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Page 4 OAKVTLLE-TRAFALGAR JOURNAL Thursday, April 30th, 1953 ORCHIDS an( Softballers Re-Elect Burke ONIONS At a meeting last Sunday night the Oakville Softball League elec ted its officers for the year and made temporary plans for the coming season. Morris Burke was reinstated as president, serving his third year in that capacity, while Eddy Franks was elected secretary and Hank Barber treasurer. This year it was decided to have a fourteam league as opposed to last year's six teams. "We think that this will be a drawing card for the crowd," said President Morris Burke. "With only four teams playing, all of equal strength, every game will be worth seeing." The four teams in this year's league are Bronte, Burke's, the Jaycees and Barringham Rubber & Plastics. The first attraction of the sea son will be a doubleheader on May 18. "At the present time we have no umpires," said Mr. Burke, "and if anyone is interest ed in taking on this job we would be more than glad to hear from them." Although the teams are lined up full strength now, any good softball players who are not sign ed up for season will find a warm welcome in the league. 10c per DAY BUYS OR RENTS A Modern " ICE" Refrigerator HILLMERS FUEL & ICE CO. PICKED FROM THE SPORT FIELD It is confidently hoped that the setting up of a parks board qqmmittee to administer Wallace park will prove to be the move that will iron out the wrinkles of misunderstand ing that have crumpled relations between the board and local sports groups in recent sea sons. SHOT IN THE ARM It is certain that the wiping out of the Oakville Baseball Assn.'s unpaid rental will serve as a shot in the arm for the assn's new executive, which faces a very tight 1953 bud get. Now, if park problems ^calt^'be settled away, the baseball picture might well brighten considerably during the next two or three seasons. There is much to be said for the parks board view that Wallace park should produce revenue for the board, which also operates on a very close margin and faces a maintenance program that grows more extensive with each passing year. It is understandable that board members should wish to augment its funds wherever and whenever possible. However, it must not be forgotten that baseball developed Wallace park to its pre sent status, and was responsible for giving the parks board the rentable chattel it now has. So it seems rather natural that the dia mond boys should feel that they are entitled to first call on the park. And it is also natural that the intermediate club doesn't wish to pay the full shot for floodlights. Nobody could argue with the comment of parks board chairman, Bas Megaffin that there are more taxpayers than ball players, and that the board's first responsibility, there fore, is to the taxpayer. But it has always been pleasant to note, hereabouts, that there are a lot more ball players than juvenile de linquents -- and it would be nice to keep it that way! And all those ball players are also taxpayers or taxpayers sons. MAXIMUM USE We trust that schedules will be worked out for Wallace park that will permit maxi mum use of the park by town ball teams, sat isfactory accommodation for the revamped football club, and reasonable financing for the parks board. Failure to put all that costly equipment to full time use, in the interest of local sport, would come under the heading of senseless waste. On the other hand, the park could easily develop into a financial white ele phant for the board -- although the board must expect, we think, to allot a major share of its funds to this site. Personally, we think that the next few baseball and grid seasons will provide an ac ceptable solution for both the board and town sportsmen, who will undoubtedly see an in crease in attendance at games that will be in direct ratio to the other district expansion. Spokes In The Sport Wheel -- If his coaching endeavours hadn't proven so suc cessful this past winter, Turk Broda would have been able to make last week's Sport Cele brity Night. Turk had to forward regrets when his Dukes were scheduled for a junior playoff at Waterloo . . . Local grid stalwarts who listen to Ed. Fitkin's morning sportcast were thrown for a temporary loss last Thurs day morning when Fitkin announced Frank Clair was scheduled to visit the Pine Room AND a Toronto church event that night, both appearances being slated for 8:30! Hasty phone calls to the CBC studio were followed by Ed's clarifying of the situation a few min utes later. Seems that Argo officials had al ready discovered the duplication, and had ar ranged to have Sculler quarterback Knobby Wirkowski attend the Toronto get-together. This lad Don Carrick is going to be a val uable addition to Bud Corbett's Snow juvenile roster. The boy can really toss that ball in there . . . and when he's at the plate, he belts a mighty long ball. Red Sim, who is staging his first wrestl ing show of the season very shortly, main tains that local fans will be able to work up a very wholehearted hate for Lord Blears, who will be a headliner on arena cards. His Ludship's dignified manager, well known to TV fans, will prove an acceptable substitute for Lou Pitoscia, whose skullduggery on behalf o f Lord Athol Layton kept crowds in an up roar last season. Lou has gone sissy . . . . he's a legitimate actor now! JUVENILES TO -LOSE RON PESKETT, BUT CORBETT FINDS STRONG REPLACEMENT Although he still has better than two weeks in which to make a final selection, Bud Corbett already has a pretty fair idea 35 to the makeup of his Snow juvenile lineup for the May 16 opening day. Wallace park visitors for that occasion West Yorks. Only major shift in infield personnel;will be necessitated by the departure for Vancouver of Ron Peskett -- and Bud is fortu nate in having a capable replace ment. Pete Kennedy, with Milton intermediates last year, will cover third base for the juves, with Gary Hughes moving over to short. Gary Hughes will take care of the second base chores, and Beans Burrell returns to first. "Kennedy will make us a good thirdsacker, but there is no doubt that we'll miss Peskett, both in the field and at the plate," de clared Corbett. " He's one of the best lads to come along in recent years, and he'll be missed during the hockey and basketball sea sons, too." Brush Fuller will handle the slants of Mel Medland and Bob Carrick, and the latter will prob ably be holding down an outfield post when not on the mound, as he swings a mighty powerful bat. Jim SkirfW is a fixture in centre field, while other gardeners who are vieing for spots include Bob Blake, Doug Acheson and Bud Patterson. I take it Oakville divides its foot ball allegence . . . I promise that Argos will help your Black Knights in any way they can. This will be a big town one day, and a big sports town." Phone 23 » _ _ _ TOP SOIL FOR S A L E ANY QUANTITY, FINEST QUALITY DELIVERED ANYWHERE FRED PRICE CONSTRUCTION LIMITED PHONE OAKVILLE CLARKSON 885 OR 31-R-3 SPORTSMEN COMPARE VIEWPOINTS TOWN FANS TO GET GLIMPSE OF GAELS SUN. First glimpse of the junior game will be afforded prospective supporters of the Oakville Green Gael lacrosse club next Sunday afte-noon when coach Jim Bishop will split his big squad into two teams for an exhibition match. The contest will also give Bishop an opportunity to look over his candidates in actual play. "We've got a squad that will have plenty of hustle and plenty of experience and ability," he en thused yesterday. "I know Oak ville fans are going to go for both the game and the team, and I hope a good many of them will drop in on Sunday." The match begins at 2:30, everyone is welcome. And there will be no admission charge. DOWNPOUR CANCELS FIRST CRICKET EXHIBITION Oakville cricketers had a taste of typical English opening day weather Saturday afternoon, when rain washed out the first scheduled match of the season at Appleby College grounds. Oak ville C.C. will- 'visit Upper Can ada College next Saturday after noon for an exhibition match with the collegians. SURPRISE SURRENDER In Mexico City, a man fleeing from the police after snatching a woman's purse, ducked into the wrong door and found himself in a city police precinct. FOR WAllBOARD -- 8 E E-- CHAS. F. non AND SON Dundas Street North -- Phone 76 FRANK CLAIR, Argo coach-- Although the Black Knights were a bit disappointed when the attendance figure failed to reach the 200 mark, there was definitely "The Canadian player is most nothing lacking in entertainment and enthusiasm at the big "Sports important to the success of our game. An outstanding example is Celebrities Night" at the Pine Room last Thursday. Argos' Lome Parkin, who was an SPORTS CHATTER IN ABUNDANCE ordinary sort of player but who, Visiting sportsmen, all of whom were quite as competent in the on learning fine points of tech public speaking league as they ever were on the playing field or in nique, is now one of the coun committee room, contributed to a highly interesting discussion try's finest offensive blockers at presided over by Dr. F. M. Deans. And an exciting color film of the age of 32. We can't get enough Big Four grid highlights of last autumn rounded out the show of that kind of material. . . . very nicely. Football, sculling, hockey and baseball were all Best story I know about a player represented at the long head table -- and those attendingsbriefly is one about the time Ralph Sazio contacted still another sport as they watched Jim Bishop's Green drew a roughing penalty for TiGael lacrosse club hard at practice, prior to commencement of the cats. As the referee paced off the program. yardage, Ralph stormed along be Here are some of the comments of the visiting celebrities, culled side him, arguing vehemently. from their short speeches and from conversation with the Journal's 1 When the ref placed the ball representative: down 15 yards closer to the FRANK BLISS, prex.v of Ham- secretary, telling a story about Hamilton goal, Ralph exploded: ilton Tiger Cat Football Club -- his refereeing days -- "Your own `You stink!' The referee picked "Big time pro football has cert Bob McKay took exception to one up the ball again, walked off an ainly caught popular Canadian of my rulings in a game at Ot other 15 yards, and asked Sazio: fancy, but it poses grim financial tawa, sind got pretty hot about `How do I smell from here?' " problems for some of the cities it. He flatly declared he wasn't ART MULLAN, owner, Hamil represented. I see only about two going to play any more that day. ton Cardinals ball club -- We're more years of operation, under And I saw to it that he didn't!" i1 always glad to welcome Oakville the present scale, for Hamilton, JOE WRIGHT, JR: Argo e x 1 ' fans to our park. We always Ottawa and Regina, who just ecutive and former star centre, Ihave plenty of the best seats availcan't stand the gaff of this pseudo amateur game. I'm anxious to see and one of Canada's Diamond able -- dammit! . . . The majors Sculls winners -- "Great football | ' use outfits like the Pony League these expanding intermediate players of other days, like Brian to discover which young players leagues provide some topflight Tinunis, Joe Connell and Lionel ) have the hustle and savvy to Canadian material, so that we Conacher, would be even greater make good in baseball. We're can cut down on our expensive today under modem coaches. actually a school, and it's a tough import lists and keep the game Why, Argos' Les Ascott, one of (Continued on page 5) flourishing." " · the game's finest linemen, was all JAKE GAUDAUR, f o r m e r ready to quit in 1950 after a long Argo, R.CA.F. and Tiger Cat career. Then Frank Clair taught O n ly the Star, and a sculler of note -- him to play the game, after all "When I first played Big Four those years, and last fall he was football in 1940, the players got better than ever! I'd cut the num has so m any windbreakers. Now, salary talk ber of imports to five, but we is around $5,000 a season! I credit can't deny the value of Ameri features U.S. coaches with developing our can coaching." · Nm roar game enormously, and imported · N o w fo o t i M f t , RALPH SAZIO, asst, coach, Hand clutch · itlla b lo hydraulic players with lending it loads of · N o w p o w e r fu l fro n t fo rk Hamilton Tiger Cats -- "I'm glad motor · kick Hart In m y color. But I see a bright future to see intermediate clubs like · Jlook now Itnoo soar for our own Canadian players, your Black Knights will be pro Come m today for a free test rid* who must come into their own viding a nucleus of Canadian again very soon." material for the big clubs. Only WALLY MAXWELL, captain, four university players, on an Marlboro Jrs., who played his average, go up into big time ball three-game stint with Toronto each year, so we'll have to de Maple Leafs this past season -- pend on you for talent. I wish 737 King St. E. "Modem hockey has much to Tiger Cats could sponsor inter offer to a young man today, if mediate clubs, but the budget HAMILTON, ONT. he takes a sensible view of the won't let us. Which only serves game. Hockey brought me from to stress how much we're going 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. the west as a kid, treated me to need Canadian players in the Closed Wednesdays well, and now offers me a choice future." between a pre*career and a uni BILL ROSS, Argo president versity education via an athletic scholarship at Michigan State and Bell Phone executive recent University. I could go to Pitts ly moved to Oakville -- "When burgh next season, but I'mHbound I entered my firm's Oakville office I'm going to get that university for the first time I found someone (I suspect Charlie Decker!) had education." decorated the entire place with HARRY McBRIEN, C.R.U . Hamilton Tiger Cat banners. So T R E C & W t t t SPORTS COLDHI i f The afternoon of Saturday, May 2, will be the occasion of the seventy-ninth running of the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs, Louisville. Scores o f thousands of out-oftown novelty seekers will be present Per haps local and visiting attendance will lift the total to more than 100,000. And it's all about a race that doesn't seem to deserve the attention, publicity and money lavished upon it. For theDerby isn't a derby, to begin with -- not in the re quirements o f distance, for example. O f course, in America, the term "derby" has come to be used very loosely, and very fre quently. A ll sorts o f tracks have a "derby" annually. But few, if any, parallel the daddy of all derbies, the Epsom Downs race, in the matter of distance. This Kentucky Derby, run annually on the first Saturday of May furnishes the first test of three-year-olds over the distance of one and one-quarter miles. This is one-fourth of a mile short of the regular Derby distance as established by the classic run at Epsom Downs, from which the name " derby" is de rived. The English race is at a mile and a half, and is raced In early June. The Kentucky race occurs almost too early for eligible fe males of this age to compete on equal terms with colts. And it is too early to condition even the males o f the species for a 10-fur long struggle. You may think that transportation difficulties are annoying now. But back in 1875, the year the Derby was first run as a modest little race, the sporting folks o f the era who attended really had grief. The "Louisville Jockey Club race-track" since labeled Churchill Downs, was so far from the city that horsedrawn street cars required two hours to make the trip. Many o f the customers started to walk the distance early in the morning. Others went in wagons, buggies and on horseback. Attending the Derby in the seventies and eighties was a journey, not a ferfp. Arrangements for the race were primitive. There was, of course, nothing like a starting gate. Even the web barrier of 40 years ago was unknown. The starter drew a line la the dirt across the track with the butt of the flag he used to start the field and then lined up the candidates well behind It. A walk-up start was the system. When "Col. Johnson of Nashville", the starter for the first of all Kentucky Derbies, got his field in alignment he flashed down his flag. A drum sounded the official start and the field was off. There were many other differences between the races af those early days, and now. It has gained in importance, in glam our, in attendance, and in speculative interest, so who are we to point out minor technical shortcomings of the continent's No. 1 glamour race? Harley-Davidson STRAND CYCLE & SPORTS hf f lo ir f in w o i, e/» Ca lf * H i m 431 y«a#» Sfv Torci#». 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