edm Tigers 14-11
Edm Dusters 09-18
Lac La Biche 04-19
(July 19) Barrhead Cardinals, ousted in their own tournament on Sunday by the Red Deer Players, got some revenge Tuesday in thumping the Players 16-6 at Great Chief Park. A ten-run, 5th inning did most of the damage for the Cards who sit just a game back of Red Deer in the battle for first place. Steve McMannon clouted a two-run homer in the first inning and the Cards led the rest of the way. Gerry Hollett had a grand slam as the highlight of the 10-run eruption. McMannon, Gerard Tondreau, Steve Dergance and Dale Tilleman each had three hits for Barrhead. For Red Deer, Gorman Heimueller had a two-run homer and Blair Hanna added a solo shot. Keith Van De Keere picked up the pitching win in relief of starter Mark Liber.
Liber, Van De Keere (W) (4), Cunningham (8) and Hollett
Peterson (L), Hendley (5), Becker (7) and Price
(July 20-21) In a tournament noted for its offensive displays, Red Deer Generals captured the top money at the Lacombe Tournament with a come-from-behind 11-10 victory over the Fairbanks, Alaska, Goldpanners in the championship game. Terry Hendley, the fourth Red Deer hurler, took over in the third inning and managed to hold the Goldpanners at bay for the remainder of the contest. Generals had jumped into a 6-2 lead but the Goldpanners erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 10-6 lead. Hendley came aboard with two out and runners on second and third. He gave up a single, but then held the powerful American squad to just three hits in the last 6 1/3 innings. Red Deer won the game with three runs on four walks and an error in the 8th. Tom Johnson, named the MVP of the tournament, had two hits for the Generals.
(July 22) Red Deer Border Players whipped the Edmonton Tigers 14-2 to take the Alberta amateur title in two straight games. With just a 2-0 lead, Players knocked Tiger starter Randy Gregg out of the box with a nine-run 6th inning that put the game away. Brian McAusland gave up 11 hits, but went the distance for the win. A two-run homer by Ray Brown in the 7th inning ruined his shutout bid. In their big inning, the Players combined three singles, two doubles, a sacrifice fly, four walks, one with the bases loaded, three passed balls, a stolen base, a wild pitch and three errors to put up their nine runs. Gregg had four hits for the Tigers. The Players had earlier beaten Barrhead in two straight games to advance to the Alberta final against the Tigers.
Gregg (L), Erasmus (6) and Franchuk
McAusland (W) and Price
(July 23-24) Killam Tournament
(July 25) Hurler Brian McAusland helped himself with the bat Monday night as Red Deer topped Edmonton Tigers 4-1. McAusland drew a walk and scored, singled twice and drove in a run. Ken Nelson accounted for the final Red Deer run with a homer in the ninth, his first of the season. On the hill, McAusland allowed 12 hits and fanned five. Tigers threatened in the 4th when they loaded the bases with two out but Ray Brown grounded out to end the inning.
McAusland (W) and Price
Brown (L) and Kennedy, Kingsolver (5)
(July 26) Red Deer at Barrhead, RAIN
(July 27) Red Deer Players dumped Edmonton Dusters 7-2 Wednesday as Jim Peterson worked seven strong innings giving up just six hits and an unearned run. Pete Duncan supplied the power with a two-run homer and a single. Ken Nelson had three hits.
Hensley (L) and Wilson
Peterson (W), Cardwell (8) and Price
Edmonton Dusters' Murray Wilson is safe in a steal of second base. Red Deer's
Terry Hendley tries to make the tag. (Red Deer Advocate July 28)
Edmonton Tigers blanked Lac La Biche 3-0.
(July 28) Barrhead at Red Deer.
(July 29) Edmonton Dusters at Barrhead
Red Deer 21-07
Barrhead 17-07
Edm Tigers 15-13
Edm Dusters 09-19
Lac La Biche 04-20
(August 4) Barrhead took a pair from the Edmonton Tigers, 8-0 and 5-2. Keith Van De Keere was the star of the opener with a one-hit shutout.
Van De Keere (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
Barrhead's Hal Papke swings and misses against the Edmonton Tigers.
Catcher Kurt Kingsolver picks off the low pitch.
(August 6) Red Deer and Lac La Biche split a pair. Players took the opener 13-5 behind Jim Peterson's mound work but dropped the second tilt 4-0 as Steve Behlen took the loss. Red Deer wrapped up the opener quickly with six runs in the first inning and another four in the second. Bob Papworth had a homer for the winners.
Gonzalves (L), Malpass (3) and McDonald
Peterson (W), Cardwell (8) and Price.
Bungartz tossed a three-hit shutout for Lac La Biche Dodgers.
Behlen (L) and Price
Bungartz (W) and McDonald
(August 7) Barrhead Cardinals topped Red Deer 6-5 as Gerry Hollett drove in the tying and winning runs with a two-run double scoring Gary Picone and Mike McMannon. Jerry Cunningham picked up the win in relief. Al Price had a homer for Red Deer.
Duncan, Hendley (L) (4) and Price
Brown, Curtis (1), Cunningham (W) (7) and Hollett
(August 7) In their second game of the day, Barrhead dropped a 3-2 decision to Edmonton Dusters.
(August 9) Barrhead at Lac La Biche
(August 10) Barrhead again beat the Players, this time at Red Deer, 7-3. Keith Van De Keere was steady on the hill for the Cardinals scattering eight hits and racking up ten strikeouts. Barrhead jumped into an early 3-1 lead and put the game on ice with a three-spot in the eighth on two walks, an error, and a run-scoring hit up the middle by Dave Rose. Gerry Hollett smacked a homer for the Cards while Ken Nelson knocked in all three runs for Red Deer. Pete Duncan had three hits.
Van De Keere (W) and Hollett
Peterson (L), Behlen (5) and Price
(August 11) In the final game before the league tournament at Barrhead, the Cardinals downed Lac La Biche 11-9. The Alberta Major Baseball League championship is to be decided this weekend in a tournament at Barrhead. All five AMBL teams will compete in a round robin, double-knockout tourney. Barrhead gets a first round bye for finishing first during the regular season
(August 13-14) Red Deer Border Players captured the AMBL title with a 12-6 victory over Edmonton Tigers in the final of the five-team tournament. Blair Hanna powered the winners driving in five runs with a three-run homer and two singles. Al Price added three hits for the Players. Red Deer out-hit the Tigers 16 to 13. Steve Behlen, who played most of the season with the barnstorming M & K Generals, was the winning pitcher. Behlen gave up a homer to Randy Rasmussen in the first inning and a disputed two-run homer to Randy Gregg in the fourth. The Gregg homer brought a loud protest by the Players and resulted in third baseman Ken Nelson being ejected from the game. Catcher Al Price had three hits for Red Deer while Pete Duncan, Wayne Schneider and Harold Johnson each had a pair. Gregg had four and Wayne Commodore three for Edmonton.
Behlen (W) and Price
Rivera, Erasmus (L) (1), R.Brown (5) and Kingsolver
Red Deer advanced to the final by handing the Tigers their first loss, 7-2, in an semi-final matchup as the clubs combined for 23 hits, 12 by the losers. Harold Johnson sparked the Players with a pair of home runs. Jim Peterson managed to go the route for the winners.
Peterson (W) and Price
Rivera (L), Erasmus (7) and Kingsolver
The Tigers pounded out 19 hits including home runs by Kurt Kingsolver, Phil Pence and winning pitcher Randy Gregg in a 12-9 victory over Barrhead to move on to the tournament final. The Cardinals blew an early 3-1 lead but rallied with three in the sixth for a 7-7 tie before the Tigers wrapped it up with five runs in the last three innings. Gregg survived 14 hits to go the distance for the pitching win.
Gregg (W) and Franchuk
Van De Keere, Osborne (L) (5) and Hollett
The tournament got underway Friday with the Edmonton Tigers coming from behind with three runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to dump Lac La Biche 10-5 in spite of home runs from Zen Chaba, Jim McDonald and Rob Baptista of the losers. Wayne Commodore had a four-bagger for the Tigers as Ray Brown went the distance with an eight-hitter for the win.
R.Brown (W) and Franchuk
King (L), Kane (8) and McDonald
Red Deer also needed a late comeback to edge by the Edmonton Dusters 4-2. Down, 2-1, they plated a pair in the seventh and added an insurance run in the eighth as Terry Hendley fired a four-hitter, one a homer by ------for the win besting Larry Kowalishen who allowed seven hits.
Kowalishen (L) and Falkenbury
Hendley (W) and Price
Lac La Biche rebounded to crush the Dusters 12-2 as Barney Malpass hurled a six-hitter and Zen Chaba cracked a homer.
Malpass (W) and McDonald
Wilson (L) and Falkenbury
The host club, Barrhead, knocked Lac La Biche from further play as Ray Paiement coasted with a four-hitter in a 12-2 verdict for the Cardinals. A home run by Al Symington in the first inning had given Lac a short-lived advantage.
Paiement (W) and Hollett, Sady (6)
Malpass (L), Colborne (4), Kane (6) and McDonald
Edmonton Tigers won a semi-final berth with a 5-3 win over Barrhead as Jeff Grey held the Cardinals to five hits and Phil Pence slammed a homer. Dave Rose had a circuit shot for Barrhead.
Grey (W) and Kingsolver
F.Brown (L), Curtis (6) and Hollett
(August 17) Former Red Deer Player Gorman Heimueller (left) has won a spot in pro ball in the Giants' farm system with Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The left-hander from the University of California at San Luis Obispo, was not selected in the college draft so he headed for Canada and joined Red Deer in the Alberta Major Baseball League. He hadn't entertained any thoughts about turning pro when he pitched Red Deer to a victory over a team from Rapid City, South Dakota, in the Edmonton International Tournament. He was so impressive that Rapid City requested his services for the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, Kansas.
Heimueller then learned that Jack Schwarz of the Giants' minor league operations had watched him pitch and expressed interest. However, Heimueller wanted to tell the Rapid City club in person that he couldn't work for them at the NBC tourney. He hitchhiked 500 miles from Red Deer to Great Falls, Montana and then caught a plane to Wichita.
"Somebody (Jack Schwarz of the Giants' minor league operation) saw me pitch, but I hitchhiked 500 miles from Red Deer to Great Falls (Giant affiliate in the Rookie League in Montana) and then caught a plane to Denver on my way to Wichita," explained Heimueller.
"But my dad paged me at the airport in Denver, the Giants wanted to sign me, but I went to Wichita to tell the Rapid City manager I wouldn't be playing for him. Then it was back to Great Falls and then to Cedar Rapids."
SUNBURST BASEBALL LEAGUE
Edmonton Almac Steelers
Edmonton Blue Willow Angels
Edmonton Cardinals *
Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox
St. Albert A’s
* 1977 pennant winners
(August 6-7) Alberta senior B/intermediate baseball championship tournament
(August 20-21) Western Canada Senior B/intermediate baseball championship tournament
PLAYOFFS
FINALS Edmonton Blue Willow Angels vs Edmonton Cardinals (best-of-three series)
(August 25) Vic Frey slammed a home run and lefthander Perry Lychak hurled a two-hitter as the Edmonton Cardinals bombed the Edmonton Blue Willow Angels 9 to 0 in the opener of the Sunburst League finals at Renfrew Park. Gary Grening was tagged with the loss.
(August 26) Gord Porter handcuffed the Western Canada intermediate champion Edmonton Cardinals with a four-hitter as the Edmonton Blue Willow Angles evened the best-of-three Sunburst League finals at a game apiece. Porter also nailed a key triple in the seventh stanza en route to a 4 to 1 victory.
(August 27) The Edmonton Cardinals won the 1977 Sunburst League title with a 3 to 0 blanking of the Edmonton Blue Willow Angels in the rubber-match of the final series. Wayne Biggs twirled a two-hit shutout for the win while loser Wayne Babych was nicked for 11 safeties.
POST-SEASON EXHIBITION GAME
(September 1) An estimated 2,000 paying customers turned out to watch the Sunburst Baseball League’s Edmonton Cardinals surprise the touring Japanese senior champions, Kobe Steel, 4 to 1 at Renfrew Park. It was the first loss in nine outings for the Japanese squad, who wind up their 12-game Canadian tour this weekend in Vancouver. Saskatchewan’s North Battleford Beavers were Kobe Steel’s latest victims, suffering a 14 to 1 shellacking.
The Cards used four chuckers to handcuff the Japanese champions on six hits. Lefthander Perry Lychak started the game but was relieved at the start of the fourth frame by brother Ken. Tim Haufe, who took over in the sixth, and Jan Anderson, in the eighth, also hurled for the Cardinals, who used every player on the bench. The Japanese scored their lone run off Perry Lychak in the third inning on a muffed pickoff attempt at the keystone sack during a two-out, double-steal attempt by the speedy visitors. The fleet-footed Steelers showed their adeptness on the basepaths, swiping a total of eight bases with Hiroyuki Yamazaki leading the way with four thefts. The Edmontonians managed eight hits off losing heaver Kinya Tohki and reliever Yukio Echizen. The most impactful blow was Ed Wagner’s two-run double in the fifth frame, which capped a three-run rally and gave the Cards the lead.
WHEAT BELT BASEBALL LEAGUE
Beaverlodge Royals
Grande Prairie Eskimos
Peace River Stampeders
Sexsmith Rainiers
Wanham Wildcats
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS
(August 7) The pennant-winning Sexsmith Rainiers eliminated the Peace River Stampeders from the Wheat Belt League playoffs with a 10 to 7 victory and a two-game sweep of the semi-final series. Lowell Moe was the winning pitcher, claiming the mound verdict over Steve Leibel.
FINALS
(August 21) A 7 to 4, ten-inning victory over the Beaverlodge Royals earned the Sexsmith Rainiers a sweep of their final series and their third successive Wheat Belt Baseball League playoff championship. Sexsmith reached the finals by ousting Peace River in straight games while Beaverlodge sidelined the Wanham Wildcats. A pair of San Mateo College imports, Ron Sylvia and Larry Navalon/Navillion/Navillon led the way for the Rainiers.
SOUTHERN ALBERTA JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Calgary Golden Spikes
Calgary Junior Jimmies
Lethbridge Lakers
Lethbridge Miners
Medicine Hat Legion Tigers
Red Deer Kirby Classics
Vauxhall Jets
(July 10) LAST STANDINGS FOUND IN PRINT
STANDINGS
Calgary Spikes 16 2 ---
Medicine Hat 10 2 3.0
Lethbridge Miners 12 9 5.5
Lethbridge Lakers 9 7 6.0
Vauxhall 9 11 8.0
Calgary Jimmies 5 12 10.5
Red Deer 2 10 16.0
(July 16-17) ALBERTA JUNIOR BASEBALL FINALS
Medicine Hat Tigers have won the provincial junior baseball title sweeping three straight games in Calgary over the weekend. After crushing Red Deer Merchants 22-0 on Saturday, the Tigers edged Calgary Spikes 2-1 Sunday and followed with a 7-3 win over Edmonton Steelers in the championship final.
Tom Bast and Kelly Benson combined for a no-hitter in the opener, a game called after five innings due to a 10-run rule. Tom Biko hurled the 2-1 triumph over Calgary fanning nine. Jim Bertram drove in Benson with the winning win in the sixth inning. Guy Kvedar, a Tigers' pickup from Lethbridge, clubbed a homer for the other run. Bob Dyment gained the win over Edmonton going five innings with Bast finishing up. Biko slapped a double and single for the winners and Kvedar and Drew Tumbach each had two singles. The Legion Tigers now advance to the Canadian finals in Newfoundland.