WINNIPEG SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE
1933 was the final season for the Winnipeg Senior Amateur Baseball League. The league folded after a great 20 year run. The Arenas would win the final championship of the league by defeating the defending champion Dokey-Tigers. The Arenas appeared in 14 finals in the 20 year existence of the league winning eight championships.
The league had begun the decade in great shape. Four solid teams supported by service clubs brought on great competition as anyone could win. The Arenas and Tigers were most often the finalists but both the Elks and Norwood had fine teams that could not be taken lightly.
One of the problems was that few new players came into the league. Many of the younger would-be recruits opted instead to play in the Greater Winnipeg Intermediate League. As a result, the whole league got old at the same time. Other factors that played a role in the demise of the loop were the depression, the return of professional baseball and the growth in popularity of men's fastball/softball.
First-half final standings W L Pct.
Arenas 8 3 .727
Dokey-Tigers 7 4 .636
Norwood 5 7 .417
Elks 3 9 .250
The Arenas topped the initial half of the circuit and faced the runner-up Dokey-Tigers for the opportunity to play against the second-half victors.
First-half playoffs (best-of-three)
(July 15) Wildness on the part of Athol Foster combined with timely hits by Marty Kokran and Claire Livesley in the eighth frame gave the Dokey-Tigers four runs, enough to defeat the Arenas 6 to 4 in the opening game of the playoffs for first-half honours in the Winnipeg Senior Amateur Baseball League. Sammy McCallum tossed a seven-hitter in earning the mound victory. Shortstop Stan Shaley of the winners had three base raps while Livesley had a pair an drove in four of his team’s six counters.
Foster (L) and xxx
McCallum (W) and Kokran
(July 17) Playing nine innings of interesting baseball, the Dokey-Tigers and Arenas failed to come to a decision in the second game of the Senior playoffs at Wesley Park. The score was 4 to 4 when play was called. The Bengals drew first blood, plating all four of their counters in the top of the first stanza. The Arenas got two back in the fifth frame and tied the score with another pair in the sixth canto. First-string backstop Marty Kokran gave up his mask and toiled the full nine innings for the Dokeys while Athol Foster put on a superb performance as a fireman for the Arenas. Dokey-Tiger teammates Stan Shaley, with a triple and single, as well as outfielder “Casey” Jones, with a double and one-bagger, were the only two swatters with more than one base hit.
Kokran and Patton
Ridgedale, Foster (1) and Brown
(July 19) The Dokey-Tigers annexed the Winnipeg Senior Amateur first-half tiara by downing the Arenas 7 to 4 in the third game of their playoff series. Sammy McCallum, with a seven-hitter, pitched air-tight ball for the mound victory and, except for one bad inning, the third, had things under control. Outfielder “Casey” Jones led the winners at the dish with three singles.
Foster (L) and Brown
McCallum (W) and Kokran
Final second-half standings were not published but the Arenas and Dokey-Tigers again matched up in a best-of-five playoff final series, this time for the combined overall championship of the circuit.
(August 19) The Arenas’ heavy artillery turned a one-run deficit into a three-run counter-attack in the eighth inning of the opening game of the second-half playoffs. The result was an 8 to 6 win over the Dokey-Tigers. The winners pounded 16 hits off the slants of losing twirler Sammy McCallum, four by outfielder Laurie Cuthbert and three each by winning tosser Athol Foster and first baseman McLennan. Included in Cuthbert’s total was a double while McLennan’s production featured both a triple and a two-bagger. One of Foster’s hits was a double. Stan Shaley doubled and singled twice for the Bengals.
Foster (W) and MacDonald
McCallum (L) and Patton
(August 26) The Dokey-Tigers squared their second-half final series by edging the Arenas 3 to 2 in a well-played game at Wesley Park. The Tigers had only three hits off losing chucker “Lefty” Waddell but took advantage of his wildness to get runners on base. Winning flinger Sammy McCallum gave up six bingles yet was hitting his spots with masterful control. The Dokeys registered the winning marker in the third stanza. Jimmy Grant got on base when hit by a pitch. He swiped second and continued to third when the throw was errant. He then crossed the plate on Issy Rosenstock’s single.
McCallum (W) and Singbush
Waddell (L) and MacDonald
(August 28) The Arenas and Dokey-Tigers put on a real scoring splurge in the third game of the playoff series for the senior amateur championship with the Arenas finally emerging victorious 18 to 14 in a ten-inning battle at Wesley Park. A five-run outburst in the top of the extra frame propelled the Arenas to a two games to one lead in the series.
Foster (W) and MacDonald
McCallum (L) and Kokran
(September 2) The Arenas’ bats played a delightful farewell tune as the Dokey-Tigers parted with their senior amateur baseball crown at Wesley Park. The Arenas swamped the reigning monarchs by a 13 to 2 score, taking the final series three games to one. Pacing the Arenas’ 12-hit attack was Laurie Cuthbert who had 3 hits while Johnny Lewis, catcher MacDonald and outfielder Labag contributed two hits each. Bob Dalziel, Jimmy Grant and Issy Rosenstock all singled twice for the Bengals.
Kokran (L) and Singbush
Waddell (W) and MacDonald
In 1933, the Winnipeg Maroons and the Brandon Greys re-entered the realm of professional baseball and joined the Class D Northern League. Brandon and Winnipeg battled for the second-half title of the circuit with Brandon finally winning. Brandon had inherited the floundering Brainerd MN franchise after the first-half of the schedule. As fate would have it, Brandon also folded after the season ended but Winnipeg, under the leadership of ex-major leaguer Bruno Haas, continued to play in the league until the early 1940's. Pitcher LeRoy Goldsworthy, soon-to-join the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, was the mainstay on the mound for the Winnipeg entry in 1933, compiling an impressive 22 – 6 record on the hill.
Teams in the 1933 class D Northern League
Brainerd MN Huskies (first-half only)
Brandon Greys (replaced Brainerd in second-half) z
Crookston MN Pirates
East Grand Forks MN Colts
Eau Claire WI Cardinals
Fargo ND – Moorhead MN Twins
Superior WI Blues x
Winnipeg Maroons y
x first-half winner
y runner-up in both first and second-halves
z second-half winner
During a short break in the 1933 Northern League schedule, the ultimate second-half champion Brandon Greys played a three-game exhibition series in Saskatchewan against opposition from the senior amateur Southern League. Unfortunately, the Regina Nationals team, which began the 1933 season slowly and had not yet hit its stride, was not included amongst the opposition. The Nationals, still in the early stages of their five-year dynasty, would go on to dominate senior amateur baseball in the Wheat Province.
(July 19) The professional Brandon Greys of the Northern League began their Saskatchewan exhibition series by downing the Southern League's Regina Army & Navy squad 6 to 2. George Schrader went the distance on the hill for the Manitobans, yielding eight hits and fanning four. Jack Calvey led the Greys at the dish, slamming a homer, double and single. Teammate John Reider picked up a double and a brace of one-baggers. Dave Clayton, Regina's catcher, batted in the two Army & Navy runs on a double to right field in the second inning. Outfielder Luther Fritz had two singles for the Southern Leaguers.
Schrader (W) and Bujaci
Marlow (L), Ardell (2) and Clayton
(July 20) Living up to their reputation as a hard hitting team, the pro Brandon Greys of the class D Northern League, collected 16 safeties in slamming the Moose Jaw All-Stars 10 to 6. The Manitobans smashed three homers in this game, one each by John Reider, Mike Sims and Harry Levinson. Reider also had a brace of singles. Third baseman Earl Kelly picked up three singles for Moose Jaw.
Thompson (W) and Bujaci
Longmore (L) and Knipfel
(July 21) A two-run, tenth inning home run by outfielder John Reider was enough to propel the Northern League's Brandon Greys to a 3 to 1 win over the Regina Army & Navy. Brandon catcher Chester Bujaci led all swatters with a trio of base raps including a triple. Dunc Porteous' fourth inning single drove in Regina's lone run.
Davis, Bertram (W) (6) and Bujaci
Bates (L) and Clayton