WINNIPEG SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE
Rife with returning veterans of overseas military service, the 1919 Winnipeg Senior Amateur Baseball League had a popular following in the Manitoba capital and drew extremely well at the gate, especially in view of the competition from the pro Maroons. Crowds of between 3,500 to 4,000 were not an uncommon occurrence at Wesley Field and, during an early-season first-place showdown match, topped 5,000.
The five clubs played a full first-half schedule, won by the Granites, and an abbreviated second-series, copped by the Arenas. No final playoff series was held between the two winners. Instead, an all-star contingent from the loop embarked upon a scheduled six-game barnstorming tour of Alberta.
First Series Final Standings W L Pct.
Granites 15 5 .750
Catholic Club 11 9 .550
Dominion Express 11 9 .550
Arenas 8 12 .400
Transcona 5 15 .250
Second Series Final Standings W L Pct.
Arenas 6 2 .750
Catholic Club 4 2 .667
Transcona 3 4 .429
Granites 3 5 .375
Dominion Express 2 5 .286
Exhibition game reports
(August 9) Two separate teams of select players from the Winnipeg Senior Amateur Baseball League hooked up in an exhibition doubleheader with the visiting Brandon Greys at Wesley Field. The Capital City squads handily captured both contests by scores of 9 to 3 and 6 to 0.
The Greys played a particularly bad defensive game in the opener, committing ten fielding miscues. Cecil Browne, Hunter Burgess and winning pitcher Stevenson all had a pair of hits for the Winnipegers.
Cornell (L), Bussler (5) and Hagan
Stevenson (W), A. Ross (8) and Mooney
Hank Sigurdson blanked the Greys on six hits in the second game. Tommy Shannon ripped three singles for the winners while Lawrie Cuthbert drilled a double and one-bagger.
Crawford (L) and Bussler
Sigurdson (W) and Pearlman
(August 21) The Greys and Transcona split a twin-bill at Brandon Thursday, the home squad winning the opener 5-1 and the visitors taking the second game 4-1. Catcher Brandt and centre fielder Cousley each smacked three hits in the first game to pace Brandon's triumph. Brandt had a tiple and Cousley a two-bagger. Bussler held Transcona to six hits
Stevenson (L) and Perlman
Bussler (W) and Brandt
Teenager Lefty Kaye fashioned a three-hitter in the second game as Transcona won, 4-1. Kaye fanned 12 and walked just one. The winners had eight hits of a pair of Brandon hurlers. Amby Moran led with a pair of doubles.
Kaye (W) and Perlman
Cornell (L), Crawford (7) and Brandt
Dan McLennan, the scrappy manager of Transcona, took batting honours in the second series of the Winnipeg Senior Amateur Baseball League. McLennan ran up a .414 average in seven games to top Lawrie Cuthbert, the Arenas shortstop, who was a close second with a .407 average. Doc Flanagan, who won the batting crown in the regular series, hitting .484, hit just .094 in the second series.
(September 15) Young Lefty Kaye allowed two runs in the first inning then pitched shutout ball as Winnipeg came from behind to down Calgary 6-2 in the first game of the challenge series in the Alberta city. Blanked for seven innings by Ab White, on the hill for Calgary, the Winnipeg All-Stars broke loose for two in the eighth and four in the ninth. Winnipeg had eights hits, two apiece by Dan McLennan and George Hay. Bunny Warren slugged a triple and drew applause for several outstanding plays at third base.
Kaye (W), Sigurdson (9) and Mooney
White (L) and Lewis
(September 16) Again, the Winnipeg All-Stars waited until the last innings to break out as the two All-Stars teams battled to a 3-3 draw in Calgary. The host team scored one in the first and a pair in the second while holding Winnipeg off the scoreboard through six innings. But, Winnipeg plated two in the seventh and one in the eighth for the tie. The game was called after eight frames because of darkness. Jean Bride for Calgary, and Sid May for Winnipeg hurled solid games. May saved his own game with a two-run double in the eighth.
May and Sheppard
Bride and F.Lewis
(September 17) Frank Lewis sent the home crowd home happy with a drive in the bottom of the eighth and final inning to score Orley Louden with the winning run as Calgary shaded Winnipeg 4-3 in the third game of the challenge series. . The Calgary rally came after the visitors had tied the count in the top of the stanza. Bunny Warren reached on a fielders' choice and hits by Amby Moran and Nelson Mooney brought him home. Goodlands held Winnipeg to six hits in going the distance on the hill for the winners. Hank Sigurdson, who relieved starter Alex Ross in the second, took the loss.
Ross, Sigurdson (L) (2) and Mooney
Goodlands (W) and Vaughan
(September 19) The Edmonton Veterans rallied for five runs in the seventh inning to come from behind for a 6-2 victory over the Winnipeg All-Stars. A two-run triple by left fielder Bud Spiessman highlighted the outburst. Kelso and Lusher combined on a five-hitter for the winners. Kelso left the game in the seventh after being hit by a pitch in his turn at bat. Alex Ross took the loss.
Ross (L) and Thor
Kelso (W), Lusher (8) and Mountifield
(September 20) The boy wonder, George "Lefty" Kaye held Edmonton to just two hits Saturday as Winnipeg blanked the hosts 7-0 in a game halted after seven frames by rain. The visitors had just six hits, including a two-run homer by George Hays. Bunny Warren clouted a triple and single. Kaye whiffed six, with no free passes. Lusher and Herriott combined to rack up 13 strikeouts for Edmonton. One of the hits off Kaye was by former major leaguer, first baseman Joe Kutina.
During the game, Mayor Clarke appealed to fans to help out the visitors. He explained that Winnipeg had not received a promised guarantee in Calgary and bad weather had lessened the gate in Edmonton. He asked that a collection be taken up for the boys whom Manager Deacon White of Edmonton described as "the best bunch of sports that ever visited Edmonton." Over three hundred dollars was then collected.
Lusher (L), Herriott (5) and Mountifield
Kaye (W) and Mooney
BRANDON
Brandon City Baseball League
Teams from the Brandon City Baseball League played a split-schedule in 1919. The Senators nosed out the Bankers for first-half honors while a second-half champion was never officially declared as the Senators and C.P.R. were never able to break their deadlock.
Bankers, C.P.R., Senators
Southern Manitoba Baseball League
Using elite players from a three-team Brandon City Baseball League, the Brandon Greys went on to capture the 1919 Southern Manitoba Baseball League crown.