1904 PROVINCE OF MANITOBA
The province’s top senior circuit of a year previous, the Manitoba Baseball League, was no more in 1904. Many of the best players from the Brandon, Virden and Portage La Prairie semi-pro teams from 1903 had turned professional or moved on elsewhere and southwest Manitoba, up until that time a hotbed for the American pastime, became barren of top-notch teams. What diamond activity there was during the early campaign was generally confined to local city leagues, primarily in Brandon, and play got off the mark later than usual, around mid-June. No evidence of inter-city competition between southern squads representing Brandon and Virden, always fierce rivals, surfaced in spring and summer editions of the Brandon Weekly Sun.
Dominion Day (July 1) marked the first game of the season played by the Brandon senior team, a group of non-import locals, some of whom had played on the semi-pro team of 1903. The remainder of the club were selects from the local City League. Exhibition games during the balance of the abbreviated season included tussles against a Winnipeg amateur club, the Killarney baseballers and a three-game challenge series with the barnstorming Calgary nine. For the Calgary clashes, the Wheat City club availed themselves of the services of “Have Glove, Will Travel” Bert Orr. The biggest event of the season, a proposed four-game exhibition set of skirmishes against the professional Winnipeg Maroons of the Northern League in mid-August, never materialized and this turned out to be a major disappointment for local fandom.
In the Capital City, the pro Northern Baseball League and in particular, the Winnipeg Maroons, consumed most of the headlines on the sports pages of the local newspapers. The amateur Winnipeg Amateur Baseball League was reorganized in 1904 to include two new entries, the Young Liberals and Shamrocks, who joined the existing Mets and Unions franchises of 1903. League play began on June 6 with all games scheduled for Fort Garry Park.
WINNIPEG AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE
(June 6) In the opening game of the Winnipeg Amateur Baseball League, the Shamrocks came from behind in the late innings to down the Young Liberals 13-6 Monday at Fort Garry Park. The Liberals held a 6-5 lead after four innings but the Shamrocks got two in the six to pull ahead and padded the lead with four in the seventh and another two in the eighth. Shortstop Lawrie led a 13-hit offensive with five safeties. Lawrie, Finlay and Higgins each scored three times. Tripp had three hits for the Liberals.
Tait (W) and Hamilton, Whitham
Field (L) and Swallwell
(June 13) The Unions blew an early four run lead but rallied with a five-run fifth inning and down the Shamrocks 12-8 Monday in City League play. Wilkinson had a triple and two singles to pace the winners while Cail belted a homer and single and scored a pair. First baseman Fred Tinney also had two hits and two runs. Losing pitcher Tait slugged three hits for the losers. Hallock survived 12 hits to go the distance on the hill for the Unions. He fanned ten.
Hallock (W) and Holden
Tait (L) and Hamilton
(June 15) The Mets made ten errors, seven on the left side of the infield in dropping an 11-10 decision to the Young Liberals. A run in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the winner for the Metropolitans. Second baseman Tripp clouted three hits for the winners.
Sheplee (L) and Harkness
Tobin, F.Roche (W) (5) and Swallwell
(June 18) First baseman Fred Tinney smacked a triple and three singles and scored three times in leading the Unions to an 8-5 triumph over the Mets. Tinney also racked up three stolen bases. Eddie Cail held the losers to eight hits, three by shortstop Hewitt.
Snider (L) and Harkness
Cail (W) and Holden
(June 27) For half and inning, the Shamrocks held a 3-0 lead. But it didn't take long for the Mets to launch a devastating offensive. They tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the first inning then continued the rampage for a 20-5 victory. Mets pounded out 24 hits. Snider pitched a six-hitter for the easy win.
Snider (W) and Harkness
Tait (L), Higgins (2) and Hamilton
(June 29) In the best game of the young season, the Shamrocks edged the Unions 4-3 Wednesday behind a ten-hit attack. Finlay led the way with three safeties. Whitham clouted a three-bagger. For the Unions, Wilkinson had a double and two singles.
Tait (W) and Hamilton
E.Cail and Skelly
(July 5) F.Roche held the Mets to just five hits Tuesday as the Young Liberals came out ahead 8 to 5, helped by seven Mets' errors. Roche assisted his own cause with a pair of hits. Shortstop Taylor added two hits and two runs.
Snider (L) and Hamilton, Harkness
F.Roche (W) and Swallwell
Unions 3 - 1
Liberals 3 - 2
Shamrocks 2 - 3
Mets 1 - 3
(July 8) Brilliant hurling by W.P. Fillmore, just back from college in Iowa, highlighted Friday's baseball action at River park. The 22-year-old Fillmore shutout the Unions on four hits and rang up 12 strikeouts as the Mets won 6 to 0. Unions protested the victory, claiming Fillmore had not been in the city the necessary fifteen days to be eligible to play. Left fielder Robertson and third sacker Hewitt each contributed two hits for the winners.
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
Hallock (L) and Skelly
(July 11) Mets exploded for six runs in the second inning and cruised to an 8-1 triumph over the Shamrocks. W.P. (William Parker) Fillmore, with a shutout last Friday, allowed just one run on seven hits. He walked three and whiffed 13. Wilson, Hewitt and Ransby had two hits apiece for the winners. Lawrie poked and triple and two singles for the Shamrocks.
Tait (L) and Hamilton
Fillmore (W) and Wilson
(July 15) Tait pitched well and knocked in the decisive run with his only hit Friday as the Shamrocks beat the Unions 4-2. Second baseman Higgins smacked three hits for the winners and Finlay and Dodds each added a pair. Jacobs collected three for the Unions.
Hallock (L) and Holden
Tait (W) and Hamilton
(July 18) The Mets got a run in the ninth inning to tie 2-2 with the Young Liberals. Rain forced the game to be called after regulation play. The game featured strong hurling, a three-hitter from F.Roche of the Liberals and a seven-hit effort by W.P. Fillmore of the Mets. The game took just 56 minutes to play.
Fillmore and Harkness
F.Roche and Swallwell
(July 20) In a sloppily played game, with 11 errors, the Mets came out on top of a 6-1 decision. The game was shortened to seven innings by inclement weather. Unions logged a protest of the game after Fred Tinney, who had played for the Unions, lined up with the Mets. Unions claim Tinney had not followed proper procedure to make him eligible to join another team. Litchfield allowed just three hits in pitching the win for the Mets.
Holden (L), Nicholson and Jacobs
Litchfield (W) and Harkness
(July 25) Shamrocks capitalized on eight Liberals' errors Monday to dump the politicians 6-2. Tait, who yielded just five hits in the mound victory, helped his own cause with four hits. He fanned 13.
Roche (L) and Swallwell
Tait (W) and Hamilton
Mets 4 - 3
Shamrocks 4 - 4
Liberals 3 - 3
Unions 3 - 4
(July 27) W.P. Fillmore again provided the Mets with outstanding mound work Wednesday as he hurled a three-hitter allowing just one unearned run as the Mets downed the Shamrocks 4-1. Fillmore is set for a tryout with the professional Winnipeg Maroons. Mets had nine hits, two each by Poulter and Fred Tinney.
Tait (L) and Hamilton
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
(July 30) The Winnipeg Metropolitans upset the touring Calgary baseball nine Saturday 3-2 as ace pitcher W.P. Fillmore held the visitors to just five hits. The thrilling exhibition was one of the best games of the season. He allowed Calgary to plate pair in the first inning then pitched shutout ball the rest of the way. He walked one and fanned ten. Mets got one run back in the bottom of the first, added one in the third and scored in the winner in the bottom of the eighth and final frame. The game was called because of darkness. The winner came home with two outs on a throw to second base which escaped the fielder in the semi-darkness allowing the runner to romp all the way home. . Calgary, the champions of Alberta, had already taken two of three from Brandon. Jack McCreary led the winners with three hits.
A.McCartney, Miller (L) (4) and Whitney
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
(August 1) The Young Liberals took a two-run lead in the first inning and held on to top the Unions 4-2 Monday at River park. While they managed just five hits, two each by Tony Gingras and Lambert, the Unions made seven errors to make it easy for the Libs. F.Roche held the loser to six safeties.
F.Roche (W) and Swallwell
Cail (L) and xxx
(August 10) The Young Liberals received sterling hurling from F.Roche Wednesday, a three-hitter, as the Libs topped the Shamrocks 4-1. Field and McNaughton contributed two hits apiece for the winners. Roche walked one and whiffed seven.
F.Roche (W) and Swallwell
Tait (L) and Hamilton
(August 15) In a game cut short to five innings by darkness, the Unions punched out ten hits in a 10-5 triumph over the Young Liberals. Centre fielder Skelly led the charge with two hits and three runs. Holden and Hallock each had a three-bagger for the Unions. The teams combined for 15 errors.
Hallock (W) and Holden
Roche (L) and Swallwell
(August 22) In a double-header at River Park Monday, Unions dumped the Shamrocks 7-1 and the Mets blanked the Young Liberals 3-0. In the opener Hallock hurled a four-hit gem in turning back the Shamrocks. He walked one and struck out nine. A four-run second inning carried the Unions to the win.
Tait (L) and Hamilton
Hallock (W) and Holden
W.P. Fillmore, the Mets ace, provided an even better pitching display in the second game holding the Liberals to just three hits in tossing the 3-0 shutout. He struck out nine and walked a pair. Mets had just six hits off Roche.
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
Roche (L) and Swallwell
Mets 7 - 3
Liberals 5 - 5
Unions 5 - 5
Shamrocks 4 - 8
(August 27) Shutout for five innings, the Mets over came a 3-0 deficit with 12 runs in the last four frames to crush the Unions 12-5. W.P. Fillmore racked up 14 strikeouts in hurling his fifth win in six games. The other contest ended in a 2-2 draw.
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
Hallock (L) and Holden
(August 30) A meeting of the executive of the Winnipeg Amateur Baseball League has decided to uphold one protest against the Mets, the July 20th game in which the Unions claimed the Mets had used an ineligible player. Two other protests were withdrawn and two were thrown out. As a result, the Mets' lead has been reduced to just one game over the Unions and one-and-one-half over the Liberals.
Mets 7 - 4
Unions 6 - 5
Liberals 5 - 5
Shamrocks 4 - 8
(September 3) The Young Liberals spoiled the Unions' dreams of first place in the Winnipeg Amateur League Saturday and instead took over second place with a 6-5 victory over the Unions. F.Roche hurled a six-hitter for the win. Samson and B.Taylor each had a double and single for the winners, who managed just seven hits off Hallock.
F.Roche (W) and Boyd, Samson
Hallock (L) and Glasgow
(September 5) Mets, who blew an early 4-0 lead, got a run in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday to edge the Unions 5-4 and secure first place in the league standings. W.P. Fillmore, remained unbeaten with his sixth victory. He also helped at the bat with a pair of hits. Dunlop and Robertson also contributed two hits apiece. Losing pitcher Hallock had a pair as did Holmes for the Unions.
Hallock (L) and Holden
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
(September 10) In a whirlwind finish, the Mets erupted for four runs in the ninth inning Saturday afternoon to shaded the Young Liberals 5-4. The Libs had the Mets down 3-1 with two out and nobody on base in the top of the final frame when Robertson reached as Roche and Swallwell collided in an effort to catch a pop-up. Fred Tinney followed with a single and W.P. Fillmore reached on an infield grounder which plated Robertson. Harkness drove in Tinney with a single to tie the count at 3-3. On Snider's soft grounder in the infield, the Liberals tried unsuccessfully to catch Fillmore steaming for home, instead of the easy play at first. Catcher Swallwell allowed a third strike to Martin to get away and Harkness romped home with the Mets fourth marker of the inning. The Liberals scored one in the bottom of the ninth but could not get another runner across the plate. Fillmore survived nine errors by his teammates in pitching a five-hitter for the win. He walked three and fanned nine. Roche, who also hurled a five-hitter, had 12 strikeouts.
Fillmore (W) and Harkness
Roche (L) and Swallwell