1925 Manitoba Game Reports      

1925 WINNIPEG WESLEY SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE

TEAMS
Arenas
Columbus Club
Elks
Express-Elmwood (dropped out in early July)
Norwood
Tammany Tigers

Wesley League

FIRST-HALF

(May 2)  The 1925 Wesley League season was ushered in before nearly 3,000 fans at Wesley Park where the Arenas, last year’s finalists, bounced the Tammany Tigers, 1924 champions, 6 to 1. Wally Lawton of the Rinkmen and the Bengals’ Bill Crowe were the chosen mound artists  and Lawton had the better performance, twirling a five hitter. “Bunny” Warren led the eight-hit Arena offense with a home run and single. Rookie second baseman Herb Fitch contributed two singles. Playing-manager Ward McVey of the Jungle Cats was credited with two singles while catcher Bill Cockburn plated his team’s lone tally with a solo four-bagger.

Crowe (L) and Cockburn
Lawton (W) and Sinclair

(May 6)  Cold weather and dark skies prematurely ended a Wesley League affair in which the Elks and Tammany Tigers locked horns. The tilt was called at the end of seven stanzas with the combatants deadlocked 5 – 5. Both teams registered nine safeties in the even-steven affair although the Ferocious Felines had more scoring opportunities but stranded 11 baserunners. The best pitching performance in the clash belonged to reliever Johnny “Red” Davison of the Antlered Brethren. The former Sperling slabster allowed just three hits in 5-2/3 innings on the knoll and rang up eight punchouts. Leadoff hitter Charlie Gardiner of the Tammany Tribe and Elks’ catcher Dunc McCorquodale both laced three singles to lead their respective nines at the platter. Joe Rivers of the Horned Herd launched the contest’s lone four-bagger, a bases-empty clout.

McCallum and Cockburn
Hind, Davison (2) and McCorquodale

(May 7)  The Arenas emerged from a frigid seven-inning game at Wesley Park with the Columbus Club as 10 to 4 winners. The Rinkmen found the offerings of veteran twirler Sid May easy pickings and battered him for a dozen hits and all ten runs before he was derricked in favor of young Odie Lowe in the fifth frame. Southpaw Dunc Irvine did the twirling for the Arenas and pitched a steady eight-hitter. Playing-skipper Len Sinclair led the winners offensively with a triple and two singles. 

Irvine (W) and Sinclair
May (L), Lowe (5) and Kokran

(May 8)  Fans at Wesley Park had another taste of snappy ball when the combined Express-Elmwood team took the long end of a 4 to 3 decision from the Elks. The story of the game was written in the fifth frame when heaver Larry Wilson of the B.P.O.E. nine lost a tough game through no fault of his own. Sloppy work behind him allowed the E-E’s to run across all four of their markers. Bill Stobie snatched the hurling decision as both he and Wilson were nicked for six base raps. Not a lone player from either side managed to reach plural hit figures.

Wilson (L) and McCorquodale
B. Stobie (W) and Dakin

(May 9)  The Norwood baseballers had a successful result in their Wesley Park League debut, coming on strong in the late stages of the game to nose out the Express-Elmwood nine 7 to 6. Weather conditions were far from favorable but the teams managed to get in the entire nine innings. The losing Combines had a decided 13 to 7 edge in base hits but also out-fumbled their opponents 7 – 2. They appeared destined for victory and led 6 – 2 until the seventh spasm when things began to break badly. A trey by the Suburbanites in the  seventh followed by a deuce in the eighth vaulted the victors into the lead for good. A pair of southpaws shared pitching chores for the Norwood aggregation with sixth-inning reliever “Lefty” Treleaven gaining credit for the win. Top swatsmith in the contest was outfielder Stan Weir of the E-E’s who pounded a triple and two singles.
 
Fairfield, Brown (L) (7) and Dakins
Roberts, Treleaven (W) (6) and Gladu

(May 11)  The Columbus Club rallied with four runs in the seventh and final inning to defeat the Elks 10 to 7 in an error-filled game that was halted by darkness. Trailing 7 to 6 in the last-half of the seventh, the Columbians  tied the score when outfielder Pridham cracked an RBI- single off reliever Jack Hind that allowed Marty Kokran to cross the pan. Winning flinger “Hap” Millar/Miller, who took over mound chores for the Clubbers in the fourth frame, followed by slapping another one-bagger to score Errol Gillis with the lead run. Jimmy Bradley drove in a brace of insurance tallies with a one-base rap to end the scoring. Lawrie Cuthbert of the Antlered Tribe, with a two-run circuit-jack and a double, topped all batters in the skirmish.

Davison (L), Hind (7) and McCorquodale
Bouchard, Millar/Miller (W) (4) and Kokran

(May 12)  Wearing a regular track down to first base as a result of ten free tickets, the Tammany Tigers clawed their way to an 11 to 2 triumph over the Express-Elmwood balltossers. Playing sound baseball, the Bengals took full advantage of the bases-on-balls and combined them with eight safeties off three chuckers used by the Combines. Winning heaver Bill Crowe gave up five hits in going the route. Clare Livesley and first sacker L. Hogeboom had two singles apiece for the winners.

Crowe (W) and Cockburn
Simmons (L), F. Stobie (2), Johnson (3) and Dakins

(May 13)  The Arenas chalked up their third straight win in the Wesley Senior circuit by issuing out an 11 to 5 drubbing to the new league entry from Norwood. Three of the 11 hits garnered by the Rinkmen went for home runs. Bill Siddle launched a three-run blast off starter and loser Harold Hultman while Pat Cann and Art Frick blasted solo shots off the slants of reliever “Lefty” Roberts. Norwood started off strong, scoring twice in the opening canto but winning heaver Bob Beddome, who finished with a seven-hitter, blanked the Suburbanites effectively for the next four frames before weakening again in the seventh spasm. Frick and Cann added singles to their four-ply clouts for the winners while catcher Herb Mobberly had a double and single.  

Hultman (L), Mason (3), Roberts (3) and Gladu
Beddome (W) and Mobberly

(May 14)  The Columbus Club defeated the Tammany Tigers by the prodigious count of 14 to 11 in a game earmarked by terrible pitching by both hurlers and atrocious fielding by the Bengals. 27 base hits for a total of 39 bases, ten walks, two hit batters and 14 errors were the final totals accrued in the sloppily-played swatfest. Only five of the 14 tallies gathered by the victorious Clubbers were earned. Why the opposing managers kept their pitchers on the knoll for the entire contest was a mystery. Jimmy Grant and Ward McVey of the Jungle Cats were the premiere swat artists of the evening, each connecting for three safeties with Grant’s total including a home run. Tommy Shannon of the Cee Cees and Tammany initial sacker L. Hogeboom also stung the sphere for circuit clouts. Catcher Marty Kokran of the winners displayed some power with a triple and one-bagger while Shannon added a single to his four-ply blast.  

Millar/Miller (W) and Kokran
McCallum (L) and Cockburn

(May 16)  The Arenas remained unbeaten in the Wesley Senior loop, scoring a 9 to 4 verdict over Elmwood-Express in a spotty contest before 1,500 fans. A bases-loaded home run in the fourth frame by shortstop “Snake” Siddle of the Rinkmen was the killing blow to the Double E’s. The Combines had an 11 to 9 edge in base hits but made untimely defensive mistakes that proved costly each time. Portsider Dunc Irvine copped the hillock victory over Bill Stobie who pitched a decent game for the Combines. Only one player from each team failed to register a hit as each aggregation presented a balanced offense. Issy Vineberg stroked a double and single for the losers.

Irvine (W) and Sinclair
Stobie (L) and Dakins

(May 18)  The Elks scored their first victory of the season by trimming the Norwood diamond clan 8 to 2 at Wesley Park. The Antlered Tribe took an early lead and were never headed. Larry Wilson mesmerized the Suburbanites with a slow curve throughout the contest, grabbing the knoll decision from hard-throwing Harry Mason who was sent packing after just 1-1/3 innings. Lawrie Cuthbert banged out three successive hits for the Horned Herd, driving in four runs, but the real hitting star for the winners was left fielder Dufour who smashed out four safeties including a long home run. 

Wilson (W) and McCorquodale
Mason (L), Treleaven (2) and H. May

(May 19)  Six innings of baseball in which play that ranged from good, poor and indifferent, mostly the latter, were run off at Wesley Park and saw the Express-Elmwood and Columbus Club aggregations engaged in a 10 – 10 tie. Three pitchers were used on each side and they each received poor support. The Double E’s managed to outhit the Cee Cees 10 to 7 but also made the most costly errors. Infielder “Mickey” Mickelson was active with the stick for the Combines, driving in five runs on a double, a single and a sacrifice fly. Nick Doyle and Jimmy Bradley swatted two safeties apiece for the Clubbers with Doyle bashing a three-run circuit-jack and Bradley a two-bagger.

Johnson, Fairfield (3), Stainsby (5) and Mooney
Bouchard, Millar/Miller (5), Laine (5) and Kokran

(May 20)  Superb pitching highlighted the Arenas 4 to 1 win over the Elks in a snappy affair at Wesley Park. Wally Lawton’s three-hitter kept the Rinkmen undefeated while veteran Ole Olien, although not the pitcher of record, sparkled for the Antlered Brethren with a solid inning of relief when the front-runners threatened to extend their lead. Olien came on in relief of starter and loser “Red” Davison in the seventh and final canto with the bases loaded and none out. He whiffed three in a row to keep his squad still in the running. Prior to being lifted, Davison had surrendered just four safeties including a two-run homer and single to Pat Cann who was the lone multi-hit player in the skirmish.

Lawton (W) and Sinclair
Davison (L), O. Olien (7) and McCorquodale

(May 21)  The Tammany Tigers walloped the horsehide savagely in the first two innings of their clash with Norwood and, although they didn’t plate a marker after that, they rode to an easy 9 to 4 victory over the Suburbanites. “Lefty” Roberts, on the mound for Norwood, was clipped for eight base knocks in the first two rounds, two of which were four-baggers. After that, he settled down but, by then, it was too late as the Bengals had amassed a 9 to 3 margin. Bill Crowe hurled for the Tammany Troupe and, except for the second stanza when he was nicked for four safeties and three runs, was master of the situation. Jimmy Grant and Ward McVey hit back-to-back homers for the Jungle Cats in the opening canto with Grant’s blast sending two runners in ahead of him. Norwood’s Toddy May lit Crowe up for a bases-empty circuit jack in the fifth. Clare Livesley of the victors and “Fungo” Waks of the vanquished nine both registered three singles for their respective contingents.

Roberts (L) and H. May
Crowe (W) and Cockburn

(May 23)  What started out as a decidedly competitive ball game after five frames turned into a rout at Wesley Park as the Columbus Club burst loose for a dozen counters in the final four turns at bat to crush the Elks 14 to 5. Heading into the sixth spasm, the teams were locked in a 2 – 2 tie but, in the top-of-the-sixth, the Clubbers waltzed around the sacks for six counters off losing heaver Olie Olien as the drubbing began. A lot of bad support, along with 12 safeties, added to the shellacking. Veteran tosser Sid May hurled for the Cee Cees and allowed eight hits, the most damaging of which was a three-run homer to Lawrie Cuthbert in the eighth episode. Jimmy Bradley and Marty Kokran both singled on three occasions for the winners while teammate Tommy Shannon delivered an inside-the-park four-bagger.  

May (W) and Kokran
O. Olien (L) and McCorquodale

(May 25)  Bright weather enticed close to 4,000 fans to Wesley Park to view doubleheader action in which the Elks trounced Express-Elmwood 8 to 0 in the morning while Norwood uncovered a barrel of fight to edge the Columbus Club 12 to 11 in the afternoon encounter.
    
The Wapiti were by far the superior team in in he early fracas, playing superb defensively behind the nine-hit heaving of Larry Wilson. The two Combine chuckers were in wretched form with loser Bert Stainsby, who was derricked in the fourth frame, walking ten while reliever Bevin Brown handed out four free passes. The Double E’s had several good chances to score but extremely poor base running decisions killed potential tallies. Hot corner custodian Watson of the Antlered Tribe was the hitting star of the game with four singles. “Packey” McFarlane, with a triad of one-baggers, and outfielder T. McDonald, with a homer and single, were best with the baton for the winners.

Stainsby (L), Brown (4) and Dakins
Wilson (W) and McCorquodale
    
The late fixture started tamely but wound up like a cyclone in action. The Cee Cees, with an early 7 to 1 lead, thanks in large part to a pair of homers, one each in the second and fourth frames, by Marty Kokran, blew a tire in the fourth round as Norwood sent seven runners across the pan, four of those coming on a grand-slam round-tripper by Herb May. The Clubbers regained the lead briefly only to fall behind for good in the seventh when the Suburbanites plated a trey. Toddy May had a double and two singles for the victors while teammate Jimmy Keedian ripped three singles. For the losers, Kokran added a single to his brace of fence-busters while rookie second sacker Pat O’Brien belted a two-run circuit-clout.  

Lowe, Doyle (L) (4) and Kokran
Treleaven, Hultman (W) (5) and H. May

(May 27)  With playing-manager Jimmy Shannon and his rejuvenated soup bone pulled out of mothballs for a starting role on the knoll, the Columbus Club surprised the Norwood aggregation with a 10 to 5 victory. The veteran slabster, who has seldom ascended the mound since his flipper gave out on him several seasons back, went toe-to-toe with Norwood’s “Lefty” Roberts and, for the first six stanzas, trailed 3 – 0 in a close duel. However, Roberts began to wilt in the seventh spasm as the Clubbers roughed him up for a five-spot then duplicated the feat in the eighth episode to take a commanding lead. Shannon weakened a bit in the ninth, demonstrating a bit of wildness as the Suburbanites got to him for a deuce but he came through in the clutch by recording the final out on a whiff with the bases loaded. He finished with a seven-hitter, accumulating six walks and five strikeouts along the way. The Columbians racked up 11 safeties off the slants of Roberts as Eddie Cass led the way with three singles.  Outfielder Toddy May of the losers also clipped the orb for a trio of one-baggers. 

Roberts (L) and Gladu
J. Shannon (W) and Kokran

(May 28)  Johnny “Red” Davison, elongated auburn-haired slabster of the Elks, sailed through nine innings of snappy baseball at Wesley Park and limited the Tammany Tigers to one lone hit, a scratch single by Clare Livesley in the eighth episode, as the Brother Bills blanked the Bengals 3 to 0. Davison struck out seven, issued three walks and hit two batters in copping the mound decision over tough customer Bill Crowe of the Tammany Tribe who gave up just five safeties and zero free passes while breezing six. The Antlered Tribe plated all three of their tallies in the sixth spasm on a two-run single by Steve Penu, his second safety of the contest, and an RBI-double by Olie Olien, who also had a previous one-bagger.  
   
Davison (W) and McCorquodale
Crowe (L) and Cockburn

(May 30)  Winning pitcher Sid May’s clutch single in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning drove in “Doc” Flanagan with the deciding counter as the Columbus Club nosed out the Tammany Tigers 10 to 9 in a thriller at Wesley Park. Flanagan, playing in his first encounter of the season, had reached scoring position in the overtime session by drawing a base-on-balls and stealing second base. Losing heaver Bill Crowe was especially careful in pitching to Flanagan in the bonus round of play since the Cee Cee outfielder turned dentist had lit him up for two clean singles plus a pair of home runs in his four previous plate appearances. May had come on in relief in the first frame after the Bengals had sent starter Darky Bouchard packing by gleaning six counters off his slants. The Clubbers clawed their way back and knotted the count in the fifth round, went ahead briefly over the next three chapters but fell into a tie once more when the Jungle Cats plated a deuce in the ninth canto on Bill Cockburn’s double. In addition to Flanagan’s brace of fence-busters, Tommy Shannon of the winners and Tammany’s Ward McVey were the other batters in the clash to pound out four-ply clouts. 

Crowe (L) and Cockburn
Bouchard, May (W) (1) and Kokran

(June 3)  The Tammany Tigers, scoring all of their runs on defensive misplays, squeezed out a fortunate 5 to 4 win over the reorganized Express-Elmwood entry. The only earned runs of the game were plated by the Combines on a two-RBI single by Stan Weir. “Lefty” Luft, who was shaky throughout his 5-1/3 innings on the hill, was credited with the mound decision at the expense of Bill Stobie.

Stobie (L) and Brown
Luff (W), McCallum (6) and Cockburn

(June 4)  After winning five straight games, the Arenas lost their first battle of the season when they were doubled 4 to 2 by the Norwood nine in a game that got to the seventh stanza before it was called for darkness, rain and general unpleasant conditions. “Lefty” Roberts outpointed Dunc Irvine in a close pitching battle of portsiders in which both teams secured five hits. Jack Seel drove in two of the victors’ four tallies.

Irvine (L) and Sinclair
Roberts (W) and H. May

FIRST-HALF
STANDINGS                W       L        Pct.
Arenas                   5       1       .833
Columbus Club            5       2       .714
Elks                     3       4       .429
Tammany Tigers           3       4       .429
Norwood                  3       4       .429
Express-Elmwood          1       5       .167

(June 5)  Bill Crowe fashioned a one-hitter in pitching the Tammany Tigers to an 8 to 0 shutout conquest of the Elks in a seven-stanza Wesley League tilt. The Jungle Cats got to losing twirler “Red” Davidson and a pair of relievers for ten base knocks as Ward McVey led the way offensively with a brace of two-baggers. The game featured a lucky triple play by the Antlered Tribe in the seventh spasm when an apparent error was turned into the third out. With Tony Baril perched on second base and Bill Cockburn on first, Gord McKenzie poled a sizzler that was snared by first sacker Olie Olien who then stepped on the bag to double Cockburn. Before Baril had a chance to retreat and touch the keystone sack on the line-out, Olien whipped the ball in the direction of second base but miscalculated the range as the horsehide sailed into the left pasture. Forgetting the formality of first touching second base, Baril broke for third base where he was later called out after the orb had been retrieved and relayed back to the keystone station.
  
Crowe (W) and Cockburn
Davison (L), Wilson (3), McDonald (6) and McCorquodale

(June 7)  Elks’ playing-manager Jack Hind nominated himself for mound duty after spending most of the first month of the season in the dugout and, in a rare knoll appearance, led the Purple and White to a 5 to 1 of the Norwood nine. The veteran right-hander rationed the Suburbanites to just three hits in a complete-game effort and the lone run scored against him was unearned. He was opposed on the clay heap by Harold Hultman who was also in good form, giving up but five safeties. Norwood’s Con Puhan and Lawrie Cuthbert of the Antlered Herd each had a pair of singles for their respective nines. Cuthbert’s two-RBI swat in the third round started the Wapiti on the road to victory.  

Hultman (L) and H. May
Hind (W) and McCorquodale

(June 10)  After exchanging four-spots in the opening canto, the Columbus Club and Express-Elmwood squads settled into tight struggle in which only one more tally was plated, a seventh-inning counter which gave the Clubbers a 5 to 4 triumph. Jimmy Bradley’s RBI-single  drove in winning heaver Dan Farrell with the deciding marker. The Cee Cees had a 12 to 8 margin in base hits over the Combos. For the victors, Eddie Cass and Marty Kokran both stroked three singles, an output matched by the Double E’s Stan Weir. “Packey” McFarlane deposited one of Farrell’s offerings over the right field fence for the lone home run of the scuffle.

Farrell (W) and Kokran
Johnson (L) and Mooney

(June 11)  Late in getting to Wesley Park for game action, Greig Warren was forced to ride the pine until the bottom-of-the-seventh and final inning when he was called upon to pinch-hit in a scoreless game between the Arenas and the Elks. Not only had his Arena teammates been blanked on the scoreboard up to this point in the game but they had also failed to touch Antlered Tribe hurler Johnny Davison for a single hit when Warren was dispatched to the batter’s box with fellow Rinkman Dunc Irvine perched on second base. Irvine had been sent in as a pinch-runner for Pat Cann who had opened the session with a free pass and been sacrificed to the keystone station. Davison had the Indian sign written all over the league leaders as he prepared to face Warren, his only weakness being a wild streak which allowed for six free tickets to first base. However, on this occasion, it was the Warren who would prevail by hoisting the pill over the fence for a two-run homer. The next two batters were easy outs and, with darkness taking over the diamond, the umpire called a halt to play. The tough loss for red-thatched Davidson was his second one-hitter of the campaign. Bob Beddome, on the hillock for the winners, pitched an outstanding game as well, yielding just three safeties while walking only two. Both tossers recorded four strikeouts.

Davison (L) and McCorquodale
Beddome (W) and Sinclair

(June  12)  Catcher Herb Mays’ grand-slam home run in the sixth inning wiped out a 3 to 2 deficit and propelled the Norwood batch of diamondeers to an eventual 8 to 4 doubling of the Express-Elmwood Combines at Wesley Park. Off to an unsteady start in which he surrendered a three-run circuit-clout to Cec Browne, winning heaver “Lefty” Treleaven settled in and, with his batterymate’s help, shunted the Double E’s on five safeties. The Suburbanites had nine hits off losing chucker Bevan Brown with Tony Legoff, Camille Van Beneen and Jimmy Keedian collecting two apiece.

(June 13)  The Arenas increased their lead atop the Wesley Park circuit with an errorless 7 to 3 decision over the second-place Columbus Club. The league leaders jumped out in front 2 – 0 in the first inning and led all the way, putting a bow on things with a four-spot in the sixth spasm. Winning pitcher Wally Lawton was stingy with the hits, yielding just five, but got himself into trouble frequently with a liberal tendency to issue walks, allowing seven Clubbers to trot leisurely to first base with free passes. Bill Siddle accounted for three of the nine hits surrendered by losing chucker Sid May while Eddie Cass delivered a two-run homer and a one-bagger. 

Lawton (W) and Sinclair
May (L) and Kokran

(June 15)  The Columbus Club’s chances of overtaking the Arenas for the first-half pennant took a bad flop when the Norwood baseballers romped off with a 9 to 3 victory over the Clubbers. The issue was never in doubt after the Suburbanites scored a deuce in the first frame and added a four-spot in the second. Norwood batters pounded the offering of losing pitcher Dan Farrell for 14 hits while winning tosser Harry Mason, who experienced some difficulty finding the plate, was combed for five hits while walking seven. Mason and playing-manager Tony Legoff stroked three singles apiece for the victors while Herb May blasted a triple and a one-base rap.

Farrell (L) and Kokran
Mason (W) and H. May

(June 16)  A very disastrous fifth frame proved to be the downfall of the Tammany Tigers who, despite having an overall 5 to 4 edge in base hits, allowed all seven Arena runs to cross the dish in a 7 to 3 defeat.  Cruising along nicely with a 3 – 0 lead, Bengal heaver Sammy McCallum and his supporting cast suddenly went wild in the fifth and, once the dust had settled, they had presented the front-runners with a seven-spot on four walks, two errors, a pair of singles and a two-run double by “Bunny” Warren. Southpaw Dunc Irvine blanked the Tammany Troupe the rest of the way to seal the deal.

McCallum (L), Crowe (L) and Cockburn
Irvine (W) and Sinclair

(June 17)  In spite of a stellar pitching performance by veteran speedballer Jack Hind, the Elks were edged 3 to 2 by the Express-Elmwood nine in a snappy Wesley Park fixture. Hind limited the Combines to three hits and fanned 11 but lost the hurling duel to Bill Stobie who gave up six hits and had a shutout in the works until the ninth canto when he surrendered back-to-back solo homers to flychaser T. McDonald and shortpatcher Joe Rivers. The Antlered Herd had men on the sacks in all but one inning but some poor base running decisions resulted in easy outs. As well, they stranded ten baserunners. “Mickey” Mickelson, with a two-run double and an RBI-single, had two of the three safeties garnered by the Combos and drove in all of their runs. 

Hind (L) and McCorquodale
Stobie (W) and Brown

(June 20)  The tail-end Express-Elmwood Combines registered 18 hits in scoring an easy 11 to 1 win over the Norwood nine. Every batter, except one, had at least one safety for the winners off complete-game loser “Lefty” Roberts. Winning heaver Finley Fairfield fanned 11 and was tagged for five base raps. The Double E’s played flawless afield while the Suburbanites booted the apple seven times. Issy Vineberg had four singles for the victors while teammates Johnny Dunbar and second baseman Adshead each registered three.

Fairfield (W) and Brown
Roberts (L) and Gladu

(June 22)  “Doc” Flanagan’s four-ply clout in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning allowed the second-place Columbus Club to capture a 6 to 5 walkoff win from the Elks in an exciting Wesley Park Affair. The homer, a solo blast off speedballer “Red” Davison, was Flanagan’s fourth hit of the game and came after Joe Rivers of the Purple & White had tied the game with a bases-empty four-bagger in the eighth. The Columbians, who trailed for most of the game, didn’t forge ahead until scoring a deuce in the seventh stanza. Dan Farrell gave up seven hits in going the route for the win. Rivers had a single in addition to his round-tripper.
   
Wilson, Davison (L) (7) and McCorquodale
Farrell (W) and Kokran

(June 27)  Coming from behind, the Columbus Club took the measure of the front-running Arenas 5 to 3 in a ten-inning Wesley League encounter. The Rinkmen were in control for the first eight episodes as losing hurler Wally Lawton was pitching a masterful game and had a two-run cushion heading into the ninth when, with two retired and a runner at first as a result of a walk, things began to happen. A line drive up the middle by pinch-hitter Errol Gillis followed by Eddie Cass’ bloop single over the infield loaded the bases. Second sacker Bert Lloyd of the Arenas then booted Tommy Shannon’s ground ball, allowing the tying tallies to cross the pan. As the Rinkmen failed to score in their half of the canto, the game went into overtime. In the top-of-the-tenth, two consecutive errors with one out placed Cee Cee runners at second and third base as rookie Pat O’Brien strode to the plate and swatted the horsehide into left-centre field plating both baserunners. Winning heaver Sid May, who came on in relief of Dan Farrell in the ninth, did the rest by holding the pace-setters scoreless in the bottom half of the round. The losers had a 10 to 9 margin in hits but, more significantly, also outfumbled the Clubbers 5 to 1. Greig Warren of the vanquished nine led all batters by a country mile, claiming four singles in as many official times at bat. O’Brien had an additional one-bagger to go along with his game-deciding bingle.  

Farrell, May (W) (9) and Kokran
Lawton (L) and Sinclair

(June 29)  The pennant-winning Arenas closed out the first-half of the schedule with a long, drawn-out 8 to 5 victory over the Elmwood-Express Combos. The Rinkmen were never in danger after establishing a safe 5 – 0 lead early in the colorless event. Winning chucker Bob Beddome yielded six hits including a two-run homer and single to “Mickey” Mickelson. Starter and loser Bill Stobie of the Double E’s had trouble finding the plate and this inconsistency led to his being kayoed in the third round. The losers committed seven errors, most of those coming with Stobie on the hill. Greig Warren paced the winners at the dish with a trio of one-base raps.

Stobie (L), Johnson (3) and Brown
Bedomme (W) and Sinclair

FINAL FIRST-HALF
STANDINGS                W       L        Pct.
Arenas                   9       2       .818
Columbus Club            8       4       .667
Norwood                  5       6       .455
Tammany Tigers           4       5       .444
Elks                     4       8       .333
Express-Elmwood          3       8       .273

EXHIBITION GAMES

(July 1)  Considered the finest amateur baseball aggregation in Canada, the Toronto Oslers visited Wesley Park for a series of seven exhibition games including two against the first-half pennant-winning Arenas and one versus each other member of Winnipeg’s elite Wesley League.
     
Because of a June 30 rain out, the Oslers played three times on Wednesday July 1, blanking the Arenas 5 to 0, bouncing the Columbus Club 9 to 3 and then ending a tiring day with a 7 – 7 sawoff against the Tammany Tigers. More than 8,000 paying customers turned out for the holiday triple header which was run off under ideal weather conditions.
    
Osler heaver Joe Spring blanked the Arenas on four hits in the opener and was aided in great measure by the offensive performance of outfielder Hugh Crilly who launched a home run and a pair of doubles.
    
Spring (W) and Hoose
Lawton (L) and Sinclair

The Hogtowners creamed the offerings of Sid May for a dozen safeties in easily annexing the sandwich event from the error-prone Clubbers. Tommy Shannon walloped a solo four-bagger as part of the Cee Cees’ five-hit offense.

Noble, Rasson (W) (4), Ellwood (8) and W. Buchanan, Hoose
May (L) and Kokran

Toronto shortstop Joe Breen clouted three home runs in the Dominion Day finale.

Noble, Rasson (5) and Hoose
McCallum and Cockburn

(July 2)  The Express-Elmwood Combines handed the Toronto Oslers the first defeat of their Winnipeg sojourn by downing the easterners 6 to 5 in a darkness-abbreviated contest terminated in the last-half of the seventh stanza with one out. The visitors appeared to still be fatigued from their gruelling schedule of a day previous and fell apart in the final canto when the Double E’s ran across three counters before the game was called. Finley Fairfield got the win despite being lit up for a two-run homer off the bat of Osler flychaser J. Buchanan. 

Ellwood, Spring (L) (3) and W. Buchanan
Fairfield (W) and Brown 
   
(July 3)  The Torontonians romped to a one-sided 11 to 1 conquest of Norwood as Osler pitching ace Joe Spring and two late mop-up artists limited the Suburbanites to five hits. First baseman “Buck” Hughes ripped a pair of doubles and two singles for the visitors.
     
Spring (W), Elwood (8), Watson (9) and Hoose
Roberts (L), Stobie and H. May

(July 4)  The Toronto Oslers closed out their jaunt to Winnipeg by tucking away another pair of victories. In the afternoon, the invaders shutout the Elks 3 to 0 and then, in a much anticipated rematch with the Arenas, clobbered the first-half pennant winners 10 to 1.
    
Osler portsider "Irish" Rasson held the Antlered Tribe to just three hits in the opener while his teammates were combing Larry Wilson for 13 base blows including a double and two singles by outfielder Jack Noble.

Rasson (W) and W. Buchanan
Wilson (L) and McCorquodale

Joe Spring’s benders completely baffled the Rinkmen in the nightcap. Only Bill Siddle, with a pair of doubles, was able to mar the performance of the Toronto slab artist who held every other member of the Arenas hitless. Second sacker J. Fleming, with a brace of round-trippers, and first baseman “Buck” Hughes with one, led the 13-hit Osler batting attack.

Spring (W) and Hoose, W. Buchanan
Irvine (L) and Mooney

SECOND-HALF

(July 6)  The second-half of the Wesley Park Senior League was ushered in with a mediocre, one-sided contest in which the Norwood nine throttled the Express-Elmwood Combos 13 to 1. The Double E’s, missing several of their regulars, sent a patched-up squad out to face the opposition and served up a pitiful performance with nine errors being the result. Winning pitcher “Lefty” Roberts rationed the Combines to five hits. Batters from the Suburbanites fattened up their averages considerably against the duo of hurlers sent out to face them. Jimmy Keedian smashed out three bingles, one of them a two-bagger. Outfielder Duncan stroked three singles and Roberts pitched in with a triple and single.

Reykjaklin (L), Deacon (5) and Brown
Roberts (W) and H. May

(July 7)  A grand-slam home run by Johnny “Slim” Austman in the top-of-the-ninth inning was part of a five-run rally that sparked the Tammany Tigers to an 8 to 4 conquest of the Columbus Club as both clubs began the second-half of the Wesley Park League schedule. With the score tied at 3 – 3 in the final spasm, Jimmy Grant clicked for a run-producing single to put the Bengals in front by one before Austman stepped into the batter’s box and connected with a fast shoot from losing chucker Dan Farrell that sailed over the outfield wall as the loaded sacks were quick to discharge their cargo. The Clubbers managed a singleton in their half of the session on a solo homer by Marty Kokran but it did little to decrease the large gap. Austman had a four-hit evening, swatting three singles prior to the grand-salami. Grant also was huge in the clutch and clouted a two-run circuit-jack in the sixth stanza that put the Jungle Cats on even terms with the Cee Cees. Kokran was far and away the top batter for the Columbians, clipping the apple for three one-base raps to go along with the late four-bagger. Teammate “Hap” Millar/Miller also lit up winning heaver Bill Crowe for a four-ply swat. 

Crowe (W) and Cockburn
Farrell (L) and Kokran

(July 8)  A wild peg to first base during a hurried attempt by the middle infielders of the Elks to complete a double play allowed the Arenas to score an unearned run in the ninth inning and nudge past the Antlered Brigade 3 to 2. Rival pitchers, Wally Lawton of the Rinkmen, and the Brother Bills’ “Red” Davison, put on a good show with each yielding just five hits in the evenly-contested struggle. Shortpatcher Joe Rivers and outfielder Larry Wilson of the losing Elks were the lone batters in the game with plural hit totals, each managing two singles.

Lawton (W) and Mobberly
Davison (L) and McCorquodale

(July 9)  The Tammany Tigers collected 14 hits and rolled to a one-sided 13 to 2 victory over Norwood in a Wesley Park encounter. Sammy McCallum was on the mound for the Bengals and, although he did not have the best of control, walking eight batters, was able to limit the Suburbanites to six hits with a tantalizing curveball. Losing heaver Harold Hultman was in difficulty right from the start, surrendering four tallies in the very first round. The Striped Cats put the game on ice in the third session by running across five runs, the first coming on a solo home run by catcher Bill Cockburn. McCallum and Dick Baril of the victors both swatted the orb for a double and single, a production equalled by Herb May of the losing nine.

Hultman (L) and H. May
McCallum (W) and Cockburn

(July 9)  The Wesley Park Senior Baseball League will finish the season with five clubs following the withdrawal of the Express-Elmwood Combines at a special executive meeting.

(July 11)  The Arenas made it two straight win in the second series of the Wesley Park League by defeating the Columbus Club 10 to 8 in a free-hitting battle in which each team collected a total of 11 bingles. Three home runs figured in the scoring, all three being gathered by Arena batsmen. Greig Warren, Pat Cann and winning flinger Wally Lawton poled the apple over the fence for circuit-drives. Dunc Irvine started on the hill for the Rinkmen but was chased in the seventh in favor of Lawton. Sid May went the route for the Clubbers but received brutal defensive support, especially in the infield. Cann punched out two singles to go along with his four-bagger while shortpatcher Bill Knight paced the Cee Cees batting attack with a double and a brace of one-baggers. Warren gleaned a double to accompany his round-tripper.

May (L) and Kokran
Irvine, Lawton (W) (7) and Mobberly, Sinclair

(July 13)  Spitball artist extraordinaire Jack Hind baffled the Tammany Tigers on three hits, all singles, in pitching the Elks to a 2 to 0 shutout win over the Jungle Cats. The Antlered Herd, strengthened with a pair of refugees from the extinct Express-Elmwood aggregation, played well behind the veteran right-hander, especially shortstop Joe Rivers who saved the team’s bacon by making a brilliant stab of hard up-the-middle grounder in the eighth episode which prevented two or possibly more runs. Bill Crowe worked on the hill for the Bengals and turned in a fine, five-hit effort. Both runs plated against him were unearned. Outfielder T. McDonald singled home the first Elk counter following a muffed fly ball in the opening canto while Ole Olien doubled in an insurance tally in the fourth after Packey McFarlane was given new life when a throw to first base was dropped on what should have been a routine groundout. Olien had a single to go along with his two-bagger and was the lone multi-hit player in the game.  

Hind (W) and McCorquodale
Crowe (L) and Cockburn

(July 14)  Columbus Club balltossers picked off another victory at the expense of the Norwood team, outscoring their opponents 11 to 5. After starting heaver Nick Doyle got off to a shaky beginning, Dan Farrell was seconded to ascend the knoll and douse the flames. Farrell hurled 8-1/3 innings of solid relief for the Clubbers to cop the mound verdict over “Lefty” Roberts. He was his strongest when in a corner and whiffed seven during his term of office. Bill Knight was the big noise with the baton for the Cee Cees, clubbing the horsehide for four hits which included two doubles and a home run. His quartet of bingles produced five RBI’s. Shortstop Camille Van Beneen singled three times for the losing Suburbanites. 

Doyle, Farrell (W) (1) and Kokran
Roberts (L) and H. May

(July 15)  “Red” Davison and Sid May hooked up as opposing twirlers in a Wesley Park duel in which the Elks came out on top 2 to 1 over the Columbus Club. Despite collecting only three hits off the veteran May, the Horned Herd won because of their ability to strike during the openings offered. The Clubbers got to winning flinger Davison for seven safeties and had more scoring opportunities but stranded seven baserunners. The Antlered Tribe scored what proved to be the deciding counter in the sixth spasm when outfielder T. McDonald nailed a May offering for a single off the right field fence, driving in Lawrie Cuthbert who had walked and moved into scoring position on a groundout. McDonald picked up another one-bagger to replicate the two-single performance of the Columbian’s Errol Gillis.

Davison (W) and McCorquodale
May (L) and Kokran

(July 16)  The Arenas remained unbeaten in the second-half of play after taking down the Norwood squad 7 to 4. The Rinkmen had the same number of base hits, seven, as the losers but parlayed three of those, along with two complimentary passes from losing heaver Bill Stobie, into a four-run fifth inning to take control of the game. Bob Beddome went the distance for the winners, fanning six, while Stobie swished five. Top hitter in the contest was newly-acquired Stan Weir. The former Express-Elmwood outfielder ripped three singles for the Suburbanites.  

Beddome (W) and Sinclair
Stobie (L) and Brown, H. May

(July 17)  Right-hander Bill Crowe made the Arenas finally bite the dust when he pitched the Tammany Tigers to a 6 to 4 triumph over the first-half winners. Other than his tendency to give up the long ball with a minimal amount of damage accruing, Crowe hurled a great game, effectively scattering nine hits. He was tight in the pinches and had pin-point control, walking nary an Arena batter. The counters amassed by the Rinkmen were the result of three drives that popped over the right field fence for homers. Bunny Warren had one of these, a solo shot, and Art Frick had the other two, a bases-empty clout and a two-run blast. Both of Frick’s swats were high but not long, barely clearing the wall. Left-hander Herb Fitch did the heaving for the Arenas and had a rather bumpy evening, especially in the sixth stanza when the Tammany Troupe got to him for four runs on four hits. The Jungle Cats presented a well-balanced offense as every batter in their line-up, with the exception of Crowe, had at least one safety. Initial sacker L. Hogeboom, third baseman A. A. Armstrong and catcher Ron Singbush each had a double and single to spark the victors’ 11-hit attack.

Crowe (W) and Singbush
Fitch (L) and Sinclair

(July 18)  The Elks copped their third decision of the second-half when the clipped the winless Norwood nine 6 to 4 in a loosely-played affair. Winning slabster Larry Wilson lasted until two were down in the ninth inning before “Red” Davison was summoned to the hill to preserve the victory. The Suburbanites picked up nine safeties to just seven for the Brother Bills but complete-game loser “Lefty” Roberts had ragged support behind him, six errors being made. Catcher Dunc McCorquodale led the Antlered Herd with the lumber, swatting the orb for a double and two singles. Toddy May ripped a two-bagger and a single for Norwood. 

Roberts (L) and H. May
Wilson (W), Davison (9) and McCorquodale

(July 20)  A 10 to 5 doubling of the Columbus Club vaulted the Tammany Tigers out in front in the race for second-half honors in the Wesley Park senior circuit. A five-spot in the eighth episode by the Jungle Tabbies put the game out of reach for the Clubbers who were out-hit 10 to 7. Bill Crowe struck out nine in recording the hillock victory over Dan Farrell. Clare Livesley singled three times for the winners while Crowe and Charlie Gardiner each cracked out a double and one-bagger. Eddie Cass clouted a two-run round-tripper, a double and a single for the Cee Cees. Clubmate Marty Kokran also walloped a homer with one aboard.    

Farrell (L) and Kokran
Crowe (W) and Cockburn

(July 21)  The Arenas jumped back into a tie for top place in the second-half standings as a result of a 6 to 4 victory over the Elks. The Wapiti, with a 13 to 9 advantage in bingles, had plenty of opportunities to score more runs but made some costly base running mistakes. With the score knotted at 4 – 4 in the seventh spasm, Pat Cann delivered a two-run double off “Red” Davison to put the Rinkmen ahead for good. Art Frick had a brace of doubles for the winners while Cann added an earlier single to his game-deciding two-bagger. Steve Penu got to starting heaver Dunc Irvine and winning chucker, fifth-inning reliever Wally Lawton, for three singles to pace the Antlered Tribe from the batter’s box. 

Davison (L) and McCorquodale
Irvine, Lawton (W) (5) and Sinclair

(July 22)  Giving a sorry exhibition of defensive play, the Norwood baseballers were thumped 11 to 3 by the Tammany Tigers. Ten times during the contest, the Suburbanites were guilty of misplays, most of which helped in building up the one-sided score. The Norwood nine actually out-hit the Tammany Troopers 11 to 6 but gifted the decision to the Jungle Cats with their inept play afield. Finley Fairfield, in his first appearance with the Bengals since the dissolution of the Express-Elmwood club, collected the pitching win although he was not particularly effective. A newcomer to the hurling staff of the Suburbanites, “Lefty” Monio, was the hard-luck loser. Norwood’s Jimmy Keedian, with a double and two singles, emerged as the contest’s leading hitter.  

Fairfield (W) and Singbush
Monio (L) and H. May

(July 23)   The Columbus Club bumped off the Elks 5 to 4 in a Wesley Park fixture called at the end of the seventh inning owing to the growing darkness. It was an evenly-fought match finally decided by Elk errors. Tied 4 – 4 in the top-of-the-sixth stanza, the Columbians ran across the winning counter on an outfield miscue and a dropped throw at first base. Jimmy Bradley punched out a triad of one-base raps for the Clubbers in support of winning heaver Sid May. Third baseman Watson had a double and single for the Antlered Tribe. 

May (W) and Kokran
Hind (L), Chafe (2) and McCorquodale

(July 24)  The Columbus Club added another win to their growing total when they romped away to a 9 to 2 pasting of the Norwood clan. The game was close until the sixth inning when the Clubbers got to losing chucker Bill Stobie for six counters as Nick Doyle clouted a three-run homer and Marty Kokran drove in three more with a bases-loaded triple. Doyle had two singles in addition to his four-bagger. Dan Farrell worked on the hill for the winners with his usual gusto. He struck out nine and received fine support.

Stobie (L), Roberts (6) and H. May
Farrell (W) and Kokran

(July 25)  A ninth-inning rally by the Tammany Tigers fell just short as they were nosed out 6 to 5 by the Arenas. Winning heaver Dunc Irvine pitched himself into a hole many times during the engagement but always managed to squirm out of peril without surrendering the lead that his teammates had built up for him early in the game. Bill Crowe opposed Irvine on the clay heap but didn’t have a lot on the ball until the fifth frame when he tightened up and pitched more like himself the rest of the way. Three home runs were clouted in the affair with Pat Cann and Joe Downey of the Rinkmen going deep while the Bengals’ Tony Baril following suit. Top swatsmith in the fracas was Jimmy Grant of the Jungle Cats who picked up a triple plus two singles.

Irvine (W) and Sinclair
Crowe (L) and Singbush

(July 27)  The Elks ran across four tallies in the fifth frame to take a 7 to 4 comeback win from the Tammany Tigers. First-inning fireman “Red” Davison copped the hurling verdict over Bengal starter Sammy McCallum who bowed out in the fateful fifth. “Packey” McFarlane, Joe Rivers, Gord Caslake and Ole Olien all hit safely twice for the Antlered Herd as did Charlie Gardiner of the Jungle Tabbies.

McCallum (L), Crowe (5) and Cockburn
Chafe, Davison (W) (1) and McCorquodale

(July 28)  The tail-end Norwood nine surprised the front-running Arenas by taking down the league leaders 6 to 5. Norwood’s ”Lefty” Monio got the better of his mound opponent Wally Lawton over the course of the see-saw struggle, holding the Rinkmen to nine hits while his mates were accumulating a dozen safeties. Both chuckers were wild, walking five and six respectively. Trailing 5 to 4 in the fifth frame, the Suburbanites tied the score on Tod Mays’ solo homer. Later in the chapter, Camille Van Beneen singled home “Fungo” Waks with what turned out to be the winning marker. Van Beneen and new third baseman Symington both singled three times for the victors. Outfielder Joe Downey of the Arenas also swatted a trio of one-baggers.
 
Monio (W) and H. May
Lawton (L) and Sinclair

(July 29)  Former Express-Elmwood hurler Finley Fairfield won his second start with the Tammany Tigers when he held the hard-hitting Columbus Club to four scattered hits as the Striped Felines prevailed 4 to 2. Sid May pitched a good game for the Bengals, striking out ten while fashioning a six-hitter, but two errors behind him brought in two of the Tammany tallies while a brace of walks figured in the other pair. The Jungle Cats never trailed after pushing across a first-inning counter. Tony Baril had two singles for the winners, one of which drove in two runs.    
   
Fairfield (W) and Singbush
May (L) and Kokran

(July 30)  For eight snappy innings, Bill Stobie, Norwood’s star mound artist, held the Elks without the semblance of a hit or a run while his teammates were busy banging veteran Jack Hind for ten safeties that produced six counters. Just as Stobie appeared to have a no-hit, no-run contest in the palm of his glove, the old flipper weakened a trifle and his support in the field began to waver as the Wapiti connected for two safeties and four ninth-chapter tallies but fell short of a full comeback as they dropped a 6 to 4 Wesley Park engagement to the Suburbanites. Herb May, Stobie’s batterymate, provided a two-run double and a pair of singles to lead the Antlered Herd’s offensive attack. Despite being stung with the hillock setback, Hind was able accumulate 13 strikeouts in the contest. 
  
Hind (L) and McCorquodale
Stobie (W) and H. May

SECOND-HALF
STANDINGS               W       L       Pct.
Arenas                  5       2      .714
Tammany Tigers          6       3      .667
Elks                    4       4      .500
Columbus Club           3       5      .375
Norwood                 2       6      .250   

(August 1)  It appears that the pace-setting Arenas are going to be hard to stop in laying claim to the second-half Wesley Park League honors after they pranced home to a 14 to 5 thrashing of the Columbus Club. Bob Beddome worked the distance on the hill for the Arenas and looked wobbly most of the way. He was short on control, walking seven but, as the game wore on, he tightened up, finishing the last four innings in safe style.  Dan Farrell opposed him for 5-2/3 innings before being sent to the showers. His role on the clay heap was taken over by Pitcher, a newcomer, who gave up only one run, a ninth-canto four-bagger by Joe Downey. The Rinkmen amassed 13 safe swats to ten for the Clubbers. Downey had an earlier home run plus a  single to finish with three hits while Beddome kicked in with a triad of singles. First baseman Pat Cann added a third round-tripper for the Rinkmen to go along with a double. Eddie Cass topped the hit parade for the Cee Cees with a circuit-clout and a single while Marty Kokran pounded the pill for a triple and a one-bagger.

Beddome (W) and Sinclair
Farrell (L), Pitcher (6) and Kokran

(August 3)  Holiday doubleheader action at Wesley Park saw the Tammany Tigers defeat the Columbus Club 7 to 2 in the morning game while, in the afternoon, the Elks set down the Arenas for the first time this season, taking a 6 to 4 decision.
      
The early fixture saw Tiger heaver Bill Crowe annex the knoll verdict over Sid May when, in the eighth episode, two hits, one of which was a scratch single, two errors, two walks and a pair of hit batters allowed the Bengals to  plate a four-spot and break open a close 3 – 2 encounter. A brace of solo home runs, one each by Jimmy Bradley and “Doc” Flanagan, were the only runs registered by the Clubbers against Crowe. Flanagan stroked a pair of singles to accompany his bases-empty circuit-jack to lead all batters in the engagement. Charlie Gardiner poked a double and a one-bagger for the winning Jungle Cats.

May (L) and Kokran
Crowe (W) and Singbush

The Arenas’ Wally Lawton and Johnny Davison of the Elks were the opposing twirlers in the follow-up fracas with the red-thatched Elk heaver having the better of the joust, allowing only four hits. Two of those bingles were homers, however, the first one by “Snake” Siddle coming with the sacks empty while the other blast by Joe Downey, transpired with two runners aboard. The Antlered Herd slapped Lawton’s offerings around for 13 safeties as “Packey” McFarlane registered three of those while third baseman Watson, Lawrie Cuthbert and Dunc McCorquodale each delivered a pair.

Lawton (L) and Sinclair
Davison (W) and McCorquodale

(August 4)  The shorthanded Tammany Tigers tucked away a 7 to 2 victory over Norwood to keep the pressure on the Arenas in their battle for first place in the second series. Aided by Sammy McCallum’s fine three-hit twirling, the Bengals played better than ever, even without the presence of three of their regulars. They assumed an early lead and Norwood never threatened except for the fifth frame when McCallum gave up a two-run single to “Fungo” Waaks. “Lefty” Monio was on the hill for the Suburbanites and pitched reasonably well, surrendering only five safeties, but did not receive the best of defensive support from his teammates. Outfielder Jimmy Grant pasted a run-scoring double plus a single for the winners.

Monio (L) and H. May, Symington
McCallum (W) and Singbush

(August 5)  Bad base running hindered the Elks in their foray against the Columbus Club baseballers in a game in which the Columbians prevailed 5 to 4. The Clubbers were outhit 7 – 4 yet managed to win the battle, primarily on the hot bat of first sacker Eddie Cass who had three of his team’s four safeties, a two-run homer, a bases-empty four-ply clout and a single. The Antlered Herd played a snappy game in the field, cracked winning chucker Danny Farrell’s offerings in bunches but fell down badly with ducks on the pond. Boneheaded plays on the basepaths cost the Wapiti at least two tallies. Speedballer “Red” Davison started on the knoll for the Brother Bills and was nailed with the setback, giving way to curve-balling Larry Wilson in the sixth spasm. Lawrie Cuthbert had three of the seven bingles registered by the losers, two of those safeties being doubles, but was caught napping at the keystone sack in one of the Elks’ brain freeze moments that decided the result. 

Davison (L), Wilson (6) and McCorquodale
Farrell (W) and Bradley

(August 6)  Norwood was just like putty in the hands of Arena slabster Dunc Irvine in a game in which the Rinkmen blanked the Suburbanites 7 to 0 to draw within a half-game of the second-half leading Tammany Tigers. Irvine’s southpaw shoots completely baffled the Norwood batters, holding them hitless until two were down in the seventh stanza. He finished with a three-hitter. Another portsider, “Lefty” Roberts, was on the hill for the vanquished nine and was nicked for 11 safe swats including two each by Greig Warren, Bill Siddle and Art Frick. 

Irvine (W) and Sinclair
Roberts (L) and A. Olien

(August 8)   The Arenas are back on top of the Wesley Park League’s second-half standings after fighting back from a 5 – 0 first-inning deficit to squeeze past the Tammany Tigers 11 to 10 in a heavy-hitting encounter. “Bunny” Warren’s bingle in the bottom-half of the bonus round of play sent Bill Siddle scampering across the pan with the winning tally. Arena starting heaver Wally Lawton had nothing on the ball and was sent to the showers after the Bengals piled on him for a quintet of opening-canto counters with Siddle being called upon to take over the mound chores. The adversaries cracked out 34 hits in the ten-frame engagement with the Rinkmen accounting for 18 of them. The Warren brothers were instrumental in winning the ball game. In the ninth chapter when things looked dark for the Arenas, Greig scorched a two-out single into the left garden to plate Art Frick with the tying tally. Then, again in the overtime session, after the Tammany Troupe had been retired in the top-half of the round, “Bunny” with his hefty bludgeon, lit up losing twirler Bill Crowe for a single into the right pasture to easily drive in Siddle from the hot corner sack, ending the hostilities. Siddle racked up five safeties in the joust, all singles, while the elder Warren had four, one of which was a two-bagger. Jimmy Grant was best with the baton for the Striped Felines, cracking out a home run, triple and double. Ward McVey followed with a brace of doubles and a three-bagger.

Fairfield, Crowe (L) (4) and Singush
Lawton, Siddle (W) (1) and Sinclair

(August 10)  The Columbus Club defeated Norwood 4 to 2 in a snappy, eight-inning fixture at Wesley Park. The result had little bearing on the race, simply shelving Norwood deeper into the cellar. Sid May hurled for the Cee Cees and was opposed on the hill by the Suburbanites’ Bill Stobie. Both were in good form, May yielding but six hits, walking none and fanning nine while Stobie whiffed four, gave up eight hits, hit one batter and issued  three free passes. A pair of solo homers, one each by third baseman Symington and outfielder Wilf Arnott, gave the Norwood aggregation their only runs. Both Symington and Arnott connected for singles as well. “Doc” Flanagan, the Clubbers’ peerless flychaser and dentist, was best with the lumber for the winners, clouting a four-bagger and a couple of singles.

May (W) and Kokran
Stobie (L) and A. Olien

(August 11)  The second-place Tammany Tigers took another flop in their quest to overtake the Arenas for the second-half pennant when they were sunk to the canvas for the count in a 5 to 3 setback from the pesky Elks. The solid right hand punch of heaver Larry Wilson carried the Brother Bills to victory in the hard-fought event. He allowed but six bingles in going the route for the decision over Sammy McCallum. Both teams enjoyed the lead twice during the game but the Bengals went ahead to stay in the sixth with a deuce, following a short-lived 3 – 2 Tammany lead as a result of Ward McVey’s two-run round-tripper. It was a two-run double by Lawrie Cuthbert that put the Jungle Cats out front for good and they added an insurance counter in the eighth following an error. Cuthbert wound up as the leading hitter in the fracas with a pair of two-baggers and a single while McVey added a one-bagger to his scorching four-ply clout.

Wilson (W) and Dakins
McCallum (L) and Singbush

(August 13)  The Elks packed away another triumph by taking the cellar-dwelling Norwood nine into camp 7 to 1. The victory places the Antlered Brigade within a half-game of the second-place Tammany Tigers. Veteran heaver Jack Hind stifled the Suburbanites on three singles, two of which came off the bat of Jack Seel, in recording the complete-game knoll triumph. Starting and losing twirler “Lefty” Monio was a trifle shaky and bit the dust in the third round after giving up five runs as another portsider, “Lefty” Roberts, was called upon to complete the mound task for the remainder of the game. The Wapiti banged out seven safeties and were aided by five Norwood fielding miscues. Steve Penu led their balanced offensive output with a  pair of one-baggers.

Monio (L), Roberts (3) and H. May
Hind (W) and Dakins

(August 17)  The Arenas strengthened their hold on the second-half leadership by blanking the Elks 3 to 0. The victory gives the Rinkmen a 1-1/2 game cushion over the Tammany Tigers with four games remaining in their schedule. Bob Beddome improved his won-loss record to 6 - 0 for the season by holding the Antlered Tribe to just two hits, one a sizzling double by Steve Penu and the other a scratchy final-stanza single. “Red” Davison, for the Horned Herd, also pitched a strong game, doling out seven safeties including two singles to “Mickey” Mickelson.  Errors in the third round, when the Arenas scored all their runs, proved Davidson’s downfall.

Davison (L) and Dakins
Beddome (W) and Sinclair

SECOND-HALF
STANDINGS               W       L       Pct.
Arenas                  9       3      .750
Tammany Tigers          8       5      .615
Elks                    6       6      .500
Columbus Club           5       7      .417
Norwood                 2       9      .182

(August 18)  Last-place Norwood made an exceptionally fine showing in their clash with the runner-up Tammany Tigers, handing the Bengals a severe blow with a well-deserved 3 to 2 conquest.  Both winning slabster “Lefty” Monio and Bill Crowe of the Jungle Tabbies pitched well, each allowing just six safeties. Shortstop Camille Van Beneen clouted a solo homer and a single for the Suburbanites and added a pair of stolen bases as well. Teammate Alex Olien singled twice as did Jimmy Grant and Tony Baril of the Ferocious Felines.

Crowe (L) and Singbush
Monio (W) and A. Olien

(August 19)  Hopelessly eliminated from second-half series contention, the bottom-feeding Norwood contingent of baseballers reeled off their second upset win in two evenings by bumping off the Columbus Club 8 to 7 in a wild and hectic game that was called by the umpires after five sessions of plays on account of darkness. Bill Stobie, star heaver of the Norwoods, was in trouble in three of the five rounds but hung on to claim the mound verdict. The Clubbers used two new chuckers, starter Jimminy Johnson, who was derricked in the opening round when five runs were charged to him, and reliever Mike Bartonchuk. The Clubbers roared back to tie the score with a deuce in their half of the first and a trey in the second. The Suburbanites eventually tucked the game away in the fifth with an unearned tally and third sacker Symington’s solo homer. A two-run single by Marty Kokran engineered a last-inning rally by the Cee Cees that just fell short before darkness intervened.     
   
Johnson, Bartonchuk (L) (1) and Kokran
Stobie (W) and A. Olien

(August 20)  Timely hitting by veteran catcher Ron Singbush gave the Tammany Tigers a 4 to 3 victory over the league-leading Arenas, a win which kept the Bengals’ slim hope of catching the Rinkmen in the second-half pennant chase still alive. Singbush, who began the season with the Elks, practically defeated the pace-setters single-handedly, banging out three of the five Tammany hits off losing twirler Wally Lawton. He crashed a three-run homer in the seventh spasm to put his club in front for good and garnered two hits earlier in the game, drilling a two-bagger in the opening round and a single in the fifth. Winning flinger Sammy McCallum was nicked for seven safeties including three singles to “Snake” Siddle and a round-tripper to Pat Cann with Siddle aboard.

Lawton (L) and Sinclair
McCallum (W) and Singbush

(August 22)  The Columbus Club eliminated the Elks from the second-half series’ race when they handed the Antlered Crew an 8 to 7 setback. Although the Horned Herd outswatted the Clubbers 12 to 7, they were unable to come through in the pinches when bingles meant bacon. Jack Hind started on the clay bump for the Brother Bills but, after the Cee Cees had scored five runs off his deliveries, was given an early shower as “Red” Davison took over mound chores. Long-in-the-tooth Sid May went all the way on the knoll for the victors despite being hit freely. Lawrie Cuthbert nicked May’s offerings for three singles while Joe Rivers connected for a double and one-bagger. The Columbians were credited with two home runs in the game, a legitimate two-run circuit-clout by “Doc” Flanagan plus a flukey inside-the-park hit by “Hap” Millar/Miller that somehow eluded the right fielder and kept rolling. Eddie Cass cracked out a double and single while Millar/Miller added a single to his freak round-tripper.

May (W) and Kokran
Hind (L), Davison (3) and Brown

(August 25)  With a 4 to 3 victory over the Norwood balltossers, the Arenas clinched no worse than a tie for the second-half pennant in the Wesley Park association of teams. The league-leaders, outhit by a 7 to 5 margin, had their hands full with the Suburbanites and need the long ball to pull out the win. In the sixth session, after Norwood had tied the count at 2 – 2, “Snake” Siddle beaned the pill over the right field fence to give the Rinkmen a one-run lead. Then, in the seventh spasm, Joe Downey clouted a solo four-bagger over the left field wall for an insurance counter that was needed as the Suburbanites pressed hard in the eighth and final inning but came up one tally short despite Herb May’s RBI-single. Darkness then ended the affair. Bob Beddome maintained his unbeaten hurling record with the complete-game triumph while “Lefty” Monio was saddled with the setback. Downey had a single in addition to his four-ply clout to take the honors as the game’s leading hitter.

Monio (L) and H. May
Beddome (W) and Sinclair

(August 26)  In a contest that did not mean a thing to either team, the Elks roughed up losing heaver Harold Hultman for five runs on five hits in the seventh and final stanza to hand the Norwood nine an 8 to 3 lacing. The B.P.O.E. Brigade never had the lead until their final turn at bat and only knotted the score with a solo home off the bat of Olie Olien in the sixth spasm of the darkness-shortened engagement. Olien led the hit parade for the evening with three base raps. Winning twirler Larry Wilson was tagged for six safeties including a pair of one-baggers by “Fungo” Waks.   

Wilson (W) and Dakins
Hultman (L) and Symington

(August 27)  Scoring twice in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning of a darkness-shortened affair, the Columbus Club salvaged a 5 – 5 tie with the Arenas, preventing the Rinkmen from officially clinching the second series honors. The Arenas went into the final round leading 5 to 3 and seemed to have the game tucked away but portsider Dunc Irvine grew as wild as a hawk to force in two runs before Bill Siddle was rushed in to stem the tide. Irvine was opposed by Sid May who held the pacesetters to seven safeties, one of which was a solo homer by Art Frick. Both Irvine and May stroked a brace of one-baggers and were the lone multi-hit batters in the deadlock. 

Irvine, Siddle (7) and Sinclair
May and Kokran

(August 29)  By defeating the Columbus Club 7 to 6 in a tense, ten-inning fixture, the Arenas annexed both the second-half series and the undisputed championship of the Wesley Park Baseball League for 1925. Winning chucker Wally Lawton won his own game by coming through with a clutch single in the last half of the overtime frame to drive in Mickey Mickelson with the deciding counter. Mickelson had been the recipient of a two-out walk, moving to second when playing-manager Len Sinclair was hit by a pitch. The lead changed hand several times during the initial five chapters and the Clubbers led 6 to 5 heading into the bottom-of-the-eighth episode. The Rinkmen then got a break when Art Frick reached second base when his fly ball into the middle pasture was blown back by a strong gust of wind, dropping safely in the infield. Mickelson followed with a legitimate two-batter as Frick crossed the pan with the equalizer. Lawton was touched for eight safeties, including three singles by Tommy Shannon, in a route-going performance. Losing heaver Sid May gave up a dozen base knocks. Frick tagged him for a two-run homer in addition to his wind-blown double. Mickelson also picked up two safeties, adding a one-bagger to his game-tying blow. Sinclair also delivered a double and single.     

May (L) and Kokran
Lawton and Sinclair


1925 SHERBURN PARK BASEBALL LEAGUE

This West End Winnipeg & District senior league broke away from the Manitoba Amateur Baseball Association for the 1925 season and operated as an independent circuit.

TEAMS
Crescents
Great War Veterans
Portage la Prairie (excluded from league in early August) *
St. Boniface Tigers
South End (dropped out in late July) **

* Portage La Prairie – 1925 first-half winners. Leading after second-half got underway but were excluded from remainder of schedule as Winnipeg teams found it too much of a financial burden to make road trips to the Plains City. At this point, the 1925 league slowly ground to a halt with no second-half winner declared.

** South End dropped out of league in late July.

FIRST-HALF

(May 9)  Braving the cool elements of blowing snow through the entire nine innings, the Crescents prevailed 12 to 8 over the St. Boniface Tigers in the Sherburn Park League opener. The Cathedral City nine sported a 7 – 0 lead after 4-1/2 innings of play but fell apart during the remainder of the contest, hitting bottom in the eighth when the Crescents ran across eight counters against losing chucker Johnny Dyer. After the Saints had plated a six-spot in the fifth, winning tosser Gordon Kaye was summoned to the knoll for the victors and allowed but one run on three hits the rest of the way. Catcher Magill of the Crescents launched the season’s first home run, a solo shot. 
  
Dyer (L) and Marius
Lee, Kaye (W) (5) and Magill

(May 11)  Nine runs in the fifth inning propelled the South End nine to a 10 to 1 conquest over the newly-formed Great War Veteran aggregation in a darkness-shortened, five-frame Sherburn Park League encounter. Johnny Foster, who did the knolling for the South Enders, had the sign on the Vets, holding them to four hits with his effective assortment of curves, while his teammates played errorless behind him. Centre fielder Watkins of the victors, with a double and single, was the only hitter in the game with plural hit totals.

Foster (W) and Woods
Coughlin (L), Persse (5) and Dundas

(May 13)  St. Boniface broke into the Sherburn Park League victory column when they walloped the Great War Veterans 9 to 3. Winning heaver McDougall, on the mound for the Saints, was a puzzle to the Vets in the seven-round encounter, sending 14 of their batters back to the bench via the strikeout route. Besides pitching a seven-hitter, McDougall was the bright star with the hickory for the winners, nailing a triple, double and single while teammate Newman delivered a double and two singles.

Persse (L), Coughlin (2) and Dundas
McDougall (W) and Marius

(May 14)  Bunching their hits in three innings, the Crescents went into the leadership of the Sherburn Park Baseball League by capturing a 9 to 7 victory over the young South End nine. Gordon Kaye, although hit hard, went the full distance on the mound for the Crescents. Southpaw Sally Rushworth started on the hill for the South Enders but was pounded freely and retired in the fourth frame. Five big counters in the fourth frame shifted the momentum to the winners who were led by Kaye’s pair of doubles and a single. Catcher Nellis Woods of the vanquished squad matched Kaye’s offensive output while Crescent first baseman Thurston delivered a two-bagger and a brace of one-base raps.  

Kaye (W) and Magill
Rushworth (L), Paquin (4) and Woods 

(May 16)  The Crescents packed away another Sherburn Park League victory when they took the Great War Veterans into camp to the tune of 11 to 3. Once again, the Dairymen used one big inning to salt the game away. Seven runs in the seventh stanza took the kick out of the Vets. Robinson, with a seven-hitter, earned the mound verdict over Coughlin who was nicked for a dozen safeties. Third sacker Bill Clifford of the winners and Vets’ outfielder McElheran each collected three singles. “Shorty” Kelleher smashed a pair of doubles for the Creamery Crew and teammate Bennett walloped a home run. 

Robinson (W) and Magill, Shandre
Coughlin (L) and Dundas, D. Sutherland

(May 18)  The South End baseballers pounded four St. Boniface hurlers to all corners of Sherburn Park and tucked away a 12 to 3 conquest to stay on the heels of the league-leading Crescents. Winning chucker Jimmy Foster set the Saints down on five hits and whiffed 13 in a route-going performance. The South Enders put the result on ice in the initial canto when they ran across seven big counters. Infielder Watkins had a perfect evening at the plate for the victors, cracking out five hits, including a double, in as many trips to the plate. 

McPherson (L), Dyer (1), McDougall (1), Leveque (5) and xxx
Foster (W) and xxx

(May 20)  Portage la Prairie balltossers made their first appearance in the Sherburn Park senior loop a successful one when they were handed a gift 6 to 5 win by the hosting South End nine. Despite banging out 11 base knocks off complete-game winner Freeman Dalzell, the South Enders wasted a solid six-hit pitching effort from Mat Miller who fanned 15. Seven juicy errors proved a big help to the visitors. A solo home run by outfielder Hill in the seventh stanza put the Plains City nine in front for good. Flychaser Watkins led the losers’ balanced offensive attack with a double and single.  

Dalzell (W) and B. Burns
Miller (L) and McDowell

(May 21)  In arrears 6 – 0 after two innings of play, the Crescents battled back to forge a 7 – 7 tie with the Great War Veterans in a Sherburn Park League fixture. The Creamery Crew nicked starter “Lefty” Ward and reliever Coughlin for 11 safeties, three of these coming off the bat off “Shorty” Kelleher. Lee pitched for the Dairymen and surrendered ten hits including a double and single by Vets’ second sacker Macklin

Ward, Coughlin (6) and Dundas
Lee and Shandre, Nichol

(May 23)  Pounding the offerings of the first two of three hurlers used by South End for 13 of their 14 base knocks, the Crescents hung up a sweet 11 to 7 victory to strengthen their hold atop the Sherburn Park League. Only southpaw Sally Rushworth, the last of the South End trio of slabsters, was effective on the knoll for the losers. Winning twirler Gordon Kaye was somewhat shaky for the first three rounds but settled into a comfortable groove as the game progressed and finished with a six-hitter while whiffing seven. Outfielder McDowell, with three doubles, and catcher Nellis Woods, with a home run and single, presented the biggest thorns in his side. Kaye helped his own cause with the bat by stroking three singles and had plenty of offensive support as every batter in the lineup of the Dairymen had at least one base rap. Bill Clifford hammered a round-tripper and a single, “Shorty” Kelleher a double and one-bagger and first baseman Thurston a brace of one-base knocks. 

Foster (L), Miller (5), Rushworth (5) and Woods
Kaye (W) and Magill

(May 25)  Hitting in the pinches and taking full advantage of St. Boniface fielding miscues, the South End diamond troopers chalked up a 16 to 8 conquest of the Cathedral City nine. The Saints played a wretched defensive game, committing nine errors which helped, in large measure, stake the South Enders to an early 10 – 0 lead. Outfielder McDowell clipped the apple for three doubles and a single in pacing the winners’ 14-hit offensive thrust. Teammates Watkins and Nellis Woods followed with a two-bagger and single each, an output equalled by Saints’ second baseman Machon

Pucci (W), Paquin (5), Miller (9) and Woods
T. Leveque (L), McDougall (8) and Marius

(May 27)  The Crescents reeled off their fifth straight win by staging a remarkable tenth-inning rally to defeat Portage la Prairie 10 to 9. It was a heavy-hitting game in which the Dairymen had a 15 to 14 advantage in base knocks. The combatants were deadlocked 6 – 6 after regulation time but in the top-of-the-tenth, the Plains City nine came through with a three-run outburst and it looked like curtains for the homesters. However, the Creamery Clan narrowed the deficit to one before winning pitcher Gordon Kaye drilled a two-out single off “Lefty” Gannon to drive in the tying and winning runs. Outfielder Bennett and infielder Trender of the victors both cuffed the spheroid for a double and two singles while teammates Bill Clifford and flychaser Young had a two-bagger and single apiece. Leading the invaders offensively were third baseman Buddick, as well as outfielders Bill Metcalf and Bell, with a double and one-bagger each.

Gannon (L) and A. Burns
Kaye (W) and Shandre

(May 28)  St. Boniface baseballers recorded their second win in the Sherburn Park League by turning back the winless Great War Veterans 6 to 2. “Chick” Chafe was back in harness for the Saints and gave up ten well-scattered hits while fanning eight in recording the pitching victory. Losing chucker Coughlin whiffed a dozen and was also nicked for ten safeties but was more inclined to surrender bingles in bunches. T. Leveque, St. Boniface third sacker, was the chief swat artist in the contest, connecting safely for four base knocks, all singles. Outfielder McElheran led the Vets offensively, stroking a double and two singles.

Chafe (W) and Marius
Coughlin (L) and Black

(May 29)  Hosting Portage la Prairie jumped into second place in the Sherburn Park Baseball League by edging South End 8 to 7. The Plains City nine battered loser Sally Rushworth and reliever Mat Miller for 21 base raps as Metcalf led the way with four singles. Catcher Burns contributed a triple, double and single to drive in four runs. Freeman Dalzell, nicked for ten safeties, went all the way on the hillock for the win.

Rushworth (L), Miller (9) and Woods
Dalzell (W) and B. Burns

(May 30)  In a free-hitting and loosely-played Sherburn Park League contest, the Crescents ran their string of victories to six by handing the St. Boniface squad 19 to 10 pasting. The Saints blew away their chances by committing nine miscues as the South Enders piled up a total of 16 hits.  Bill Clifford, first baseman Thurston and outfielder Young all had three hits for the winners with a home run included in Clifford’s trio of swats. Flychaser Bedard of the Cathedral City nine lit up winning chucker Stobie for a triple and two singles while losing pitcher McDougall and second baseman Machon each contributed a double and a brace of one-baggers to the losers’ 13-hit offense.

McDougall (L), Helfrick and Marius, Bouchard
Stobie (W), Reid (8) and Shandre

(June 3)  The Crescents were finally halted in Sherburn Park League play, dropping a 2 to 1 decision to the young South End performers in a game that was interesting from start to finish. Mat Miller was on the mound for the winners and he limited the Creamery Crew to six hits. Lee did the hurling for the Dairymen and while he was also in good form, a streak of wildness spelled defeat for him. South End scored once in the opening panel when Dakins singled, moved to second on a walk to Davis and crossed the plate during a pair of groundouts. A bean ball in the fifth allowed McDowell to get on base and eventually plate a second counter for the winners following a single by Watkins. The Crescents notched their only tally in the seventh spasm when Lee doubled and sprinted home on an infield error.

Miller (W) and McDowell
Lee (L) and Magill

(June 4)  St. Boniface edged past South End 3 to 2 in a Sherburn Park League affair reduced to five frames because of rain. “Chick” Chafe copped the knoll verdict over Jimmy Foster. Outfielder McDougall stroked three singles and swiped three bases for the Saints.

Chafe (W) and Marius
Foster (L) and Woods

FIRST-HALF
STANDINGS                 W       L       Pct.
Crescents                 6       1      .857
Portage la Prairie        2       1      .667
South End                 4       5      .444
St. Boniface              3       4      .429
Great War Veterans        0       4      .000

(June 5)  Portage la Prairie handed the visiting Crescents of Winnipeg their second consecutive defeat, downing the Creamery Clan 6 to 5 at Island Park. The Plains City nine needed single runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings to snatch the come-from behind victory and grab a share of first place in the Sherburn League.

Kaye (L) and Shandre
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(June 6)  The Great War Veterans finally broke into the win column of the Sherburn Park loop by shutting out the St. Boniface nine 6 to 0. The Vets played airtight baseball from start to finish, providing solid backup for winning tosser “Lefty” Ward who spun a three-hitter and had the Saints nibbling out of his portside paw. The Soldiers put the game on ice when they bunched four hits to score five runs off losing flinger McDougall in the fourth frame. Second baseman D. Sutherland picked up a double and a single for the winners.

Ward (W) and Johnston
McDougall (L) and Marius

(June 10)  As a result of a 6 to 1 victory over St. Boniface at the Sherburn Park ball grounds, the invading Portage la Prairie balltossers moved to the top of the first-half standings. Winning flinger “Lefty” Gannon held the Saints to four scattered hits, struck out five and walked only one batter. A two-run triple by outfielder Bell in the opening session put the Plainsmen on the winning track.

Gannon (W) and B. Burns
McDougall (L) and Marius

(June 11)  After dropping two in a row, the second-place Crescents bounced back into winning territory with 7 to 2 conquest of South End in a game played under inclement weather conditions. The South Enders got away to a good start when they chased across a brace of counters off winning twirler Lee in the opening panel. They held this lead until the fourth when the Creamery Clan notched a deuce to tie the score. In the seventh and eighth episodes, the Dairymen came through with five more runs to put the game on ice. Shortstop Trender swatted a double and single for the winners while Lee, who whiffed 11, backed up his five-hit pitching performance by poling out a seventh-stanza homer. Mat Miller, nicked for ten safeties, was tagged with the loss.

Miller (L) and McDowell
Lee (W) and Magill

(June 15)  Costly defensive mistakes by the Great War Veterans contributed to their 5 to 1 setback at the hands of the South End baseballers. Portsider Sally Rushworth flung a six-hitter in taking the knoll decision over the Vets’ starter Cook, who was yanked in the opening canto in favor of Persse, took the loss. Second baseman D. Sutherland of the Soldiers, with a pair of singles, was the only batter from either side to acquire more than one safety.

Rushworth (W) and Woods
Cook (L), Persse (1) and Johnston

(June 17)  The invading Portage la Prairie balltossers racked up their fourth straight victory in Sherburn Park League play with a convincing 9 to 0 whitewashing of the South End aggregation. “Lefty” Gannon did the hurling for the visitors, allowing but five scattered hits while ringing up nine strikeouts. First baseman Freeman Dalzell smashed a pair of doubles and a single to lead the 18-hit offensive attack of the Plains City nine. Outfielder Bell followed with a two-bagger and a brace of one-base raps.

Gannon (W) and B. Burns
Foster (L), Miller (7), Simmons (8) and Woods

(June 19)  After giving up five runs in the top-of-the-opening inning, hosting Portage la Prairie stormed back to demolish St. Boniface 14 to 7. Shortstop Cochrane stroked four singles for the Plains City nine in support of winning pitcher Freeman Dalzell.

Dalzell (W) and B. Burns
Mason (L), McDougall (4) and Marius

(June 22)  The Crescents received a jolt in their effort to catch league-leading Portage la Prairie when they were nosed out 4 to 3 by St. Boniface. McDougall, on the mound for the Saints, allowed the Dairymen just five bingles with two of those being singles by first baseman Thurston. Catcher Marius was the big man with the stick for the Cathedral City Boys, lighting up losing chucker Gordon Kaye for a home run, a triple and two singles. Second baseman Culliton followed with a brace of one-baggers.

Kaye (L) and Magill
McDougall (W) and Marius

FIRST-HALF
STANDINGS               W       L        Pct.
Portage la Prairie      6        1      .875
Crescents               7        3      .700
South End               5        7      .417
St. Boniface            4        7      .364
Great War Veterans      1        5      .167

(June 27)  An 8 to 5 conquest of St. Boniface gained some measure of revenge for the Crescents who dropped their last game to the Saints. The win for the Creamery Clan maintained their hold on the runner-up spot in the Sherburn Park League standings.

Law (L) and Johnson
Stobie (W) and Magill

(June 29)  A bottom-of-the-ninth inning single by outfielder Young, his fourth hit of the game, drove in the winning run as the Crescents edged the Great War Veterans 7 to 6 in a Sherburn Park League battle. Losing chucker Cook had started the session off by beaning first baseman Thurston of the Dairymen. An unsuccessful fielder’s choice move Thurston into scoring position from where he was able to scamper home with the deciding tally. Young swatted a triple and two earlier singles before drilling his walkoff bingle. Winning tosser Lee gave up eight hits and helped his own cause with a pair of doubles.  

Persse, Cook (L) (6) and Johnston, Dundas
Lee (W) and Magill

(June 29)  Pace-setting Portage la Prairie ran their win streak to six consecutive games when they trimmed visiting St. Boniface 11 to 1 at Island Park. “Lefty” Gannon spun a seven-hitter in recording the complete-game mound victory.

Mason (L) and Marius
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(July 1)  The front-running Portage la Prairie balltossers invaded Winnipeg for a Dominion Day twin-bill and were handed double defeats, dropping an 8 to 6 verdict to the Crescents in the morning clash before being edged by the last-place Great War Veterans 10 to 9 in the second encounter.
    
Trailing for most of the early event, the Creamery Crew broke things open with a six-spot against losing twirler “Lefty” Gannon in the eighth episode. Outfielder Bennett had three of the 13 hits registered by the Dairymen while shortstop Trender added a double and single. Plains City flychaser Hill had three singles off winning chucker Gordon Kaye.

Gannon (L) and B. Burns
Kaye (W) and Magill 

A double by shortpatcher Macklin and a follow-up single by his keystone combo partner, second baseman D. Sutherland, in the bottom-of-the-ninth canto broke up a 9 – 9 deadlock and sent the cellar-dwelling Vets to a rare victory. Hot corner guardian H. Sutherland poked out a triple and three singles in leading the Soldiers offensively. Second baseman Costigan stroked three singles for the visitors off winning pitcher “Lefty” Ward. Freeman Dalzell was nicked with the knoll setback.

Dalzell (L) and B. Burns
Ward (W) and Johnston

(July 2)  The Crescents tucked away another Sherburn Park League victory, defeating the Great War Veterans by a 12 to 1 count to continue their nip-and-tuck battle with Portage la Prairie for the loop’s first-half pennant. The Dairymen had just a 9 to 7 advantage in base hits but obtained most of their runs through blunders charged to the Vets. Shortstop Guinan had three singles and a brace of stolen bases for the winners while catcher Magill belted a home run.

Reid (L) Cook (4) and Johnston
Stobie (W) and Magill

(July 3)  Portage la Prairie kept in the running with the Crescents for the first-half pennant by taking the long end of an 11 to 6 count from visiting South End. The homesters outswatted the Winnipegers 13 to 8. Six runs in the third inning by the Plains City nine turned the tide in their favor. A pair of southpaws, winner “Lefty” Gannon and South End’s Sally Rushworth faced each other in the mound tussle with the former having seven strikeouts and the latter five. First baseman Templeton slugged two triples and a single for the Plainsmen.

Rushworth (L) and Woods
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(July 4)  St. Boniface clouted the horsehide for 18 hits in laying an 11 to 2 shellacking on the bottom-feeding Great War Veterans. Every batter in the lineup for the Saints had at least one base hit as winning pitcher McDougall led the way with three safeties. Outfielder Marinelli contributed a triple and single while “Dutch” Helfrick kicked in with a double and one-bagger.

McDougall (W) and Marius
Persse (L) and Dundas, Johnston

(July 6)  Sending four runners across the pan in the opening canto, South End pushed the Great War Veterans deeper into the cellar of the Sherburn Park League by bouncing the Soldiers 8 to 3. Winning heaver Mat Miller struck out eight while limiting the Vets to four safeties. Sally Rushworth, first baseman Kendall and Romeo Rivers had three hits apiece for the South Enders. Rushworth’s total included a triple while a two-bagger was part of Kendall’s sum.

Persse (L) and Johnston
Miller (W) and Woods

(July 8)  The doormat Great War Veterans were once again obliged to taste the bitter pill of defeat when they were trounced 9 to 3 by South End. Winning heaver Jimmy Foster had the Vets groggy with his stuff, allowing only five hits while fanning eight. First baseman Kendall cuffed a double and a single for the victors. 

Foster (W) and Woods
Ward (L) and Johnston

(July 8)   Hosting Portage la Prairie climbed into sole possession of top spot in the Sherburn Park Baseball League first-half standings by sweeping both games of a three-team double-bill at Island Park.

The Plainsmen scored twice in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning to escape with a 4 to 3 verdict over St. Boniface in their opening test. Back-to-back triples by “Lefty” Gannon and winning chucker Freeman Dalzell tied the score and then second baseman Costigan singled to drive in the walkoff winner.

McDougall (L) and Marius
Dalzell (W) and B. Burns

The Plains City Gang plated a six-spot in the sixth stanza of the late encounter to break up a close battle and go on to wallop their closest competitors, the Crescents, 13 to 4. Outfielder Alex Bell smashed a home run and two doubles for the victors.

Kaye (L) and Magill
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(July 9)  The Crescents remained in the running for the first-half pennant with Portage la Prairie by defeating South End 7 to 3. Errors played a big part in the win by the Creamery Crew as the South Enders were guilty of seven misplays. Both teams stung the spheroid for ten safeties as outfielder McDowell of the vanquished nine emerged as the tilt’s top willow wielder with a double and three singles. Infielder Trender tripled and singled for the winners.

Stobie (W) and Magill
Miller (L), Rushworth (4) and Woods

(July 10)  Portage la Prairie retained first place in the Sherburn Park League’s first-half series by walloping the Great War Veterans of Winnipeg 15 to 1. Plains City batters pounded the offerings of three pitchers for 20 base blows. “Lefty” Gannon earned the mound decision with an eight-hitter and also led his team offensively by hammering the horsehide for a triple and two singles. His batterymate, catcher “Baldy” Burns as well as keystone sacker Costigan each had a double and a pair of one-baggers while outfielder Large came through with a triad of one-base raps. D. Sutherland of the Vets also stroked three singles.

Ward (L), Cook, Reid and Johnston
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(July 11)  After blowing a 6 – 0 lead in the top-of-the-ninth canto, the St. Boniface baseballers came through with the winning run in their half of the chapter to defeat South End 7 to 6. The Cathedral City nine had an 8 to 7 margin in base hits. Winning flinger Harry Mason of the Saints walked seven, fanned ten and was aided by two double plays. Loser Mat Miller whiffed 11, hit one batter and issued one free pass. Keystone sacker A. Burns poled a home run for the winners while middle pasture patroller Newman pounded out a double and single. 

Miller (L) and Woods
Mason (W) and Marius

(July 13)  Taking an early 7 to 1 lead, Portage la Prairie went on to down the Great War Veterans 10 to 6 to clinch the first-half pennant in the Sherburn Park League. It was a heavy-hitting contest from start to finish with the Plainsmen holding a 12 to 11 edge. Winning tosser “Lefty” Gannon breezed ten, walked one but hit four batters while losing chucker Reid fanned a dozen, gave out four free passes to first and plunked two. Shortstop Cochrane and outfielder Alex Bell led the winners with the lumber, each stroking three singles while catcher “Baldy” Burns belted a home run and single. Third baseman D. Sutherland doubled twice for the Vets. 

Gannon (W) and B. Burns
Reid (L) and Johnston

SECOND-HALF

(June 15)  Extra-base hits were plentiful in the Sherburn Park League affair in which the invading Portage la Prairie squad walloped South End 21 to 13. The Plainsmen banged out 21 safeties in the swatfest while the losers accumulated 14 base raps. Third baseman Buddick and shortstop Cochrane both registered four hits for the victors, each claiming a double in their array of bingles. “Lefty” Gannon followed with a triple, double and single. Portage flychaser St. John and South End shortstop Romeo Rivers each delivered a double and two singles.

Dalzell (L) and B. Burns
Foster (L), Miller (1) and Woods

(July 16)  The Great War Veterans administered the Crescents an unexpected jolt with an 8 to 3 conquest of the Dairymen. Winning slabster “Lefty” Ward limited the Creamery Crew to five hits with outfielder Bennett acquiring three of them, two of which were doubles. Losing twirler Fred Stobie was nicked for a dozen safeties by the Vets.  Outfielder Creasy belted a home run and a brace of one-baggers for the Soldiers.

Stobie (L) and Magill
Ward (W) and Foran

(July 17)  The first-half pennant-winning Portage la Prairie diamondeers reeled off their sixth straight victory by trouncing St. Boniface 10 to 3 in a second-series fixture. Winning slabster “Lefty” Gannon stifled the Saints on two hits and two walks. Freeman Dalzell and “Baldy” Burns had two singles apiece for the Plainsmen.

Mason (L) and Marius
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(July 22)  Scoring all of their runs in the first four innings, the visiting Portage la Prairie baseball club chalked up a 7 to 2 victory over the Crescents in a second-half Sherburn Park League scuffle. Winning pitcher “Lefty” Gannon fired a five-hitter and struck out ten in a complete-game effort. The Plainsmen slapped the offerings of losing heaver Gordon Kaye for 13 base knocks. Third baseman Buddick drilled three singles for the victors while outfielder Bell delivered a double and one-base rap. 

Gannon (W) and B. Burns
Kaye (L) and Magill

(July 25)  Scoring six times in the first two innings, St. Boniface kept in the running for the second-half pennant by toppling South End 8 to 3. Winning pitcher McDougall held the South Enders to five hits and an equal number of walks while fanning six. Leadoff hitter Bedard clouted a triple and a pair of singles for the Saints.

McDougall (W) and Marius
Miller (L) and Woods

(July 26)  The South End team of the Sherburn Park Baseball disbanded leaving four teams remaining to battle it out for the second-half pennant.

(July 27)  Five big markers in the eighth episode, sparked by a grand slam homer off the bat of second baseman A. Burns, pushed the St Boniface baseballers past the Great War Veterans 7 to 4. T. Leveque went the route on the bump for the Frenchmen, surrendering seven hits, three of which were garnered by new catcher Nellis Woods who just joined the Vets from the defunct South End team. Another former South Ender, Romeo Rivers, punched out two doubles and a one-bagger for the Cathedral City Crew.

T. Leveque (W) and Marius
Dahl, Cook (W) and Woods

(July 29)  Darkness after ten innings of play ended a tight pitchers’ clash between the Crescents and the Great War Veterans. The score was 2 – 2 as Lee of the Dairymen allowed but five hits, all singles, while the Vets’ “Lefty” Ward was nicked for seven. Both teams supported their moundsman in almost perfect fashion. Shortstop Macklin led the Soldiers at the platter with three singles while outfielder Creasy contributed a double and one-base rap.

Ward and Woods
Lee and Magill

(July 30)  St. Boniface did all their scoring in the opening canto, racking up their third win of the second-half schedule by nosing out the Crescents 4 to 3. Leading the Saints seven-hit offense was catcher Marius who stung the sphere for three singles. Starting heaver Harry Mason, with relief help from McDougall after six stanzas, garnered the hillock triumph over Sally Rushworth.

Rushworth (L) and Magill
Mason (W), McDougall (7) and Marius

(August 1)  The vastly-improved Great War Veterans came-from-behind to score a narrow 10 to 9 win over St. Boniface in Sherburn Park League second-half action. Catcher Nellis Woods poled out a pair of two-run homers and a single for the Vets while teammate Foran delivered a four-bagger and a single. Romeo Rivers and infielder Culliton were best with the baton for the Saints, each stroking a two-bagger and a brace of one-base raps. 

McDougall, T. Leveque (L) and Marius
Miller, Reid (W) and Woods

(August 7)  At a meeting of the executive of the Sherburn Park Baseball League, the Portage la Prairie team was excluded from the remainder of the second-half series. The gist of the problem concerned the inability of the league to guarantee reimbursement to the Plains City squad for expenses incurred in travelling to Winnipeg for half their league games in which no profit was made from the gate receipts. Likewise, the Winnipeg entrants were reluctant to journey to Portage without a similar financial agreement although the games staged there drew far better crowds.
In a related development, the Portage nine was unceremoniously stripped of their first-half pennant which was then awarded by the league moguls to the Crescents, original runners-up in the first-half series.

(August 8)  Reduced to four teams following a week of inactivity due to internal squabbling, play resumed within the Sherburn Park League with a three-team twin-bill. The Crescents broke even on the day by decisioning the Great War Veterans 6 to 1 in the opener before dropping a 13 to 9 decision to St. Boniface in the late encounter. 
     
In the initial contest, winning chucker Sally Rushworth fanned 11 and held the Vets to five scattered hits, including a pair of doubles by third baseman H. Sutherland. Shortpatcher Trender had three, all singles, of the 11 safeties accrued by the winners. Bill Clifford and first baseman Thurston followed with a double and single each.

Rushworth (W) and Vance
Reid (L) and Woods

The late engagement was a nip-and-tuck affair in which the Saints, after trailing during the early stages of the contest, came on strong over the final five frames to wrestle the decision from the Dairymen. Winning heaver Harry Mason finished the game in fine style after taking over mound chores from starting twirler McDougall. Second baseman Newman and outfielder Burns each picked up a triad of one-base raps for the Cathedral City Clan while playing-manager “Dutch” Helfrick had a home run and single. Losing slabster Lee cuffed a double and three singles for the Creamery Crew. Teammate Thurston continued his strong offensive play in the double-dip by adding three more singles to his two-safety matinee-game performance.

McDougall, Mason (W) and Marius
Lee (L), Clifford and Vance

(August 10)  Although being out-hit by an 8 to 6 margin, St. Boniface managed to capture another Sherburn Park League victory by handing the Great War Veterans an 8 to 6 defeat in a darkness-shortened, six-inning event. Winning tosser Harry Mason went along well for four rounds but was roughed up freely in the final two sessions. Nellis Woods, backstop for the Vets, was the leading hitter in the tilt, smashing out three singles. Second baseman Newman picked up a brace of one-baggers for the victorious Saints.

Cook (L), Reid and Woods
Mason (W) and Marius

No evidence was found in print that scheduled games for the remainder of the season were ever played.


OTHER 1925 MANITOBA LEAGUES/TEAMS

1925 SOUTHWESTERN MANITOBA BASEBALL LEAGUE

Roland
Sanford
Sperling
Starbuck

(August 6)  Homestanding Roland captured the Southwestern League pennant by defeating Sperling 2 to 1 in the final game of the schedule.

Harris (L) and Mulligan
Graham (W) and S. Patterson
_______________________________________________________________________________________

1925 WINNIPEG INTERMEDIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE

TEAMS
SOUTH DIVISION
Columbus Club
Norwood
St. Vital
Transcona

NORTH DIVISION
Capitols
Pilgrims
Stirling
West End

FINAL FIRST-HALF
STANDINGS                   

SOUTH DIVISION             W       L      Pct.
Norwood                    8       4     .667
Columbus Club              8       4     .667
Transcona                  6       6     .500
St. Vital                  2      10     .167

NORTH DIVISION             W       L      Pct.
West End                   8       2     .800
Stirling                   7       5     .583
Pilgrims                   4       6     .400
Capitols                   3       9     .250

SOUTH DIVISION
FIRST-PLACE TIE-BREAKER  (best-of-three series)


(July 6)  Norwood Intermediates chalked up a 5 to 0 victory over the Columbus Club in the first game of a best-of-three series to decide the winner of the South Division first-half series. Dave Mackie pitched well for the Norwood crew, whiffing 14 batters.

Mackie (W) and Lloyd
Bennett (L) and Molloy

(July 8)  The Columbus Club pulled out a late 6 to 5 win over Norwood to deadlock the South Division first-half finals at a game apiece. A clean steal of home by the Clubbers’ Bob Dalziel was one of the many features of the bitterly-fought contest.

Lowe (W) and Molloy
Arnott, Mackie and Lepine

(July 11)  Columbus Club intermediate baseballers won the rubber match for the South Division first-half pennant. Final score or game details not published.

SECOND-HALF SERIES

NORTH DIVISION

(August 17)  In a nip-and-tuck affair, the Stirlings captured the second series of the North Division by defeating first-series winning West End 2 to 1 in a sudden-death tilt. “Lefty” Dyck hurled fine ball for the winners and was backed up by solid defensive play from his teammates. The two combatants will now play a three-game series for the overall North Division title.

NORTH DIVISION FINALS  (best-of-five series)

(August 18)  After falling behind by five runs in the first inning, the Stirlings roared back to defeat West End 7 to 6 in a scrappy and closely-fought first game of the North Division finals.

Nestor (W) and Johnson
Simmons, Dyer and Samson

(August 20)  Tommy Cochrane spun a five-hitter in leading West End to a 2 to 0 conquest of the Stirlings to square the North Division finals at a game apiece. Cochrane was backed up by snappy fielding as his West End mates reeled off five double plays in the shutout win.

(August 22)  West End intermediates defeated the Stirlings 6 to 2 in the third game of their playoff series. Winning heaver Bissett, who recently jumped from the junior ranks, held the Stirling aggregation to just two hits. West End outfielder Ridgedale poled out a home run off losing chucker “Lefty” Dyck.

(August 25)  West End blanked the Stirlings 2 to 0 to win the North Division intermediate title. Only one Stirling runner reached as far as third base against winning slabster Tommy Cochrane who copped the pitching decision over “Lefty” Dyck.

SOUTH DIVISION

(August 17)  Norwood and the Columbus Club were unable to produce a second-series winner when they played to a 5 – 5 stalemate.

Mackie and Lloyd
Johnson, Lowe and Arnott

(August 24)  Odie Lowe fanned ten in pitching the Columbus Club to the championship of the South Division when he tossed a no-hit, no-run game in which the Clubbers prevailed 5 to 0. The Columbians were pennant winners in both halves of the schedule. Lowe also his own cause by stroking a pair of singles.

Lowe (W) and Molloy
Mackie (L) and Lloyd

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES  (best-of-three series)

West End (North Division) vs Columbus Club (South Division)

(August 26)  Columbus Club won the first game of the Winnipeg intermediate finals when they took the measure of the West End nine 7 to 5. The West Enders had an 8 to 5 edge in base hits but missed connecting at opportune times against winning flinger Odie Lowe who had 11 strikeouts. “Lefty” Simmons twirled well for the losers but poor support caused his downfall.

Lowe (W) and Molloy
Simmons (L) and Clark

(August 28)  For the second consecutive year, the Columbus Club captured the Winnipeg intermediate baseball championship. In a splendid performance at Wesley Park, limited to eight innings because of darkness, the Clubbers blanked West End by a score of 3 to 0 to take the final series in two straight games.  Base hits were few and far between in the clash with the winners collecting just three safeties to four by the West Enders. Winning pitcher “Lefty” Bennett walked just one, hit one batter, struck out six and was especially tough in the pinches. Loser Tommy Cochrane was also impressive, fanning five while doling out an equal number of free tickets to first base. A third inning sacrifice fly by Tony Ferguson plated the Cee Cees first counter. They added two more in the eighth, the first coming when West End catcher Clark dropped the ball during a fielder’s choice force out at the plate and the second when third baseman Brown slid in safely at the dish in a similar bases-loaded fielder’s choice situation.  

Bennett (W) and Arnott
Cochrane (L) and Clark


1925 ROCKWOOD BASEBALL LEAGUE

Balmoral
Stonewall
Teulon


1925 NORTHWESTERN MANITOBA BASEBALL LEAGUE

Angusville


1925 PEMBINA BASEBALL LEAGUE

Kaleida


1925 BRENCHESTER BASEBALL LEAGUE

Deloraine
Goodlands
Medora
Waskada


1925 EASTERN MANITOBA BASEBALL LEAGUE

TEAMS
Bird’s Hill
East Selkirk
Oak Bank
Selkirk
Tyndall


1925 WINNIPEG JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE

TEAMS
Columbus Club                         
Elmwood Giants
Headingly Maroons                                                  
West End

FIRST-HALF FINAL

(August 11)  Elmwood Giants are champions of the first-half of the Junior Baseball League after defeating West End 6 to 4 in a sudden-death first-place tie-breaker. Warrick Dodds was the winning pitcher. His batterymate, catcher Turk, hit a grand-slam homer in the third inning.

Dodds (W) and Turk
Bissett (L) and McRitchie

SECOND-HALF SEMI-FINALS  Elmwood Giants vs Columbus Club (best-of-three series)

(August 25)  The Elmwood Giants defeated the Columbus Club 7 to 2 in the opener of their second-half junior playoff series. 

(August 27)  A 4 to 1 victory over the Columbus Club vaulted the classy Elmwood Giants into the second-half junior finals against West End. Elmwood won the series in two games straight. Right-hander “Schmaltz” Erickson of the Giants set the Clubbers down on two scattered bingles, both coming of the bat of Mike Shea.

SECOND-HALF FINALS  West End vs Elmwood Giants (best-of-three series)

(August 31)  The Elmwood Giants, first-half winners, scored a 4 to 3 victory over West End in the opening game of the second-half finals. Warrick Dodds did the heaving for Elmwood and Bissett for West End. The Giants scored all four of their runs in the fifth frame when Bissett ran into a wild streak.

Dodds (W) and Pucci
Bissett (L) and McRitchie

(September 1)  The Elmwood Giants are the junior baseball champions of Winnipeg after nosing out West End 3 to 2 in a nip-and-tuck battle that terminated after five innings because of darkness. The victory earned the Giants the second-half pennant to go along with their first-half series title. Elmwood’s Pucci scored the winning run in the bottom-of-the-fifth and final frame when, after slamming a triple, he continued home on an overthrow to third base. 
  
Ridgedale (L) and McRitchie
Erickson (W) and Turk                           


1925 BRANDON CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE

This three-team loop was made up of two junior squads, the Maroons and the Bearcats, plus the Shamrocks, a senior team.

TEAMS
Junior Bearcats
Junior Maroons
Shamrocks

BRANDON JUNIOR BASEBALL M.A.B.A. QUALIFICATION SERIES  Bearcats vs Maroons  (best-of-nine series)

(July 6)  The Bearcats and Maroons battled to a 4 – 4 tie in the opening game of their M.A.B.A. junior baseball series. The hurlers were evenly matched as Jim Mitchell of the Maroons allowed only seven hits while fanning 12 while the Bearcats’ “Happy” Buchanan surrendered ten hits but rang up 15 strikeouts. First baseman Mac Shewan of the Maroons was the top hitter in the clash, stroking four singles.

Mitchell and N. Cowan
Buchanan and Creighton

(July 9)  Outhit 11 to 7 throughout the course of the game, the Maroons got the jump on the Bearcats with a five-spot in the opening inning and went on to double their junior foes 8 to 4. The Bearcats’ Wally Brannon, with three hits, topped all hitters in the contest. Poor defensive play by his teammates cost “Happy” Buchanan dearly in his mound joust with winning tosser Jim Mitchell of the Maroons.

(July 13)  The Maroons took a two-game lead in their M.A.B.A. junior series by clipping their city cousins, the Bearcats, 9 to 6 in a game in which the batters had it all over the hurlers. Leading the 14-hit Maroon attack was shortstop Jack Dundas who registered two doubles and a single. Third baseman Doug Scott followed with three singles. Keystone sacker Johnny Sutherland of the Bearcats nailed two triples in a losing cause.

Griffith (L), Buchanan (8) and H. Cowan
Trafford (W) and N. Cowan

(July 17)  Running wild when they scored seven times in the second session, the Bearcats got right back in the Brandon junior playdowns when they walloped the Maroons 9 to 1 in a seven-inning fixture. Free transportation to first base by four Maroon hurlers was parlayed with ten base raps by the winners. Meanwhile, winning heaver “Happy” Buchanan was holding the Maroons to three scattered hits, two coming off the bat of Charlie Fraser. Jack McIntosh and Hode Cowan were the hitting heroes, gathering three safeties each.

Buchanan (W) and H. Cowan
Carr (L), Rea (2), Trafford, Mitchell and N. Cowan

(July 22)  Holding a 5 – 0 lead after seven sessions, the Maroons thwarted a late comeback by the Bearcats to clip their adversaries 7 to 5 and gain back their two-game advantage in the Brandon junior M.A.B.A. playdowns. Reg Trafford went the distance to earn the pitching decision over James Griffith. Jack Dundas had a home run and single for the winners. 

Griffith (L) and H. Cowan
Trafford (W) and N. Cowan

(July 28)  The Maroons climbed within a single game of winning the Brandon junior baseball championship by defeating the Bearcats 5 to 2. The game was won in the seventh stanza when, with the score knotted at 2 – 2,  the Maroons took advantage of a pair of Bearcat errors to plate a three-spot, two of those tallies crossing the pan on a single by Jack Dundas. Both winning heaver Jim Mitchell, nicked for six safeties, and losing twirler “Happy” Buchanan, who was tagged for eight base hits, accumulated 11 strikeouts.

Buchanan (L) and H. Cowan
Mitchell (W) and N. Cowan

(July 30)  Effective pitching by “Happy” Buchanan plus the solid hitting of his batterymate, catcher “Hode” Cowan, netted the Bearcats a 5 to 3 triumph over the Maroons and kept them alive in the Brandon junior championship series. The Maroons currently hold a four-games-to-two lead in the best-of-nine playoff. Buchanan fanned ten and limited the Maroons to six hits, all singles. Cowan had four solid blows, including a double. His most impactful hit, a fifth-frame single, drove in two runs, breaking a 3 – 3 tie.

Buchanan (W) and H. Cowan
Trafford (L) and N. Cowan

(August 5)  For the second successive year, the Maroons are junior baseball champions of Brandon. They annexed this honour in the eighth game of the M.A.B.A. city series when they gave the Bearcats a 7 to 2 beating in a rain-shortened, seven-spasm affair. The Maroons won five, lost two and tied one in the best-of-nine series. The Bearcats never seemed to get started in this contest and trailed from the second inning on after the Maroons jumped in front 4 – 0. Jim Mitchell copped the hurling triumph, spinning a three-hitter with ten strikeouts. Third sacker Jack McIntosh, with two singles, was the lone Bearcat to sustain any success against Mitchell who led his team offensively as well as on the knoll by stroking a double, a single and stealing a pair of bases.

Mitchell (W) and N. Cowan
Buchanan (L) and H. Cowan


1925 M.A.B.A. PLAYOFFS

SENIOR DIVISION

SEMI-FINALS  Roland vs Portage la Prairie (best-of-three series)

(August 14)  Homestanding Portage la Prairie tucked away an impressive 12 to 2 conquest of the Southwest League champions from Roland 12 to 2 in the opener of their M.A.B.A. senior series. Winning heaver “Lefty” Gannon stifled the visitors on two hits. Catcher “Baldy” Burns had three hits for the Plainsmen including a double. Outfielder Hill contributed a home run and single while Gannon added a pair of doubles. 

Graham (L), Harris (1) and Mulligan, S. Patterson
Gannon (W) and B. Burns

(August 17)  Roland evened up their semi-final M.A.B.A. series by edging Portage la Prairie 5 to 4 in a hard-fought encounter limited to six stanzas because of darkness. “Smokey” Harris, a playoff pickup from Sperling of the Southwestern circuit, fanned nine in copping the knoll victory in the abbreviated event.

Gannon (L) and B. Burns
Harris (W) and S. Patterson

(August 20)  Roland and hosting Portage la Prairie battled to a 2 – 2 tie in what was supposed to be the deciding match of their M.A.B.A. semi-final senior baseball series.

Harris and S. Patterson, Mulligan
Gannon and B. Burns

(August 24)  Roland qualified to meet Brandon in the M.A.B.A. senior finals by nosing out Portage la Prairie 3 to 2 in a bitterly-fought game that was called at the end of six innings because of darkness. Both teams managed to acquire just three hits off the opposing chucker. Winning pitcher “Smokey” Harris fanned ten, walked seven and hit one batter while tough-luck loser “Lefty” Gannon swished a half-dozen and issued just one free pass.

Harris (W) and Mulligan
Gannon (L) and B. Burns

FINALS  Roland vs Brandon Greys  (best-of-three series)

(August 26)  Roland balltossers, champions of the Southwestern Baseball League, broke even with the invaders from Brandon in doubleheader M.A.B.A. playoff action. The Wheat City aggregation copped the afternoon contest 6 to 4 while the hosts, with “Smoky” Harris on the knoll, held the Greys to one solitary hit in blanking Brandon 2 to 0 in the seven-inning evening fixture.
    
The Greys, with a hefty 12 to 5 advantage in base hits, wiped out a 4 to 2 deficit in the matinee engagement with a three-spot in the eighth episode and a singleton in the ninth. Winning tosser “Happy” Buchanan, helped his own cause with two hits, both of which were responsible for runs. 

Buchanan (W) and Cochlan
Graham (L) and S. Patterson

Outfielder Lapointe, with a fourth-frame single and sixth-stanza triple, drove in both runs for the Roland nine in the nightcap.

Mitchell (L) and Cowan
Harris (W) and Mulligan

(August 29)  The homestanding Brandon Greys, an independent team without a league whose regular season consisted solely of exhibition games, eliminated Roland from the provincial senior playoffs and became de facto M.A.B.A. senior baseball champions for 1925. Sporting a line-up laced with many junior-aged players, the Wheat City aggregation wrapped up the provincial senior title by taking both ends of a double-bill by scores of 7 to 5 and 11 to 8. An anticipated Winnipeg-Brandon provincial series never materialized as the Arenas, champions of the Capital City’s Wesley Park circuit, showed no interest in such a showdown. 

Each squad had eight base raps in the afternoon session which saw the Greys take control of things with a four-run outburst in the fifth frame. “Happy” Buchanan took the complete-game mound verdict from “Smokey” Harris. Shortstop Charlie Hitchens nailed a triple, double and single for the winners while catcher Andy Mulligan, a playoff pickup from Southwestern League rival Sperling, homered for Roland.

Harris (L) and Mulligan
Buchanan (W) and Cochlan

Harris was also tagged with the second-game defeat, coming on as a reliever for starter Doug Graham in the third session of the darkness-shortened, six-inning evening affair. Brandon’s “Lefty” Colwell did well as a fireman, quelling the flames ignited by an early Roland lead when starter Jim Mitchell was roughed up and sent to the showers in the second stanza. Hitchens once again was the sparkplug with the lumber for the victorious Greys, hammering a triple and a two-bagger. Flychaser Lapointe went deep with a home run for the losers.

Graham, Harris (L) (3) and S. Patterson, Mulligan
Mitchell, Colwell (W) (2) and McLellan 


INTERMEDIATE DIVISION

SEMI-FINALS  Letellier vs Oakville  (sudden-death game)

(August 18)  The Letellier diamond troopers qualified to meet the yet-to-be-determined Winnipeg champion for the Manitoba Intermediate baseball title by defeating the Oakville Cubs 6 to 1 in a one-game showdown match. Winning pitcher Mike Bouchard, a brother of longtime Winnipeg Columbus Club hurler “Darky” Bouchard, allowed only five scattered hits and struck out 17 in a superb effort that had the Oakville batters baffled. Losing heaver Body pitched well for the Cubs, allowing nine safeties while fanning 11 but was simply outclassed by Bouchard’s performance.

Bouchard (W) and Gallant
Body (L) and Sherritt

FINALS  Letellier vs Winnipeg Columbus Club (best-of-three series)

(September 2)  The hosting Columbus Club of Winnipeg drew even in the M.A.B.A. intermediate baseball finals by clipping Letellier 7 to 1 in a contest limited to seven innings because of darkness. The Flying Francophone nine had copped the opening game of the series 5 to 2. Odie Lowe, the Columbians’ youthful hurling ace, whiffed 11 batters and held the visitors to two hits. 

M. Bouchard (L),  A. Bouchard and Gallant
Lowe (W) and Arnott

(September 12)  The Columbus Club intermediates are the provincial champions for the second year in a row. The Winnipegers won the 1925 M.A.B.A. title at Wesley Park by overwhelming the Letellier nine 14 to 1. Odie Lowe allowed but four hits and whiffed seven in taking the pitching decision. The Clubbers cracked out 13 hits as first baseman Bill Davis led the way by stroking a double and two singles. Outfielder “Cel” Molloy also had three safeties, all singles.

Lowe (W) and Arnott
M. Bouchard (L), Parent and Gallant


JUNIOR DIVISION

SEMI-FINALS  Brandon Maroons vs Portage la Prairie (best-of-three series)

(August 8)  The invading Brandon Maroons, defending provincial champions, got past Portage la Prairie 7 to 5 in the first game of the M.A.B. A. junior semi-finals. Winning heaver Reg Trafford pitched good ball until the sixth inning when he retired in favor of Jim Mitchell. Losing twirler McLarty fanned 11 batters but was tagged for 14 Wheat City safeties including three each by Tom Cowan and Mitchell.

Trafford (W), Mitchell (6) and N. Cowan
McLarty (L) and Howe

(August 19)  Battering the offerings of three pitchers for 22 base blows, the Brandon Maroons clobbered Portage la Prairie 21 to 0 to sweep their series in two straight encounters. Aside from their heavy hitting, the Maroons also pulled off a triple play in support of winning heaver Jim Mitchell who allowed only five hits. Topping the massive hit parade for the victorious Brandonites was third baseman Doug Scott who stung the spheroid for five safeties including a double. Jack Dundas ripped the horsehide for a home run and three singles.

McLarty (L), Bullard, McKenzie and Howe
Mitchell (W) and N. Cowan

FINALS   Brandon Maroons vs Winnipeg Elmwood Giants

(September 5)  The smooth-stepping Elmwood Giants of Winnipeg captured the first game of the M.A.B.A. junior championship series by defeating the hosting Brandon Maroons 4 to 1. Three runs in the eighth episode propelled the Elmwood nine to victory. Top-notch defensive play by his mates allowed Warrick Dodds, touched for ten hits by Maroon batters, to cop the pitching win. Losing hurler Jim Mitchell was in great form, striking out 14 and allowing but five bingles. Middle garden patroller “Lefty” Pritchard led the Giants offensively, banging out a double and a brace of one-baggers while Brandon’s Cy Cowan singled three times..

Dodds (W) and Turk
Mitchell (L) and N. Cowan

(September 7)   After losing the morning fixture 14 to 7, the Elmwood Giants roared back to defeat the Brandon Maroons 8 to 3 in the afternoon game and capture the 1925 Manitoba junior baseball title.
     
The early fracas turned into a slugfest with the Wheat City nine getting the best of things. Jack Dundas had four hits for the Maroons including a three-run homer.  

Mitchell (W), Trafford (5) and N. Cowan
Erickson (L) , Pucci (7) and Turk

Warrick Dodds tamed the Maroons on six hits in the finale. Four big tallies in the eighth episode, aided by three Brandon errors, sealed the deal for the Giants. Second baseman McLennan of Elmwood clipped losing heaver Reg Trafford for a triple and single while Ron Jenner of the victors as well as Cy Cowan and Jack Dundas of the vanquished nine all checked in with a double and one-bagger.

Trafford (L) and N. Cowan
Dodds (W) and Turk