The 1920s
In the years leading up to the First World War baseball in the Maritimes was flourishing, especially in New Brunswick and Cape Breton where various professional circuits, including the Class D Maine-New Brunswick League, operated in association with professional teams in Greater New England.
The war interrupted this development. During the 1920s the state of baseball in the Maritimes was also affected by the tough stance taken by the Maritime Provinces Amateur Athletic Association, in maintaining a strict distinction between amateur and professional competition. Community teams like the Springhill Fencebusters, Middleton Cardinals, Kentville Wildcats, Liverpool Larrupers, Charlottetown Abegweits and St. Stephen Kiwanis were interested in competing in Provincial and Maritime senior baseball playoffs and careful to maintain their amateur standing. In Moncton, Saint John, Westville, and on Cape Breton Island, however, there were a number of independent teams with paid players, including imports from the United States who were excluded from the regional championships.
There were independent leagues that operated outside of MPBAA control as well, including a 1922 New Brunswick League and the 1924 Nova Scotia Professional League. Both had high quality players including some who eventually went on to the major leagues.
The striking thing about 1920s baseball was the close connection between the Maritimes and New England, especially Boston. In addition, barnstorming clubs from “Negro League” baseball such as the Boston Royal Giants, the Detroit Clowns and the Philadelphia Colored Giants were frequent visitors.
Every season five or six touring squads from around Boston and the Greater Boston Twilight League, including Bob Bigney’s South Boston All-Stars, Ray Rogers’ Auburn Club, Dick Casey’s Boston Travellers and teams from Quincy, Roslindale, Somerville, Cambridge, Arlington, Newburyport, Taunton and Malden would play up to twenty games each year across the region. In 1927, for example, after Casey’s All-Star club won five of its scheduled six games in New Brunswick they were induced to stay for the entire summer. When local ordinances prohibited teams playing Sunday baseball, Casey would take his club to play teams in Maine. Many of these clubs returned year in year out.
GAME REPORTS 1920
(June 18) A Halifax All-star team will travel to Newfoundland for a week-long tour. Hap Hanson, catcher, Nedder Hurley, Chic McLeod, Neil Wilkie, and Nick Phelan are among those already committed to the trip.
(June 19) Star hockey player Fred McLean with Quebec in the National Hockey Association will play ball in Cape Breton. For some weeks, past managers of ball teams on the Island have been trying to get him to give up his intention of being reinstated as an amateur, and come to Cape Breton to play as a professional. He will join Aberdeen in the Colliery League.
(June 26) Baseball interest is running high in Saint John. Among the leading players are Bill Riley cf, Gerry McGovern 1b, and Fred Killen of the Vets. Bobby Stafford of the Alerts has gone to play with the Moncton Independent professionals.
(July 29) Bob Forward led Yarmouth to a 6-5 victory over Halifax. Halifax catcher Hap Hanlon broke two fingers and couldn’t finish the game. Bobby Clements, the Yarmouth catcher, led the Gateways at the plate.
(August 23 ) Saint John St. Peters won the first game of a doubleheader in Halifax, defeating the Halifax Crescents 8-1. The second game ended in a 1-1 tie.
(August 24 ) Sydney returned from Newfoundland playing a four game Inter-Dominion series with Saint John’s. The Cape Bretoners won three of four.
(September 13 ) Stellarton used two players playing under assumed names in the final series of the provincial championship against Yarmouth. Stellarton has been suspended from further involvement in the Maritime Championships.
GAME REPORTS 1921
(June 30) Ben Baker, highly touted University of Maine player, has agreed to play with the Halifax Wanderers. Some American ball players imported by Cape Breton clubs are underperforming, however. Ayers, who pitched for Glace Bay a few days ago, was hit all over the lot and two other imports didn’t look like experience ballplayers.
(July 21) In one of the best games of baseball ever played in Moncton, the Boston Travellers shut out Bob Bigney’s South Boston All-Stars 2-0. Lefty Geary pitched the shutout with Louie Cohen behind the plate. This was part of a tour of the Maritimes arranged by the Halifax Herald and included games against various town teams in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
(July 28) A touring team from Cambridge, Massachusetts that included second-baseman Doc Gautreau will play in Halifax next month against the Wanderers, War Vets and an All-Halifax squad. Another team from Auburn has arranged for games in Liverpool, Yarmouth, Middleton, Stellarton, New Glasgow and smaller towns along the line. They have a 15-1 record against teams in the Boston City League this season.
(August 8) Auburn, considered the best amateur team around Boston by the Boston Post, swept a doubleheader against Westville, 11-3 and 9-3, as the visitors continued their tour of the region. The feature of the games was the splendid work of the Auburn men in the field and on the bases.
(August 11) Auburn defeated Stellarton 4-3 before a “fair size crowd”.
Richardson and McMillan (Stellarton)
Jack Callahan and J. Casey (Auburn)
(August 14) The Saint John St. Peter’s playing with the same dash and speed which carried them through to the championship of the city league, won both ends of a double header against Auburn by the scores of 8-3 and 4-1. Art Hansen was the winning pitcher in the first game, and Lawlor notched the win in the second. Gene Tibbetts who took the loss in the first game played professionally for Stellarton before the War.
Auburn 200 000 010 3-6-8
St John 102 000 41x 8-8-2
Tibbetts (L) and Glennan
Hansen (W) and Dever
Auburn 000 000 001 1-6-6
Saint John 310 000 00x 4-7-2
(August 18) Auburn defeated a Kentville team made up exclusively of local players by a 2-1 score.
(August 19) The Halifax Coloured Diamonds were awarded the Halifax Herald trophy for the Coloured Championship of Nova Scotia, having defeated the Truro Tigers in the opening game, and then winning by forfeit in the deciding match.
(August 20) The Halifax Wanderers defeated Auburn 5-4 in thirteen innings, but Auburn got their revenge beating the Crescents 14-6.
(August 23) Before a crowd of 600 spectators Shelburne defeated Auburn by a 5-4 score. Shelburne had 12 hits to Auburn’s eight.
(August 24) Auburn defeated Bridgewater 10-5.
(August 25) Auburn demolished Lunenburg 17-2 as the locals made numerous errors in the field.
(August 26) Bridgetown broke even against the touring Auburns, splitting a day-evening double hitter with the visitors.
(August 29) Saint John St. Peters broke even with the South Boston All Stars winning 3-1 in the opener and losing 7-5 in the second game.
(August 31) The South Boston All-Stars defeated All-Moncton 8-4. McNevin and Billings were the battery for Boston, and Fryers, Doucette and Addy Cummings performed for Moncton. Most of the Moncton players were members of the professional Moncton Independents.
(September 1) The Auburn baseball club is scheduled to leave Halifax for Saint John. Ray Rogers (manager) and his players made a big hit in Halifax and will return again next year. The Auburns averages for the tour are as follows: J. Casey .280, Dick Casey .333, Glennon .275, Mahoney .285, Bent .257, Doherty .272, Looney .290, Wright .354, Ferguson .240, Kolosky . 294, Tippitt .431 and Locke .428.
(October 15) Bayfield, N.B. native Jim Riley had a successful rookie year in Organized Baseball. The middle infielder split the year between Terre Haute of the Three-I League and Vancouver of the Pacific Coast League, hitting .299 in 431 at bats. At the end of the season he was promoted to the Saint Louis Browns and played four games but failed to collect a hit.
GAME REPORTS 1922
(June 5) The Moncton Independents baseball team shut out Dorchester, Mass. in a fast game, by a score of 4-0. Johnny Fryers held the visitors to three hits.
Dorchester 000 000 000 0-3-2
Moncton 300 000 10x 3-6-2
Lindsay (L), Ballen and Hazlehurst
Fryers (W) and Cummings;
(June 6. Moncton posted its second straight shutout win over Dorchester as Doucet hurled a two hit 5-0 victory.
Doucet (W) and Cummins
Ireland (L) and Hazelhurst
(June 7) G.E. Hope, business manager of the Saint John Colored Athletic Association, is seeking games in Halifax with the Coloured Diamonds or any other black team.
(June 8) With Fred McLean of hockey fame pitching, the Fredericton club of the York Independent League defeated Dorchester by a score of 5-1. McLean yielded only six hits and had nine strikeouts to his credit. Left-hander Chuck Ireland hurled for the visitors and was hit freely.
(June 9) Over 4,000 spectators attended a hard-hitting contest between the Halifax Coloured Diamonds and the Old-Timers on the Central Commons. The Old Timers prevailed by a 16- 11 count.
(June 13) A professional league with teams in Moncton, Fredericton, St. Stephen and Saint John was attracting large crowds throughout New Brunswick.
(June 15) Fredericton defeated Moncton 8-1 before the largest crowd in a decade.
Jack Blanford (W) and Hayward
Johnny Fryers (L) and Addy
(June 16) The Halifax Old Timers won a second time defeating the Coloured Diamonds 16-15 on the Halifax Commons.
The City League in Halifax and Dartmouth known as the Southern League, included the Halifax War Vets, the Wanderers, the Halifax Crescents and the Dartmouth All-Stars.
(June 22) The Newburyport touring team defeated Saint John St. Peters by a 4-3 score. The Moncton Pros signed catcher Jack Walsh from Newburyport.
Clancy (W) and Walsh
Hansen and (L) and Dever
(June 26) In a three game series between the Yarmouth Gateways and Boston Travellers, the two teams were evenly matched, each with a win, loss and tie. Left-hander Geary shut out Yarmouth 4-0 in Boston’s only win.
(June 27) Springhill native Charlie Paul, burning up the New Brunswick League with St. Stephen club, recently pitched a two-hitter against a team in Maine. Paul had a brief trial in the Boston Braves minor league organization later in the year.
(June 30) Halifax turned down a challenge from the Arlington, Mass. club to play two games in Halifax. Halifax thought the requested $800 guarantee requested by the Americans was too rich for their blood.
(July 1) Phil Rudolph, former Halifax baseball and hockey star, is playing in the Boston Twilight League.
(July 3) Danny MacFayden from Somerville, Mass., who was spending his summer in Clark’s Harbour with relatives, struck out eight but gave up five earned runs and ten hits as Yarmouth knocked off the Clark’s Harbour boys.
(July 7) Under ideal weather conditions and before a big crowd the Boston Travellers defeated a local Pictou town team by a score of 8-1, but the final score was no indication of the closeness of the game, as the two teams played scoreless ball into the fifth inning.
(July 8) Schoolboy sensation Danny MacFayden lost again to the powerful Yarmouth Gateways despite striking out eight batters. He gave up 11 hits before retiring in the eighth.
(July 9) Pitching for the second day in a row Danny MacFayden struck out seventeen batters in Clark’s Harbour’s 17-1 demolition of Lockeport.
(July 12) Saint John St. Peter’s defeated a touring squad from Somerville, Massachusetts by a score of 3-2. Somerville is entered in the newly formed Boston Twilight League. Geddis’s fielding for the visitors, and McGovern and Devers’ hitting for the locals stood out.
Somerville 002 000 000 2-8-1
Saint John 010 011 00x 3-3-2
(July 13) Middleton and the South Boston All Stars played to a 1-1 tie, called after twelve innings. Vaughan Reagh was on the mound for the Valley team, and Riley of Boston “compared favorably with any Nova Scotia twirler”. Reagh struck out thirteen batters and gave up ten hits, Riley pitched three-hit ball with only three strikeouts. South Boston played regularly in the Boston Twilight League, as did the touring Somerville club already on a swing through the Maritimes.
(July 14) The Boston Travellers defeated the Charlottetown Abegweits by a score of 5-2. The Americans were publicly welcomed to Charlottetown by Mayor Harold Jenkins.
(July 21) Before the largest crowd this season the Zion Baptist team defeated the Presbyterians 4-3 on the Victoria Park Diamond. This was the first time the Presbyterians were beaten in two seasons. “Spotty” Talbot and Bruce were the battery for the Zions, Archibald and Fraser for the Presbyterians. Clyke led the Zions at the plate, while Archibald had a three bagger and scored two runs for the losers. On the mound Talbot gave up only four hits, while Archibald limited the Zions to six hits.
(July 23) The Boston Travellers were in Springhill for two games, losing the first game 17-8 as the Fencebusters collected 20 hits. The second game ended in a 10-10 tie.
Game 1 - Travellers 8-10-6
Springhill 17-20-4
Game 2 - Travellers 10-14-4
Springhill 10-15-1
(July 24) Quincy, Massachusetts shut out the Moncton Independents by a 6-0 score. Hughes of Quincy held Moncton to three hits.
Quincy 050 010 000
Moncton 000 000 000
Hughes and Higgins
Dickey, Doucet and Walsh
(July 24) In a regular league game at Victoria Park in Truro, the black Zion Baptist baseball team lost to the Church of England 3-0. The Zions’ earlier win over the Presbyterians was protested and ordered to be replayed. A battle royal is expected when they come together.
(July 25) The Boston Travellers beat Joggins 7-4 before 700 spectators.
Cohen (W) and Geary
Babineau (L) and Alward
(July 27) Bob Bigney, manager of the South Boston All-Stars sent regards to local fans from Boston, and reported that his team greatly enjoyed their trip. Eddie McNevin, Jimmy Sullivan and Fred O’Brien who joined the Boston Travellers rather than return home later suited up with the Moncton Independent professional club for the rest of the summer.
(July 28) Middleton edged the Boston Travellers 4-3 scoring the winning run in the last of the ninth to secure the victory.
(August 15) The Auburn baseball club defeated Liverpool by a 3-1 score, with Santora the winning pitcher striking out eight. Joudrie, a veteran of many hard fought battles, went the distance for Liverpool giving up only three hits and striking out 14.
(August 16) Auburn continued its tour of the Maritimes with a 6-0 shutout over Bridgewater.
(August 17) Another touring team from Newburyport, Massachusetts began its Maritime tour with an 11-4 victory over Saint John shortened to six innings.
Newburyport 380 000
Saint John 003 010
(August 18) Auburn got the best of Middleton in a hard fought encounter that was the rubber match between the two teams.
(August 21) Auburn defeated the Moncton Independents 2-1 in a six-inning game shortened by inclement weather. Auburn had five hits, Moncton only one.
(August 25) With the game just within their grasp, Pictou was edged 5-4 in a game against Ray Rogers’ Auburn club. The play of the game was a sensational running and diving catch in deep left field by the locals’ George McLean.
Auburn 001 100 112 5- 7-2
Pictou 010 000 003 4-10-3
(August 30) The long talked about, much delayed match between the Coloured All Stars and the picked Church League team resulted in 12 – 3 victory for the Church team.
(August 31) The Auburn touring team lost a 6-5 thriller to Kentville in eleven innings. Auburn led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth but the locals scored four times led by pinch-hitter Walsh. In the 11th Ferguson and Walsh hit safely before a single by Simmons plated the winning tally.
GAME REPORTS 1923
(June 1) Dick Casey’s Boston All-Stars knocked off Fredericton 4-2 in the second game of their series in the New Brunswick capital.
Boston 4-4-1
Fredericton 2-8-3
O’Brien (W) and Ward
Barry (L) and Donovan
(June 8) The Halifax Wanderers plan to use a few of their reserve pitchers in a game with the USS Tampa which was docked in port.
(June 9) Moncton Pros defeated the Boston All-Stars 7-2. The tourists tried two batteries but couldn’t silence the locals who had ten hits.
(June 14) Strengthened by the addition of Dick Casey of the Boston All-Stars, the Moncton Pros defeated the Saint John Great War Vets.
(June 17) Bob Bigney’s South Boston All-Stars, perennial summer visitors to the Maritimes, closed out their three game series with Yarmouth taking the deciding game by a 4-3 score. After the game the Bostonians left by steamer to return home. McNevin was the winning pitcher, while left-hander Taylor took the loss.
(August 17) Auburn split a double-header with Kentville taking the first game 3-l but losing the second 5-2. The “snappy” American team has played here every year since the War ended.
GAME REPORTS 1924
(June 1) After a spring training trial with the New York Giants, Davy Thompson of Westville returned to his home town for the rest of the season and helped lead them to the Nova Scotia championship finals.
(June 16) Kentville of the Nova Scotian Professional League took two games from Halifax, 6-1 and 7-2.
Jack Kolosky (W) and Wigmore.
Bush (L) and Hap Hanlon
Whittemore (W) and Wigmore
Sammy Lesser (L) and Hanlon
Kolosky and Whittemore were veterans of the Greater Boston Twilight League and had toured the province in earlier seasons.
(June 19) The Moncton Professionals beat Halifax twice, 11-7 and 9-6. Green was the winning pitcher in the first game, Swetman in the second. Eddie Proulx, a local hockey star, and Bush were tagged with losses.
(July 20) The Yarmouth have seven Americans on its roster, including Joe Stripp, Murphy, Gandy, Clancy and three others.
(June 30) In the opening game of a four-game series, the Yarmouth Gateways of the Nova Scotia Professional League defeated Newburyport, Massachusetts 6-4. Stuart hurled for the locals and Briggs for the visitors. A feature of the game was a 400 foot home run by future big leaguer Jersey Joe Stripp that cleared the centre field fence.
(July 2) Joe Ford’s Newburyport club had arranged for a series against Halifax of the N.S. Professional League but because the MPAAA restricted them to playing professional clubs in the region, they ended their tour and decided to come back to the Maritimes later in the year.
(July 10) The Philadelphia Colored Giants walloped the Moncton professional team in two games, the first by a score of 25-5, the second 8-2.
Baptist (W) and Chappie Johnson
Leader (L), Doucet and Walsh
(July 11) The Philadelphia Colored Giants took both games of a double-header against the Fredericton pros by scores of 7-5 and 3-2. New Brunswick native Vince Shields, who would appear in the majors later in the season, took the loss in the second game.
(July 16) In its two game series against the travelling Cleveland Colored Giants, the Moncton Pros won 6-4 in the first game with Springhill native Charley Paul nailing down the win. The second game ended in a tie. Moncton played errorless ball against the Americans.
(July 31) The barnstorming Detroit Clowns and Fredericton Pros played to a 3-3 tie. A heavy shower prevented the twilight clash. This was the third game between the two clubs, Fredericton having won two of them.
Detroit 000 110 001 3-6-3
Fredericton 000 200 010 3-7-2
(August 5) Fredericton took two games from the visiting Boston Tigers, winning the afternoon game by an 11-3 score. In an abbreviated twilight engagement they came out on top by a 5-2 score. The locals used Miller, the Marysville southpaw in the afternoon, and Reynolds, a protégé of Vince Shields, in the evening.
Miller (W) and Cole
Evans (L) and Williams
Reynolds (W) and Cole
Russell (L) and Williams
(August 14) After cutting short an earlier tour of the region at the beginning of the summer, Newburyport returned to take on the Moncton Pros in a double header. Moncton swept the series winning 10-9 in the afternoon and 7-3 in the evening contest.
Lowerson (W) and Walsh
Burns (L) Sawyer and Weyged
Doucet (W) and Walsh
Sawyer (L)and Weyged
(September 1) Vince Shields jumped from Fredericton to St. Stephen, joining former big-leaguer Shorty Dee in the border town. Dee subsequently arranged a trial with the St. Louis Cardinals for the 24 year old right-hander who signed a big-league contract on September 20th. Shields pitched 12 innings for the Cardinals in 1924 with a 3.00 ERA. He also went 2 for 5 at the plate.
GAME REPORTS 1925
(June 16) Saint John Saints, an independent team, are considered a professional team by the MPBAA and ineligible for the Maritime Championship.
(June 26) The Malden club took two games from a hastily organized amateur club in Yarmouth, by scores of 6-1 and 4-3. The Yarmouth pros were not involved, in order to protect Malden from experiencing the wrath of the MPBAA.
(June 27) Ben Smith and his Malden club are presently in Yarmouth but plan to visit Halifax next week to play at the Exhibition Grounds in a series of games against amateur clubs in the Halifax City League. Malden won all three of its games against Yarmouth.
(July 3) Halifax will not see the Malden team in action as hoped. The Maldens were blacklisted by the MPBAA and not permitted to play in other Nova Scotian towns against amateur clubs. The trouble arose with a complaint involving Prescott Boyd who played last season with Yarmouth in the Nova Scotian Professional League, and was travelling with the Malden team. Although still in Halifax, the Maldens were arranging games against the professional teams in Moncton and Saint John.
(July 10) Malden played a nine-inning 5-5 tie with the Saint John Alerts and prepared to play another double-header tomorrow. Lawlor for Saint John was nicked for eight hits, while Malden’s Perigney allowed nine.
(July 13) An announcement was made that a professional baseball club representing the city of Halifax was forming in response to the MPBAA’s rigid response to touring baseball clubs. Its first games would be played against Malden at Wanderer’s Grounds.
(July 17) The Malden All-Stars will open up a three game series against the newly former Halifax Professionals. This will be the first games between professional clubs since last summer, and there is a great deal of interest here in the revival of the game. Malden earlier defeated both the Moncton Pros and the Saint John Alerts, besides taking three straight from Halifax amateurs two weeks ago.
(July 23) Nap D’Entremont, manager of the Maldens was unhappy with the confused state of baseball in the region surrounding professional and amateur competition. D’Entremont’s club travelling the region by automobile said the tour was a heavy losing venture on his part.
(September 30) Springhill won the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball championship over Westville but was eliminated by the St. John Watermen in the Maritime Championship. The Watermen and Charlottetown were finalists with the Saint John club winning two out of three games.
GAME REPORTS 1926
GAME REPORTS 1927
(August 20) More than 5,000 fans saw St. Agnes, champions of the Halifax Twilight League, play to a 7-7 tie with Springhill. Gerard and Albon were the opposing pitchers, and Big Hank O’Rourke, the Babe Ruth of Nova Scotia baseball, was held in check.
(September 26) Saint John Fusiliers won the New Brunswick Senior baseball championship, knocking off Moncton in a double-header 6-0, 10-2.
(October 1) Springhill won the opener in the semi-final series in the Maritime Baseball playoffs against Saint John by a 5-3 score.
(October 3) Before 4,000 fans in Saint John, Springhill won the semi-final series against the Fusiliers by a 3-0 score. Lloyd Stirling took the loss but pitched well in defeat. Springhill now will play the Charlottetown Abegweits for the Maritime crown.
GAME REPORTS 1928
(July 16) Saint John’s Newfoundland will play Saint Agnes, 1927 champions of the Halifax Twilight League, the first time a Newfoundland team appeared in Halifax in many years.
(July 30) Playoffs begin in the Halifax Twilight League to determine who will represent the City in the provincial championship.
(August 8) Saint Agnes wins the Twilight League playoffs with a 4-1 victory over Willow Park. Mellish Lane was a standout, and not far behind was Sheldon Clark of Willow Parks. Speedy shortstop Vince Ferguson, the league’s leading batter, was the hitting star of the series.
GAME REPORTS 1929
(July 20) The Attleboro All-stars begin their tour of Nova Scotia with a game in New Glasgow followed by a double header against Springhill.
(July 24) Springhill and Attleboro split a double-header, the defending Maritime Champions won the first game 3-0 and and lost the second 7-5.
(July 25) Attleboro topped Amherst by a score of 7-3. All the breaks of the game went against the locals. The visitors scored three runs in the first inning when Amherst’s import hurler Delaney could find the plate, hitting one batter and walking two more. Delaney was relieved in the fourth by Burpee Cranton.
(August 2) Glace Bay won the opening game of a two-game series with Attleboro by a score of 4-1. Norm Boutilier was the choice of Glace Bay manager Stewart McDonald and bested McElroy the visitors’ submarine pitching ace. In the second game Attleboro got its revenge with an 8-7 victory. Bobby Jackson, clever hurler for Glace Bay, was left in the box one inning too long. Jackson gave up eight earned runs before giving way to Flaherty in the sixth.
(August 5) Attleboro won the deciding match of a three game series against Glace Bay, knocking of the miners by a score of 13-8. The game was played in a gale of wind that swept across the diamond, making good ball out of the question.
(August 19) The MPBAA was considering the status of Cape Breton and Pictou County clubs, given their use of American players during the season.
(August 23) The MPBAA declared five players who left Halifax St. Agnes to play for Darmouth ineligible for playoff competition. They were Spud Beazley, Bun McDonald, Todds Beasley, Archie MacDonald, and Green.
(August 23) “Chief” Bernardo, First Nations hurler, was the winner as New Glasgow defeated Reserve Mines 7-4. Brophy homered for the losers.
(August 24) The House of David from Benton Harbor, Michigan, shut out an All-Saint John team by a score of 4-0. The game was a pitching duel between Bird for the visitors and Charlie Fitzgerald for the locals. The efficient game was played in an hour and thirty-three minutes.
(August 27) Caledonia defeated Westville 5-4 in the first game of the Nova Scotia independent baseball championship. Both teams were ineligible for the provincial senior title because of their use of imported players from the United States. Bob Brown, the young New England high-school ace took the loss, while left-hander Chamberlain, another import from the United States, pitched brilliantly for the Cape Breton squad.
(August 28) The House of David opened their Nova Scotian swing with two wins over the Springhill Fencebusters, 10-8 and 9-3. Although Springhill lost both games, they have the distinction of scoring more runs against this crack aggregation than any other team on its Canadian tour. The House of David went into the game with the intention of shutting out their opponents, but that quickly ended when Hank O’Rourke poled out a three run homer, his second of the day. Stewart McLeod was on the mound in the second game and relieved by Frank Cranton in the second inning.
(August 29) The House of David team defeated Kentville 9-4 and 8-4 before a good crowd. The ball displayed by the whiskered boys was snappy. John Tucker’s one-handed fielding at first was high-class and the battery of Talley and Flip Flemming was dominant.
(August 31) Glace Bay defeated the House of David 3-2. Fred Harlow, Westville’s import catcher, played for the Miners and received the pitching slants of winner Chamberlain. McCafferty took the loss.
(September 1) After three years of trying, Halifax St. Agnes eliminated Springhill in the provincial playdowns. Mellish Lane, returning after a nasty blood poisoning in his hand, scattered seven hits for the Haligonians. Alfie Albon turned in a remarkable game in defeat.
Lane (W) and Clancey
Albon (L) and O’Rourke
(September 1) When Halifax plays the House of David later in the week, they will be strengthened by four American college boys from Glace Bay who were barred from the Maritime playoffs by the MPBAA. There were a handful of American collegians playing across the region this year, including pitcher Bobby Brown of the Westville Miners who was closely scouted by major league organizations.
(September 2) Displaying a brand of ball not seen here since the pro teams operated in Cape Breton in 1923, the ball team from the House of David colony at Benton Harbor, Michigan took both ends of a double header from the Caledonia team and a Sydney all-star team by scores of 11-0 and 11-1. It is estimated that over 6,000 fans witnessed the two matches, and a human fringe around the quarter mile track was ten deep in some places.
(September 3) The House of David continued their tour before another large crowd in Westville knocking off the local boys 8-2.
(September 5) Without using any players from the Twilight League champion St. Agnes club, a Halifax All-Star team went down to defeat 11-5 to the touring House of David squad.
(September 6) Four American schoolboy players, including pitcher Chamberlain, strengthened the Halifax All-Stars, but it was not enough to avoid losing to the House of David squad 6-3.
(September 9) New Glasgow defeat Reserve Mines to advance to the Nova Scotia playoffs against the Yarmouth Gateways.
(September 10) Baseball enjoyed a splendid season in Nova Scotia after having been in the doldrums for a few years. In all leagues attendance was large, in some sections larger than any previous season since 1919.
(September 27) The Charlottetown Abbies are preparing for the Maritime Provinces final series. In PEI, the Rovers and All-Stars have been close competitors of the Abegweits in the City League. This is the first time a Charlottetown team has reached the Maritime finals. The Abbies pitching staff included Puddy Connors, McFarlane, Carboneel and Rogins, with Francis catching.
(October 1) Charlottetown won the opening game of the Maritime championship series defeating Yarmouth 4-2. Puddy Connors held Yarmouth to four hits. In the semi-final series against Moncton, Connors had a streak of twenty consecutive scoreless innings.
Puddy Connors (W) and Francis
Lecaine (L) and White
(October 2) Yarmouth defeated Charlottetown behind the shutout pitching of Nate Bain. McFarlane took the loss.
(October 5) Yarmouth won the the third game of the Maritime championship series 7-1.
(October 7) Yarmouth captured the Maritime championship knocking of the Abbies 8-1 before 1200 fans.