WINNIPEG & DISTRICT SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
With the departure of the St. James Oilers and Norwood from the slate of 1938 entrants, the loop was reduced from eight to six teams in 1939. With the exception of one team, the competitive balance within the circuit showed an improvement but, in the end, Transcona repeated as league champion. Each team was assigned a 30-game schedule. The playoffs dragged on until well into September because of poor weather conditions and darkness preventing a sufficient number of innings for an official game.Newspaper coverage within the Tribune and Free Press, as compared to a season previous, appeared to be more condensed, at least during the early stages of the schedule.
TEAMS
C.U.A.C. Blues
Morse Place
Selkirk Fishermen
St. Boniface Native Sons
Transcona Railroaders
Wesley Bees
(July 7) Veteran moundsman Athol Foster showed the opposition that he still has loads of cunning in his pitching arm when he fanned 17 batters as his Wesley Bees and Morse Place battled to a 12-inning 1 – 1 stalemate.
Foster (W) and Scott
Taylor (L) and Ceretti
(August 24) For the first time since the Winnipeg & District Senior Baseball League (nee G.W.S.B.L.) was revived in 1935, the C.U.A.C. Blues qualified for a playoff berth when they nosed out the Wesley Bees 7 – 6 in their final game of the regular schedule. A six-run outburst in their initial turn at bat gave the Ukes the momentum they needed for the victory but it took an unearned tally in the sixth stanza to pull it off.
Dickson, Genthon and Dame
Emery (L), Whitney (1), Ridgedale (1) and Scott
FINAL STANDINGS
Transcona 23 - 6 .793
St. Boniface 17 – 13 .567
C.U.A.C. 15 – 14 .517
Morse Place 15 – 15 .500
Wesley Bees 11 – 15 .423
Selkirk 5 – 23 .179
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Morse Place vs Transcona & C.U.A.C. vs St. Boniface (best-of-five series)
(August 27) The surprising C.U.A.C. Blues maintained their late-season surge with an 8 – 5 clipping of the second-place St. Boniface Native Sons. A five-run fifth inning propelled the Blues to the semi-final victory.
Genthon (W) and Dame
Lambert (L), Milord (5) and Schledwitz
(August 27) Morse Place fell short twice in doubleheader playoff action with first-place Transcona, dropping the opener 5 – 1 and losing 7 – 5 in the second tilt.
Taylor (L) and Stuyck
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
Zawley (W) and Marcotte
Stack (L) and Stuyck
(August 31) Underdog C.U.A.C. maintained a hot hand by dumping the favored St. Boniface Native Sons 7 – 4 to take a two-game lead in their semi-final showdown. Stellar relief pitching by the Northenders’ Mike Genthon preserved the win. First sacker Walt Guly slammed a two-run homer and single for the victors.
Dickson(W), Genthon (5) and Dame
Turks (L), Lambert (2) and Schledewitz
(August 31) Pennant-winning Transcona earned a place in the Senior League finals by virtue of a 17 – 2 pasting of Morse Place. The game belonged to the Railroaders all the way after recording five-spots in each of the first and second stanzas. Catcher Gerry Marcotte banged out three hits for the ‘Sconas.
Zawley (W) and Marcotte
Stuyck (L), Meyers, Taylor, Stack and Stokell
(September 3) St. Boniface pitcher Art Milord limited Morse Place batters to just four scattered hits and did not walk anyone as the Native Sons battered their way to a 10 – 0 whitewashing of the Em Pees to stay afloat in their semi-final series. Romeo Martel paced the Saints’ offensive attack by clipping the horsehide for five safeties.
Milord (W) and Schledewitz
Genthon (L), Dickson (4) and Dame
(September 5) An impressive 8 to 1 thumping of C.U.A.C. by the St. Boniface Native Sons evened their semi-final series at two games apiece. The Saints scored singletons in each of the first four innings and completed the rout with a four-spot in their final turn at bat. Catcher “Red” Schledewitz sparked the winners with the baton, lashing out two doubles and a pair of one-baggers, driving in three runs.
Wynant (W) and Schledewitz
Genthon (L), Dickson (3) and Dame
(September 7) The Canadian Ukrainian Athletic Club qualified for the Senior League finals, defeating the St. Boniface Native Sons 4 – 1 in the deciding game of their series. Mike Genthon tossed a three-hitter for the Blues who now go on to face Transcona in the finals. A two-run double by catcher Clare Dame, his second bingle of the contest, in the final frame sealed the deal for the Northenders.
Genthon (W) and Dame
Milord (L) and Schledewitz
FINALS C.U.A.C. vs Transcona (best-of-seven series)
(September 10) Transcona diamondeers opened defense of their Senior Baseball League championship by downing the C.U.A.C. Blues 7 – 3. Five big runs in the second chapter carried the Railway Towners to victory. Midi Blaquiere stroked three hits for the winners.
Genthon (L) and Dame
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
(September 16-17) Three weekend victories propelled Transcona to a repeat Winnipeg & District Baseball League title. On Saturday, the Railroaders claimed a 6 – 1 conquest of the C.U.A.C. Blues before eliminating the Ukes with 9 – 4 and 7 - 2 triumphs on Sunday. Albert Lamoureux, who had a won-loss pitching record of 17 – 1 during the regular season, picked up two of the weekend mound decisions for the ‘Sconas which accounted for three of the four hillock verdicts in the finals. The classy Transcona moundsman heaved a three-hitter in the Saturday tilt and was immensely aided by the stinging bat of Mike Moroz who accumulated three RBI’s on two doubles and a brace of singles.
Genthon (L) and Dame
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
Mike Zawley twirled the complete-game win in the Sunday opener before Lamoureux ascended the elevated portion of the diamond to claim the victory in the clincher. Midi Blaquiere was the leading swatsmith for the Railway Towners in the triad of weekend encounters, pummeling the pill for seven safeties.
Zawley (W) and Marcotte
Dickson (L), Rimmer (8) and Dame
Genthon (L) and Dame
Lamoureux (W) and Marcotte
BRANDON
Facing financial difficulties in an attempt to stay afloat for occasional exhibition games and tournament play, the independent 1939 Brandon senior baseball team, the Merchants, got off to a restrictive start but, then, received unexpected help from a generous sponsor Jack MacArthur, owner of MacArthur Transportation, a Brandon-based bus service, who agreed to assist with travel and other costs for the balance of a limited season. In appreciation, the financially freed-up franchise, essentially a road team within southwestern Manitoba, came to be known as the MacArthurs.
The Macs went on to enjoy some degree of success, winning the Hamiota tournament, tying for first place at the Oak Lake and Shoal Lake tourneys and finishing second at Rapid City.
OTHER MANITOBA
WINNIPEG JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Earl Grey
I.O.G.T. *
Sherburn Maroons
Transcona
*1939 regular-season & playoff champion