Saskatoon City Baseball League
Dundurn went undefeated to capture the league pennant. The Gems finished second while R.S.C pulled up the rear. No intra-league playoffs were held but several players from member teams were picked up by the Northern Distributors team, a non-participant in the City League, for provincial playdowns.
Prince Albert Baseball League
In 1935, the newly-formed Prince Albert Baseball League, embracing four city teams, replaced the defunct Prince Albert & District League of a year previous.
Final Standings W L Pct.
Volunteers 8 2 .800
Legion 6 5 .545
Nationals 4 7 .363
Elks 3 7 .300
The C.N.R. Nationals and the Elks then played a best-of-three series to determine an opponent for the second-place Legion. The pennant-winning Volunteers received a bye into the city finals.
Quarter-final series
(August 17) The Elks moved past the Nationals 9 to 6 to capture the opener of their playoff series. Both teams managed six hits in the darkness-shortened affair. The Antlered Crew went ahead 6 – 0 in their first turn at bat and were never behind in the contest. Gord Fowlie topped the winners offensively, singling twice. Claire Lambert of the Pullman Boys led all hitters in this game, pasting a double plus a brace of one-baggers.
G. Fowlie (W) and W. Coombs, Patterson
B. Coombs (L), Robertson (3) and Knipfel
(August 23) Squeaking by the C.N.R. squad 6 to 5, the Elks eliminated their adversaries from further action in the Prince Albert Baseball League. It was a see-saw battle with the Clubmen going ahead to stay in the fourth. A rally by the Trackmen in the last inning produced one run but fell short of their goal. “Toots” Caspar of the winners was the only player to bag more than one hit. He was credited with a pair of singles.
G. Robertson (L), Logue (4) and Knipfel
Harper (W) and Patterson
Semi-final sudden-death game
(August 28) Originally planned as a best-of-three semi-final, the two combatants instead agreed to play a sudden-death game. It didn’t matter much as the Legion completely destroyed the Elks 15 to 1 to knock the Clubmen by the wayside. Every player on the Legion squad crossed the plate at least once Joe Cruze proved the big gun of the attack with two singles and a double.and only one failed to connect for a hit. Freddie Mosher tossed five-hit ball in taking the complete-game mound triumph.
Mosher (W) and Johnson
Harper (L), G. Fowlie (2) and Patterson
Best-of-three final series
(August 30) Plating four runs in the first two innings but fading badly in the latter part of the game, the Legion nine suffered a 14 to 6 setback in the first game of the Prince Albert Baseball league final series against the first-place Volunteers. The Vols staged their characteristic rally in coming from behind to take the tilt with comparative ease. Seven errors contributed to the downfall of the Legionnaires. The Armoury Boys banged out 13 base blows off the Legion pitching tandem of Freddie Mosher and Charlie Carle. Leading the hitting barrage were Andy Zwack with three singles, Don Grant with a pair of doubles and Stan Kowalsky with a double and single. Andy Russell singled twice for the Vets.
Dach (W), Kowalski (6) and Zwack, Dormer (6)
Mosher (L), Carle (7) and Johnson, Mosher (7)
(September 8) Behind the seven-hit pitching of Freddie Mosher, the Legion jumped right back into the race for the Prince Albert baseball championship when they halted the Volunteers 7 to 3 in the second game of the series. A fifth-inning splurge by the Legionnaires netted five counters and chased starter and loser Bill Dach from the hill. Third sacker Don Deacon of the Legion and teammate Charlie Young both stroked a trio of base raps with one of Deacon’s going for three bases. Don Grant had a triple and single for the Vols while Andy Zwack singled twice.
Mosher (W) and Johnson
Dach (L), Grant (6) and Dormer
(September 15) The Canadian Legion team upset the odds when they took the third and deciding game of the Prince Albert city finals 2 to 1 against the highly favoured Volunteers. In a struggle that produced only seven hits and 17 strikeouts, both military aggregations fought evenly through eight and a half innings of exciting baseball. It was a pitcher’s battle all the way as Bill Dach hurled superbly, with fine support behind him, to hold the Legion to two hits while winning twirler Freddie Mosher allowed only five safeties and struck out 12 batters. Only a bad slip in the infield robbed Dach of a victory he fully deserved. A lack of communication between Vols’ first sacker Don Grant and second baseman Tommy Coughlan allowed a very catchable pop fly to drop in safely as both infielders left it for the other. This all came with two runners on base and the ensuing wild throw to first allowed both runners to score. Grant redeemed himself somewhat with his three hit performance at the platter but it was not enough to lift the pennant-winners back in to at least a tie.
Dach (L) and Zwack
Mosher (W) and Johnson
Prince Albert did not participate in the 1935 northern S.A.B.A. playdowns.
Northern Saskatchewan Playoffs
Filing entries for the 1935 Northern S.A.B.A. playdowns were two teams from Saskatoon, the Gems and Northern Distributors, the Neilburg All-Stars and the winners of the Prince Albert Exhibition tournament, the Crooked River Lumberjacks. A representative from Prince Albert was also expected from their revamped league but their entry never materialized, leaving four teams to battle for two semi-final berths. One of the Saskatoon teams, the Gems, were unhappy that they were drawn to face Neilburg and felt that they should be pitted against their city cousins, the Northern Distributors team, to wipe out travel costs not to mention that the Hub City would be guaranteed a spot in the northern finals. When their demands were not met, they withdrew, giving the Neilburg team a bye into the northern final series. The Northern Distributors and the Crooked Lake Lumberjacks then began their best-of-five showdown.
Northern Semi-Final Series
(August 21) The Crooked Lake Lumberjacks and Saskatoon Northern Distributors turned in a pair great performances as the two clubs divided the spoils in their double-dip match-up at Cairns Field. The home club won the afternoon game by a 1 to 0 margin while the visitors carried off the honours in the nightcap by a 2 to 1 count. The only run in the matinee game was scored in the first inning when the N-D’s Jack Ritchie got a life on shortstop L. Delage’s error, stole second and crossed the plate on Jim Duffy’s sharp single to left centre. The Loggers had a slight edge in the base hit department, garnering six off winner “Ace” Corbin while the Saskatonians picked up five safeties off the slants of losing flinger “Shorty” Jackson. Crooked Lake outfielder Steele led all swatters with three singles.
Jackson (L) and Hill
Corbin (W) and J. Duffy
Corbin appeared on the hill once more for the Warehousemen in the second encounter, but this time in a losing role. The best pitching performance in the two nip-and-tuck battles was turned in by the Lumberjacks’ Crawford Edwards, a bespectacled right-hander, who limited the homesters to one hit, a fourth inning double by “Buck” Crawford that drove in N-D’s only run in the nightcap. Crooked Lake picked up both of their counters in the sixth. “Shorty” Jackson beat out an infield hit to start the frame. Walter Steele also was safe at first when Corbin interfered with his grounder and put it out of reach of second sacker Conn. “Swede’ Vasey was safe when third baseman Wilson booted his fast roller, loading the bases. Jackson then crossed the plate, tying the game, when Corbin deflected L. Delage’s grounder. “Buster” Hackey drove in Steele with the lead tally later in the inning when he drilled a sharp single over shortstop. Jackson, Steele and Hackey all singled twice for the winners.
Edwards (W), Jackson (7) and Hill
Corbin (L) and J. Duffy
(August 24) A return doubleheader played on the home turf of the Lumberjacks provided a 4 to 2 win for Crooked Lake in the initial encounter while the Northern Distributors aggregation from Saskatoon and the Loggers played to a 5 – 5 tie in the late fixture, a game in which darkness prevented overtime. Following the second game, the Lumberjacks held a two games to one edge with one game tied in the best-of-five northern semi-final series.
Unfortunately, details from both games were never received for publication as the C.N.R. telegraph office at Crooked River was closed.
(August 25) The fifth and deciding game of the northern S.A.B.A. semi-final series was decided in Crooked River with the Lumberjacks coming out on top of the Saskatoon N-D’s by a convincing 8 to 1 score. The Loggers cut loose with a terrific batting barrage in the first two innings in which they picked up all eight of their runs on eight base hits. Although one Saskatoon unearned run crossed the plate late in the game, pitcher “Shorty” Jackson of the winners was literally unhittable as he tossed the complete game without yielding a single base blow. He also fanned eight Warehousemen along the way. Leading the batting charge for the victors were Oscar Bigelow with a single, double and triple, L. Delage with three singles and Walter Steele with two doubles. The Lumberjacks now move on to face the Neilburg All-Stars for the northern Saskatchewan tiara.
Corbin (L), Deacon (1), Parsons (3) and J. Duffy
Jackson (W) and Hill
Final Series
(Aug 28) Neilburg All-Stars and the Crooked River Lumberjacks split the opening games of the Northern Saskatchewan senior finals at Crooked River. The All-Stars banged out eight hits in the 6th inning to score all their runs in a 6-3 victory in the afternoon game. Al Flohr survived a 15-hit Lumberjack's offensive to register the win. "Shorty" Jackson took the loss. Neilburg had 12 hits and each team made five errors.
Flohr (W) and Pete Prediger
Jackson (L) and Marvin Hill
The nightcap was one of the best games ever played in the area as the Lumberjacks managed a 2-1 victory. Neilburg scored in the first inning but Bradshaw blanked the All-Stars the rest of the way. Crooked River tied the count in the 6th and notched the winner, with two outs, in the bottom of the 9th. Bradshaw allowed just six hits in going the distance for the win.
Lefty Arnold, Flohr (L) (9) and Pete Prediger
Bradshaw (W) and Hill
The best-of-five series continues Sunday at Neilburg.
(September 2) Neilburg All-Stars captured the Northern Saskatchewan senior baseball title Sunday with a sweep of a double-header against the Crooked River Lumberjacks, 9-6 and 4-3. In addition, Neilburg's protest of its 2-1 loss August 28th was upheld by the Saskatchewan Amateur Baseball Association. The SABA ruled the umpire had erred on his decision on the play which gave the Lumberjacks the tying run.
Lumberjacks got off to a good start in the first game with three hits off Lefty Arnold. Combined with three Neilburg errors, Crooked River took a 3-0 lead. But, the All-Stars came right back in their half of the inning. A single by "Red" Oakes and a double by Tom Besse resulted in "Shorty" Jackson taking over mound duties from Bradshaw. A walk, error and hit tied the game and a squeeze play put Neilburg in the lead, for good, 4-3. The Lumberjacks threatened in the 6th as they loaded the bases, thanks to a pair of errors by Arnold. Al Flohr replaced Arnold and escaped serious damage, allowing just one run the rest of the game. " Red" Oakes led the Neilburg offense with four hits in five trips to the plate.
Bradshaw, Jackson (L) (1) and xxx
Arnold (W), Flohr (6) and xxx
Tom Mackenzie singled in the 10th inning to drive in Edmund Russell with the winning run as Neilburg topped Crooked River 4-3. Russell had reached on a base on balls and moved to second on Pete Prediger's single. Ron Wright sacrificed Russell to third. All-Stars had taken a 3-0 lead in the first inning with five hits. The Lumberjacks responded with runs in the 3rd and 7th innings to tie.
Flohr (W) and Prediger
Jackson (L) and xxx
Neilburg goes on to meet Regina Nationals in the provincial championship.