1930 Tournaments     

 

(July 1)    Moosomin Dominion Day Tournament   Virden took first money of $400 in the Moosomin Dominion Day Tournament downing the host club 6-3 in the final of the four team event.  More than 3,000 spectators took in the Dominion Day activities and wirnessed the finest baseball program even seen in the community.  Moosomin drew Fairlight in the first game and rode a four-run sixth inning to a 6-1 victory. George Hogg yielded just three hits and whiffed twelve in addition to practically winning his own game scoring the first two runs. 

Hogg (W) and Abbott
Baker (L) and Souter

In a thrilling, see-saw, 14-inning encounter, Virden slipped by Brandon Greys 8 to 6, out-hitting the losers 21 to 13. Virden pulled off five double plays.  Neil Rathburn went the full 14-innings for the pitching win. Eddie Foster took the loss. With runs in each of the first three frames, one on a four-gagger by Mellitti, Brandon took an early 3-1 lead, but Virden tied it with a pair in the fifth on a two-run homer by Happy Felsch. Virden took the lead scoriing in the top of the eighth but the Greys notched one in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Virden went up 6-4 in the 11th only to have Brandon knot it up again in the bottom of the inning.

Foster (L) and Lupe
Rathburn (W) and Robinson

In the final, Virden broke open a tight, 2-2, game with a three-run outburst in the sixth inning enoute to a 6-3 victory over Moosomin. 

Rowlph (L) and xxx
Robinson, Holmes and Robinson


(July 1)   In an exhibition series at Weyburn over the holiday weekend, the Colored House of David defeated Minot, North Dakota, 4-3 and 4-0. More than 4,000 spectators took in the action.

Truesdale (W) and Hancock
Everson (L) and Minot

Wilson (W) and Hancock
Covert (L) and Mack


1930 Saskatoon Exhibition Week Tournament 

(July 21)  Harris drew first blood in the annual exhibition week tournament when they defeated Aberdeen 3 to 0. Paul, a twirler with a submarine delivery, held the Aberdonians to two lone singles and retired sixteen batters by the strikeout route while his teammates bunched hits off losing chucker Roberts in the second inning to chase three runners across the plate, which proved to be the only runs of the game. Paul aided his own cause considerably when he doubled to drive in a pair of counters. Shortstop W. Gordon and Paul both had a two-bagger and a single to pace the victors at the dish.

Roberts (L) and Blake
Paul (W) and Mills

(July 22)  Lanigan qualified for the second round with a 7 to 3 victory over Cudworth in the morning game. Ted Postlewaite limited Cudworth to three hits in earning the mound triumph. Allis, the Lanigan shortstop, with a triple and two singles, was the leading swatter in this contest.

Postlewaite (W) and W. Gunther
Houschet (L) and Reaser 

The first upset in the Annual Saskatoon exhibition week baseball tournament occurred in the evening game when Neilburg eliminated last year’s champions, Bruno, 4 to 1. With the score knotted at 1 – 1 in the eighth, Neilburg’s husky right fielder, Wolfe, came through with a home run to the race track with two runners on to provide winning pitcher, Taylor, more than enough offensive support. Bruno starter Joe Webber was lit up for Wolfe’s circuit clout and was nailed with the loss. Taylor and his batterymate, Donaldson, both picked up three singles.

J. Webber (L), Yoos (8) and Hofbauer, Lummerding (6)
Taylor (W) and Donaldson 

(July 23)  Alsask defeated Langham 10 to 6 to advance to the second round of the Saskatoon exhibition week tournament. Both clubs managed 11 base hits. Fallis was the leading batter in this game with three hits. Miller, of the winners, and Langham’s P. Cheveldayoff, had four-baggers. Charlie Murray was the winning chucker.

Murray (W) and Goslin
Podovilenskoff (L) and J. Cheveldayoff

The Cory aggregation won the evening game by default when Wynyard failed to put in an appearance. Rather than disappointing the fans and to put Cory on even terms with the other clubs as far as games were concerned, the tournament committee ordered them to play an exhibition game against Neilburg, the previous night’s winner. In this exhibition tussle, Cory ran out as winners 11 to 4. Jerry Cummings got the win as his teammates bombarded losing hurler Wolfe for 13 hits including 3 triples and home runs by colored outfielder Young and “Red” Conn.

Cummings (W) and Johnston
Wolfe (L) and Donaldson 

(July 24)  Lucky Lake advanced to the second round of the tournament with a convincing 15 to 5 triumph over Grandora in the first game of the day. Grandora collected all of their runs off starter and winner Burger but reliever Stan Douglas stymied them after entering the game in the sixth. Shortstop Thomas garnered four singles for the victors while second sacker Allan collected three one-baggers.

Burger (W), Douglas (6) and Hoffinger, Fisher
H. Shawkey (L), Klein (8) and Ed Shawkey 

Lanigan entered the final tournament round with a narrow 6 to 5 elimination win over Harris in the late encounter. Lanigan out hit the Harris aggregation 9 to 8. Walter Gunther’s triple and single plus a double by Mitchell were the hits that drove in all of Lanigan’s tallies. “Lefty” Gunther, in relief of his brother Walter in the third frame, got credit for the win. Mitchell had a pair of singles on top of his three-bagger.

W. Gunther, A. Gunther (W) (3) and Lidstar
Paul (L) and Mills

(July 25)  In a morning encounter, Alsask, the biggest surprise package of the tournament, eliminated co-favorite Neilburg from further competition in the tournament with a neat 3 to 1 victory as a result of a stellar mound performance by winning twirler Charlie Murray. Fanning 17 Neilburg batters and yielding but three scattered hits, Murray was in complete control throughout the contest. Second baseman Jones and catcher Goslin had two hits apiece for Alsask.

Murray (W) and Goslin
Glenn (L) and Donaldson

Oddie Lowe of Cory and Lucky Lake’s Stan Douglas hooked up in a pitcher’s battle in the evening game in which the Cory nine prevailed by a 7 to 6 margin. Although Douglas had 15 strikeouts to his credit, the Coryites were able to light him up at critical times with runners in scoring position. Lowe’s own performance at the plate was a big factor in the Cory victory. Trailing 6 to 5 in the eighth frame, Cory tied the game on “Pee Wee” Smith’s two-out triple which plated Lowe who had earlier singled. Smith then scored the go-ahead run on an infield miscue. Lowe wound up with three hits including a triple. In the ninth, he whiffed the final two Laker batters to end the contest.

Douglas (L) and Fisher
Lowe (W) and Johnston, Conn

(July 26)  The powerful Cory nine blasted Alsask 12 to 1 in the morning semi-final game and earned the right to play Lanigan in the tournament final. Alf Bennett had little trouble in breezing to the lop-sided mound win. Although losing twirler Charlie Murray struck out 14, his mates completely blew up in the field and committed nine fielding miscues. “Red” Conn of the winners led all swatters with a three-hit performance.

Bennett (W) and Johnston, Conn
Murray (L) and Goslin

An abrupt ending to the tournament final after seven innings left disgruntled Cory players and their supporters bitter as the team from Lanigan upset the favoured Coryites 5 to 4 to claim National Life trophy, emblematic of the Saskatoon exhibition week tournament championship for 1930. After Lanigan had gone ahead in the bottom of the seventh, the plate umpire called a halt to the proceedings on the basis of darkness, a decision that was disputed. Ted Postlewaite tossed the full seven innings for the winners, striking out four without issuing a walk. Oddie Lowe, in relief of Cory starter Jerry Cummings, took the loss. A. “Lefty” Gunther’s seventh-inning single drove in the winning tally. In addition to his game-deciding bingle, Gunther laced two other hits for Lanigan. Teammate Folley also registered three base knocks as did Lowe and outfielder Young of the vanquished Cory nine.

Cummings, Lowe (L) (4) and Chester, Conn
Postlewaite (W) and W. Gunther


(July 20)   Before two large crowds at the Drumheller Athletic Park, the Texas Giants and the Chicago Athletics split a double-header in a series billed as the Colored Championship of Western Canada. The Giants won the opener 9-3 and the Athletics took the second by the same score, 9-3.  18-year-old Gleichen pitcher Cliff Bogstie, contracted to play for the Athletics, took the loss in the opener as the A's fielders didn't provide the gilt edged support that Williams, on the hill for the Giants, received. The Athletics put the second game on ice in the sixth inning when E. Brooks smacked a bases loaded homer.  King hurled the win for the A;s.

Williams (W) and xxx
Bogstie (L) and xxx

Winston (L) and xxx
King (W) and xxx

(July 21)  The Texas Giants claimed the Western Canada Colored Championship Monday downing the Chicago Athletics 7-4 in the deciding game of the best-of-three series. A Chicago error on Winston's long blow in the 8th resulted in three runs.

(August 10)   The Union Giants, the fastest ball club to appear to date on the Drumheller diamond, defeated the Virden All-Stars in both games of Sunday's double-header 6-5 and 8 to 3.  Hancock's fourth inning homer for the Giants in the first game was one of the longest ever made at the park. The game featured five double plays.

Outside of the first inning, when the Giants scored six times and the All-Stars three, the second game was a snappy exhibition with fine fielding on display.  Darcy McKinley, the Drumheller player who played with Virden went to the fence for a spectacular one-handed catch while Smoulding pulled off a similar play in picking one off right at the fence.  Dick Wade smacked a three-run homer for Virden. Schaeffer, the former Minneapolis hurler, struck out five in a row and nine in total. Happy Felsch, who has injured was not with the team.