Western Canada Baseball 1913
1913 Stats
1913 Rosters
1913 Tournaments  


     
1913 CLASS D      
1st HALF      
Saskatoon Quakers 32 11 .744
Moose Jaw Robin Hoods 28 19 .596
Calgary Bronchos 24 20 .545
Medicine Hat Mad Hatters 24 24 .500
Edmonton Gray Birds 13 26 .333
Regina Red Sox 13 34 .277
* Edmonton Bulletin, June 26, 1913
  & Bulletin to July 2, 1913
       
2nd HALF      
Moose Jaw Robin Hoods 42 17 .712
Medicine Hat M-Hatters 36 23 .610
Saskatoon Quakers 31 27 .534
Edmonton Gray Birds 25 31 .446
Calgary Bronchos 27 36 .429
Regina Red Sox 16 43 .271
* Calgary Albertan, Sept 1, 1913
* A controversial final series ended with the league declaring Moose Jaw and Saskatoon as co-champions
1913 Game Reports  
1913 Photo Gallery  
1913 Snapshots   
1913 Edmonton Gray Birds  
1913 Calgary Bronchos 
1913 Moose Jaw Robin Hoods  
1913 Regina Red Sox   
1913 Saskatoon Quakers      
 
SASKATCHEWAN
SASKATOON CITY LEAGUE
Ashdown’s Hardware, Bankers, Burnet’s, Cairns White Sox, Hoo Hoos, Klein’s Warriors, Moose Lodge, Nutana Merchants
 
SASKATOON MERCANTILE LEAGUE 
CPR, Dominion Lands, Electricians, Phoenix, Somerfields, Star, Street Railway
 
REGINA COMMERCIAL LEAGUE
CPR, Cockshutt, International Harvester Co., Leaders, Peart’s Hardware, Regina Municipal Railway
 
MOOSE JAW CITY LEAGUE 
Allan-Cummings, Moose Lodge, Patricias, Robin Hoods
 
PRINCE ALBERT & DISTRICT LEAGUE
Blaine Lake, Prince Albert, Shellbrook
1913 Game Reports  
1913 Moose Jaw Allan-Cummings   
 
ALBERTA
EDMONTON SENIOR LEAGUE
Blue Labels, Excelsiors, Olympics, Pennants, Red Sox, Wholesalers
 
EDMONTON INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE
City Dairy, Grace Methodist, Moose, Morris Newman, Radials, St. Mary’s, Wholesalers
 
CALGARY SENIOR LEAGUE
Athletics, Knights of Columbus, Vics, YMCA
 
CALGARY MERCANTILE LEAGUE 
Ashdown's, John Deere
 
SOUTHERN ALBERTA LEAGUE
Lethbridge, Macleod, Warner
 
LETHBRIDGE SENIOR CITY LEAGUE
IHC*, Monarchs, White Sox, YMCA
* Champions
 
CENTRAL ALBERT LEAGUE 
Lacombe, Ponoka, Red Deer, Wetaskiwin

CHINOOK LEAGUE
Cayley, High River, Nanton, Okotoks

GAS BELT LEAGUE
Bow Island, Burdett, Grassy Lake, Winnifred

ROSEBUD LEAGUE
Airdrie, Bowden, Carstairs, Crossfield, Didsbury, Olds
1913 Champion, Alberta 
1913 Edmonton City Dairy    
1913 Game Reports   
1913 Alberta Photo Gallery   
 
MANITOBA
WINNIPEG SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE
Arenas, Elmwood Giants, Knights of Pythias, Norwood
 
SEMI-PRO LEAGUE
Dauphin, Gilbert Plains, Grandview, Selkirk, Tyndall
 
WINNIPEG MERCANTILE LEAGUE
Ashdown’s, Manitoba Bridge & Iron, Miller-Morse, Swift’s, Winnipeg Ceiling & Roofing
 
CENTRAL MANITOBA LEAGUE
Crandall, Hamiota, McConnell, Oak River
 
WESTERN MANITOBA LEAGUE
Alexander, Brandon, Elk Horn, Moosomin, Oak Lake. Virden
1913 Manitoba Game Reports    
1913 Manitoba Photo Gallery
     
1913 Winnipeg Maroons 
 
BRITISH COLUMBIA
VANCOUVER WHOLESALE LEAGUE
Kelly-Douglas Nabobs , Leckie’s, Mac & Mac, Malkin’s, Point Grey Red Sox, Robertson-Godson, Wood, Vallance & Leggat
 
VANCOUVER COMMERCIAL LEAGUE
B. C. Telephones * , Cedar Cove, Law Students, National Biscuit Company, North Vancouver, Western Canada Power
 
BC INTERIOR LEAGUE 
Kamloops, Kelowna, Revelstoke, Vernon
 
VANCOUVER ISLAND INTER-CITY
Chemainus, Namaimo, Victoria Moose
 
VICTORIA SENIOR CITY LEAGUE
Beacon Hill, James Bay A.A., St. Francis
 
VICTORIA INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE
Beacon Hill, Capitals, East Ends
1913 Vancouver Game Reports     
1913 BC Interior Game Reports    
1913 Vancouver Island Game Reports   
1913 BC Photo Gallery    
1913 BC Snapshots      
1913 BC Telephones   
1913 Powell River    
1913 Nakusp      
1913 Alberni     
1913 Vicrtoria, St. Francis     
 
MARITIME BASEBALL
 
 

 

Hoods & Quakers Share the Title !

Moose Jaw Robin Hoods and Saskatoon Quakers were declared co-champions after a league ruling to replay the 6th game of the playoffs.  Moose Jaw, which had won the game to take the series four games to two, had already packed up for the season so both teams were awarded a share of the title.

With a .362 mark, Roy Mills of the Quakers was the batting champion.  Walter Frink of Calgary topped the hurlers with 21 wins.

In an awesome display of pitching, a pair of Moose Jaw Robin Hoods fired no-hitters within the space of four days. The youngsters, Steele just beginning his pro career, Northrup with a couple of seasons under his belt, had  failed to make the cut with their hometown teams earlier in the season.

Russell Northrup (below left) , from Des Moines, Iowa, didn't make the cut with De Moines or Vancouver. Bob Steele (right), a Canadian from Victoria, B.C., couldn't catch on with the Victoria team. 

Friday, May 17th, Northrup no-hit Medicine Hat as the Robin Hoods won 2-0. He fanned eight and walked three

Northrup & Steele

Monday, Steele, a left-hander, notched his no-hitter against Calgary as Moose Jaw won 2-0.  He compiled seven strikeouts while issuing a pair of bases on balls. Steele, who would later advance to the majors with St. Louis, was coming off a poor performance on Saturday when he lasted just an inning and 1/3 giving up three hits and four walks before being sent to the showers.

Later in the season, Northrup would fire 45 2/3s consecutive scoreless innings, beginning on July 13th when he threw shutout ball after giving up a run in the first inning. July 16, only a misunderstanding in the outfield robbed Northrup of another no-hitter. Henry Rossbach and Bill Fortier let an easy fly ball fall between them. Another shutout followed on July 19th and then an eight inning relief stint (July 21) in which he allowed just two hits, one on a trick bunt. July 22nd, he fired 11 1/3 scoreless frames before an error in the 12th allowed a run.

Steele was one of six players from the 1913 season to advance to the major leagues.  The southpaw made his debut in 1916 with the Cardinals. 

Hollis grand slamsCalgary shortstop Brad "Babe" Hollis made quite an impact in a June double-header as he opened and closed the game with grand slam homers. In the first game he cracked a bases-loaded shot in the first inning and theh, in the second game, slammed a grand slam in the ninth.  The Bronchos split the twin-bill with Moose Jaw.

Ken WilliamsThe 1913 roster of the last-place Regina Red Sox included Ken Williams (left). He moved up to the Cincinnati Reds in 1915 and stuck in the majors until 1929, mostly with the St. Louis Browns. Compiling a lifetime major league batting average of .319, Williams didn't become a regular until 1920. In spite of his late blossoming, he led the American League in slugging, total bases, RBI and extra-base hits at various times throughout his career. The 1922 season was undoubtedly his finest as his 39 round-trippers and 155 RBI with the Browns topped the junior circuit. That same campaign, he became the first major league player to collect 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in the same season, a feat not equalled for 34 years. An aggressive player with few friends outside his own team, Williams earned the distinction of being Ty Cobb's most hated opponent.

1913 batting stats for Ken Williams with the Regina Red Sox of the class D Western Canada League
G - 101  AB - 359  H - 105  2B - 9  3B - 13  HR - 5  BA - .292  TB - 155  SLG - .432

Jack SmithRoxy WaltersRegina also sent outfielder Jack Smith (left) to the majors and two of the 1913 catchers also advanced - Jack Roche, in his second season with Calgary, made it up with St. Louis and 20-year-old catcher Al "Roxy" Walters (right) was with the Yankees in 1915 for the start of an 11-year major league career.  17-year-old pitcher Peter Schneider (below) of Medicine Hat was with Cincinnati the following season.

In addition, two players had seen time in the big leagues in previous seasons - Dave Skeels who played with both Edmonton and Calgary, and second baseman Harry Redmond of Edmonton had been in the majors with the Browns.

Pete SchneiderPeter Joseph Schneider was, at age 18,  the youngest player in the major leagues in 1914 (he had begun a pro career at age 16 with Seattle).  The right-hander won a spot in the Cincinnati rotation after a 17-7 campaign with Medicine Hat.  He was a solid contributor for the Reds for five seasons before a half-dozen games with the Yankees in his final major league season, 1919.  In 1917, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball with a record of 20-19 with an ERA of 2.10. 

In an exhibition match in February, 1917, Schneider bested Negro League marvel John Donaldson, tossing a five-hit shutout and belting a homer as his San Pedro Merchants won, 7-0. 

March 20, 1918, Schneider fired a one-hitter in Spring Training then hurled a one-hitter on Opening Day as Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh 2-0.  The lone hit was a double by Casey Stengel.

Pete SchneiderAfter an arm injury, Schneider, whose bat had gained considerable notice, became an outfielder and was one of the leading sluggers in the Pacific Coast League.  In his best season, 1923, Schneider hit .360 and belted 43 doubles, 23 triples and 19 homers. 

In a game for the ages, May 11, 1923, he set all kinds of records as the former pitcher clubbed five home runs, two of them grand slams, and a double, good for 14 runs batted in. His double was a long blow which fell just inches short of another homer. He scored six times.

There was trouble in his private life.  In 1924, his wife sued for divorce and Schneider was forced to pay $100 an month in alimony.  The worst was yet to come.  In February, 1935, Schneider was charged with manslaughter following a bar fight in which a man died. Convicted, he was sentenced to a one-to-ten year term at San Quentin.  In the fall of 1936, it was reported that Schneider was the manager of the prison baseball team.  He died in 1957 at age 61.


At the end of the 1914 season, Alfred/Albert Baker, a former Regina player failed in an attempt to get a full year's salary for not playing last season. It appears Baker was making the claim base on not having been notified of his release. The Sporting Life carried the story :

He evidently considered his services mighty valuable, for he believed he could lay low until the season ended, and then stick the local club for a year's pay. He apparently wrote a long, doleful letter to Secretary J.H. Farrell, stating how he had been misused by the Regina Club, and asked that he be avenged. Secretary Farrell, after duly considering both sides of the case adjudged that Baker was entitled to 16 days' salary and no more. This will amount to $66.67 as the findings are based on a salary of $125 per month.

Farrell ruled that a player, who is not notified of his release and does not report within five days of salary becoming due becomes a free agent. He calculated Baker was owing salary from opening day to five days after the first pay day, May 15th.


Baseball in December?  In Canada? 

Yes. In 1913 in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.  A large crowd was reported to be in attendance as the Bankers and Hotelmen fought to a 3-3 draw in a four-inning contest. Patterson for the Bankers and Hibbs for the Hotelmen handled the pitching duties.

Patterson and MacEachern
Hibbs and Lundin


What are the odds of a pitcher breaking his throwing arm during the course of a game? Miniscule probably best describes the probability. But twice in one season. Both on Alberta diamonds? Believe it or not, this two for the price of one scenario actually took place in 1913.

(July 23)  Charles Shaddick, pitcher for the Athletics in the Calgary Senior Amateur League, sustained a fracture of the arm on the second pitch he made in a relief role against the Y.M.C.A. nine. As Shaddick delivered the ball, an eerie snapping sound reverberated throughout the diamond, the ball itself flying into the crowd after striking the ground with great force as the hurler crumpled to the ground in pain. 

Boyce, Shaddick, xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(September 1)  A Labor Day finale to the baseball season saw hosting High River defeat Blackie 13 to 9. Starting pitcher Worthington of the Blackie nine was in the act of delivering the ball in the second inning when a distinct snap was heard and his arm dropped to his side. Suffering a broken arm, he had to be taken to the hospital.

Worthington, Rogers (2) and Lipsett
Bourque (W), Stitt (7) and Brown


Oscar "Lefty" Vold didn't make much of an impression in the Western Canada League in 1913 - dropped by the Regina Red Sox early in the season - but he quickly became a feared competitor in the city league in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan as the newspaper headline blared, VOLD NOW TERROR OF PRINCE ALBERT LEAGUE.

Vold was pitching so well the other teams in the circuit talked of a strike and threatened to break up the league if the left-hander was allowed to continue.  W.M. Doidge, the manager of the Ruskin Place nine offered to limit Vold's appearances to three innings a game but even this concession was not enough to sway the majority of the other managers. In late June, the Civil Service team was scheduled for a double-header against Ruskins. Vold fanned nine in five innings in the opener and also excelled at the plate with three singles and a triple in four trips. The Servants refused to play the second game and the league executive acted to ban Vold to save the local league.

Vold would go on to play for another dozen years in Saskatchewan, with teams in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Swift Current, Morse and Hodgeville. In 1917 it was reported that Vold hadn't lost a game in five years.