 Photo by Cpl. Wynn Hammer, Signal
Corps Photographer (1946)
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1946 ALASKAN DEPARTMENT SOFTBALL CHAMPIONS An event of absolutely no historical significance but one of considerable interest and much fun at the time, particularly for the participants. Just one more small, enjoyable chapter in the great book of life. The practice at the time was to have the championship team from the Aleutian Islands meet the championship team from the Alaskan "mainland" in the Alaskan Department Series. The 1946 results are covered by the following article taken from the 4 September 1946 Shemya Island paper. |
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SHEMYA CAPTURES SOFTBALL CROWN After dropping the opening game Shemya’s softball champions snapped back to win three straight from Ft. Richardson and thus walk off with the 1946 Alaskan Department Softball Championship in the playoffs at Anchorage last week. Unfamiliar with the dirt fields in Anchorage, as they had been playing on the runway diamonds here, the champs were the victims of a 13-0 onslaught in the initial contest. Captain Flaulghty was the winning hurler for the Richardson ten, while Okamoto took the loss for Shemya. A homer by Glass was the big blow for the winners. With John Chappell doing the chucking, the local boys evened the count in the second game with an 8-4 triumph. They never trailed in the entire game after a three run outburst in the first inning sent them ahead, and Okamoto’s round-tripper in the fifth put the game away. Shemya grabbed the lead in the third game with a 5-2 win as Okamoto revenged his previous defeat. Okamoto then returned to the hill in the final game to humble the Richardson team with but one hit as Shemya won, 2-0. Marcos Torres homered for the visitors in the third and Ernest Philbrook's double and a Richardson error accounted for the final tally. The Shemya champs earned the right for the Anchorage trip by taking the island championship in a four-team series and then defeating the Attu team. The Shemya champs left for Anchorage a week ago Sunday. Richardson had already eliminated Fairbanks and Elmendorf Field before the arrival of the newly-crowned AD titlists. Shemya’s team was composed of enlisted men from the 633rd A. M. Squadron which boasts a strength of but 87. To some people “13” is an unlucky number but our championship team didn’t worry about a jinx. The team started the season with 13 men who played out the complete season and wound up with the AD crown tucked neatly away. Here is a complete list of the Shemya and AD softball kings: Robert Bowers, manager; John Tekely, captain and catcher; Ernest Philbrook, first baseman; Marcos Torres, shortstop; Richard Dennehy, second baseman; David Edwards, left fielder; Bruce Watson, short fielder (roving shortstop); James Newton, utility outfielder; Daniel Petlewski, right fielder; Isamu Okamoto, pitcher; Frank Chiappetta, third baseman; John Chappell, center fielder; Kenneth Pyle, utility outfielder; and Paul Kath, team umpire. |
1946 Alaskan Department Softball Champions
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Back Row (L to R): Robert
Bowers, Isamu
Okomoto, "Captain Bill" Lewis, 1st. Sgt. Kingsbury, Marcos Torres,
James Newton, Kenneth Pyle
 Front Row (L to R): David Edwards, Ernest Philbrook, Frank Chiappetta, Daniel Petlewski, John Tekely, Bruce Watson, John Chappell, Richard Dennehy |
And what good is victory without a victory celebration?
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