Thursday, August 26, 1948

W.I.L. STANDINGS
W L Pct GB
Bremerton ... 82 51 .617 —
Victoria .... 78 59 .569 6
Spokane ..... 79 60 .568 6
Tacoma ...... 71 60 .542 10
Vancouver ... 57 65 .467 19½
Wenatchee ... 62 73 .459 21
Salem ....... 63 75 .457 21½
Yakima ...... 44 93 .321 40

TACOMA, Aug. 26—Ed Murphy's two-run single in the sixth inning provided the margin of victory at Tacoma tonight, as Bremerton's stubborn Bluejackets refused to yield any more ground in the Western International League race. The Tars edged the Tigers, 8-7, in a free-hutting affair to retain their six-and-a-half game lead over Victoria. John Marshall, hurling well in relief, gained credit for the win.
Bremerton .......... 204 002 000—8 11 3
Tacoma ............. 002 311 000—7 12 2
Sullivan, Allen (3), Marshall (5) and Volpi; Fortier, Kipp (3), Gleason (4) and Hargadon, Kuper (4).

VICTORIA, Aug, 26—Joe Blankenship won his 21st game of the season, blanking the Vancouver Capilanos, 5-0, on four hits, two of them of the scratch variety.
He walked on and struck out six. Orrin Snyder's single and Charlie Mead's double where the only sold hits off his delivery and only a half-dozen balls were hit hard.
Mead received credit for a single when Lou Kubiak slipped in the muddy outfield. The fourth hit was a drag bunt by Frank Mullens.
Blankenship also lent a hand offensively, clouting a double in the third to plate Dick Morgan, who had walked, with the first run of the game.
Vic Buccola started a two-run rally in the fourth by beating out a bunt. Archie Wilson followed with a single to right and Babe Jensen sacrificed them along. Recca flied out to score Mullens before Dick Morgan doubled.
In the eight, Buccola drove in Charlie Balassi, who had singled and reached third on Mead's error and a long fly to right by Russ Walseth. He scored the final run.
Vancouver .......... 000 000 000—0 4 3
Victoria .............. 001 200 02x—5 7 1
Snyder and Warren; Blankenship and Recca.

SPOKANE, Aug. 26—Spokane Indians squeaked past Yakima Packers, 7-6, tonight after tying the game in the eighth and winning on George Valine's long single in the ninth.
Bob Drilling went the route for the losers, and took his 21st setback.
Yakima ........... 100 002 300—6 11 1
Spokane ......... 200 012 011—7 10 0
B. Drilling and Constantino; Cordell, Babbitt (8) and Sheely.

WENATCHEE, Aug. 26—Wenatchee Chiefs moved past Salem into sixth place by handing the Senators a 6-2 trimming behind the steady twirling of Dick Conover. Bill Wilson added to his league-leading home run mark by clouting No. 31.
Salem .............. 020 000 000—2 5 3
Wenatchee ....... 300 001 02x—6 10 2
McIrvin and Samhammer, Burgher (6); Conover and Gardner.

San Diego, Tacoma Exchange Players
SAN DIEGO, Calif. Aug 26,—The San Diego Baseball Club replaced veteran Vince Shupe with a new first baseman last night in an attempt to check its Coast League losing streak.
Larry Lee, brought from the Tacoma club of the Western International League, will replace Shupe.
Manager Jim Brillheart also announced that pitcher Angelo Venturelli had been called from Tacoma and that infielder Hank Vallee was being returned there.

Chetkovich Charged With Embezzlement
PHOENIX, Ariz., Aug. 26—Extradition of Mitchell (Mitch) Chetkovich, pitcher-manager of the Bisbee-Douglas Miners of the Arizona-Texas League, to Tacoma, Wash., was asked here yesterday.
Polcie said Chetkovich was accused of embezzing $70 from the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Chetkovich said the charge grew out of his oversight in forgetting to account for some raffle tickets he sold for the Tacoma lodge.
Chetkovich was a relief pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1939. He signed with the Tacoma Tigers in 1947.

NON-WIL MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Umps Need More Padding
By Tom Aden
DENVER, Aug. 27—If the present trend continues Western League umpires may have to start wearing padding behind as well as in front.
At first it was only the fiery pilots like Pueblo's Jack Fitzpatrick and some of the more vociferous players who blew their tops at the decisions of the men in blue.
Fitzpatrick has engaged in so many rhubarbs that he's finished almost as many games in the dressing room as his starting pitchers.
Now however the fans are getting in on the fun with seat cushions and any other ammunition that happens to be at hand.
The Denver fans got so incensed about a close double play decision by Gerald Van Keuren recently that they let fly with cushions, rocks and pop bottles. One of the bottles caught Van Keuren in the eye.
The same thing happened to Umpire Joe Cibulka at Pueblo in the same week. Cops escorted him from the field after the game ended.
What's the solution? Better umpires, thinks Frank Reeves, president of Pueblo's parent club, the Fort Worth Cats in the Texas League.
Reeves was in Pueblo just after the cushion-throwing spree. He made suggestions for improving officiating and thought the National Association of Professional Baseball clubs should consider them at its fall meeting. They included putting all minor league umpires under the association president, having a spring training program for umpires with instructions provided by the association and grading the umpires on the basis of ability and physical condition.