GREATER WINNIPEG SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
More expansion highlighted the 1938 season with two new entries, Morris Place and St. James, joining the fray and bringing the total number of entries to eight. The split schedule, utilized in previous seasons, was scrapped for this campaign.
TEAMS
C.U.A.C. Blues
Harvey’s Bees
Morris Place
Norwood
Selkirk Fishermen
St. Boniface Native Sons
St. James Oilers
Transcona
(June 8) Andy Lambert, St. Boniface Native Sons hurler, hurled a no-hit, no-run game as the Saints blanked Norwood 1 – 0. Lambert had 14 strikeouts as only 27 batters faced him, one runner reaching first base on an error who was quickly picked off.
Forcese (L) and Schledewitz/Schledweitz
Lambert (W) and Leveque
(July 13) George Murray, St. Boniface infielder, attacked umpire Dick McGuire shortly after a G.W.S.B.G. featuring the Native Sons and Norwood that ended in a 5 – 5 tie. For his actions, Murray received an indefinite suspension pending further investigation by the league moguls.
Plotkin, Ridgedale and Schledewitz/Schledweitz
Wynant and Leveque
(August 15) Norwood sewed up top spot in the G.W.S.B.L standings by handing St, Boniface a 3 – 1 setback. Walt Fairey homered for the winners.
Barchuk (W) and Schledewitz/Schledweitz
Milord (L) and Leveque
FINAL STANDINGS *
Norwood 29 - 7 .806
Transcona 23 – 10 .697
St. Boniface 22 – 11 .667
St. James 18 – 17 .514
Harvey’s 18 – 20 .474
C.U.A.C. 12 – 18 .400
Morse Place 12 – 26 .316
Selkirk 4 – 28 .125
*final standings published by the Winnipeg Free Press do not balance – show 138 wins and 137 losses
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS St. Boniface vs Norwood & St. James vs Transcona (best-of-three series)
(August 22) St. Boniface and Transcona, last season’s playoff rivals for the G.W.S.B.L. crown, both earned semi-final victories in the opening playoff matches. The Native Sons knocked off pennant-winning Norwood 11 – 8 while the Railroad Towners clipped the fourth-place St. James Oilers 5 – 1.
Lambert, Wynant (W) (2) and Leveque
Edwards (L), Barchuk (6) and Schledewitz/Schledweitz
Genthon (L) and Buckingham
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
(August 24) Transcona moved into the Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League finals by defeating the St. James Oilers 9 – 3 to sweep their semi-final series in two straight contests. Julius Casagrande/Casegrande had four safeties for the ‘Sconas while clubmates Midi Blaquiere and Frank Chrzanowski both dialed long distance with solo four-baggers to go along with a single.
Zawley (W) and Marcotte
Buckingham (L), Dickson (2), Genthon (4) and Thomas
(August 28) The St. Boniface Native Sons qualified to meet Transcona in the G.W.S.B.L. finals by defeating Norwood 11 – 5 to wrap up their semi-final showdown in two consecutive clashes. Len Knight and Johnny Lawton stroked a triad of safe swats each for the Saints.
Barchuk (L) and Schledewitz/Schledweitz
Wynant, McManus (W) (3) and Leveque
FINALS St. Boniface vs Transcona (best-of-seven series)
(August 31) Bunching nine of their ten safeties in three innings, the defending champion St. Boniface Native Sons earned a 5 – 2 win over Transcona in the first game of the G.W.S.B.L. finals. Winning flinger Art Milord, besides pitching a steady game, was one of three Saints to stroke a brace of bingles. Alex Robertson nailed the horsehide for a pair of triples in support of Milord’s mound effort.
Milord (W) and Leveque
Lehmann (L) and Marcotte
(September 2) Turning the tables on their foes by an identical score, Transcona rebounded for a second-game 5 – 2 triumph over St. Boniface. Al Lamoureux tossed a five-hitter in recording the hillock verdict. One of the base raps that he surrendered was a two-run dinger to Jackie Thayer which accounted for all the scoring done by the Cathedral City nine. Catcher Gerry Marcotte paced the offensive output of the winning Rail Towners with three hits.
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
Wynant (L) and Leveque
(September 3) The reign as the G.W.S.B.L. champions for the St. Boniface Native Sons appears to be in serious jeopardy. Over the weekend, the Sons dropped both games of split-venue twin-bill to their arch-rivals, Transcona, and now trail three-games-to-one in the 1938 finals. Before two of the largest crowds in years, the Saints were trimmed 14 – 3 and 9 – 1. Julius Casagrande/Casegrande, Mike Moroz and Jerry Blaquiere each banged out a trio of base knocks for the victorious ‘Sconas in the slugfest opener.
Zawley (W) and Marcotte
McManus (L), Milord, Dawson and Leveque, Duyvejonck
Albert Lamoureux limited the Sons to five hits in the follow-up encounter as Moroz once more spanked the sphere for three safeties.
McManus, Milord and Leveque, Duyvejonck
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
(September 10) Fumbling their way to nine errors, St. Boniface blew any chance they had of getting back into contention and were dumped 7 – 2 by the newly-crowned G.W.S.B.L. champion Transcona nine. The contest was close until the latter stages and the Railroaders didn’t put the game on ice until the ninth stanza when they ran across a trey. Mike Moroz, once again, was a leading figure offensively for the ‘Sconas, checking in with a double and two singles. Transcona’s Al Lamoureux won his third mound decision of the final series, whiffing seven, to bring his three-game sum of punchouts to 21.
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
Lambert (L) and Leveque
* Lamoureux was reported to have finished with a 17-4 record in 1938 with an unbeaten record in the playoffs. (Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame)
BRANDON
In similar fashion to 1937, the 1938 senior Brandon Merchants were leagueless and partook in exhibition contests as well as tournament play with other independent teams from southwestern Manitoba. Unlike the previous year, however, the team began their season much earlier and engaged in competition more frequently but ended the campaign somewhat prematurely.