1958 held at Parade One in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 16-19.
Champion – Raybestos Cardinals, Stratford, Connecticut
Runner Up – McDonald Scots, Lake Charles, Louisiana
The two tournament favorites, Clearwater Bombers and Aurora Sealmasters were both victims of huge upsets in the loser’s bracket.
Host team Minneapolis Soo Line eliminated the Bombers and their invincible pitcher John Hunter 1-0 and then a Canadian team, Montreal Dow eliminated the Sealmasters 1-0, even though Aurora hurler Harvey Sterkal only gave up one hit.
Pitcher Bobby Spell of Lake Charles lost a heartbreaker to John Spring of Raybestos 1-0 in the championship game. The Scots won 5 games to get to the final. Before that point, their only loss was a 14 inning 1-0 defeat at the hands of McDill AFB. Spell pitched the Scots to 2-0 victories over both Seattle Federal Insurance and Long Island’s DeJur Cameramen to get to the championship.
In the final, Chuck Shearer doubled to lead off the inning, then was sacrifices to third by John Spring and in an ironic twist, scored on a passed ball by Catcher Max Trahan’s passed ball. Traham was voted the Tournament MVP. Bill Smith batted .346 to lead the Lake Charles bats.
The McDonald Scots made the trip to the Nationals with only 10 players so left-handed first baseman Max Trahan, who had never caught a game in any big game or tournament and had not been behind the plate as a catcher at all in over five years had to catch every single inning of every game. He went 6-28, .214 with 2 RBI. He had 89 total chances, with only 2 passed balls and 1 error. he also had 9 assists.
- MVP – Max Trahan, McDonald Sports
- Batting Leader – Dominick Golio, DeJur Cameramen – .421
- Home Run Leader – George Adam, Raybestos Cardinals – 1
- Home Run Leader – Ed Tickey, Raybestos Cardinals – 1
- Home Run Leader – Stevens, McDonald Sports (3-28, .107, 1 RBI, 3 Runs) – 1
- Home Run Leader – Juillerat, Federal Old Line Insurance (3-14, .214, 1 RBI, 2 Runs) – 1
- Home Run Leader – Williams, Haynes Stakes (4-13, .308, 1 RBI, 1 Run) – 1
- Home Run Leader – Thomas, Steinbergs (2-19, .105, 1 RBI, 1 Run) – 1
- Home Run Leader – Diote, U.S. Air Force (1-12, .083, 3 RBI, 2 Runs) – 1
- Home Run Leader – Holly Wormsby, U.S. Air Force – 1
- Umpire of the Tournament – Bernard Iassogna, Connecticut
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
P – John Spring, Raybestos Cardinals (5-0, 29 IP, 50 K, 5 shutouts, including 1-0 perfect game in final, 12 K, 67 total pitches, he gave up only 1 unearned run and 6 hits in the entire tournament)
P – Bobby Spell, McDonald Sports (5-2, 2 ER, 56 IP, 2 Shutouts, lost 1-0 final on a passed ball) Won 5 straight in the loser’s bracket with a 10 man roster. When he allowed his first earned run of the tournament, it broke a string of 12 consecutive national tournament games without allowing an earned run.
P – Roy Stephenson, DeJur Cameramen (3-2, 33 IP, 44 K)
C – Rejean Denoncourt, Dow Brewery
1B – George Adam, Raybestos Cardinals (6-18, .333. 4 RBI, 5 Runs)
2B – Frank Williams, Raybestos Cardinals
3B – Andy Fontenot, McDonald Sports
SS – Bubba Ward, Haynes Stakes
OF – Dominick Golio, DeJur Cameramen (8-19, 2 RBI, 2 Runs)
OF – Bill Smith, McDonald Sports
OF – Med Walsh, Sealmasters
UT – Bill Massey, U.S. Air Force
HONORABLE MENTION
P – Bob Fesler, Federal Old Line Insurrance
C – Ed Tickey, Raybestos Cardinals (3-16, .188, 5 RBI, 3 Runs)
C – Max Trainham, McDonald Sports
1B – Dan Kelly, DeJur Cameramen
SS – Gene Roberti, DeJur Cameramen
SS – Nolan Whitlock, Clearwater Bombers
OF – Fred Irthum, Soo Line
OF – Bill Baroff, Raybestos Cardinals
OF – Holly Wormsby, U.S. Air Force (1-15, .067, 1 RBI, 1 Run)
OF – Al McCoy, Dow Brewery
OTHERS
Herb Dudley, Clearwater Bombers (1-0, 10 IP, 11 K)
Eddie King, Clearwater Bombers (0-1, 7 IP, 10 K)
John Hunter, Clearwater Bombers (0-1, 3 IP, 3 K)
Harvey Sterkal, Aurora Sealmasters (1-2, 26 IP, 33 K)
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Raybestos Cardinals, Stratford, CT (5-0) (North Atlantic)
2. McDonald Sports, Lake Charles, LA (7-2) (Southwestern)
3. Federal Old Line Insurance, Seattle, WA (3-2) (Northwestern)
4. DeJur Cameramen, Long Island City, NY (5-2) (Mid-Atlantic)
5t. Haynes Stakes, Houston, TX (2-2) (Texas)
5t. U.S. Air Force (2-2) (US-Air Force)
7t. Dow Brewery, Montreal, QB (3-2) (East Canada)
7t. Carling Pilseners, Vancouver, BC (2-2) (West Canada)
9t. Burgermeister Burgies, Sacramento, CA (2-2) (North Pacific Coast)
9t. Northwest Paper, Cloquet, MN (1-2) (Northern)
9t. Soo Line, Minneapolis, MN (2-2) (Host)
9t. Aurora Sealmasters, Aurora, IL (1-2) (West Central)
13t. Clearwater Bombers, Clearwater, FL (1-2) (Defending Champ)
13t. Steve Flowers, Casper, WY (1-2) (Rocky Mountain)
13t. Myron Conwell, Washington, D.C. (1-2) (Central Atlantic)
13t. Ansberg-West Morticians, Toledo, OH (1-2) (East Central)
17t. Cairo All-Stars, Cairo, GA (1-2) (South Atlantic)
17t. Gregorian Enterprises, San Gabriel, CA (0-2) (South Pacific Coast)
17t. Thurmer’s Bar, St. Louis, MO (0-2) (Western)
17t. Harry Rich, Miami, FL (0-2) (Southern)
17t. San Juan Builders, Farmington, NM (0-2) (Cactus)
NOTES
Steve Flowers, Casper, WY went in place of Rocky Mountain Champ – Bongo Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT, who could not attend.
