Saskatoon Amateur Baseball League
Final standings (first half) W L Pct.
Northern Distributors 6 3 .667
Bohemians 4 5 .444
Delisle 4 6 .400
Final Standings (second half) W L Pct.
Bohemians 5 1 .833
Northern Distributors 3 3 .500
Delisle 1 5 .167
Local playoffs pitted the two first-place finishers, the N-D’s and the Bohemians, against each other in an anticipated best-of-five series but, since both teams entered the S.A.B.A. sanctioned provincial playdowns, determination of a city champion was postponed after two of the head-to-head playoff matches, both won by the Northern Distributors nine, had been played.
(August 18) Northern Distributors walked off with the first game of the Saskatoon amateur baseball finals when they dumped the Bohemians 8 to 5 in an error-filled exhibition at Cairns Field . The Keystone Kops performance by both teams produced a total of 16 fielding miscues. “Lefty” Wilkie started on the hill for the winners, working three innings of one-hit ball before turning the horsehide over to Orlando Jantz who toiled for 3 2/3 frames. Cooney Wood then tossed the final 2 1/3 innings and, during his last turn at bat, blasted one of loser Chuck Syer’s offerings out of the park for a solo four-bagger. “Bud” Abbey of the Bohs led all swatters with a double and a brace of singles.
Syer (L) and Morban
Wilkie (W), Jantz (4), Wood (7) and Sillers
(August 26) The Northern Distributors team made it two straight victories in the race for the Saskatoon city championship, nosing out the Bohemians 8 to 5 at Cairns Field. With Aldon “Lefty” Wilkie tossing six-hit ball through the first six frames and Orlando Jantz surrendering an additional three bingles in the final three stanzas, the N-D’s led from start to finish. Fan features of this game came in the third when “Bud” Abbey stole home and, in the seventh, when Phil Morban launched a two-run circuit-clout. Ron Silver, with two infield hits plus a single off the slants of losing hurler Chuck Syer, led the Distributors’ attack.
Wilkie (W), Jantz (7) and Sillers
Syer (L) and Reeve
With the N-D’s involved in a gruelling series with the Regina Nationals for provincial supremacy, a showdown which extended from late August beyond mid-September, the Bohemians were idle for three weeks and the 1933 Saskatoon Amateur Baseball League final series was never resumed. In retrospect, however, their two games to none lead over the Bohs plus their fine showing in earning the title of Saskatchewan finalists, definitely gave the Warehousemen the nod as overwhelming de facto city champions.
Prince Albert & District Baseball League
The C.N.R. Nationals had the best record during the league schedule which saw the Legion finish second. Wakaw started slowly but finished a strong third. League playoffs were not begun until a month after the regular season ended to accommodate Prince Albert’s involvement in the northern S.A.B.A. playdowns.
When playoff action finally got underway in late August, the Wakaw team had broken up because of the lateness in the season and, therefore withdrew from post-season play. This set up a best-of-five final series between the C.N.R. Nationals and the Legion.
(August 18) The Canadian Legion squad grabbed the first game in the Prince Albert & District finals when they doubled the score on the Nationals, scoring 4 runs to the C.N.R.’s 2. Trailing 2 to 1 entering the top of the sixth inning, the Vets put everything together to score a three-spot and emerge as the top dog. Both chuckers, winner Freddie Mosher and lanky Ossie Jones of the Railwaymen, were stingy in yielding hits, Jones, playing his first game in the Prince Albert loop after being transferred by the C.N.R. from Saskatoon, surrendered five base knocks while Mosher was even better, limiting the Nationals to four. Only one batter, catcher Ernie Maimann of the winners, was able to collect more than one hit, one a double and the other a one-bagger.
Mosher (W) and Maimann
Jones (L) and Johnson
(August 21) The second game of the Prince Albert & District finals settled nothing as the two combatants, C.N.R. and Legion, battled to a 1 – 1 stalemate in a seven-inning tilt which darkness cut short. Both teams had limited success at the plate with each producing four base hits. Both runs were of the unearned variety. “Pug” Johnson’s wild peg to the plate in the second frame let Ernie Maimann score the lone Legion run. In turn, Maimann’s off-the-target heave to home plate in the seventh let Al Fowlie complete the circuit which he initiated by blasting a three-bagger. Charlie Loree fanned eleven Railroaders while Odie Lowe whiffed seven Veterans.
Lowe and Milne
Loree and Mosher
(August 22) Combining the ability of their hurler, Ossie Jones, to pull himself out of some bad tangles along with the final breaks going their way, the Nationals pulled even with the Legion in their quest for the league crown when they narrowly defeated the Vets 2 to 1 in an exciting affair at the C.N.R. diamond. Despite a crop of errors which enabled the Legionnaires to load the bases, Jones shut them out for six of the seven innings while, not until the bottom of the seventh which was played in semi-darkness, did the Nationals score the winning run. Jones was able to strand nine base runners while fanning six and surrendering four hits in earning the mound win. Losing twirler Freddie Mosher gave up five safeties while striking out eleven Railroaders. Only one player, second sacker Russell of the Legion, was able to register two base hits.
Mosher (L) and Maimann
Jones (W) and Johnson
(August 24) Scoring twice in the fifth frame and then adding three more runs in the sixth inning, the Prince Albert Legion nine came from behind to earn a 6 to 4 decision over their city cousins, the C.N.R. squad. The win gave the Vets a two games to one edge, along with a tie, in the best-of-five final series. The Legion did nothing right in the first two stanzas as the Nationals coupled a flock of Vets’ wild throws plus four singles to gain a 4 to 0 lead. After that, however winning tosser Charlie Loree shut the door, holding the Railwaymen off the scoreboard while his mates turned things around. Loree gave up six hits and fanned six while losing chucker Ossie Jones was lit up for eight safeties in posting a pair of strikeouts. Ernie Maimann led the winners offensively with a triple and double. Teammate Bill Coombes picked up a double and single.
Jones (L) and Johnson
Loree (W) and Mosher
(August 25) Facing elimination, the Canadian Nationals again tied up the city championship series when they defeated the Legion nine 6 to 4 in a game in which darkness limited the action to five innings. Led by the efficient bat of shortstop Bob McQuarrie, who hit safely in each of his three trips to the plate, the Railroaders forced a sixth game to decide the 1933 holders of the Wright trophy. Two of McQuarrie’s base blows were two-baggers. Odie Lowe went the route on the hill for the Nationals. Cool as the proverbial cucumber and enjoying the advantage of an early lead, he coasted along well out of danger for most of the game.
Mosher (L), Loree (3) and Maimann
Lowe (W) and Milne
(August 30) The C.N.R. aggregation, although out hit by a 15 to 9 margin, took advantage of nine Legion errors to emerge with an 8 to 7 victory in the deciding game of their league final series. In this hard-hitting but loosely played finale, a two-run eighth inning gave the Nationals the lead for good and sealed the deal. Both chuckers struck out eight opposing batters during their complete game stints on the mound. Bob McQuarrie and Eli Terris led the Railway hitters with a brace of safeties each. In defeat, Ernie Maimann of the Legion continued his hot hand with the lumber as he registered four base blows, one a double. Fellow Legionnaire Freddie Mosher contributed a double and a brace of one-baggers.
Lowe (W) and Milne
Loree (L) and Mosher
Border League
(August 13) Estevan captured the 1933 Border League championship with a thrilling 2 to 1 victory over the pennant winners from Bowbells. The North Dakotans grabbed a one run lead in the second inning and maintained that margin up until the eighth frame when catcher Herb Dupuis drove in the tying and lead markers with a booming drive to deep right field.Smidt (L) and Manners
White (W) and Dupuis
Southern S.A.B.A. semi-final series
(August 13) The Estevan Maple Leafs defeated Carlyle two games to one in a best-of-three playoff to capture their southern semi-final series.
NORTHERN S.A.B.A. PLAYOFFS
NORTHERN SEMI-FINALS
(July 26) The Northern Distributors team of Saskatoon captured both games of a playoff doubleheader from the Prince Albert Legion nine by scores of 3 to 1 and 6 to 2. With the twin victories, the Saskatonians took a stranglehold on the best-of-five series. The N-D’s played errorless ball and rode the superb pitching of Cooney Wood in capturing the matinee event. Wood fanned four while surrendering an equal number of hits to the host Legion squad. Losing moundsman Odie Lowe of the Vets was touched for ten base blows. Wood’s batterymate, Larry Sillers, smashed a double plus a pair of singles to pace the winners at the dish.
Wood (W) and Sillers
Lowe (L) and Mosher
“Lefty” Wilkie of the Hub City Warehousemen and Charlie Loree of the Legionnaires hooked up in a pitcher’s battle in the finale. Wilkie struck out 15 batters in tossing a five-hitter while Loree allowed only four Saskatoon hits and whiffed eight. Shaky defensive play by the Vets was their undoing. Not one batter from either dugout was able to register more than a lone base hit.
Wilkie (W) and Sillers
Loree (L) and Johnson
(July 29) Playing in Unity, the Neilburg All-Stars dealt a severe blow to the Saskatoon Bohemians’ chances in the northern S.A.B.A. playoffs when they took the Hub City ball-tossers into camp in both ends of a doubleheader by scores of 10 to 5 and 5 to 2. The Bohemians then filed a protest with the S.A.B.A. on the following grounds:
1. Unfitness of the grounds.
2. Unsuitable weather.
3. Lateness of starting games.
4. Lack of base umpire for second game.
5. No S.A.B.A. representative present with whom to file protest on the diamond other than two
members of the competing team.
6. Relationship of umpire to one of the Neilburg players.
7. Incompetence of umpire.
(August 2) After showing an almost unparalleled example of good sportsmanship by agreeing to cancel out the twin victories registered in the protested games, the Neilburg All-Stars received their reward at Cairns Field by again taking both games from the Saskatoon Bohemians. The scores were 8 to 3 in the afternoon and 7 to 0 in the evening. Both Neilburg triumphs were decisive and well merited. The Bohemians played poor defensively in both contests and never once held the lead. Second baseman Al Weber of Neilburg cracked out four hits, including a home run and double as the heavy-hitting winners stung Arlo Harris with the pitching defeat in the opener. Winning chucker Al Flohr and his batterymate McGillvray also figured prominently with the lumber. The Neilburg catcher had three singles while moundsman Flohr singled twice. Outfielder Roy Clarke was best with the stick for the Bohs, delivering a triple and a single.
Flohr (W) and McGillvray
A. Harris (L) and Reeve
Bill Baker for the Bohemians and Neilburg’s Guy Taylor were the rival hurlers in the nightcap with Baker the victim of inept defensive support. Taylor limited the Bridge City Boys to five scattered hits in posting the easy shutout win. Al Weber was once again the major offensive weapon for the Stars as he belted his second round-tripper of the day and also added a single.
Baker (L) and Reeve
Taylor (W) and McGillvray
(August 3) A ninth-inning rally gave the Neilburg All-Stars a clean sweep of their northern semi-final S.A.B.A. playdown series with the Saskatoon Bohemians. Neilburg clinched the best-of-five series by storming back with three counters in their final turn at bat to hand the Bohs a disappointing 7 to 5 defeat. It was McGillvray, the steady veteran catcher for the visitors, who broke up the tense battle. In the ninth with the score 5 to 4 in favour of the Bohemians, Art Silver drove Tom Besse home with the tying run after Pete Russell had beaten out an infield hit. McGillvray then gave his club its margin of victory when, with Silver and Russell on base, he cracked a sharp double down the first-base line to plate the go-ahead counter plus an insurance tally. Russell carried the batting honours in this wrap-up contest with four base blows, all singles.
Frost, Osborne (W) (4) and McGillvray
Bidgood (L) and Reeve
(August 5) Out hit by a 10 to 5 margin by the Prince Albert Legion nine, and committing seven errors to six by their opposition, the Saskatoon Northern Distributors nevertheless managed to emerge with an 8 to 4 decision over the northerners at Cairns Field to take their best-of-five northern S.A.B.A. semi-final series in three straight games. Odie Lowe pitched an admirable complete game for the visitors and, with a little better support from his mates, should have won easily. Cooney Wood turned back seven Legion batters via the strikeout route to post the mound triumph. In spite of their sloppy performance, the N-D’s led throughout the contest. Wood supported his own cause offensively with a triple and single from the batter’s box. Bob McQuarrie led the vanquished at the plate with a bases-empty home run plus a single.
Lowe (L) and Mosher
Wood (W) and Sillers
NORTHERN FINALS
(August 19) Two sparkling pitching performances, the first by Cooney Wood in the afternoon game and the second by 18-year-old “Lefty” Wilkie in the evening, coupled with consistent hitting in both encounters, enabled the Saskatoon Northern Distributors aggregation to take a brace of open-and-shut victories from the Neilburg All-Stars in the northern S.A.B.A. finals which opened with a twin-bill in Unity. The first game resulted in a 6 to 3 win for the Hub City team and the second, an 11 to 2 conquest, gave them plenty of breathing room in their pursuit of the northern tiara. Wood fanned eleven while issuing six hits in going the route for the opening game triumph. His mates garnered ten base blows off losing moundsman Al Flohr. Leading the Saskatoon hit parade were Pete Hawryluk with a home run and a single, Ab Kellough with a triple and single as well as Jack Ritchie with a brace of one-baggers. Frost was the top offensive threat for the Stars as he collected a double and a pair of singles. Flohr, with a double and single, also had a handle on Wood’s slants.
Flohr (L) and McGillvray
Wood (W) and Sillers
“Lefty” Wilkie’s 20 strikeouts in the night game supplied the outstanding feature of the double bill. Losing chucker Guy Taylor lasted only 1 2/3 innings in which time the N-D’s got to him for seven hits and five runs to practically cinch the verdict. Pete Hawryluk picked up his second homer of the day with a bases-empty shot in the eighth. He also stroked a double and a single for a three-hit production. Saskatoon catcher Larry Sillers also had an outstanding performance with the willow in this contest as he slammed a circuit-clout, a three-bagger and a single.
Wilkie (W) and Sillers
Taylor (L), Osborne (2), Frost (8) and McGillvray
(August 23) The Neilburg All-Stars, considered as a real threat for senior provincial baseball honours, passed out of the title picture at Cairns Field as “Lefty” Wilkie of the Northern Distributors limited the visiting club to two scattered singles while fanning 13 in the third and final game of the northern S.A.B.A. finals. The final score was 5 to 3 and the victory vaulted the Hub City N-D’s into the Saskatchewan finals. Up to the eighth frame, Wilkie did not allow a single Neilburg hit, the first two runs for the visitors being scored on a pair of costly errors and a passed ball. Garnet Parsons’ bases-loaded triple in the seventh essentially settled the matter. Up until that point, losing pitcher Al Flohr had kept his team solidly in contention. No player on either roster was able to mount more than one hit in this series’ finale.
Flohr (L) and McGillvray
Wilkie (W) and Sillers