1979 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1979 BC Interior
1979 Vancouver Island
NORTH OKANAGAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
The league expanded to four teams in 1979 with the addition of the woefully weak Kelowna Panthers. Each entrant was assigned a 24-game league schedule.
For most of the campaign, defending champion Enderby, under the direction of playing-manager Gerry Reimer, fought tooth-and-nail with the high-powered Kamloops Brewers aggregation for supremacy within the loop during this sophomore season of play. The Thompson Rivers nine, however, faded down the stretch as Enderby went on to repeat as pennant winners.
Waiting in the wings for the Legionnaires was precocious teenager Kevin Reimer, the skipper’s son, who would get a small taste of NOBL action in 1979 as a 15-year old back-up catcher and would ultimately crack the roster of the Enderby aggregation as a regular in 1980. Born in Macon, Georgia where the elder Reimer was toiling for the Macon Peaches of the class AA Southern Baseball League, youthful Kevin was raised in B.C. and went on to perform in the major leagues from 1988 to 1993 after being drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1985.
TEAMS
Enderby Legionnaires
Kamloops Brewers
Kelowna Panthers
Vernon Coldstream Hotel
(April 29) Kamloops roared out of the gate by registering twin wins over the new Kelowna entry by scores of 5 – 0 and 9 - 3 as the 1979 NOBL season got underway.
The Brewers’ Bob Bridges spun a one-hit shutout in the introductory encounter, receiving offensive help from Alf Lowey who ripped a two-run double and a single off Kelowna’s Charlie Green.
Dev Dley and Rob Chisholm combined to stymie the Panthers on four safeties in the windup bout with Dley getting credit for the heaving triumph. Green, relieved in the middle innings by Al Nilson, was tagged with the loss once again. Mitch Nystrom cracked a booming triple plus a two-bagger to key the 11-hit Kamloops’ batting spree.
(May 6) The invading Coldstream Hotel nine of Vernon split a doubleheader with Kamloops in NOBL action. After dropping the first game 7 to 5, the Hoteliers bounced back to take the nightcap 9 to 7.
Bob Bridges hurled the Brewers to the triumph in the matinee joust, ousting Vernon rookie chucker Rob Morphy.
The Coldstream Crew, with Clark Inglis on the hill in a route-going performance, overcame a 7 – 0 deficit in the late encounter to slip past Kamloops.
(May 6) Defending-champion Enderby started off the season on the right foot by whipping the neophyte Kelowna Panthers 10 to 4.
(May 13) Vernon Coldstream Hotel staged a dramatic final-stanza rally, scoring six runs to defeat the winless Kelowna Panthers 10 to 9 in the second-half of an NOBL doubleheader at Polson Park, completing a sweep of a twin-bill against the Regatta City nine. The Hotelmen won the opener 7 to 1.
In the lid-lifter, Coldstream’s Leo Gauthier scattered eight hits in going the distance for the mound triumph.
Trailing 9 to 4 as they came to bat for the last time of the sunset skirmish, the Vernon offense unloaded with three doubles, a single and pinch-hitter Mike McAvoy’s game-tying three-run homer then won the contest on a two-out single by Clark Inglis. Wayne Dye, in relief of starter Rob Morphy, was credited with the winning knoll decision. Second baseman Mike Halcro laced three straight one-baggers for the victors.
(May 13) The Enderby Legionnaires had no difficulty in bumping off the Kamloops Brewers, wrestling 5 to 0 and 15 to 3 decisions from the Beermen.
STANDINGS W L Pct.
Enderby 3 0 1.000
Vernon 3 1 .750
Kamloops 3 3 .500
Kelowna 0 5 .000
(May 16) Scoring four times in the opening canto, Vernon’s Coldstream Hotel baseballers stretched their winning streak to four games by doubling the hometown Kelowna Panthers 8 to 4. Wayne Dye collected the hurling verdict. Mike Halcro of the Innkeepers, with a brace of singles, was the only multi-hit player in the fixture.
(May 21) The Enderby Legionnaires retained a slim percentage points margin over Vernon’s Coldstream Hotel when the two combatants divided the spoils of a Victoria Day double-dip in Enderby. The hosting Legionnaires won the opener 5 to 4 in extra innings before Coldstream came back to take the nightcap 2 to 1.
Base raps by Enderby’s Geoff Collins and Brian Gibbons, parlayed with a costly Vernon error, allowed the Legionnaires to deadlock the score at 4 – 4 and send the matinee engagement into overtime. Gibbons then led off the second bonus round of play with a single, his fourth hit of the tilt, and after he had moved into scoring position during an out, scampered home with the walkoff winner on playing-manager Gerry Reimer’s clutch single. Portsider Jeff Bloom, a former Montreal Expos farmhand, scattered seven hits in securing the win.
Leo Gauthier (L) and Larry Gauthier
Bloom (W) and Boyko
In the second game, Mike McAvoy belted a two-run homer in the second spasm, staking the Vernonites to a 2 – 0 lead. Winning heaver Wayne Dye did the rest, surrendering a single run in the fifth but making the lead stand in tossing a seven hitter.
Dye (W) and Larry Gauthier
Leier (L) and K. Reimer, Boyko (8)
(May 21) The Kamloops Brewers moved to within a half-game of the NOBL-leading Enderby squad by annexing two games from the winless Kelowna Panthers by scores of 9 to 3 and 5 to 2 at Norbrock Stadium. The winning twirlers were Dev Dley and Dean Nagle. Ron Handley tagged a three-run circuit-blast for the Brewers in the opener.
(May 27) Slamming six home runs, the Kamloops Brewers powered their way to a sweep of their two-game set with the hosting Vernon Coldstream Hotel nine at Polson Park. In the opening game, the Brew Crew hit for the circuit four times on their way to a 7 to 5, extra-inning victory then, in the windup joust, slugged two more round-trippers in cruising to an 8 to 4 decision.
The Brewers’ Ron Handley went yard on two occasions for the invaders in the opening tilt while winning chucker Bob Bridges and Al Leroux each connected once. Bridges was nicked for ten safeties, including a eighth-episode solo dinger by Charlie Briskham, in improving his won-loss record to 3 – 0. Leroux’s two-run shot provided Kamloops with the winning margin.
Righthander Randy Wiens, just back from a pro stint with the Toronto Blue Jays’ affiliate, the Kinston Eagles of the class A Carolina League, copped the knoll decision in the nightcap. Kamloops’ swatsmiths roughed up losing twirler Leo Gauthier for 15 base knocks as Al McLeod and Randy Struch both launched circuit-jacks while Vernon’s Wayne Dye responded with a tater for the vanquished nine.
(May 27) After suffering nine straight setbacks, the expansion Kelowna Panthers broke into the win column by upsetting the front-running Enderby Legionnaires 7 to 6 in the second portion of an NOBL doubleheader staged in the Orchard City. The visiting Enderby balltossers captured the curtain raiser handily by a score of 9 to 3.
STANDINGS W L Pct.
Enderby 5 2 .714
Kamloops 7 3 .700
Vernon 5 4 .556
Kelowna 1 9 .100
(June 2) The Kamloops Brewers took a pair of hard-fought encounters from the cellar-dwelling Kelowna Panthers by scores of 6 to 5 and 9 to 7 to temporarily nudge ahead of idle Enderby in their battle for top spot in the NOBL.
(June 3) With 11 to 3 and 4 to 3 conquests of the Vernon Coldstream Hotel diamond troopers, the Enderby Legionnaires regained their slim lead atop the NOBL standings.
The opening fixture was a rout with the Legionnaires pounding out 15 base blows including a brace of two-run dingers by Stu Sonne as they coasted behind the five-hit hurling of Daryl Leier. Geoff Collins, Brian Gibbons and Ed Johnstone each picked up three hits for the victors.
Enderby needed a last-ditch comeback to snatch the second skirmish and complete the sweep. In arrears by a 3 – 0 count as they began their final turn at bat, the Legion Lumbermen got to a tiring Rob Morphy for a leadoff four-bagger by Collins, a two-run double off the bat off playing-manager Gerry Reimer and Ken Featherstone’s run-scoring single to claim the final verdict. A solo round-tripper in the fifth frame by Clark Inglis had vaulted the Vernonites into their three-run cushion after RBI-singles by Dave Schneider and Ken James produced two earlier runs.
(June 10) The high-flying Kamloops Brewers blew out the invading Vernon nine 15 to 0 in the matinee portion of a double-dip before dropping a 4 to 1 verdict to the bounce-back Coldstream Hoteliers in the twilight tilt.
The Brew Crew put the first game on ice when they ran across 14 of their 15 counters in the fourth frame. Winning slabster Dev Dley spun a five-hitter in racking up the one-sided mound triumph.
In the second clash, sore-armed chucker Leo Gauthier of the Innkeepers limited the Beermen to just two hits in posting the win over Rob Chisholm. Mike Halcro of the victors had three hits to bring his total of safe swats in the twin-bill to six.
(June 10) Playing on their home turf, the pace-setting Enderby Legionnaires rang up 14 to 1 and 2 to 1 victories over the lowly Kelowna Panthers to take a half-game lead over the runner-up Kamloops Brewers in the NOBL standings.
Winning pitcher Peter Brooks threw a no-hitter in the opening tussle and was ably supported by teammates Geoff Collins and Terry Shykora who each had two hits.
Brian Gibbons’ RBI-single in the seventh stanza drove in the deciding tally in the second affair.
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Enderby 9 2 .818 ---
Kamloops 10 4 .714 0.5
Vernon 6 7 .462 4.0
Kelowna 1 13 .071 9.5
(June 17) The rampaging Kamloops Brewers squeezed out 1 to 0 and 4 to 3 victories over the Enderby Legionnaires to take over top spot in the NOBL standings.
A successful suicide squeeze bunt by Kamloops’ Claude Lefebvre plated Ron Handley from third base in the eighth episode for the opening game’s lone tally. Bob Bridges fanned nine and allowed eight safeties in copping the mound decision from Jeff Bloom.
Breaking a 3 – 3 deadlock, the Brewers completed the sweep by running across a singleton in the bottom-of-the-eighth canto of the finale on a sacrifice fly off the lumber of Al Leroux. Leroux had staked the Beermen to an early lead with a two-run triple in the opening panel. John Hogg bested Enderby’s Daryl Leier in the hillock battle.
(June 23-24) Prince George invitational baseball tournament
(June 27) Rookie Rob Morphy hurled a four-hitter and struck out 11 to pace Vernon’s Coldstream Hotel to a 9 to 2 thumping of the Kelowna Panthers. The win was the fourth straight for the Hotelmen and entrenched them solidly in third place in the NOBL standings. Glen Fester led the winners at the plate, driving in three runs with a pair of singles. Mike McAvoy clubbed a brace of two-baggers that produced two RBI’s while Charlie Briskham added a solo dinger.
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Kamloops 12 4 .750 ---
Enderby 9 4 .692 1.5
Vernon 9 7 .563 3.0
Kelowna 1 16 .059 11.5
(June 30 – July 2) Enderby invitational Dominion Day weekend tournament
(July 8) The Enderby Legionnaires defeated a short-handed Kamloops Brewers squad 5 to 3 and then dumped them 9 to 2 to clinch first place in the 1979 NOBL standings.
A three-hit pitching performance by Glen Crichton of the Brew Crew in the matinee joust wasn’t sufficient to subdue the Legionnaires.
Enderby scored five runs in the opening inning of the second skirmish against losing chucker Dev Dley to complete the sweep.
(July 17) Kamloops, without a quorum of available players, forfeited both games of a NOBL doubleheader to Vernon.
(July 22) The senior balltossers from Kamloops rolled into Enderby and snuck away with a 5 to 3 verdict over the league-champion Legionnaires in the matinee portion of an NOBL double-dip. Their luck didn’t hold out in the second-half of the festivities, however, when they were bombed 11 to 0 by the hosts.
Brewers’ 17-year old rookie hurler Kevin Byers outdueled Peter Brooks for the mound triumph in the opening encounter, clubbing a pair of round-trippers in support of his knoll effort. Enderby’s Wayne Aalto, backed by home runs from Geoff Collins and Stu Sonne while limiting the Kamloops’ sluggers to just one hit, captured the knoll decision over John Hogg in the evening tilt.
No league playoffs.
(August 5) B.C. Senior “B” championship tournament
(September 1 – 3) Enderby Labor Day weekend baseball tournament
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
In its third season, the loop was reduced to five entries after the departure of the East Kootenay Angels.
TEAMS
Colville Valley WA Lumberjacks
Grand Forks Slag Dusters
New Denver–Silverton Twins
Republic WA Gold’n’Sawdust
Trail Hotelmen
(May 12) The Trail Hotelmen served notice to the rest of the Kootenay International Baseball League that they’re going to be tough to beat this season when they took both ends of a Butler Park doubleheader from the defending-champion New Denver-Silverton Twins by scores of 6 to 5 and 6 to 4.
Burly righthander Bob Elliott, coming on in relief of starter Rick Babcock in the fifth frame, copped the pitching win for the Smelter City nine in the opening tilt. With the score knotted at 5 – 5 in the seventh stanza, Trail’s Mike Bilenki doubled, then crossed the platter with the deciding tally on Steve Como’s RBI-single. Kerry McIntyre registered two hits for the winners while Mike Mukanik blasted a two-run homer. The Twins were led offensively by Jack Kelly, with a double and single, and Gary Kristinski, who singled twice.
New Denver-Silverton had a healthy 10 to 4 margin in base hits in the second encounter but let the verdict slip away with a lack of timely swatting while the Hotelmen took full advantage of their opportunities. Portsider Ken Umbarger effectively scattered the Twins’ safeties to earn the complete-game knoll decision over John Nesbitt, who had a penchant for unloading wild pitches with runners parked at third base.
(May 13) Versatile Steve Herbert of the Grand Forks Slag Dusters was front and centre in his team’s split of a two-game set with the Colville Valley Lumberjacks.
Herbert was instrumental in a 13 to 8 conquest of the ‘Jacks in the opener, garnering three singles, scoring two runs and delivering three RBI’s.
On the clay throne for the sunset encounter, captured by the Colville Valley nine 3 to 2, the Dusters’ southpaw allowed just one earned run on three hits while ringing up 18 punchouts.
(May 20) The Republic Gold’n’Sawdust took both ends of a doubleheader from the Colville Valley Lumberjacks, winning 8 to 5 and 8 to 2.
(May 20) There wasn’t too much similarity in the two games hosted by the New Denver-Silverton Twins Sunday. The opening tussle, a low-scoring affair, saw the hosts prevail 4 to 1 over the Trail Hotelmen while the second encounter had the Silver City nine erupt for a 22 to 5 victory.
Rick Patterson, with 11 strikeouts, prevailed over Trail’s big Bob Elliott, who fanned eight, in a hotly-contested opener. Steve Como stoked three singles for the Innkeepers in a losing effort.
The power of the Hotelmen, silenced in the matinee joust, showed itself early in the late fracas when they plated four-spots in each of the first two innings. Lefthander Ken Umbarger registered the complete-game mound victory while starter Gary Kristinski of the Twins was saddled with the defeat. Going long-and-gone with four-ply clouts for the victors were Mike Bilenki and Gerry Hollett with three-run bombs, Joel Tremblay with a two-run jack and John Mota with a solo dinger.
(May 26-27) In a weekend tournament played in New Denver and designed to raise funds for a KISBL representative to attend zone playoffs later in the season, the Trail Hotelmen annexed three consecutive games to come out on top. The Innkeepers won over Grand Forks 8 to 4, defeated Republic 9 to 4 and captured the finale with a 6 to 4 triumph over Colville Valley. The winning slabsters were Ken Umbarger, who went the distance in the opener and copped the verdict in the closing contest as a reliever, along with Rick Babcock, who toiled on the knoll in the sandwich event.
(May 30) Winning hurler Dave Stuker stifled the Trail Hotelmen on three safeties in leading the Colville Valley Lumberjacks to a 3 to 0 whitewashing of the visiting Smelter Towners. The ‘Jacks got to losing twirler Rick Cescon for just five safeties but were able to bunch four of those in two early innings for their first pair of counters. Their third tally, an unearned marker, occurred later in the affair. Larry Howes drove in Lonnie Hoxie with the initial pair of Colville runs, doubling in the second spasm and lacing a single in the fourth. Hoxie had preceded Howes at the plate with a two-bagger and a triple.
(May 31) Republic 5 - Grand Forks 1
(June 2) Travelling Republic had a productive evening at Butler Park, grabbing both ends of a KISBL double-dip from the slumping Trail Hotelmen by scores of 11 to 9 and 8 to 3.
The lid-lifter, a slugfest, saw both pitchers of record, Republic’s Mike Lancaster and Rick Babcock of the hosting Silver City squad, go the distance. Eddie Sachs led the Washingtonians at the dish, going four-for-four. Three of his safeties were doubles. Teammates Leo Orestad and Lancaster both delivered three base raps as did Kerry McIntyre of the homesters.
The visitors rocked losing heaver Rick Cescon for six runs in their initial turn at bat in the late engagement. Three of those tallies came on a four-ply clout by Mike Straube with two mates aboard while Sachs added two more singles with his potent baton. Rory Rickard rang up a dozen punchouts for the Gold’n’Sawdust in going the route for the knoll victory.
(June 2) New Denver-Silverton 12 - Colville Valley 9
Colville Valley 6 - New Denver-Silverton 5
(June 5) The Trail Hotelmen moved back into the win column by blanking the visiting Colville Lumberjacks 7 to 0 at Butler Park. Lefthander Ken Umbarger was practically untouchable on the mound for the victors, giving up only one hit during the contest, a bunt single in the sixth spasm by George Cloakey. Umbarger rang up 15 punchouts and walked just two. Hal Hoxie suffered the loss. Lou Cicchetti paced the balanced 12-hit offence presented by the Innkeepers, stroking three safeties.
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Republic Gold’n’Sawdust 5 0 1.000 ----
Colville Valley Lumberjacks 3 4 .429 3.0
Trail Hotelmen 3 4 .429 3.0
Grand Forks Slag Dusters 1 2 .333 3.0
New Denver-Silverton Twins 2 4 .333 3.5
(June 7) With Mike Bilenki playing a stellar two-way game, the Trail Hotelmen came on strong in the seventh stanza to defeat the Grand Forks Slag Dusters 7 to 4. Bilenki pitched the first six innings for Trail, relinquishing mound chores to eventual winning tosser Ken Umbarger in the seventh with the score knotted at 4 – 4. He started the winning three-run rally in that frame with a double and finished the evening with a three-for-four-effort from the batter’s box. Southpaw Steve Herbert was nicked with the knoll setback. Both squads clipped the orb for nine safeties.
(June 9) New Denver-Silverton 19 - Grand Forks 7
Grand Forks 9 - New Denver-Silverton 0
(June 10) Republic 7 - Colville Valley 0
Colville Valley 8 - Republic 0
(June 12) Scoring three runs in each of the first two innings at Butler Park, the Grand Forks Slag Dusters went on to double the host Trail Hotelmen 6 to 3 and avenge their defeat of five days previous. Steve Herbert tossed a three-hitter and struck out nine in securing the complete-game victory. Losing chucker Rick Babcock was combed for ten safeties while swishing four. Grand Forks’ Reg Veysey singled in both of his team’s scoring sprees, the second swat driving in a pair of counters. Brent McDicken had two of the three Trail safeties, both singles.
(June 14) A seventh-inning balk called against Trail southpaw Ken Umbarger allowed Colville Valley baserunner Bill Lantz to trot home unmolested from third base with the run that proved to be the winner in a 2 to 1 Lumberjack victory over the Hotelmen. The ‘Jacks managed only three hits off Umbarger while the Silver City squad got to the duo of starter Lawry Knopp and winning flinger Jim Bosworth for six safeties. Gary Crocker drove in the first Colville Valley run with a second-stanza single. Trail tied the game in the fifth when Lou Cicchetti singled, stole second and scored on an infield error. Umbarger had nine punchouts in tasting defeat for the first time this season.
(June 16) Travelling south of the border, the Grand Forks Slag Dusters divided the spoils of a KISBL twin-bill with the Colville Valley Lumberjacks, coming up short in the matinee tilt 2 to 1 but prevailing 4 to 1 in the finale. Steve Herbert hurled complete games for the Dusters in each outing, issuing nary an earned run throughout. In dropping the heartbreaking opener, he yielded only five safeties and fanned four. Coming on stronger in the nightcap, Herbert fashioned a brilliant two-hitter and capped his outstanding performance with nine punchouts.
(June 17) New Denver-Silverton 3 - Republic 2
New Denver-Silverton 5 - Republic 1
(June 19) Gerry Hollett’s bases-loaded single off reliever Lawry Knopp in the final stanza drove in Steve Como with the winning marker as the Trail Hotelmen nosed out the Colville Valley Lumberjacks 5 to 4 at Butler Park. Burly Bob Elliott pitched all the way for the Smelter City squad, allowing nine hits. Starter Jim Bosworth of the Lumberjacks was nicked for nine of the ten Trail hits.
(June 24) The Trail Hotelmen gained some valuable ground in the KISBL pennant race when they captured both ends of a twin-bill from the slumping Republic Gold’n’Sawdust by scores of 5 to 0 and 9 to 8. Portsider Ken Umbarger was credited with both mound victories, going all the way on the hill in the opening game and coming to the relief of starter Rick Babcock and Mike Bilenki in the sunset event.
Umbarger had five punchouts and allowed only two hits in the lid-lifter. In the fourth frame, an RBI-triple by Mike Mukanik and a two-run dinger by Tim Hamilton got the visiting Smelter City squad off-and-running in their victory march.
The hitters took over in the twilight tilt with the Innkeepers piling up 15 safeties and the Washingtonians ten. Mukanik’s four-ply jack in the sixth spasm tied the score at 8 – 8 and Gerry Hollett’s solo tater off losing slabster Randy Rickard provided the deciding tally for the Silver City gang. Lou Cicchetti had three hits for the winners, including two triples. Pat Dunne ripped a trio of safeties for the Republic baseballers, driving in two runs.
(June 24) Firing on all cylinders, the fast-moving New Denver-Silverton Twins swept both ends of a double-dip from the Colville Valley Lumberjacks, nosing out the ‘Jacks 3 to 2 in the matinee bout begore lambasting the Americans 12 to 1 in the finale. Rick Patterson and John Nesbitt were the successful heavers for the Twins.
STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Republic Gold’n’Sawdust 8 5 .615 ----
New Denver-Silverton Twins 7 5 .583 0.5
Trail Hotelmen 8 6 .571 0.5
Colville Valley Lumberjacks 6 10 .375 3.5
Grand Forks Slag Dusters 4 7 .364 3.0
(June 27) With pitchers from both sides ducking for cover, the Trail Hotelmen manhandled the Grand Forks Slag Dusters to the tune of 20 to 11 in a slugfest at Butler Park. The slugging spree produced 38 base hits in which the Trailites put the verdict on ice with a ten-spot in the second stanza. The Innkeepers used three chuckers with starter Rick Cescon getting credit for the win. Gerry Hollett had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs for the Hotelmen while Al Cicchetti also pounded out a triad of safeties with three RBIs. Ernie Rella connected for a two-run homer and five other Trail players had two hits. Losing twirler Steve Herbert, who was yanked from the hill and replaced by Alex Pereversoff in the disastrous second, clubbed Silver City pitching for four base blows and had four RBI’s to his credit. Teammate Rick McLean also drove in four tallies with a brace of raps.
(June 30) Republic climbed back into top spot in the KISBL, handing visiting New Denver-Silverton double defeats in twin-bill action. The Twins succumbed 10 to 2 and 3 to 2 at the hands of the Gold’n’Sawdust aggregation. The twin wins moved the Washingtonians a half-game in front of the second-place Trail Hotelmen. Carroll Somday, better known to his teammates as “Gopher”, had an outstanding day for Republic in the sweep.
In the one-sided opener, Somday delivered a triple, double and single, driving in three runs.
A seventh-inning single by Somday in the wind-up contest drove in the winning run and elevated the Gold’n’Sawdust to the 1979 pennant. Earlier in the finale, he walloped a three-bagger.
(July 8) Grand Forks stormed into the playoff picture by surprising the nose-diving New Denver-Silverton Twins with 12 to 3 and 15 to 8 victories in a two-game set played on the home turf of the Boundary entry. Steve Herbert captured both mound decisions while Mike Linn and John Nesbitt absorbed the setbacks. Reg Veysey was the offensive star for the Slag Dusters in the sweep. In the opener, he delivered two singles and a double, scored a pair of runs and had three RBI’s. In the second game, Veysey contributed a home run, a triple and two singles, crossing the dish twice while adding a pair of RBI’s.
(July 10) It was a nightmarish finish for southpaw slabster Steve Herbert of the Grand Forks Slag Dusters during the eleventh inning of clash with the Gold’n’Sawdust aggregation in Republic. The teams had battled tooth-and-nail into overtime with no apparent winner on the horizon when, in the bottom-half of the eleventh session with the score knotted at 4 – 4, fate stepped in and dealt Herbert a nasty blow. He walked the first Republic batter to face him, then made a fielding miscue allowing a second runner to reach base. If that wasn’t bad enough, Herbert made a throwing error which moved the two runners up 90 feet to third and second base respectively. A wild pitch followed sending the deciding run across the dish and giving the hosts not only a 5 to 4 victory but, also, first place in the final standings.
FINAL STANDINGS W L Pct. GBL
Republic Gold’n’Sawdust 11 5 .688 ----
Trail Hotelmen 10 6 .625 1
New Denver-Silverton Twins 7 9 .438 4
Grand Forks Slag Dusters * 6 10 .375 5
Colville Valley Lumberjacks 6 10 .375 5
* Grand Forks Slag Dusters awarded the final playoff berth over Colville as a result of superior runs for-and-against in head-to-head competition with the Lumberjacks.
(July 17) Ken Umbarger of the Trail Hotelmen was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the Kootenay International League. The left-hander received one first place vote, two seconds and a third from the respective league coaches to claim the honour outpointing teammate, and the KISBL's Rookie of the Year, Mike Bilenki. Steve Herbert of Grand Forks was third in the voting.
The KISBL has announced the 1979 first and second all-star teams as chosen by the league's five coaches.
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Grand Forks vs Republic & New Denver-Silverton vs Trail (best-of-three series)
(July 15) The Trail Hotelmen and Republic Gold’n’Sawdust will meet in the finals of the Kootenay International Senior Baseball League playoffs after both teams swept their best-of-three semi-final series in straight games.
The Hotelmen, playing in Fruitvale, came out on top of a close 5 to 4 first game against New Denver-Silverton then turned on the power to demolish the Twins 13 to 2 in the second contest.
Trail’s portside ace Ken Umbarger persevered during the intense heat to capture the complete-game mound decision over Rick Patterson in the opening engagement. Visibly tiring in the late stages of the tilt after his mates had provided him with an early 5 – 0 cushion, Umbarger hung on and struck out seven while allowing six hits. Patterson had six punchouts and yielded seven safeties. Playing-manager Art Mercer led the Innkeepers offensively with a double and single. Tim Hamilton drove in a pair of runs while both Gerry Hollett and Brent McDicken hit run-scoring triples. Mike Linn had a brace of safeties, including a solo homer, for New Denver-Silverton.
Batters had the upper hand in the late skirmish with the Smelter City swatsmiths banging out a dozen base blows while the Twins, although managing ten safeties, weren’t as successful in converting their raps into counters. Gerry Hollett, with a two-run dinger and a brace of one-baggers, paced the victors with the baton while Mike Mukanik nailed a three-run tater and a double. Lou Cicchetti added three singles. Phil Angrignon led the Twins with a trio of base knocks.
In Republic, the pennant-winning Gold’n’Sawdust were poor hosts to Grand Forks, winning a pair from the Slag Dusters by scores of 6 to 2 and 9 to 3.
Mike Lancaster hurled the matinee-tussle victory while Steve Herbert was tagged with the loss. Reg Veysey launched a four-bagger for the losing Dusters.
Herbert was again the victim of the mound setback in the sunset encounter, absorbing the double-defeat on the strength of four-ply clouts he surrendered to “Butch” Sager and Dan Rickard. Rory Rickard allowed just three hits in claiming the complete-game knoll triumph.
FINALS Trail vs Republic (best-of-five series)
(July 29) Invading Trail gained a split with pennant-winning Republic as the KISBL finals got underway with a double-dip in the Ferry County WA centre. The Hotelmen, with first baseman Mike Mukanik leading the way, clobbered the Gold’n’Sawdust 14 to 4 in the series’ lid-lifter while the Washingtonians came back to square the finals with a 9 to 7 triumph in the nightcap.
Mukanik’s big bat was hot as the Republic weather in the opener as he slugged two home runs and three singles to drive in five runs. The Silver City nine pounced on losing heaver Mike Lancaster early and often in this affair, driving him off the knoll in the second panel. They finished the fray with 15 solid base knocks. Portsider Ken Umbarger, on the hill for the Innkeepers, silenced the Gold’n’Sawdust on eight scattered hits in cruising to the one-sided win. Sharing the offensive spotlight with Mukanik was teammate Gerry Hollett who also went yard twice for a brace of circuit-jacks to go along with a one-bagger, all of which produced four RBI’s. For Republic, Pat Dunne went three-for-four, including a round-tripper.
Trail hit three more home runs in the second encounter including Mukanik’s third goner of the day, a two-run shot, but it wasn’t sufficient to overcome an early margin established by the homesters on Mike Kirby’s grand-slam four-bagger. Dan Rickard’s two-run circuit-blow added to the Gold’n’Sawdust lead and the visitors were never able to catch up despite a solo dinger off the bat of Mike Bilenki and a tater by Albert Cicchetti with one aboard. Winning chucker Rory Rickard and reliever Terry Van Slyke allowed 12 hits while Rick Babcock, on the clay bump for the Hoteliers, was combed for 13 base knocks in absorbing the defeat.
(August 5) The Kootenay International Senior Baseball League final series will go down to a fifth and deciding game after the two finalists divided the spoils once more, this time in doubleheader action at Trail’s Butler Park. The hosting Trail Hotelmen handily annexed the matinee bout 6 to 0 while the Republic Gold’n’Sawdust staved off elimination by edging past the Innkeepers 5 to 4 in the finale.
Portsider Ken Umbarger pitched another fine game for the Smelter City hosts in the opener, ringing up six punchouts while allowing only one hit. The Hotelmen bagged ten safeties off the slants of losing hurler Terry Van Slyke as Tim Hamilton and Art Mercer each picked up a brace of raps. Connecting for timely knocks were Steve Como with a two-run single and Mike Mukanik whose double drove in a pair of counters.
Four big tallies in the second stanza against burly Trail righthander Bob Elliott started the Republic nine on the way to victory in the late joust. Mike Kirby’s solo home run in the fifth frame sealed the deal for the winning Gold’n’Sawdust.
(August 12) A seventh-inning single by Rory Rickard drove in the deciding counter as the Republic Gold’n’Sawdust edged the visiting Trail Hotelmen 11 to 10 to capture the KISBL finals three games to two. The hosts led from the onset after winning pitcher Mike Lancaster greeted Trail lefthander Ken Umbarger with a leadoff home run, part of a five-run opening chapter. The Innkeepers plugged away and were finally able to knot the count at 10 – 10 in the top-half of the seventh spasm on a two-run double by Mike Bilenki. Pat Dunne stroked a pair of doubles for the winners while Gerry Hollett and Kerry McIntyre collected three safeties apiece for the vanquished Trailites. Mike Mukanik dialed long distance with a lone tater for the vanquished Hotelmen.
(August 31 – September 3) Grand Forks Credit Union Labor Day weekend tournament
SELKIRK SENIOR BABE RUTH BASEBALL LEAGUE
TEAMS
Beaver Valley
Central Trail Giants
East Trail Reds
Grand Forks
Nelson
West Trail Blues
(May 10) Slab artist Ray Duncan of Beaver Valley improved his won-loss record in Selkirk Senior Babe Ruth League play to 6 – 0 when he hurled his league-leading team to a 6 to 4 win over hosting Nelson. With the lumber, Duncan had four RBI’s, accrued on three base hits in four at-bats. Losing heaver Kent Smith stroked a double and single for the Lakesiders while Dom Domaco connected for a three-run homer late in the contest.
(May 31) Ray Duncan struck out 11 and won his eighth mound verdict in as many decisions in pitching Beaver Valley past Nelson 7 to 3. Losing chucker Frank Hufty, a third generation baseball Hufty in the region, had six punchouts and allowed nine hits. Roger Huston had three hits for the Valleymen including a 400-foot round-tripper.
(June 14) Ray Duncan punched out nine and tossed a four-hitter as front-running Beaver Valley blanked West Trail 5 to 0. The win was Duncan’s tenth straight in league play. Beaver Valley’s runs came on 11 hits and included a double and two singles by Roger Huston plus a trio of one-baggers off the bat of Randy Wagner. Joe Bella was tagged with the loss.
(June 14) Central Trail crushed Nelson 14 to 4 as Danny Johnson copped the mound decision over Lloyd Germaine. Curtis Lemieux led the Giants attack with four hits.
(June 18) East Trail split a doubleheader with hosting Nelson, losing the first game 6 to 4 before rebounding for a 7 to 5 triumph in the nightcap. Frank Hufty of the Lakesiders and Reds’ reliever Dennis Venturini were the winning slabsters.
(June 21) Beaver Valley clinched top spot in the Selkirk Senior Babe Ruth League by defeating the second-place East Trail Reds 4 to 3. Ace slab artist Ray Duncan fanned eight and took his eleventh win of the season against no losses in going the route for the victors. Losing twirler Dennis Venturini allowed only three hits and struck out five. Three unearned runs in the second stanza provided the Valleymen with deciding counters.
FINAL
STANDINGS W L Pts.
Beaver Valley 16 4 32
East Trail 11 6 22
Nelson 9 8 18
Central Trail 7 11 14
West Trail 7 11 14
Grand Forks 5 15 10
(June 30, July 1-2) Trail International Baseball Tournament
(July 21-22) Interior playdowns
(August 2-6) B.C. Senior Babe Ruth championship tournament
NORTHERN BC INTERIOR / CARIBOO AREA BASEBALL
Prince George, with two new entries, and Quesnel both had their own intra-city leagues in 1979 but also scheduled interlocking games between the two circuits.
PRINCE GEORGE SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Labatt’s
Mountain Truck Service
Prince George Hotel Juniors
Prince George Royals
CARIBOO SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE TEAMS (Quesnel & District)
Quesnel Billy Barker Inn
Bud Henning Blue Jays
Kopetski A’s
Red Bluff Inn Clippers
(May 22) The Labatt’s baseballers picked up where they left off last year in Prince George senior baseball, taking a 7 to 5 win over Mountain Truck Service in the circuit’s season opener. Omer Gascon pitched the win for the defending champions while Ted Eberle took the loss.
(May 24) Labatt’s remained undefeated by edging the Prince George Hotel Juniors 1 to 0. Randy Pawluk pitched the shutout win.
(May 27) Opening day doubleheader action in Quesnel had the Billy Barker Inn knocking off the Bud Henning Blue Jays 5 to 3 while the Kopetski A’s routed the Red Bluff Inn Clippers 14 to 1. Although the Jays outhit the victors, Grant Johanneson grabbed the hillock victory over Terry Kirkham. John Booth had three safeties for the Barkers while Rod Dyck connected for four safe swats and Ed Auger three in pacing the Blue Birds at the dish. The A’s pounded out 26 hits in the late game as Kevin Lust racked up five base raps while teammates Bill Lacy and Ron Halvorsen checked in with four apiece. The winning hurler was Kevin Beaudry.
(May 29) The Red Bluff Inn Clippers won their first game of the season in the Cariboo Senior Baseball League which incorporates teams from Quesnel and area, doubling the Bud Henning Blue Jays 4 to 2.
(May 30) Overcoming a scare from the upstart Prince George Royals, the defending champion Labatt’s squad won its third consecutive game in Prince George senior action. The Beer-men erased a 6 to 5 deficit in the sixth inning en route to a 14 to 6 victory. Bob Maybee allowed 11 hits in picking up the win. Al Cameron was charged with the loss.
(May 30) The Kopetski A’s defeated the Billy Barker Inn 13 to 7 in Quesnel and district Baseball League action.
(May 31) The Prince George Hotel Juniors annexed their first win in the Prince George Senior Baseball League, downing the winless Prince George Royals 6 to 4 with Dwayne Washington the winning pitcher. Labatt’s leads the league with three straight victories, followed by Mountain Truck Service at two wins and one loss.
(May 31) In a clash of Quesnel foes, the Kopetski A’s kept rolling with a 5 to 1 triumph over the winless Bud Henning Blue Jays, their second victory in two evenings at the Cariboo Senior Men’s ballpark. The Kopetski nine remains undefeated after three games.
(June 3) Labatt’s increased its first-place lead in the senior baseball loop with a pair of interlocking wins against the Quesnel Bud Henning Blue Jays’ aggregation. Labatt’s took the first game 11 to 4 with Bob Maybee on the hill. Bill Hamar was credited with the win in the follow-up joust as the Brewery Boys prevailed 6 to 1.
(June 3) Mountain Truck Service of Prince George split an interlocking doubleheader in Quesnel against the Billy Barker Inn. The Repairmen took the first game 6 to 4 as Bill Janzen tossed the win while Grant Johannesen was tagged with the loss. Brian Oliver belted a solo home run for the Innkeepers.
Shortstop Oliver almost singlehandedly beat Mountain Truck in the second game which saw the 19 year old hit two more home runs, one a grand-slam tater, as the hosts nosed out the Truckmen 11 to 10. First-inning round-trippers by Janzen and Angelo Nadalin put Mountain Truck into a 4 to 0 lead and it was increased to 9 to 2 after 3-1/2 frames were in the books. Wayne Ward, in relief of starter Phil Roy, was lit up for both of Oliver’s dingers and was saddled with the loss.
In the two games, the hot-hitting Oliver slammed the horsehide for nine base blows in ten at bats. Defensively, however, he appeared uncomfortable in the shortpatch position, committing two miscues in the opener and one in the finale.
(June 5) The Red Bluff Inn Clippers edged the Quesnel Billy Barker Inn 9 to 8 in a Cariboo League clash.
(June 6) The Kopetski A’s scored three times in the second inning but it wasn’t enough as they went down to their first defeat of the young campaign to the Billy Barker Inn by a 4 to 3 count. John Booth took the mound verdict over Kevin Lust.
(June 10) The Bud Henning Blue Jays and the Kopetski A’s split a Cariboo circuit twin-bill in Quesnel. The A’s captured the opening match 4 to 1 as Harry West earned the pitching win over Bud Atkins. In the late encounter, a two-run homer Mike Gronskei in the bottom half of the first extra-inning lifted the Blue Jays to a 4 to 3 win over the A’s. The victory was the first of the campaign for the Blue Birds. The A’s had taken the lead in the top of the overtime session when Wayne Halvorsen’s double plated Wayne Inglis. Despite the loss, the A’s remain in top spot in the Quesnel & area circuit.
(June 12) The Prince George Hotel Juniors served notice to the rest of the league that they’re not going to be a doormat for other teams. The Juniors, one of the two new teams in the Prince George circuit, came from behind to hand the Mountain Truck Service nine a 7 to 4 loss. Winning pitcher Dave Girard rang up seven whiffs in going the distance. The Servicemen used four chuckers with Rick Fullerton being charged with the loss.
(June 13) Both teams pounded out 13 hits in a Prince George Senior League fixture in which the Labatt’s pastimers prevailed 15 to 12 over a steadily-improving Prince George Royals squad. Omer Gascon went the route on the bump for the winners, punching out five. Glen Collier of the Royals belted a solo home run in the top of the sixth and Bill Hamar of Labatt’s hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the same canto. Gus Agostinus went four-for-four for the vanquished nine.
Prince George Senior League standings * W L GBL
Labatt’s 7 0 ----
Mountain Truck Service 4 3 3
Prince George Hotel Juniors 2 3 4
Prince George Royals 0 5 6
* unbalanced won-lost totals as per advantage in interlocking games against teams from Cariboo Senior Baseball League
(June 14) The Prince George Hotel Juniors moved to within a half game of second place in Prince George Senior action by dumping the winless Prince George Royals 11 to 6. Colin Christensen went the distance for the winners, striking out nine and giving up six hits. Ron Hutchinson was the loser, as he and three other Royals’ hurlers were touched for ten hits while fanning five. “Rocky” Johansen had a huge day at the plate for the victors, garnering seven RBI’s.
(June 17) The Prince George Royals and Red Bluff Inn Clippers of Quesnel split an interlocking double-bill in Quesnel, the Clippers taking the first game 4 to 2 while the Royals annexed their first conquest of the season in the nightcap by an 8 to 2 count. Bruce Prediger of the Clips bested Dale Kachuk for mound supremacy in the opener. Glen Collier captured the complete game mound win for the Royals in the late encounter as his mates backed him up with 15 base hits. Craig Hutchinson stroked three base knocks for the Blue Bloods.
(June 17) An interlocking double-dip played in Prince George was divided between the invading Kopetski A’s of the Cariboo circuit and the Prince George Hotel Juniors. The A’s had no trouble in the matinée contest, whipping the Juniors 17 to 2 while the Hotelmen rebounded for a narrow 2 to 1 victory in the finale. Winning flinger Bud Atkins struck out nine for the A’s in the curtain-raiser. Colin Christensen of the Juniors tossed a two-hitter and punched out nine in the wrap-up fracas, taking the mound decision from Ron Halvorsen.
(June 19) The Prince George Labatt’s remained undefeated as the defending league champions downed the Prince George Hotel Juniors 7 to 4 behind the six-hit pitching of Omer Gascon. Losing tosser Dean Eberle was also nicked for six safeties and had a six to five edge over Gascon in strikeouts.
(June 19) The Red Bluff Inn diamond troopers blew a 6 to 0 lead and fell to the Bud Henning Blue Jays in a Cariboo League match in Quesnel.
(June 20) Labatt’s had to come from behind to register their ninth consecutive win in Prince George Senior League play. Trailing 6 to 4 after 3-1/2 innings, the Brewery Boys rode a two-run homer by Bob Mabee to ignite their comeback and eventual 10 to 8 win over the Mountain Truck Service nine. The Repairmen had a 15 to 13 margin in base hits.
(June 21) The Kopetski A’s had an 8 to 0 lead against the Red Bluff Inn Clippers in a Cariboo Senior tussle that was washed out when rain curtailed the game before the regulation number of innings had been played.
(June 21) The last-place Prince George Royals took advantage put up a six-spot in the second frame and dropped the slumping Mountain Truck Service crew 6 to 1. The Royals took full advantage of five Trucker errors to grab the verdict. Winning pitcher Bill Gook scattered seven hits and breezed three in going the route. Losing pitcher Sieg Vogt and reliever Rick Fullerton allowed five hits but also issued six walks.
(June 23-24) Prince George tournament
(June 26) The first-year Prince George Royals won their second straight game as they surprised the previously unbeaten Labatt’s nine 6 to 5 in Prince George Senior Baseball action. A bases-loaded infield hit by Jeff Bredo in the seventh panel snapped a 5 – 5 tie and knocked the Beer men from their unbeaten pedestal. Glen Kowalski nailed a two-run circuit-clout for the losers.
(June 27) Mountain Truck Service returned to the .500 mark in Prince George Senior Baseball play with an 11 to 3 thrashing of the Prince George Hotel Juniors at Monty Gabriele Park. Ted Eberle out dueled his brother Dean Eberle in earning the mound triumph. Both siblings went the distance as the Trucker slabman yielded six hits and fanned ten while the Junior tosser was lit up for 15 safeties.
(June 28) The Prince George Hotel Juniors regained a share of second place in the Prince George Senior circuit when they romped all over the Prince George Royals 13 to 3. Winning pitcher Colin Christensen scattered six hits, struck out five and didn’t issue a walk. Losing flinger Seig Vogt and reliever Glen Collier were nicked for 13 base blows.
(July 3) The Quesnel Billy Barker Inn balltossers scored four runs in the sixth inning and eight times in the eighth spasm to smother the Red Bluff Inn pastimers 19 to 9. John Booth paced the hit parade for the winners, garnering four bingles. Teammate Joe Balderston slammed a home run, double and single.
(July 3) Labatt’s continued to dominate the Prince George Senior circuit by knocking off the Prince George Hotel Juniors 7 to 4. Winning flinger Bill Hamar allowed five hits and struck out seven. The Beer-men got to losing chucker Dave Girard and reliever Dave Hewitson for seven safeties.
(July 4) First-place Quesnel Billy Barker Inn downed the Kopetski A’s 5 to 2 in a Cariboo circuit match. John Booth had three hits for the Innkeepers.
(July 4) The Mountain Truck Service nine regained sole possession of second place in the Prince George Senior League when they pasted the cellar-dwelling Prince George Royals 7 to 1 at Monty Gabriele Park. Wining pitcher Rick Fullerton and reliever Ted Eberle scattered four hits and combined to strike out six. Mountain Truck lit into loser Larry Farrell and his successor on the rubber, Glen Collier, for eight safeties.
(July 5) The slump-ridden Kopetski A’s dropped their third consecutive game, falling to the Bud Henning Blue Jays 5 to 4 in a hard-fought fracas in Quesnel. The Jays broke a 2 – 2 tie by tallying three counters in the eighth and then held on for the win as the A’s comeback attempt fell just short. Wayne Holmes drilled a four-bagger and a brace of singles for the Jays.
(July 8) The Quesnel Billy Barker Inn diamondeers won over the Red Bluff Clippers 16 to 7 to maintain their hold on first place in the Cariboo Senior Baseball League.
(July 8) The Prince George Labatt’s aggregation took a pair of interlocking games from the free-falling Kopetski A’s of Quesnel’s Cariboo Senior Baseball loop. The scores were 19 to 1 and 7 to 5. Keith Hodgson took the mound verdict in the opening game blowout which saw Bob Mabee/Maybee of the Brewery Boys hit a grand-slam tater.
Bill Hamar pitched the win in the second affair.
(July 10) A third straight win for the Mountain Truck Service, this one a 10 to 2 domination of the Prince George Hotel Juniors, further entrenched their hold on second spot in the Prince George Senior League. Winning pitcher Bill Janzen scattered four hits and whiffed eight. Phil Roy stroked an opening inning solo four-ply dinger for the Servicemen off losing twirler Colin Christensen.
(July 11) The Prince George Hotel Juniors plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth panel to dispose of the Prince George Royals 7 to 6 in a battle of second-division clubs. Dean Eberle, who ascended the bump as a firemen, notched the hurling triumph. The Royals picked up nine hits off Eberle and starter Dave Hewitson. The Juniors managed seven safeties off loser Bill Gook.
(July 12) The Kopetski A’s defeated the Red Bluff Clippers 7 to 2 in a regularly scheduled Cariboo League affair in Quesnel.
Cariboo Senior League standings * W L GBL
Quesnel Billy Barker Inn 10 4 ----
Bud Henning Blue Jays 7 7 3
Kopetski A’s 6 8 4
Red Bluff Inn Clippers 3 11 7
* unbalanced won-lost totals as per deficit in interlocking games against teams from Prince George Senior Baseball League
(July 12) League-leading Labatt’s came away with a narrow 3 to 1 conquest of the last-place Prince George Royals in Prince George Senior League action. Omer Gascon tossed the hillock win, decisioning Glen Collier.
(July 14-15) Quesnel Billy Barker Days tournament
(July 17) Mountain Truck Service erased a 6 to 4 deficit to the league-leading Labatt’s contingent, scoring three times in the sixth inning to record a 7 to 6 win in Prince George Senior play. Tim Janzen pitched the win for the second-place Truckers. Bruce Taylor was saddled with Labatt’s second loss in 15 starts.
(July 18) Mountain Truck Service dumped the Prince George Royals 14 to 2 for their fifth straight win. Ted Eberle went the distance for the win, breezing 11 Royals, while Dale Kachuk took the loss.
(July 19) First-place Labatt’s scored three times in the first frame and cruised to a 7 to 2 Prince George Senior Baseball win in a tilt with the Prince George Hotel Juniors. Four errors by the Hotelmen made things easier for the Brewery Boys. Bill Hamar, with a five-hitter and nine punchouts, earned the victory over Colin Christensen who rang up ten strikeouts while tossing a seven-hitter.
(July 22) The red-hot Mountain Truck Service nine of Prince George continued their upward movement, disposing of the Quesnel Red Bluff Inn Clippers twice, 5 to 1 and 3 to 1, in a pair of interlocking games played at Monty Gabriele Park.
(July 22) The homestanding Bud Henning Blue Jays of Quesnel got past the Prince George Hotel Juniors 5 to 4 and 6 to 5 in a brace of highly-contested interlocking matches.
(July 24) Top dog Labatt’s added to their win column when the bottom-feeding Prince George Royals were unable to field a full lineup and forfeited the scheduled game.
(July 24) In Cariboo Senior League action, the last-place Red Bluff Inn Clippers ended a ten-game losing streak by defeating the Kopetski A’s 12 to 11. Al Blackmore struggled throughout but persevered for the hillock victory.
(July 25) For the second night in a row, a scheduled Prince George Senior Baseball League game wasn’t played when the third-place Prince George Hotel Juniors came up short with player personnel and defaulted their game to the second-place Mountain Truck Service club.
(July 25) The first-place Billy Barker Inn of Quesnel and the runner-up Bud Henning Blue Jays battled to a 2 – 2 tie in a Cariboo League joust that was terminated after nine innings due to darkness. Mound opponents Pat Constable of the Blue Birds and Joe Balderston of the Innkeepers both yielded just two hits. In arrears by a 2 to 0 score, the Jays knotted the count on a two-run triple by first sacker Rod Dyck.
(July 26) The Kopetski A’s got revenge for the one-run defeat they suffered at the hands of the Red Bluff Inn baseballers just two days ago when they prevailed over the Clippers in their return match. Final score and details not found in print.
(July 26) The Prince George Senior Baseball League was idle for the third evening in succession when the Prince George Royals, with a number of players on shift work or vacation, forfeited to the Prince George Hotel Juniors.
(July 29) The Bud Henning Blue Jays clinched second place in the Cariboo Senior Baseball League by sweeping a doubleheader from the Red Bluff Inn Clippers. The Jays dominated both games, winning the first tussle 13 to 5 and the second clash by a closer 4 to 2 score. Harry West took the pitching win in the opener from Greg Aiken while Steve MacDonald triumphed over Brian Lockhart in the owl encounter.
(August 1) In what is becoming the norm of late, the Prince George Hotel Juniors couldn’t come up with a full team and forfeited a Prince George Senior League game to the Labatt’s nine.
(August 8) The Kopetski A’s completed the regular Cariboo Senior Baseball League season by blanking the Red Bluff Inn Clippers 2 to 0.
(August 8) Winning pitcher Colin Christensen survived a four-run first inning by the Mountain Truck Service band of baseballers as the Prince George Hotel Juniors won a 6 to 4 decision. The loss for the truckers snapped a seven-game winning streak. Ted Eberle took the loss as the Juniors with a single counter in the opening canto, two in the third and three in the fifth.
(August 9) The Quesnel Billy Barker Inn wrapped up top spot in the Cariboo Senior Baseball standings with a 4 to 2 victory over the Bud Henning Blue Jays. The game was the completion of an earlier contest which ended in a 2 – 2 tie on July 25.
Cariboo Senior League final standings * W L GBL
Quesnel Billy Barker Inn 14 5 ----
Bud Henning Blue Jays 11 10 4
Kopetski A’s 10 11 5
Red Bluff Inn Clippers 5 17 10-1/2
* unbalanced won-lost totals as per deficit in interlocking games against teams from Prince George Senior Baseball League
(August 9) The Mountain Truck Service got a solid pitching effort from Bill Janzen and went on to nose out first-place Labatt’s 3 to 2 in a top-flight Prince George Senior League tussle. Omer Gascon was nailed with the loss in relief of Bill Hamar.
(August 14) Taking their tenth win in their past eleven Senior League contests, the upwardly spiraling Mountain Truck Service squad disposed of the Prince George Hotel Juniors 10 to 0. Dan Zacharak, up from the Senior Babe Ruth ranks, fired a two-hitter to take the hurling victory. He punched out ten while the Servicemen were backing him up with a ten-hit attack. Losing twirler Colin Christensen and reliever Dean Eberle combined to whiff six.
(August 15) The last-place Prince George Royals forfeited the third of their past four scheduled games, the other being rained out, to the league-leading Labatt’s nine.
(August 16) The cellar-dwelling Prince George Royals, mired far behind the other teams in the Prince George Senior loop with a 3 – 15 record, officially folded and the league will wind up the campaign with the remaining three entrants.
(August 19) The Mountain Truck Service contingent continued their late-season surge with an 18 to 5 conquest of the Prince George Hotel Juniors. Trent Doll scattered seven hits in taking the mound win.
(August 20) Prince George Labatt’s reduced their magic number to two when the Prince George Hotel Juniors defaulted.
(August 21) First place is still open in the Prince George Senior Baseball League after the Mountain Truck Service diamondeers blanked top-dog Labatt’s 6 to 0. Bill Janzen handcuffed the Beer Barons with a three-hitter while the Repairmen lit up loser Bill Hamar for 13 base raps. Janzen hit a run-scoring triple in the first frame and then scored his team’s second tally on a single to get all the runs he needed.
(August 22) Labatt’s is within one game of clinching first place in the Prince George Senior circuit after taking down the Prince George Hotel Juniors 6 to 4. Senior Babe Ruth call-up Gord Gervais Jr. earned the pitching win. Colin Christensen, the second of three Junior chuckers, was saddled with the loss.
(August 23) A three-run homer by Larry Flynn propelled Labatt’s to an 8 to 3 win over Mountain Truck Service and the 1979 Prince George Senior League regular-season pennant. Glen Kowalski picked up the pitching win over Terry Richardson.
CARIBOO SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (first-place Quesnel Billy Barker Inn vs fourth-place Red Bluff Inn Clippers and runner-up Bud Henning Blue Jays Inn vs third-place Kopetski A’s) best-of-three series
(August 10) The Bud Henning Blue Jays jumped into the lead in their series against the Kopetski A’s, limiting the A’s to but one run on a bases-empty homer by Kevin Lust, in their decisive first-game triumph. Steve MacDonald earned the pitching win for the Blue Birds while Kevin Beaudry was saddled with the defeat.
(August 12) A 12 to 3 trouncing by the Quesnel Billy Barker Inn in the opening semi-final contest put the Red Bluff Inn Clippers behind the eight-ball. Pitcher Rick Sundberg of the Innkeepers was the easy winner as his mates provided him with plenty of offensive backup.
(August 12) Ron Halvorsen and Wayne Inglis both swatted solo home runs which allowed the Kopetski A’s to take an eleven-inning 2 to 1 verdict from the Bud Henning Blue Jays and even their semi-final series at a game apiece. Inglis’ blast in the eleventh was the one that won it for the A’s. Bud Atkins got the pitching win over Harry West in this exciting clash.
(August 19) For the fifth consecutive season, the Quesnel Billy Barker Inn baseballers qualified for the Cariboo Senior League finals when they defeated the Red Bluff Inn Clippers 7 to 5 to sweep the semi-final series in two straight games. Steve Huska went the route on the rubber to take the bump decision.
(August 19) The Bud Henning Blue Jays mounted a comeback to squeeze past the Kopetski A’s 6 to 5 in the rubber match of their best-of-three semi-final series. With the score knotted at 5 – 5 in the sixth inning, outfielder Terry Kirkham’s ground ball allowed Frank Nagy, who had tripled, to slide in with what turned out to be the winning tally, narrowly evading the tag at the dish. Kevin Lust’s grand-slam home run had given the A’s a 4 to 1 lead in the second panel. Nagy nailed a two-run round-tripper in the fifth to stake the Jays to a short-lived 5 to 4 cushion. Steve MacDonald captured the mound decision, his second victory of the series, while Ron Halvorsen was tagged with the loss.
FINALS (first-place Quesnel Billy Barker Inn vs second-place Bud Henning Blue Jays) best-of-five series
(August 22) The Billy Barker Inn of Quesnel doubled the Bud Henning Blue Jays 6 to 3 in the opener of the Cariboo Senior League finals. The Jays outhit the Barkers by a 7 to 4 count but the Innkeepers’ safeties were all very timely. In addition, losing flinger Harry West issued five walks. Ivan Malinosky had a two-run circuit-clout for the winners. Tom Spooner took the pitching decision.
(August 23) With the two combatants deadlocked at 7 – 7, the second game of the best-of-five final series had to be stopped after six innings because of darkness. The tentative plan is for the suspended game to be completed on August 28.
(August 28) The Quesnel Billy Barker Inn squeezed out an 8 to 7 victory over the Bud Henning Blue Jays following the resumption of play in the suspended tussle.
(August 30) Six runs in the second inning were more than enough for the Billy Barker Inn of Quesnel to overpower the Bud Henning Blue Jays 10 to 2 in a darkness-shortened fourth game of the Cariboo Senior Baseball League finals. The win gave the Innkeepers a three games to nothing sweep of the series and a fifth consecutive league title. Steve Huska with a five-hitter decisioned the Jays’ Pat Constable.
PRINCE GEORGE SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (second-place Mountain Truck Service vs third-place Prince George Hotel Juniors) best-of-three series
(August 26) The opening game of the Prince George Senior semi-finals was suspended because of darkness after six complete innings with Mountain Truck Service in front 11 to 5.
(August 27) After Mountain Truck Service finished off the Prince George Hotel Juniors 11 to 6 in the completion of the suspended game of a night previous, the second game also ran into illumination problems and had to be put on hold with the Servicemen well in control 13 to 0 after 4-1/2 innings. At the point of the suspension of play, Tim Janzen of the Truckers had been touched for only one hit. His brother, Bill Janzen, was the winning tosser in the opening fracas.
(August 28) With the Prince George Hotel Juniors failing to show up for the completion of the suspended second semi-final game, the Mountain Truck Service squad was awarded the series.
FINALS (first-place Labatt’s vs runner-up Mountain Truck Service) best-of-three series
(August 30) Bill Janzen’s five-hitter and Tim Janzen’s two-run homer gave the Mountain Truck Service nine a 10 to 1 win over Labatt’s as the finals in the Prince George Senior League got underway. The Servicemen collected 11 hits off losing flinger Bob Mabee/Maybee.
(September 4) Mountain Truck Service is only three outs away from sidelining pennant-winning Labatt’s from the playoffs and going on to meet the Quesnel Billy Barker Inn for the northern B.C. interior championship. The second game of the Prince George final showdown was suspended because of darkness with the Truckers leading 7 to 2 in the top of the fourth. Randy Pawluk started for the Brewery Boys but was relieved by Keith Hodgson in the third. When the game was suspended, Rick Fullerton was pitching with Labatt’s base-runners on first and third. Kurt Johannsen had a two-run third-inning triple for the Servicemen.
(September 5) Mountain Truck Service is the Prince George Senior Baseball champion for 1979 after knocking off Labatt’s 10 to 4 in the completion of game 2 which had been suspended. The loss ended a four-year reign for Labatt’s as champions of the circuit. Rick Wagner relieved Mountain Truck starter Rick Fullerton when the game resumed and got credit for the win while Randy Pawluk took the loss. The Repairmen ended the game with a double play.
NORTHERN B.C. INTERIOR/CARIBOO AREA SENIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP (Quesnel Billy Barker Inn vs Prince George Mountain Truck Service) best-of-three series
(September 8) Quesnel’s Billy Barker Inn diamond pastimers, augmented with a few reinforcements from the Bud Henning Blue Jays of the Cariboo Senior circuit, dropped the opener of the northern interior senior finals 7 to 5 in Quesnel to the Prince George Mountain Truck Service aggregation. Bill Janzen earned the hillock decision on a six-hitter.
(September 9) The northern interior senior baseball crown has gone back to Quesnel. After losing the first game on their home turf, the Billy Barker Inn diamond troopers stormed back for 13 to 3 and 2 to 1 victories over the Mountain Truck Service crew of Prince George. Game three was tied 1 – 1 until the top of the fifth when losing pitcher Phil Roy issued a bases-loaded base on balls. Roy allowed six hits while winning tosser Pat Constable, seconded from the Bud Henning Blue Jays of the Cariboo loop for the series, gave up four.