Out of the Past
1974: Fans pulling for local major leaguers Probably the best description would be to say it was “one of those weeks.”
Summer was winding down, heading into the Labor Day weekend, and the last big time for family get-togethers, etc. Baseball enthusiasts were undergoing withdrawals since their favorite sport had already wound up its schedule, although on the major league side of the field, Roger Miller and Bruce Dal Canton were giving their local fans something to cheer about.
Miller, of Mill Run, who had a fine local pitching record for Uniontown High and the Uniontown American Legion teams, was among five players recalled by Milwaukee, and will join them for the rest of the season. At the time of his recall from Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League (AAA), Miller owned a 10-5 record.
Four other players still in the high minors include infielder Bob Bailor and pitcher Bob Galasso, both of Connellsville, with Baltimore Orioles teams in Rochester, N.Y. (AAA) and Asheville, N.C. (AA) respectively, outfielder Fred Norton, Connellsville, with the Chicago White Sox farm in Knoxville, Tenn., and outfielder Bob Gorinski, Mount Pleasant, with Minnesota’s farm at Orlando, Fla., both in the Southern League (AA).
Former California State pitcher Dal Canton, who also pitched locally in the Fay-West and County Leagues before their area scout Cecil Cole of Connellsville signed him for the Pittsburgh Pirates, had just picked up his eighth win of the season (8-6). Dal Canton, who had since been traded to Kansas City, fashioned a two-hit shutout as the Royals collared Milwaukee, 2-0. He fanned eight and walked five.
Meanwhile, softball fans were still having their day, but it was getting shorter with playoffs on the downswing, and football faithful were chomping at the bit waiting for another week to go by.
Awayyyyy back there, in this week of 1974, scholastic football didn’t begin until after Labor Day. It would be a while yet before the WPIAL initiated its “y’all come” playoff venture, so schools had a later start.
But for the softball faithful, Keister and LaBelle were kicking up the dust.
Keister liked winning so much it went out and made a complete sweep of everything in the Fayette Traveling League. It had won the regular season title, and then made the sweep complete with the playoff championship as well, downing Braznell, 6-3, and winning the best-of-7 set, 4-2.
Three runs in the fifth clinched for the dual champs. With two out, winning pitcher Paul Andrews and Ed Dvorchak singled, George Cole doubled, Mike Dvorchak walked and Mick Golden singled. Andrews was 3-for-3, Ed Dvorchak 3-for-4, and Sperko tripled. Martin tripled for the losers.
In the Republic League, LaBelle nipped Redstone, 7-5, to move within one of clinching the playoff crown. Al Gmutza doubled home two in the fourth to give LaBelle the lead for good. Don Nichols (2B, 1B), Darrell Nichols (3B), and Ron Zuker and Tommy Connors (2 hits) led the winners at bat. Ralph Earley had three hits and Mickey Encapera doubled for Redstone.
LaBelle then repeated as dual champion with an 11-2 clinching win. Six in the fifth wrapped up the win for Bob Acton, who worked a 5-hitter, and gave LaBelle regular season and playoff honors for the second year in a row. Randy Connors had three hits, and Jack Burcheck, Al Gmutza, and Don Nichols two.
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In other sports that week:
– Jim Solomon, Albert Sutton and Don Crawford, of the Fayette Horseshoe Pitching Assn., qualified for the state finals to be thrown at New Castle. Solomon would finish fourth in the state “A” Division, throwing 76.5 percent ringers. The title was won by former Uniontown resident Buck Engle, now of Pittsburgh.
– The NFL players walked out on strike over a contract hassle, not being happy with the proposals tendered by the owners. As usual, the players wanted more.
– Three teams tied for first in the 2-Ball Tournament at Colonial Golf Club. Sharing first place with 62 scores were Dale Landman and Hack Boskovich, Bill Bates and Joe Gudac, Rich Bitner and Harold Hahn. One stroke back at 63 were Adolf Fronczak and Don Leaphart, and Dino Perazzola and Joe Savage. Medallist honors went to Landman (66), Ed Cofsky (67), Regis Painley and Bo Jones (68).
– Softball playoff action continued. In the Pals Club League, Klondike completed a 3-game sweep of the semi-finals, 3-2 over Pals, but had to go 13 innings to do it. Dave Howard singled home WP Barry Moore with the clincher.
In the Independent League, Hopwood advanced to the second round with a 5-1 win over Apollo 11. Dan Dice tripled and WP Bob Genovese and Bob Ellsworth had two hits for the winners. Rob Galley and Joe Beals had two hits for the losers.
– San Francisco edged the Pirates, 3-2, in 11 innings, but the Bucs (68-62) still kept first place in the East Division over St. Louis (67-63).
-Bob Semsey, Uniontown, won top honors in “F Production” in the Steel Cities Region Sports Car Club of America. He grabbed the lead on the first turn of the final race, and was on his way. His crewmembers are Tom Bradman, Uniontown, and Fred Mong, Dawson.
– Norb Miscovich, Uniontown High graduate, has been named head basketball coach at Marysville, Ohio, High School.
– Pat Thompson defeated Ann White, and won the Women’s Golf Assn. championship at Uniontown CC. Pat Eggers won the Ladies Handicap Tournament over Evelyn Margolis. In championship competition, Mrs. Margolis won the first flight over Lyda Tanner, while Martha Ventura defeated Fan Bush to win the second flight. Miss White won the 9-hole Blind Competition, with Fran Coldren second. Francy Fortune won the second flight, with Betty Balling and Mrs. Margolis second. Nancy Sullivan and Mary Green tied for third flight honors, with Sue Tuning second.
– Laurel Highlands won its cross-country opener, 26-30 over visiting Uniontown, led by race winner Joe Siebert in 14:33. Tim Shotter (3), Mark Kling (5), Jay Seman (8), and Chuck Siebert (9) completed scoring for coach Bob Ulery’s Mustangs. Tony Sanders was second overall and first for Uniontown.
-The Pirates swept Philadelphia, 11-1 as Richie Zisk hit a grand slam and Bruce Kison pitched a 3-hitter, and 7-4, widening their lead to 21/2 games in the East Division. (Remember that song, “Memories, memories, dreams of long ago!”
Jim Kriek is a Herald-Standard sports correspondent.