(Winnipeg Tribune, Saturday, May 19, 1923)
Baseball was very much alive and well in Western Canada. And, no-hitters were on the program.
We've tracked down at least 18 different leagues in Saskatchewan, 15 in Alberta another 18 in Manitoba and a baker's dozen in British Columbia.
In Manitoba's Senior Amateur League, Norwood's Harry Mason put his name in the record books on July 26th when he hurled a no-hitter against St. Boniface but he came away with only a tie as darkness prevented further play in a 1-1 contest. In his next start, Mason put an exclamation mark on his record with another no-no. On the third of August, the young moundsman shutout the Medicals 12-0, for his second straight no-hit performance (although not recognized in the newspaper story at the time) to achieve the extremely rare accomplishment of back-to-back no-hitters.
In his next start, a playoff game, Mason gave up three hits and three runs and didn't get out of the first inning.
Norwood captured the league title.
In the Winnipeg Senior League, the Arenas with such stalwarts of Bill "Snake" Siddle, "Bunny" Warren and "Steamer" Maxwell, won the league championship. Crowds of up to 4,500 packed Wesley Park for the local action.
Pitching mainly in Intermediate ball, Manitoba featured another outstanding hurler, Bill Crowe of the Tammany Tigers. In spite of finding no record of play for three weeks of August, Crowe fashioned a 16-1 record leading the Tigers to the provincial championship. In late August, the big right-hander fired a no-hitter for a shutout, got what would be today, a save in his next appearance, and then in his next start, allowed just one hit in another shutout. Oh, in his not-hitter he hit a homer and two singles.
It took an extra inning in the deciding game of the playoffs to crown the winner of the Saskatoon City League. The Canadian Pacific railwaymen topped Canadian National nine 2-1 to take the title. Mel Kerr (left) who would advance to the majors for a single game a couple of years later, was a standout for Columbus Club finishing second in the batting race with a .481 mark and leading the league in hits, triples, home runs and total bases.
The Regina Elks retained the Saskatchewan senior amateur baseball championship by defeating the Moose Jaw Robin Hoods three games to one in the 1923 best-of-five provincial final. Earlier, in a best-two-out-of-three semi-final match-up, the Elks had disposed of the Saskatoon C.P.R. in two straight games. Elks earlier defeated Winner's Club to capture the Regina Northside League championship.
In was a summer in which Tommy Green of the Elks fired a no-hitter - and lost, 2-1. The no-no was no fluke. Green led the club with a 6-2 record and seven complete games in eight starting assignments. He also relieved in three games.
In Alberta, the Edmonton Red Sox captured the flag in the city's Senior Amateur League with the help of yet another no-hit hurler - Charles Alva "Buzz" Geddes. On the ninth of June, the 22-year-old fired a no-hit, no run game, winning 13-0.
I'm sure this wasn't too confusing - Alberta had both a Southern Alberta League and an Alberta Southern League.
In his 15th season with Stavely (he added on 20 more years through to the 1940s) Lester "Slim" Haynes (right) continued to be one of the province's top moundsman.
In the Alberta Southern League, Haynes compiled a 7-0 mark with four shutouts in seven starts. before losing a pair of late season playoff matches.
The Southern Alberta League added to the no-hit record book as Wade “Big Cheese” Ridpath, mound ace of the Lethbridge Miners, faced only 30 batters and hurled a no-hit no-run game as the Miners blanked Spring Coulee 5-0.
It appears the league championship was divided between Cardston and the Our Bests from Lethbridge. The two teams were tied at a game apiece in the final playoff when the teams disbanded because they were needed for harvesting work on the farm.
A coloured club, the Shiloh Giants won the championship of the Edmonton Intermediate Baseball League downing the Foresters in the final.
In provincial playoff action, Medicine Hat defeated the Calgary Hustlers to capture the best-of-five southern Alberta crown three games to two. A hoped for series against the Northern Alberta champs failed to materialize. Hustlers had won the Calgary City League.
Three separate senior-level baseball leagues were operational on Vancouver diamonds during the spring and summer of 1923. A smattering of inter-league games took place, not only involving the Vancouver circuits, but also with the Dewdney League, a loop consisting of teams from the outlying areas.
In the Terminal League Pat Worley of Spencer's turned some heads with his superb swatting, ringing up an incredible .563 average and leading the league in home runs, with 4, and 19 total bases but registered just 16 at bats and did not qualify for the title.
The Vancouver Young Liberals’ downed the Nanaimo Coal City contingent to earn the 1923 British Columbia senior baseball championship.
Roy Yamamura and Ty Suga, who would become legends of Asahi baseball, began their careers with the Hall of Fame team.
Over on the Island, in the Victoria Senior Amateur League W.H. Haley Jackson of the pennant winning Victoria C.P.R. was crowned batting champion for 1923.
Jackson, who also led the loop in hits, 23, runs, 23, home runs, 6, and total bases, 43, cracked the horsehide at a .411 clip.
In late June, Jackson had one of his best games cracking three home runs and a single in a 19-5 victory for the C.P.R.
Jackson who started his career in Victoria just after the First World War was still suiting up into the late 1940s and early 1950s in Vancouver.