1904 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1904 BC Interior
1904 Vancouver Island

VICTORIA

It appears that Victoria had an independent semi-pro team at the beginning of the 1904 season which engaged in exhibition games during May, primarily against American opposition. However, an exodus of the salaried import players for greener pastures in early June sounded the death knell of the squad.

Remaining players formed an amateur club to represent the Capital City in inter-city competition within a league comprising teams representing Bellingham WA, Sedro-Wooley WA, Everett WA plus the Seattle Newman’s. This circuit (Puget Sound Baseball League) seemed to thrive during June and July but coverage of Victoria’s participation in the loop abruptly disappeared within pages of the Victoria Colonist in August, leading one to believe that team had withdrawn and/or folded.

Puget Sound Baseball League
Bellingham
Everett
Sedro-Woolley
Seattle Newman’s
Victoria

A loosely-operated association of three senior amateur teams was also in operation but games were either very infrequent or never reported upon.

(May 14) The Hillsides got a big lead, 6-2 after just two innings and held on to edge Victoria West 11-10 in the first game of the season in the Senior League. After the Hillsides had moved ahead 8-3 after seven innings, Victoria erupted for four runs in the eighth to trail by just one, 8-7. But Hillsides added three more in the bottom of the eighth to go up 11-7 before Victoria made it close again with three in the ninth. Overell went the distance for the win.

Linch, Dempster and Connolly
Overell (W) and Northcott

(May 21) With a run in the ninth, the University of Columbia from Portland, Oregon, shaded Victoria 8-7 at Oak Bay. Hinkle, the centre fielder, led the winners with three hits. Gleason cracked a homer for Columbia and Moore, the winning pitcher, blasted a triple. Tredway slugged a circuit blow for the home side. McManus punched out three hits and added a pair of steals for Victoria. Blackburn fanned 13 and allowed just eight hits in taking the loss. The teams combined for 15 errors, 8 by Victoria.

Moore (W) and Harold
Blackburn (L) and xxx

(May 24) Victoria blew a 9-2 lead, then rebounded with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to squeeze by the University of Washington 12-11. Tredway and Schwengers each rapped four hits to pace the winners. Losing pitcher Brinker had three safeties to lead Washington. Victoria revealed that McManus suffered a fractured wrist on Monday and won't be playing for some time.

Brinker (L) and Hoover
Blackburn (W) and Erle

(May 28) Playing at the Caledonia grounds, Fernwood defeated Hillsides 5-4 in ten innings. Robertson got the winning run in the bottom of the extra frame. Sam Smith hurled for the winners. Overell took the loss.

Overell (L) and xxx
Sam Smith (W) and xxx

(May 28) A tight 2-2 game became a runway as Victoria exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning and take a 9-2 decision over Manuel Lopez of Seattle. Blackburn held the visitors to five hits and fanned nine. The winners collected 11 hits, three by centre fielder Burnes and two by Emerson, one of which went for three bases.

Kelly (L) and Holbrook, Ford
Blackburn (W) and McManus

(June 4) The newly organized "British Columbia" team of Victoria made their debut in attractive slatey-blue uniforms at the Caledonia Grounds Saturday going down to a 6-4 defeat to the Seattle Rainiers. First baseman James cracked three hits to lead the winners. Mahon drove in three runs with a triple and single. Tents, in left field, had two hits and two runs. McManus, who knocked in three, and Emerson each had two safeties for Victoria. Boyle held the home club to seven hits and fanned ten in gaining the pitching win. Holness and Emerson hurled for Victoria combining for 13 strikeouts.

Boyle (W) and Ford
Emerson (L), Holness (5) and McManus

June 11) Victoria's newly organized baseball nine picked up its first victory Saturday trouncing Port Townsend 11-3. Jimmy Holness had a shutout into the ninth but three errors helped the visitors scored three times. Holness set a strikeout record racking up 19 whiffs, beating his own mark of 18 set last year. Rithet cracked three hits for the winners.

Boyle (L) and Holbrook
Holness (W) and McManus

(June 18) In their first action in the newly formed Puget Sound League, Victoria fell behind 5-0 before rallying to score ten unanswered runs in a 10-5 triumph over Seattle. Blackburn tossed a five-hitter for the win. Victoria's nine errors accounted for most of the damage by Seattle. Rithet led the locals with a home run and a pair of singles. He scored three times.

Paddock (L) and Kenning
Blackburn (W) and McManus

(June 19) On Sunday, Everett defeated Bellingham 3 to 1 and Sedro Woolley defeated Seattle 6 to 3.

Sedro-Woolley 2 - 0
Victoria        1 - 0
Everett         1 - 1
Bellingham      0 - 1
Seattle         0 - 2

(June 20) Sedro-Woolley clobbered Bellingham 21-0, 17-0 and 6-3 to add three more wins to its successful season.

(June 25) Jimmy Holness fired a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts Saturday as Victoria dumped Everett 8-0 in Puget Sound baseball. The Victoria ace walked just one. Three-run home runs by Schwengers, who had four hits, and Rithet powered the winners.

Parker (L) and Pringle
Holness (W) and McManus

(June 26) Playing at Everett, the Victoria nine cashed in five runs in the late innings to down the home club 10-5. Blackburn registered the pitching win on a six-hitter.

Blackburn (W) and xxx
Antl (L) and xxx

(July 2) It was no contest. The visiting Vancouver Athletics were humbled by Victoria to the tune of 18-2 in the exhibition game at Oak Bay. Victoria scored four times in the first inning and cruised to the easy win. Jimmy Holness held Vancouver scoreless until the ninth when an error helped avoid a shutout.

Neilson (L), Miller (5) and MacLeod
Holness (W) and McManus

(July 3 & 4) Sedro-Woolley, blanked for eight innings, exploded for four runs in the bottom of the ninth to squeeze by Victoria 4-3 in the first of two weekend games. Nagle was outstanding for the winners firing five-hit ball and fanning twelve.

Blackburn (L) and McManus
Nagle (W) and Ford

The Americans also took the second game, 4-2.

(July 8) A six-run explosion in the seventh inning broke up a 3-3 ball game and handed Sedro-Woolley another win over Victoria, 12-5. The visitors pounded out 13 hits, three each by James and Tredway. Third sacker Mahon rapped a home run and a triple. Nagle held Victoria to just six hits.

Nagle (W) and Ford
Holness (L) and McManus

(July 9) Home runs by Mahon, Kennedy and Nagle powered Sedro-Woolley to a 12-5 victory over Victoria. The visitors cracked out 11 hits off Blackburn and had a 6-0 lead after just two innings. Mahon was the top slugger with three hits and four runs. Spevins, on the hill for the Americans, held Victoria to six hits.

Spevins (W) and Ford
Blackburn (L) and McManus

(July 16) For five innings it was a nail-biter, a 1-0 game for Fer_nwood over Hillsides but Fernwood sent six men across the plate in the sixth frame to romp to a 9-3 victory. Smith hurled a seven-hitter and racked up ten strikeouts for the winners.

Smith (W) and Robertson
Overell (L), Peden and Northcott

(July 23) Coming in for their exhibition match against Victoria, the nine from Bothell, Washington, had dominated their opposition registering 18 wins in 20 games played. But, the locals made that seem a mirage as the Victoria nine knocked out 15 hits in swamping the visitors 13-0. Left fielder McConnell led the parade with five hits, scoring four times. Burnes collected three hits and crossed the plate three times. Jimmy Holness shutout Bothell on five hits while fanning nine. Bothell added to its woes making eight errors.

Paddock (L) and Schroeder
Holness (W) and McManus

NANAIMO

(May 24) Playing at Nanaimo, Vancouver Athletics whipped the home club 10-2. It was a 2-2 game until the sixth when the mainlanders plated four runs and then added four more in the next frame.

xxx and xxx
xxx (L), Graham and xxx