Post-war return to normalcy felt on 1946 sports scene
Remember a long time back when somebody (his name escapes memory for the moment), was crooning that “it was a very good year?” The musical year was never mentioned, so you had to use your imagination. But once upon a time, eons ago, every year was a good one. Life was easier, slower, not like today when it seems everybody is in such a rush that they never take time out to smell the coffee.
The world wasn’t in such a hurry to get nowhere and do nothing. Folks had time for the good things in life, there was no such feeling of “hooray for me and to Gehenna with you,” as permeates our lives today.
For one of those years, let’s go away back, really back, to this week in 1946.
Life was easier, slower and more meaningful then, people were more concerned about what was going on around them, they had more interest in their homes, families, neighborhoods, schools. You name it. That is quite unlike today, when the feeling all too often is to let somebody else worry about everything. Especially on the roads where too many drivers, with a Talladega Mentality, have the thought “get out of the way, this road belongs to me.”
But 1946 was a fine, good year in our lives. For the first time in seven years the local spring sports schedules got started in a world completely at peace. World War II was over, and folks were trying to get back to normal living again, and sports would be a big help.
So, let’s return to this week, awayyyy back when.
One big story that jumped off the sports page was the night when the men really got stuck with the check!
In Uniontown, the Court Caf? Bowling League had what was called a “Dinner Roll-Off” in which the men took on the women in a three-game set, with the loser buying dinner for all. Well, this year the women found the right range, and swept the set, 5,435 pins to 5,273, at the State Recreation Parlors.
Mid Toner rolled a 427 series (131-148-148), and Helen Stiffler 163-405 to lead the champions. Frank Klotz paced the men with 201-226-170-597.
It would have been nice to list the full names of the champions, but back in those long ago sports writing days, only high scorers had their full names mentioned. All others were listed by last name only, if at all. Today, full names are the order.
But going by last names only, the women’s lineup included Barkett, Clark, Toner, Sisler, Stiffler, Venturini, Smith, David, Connelly, Kodric, Shefchek, Kennedy, and Nara. For the men, it was Russo, Brain, Lynch, Poletz, Max, Chalfant, Knisley, Kuchno, J. Klutz, Helms, F. Klutz, and McGinty.
So, the women got to enjoy an evening out, but to this day the men still argue that the real deciding factor in their loss was the 4-to-3 handicap they had to concede.
C’est le vie!
In other sports news of that long ago time:
– Georges blanked Collier, 2-0. John Katalinic worked double zeroes for three innings and fanned seven, plus hitting a double, then Melvin Breakiron pitched four three-hit innings and struck out six. DeLorenzo had two Collier hits.
– Pitcher Steve (Feets) Gmutza, of Buffington, has been assigned to their Class D farm team in Hornell, N.Y., by the Pirates.
– Woody West won high single honors with 217 in the Fayette Duckpin Handicap Tournament at Mier’s Bowling Center, edging Jack Chidester (210). Chidester then won the Handicap Division, over Andy Zehalla, 234 to 223.
– Leckrone edged Bessemer 7-5, as Yanosek and Mahoda combined to pitch a three-hitter. Loser Ungurean allowed five hits, two by Mehoda.
– James Sykes, former Georges track star, has returned to Penn State after discharge from military service. He set a new Georges high jump record in 1938, and broke it a year later, before entering service.
– Whitsett started Big 10 League workouts, under Manager John Salesi.
– Brownsville High baseball coach Earl Bruce has three pitchers he figures will carry the load for his team this spring – star righthander Jack Lawson, who pitched an opening three-hitter at Uniontown; John Radvansky, and Ed Roebuck (who later signed with the Dodgers).
– St. Mary’s opened the Junior Church YMCA Basketball League best-of-three playoff finals with a 30-12 win over Central Christian, led by Tommy Sanoga with 17. Renninger had six for Central.
– Waynesburg beat Redstone, 6-4, on a four-hitter by Dick Drury, who fanned 10. Willie Hartwell (L) and Ed Zimmerlink combined on an eight-hitter, and 13 strikeouts. For WHS, Lewis had a double and single, George two hits, and Drury and McClure doubled.
– Uniontown downed Dunbar Township, 9-1, as Dick Sanoga (W) and Wendell Conway worked the win over Chick Mayercheck and Stan McLaughlin. Bill Zeleznock had three hits, Poprocky and Bertovich doubled, and Turkish and Moxley had two singles. McLaughlin had a double and Kosisko a triple for DT.
– Carmichaels beat Brownsville 10-5, with Warrick (W) and Talosky sharing the pitching. Nichols, Horwath, and Lawson worked for BHS.
– Andy Granger and G.L. Craig fired perfect scores of 50 breaks in 50 shots, to win the 16-yard trapshooting competition at Fayette Gun Club. They won by two over J.D. Coldren and H. Wunderlick, who were 48×50. Wunderlick won the 50-bird 22-yard handicap (47×50) over C. Ramsden (43-50).
– German got a run in the sixth, on hits by Perry, Varshock, Pokorny, and pinch-hitter John Albani, to edge Georges, 5-4. Sitchko and Boots doubled for German, and Pollock for Georges.
– And how about these prices back there in ’46! Francis’ Coffee Shop advertised bacon, eggs, and toast breakfast for 45 cents; two donuts for seven cents, boneless pork chop dinner for 45 cents, cube steak for 65 cents (with potatoes, slaw, and roll). Benson’s had boy’s dress shirts for $1.30 and $1.35, while if you were a do-it-yourselfer, you could get wallpaper for 95 cents a roll at Auslander’s. Pennway in Uniontown sold men’s dress hats for $1.88 (how many men do you see wear dress hats today?), sports shirts for $1.25, men’s dress pants for $2.88, women’s house dresses for $1.86. And the Streamline Market was selling coffee for 32 cents a pound. Compare that to the price of one cup today.