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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1961-09-21, Page 6mes of ("13 games k during the entire game e Hagersville a hefty seven . Flawless fielding and the ng right arm of liagersville her Dave Jackson kept mita from hitting the esheet. b .Bures, Centralia catch. aced his team at the plate ng out three hits in four al times at bat. Pitcher Battray picked up Cen- 's only eXtra-base hit of game, a• double in the h, while the other bit for •alia was registered by Benning. gersville •counted their in four of the nine innings e game. They game up one in the second, one in ourth, four in the sixth, ne more in the seventh tol the Centralia nine. nd game of the two -out - finals is slated for sville on Sunday when cals will try to even the at one game apiece and a third and final game ry. In acl a ut there y few organ - leagues. What e now called ex- hibition games were ,played two or three times a week. The big difference then •and now was that the games were do or die for the home side and the fans took a win or loss either with great pride or deep des- pair. Nowadays, few people go to an ex- hibition game, Lucan had• one of these teams an its players was Steve's schoolmaster, a Mr. One day when they had a game corning 1. for which they needed a pitcher, Mr. Youn membered a hard -throwing kid at his cou school, He drove to the farm and brought yo Steve in for his first whirl with an adult tea The youngster pitched such a fine game that hi reputation was launched. The following year, 1918, the old Mirth Wellington league was organized and Lucan was one •of the first entries. This league was Steve's introduction to organized ball. When the season was over, Lucan became the first champions be- . cause of the strong right arm of this young farm boy. • For the next eight years, he pitched for various teams and his victories mounted as his prowess grew. By 1926 he was pitching for Strath- roy in what was the best amateur league in the country. After one game, in which Steve blanked Sarnia 1-0 on a one -hitter, a stout well -muscled man came up to him and said: "I am Mooney Gib- son, chief scout of the Pittsburg Pirates. How would you like a shot at professional ball?" Replied Steve: "I sure would!" In March of 1927, Steve packed his bags and, with the temperature at an even zero, boarded the train at Clandeboye for the training camp of the Columbia, South Carolina, team of the Southern Ass'n, a farm club of the Pirates. The temperature there was 90. The next morning he reported to the bal. park and was handed a uniform. In the dressing room, as Steve stripped, a loud laugh broke out and someone yelled. "Hey, we have an Eskimo with us!" Steve was wearing his heavy woollen under- wear. When quiet returned, Steve had to explain where he came from and his mention of Canada brought the usual "Oh well" from the Americans who then, as some still do, thought of Canada as a year-round iceburg. Probably Steve's colorful baseball activities can be explained by a friendship picked up at that time, One of his teammates was a lad from a farm about 30 miles from the training camp. He invited Steve out on Sundays to spend the day with his folks. The player was none other than Big Buck Newsome, later one of the best and most contro versial pitchers in the major leagues. In about four weeks' time the excess heat and a little homesickness caused Steve to lose the zip on his fast ball and his curve just hung. He was released and came home. The contract he signed was for $300 per month. When he came back, he pitched for London seniors, known then as Carling's Red Caps of the senior intercounty. After a winning season there, Detroit offered him a contract. In 1928, he again headed south, this time to Tennessee with the Evanville club of the Class B. league. Again, the climate got him down but not before he pitched a three -inning shut -out against Toronto Maple Leafs of the 'International League. This time, he became friendly with Whitlow Wyatt who went on to be a big winner with Detroit and the Brooklyn Dodgers. From then on, Steve stuck to farming and baseball in , Western Ontario, pitching. for Lucan, Strathroy, Exeter, Crediton and Ilderton. In 1940 he was a pitcher an that fine Lucan team which went to the Ontario finals against Galt, winning the first game in Galt 1-0, then losing the next two. Members of that team who coine to mind are Jack Murray, catcher; Jack Murdy, Bill Chown with the golf swing, the two Paul brothers from Kirkton, ,Tack Burgess from. Craig and other fine players. The _following year, 1941, saw Steve finish with ball because war called the players to a much bigger game. Today, he feels he could still go well for three or four innings and he looks as fit as he did when he played with us in Exeter in 1932, Our hat's off to a real holler guy, a fine •pitcher and hitter, a successful farmer and citizen. STEPHEN D * I'M FLATTERED While umpiring the first game of the ladies softball _finals between Exeter and Winthrop, I called one pitch a hall and the girl pitching for Winthrop came striding toward the plate a little perturbed by it. As we stood admiring each 011ter'.9 eyes, I inadvertently said "strike", then luickly ebiredted myself, As She took one last look before turning back, she said to the catcher: "His 811b* conscious mind cans it a strike," I W99 flattered -- 11105t people refer fo me aa being unconscious all the time, I'm happy to know someone thinks •have some kind of mind, 'ring and Gifford third - ba man Jim Russell paced bot teams at the plate as they aeh crashed out a double and a triple in three official times at bat. Simon Nagel smashed a triple for Giffords while single -base hits for the losers were collected by Bob Nicol, Don Wells and Lyle Little. John Wade added Crediton's only other extra -base hit, a double in the second inning while Ron Beavers, Melv Fink- beiner and Don Dinney all con- tributed singletons. Giffords went into an early lead in the game by plating one run in the first inning on an error and a double 1»' Rus- sell that gave them a short- lived 1-0 lead. However, Cred- iton came back in the second with two runs on three straight hits that gave them a 2-1 edge: Giffords pulled ahead again in the third frame on a single by Nicol and back-to-back un ed out a total of 23 base hits during the contest with the losing Crediton nine picking up 15 of them. Al Flynn led the losers with five hits during the con- test, two of them going for doubles. Ron Beavers collected three for Crediton while Jack England, Melv Finkbeiner and John Wade added two hits each, Single hits were picked up by Roy Smith, Don Dinney and Ross Haugh. Simon Nagel paced the Gif- ford attack by blasting two hits besides coming up with the game -winning drive in the sixteenth inning. Lyle Little and •Gary Middleton both knocked two hits each for ,Gif• fords while single hits were registered by Lorne Haugh and Jim Russell. Gord Slaght and Blake Gif- ford turned in impressive per- formances on the hill for each team as they fanned a total of 29 batters with Slaght count- ing the most, 18. raettiMgDAMORKIMMMIMISIMMICATIKU.U12,'... ON THE SPOT REC NEWS By DON "BOOM" GRAVETT Director of Recreation rzrastmogamommtgatsiasx.w*,,..sxamg,tmw Hunter Safety School Many phone calls have been received pertaining to the hunt- er safety school which was to be held in the Exeter Arena. The school will definitely be held on Monday, Sept. 25; Wed- nesday, Sept. 27, and Friday, Sept, 29, of next week at 8:00 p.m. in the Exeter Arena. • The school is for everyone 15 years of age and over. So, if you plan to do any hunting this winter, you had better make sure of attending the school. This will be the only school held until next spring. Show promise It looks as though Exeter will be quite prominent in the baseball circles for some years ' to come. Jim "Red" Loader took his squirts to Owen •Sound last weekend to participate in the Lake Huron Zone Squirt Tour- nament and the local kids went right to the finals before bow- ing out. • Exeter downed Harriston 10-9 in a free -scoring 10:00 a.m. I game which saw the locals stage a stirringthree-run rally in the late innings to wrap it, up. In the championship game against Owen Sound, "Red's" entry dropped a 3-2 squeaker. Exeter was ahead 2-1 in the third but Owen Sound carne back with a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings. Randy Weber • turned in a ' fine pitching performance des- pite the loss. The youngster! fanned eight while giving up two hits, which incidentally were both hunts. Ricky Weber got the lone hit, of the game for Exeter. Also included on the squad were Billy Fairbairn, • John Loader, Graham Bern, Frank I IDe Vries, Merle Idle, Larry Haugh, Glen Stires, Ron Brint- nell, Ricky Brintnell and Billy Hooper. Just praise should be extend- ed to this club for the effort they put forth in trying to win a championship for Exeter. Be- ing beaten by a town with some 1 17,000 population is no dis- grace. To top it off, the Owen Sound club was an all - star team chosen from six house league teams that have been playing all summer. So the future ball outlook for up and coming players in Exeter looks !mighty good! playing in the final was the lfact that their game was broad- casted over the area radio sta- tion. Exeter will also get "finalists" crests from the Lake Huron Zone, Many thanks to the drivers who so graciously left Exeter at 6:45 with the kids. Thanks again, "Red", Jack Weber and 1Lorne Haugh, Minor Bowling Ruth Durand, who is doing an A-1 job with the teenagers of this district, tells us that the minor bowling league pro- gram is well under way for the season, The league will of - Delany start October 9. The way the situation looks now, there May be more than the 250 participants who bowled last year. Through the co-oper- ation of Exeter Bowling Lane proprietor Aub Farquhar, a larger program may be held in the mixed league division for youngsters 12 and over, In this week's edition of The T -A, interested parties for the Minor Bowling League can reg- ister by clipping out the reg- istration coupon and following the directions given, By pre- -Please turn to page 7 ADIEU ADIOS AND FAREWELL This is our last column for the Summer, pinch-hitting for Sports Editor Bill Batten who's been away on "Holiday". We hope you've enjoyed our wanderings into the misty past, If even one person obtained some pleasure from them, we'll be humbly grateful and, feel our efforts have been all worthwhile. We'd like to thank those who have been most co-operative in helping US get material and we wish everyone good health, happiness and, above all, good sporit. DERRY BOLZ wt. in second Stratford Westbrook and Mrs. Tilley won second prize Prout and Lamont mixed s lawn bowling tourna- at Stratford last week. Westbrook entry which lankets as prizes, scored wins and a plus of 26, two less than the winning from Stratford, ed Tilley and Mrs. West - c also competed in the ,4com Exeter. A total entered. Sure money talks. But now- adays you can't hold onto it long enough to start a con- versation. Father: "A quarter? Why, when I was your age we only asked for pennies." Boy: "OK, then give me 25 pennies." Staffa drops opening tilt Staffa dropped the first game of the best -of -five Ontario "C" semi-final round Sunday after- POQ11 when they were dumped in Caledonia's home park by a score of 10-6, Staffa .outhit their opponents 13-8but were unable to make their blows count. Their only good inning of the game was the ninth when they banged out three straight hits to plate three runs before they were bstaocpkpebdid.short in their come - Gary liopf, Staffa's ace left - bander, started the ganie for the area team but Caledonia's packed lin-up of righthanded hiders forced playing coach Bob Norris to change to George Coveney in the fifth frame after Caledonia had raked Hopf for nine of their ten runs, Coveney held the home team to a single run during the final four innings. Caledonia hunched their tal- lies in the second, fourth and fifth innings, They came up four, two and three -run mit- bursts, Staffa countered with one run in their first time at bat, two more in the second but then were held off the scoresheet for six innings before they staged their late rally in the ninth. Two of Mitchell's contribu- tion to the Staffa club, centre - fielder "Linc" Rohfritsch and third baseman Charlie West - man, smashed three singles apiece to pace the Staffa nine at the plate, Bob McKellar and Laverne "Porky" Wallace lac. ed two singles each in four tries while single -base knocks were collected by Bill Murphy, KGealrl3arr.Hopf and Frank Mc- Staffa's rally in the ninth was sparked by three straight singles by 'Rohfritsch, Westman and Bob McKellar and an in- field error on a hot grounder hit by catcher Wallace, Second game of the series was played in Staffa Wednes- day afternoon while the third game will, take place in Cale- donia Sunday afternoon. co finals Walsingham rallies, breaks tie in twelfth base and sent the game MO extra Innings, Win in twelfth Waisingliain came up with two bowing doubles, in the Sunday afternoon to give them in Walsingligno, abidttomrigiolifi,ethldeer tw ,John inningBorry termediates in the first guile of the OBA "D" finals played by first -baseman Frank Abbott a 4-3 yictory over Hensall in The bock -to -back two -baggers drove in the run which broke tlispvc ean Htiegnhstalipli tennagrid rdu eGlGerry Bell and Walsingham's Bob Boyd that had 5tretelied into the third overtime frame. Although outhit 14-11, the Hensall crew gave their play- ing coach pitcher, Gerry. Bell, almost flawless support in the infield, However, the Hensall boys could not contain Walsing- ham's strong - armed sluggers who bashed out. a -total of seven extra -base hits during the twelve -inning fixture, Move into lead liensall drew first blood in the close contest by muting one run in their second time at bat to take 'a 1-0 lead, A walk to Bill Shaddick, lead-off man in. the second, a single by George Parker and another single by Bob Baynham set the stage for Gerry Bell's first single of the game that drove in Hensall's first run. Hensall struck again in the next frame when Bruce Hor- ton and Shaddick connected for a double each that plated one run and gave Hensall a 2-0 margin. Walsingham came right back in their half of the third and halved the lead on a single and a follow-up two -bagger. Walsingham caught the Hen - sail nine in the sixth session when they tallied one run on a double by centre -fielder George Gates. Hensall regained a one -run lead again in the seventh in- ning when pitcher Bob Boyd had trouble finding the plate and walked four of the first six man he faced. Walsingham tied the game up again at 3-3 in their half of the eighth on another knock by Gates that drove in one run from second Both teams played tight de, fensive ball for three overtirne innings before Walsingh in p was able to get to Hen all southpaw Gerry Bell for two extra -base clouts that knocked in the seventh and deciding rim Of the game. Becond-baseman Frank Ab- bott was the hero of the win for Walsingham as he came up with five hits in six times at the plate with three hits go- ing for extra bans. The stout infielder drove in one Walsing, ham run and set im their win- ning tally In the twelfth frame, Hensall third -baseman Bruce Horton paced the Hensall squad at bat with a double and two singles in seven official trips to the plate, Pitcher Gerald Bell and George Parker smash- ed two singles each to acid four more hits to tbe Hensall total while Dennis Mock, *13 h Baynham, Ken Parker and Bib Shaddick all picked up hits for, Henson. with Shaddick's going for two bases. Bell turned in a masterfuj performance on the mound for Hensell although he did allow 14 hits during the twelve -in - lung contest. The Hensel! lefty struck out seven and walked only two. He worked his way out of trouble several times when th,e Walsingham bats started booming their extra - base hits. For Hensall, the game was the first in OB.A play for three weeks and the locals bad trouble finding the range at the plate, Second game of the best -of - five series was played on Wed- nesday afternoon in Hensall while the date for the third game of the series will be at Walsingham Sunday. HENSALL — Mock, ss; Hor. ton, 3b; Moir, cf; Kyle, c; Shaddick, 2b; G. Parker, rf; Baynham, If; Parker, lb; Bell, p. WALSINGHAM — Abbott, 2b; Erdelac, 3b; Ross, rf; Garvey, lb; Boughm, If; George Gates, cf; Gord Gates, c; Hanson, ss; Boyd, p. tional 1 Famous Dominion Royal Tires Royal Master Safeway Air Ride Guard 0101010' You'll be amazed at how much you SAVE! At Snell Bros. Ltd. WE BOUGHT THE TIRES—NOW WE MUST SELL THEM. ALL THE SAVINGS we enjoyed by making this HUGE SPECIAL PURCHASE of DOMINION ROYALS ARE BEING PASSED ON TO YOU. EVERY TIRE, BARGAIN PRICED FOR QUICK SALE — D YOU WILL GET A WORTH WHILE TADE7IN ALLOWANCE FOR EACH OF YOU' PRESENT TIRES. NEED A GOOD SPARE? 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