WINNIPEG WESLEY SENIOR AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Arenas
Columbus Club
Elks
Norwood
Tammany Tigers
(May 12) Approximately 3,000 fans turned out to see the Elks prevail 10 to 3 over Norwood in the 1928 Senior Amateur League opener. The final score was a bit deceiving in that the losing Suburbanites outhit their foes 11 – 10 yet also gave losing flinger Bill Stobie horrible defensive support, committing nine errors. Winning flinger “Red” Davison wobbled a bit at times but tightened up in the pinches. Stobie fanned 12 and walked three while Davidson had nine punchouts and issued two free tickets. Top swatsmith in the engagement was outfielder “Packy” McFarlane of the Antlered Tribe who stroked three singles. Teammate Gord Caslake as well as Norwood’s J. Dundas followed with a double and one-bagger each.
Davison (W) and Turk
W. Stobie (L) and A. Olien
(May 14) Backing up the brilliant three-hit pitching of Dunc Irvine in faultless fashion, the Arenas made their 1928 debut a successful one by taking the youthful Columbus Club balltossers into camp 5 to 1 at Wesley Park. Irvine was in mid-season form and fanned nine with his baffling southpaw slants. Losing flinger Odie Lowe gave up eight hits and fanned six but free transportation to the first sack during two rounds, the fifth and ninth, proved to be his undoing. Trailing 1 – 0, the Arenas grabbed the lead in the fifth when a single, sandwiched around a pair of walks, loaded the bases. Bill Knight’s daring theft of home tied the score and Art Frick followed with a two-run single. Pat Cann and John “Flabby” McLennan of the winning Rinkmen each had two singles.
Irvine (W) and Mobberly
Lowe (L) and J. Arnott
(May 15) Defending-champion Norwood got off to a good start and held off a late charge by the Tammany Tigers to defeat the Bengals 8 to 5. Both teams registered nine base hits as Harvey Kendall and Jimmy Patton of the vanquished Jungle Cats led the way with three safe swats apiece. Kendall’s total included a solo home run while Patton smacked a double and triple as part of his triad. Winning slabster Alex Hill fanned eight while losing heaver Dave Mackie breezed nine.
Hill (W) and Lloyd
Mackie (L), F. Stobie (9) and McKenzie, Patton
(May 16) With Syd Bissett, a recent graduate of the junior ranks, pitching superb ball and surrendering but two hits, the Elks blanked the Columbus Club 4 to 0 in a short, six-inning encounter at Wesley Park that was halted by rain. The Horned Herd had only three safeties off the slants of losing left-hander Norman Molloy but made the most of their opportunities. Lawrie Cuthbert of the B.P.O.E. Brigade, with a pair of one-baggers, was the only player in the contest to achieve plural hit totals. The work of the Elks’ infield was the bright feature of the game, enacting three double-plays in the six rounds.
N. Molloy (L) and J. Arnott
Bissett (W) and Turk
(May 18) Norwood showed some of their championship form at Wesley Park when they handed the Arenas a 7 to 2 setback. Starter Jack Found and winning moundsman Alex Hill of the Suburbanites combined to strikeout 14 Arenas while doling out just five hits. Found was inclined to be wild and got the hook in the fourth frame. The Rinkmen plated loosely behind loser Wally Lawton and were guilty of some poor base running. Third baseman Hughie Sutherland cuffed a pair of doubles for the victors while catcher Alex Olien swatted a two-run, inside-the-park homer.
Fourth, Hill (W) (4) and A. Olien
Lawton (L) and Mobberly
(May 19) Wildness, in the form of nine bases-on-balls and a hit batter, overshadowed starting pitcher Fred Stobie’s nine strikeout performance as the Tammany right-hander was derricked in the eighth episode and tarred with the mound setback in a 7 to 5 Tiger defeat at the hands of the Columbus Club. The win was the first of the campaign for the Clubbers who outhit the Bengals 12 to 7. Mel Stack went the route on the hill for the Columbians, fanning seven and walking three. Outfielder Cel Molloy was best with the baton for the Cee Cees, clubbing a brace of two-baggers and a single. Harvey Kendall of the Tammany troupe cuffed a pair of doubles.
F. Stobie (L), Mackie (8) and Patton
Stack (W) and J. Arnott
(May 21) The Arenas took a hard-fought 2 to 1 decision from the Elks in a seven-inning encounter ended by dark skies. Two wild pitched by losing chucker Jack Hind accounted for the brace of runs that gave the Rinkmen their victory. The veteran Hind, starting his twenty-third year in organized baseball, slipped a single through the infield to drive in Andy Blair with the lone counter plated by the Brother Bills. Portsider Dunc Irvine tossed a six-hitter and walked one in securing the win while Hind surrendered just four safeties and issued two bases-on-balls. “Flabby” McLennan singled twice for the victors.
Irv ne (W) and Mobberly
Hind (L) and Turk
(May 22) Curve ball artist Bill Stobie hurled the Norwood nine to a 4 to 2 trimming of the Columbus Club in well-pitched clash at Wesley Park. Stobie and “Darky” Bouchard of the Cee Cees locked horns a in a hard-fought battle for six stanzas before Odie Lowe took over mound chores for the Columbians in the seventh with his team trailing 2 – 0. Pat O’Brien of the Clubbers jacked a two-run round-tripper in the top-of-the-seventh to knot the count but the Suburbanites put the game in the win column with a deuce in their half of the seventh on an RBI-double by Jack Seel and an error. Dunc McCorquodale of the vanquished nine, with three singles, was the batting leader in the affair.
Bouchard, Lowe (L) (7) and J. Arnott
W. Stobie (W) and Lloyd
(May 23) Crammed with every kind of baseball imaginable, a Wesley Park encounter saw the Arenas hand the Tammany Tigers a 9 to 5 lacing to move into a tie with the Elks for top spot in the Senior Amateur loop. It was a bad night for the hurlers, four taking their place on the hillock of which only Arena reliever Wally Lawton proved effective. His predecessor, winning slabster Chuck Ridgedale, was stingy with the hits but had control issues which led to six walks and two hit batters. There was plenty of clouting with the Rinkmen having 14 hits, twice as many as the Bengals. Pat Cann of the winners was the hitting star, stroking a triad of singles. Clubmates, outfielder Rutherford and catcher Herb Mobberly, both connected for a double and one-bagger.
Mackie (L), Crowe (5) and McKenzie, Patton
Ridgedale (W), Lawton (6) and Mobberly
(May 28) A smashing drive in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning from the bat of playing-manager “Bunny” Warren drove in Jimmy Grant with the winning tally as the Tammany Tigers annexed their first win of the season, a 10 to 9 conquest of the Elks. Most of the scoring was done in the last half of the game as the foes were deadlocked 1 – 1 after the first five rounds. The Bengals, outhit 14 – 11 used three chuckers with tenth-inning reliever Sammy McCallum getting credit for the mound victory. A three-run rally in the last-half of the ninth allowed the Jungle Cats to force overtime. George Rivers of the defeated Wapiti nine smashed two triples and a pair of singles. Teammate “Red” Davison followed with a home run and two singles.
Lee, Arnison (L) (7) and Turk
F. Stobie, Mackie (9), McCallum (W) (10) and Patton
(May 29) Mel Stack, husky Columbus Club twirler, came within an ace of pitching a no-hit, no-run game against Norwood as his team turned back the defending champions 6 to 0. It remained for catcher Bert Lloyd of the Suburbanites to break up the no-hit bid with two retired in the last-half of the ninth. Lloyd dropped a blooper over the infield which fell in for a single. The Clubbers managed to get to losing heaver Alex Hill for ten safeties including a pinch-hit, two-run inside-the-park circuit-clout by Norm Molloy plus a triple, double and single by Cel Molloy.
Hill (L) and Lloyd
Stack (W) and J. Arnott
(May 30) Dunc Irvine had his portside offerings working in great style at Wesley Park and, as a result, the Arenas blanked the Tammany Tigers 3 to 0 to increase their first-place lead to a full game over Norwood. Irvine allowed only four scattered hits and whiffed ten batters. After the opening canto, when the Rinkmen jumped into a two-run lead, the game resolved itself into a pitchers’ battle between Irvine and Losing tosser Larry Wilson. The Bengal slabster allowed only six hits during the contest but doled out four free passes which partially accounted for his team’s demise. Pat Cann of the victors and Jungle Cat playing-manager “Bunny” Warren, with two singles each, were the only multi-hit swatters in the engagement.
Irvine (W) and Sinclair
Wilson (L) and Patton
(June 1) The Elks went into a tie for second place when they edged the Columbus Club 6 to 5. Despite having a wide 14 to 6 advantage in base raps, it wasn’t until the seventh stanza that the Antlered Tribe took the lead for the first time. With the score tied at 5 – 5, “Red” Davison clouted a triple and strolled home with the deciding marker when losing chucker Mel Stack committed a balk. Stack, who ascended the hillock in the third round, and another reliever, Syd Bissett, who came on for the Horned Herd in the fifth, were the pitchers of record. Davison had a double and a single in addition to his three-bagger to pace the winners offensively. Two of the three Rivers brothers from the Elks, George and Romeo, also stung the sphere for three safeties with one of George’s blows being a double.
N. Molloy, Stack (L) (3) and J. Arnott
Lee, Davison (4), Bissett (W) (5) and G. Dakins
(June 2) The Arenas gained a stronger hold on top spot in the first-half of the schedule by squeezing out a 7 to 5 come-from-behind victory over Norwood. The game, in which both clubs registered nine hits, was well-played and evenly contested throughout. Only one official error, that by the losers, was committed although two Arena hits that dropped in front of the Norwood right fielder in the crucial eighth and ninth rounds probably could have been snagged with a little more hustle. Scoring a pair of tallies in the eighth episode to tie the score at 5 – 5, the Rinkmen carried that momentum into the top-of-the-ninth when, with two out, they rattled off three successive hits to tack on another brace of markers and come out on top. Bill “Snake” Siddle, making his season’s debut by hurling the final two rounds after starting the tilt in the outer pasture, then shut the door on the Suburbanites to preserve the triumph. Art Frick belted a three-run homer for the winners to go along with a run-scoring single in the eighth. Teammate Pat Cann, as well as Norwood second sacker J. Dundas, each stroked three singles.
Woolner, Lawton (6), Siddle (W) (8) and Sinclair
W. Stobie, Found (L) (8) and A. Olien
FIRST-HALF
STANDINGS W L Pct.
Arenas 5 1 .833
Elks 3 2 .600
Norwood 3 3 .500
Columbus Club 2 4 .333
Tammany Tigers 1 4 .200
(June 4) The Tammany Tigers climbed out of the cellar after picking up their second win of the campaign, an 8 to 3 thumping of the Columbus Club. For seven rounds, diminutive winning twirler Sammy McCallum held the Clubbers to four scattered singles but he weakened in the closing stages and was nicked for six additional safeties. The Ferocious Felines also collected ten base raps, eight of which were served up by losing chucker “Darky” Bouchard. The Tammany Troupe led all the way, charging out of the gate with a trey in the top-half of the opening panel. Catcher Jimmy Patton and first sacker Harvey Kendall of the victors provided the big noise with the bat, each poling out three safeties.
McCallum (W) and Patton
Bouchard (L), Lowe (7) and J. Arnott
(June 5) The second-place Elks hammered two Norwood pitchers or 14 hits en route to a 6 to 2 defeat of the defending champions. Winning flinger “Red” Davison of the Brother Bills tossed a six-hitter, exhibited fine control and was seldom in difficulty in going the route. Starter Jack Found of the Suburbanites lasted until the third chapter when he was bounced with his team facing a 5 – 0 deficit. The margin of victory could have been much greater as the Antlered Tribe left 15 baserunners stranded. “Packy” McFarlane slapped out three singles for the B.P.O.E. Battalion while Keith Hopper, with a pair of two-baggers, led the Norwood nine at the dish.
Davison (W) and G. Dakins
Found (L), W. Stobie (3) and A. Olien
(June 6) The lowly Columbus Club nine sprang a surprise by bumping off the pace-setting Arenas 10 to 8 at Wesley Park. The Arenas outhit the Clubbers 11 – 7 but the Cee Cees took advantage of the wildness of losing flinger Chuck Ridgedale and reliever Wally Woolner to score six runs in the fourth frame and three more in the eighth chapter to put a bow on the result. Winning slabster Odie Lowe was hit freely but many of the bingles he surrendered were scattered. After loading the sacks with none out in the eighth and final round, Lowe was replaced on the bump by Mel Stack. Lowe clubbed a home run and single to aid his mound effort.
Lowe (W). Stack (8) and J. Arnott
Ridgedale (L), Woolner (4) and Mobberly
(June 7) Norwood had one bad inning, the second, at Wesley Park when three hits, three walks and two errors cost them six runs which eventually gave the Tammany Tigers a 9 to 5 victory. Starting heaver Larry Wilson, with eighth-episode relief help from Fred Stobie, copped the hurling verdict over Alex Hill. Both pitchers gave up eight safeties but Hill lacked his usual fine control, passing no less than seven batters. Jack Minnis picked up a double and a single for the winning Bengals while Bill Dundas homered for the Suburbanites.
Hill (L) and A. Olien
Wilson (W), F. Stobie (8) and Patton
(June 9) The Arenas made doubly sure of their place in the first-series playoffs when the defeated their closest rivals, the Elks, 6 to 4. The Rinkmen got off the a rousing start and, although outhit by an 11 to 7 margin throughout the full nine innings, had the Purple Hose reeling by jumping in front 6 – 0 after just two sessions. Dunc Irvine struck out eight and was able to evade getting into any major jam in recording the complete-game mound triumph. Jack Hind pitched the final eight rounds for the Horned Herd after coming to the rescue of losing slabster Syd Bissett with none out in the second stanza. Gord Caslake of the losing Wapiti led all hitters in the bout, pounding the pill for three singles.
Bissett (L), Hind (2) and Turk
Irvine (W) and Sinclair
(June 11) Hitless in his first four times at bat, Lawrie Cuthbert came through with a hard smash in the bottom-of-the-eleventh inning that drove in George Rivers with the winning tally as the Elks captured a thrilling 3 to 2 decision from the Tammany Tigers. The Bengals had rallied from a 2 – 1 deficit in the ninth to score once and keep their hopes alive. Barney Lee went all the way on the knoll for the B.P.O.E. Bunch to annex the overtime hurling verdict. Larry Wilson, in a relief role, was tagged with the setback. George Rivers had a two-bagger and a single for the victors. First baseman Harvey Kendall of the Striped Felines doubled twice in defeat.
F. Stobie, Wilson (L) (9) and Patton
Lee (W) and Turk, G. Dakins
(June 25) Following a two-week layoff as a result of prolonged rain and wet grounds, the Elks took to the diamond and ran across six runs in the bottom-half of the ninth inning to edge the Columbus Club 9 to 8 in a rousing encounter. Things appeared grim for the Brother Bills after the Clubbers had plated a quartet of tallies in the top-of-the-ninth to go ahead 8 to 3. However, reliever “Darky” Bouchard of the Cee Cees, after taking over for starter Norm Molloy, was unable to hold the lead as two errors and a couple of base hits eroded the advantage. Winning chucker Jack Hind got off to a bad start but settled in comfortably as the game progressed. Bases-on-balls, seven in all, were his biggest problem. He went the route, finishing with a five-hitter and 11 strikeouts. Cel Molloy of the losing Columbians had the game’s only extra-base hit, a fifth-frame solo four-bagger.
N. Molloy, Bouchard (L) (9) and J. Arnott
Hind (W) and Turk
(June 26) Three solid hits off the lumber of Dunc Irvine, Bill Knight and John “Flabby” McLennan in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning sent a pair of runners across the dish, salvaging a 4 – 4 tie for the Arenas in their tussle with the Norwood Nifties. The Suburbanites, with Bill Stobie on the hillock, led from the first inning on after posting a trey. Irvine, who went the distance on the knoll for the Rinkmen, and outfielder Toddy May of the Norwood nine both singled twice for their respective squads.
W. Stobie and Lloyd
Irvine and Mobberly
(June 27) The Elks secured their grip on second place in the first-half standings by handing the Tammany Tigers a 10 to 4 lacing at Wesley Park. Winning moundsman Syd Bissett turned in a reasonably good performance on the hill for the Purple Stockings, holding the Jungle Cats to five scattered hits. Errors and lack of sustained control, however, placed him in several bad holes. Losing chucker Fred Stobie, also plagued with poor backup, was nicked for seven of the 11 safeties garnered by the Wapiti before being yanked for Sammy McCallum in the seventh. First baseman Arni Arnison was the big noise with the bat for the victors, stroking three singles.
F. Stobie (L), McCallum (7) and Patton
Bissett (W) and Turk
(June 28) Playing sparkling ball behind the steady pitching of Odie Lowe, the Columbus Club balltossers moved out of the cellar position in the Senior Amateur League by squeezing past the Norwood aggregation 2 to 1. Carl Newman’s solo home run in the last-half of the fifth frame broke a 1 – 1 tie and stood up as the deciding counter over the final four sessions of the tussle. Lowe struck out eight and gave up but four hits, all singles. Losing heaver Bill Stobie also turned in a fine performance, surrendering six base raps while fanning five. Newman, with a one-bagger to go along with his circuit-jack, was the lone multi-hit batter in the affair.
W. Stobie (L) and A, Olien
Lowe (W) and J. Arnott
(June 29) Managerial brothers Greig and “Bunny” Warren sent their charges out to clash on the Wesley Park diamond and the Arenas, under Greig’s leadership, pummelled Bunny’s Tammany Tigers 10 to 3. Third-inning reliever Dunc Irvine sewed up the pitching win after coming to the aid of starter Chuck Ridgedale who walked seven batters in his 2-1/3 innings on the clay throne. Each Arena chucker was nicked for two safeties. Sammy McCallum went the distance for the Bengals and was raked for 11 base knocks. A seven-run fifth frame was his demise. “Snake” Siddle was the bright star with the willow for the Rinkmen, smashing out a three-run homer plus a two-bagger.
Ridgedale, Irvine (W) (3) and Sinclair
McCallum (L) and McKenzie
(June 30) The Arenas and Norwood were victorious in the final pair of first-series’ games to be played. The pennant-winning Arenas trimmed the runner-up Elks 10 to 5 in the opener while Norwood staged an epic finish to nosed out the Tammany Tigers 4 to 3 in the follow-up joust. The results had no bearing on the final standings.
Youthful southpaw Chuck Ridgedale went the route for the Rinkmen in the matinee engagement and turned in his best pitching performance since joining the senior ranks, holding the heavy-hitting Antlered Tribe to six hits. John “Red” Davidson started on the bump for the Brother Bills but did not show his usual stuff, giving was to Barney Lee in the sixth. Due to some loose play by the Wapiti in the opening canto, the Arenas jumped out to a 4 – 0 lead and stayed in front throughout. Pacing the 11-hit offensive attack of the first-half winners was outfielder Rutherford who whacked the apple for a double and two singles.
Davison (L), Lee (6) and G. Dakins
Ridgedale (W) and Sinclair
The sunset skirmish was a nip-and-tuck affair and, after the third round, developed into a hotly-contested pitching duel between Jack Found of the Suburbanites and the Bengals’ Fred Stobie. Deadlocked at 3 – 3 from the third chapter on, the issue was decided in the bottom-of-the-ninth session on a two-out, RBI-single by keystone sacker Keith Hopper of Norwood. It was Hopper’s third bingle of the encounter, having stoked an earlier one-bagger plus a double.
F. Stobie (L) and Patton, Bannerman
Found (W) and Lloyd, A. Olien
1928 Winnipeg Senior Baseball League
First Series final standings W L Pct.
Arenas* 8 2 .800
Elks* 7 4 .636
Norwood 4 6 .400
Columbus Club 4 6 .400
Tammany Tigers 3 8 .273
* first-place Arenas and runner-up Elks qualify for First Series playoff final
First Series finals (best-of-three series)
(July 5) Cracking out 14 safe blows for a total of 18 sacks off the southpaw slants of Dunc Irvine, the Elks drew first blood in the First Series playoffs by clipping the Arenas 8 to 1. Johnny “Red” Davidson tossed a complete-game four-hitter for the Wapiti nine and fanned five along the way. “Packy” McFarlane and Laurie Cuthbert were the heavy clouters for the Antlered Herd, each slamming four base knocks.
Davidson (W) and Turk
Irvine (L) and Sinclair
(July 7) The Elks captured the First Series honours in the Wesley Senior circuit by clobbering the Arenas 14 to 3 to complete a two-game sweep. The Brother Bills continued with the mighty clouting which defined their first-game performance, by hammering a tandem of Arena chuckers for 19 base wallops. Heading the swatsmiths for the victorious Elks was “Packy” McFarlane who pelted the orb for a triple, double and two singles. Teammates Gord Caswell and George Rivers each pitched in with a trio of base raps. Outfielder Art Frick belted a solo home run plus a two-bagger for the vanquished Arenas.
Ridgedale (L), Woolner (5) and Sinclair
Davidson (W) and Turk
SECOND SERIES
(July 3) The Columbus Club band of diamond troopers pulled off a triple play as they opened the second-series of Senior Amateur League action by bouncing the Tammany Tigers 5 to 2. The Jungle Cats had an 11 to 8 edge in base hits but winning flinger Odie Lowe of the Columbians was able to escape major trouble several times when in peril, including the three-way killing in the sixth spasm. Fred Stobie worked on the bump for the Bengals and experienced all sorts of wildness, walking seven batters and hitting another. The Clubbers took control of things by plating a trey in the fourth round. Three of the five tallies registered by the winners crossed the dish as a result of sacrifice flies. Bert Thurston and Bob Dalziel drove home one marker each with RBI-singles. Jimmy Grant and Ward McVey laced run-scoring hits to drive in the two counters for the Tammany Troupe.
Lowe (W) and J. Arnott
F. Stobie (L) and Menzies
(July 14) Bumped to the sidelines for a lengthy period because of a plethora of exhibition games involving barnstorming teams, teams within the Senior Amateur League resumed second-series play at Wesley Park with a marathon 14-inning encounter in which the Columbus Club edged the Elks 7 to 6. Tied at 5 – 5 after seven spasms, each team rallied for a singleton in the ninth chapter to send the event into overtime. In the top of the fifth bonus round of play, elongated first sacker Bert Thurston of the Clubbers swatted a powerful two-bagger, his second double of the contest, to drive in George McGrath with the deciding counter. Both winning flinger Odie Lowe, nicked for a dozen safeties, and loser Barney Lee of the Horned Herd, who yielded 11 hits, went the full distance. Lee was extremely wild, hitting six batters in addition to walking four. Garnering three base knocks apiece were outfielder Carl Newman of the winning Cee Cees plus the Wapiti duo of Romeo Rivers and “Packey” McFarlane. Included in the totals for both Newman and Rivers was a triple.
Lowe (W) and J. Arnott
Lee (L) and Turk
(July 16) A brilliant exhibition on the mound by Bill Stobie enabled Norwood to take the measure of the Arenas by a score of 8 to 1. Displaying a fine curve and perfect control, Stobie held the Rinkmen to five scattered singles while only 31 batters faced him in the nine rounds. Losing chucker Dunc Irvine was not in top form and was hit freely. The Suburbanites climbed into the scoring column with a four-spot in the initial chapter, three of those tallies reaching home on Alex Olien’s bases-loaded double, and never looked back. Bill Dunbar shone with the willow for the winners, stroking three safeties.
Irvine (L) and Mobberly
W. Stobie (W) and A. Olien
(July 23) Playing through nine innings of a steady drizzle, the Elks and Tammany Tigers settled for a 1 – 1 draw. Sporting a 7 to 2 advantage in base hits, the Brother Bills plated their only marker in the second spasm on an RBI-single by Gord Caslake. Held hitless for eight rounds by youthful hurler Syd Bissett of the Elks, the Bengals rallied in the bottom-half of the ninth to tie the score. Bissett was nicked for two singles in that inning, the last of which by Frank McDonald drove home the tying counter. Sam McCallum, on the mound for the Jungle Cats, whiffed seven and walked six. Bissett doled out just one free pass while fanning five. Joe Rivers recorded three of the seven safeties garnered by the Wapiti
Bissett and Turk
McCallum and Menzies
(July 24) The Columbus Club diamondeers made it three straight victories in the second-series by trimming a lacklustre Norwood nine 11 to 5 in a rather drab affair at the Balmoral bailiwick. The Clubbers found the offerings of losing chucker Bill Stobie to their liking and lit him up for 14 base knocks before he was derricked in the eighth episode. Veteran “Darky” Bouchard showed some of his old-time form on the hillock for the Cee Cees although yielding nine safeties. Outfielder Bill Davis whacked a brace of doubles for the winning Columbians while fellow flychaser Jack Seel singled three times for the vanquished Suburbanites.
Bouchard (W) and J. Arnott
W. Stobie (L), Deakin (8) and Lloyd
(July 26) Raking the offerings of losing hurler Dave Mackie for 11 safe swats, Norwood doubled the Tammany Tigers 6 to 3 at Wesley Park. Winning heaver Alex Hill held the Bengals to five hits while fanning six. The Suburbanites broke the game open by scoring deuces in each of the fourth and fifth frames. Catcher Alex Olien ripped three singles for the winners and swiped a pair of bases including home once.
Mackie (L) and Menzies
Hill (W) and A Olien
(July 27) Taking an early lead which they held throughout, the heavy-hitting Elks came through with a 10 to 4 victory over the Arenas at Wesley Park. “Red” Davison pitched a steady game for the Purple Hose, yielding eight hits, three of which came off the bat of Arena stalwart Bill “Snake” Siddle. The Antlered Tribe put themselves on Easy Street by counting five big runs in the second spasm. They roughed up losing hurler Dunc Irvine for 13 hits including a triple and two singles by George Rivers as well as a double and a brace of one-baggers by Joe Rivers. Siddle’s triad of bingles included a two-base blow.
Irvine (L) and Sinclair
Davison (W) and Turk
(July 28) The Arenas got off to a flying start in the first two innings of their clash with the Columbus Club by scoring seven runs but the Clubbers staged an uphill battle in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the score, only to see the Rinkmen come through with four more counters in the sixth spasm to take an 11 to 7 decision. Both teams spanked the sphere for ten safeties in the tilt as pitchers of record, winner Chuck Ridgedale and loser Odie Lowe were inclined to be wild as well. Eight errors by the Columbians was the big difference in the final verdict. Bill Knight poked out three singles for the victors.
Ridgedale (W) and Sinclair
Lowe (L) and J. Arnott
(July 31) With Wally Woolner spinning a four-hitter, the Arenas turned back Norwood 4 to 1 to climb into a tie with the Columbus Club for leadership in the second series. Three runs in the fourth frame, a pair of those coming on a two RBI-single by Chuck Ridgedale, turned the tide in favor of the Rinkmen. Losing flinger Bill Stobie yielded nine hits and had poor defensive support in spots. Only one batter, Bill Knight of the Arenas, managed more than one hit in the contest, singling twice.
Woolner (W) and Sinclair
W. Stobie (L) and A. Olien
(August 1) Backed up by the fine six-hit hurling of Sammy McCallum, the Tammany Tigers chalked up their initial victory of the second series by trimming the Elks 7 to 2. A trey in the third round against losing twirler “Rookie” Arnison put the Striped Cats in control of the contest. Leading the 12-hit offensive thrust of the Bengals was Jimmy Grant who singled on three occasions.
McCallum (W) and Patton
Arnison (L) and Turk
(August 2) One big inning, the fifth, provided sufficient ammunition for the Norwood nine to defeat the Columbus Club 8 to 4 and move into a first-place tie with their victims. The Suburbanites broke open a scoreless contest by running across a half-dozen counters against losing twirler “Darky” Bouchard in the fateful fifth on two triples, a double and three singles. A deuce in the ninth put the game on ice after the Clubbers had reduced the deficit to a pair of runs. Jack Found picked up the complete-game knoll triumph, firing a five-hitter along with seven walks. Alex Hill swatted a triple and a brace of one-baggers for the Norwood Nifties. Teammates Hughie Sutherland and Toddy May both stroked three singles as did the Cee Cees’ Bert Thurston.
Found (W) and Lloyd
Bouchard (L), Lowe (5) and J. Arnott
(August 4) The charges of managerial bothers Greig and “Bunny” Warren faced off at Wesley Park and battled for 16 innings before Greig’s Arenas pulled off a 5 to 4 conquest of his older sibling’s Bengals. Sammy McCallum and winning heaver Wally Lawton hooked up in one of the most evenly-matched mound jousts of the campaign and it was only the breaks of the game that put the diminutive Tammany hurler on the losing end. Both allowed 14 hits and struck out four but, while Lawton handed out just three free passes, McCallum doled out nine and three of these paved the way for runs. Tied at 2 – 2 heading into overtime, five scoreless rounds followed. Then, in the fifteenth session, both squads ran across a deuce. A two-run homer by pilot “Bunny” boosted the Jungle Cats into a short-lived lead before a two-out, two-run single by Arena catcher Len Sinclair knotted the count once more. The Striped Cats went out quietly in the top-half of the seventh bonus round but the Rinkmen captured the game in their half after Bill Knight walked, was sacrificed to second and, after a fly out, scampered home with the walkoff winner on Rosy Rosenstock’s single off the outfield fence. Winning skipper Greig had four hits for the Arenas and Knight contributed three. Jack Menzies stroked four safeties for the Ferocious Felines while Jimmy Grant followed with a triad.
McCallum (L) and Patton
Lawton (W) and Sinclair
(August 9) Following a highly-competitive 16-inning clash just five days previous, the Tammany Tigers and Arenas got a featureless game out of their systems when the Rinkmen blanked the Bengals 7 to 0. Dunc Irvine port-sided his club to the shutout win, whiffing nine en route. Dave Mackie pitched for the Tammany Troupe and, while he struck out seven, he walked six and hit two batters. Always the opportunists, the Arenas took full advantage of chances to score. Leading the 11-hit attack of the victors were Bill Siddle and “Flabby” McLennan who each lit up Mackie for three singles with McLennan’s trio of swats driving in four tallies.
Irvine (W) and Sinclair
Mackie (L) and Patton
(August 10) Banging out 17 base hits, the Elks made a runaway of their game with the Columbus Club, throttling the Clubbers 10 to 2. Syd Bissett, on the clay heap for the Horned Herd, allowed but two safeties, whiffed ten and walked three. Gord Caslake, Lawrie Cuthbert and infielder Armi Arnison each collected three safeties for the Purple Stockings with a two-bagger included in each of Caslake’s and Arnison’s sum of swats.
Bissett (W) and G. Dakins
N. Molloy (L), Lowe (9) and J. Arnott
(August 11) Scoring twice in the top-of-the-ninth inning after the Elks had rallied for a trey in the eighth episode to tie the game, Norwood hung on to edge the B.P.O.E. Brigade 7 to 6 in an exciting match at Wesley Park. The fray was not a good one for the hurlers. Starters Bill Stobie and “Red” Davison were both driven from the mound in the eighth round and neither reliever sparkled in their short tenure on the hillock. Outfielder Con Puhan of the victorious Antlered Tribe, with two doubles and a brace of one-baggers, led the hit parade in the affair.
W. Stobie, Found (W) (8) and A. Olien
Davison, Lee (L) (8) and G, Dakins
(August 13) The Arenas took over sole possession of top spot in the second-series standings by taking the measure of the Elks 3 to 1. Efficient work by the competing moundsmen led to a fast game that took just one hour and 17 minutes to complete. Winning slabster Dunc Irvine allowed five hits and the game’s lone walk while loser Jack Hind gave up just four safeties, one being a four-ply clout by Art Frick in the fifth frame. Irvine was especially tough in the clutch. Three times he fanned the dangerous Romeo Rivers with ducks on the pond to end innings. Two tallies in the opening panel staked the Rinkmen to a lead which they maintained throughout the contest. Gord Caslake of the losing Horned Herd, with a triple and single, was the game’s top hitter.
Hind (L) and G. Dakins
Irvine (W) and Sinclair
SECOND-HALF
STANDINGS W L Pct.
Arenas 5 2 .714
Norwood 4 2 .667
Columbus Club 3 3 .500
Elks 2 4 .333
Tammany Tigers 1 4 .200
(August 14) Scoring a brace of markers in their final turn at bat, the Columbus Club balltossers nosed out the Tammany Tigers 2 to 1 in an exciting finish at Wesley Park. The Bengals assumed a 1 – 0 lead in the second stanza on a fielder’s choice that allowed playing-manager “Bunny” Warren, who had doubled, to score from third with some daring base running. That lead held up until the last-half of the ninth when Pat O’Brien opened with a leadoff double, Dunc McCorquodale reached first on a muffed outfield fly into shallow right field and both runners advanced one base on a ground out. Flychaser Bill Davis, saving his only hit of the game for the right moment, then singled into the left garden to plate both O’Brien and McCorquodale.
Mackie (L) and Patton
Lowe (W) and J. Arnott
(August 20) The Norwood baseball aggregation clinched a playoff position in the second series when they took a makeshift Tammany Tigers’ team into camp 6 to 2. The Suburbanites got off to a good start with a deuce in the opening canto, adding a singleton in the third and tacking on a three-spot in the top-of-the-sixth spasm, all coming before the Bengals got on the scoreboard. Bill Stobie pitched a four-hitter for the complete-game win while whiffing eight, walking a pair and hitting one batter. Nicked for nine safeties, including a brace of bingles each by Jack Seel, Alex Hill and junior call-up Wilf Starr, Sammy McCallum endured three errors by his mates in absorbing the loss.
W. Stobie (W) and A. Olien
McCallum (L) and Patton
(August 21) A two-run homer by Bill “Snake” Siddle in the last-half of the seventh stanza lifted the Arenas to a 4 to 3 conquest of the spirited Columbus Club nine at Wesley Park. For the first five rounds, it appeared that the Clubbers, holding a 3 – 0 lead, were destined to win. In the bottom-half of the sixth, however, the Rinkmen got to losing chucker Odie Lowe for a deuce as Chuck Ridgedale connected for a timely two-run double. That set the stage for Siddle’s heroics in the seventh. Wally Lawton, who took over mound chores in the fifth session after starter Dunc Irvine developed a sore flipper, got credit for the hurling victory. Siddle had a double and a single in addition to his game-deciding round-tripper. Catcher Len Sinclair followed with three singles. Dunc McCorquodale was best with the baton for the Cee Cees, swatting a brace of two-baggers.
Lowe (L) and J. Arnott
Irvine, Lawton (W) (5) and Sinclair
(August 25) Playoff-bound Norwood wrapped up the second-series schedule with a narrow 7 to 6 win over the Elks. Outswatted by an 11 to 6 margin, the Suburbanites made good use of their opportunities to take the verdict. In arrears by a deuce entering the ninth panel, the Antlered Tribe plated a pair to tie the score at 6 – 6 only to have Norwood claim victory in their portion of the chapter when Dick Marinelli singled, stole both second and third base, then raced home with the winner on a dropped fly ball. Bert Lloyd stroked a double and a triple for the victors while teammate Tony LeGoff added a two-bagger and one-base rap.
Arnison, Hind (L) (7) and Turk
Found (W) and Lloyd
1928 Winnipeg Senior Baseball League
Second Series final standings W L Pct.
Arenas * 6 2 .750
Norwood * 6 2 .750
Columbus Club 4 4 .500
Elks 2 5 .286
Tammany Tigers 1 6 .143
* co-leaders Arenas and Norwood move on to the Second Series playoff final
Second Series finals (best-of-three series)
(August 28) Hitting at opportune moments behind the loose and indifferent play of the Norwood team, the Arenas romped off with a 4 to 1 win at Wesley Park in the opening game of the Second Series finals. Both teams banged out seven base blows but the Norwoods had an off-night defensively, ringing up seven fielding miscues. First baseman Greig Warren and outfielder Art Frick singled twice for the winners while utility player Sutherland replicated the feat for the vanquished nine.
Woolner (W) and Sinclair
W. Stobie (L) and Olien
(August 30) With veteran pitcher Alex Hill showing old-time form, the Norwood nine evened the Wesley Senior League Second Series finals at a game apiece by edging the Arenas 2 to 1. Hill, who was touched for four safeties while punching out nine batters, and Wally Lawton hooked up in a fine twirling match which ended after eight frames due to darkness. Norwood scored both of their counters in the seventh panel on a theft of home by Dick Marinelli followed by a perfectly-executed squeeze play by Camille Van Beneen which allowed catcher Lloyd to touch the home station. In the eighth, the Arenas threatened and plated their lone marker after Bill “Snake” Siddle doubled, went to third on an infield bingle by “Flabby” McLennan and scored on an infield ground out. Marinelli was the sole player from either dugout to put up plural hit totals, registering a brace of one-baggers.
Hill (W) and Lloyd
Lawton (L) and Sinclair
(September 3) The Arenas qualified to meet the Elks in the overall Wesley Senior League finals after nosing out the Norwood aggregation 2 to 1 in an eleven-inning thriller. Winning flinger Wally Woolner and hard-luck loser Bill Stobie both put on a fine exhibition of chucking. The Arenas managed just five safeties while Norwood nicked Stobie for six. Trailing 1 to 0 for most of the game, the Arenas managed to knot the count in the bottom of the ninth frame by plating an unearned run following a sacrifice fly. The winning tally came in the bottom of the second overtime session when Chuck Ridgedale doubled, moved to the hot corner station on a passed ball and tagged up and scored on Bill Siddle’s sacrifice fly. Woolner and outfielder Hopper of the Norwoods led their respective squads at the pan with a double and single each.
W. Stobie (L) and Lloyd
Woolner (W) and Sinclair
Overall Wesley Senior League finals (best-of-five series)
Arenas (Second Series champions) vs Elks (First Series champions/Provincial Senior champions)
(September 3) Immediately following their 11-inning Second Series marathon victory over Norwood, the Arenas took the field once again to begin their quest for overall supremacy of the circuit. Another squeaker ensued but this time the Arenas came out on the short end of a 1 to 0 verdict with the First Series champion and provincial senior tiara holders, the Elks, emerging as the winners. Stellar performances on the mound highlighted this grueling contest. Winning elbower “Red” Davidson held the Arenas to four scattered hits and whiffed five in blanking the exhausted losers. Losing heaver Dunc Irvine was even more impressive as he set down the Antlered Herd on one solitary hit, a bunt single by Gord Caslake in the seventh inning, while fanning seven. The lone run of the game came in the eighth stanza when Connie Puhan’s grass cutter got through “Snake” Siddle in the shortpatch garden. He moved to the keystone sack on a passed ball and scored on successive sacrifices by Davidson and catcher Turk. Greig Warren of the vanquished nine was the only swatter in the fracas to snare more than one safety, singling twice.
Davidson (W) and Turk
Irvine (L) and Sinclair
(September 4) Staging a belated rally in the closing innings, the Elks came from behind to score a 6 to 5 win in a game that was finished in semi-darkness after seven frames were in the books. The triumph boosted the Wapiti Tribe into a two games to none lead in the Wesley League finals. Taking advantage of the wildness of the Elks’ “Rookie” Arnison in the second inning, the Arenas pushed across five runs and seemed to have the game tucked away. Arnison settled down, however, and held the opposition both hitless and runless the rest of the way. Meanwhile, his mates found their batting eye, scoring a brace of markers in the fourth round and three more in the sixth to knot the count at 5 – 5. Laurie Cuthbert scored the winner in the seventh when, after reaching second base on an overthrow to the initial sack on an infield grounder, he advanced to third on a wild pitcher from losing flinger Chuck Ridgedale and romped home on Romeo Rivers’ hit down the third-base line. Shortstop Joe Rivers of the winners and Arenas’ outfielder Rutherford both had a pair of bingles.
Ridgedale (L) and Sinclair
Arnison (W) and Turk
(September 5) The Arenas remained alive in the fight for the Wesley Senior Baseball loop crown by capturing the third game of the final series 3 to 1 from the Elks. Star southpaw Dunc Irvine of the winners tamed the Antlered Herd on six scattered hits and, after surrendering a run in the second frame, did not allow an opposing baserunner to reach third base. Veteran pitcher Jack Hind of the Elks was also in fine fettle but his wildness and costly errors paved the way for all three Arena runs. A two-run outburst in the fourth canto broke a 1 – 1 tie and paved the way for the Arena victory. After two had been retired, “Flabby” McLennan beat out an infield hit, stole second and touched the counting station on third baseman “Rosy” Rosenstock’s single. A pilfered sack by Rosenstock and a wild heave to first by Elks’ catcher Turk on a dribbler in front of the platter allowed the Arenas’ hot corner guardian to tack on the insurance run. First baseman Bill “Snake” Siddle of the victors led the willow wielders with a triple, the first extra-base hit of the series, and a single.
Hind (L), Bissett (9) and Turk
Irvine (W) and Sinclair
(September 6) The Elks added the overall 1928 Winnipeg Wesley Senior Baseball crown to their belts, to go along with the 1928 Manitoba senior championship, by staging a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth and final inning to nip the Arenas 3 to 2. The Arenas picked up single tallies in both the first and eighth stanzas and appeared on the verge of deadlocking the series as the Wapiti nine came to bat for the final time in arrears by a 2 to 0 score. Starting pitcher Chuck Ridgedale beaned Joe Rivers to start the inning and southpaw Dunc Irvine was summoned to quell the potential storm. After Irvine whiffed Gord Caslake, “Packy” McFarlane drove in Rivers with his second hit of the game, cutting the deficit in half. George Rivers then drew a walk and Laurie Cuthbert singled sharply to send in McFarlane with the tying run. Up stepped Romeo Rivers who rose to the occasion with a blast to left field which platted brother George with the winner. McFarlane and playing-manager Greig Warren of the Arenas were the leading swatsmiths for their respective nines, each creaming the pill for a two-bagger and single.
Ridgedale), Irvine (L) (8) and Sinclair
Davidson (W) and Turk
Brandon
Brandon had no senior-level baseball during the 1928 season
MANITOBA SENIOR PLAYOFFS
As the Manitoba Amateur Baseball Association set a mid-August deadline on registering for entry into the 1928 senior baseball playdowns, the Winnipeg Wesley Senior League was still in the midst of their Second Series schedule and, therefore, only the Elks (as First Series champions in 1928) were eligible to represent that circuit.
FINALS (best-of-three)
Miami (Central Manitoba League champions) vs
Winnipeg Elks (Winnipeg Wesley League First Series champions)
(August 22) The Elks of the Winnipeg Wesley League grabbed the first game of the Manitoba amateur baseball championships by whipping the Miami team of the Central Manitoba loop 16 to 3. Brothers George and Romeo Rivers had three hits apiece for the Antlered squad, a production matched by Craig, the Miami catcher.
Jordon (L), Sanderson (4), Jordon (4) and Craig
Arnison (W) and G. Dakins
(August 23) After handily defeating Miami in the opener of the provincial series, the Winnipeg Elks played sloppily and allowed the Central Leaguers to knot the finals at a game apiece with a 5 to 4 triumph. Miami registered only two hits during the game, both singles, but a bevy of walks and five fielding miscues by the Antlered Herd allowed the underdogs to plate five counters. With the score knotted at 4 – 4 in the seventh canto, winning pitcher Sanderson reached base on an infield bobble and went to second on a walk to Ferguson. Both runners advanced on losing flinger Arnison’s wild heave, then a slow bounder to first by shortstop Woods scored Sanderson with the winner.
Bissett, Arnison (L) (5) and Turk
Sanderson (W) and Craig
(August 24) Although experiencing defensive lapses for the second game in a row, the Elks of the Winnipeg Wesley circuit managed to squeeze out a 5 to 4 victory over a fighting Miami nine in the third and deciding game of the series for the 1928 Manitoba senior baseball crown. Veteran Jack Hind went the route on the hillock for the Winnipegers, yielding four hits while ringing up 11 strikeouts. His mates, however, committed six errors which led to all four Miami counters. A two-run single by Gord Dakins of the Antlered Tribe in the seventh panel broke a 3 – 3 tie and pushed the winners ahead to stay. Miami made it close with a singleton in their half of the round and came even closer in the eighth before a double play ended the threat.
Hind (W) and G. Dakins
Sanderson (L) and Craig
WINNIPEG INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE
C.U.A.C.
Elmwood Giants
St. Boniface
St. Vital
Transcona *
West End
* 1928 league champion
1928 Provincial finals (Transcona vs Sperling)
(September 1) Transcona whipped Sperling 13-3 in the first game of the Manitoba Intermediate championship at Sperling Saturday. The winners played in top form fielding brilliantly behind the fine hurling of Ollie Olien. Anderson started for the home club but gave way to "Mike" McNulty. Klingbell smacked a homer for Transcona.
Olien (W) and xxx
Anderson (L), McNulty and xxx
Efforts to locate information on any succeeding games in the Winnipeg Tribune and Winnipeg Free Press proved fruitless.
OTHER MANITOBA LEAGUES/TEAMS/ROSTERS
CENTRAL MANITOBA SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Carman
Miami *
Morden
Portage la Prairie
Roland :
Sperling
* 1928 Central Manitoba League champion
(July 26) Youthful slab artist John Fonger struck out 16 batters and fashioned a no-hit, no-run game in piloting Sperling to a 9 to 0 whitewashing of visiting Roland in a Central Manitoba Senior League clash. M. Waddell of the victors slammed a two-run homer in the third inning.
Patterson (L), George and Cameron
J. Fonger (W) and Bockman
NORTH WESTERN BASEBALL LEAGUE
Angusville
Binscarth
Birtle
Foxwarren
Maple Leafs of Clifford
Russell
MB LEAGUE - NAME UNKNOWN
EASTERN DIVISION
Arden
Gladstone
Neepawa
Plumas
WESTERN DIVISION
Franklin
Minnedosa
Neepawa
Springhill
WINNIPEG INTERMEDIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
C.U.A.C.
Elmwood Giants
St. Boniface
St. Vital :
Transcona *
West End
* 1928 league champion
FIRST-SERIES
FINAL STANDINGS W L Pct.
Transcona 8 1 .889
C.U.A.C. 5 4 .556
West End 4 5 .444
Elmwood Giants 4 5 .444
St. Vital 3 6 .333
St. Boniface 3 6 .333
WINNIPEG JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Capitols
Norwood *
Pilgrims
* won both first and second series
(August 2) First-series champion Norwood captured the Winnipeg Junior Baseball League championship by cinching the second-series honors with a 1 to 0 victory over the Capitols. Warrick Dodds fanned ten and allowed only one hit in copping the pitching win. The winners managed just four hits off losing flinger J. Simpson. Wilf Starr’s solid bingle plated catcher Perry with the lone tally of the tilt.
Dodds (W) and Perry
J. Simpson (L) and Moore