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Summer of 1946 full of baseball

By Out Of The Past 6 min read

Commentary by Jim Kriek Believe it or not, there was a time around here when the real baseball fans had to have thought they were in a special kind of Heaven.

There is still a lot of baseball being played in the area, although it’s on the downside of the regular season. But that can be attributed to the one opponent that no team can ever beat – the calendar. Time does march on, and takes with it the daily baseball schedule. But for the next month, why not get out and enjoy the County League’s playoffs, or whatever league you choose to follow.

Once upon a time the area was jammed with summer baseball action, with about 40 teams playing, seeming almost like every community in two counties represented. To get some idea of the action available, let’s go really away back, to this week in 1946.

The best news was that the area was enjoying a summer free from warfare anywhere in the world for the first time since 1939.

Just for the record, consider these standings at the start of the week, and count the teams involved:

County League – Dunbar 25-6, Youngstown 22-10, Hopwood 21-10, Royal 21-12, Nubbin Ridge 15-17, Continental #2 14-20, Coolspring 13-20, Uniontown 11-17, Collier 11-21, and Amend 6-26.

Big 10 North – Nemacolin 33-10, Edenborn 30-13, Brownsville 26-15, Trusio 26-16, Isabella 25-17, Republic 25-18, Smock 20-22, Crucible 16-24, Colonial #2 13-27, Whitsett 13-28, Star Junction 11-30, VFW Post 47 10-28.

The Big 10 South Division had ended its schedule, and was ready to start its playoffs. Shoaf finished first at 29-7, followed by Pals Club 27-9, Oaks and Keister 24-12, Gates 22-14, Kyle 17-19, Kretz 14-22, Martin 8-26, Bute 7-27, and Point Marion 5-30.

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In Big 10 North games:

(Unfortunately, following the trend of those times, first names were very seldom listed in game summaries, with only an initial or just the last name used.)

-Hopwood scored four in the first to start a 13-1 rout of Collier. B. Klingan pitched a winning 2-hitter, allowing only singles by Filmek and Balas. C. Tanko led Hopwood with a triple and double, and Newcomer, E. Klingan, Polach, and B. Klingan all had two hits.

-Star Junction scored one in the last of the eighth to ambush Smock, 6-5, led by Matras, who finished 5-for-6. (Could that have been Mike Matras?) McLuckey, Havadich, and Donadio all had two hits. R. Duffy and Vargulich had two Smock hits.

-Trusio’s gained a playoff spot after downing Crucible, 8-1, on the 1-hit pitching of John Tajc (he allowed only Ted Bober’s double). Descaro had two hits for Trusio’s.

-Keister’s beat Shoaf, 7-5, clinching on Walt Yezioro’s grand slam. B. Critchman had a 2-run shot in the fourth. Potrocky (double) and Campbell (triple) led Shoaf.

-Brownsville scored nine in the fifth to rout Isabella, 19-7, in what could also have been called a “Family Win.” E. Gates led the offense with four hits, while Joe Potsklan, John Potsklan, and T. Potsklan all had two hits, along with L. Gates, Strycula, and Walters. Sasko, Dudzak, Karneck, and Russell had two for Isabella.

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In the County League:

-Wilks allowed three hits and fanned 10, plus getting four hits himself, to lead Royal’s 6-3 win over Collier. Hradky (double) also had four hits, and Mavar and Branda two. (One umpire listed was Gallo. Could that have been Low Ball?)

-Hopwood gained a playoff spot collaring first place Dunbar, 7-0, on Eddie Slingan’s third consecutive shutout. He allowed three hits, two by Harvey. C. Panko had four Hopwood hits, and Polach (double), Tresick, and F. Panko had two.

-John Katalanic pitched a 5-hitter and fanned 11 in Uniontown’s 13-2 win over Coolspring. Coughenour had three hits, and Bierer, Hughes, and O. Myers (double) all had two. Bubo had a double for the losers.

-Youngstown got one in the ninth to edge Nubbin Ridge, 9-8. A. Semachko had a double and two singles, G. Gallis Viher and Yablonsky all smacked doubles, and Nagy, Bonchosky and Yandma both had a pair of doubles.

-Youngstown then closed the week with a twinbill sweep of Uniontown, both by 10-5 scores. Ed Bailey pitched the opening win, Bowman and M. Gallis hit triples, and Coughenour doubled. Bowman led the nightcap win with three hits, Tony Viher and Mickey Gallis had a double and single, and Kmetz two hits.

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Big 10 South:

-Playoffs started with Oaks winning the opener from Pals, 1-0, on a one-hitter by Siemon. (Stan Mehalic singled in the eighth.) Oaks scored in the third when Hubany walked, Siemon bunted him ahead, and Andria singled. Losing pitcher Dulas fanned 10 and allowed only three hits, by E. Andria, Yasenosky, and Yasechko.

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In other local notes:

-New Salem scored two in the ninth to nudge Masontown, 7-5, in Legion Baseball play. Wiltrout (home run, double), Halay (home run), and Burns led New Salem with two hits. Bartges (2 hits), Sichko (home run), and Kurtik (home run) led Masontown.

-Local boxers winning on a card at Charleroi included Jimmy Speigal (145) winning his first bout, a first-round TKO of Al O’Neal, Pittsburgh; Arnold Curry dec. Leroy Mayberry, AMA Juniors; Charles Williams dec. Cy Clayborn, Pittsburgh; Johnny Komolo (160) dec. Sam Smalley, Pittsburgh, and Vince Sinclair dec. Bob Edmondson, Pittsburgh.

-Hopwood scored a 10-5 exhibition win over Terra Alta, W. Va., as Arnold Kufrin pitched a 4-hitter. Dave Newcomer (double), Brownfield, and C. Panko all had two hits.

-Pals Club has been granted a franchise in the 10-team Greater Pittsburgh Honus Wagner Football League for the 1946 season. In an exhibition after last season, Pals blanked the champion Glassport Odds, 12-0, at the German Twp. HS Field.

-Leo Phillis and Bill Orlando defeated Jimmy Burns and Leonard Cornish to win the first round championship of the Excavators Club Tournament at Summit Golf Club. They were tied at the end of the first round, with Phillis and Orlando then winning the 18-hole playoff.

-And the Pirates? They lost a doubleheader to the Giants, 4-0 and 10-1. Ralph Kiner and Al Lopez had two hits in the opener, and Frank Gustine had three hits, including a homer, in the second. This left the Bucs 38-59, in eighth and last place, 211/2 back of the Giants. Sound familiar?

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