Saskatoon City League
Saskatoon’s status, in terms of 1941 City League membership, was altered somewhat from what it had been in 1940. With the availability of civilian player personnel shrinking as per the war effort, the four-team Saskatoon City Baseball League of a year previous was reduced to three clubs. Welcomed back were the pennant-winning Tigers of 1940 but gone were the defending playoff champion Northern Distributors as well as the Hilltops and A.C.T. Replacing the three defunct teams were a pair of new entries, the R.C.A.F. and the Cubs. The solid Tigers team once again led the field from start to finish, finishing the regular schedule with a record of eleven wins and a tie against no defeats and were the heavy favourites to cop the overall league championship heading into the playoffs. The last-place R.C.A.F. were eliminated from post-season play, setting up a final series between the Tigers and the second-place Cubs.
Teams and rosters in the 1941 Saskatoon City League
Cubs : Almas Bernie SS/2B, Almas Ralph 2B/SS/OF, Bamford Wally P/C, Bentley Doug OF, Bentley Max OF, Brown Dick 1B/OF, Brown L. C/OF, Corbin Cecil “Ace” P/OF, Coughlin Jack P/OF (also R.C.A.F.), Dawes OF, Forrest Archie OF, Hasson OF, Jackson “Rusty” Russ P/OF/3B/1B, Johns Royce 3B/C, Kelsey Leo 3B/SS/OF (also Tigers), Kelsey Joe OF, Knutson C, Maroniuk John P/3B, McPhail Bill MGR/C, Mills Bill 1B/OF, Moen OF, Mohr OF, Pitchko OF, Polychuk “Lefty” P/OF, Reid Spencer OF/3B/2B/SS, Sohuski P, Vandale Cliff C, Vandale George SS/P
R.C.A.F. : Argue OF, Bolton P/2B, Burghardt P/2B/SS, Coughlin P (also Cubs), Duncan OF, Emery MGR/OF, Forrester 3B, Gillespie 2B/3B, Goble OF/SS/P/3B, Hamilton SS/2B/3B/OF/C, Hawryluk 2B/3B/SS, Hewitt OF, Hobbs 3B/P, Hyslop 3B, Jones P/OF, Kitzes 2B, McDonald 2B, McIntosh OF/3B, Meagher OF/C, Pratt 3B/OF, Robinson P/SS/OF/3B, Schmok P/OF, Sinclair SS/2B/OF/P, Smith 1B/OF/SS, Stowger/Strowger OF/1B, Tracey/Tracy OF/P, Walters C, Wood OF/P, Wunsch OF
Tigers : Allan Ross SS/P, Bennett Walt OF/3B/P, Bird Les OF, Brent 3B/C, Burke Bill “Slim” P, Cannon Joe 3B, Crawford “Buck” MGR/1B/SS/P, Dietrick Lorne OF/3B/C, Dertell Bill 3B/1B, Dertell Russ 2B/OF, Dubyk Mike C, Grossman Johnny P/OF, Hansen P/OF, Kelsey Leo OF (also Cubs), Leach C, Lowe 3B, Lowe Ian “Ace” SS/3B/P, Knutson OF, Mays P, Major Eddie 1B, McCullough 1B/OF, Moen O. SS, Moffatt Art C/OF, Neilson 3B, Rebalkin Jim P/OF, Rooney 3B, Stark Bob OF/C
Final Series
(August 19) Scoring the winning run on their opponents’ only error of the game, the Tigers took the lead in the best-of-five series for the 1941 Saskatoon City League championship by nosing out the Cubs in the first game at Cairns Field by a 4 to 3 score. Both sides bunched their slugging in the second frame to score three runs each, a deadlock that was broken in the sixth by the Striped Tabbies. Wally Bamford took care of the hurling duties for the losers, giving up seven base blows while sending eight batsmen down swinging. The Tiger defense was superb, performing with almost mechanical precision in backing winning twirler Johnny Grossman who yielded eight safeties while fanning two. Bamford collected two of those base raps, a triple and a single. Doug Bentley for the Cubs and Bob Stark of the Tigers both singled twice.
Bamford (L) and McPhail
Grossman (W) and Moffatt
(August 21) Supplementing a flawless fielding performance with the necessary slugging power, and taking full advantage of two infield errors, the Cubs turned the tables on the Tigers at Cairns Field to even the five-game city championship baseball series at a game apiece by trouncing the Bengals by a decisive 8 to 2 score. “Ace” Corbin endured for nine innings on the hill for the Cubbies to get the win. He whiffed five while getting lit up for 12 safeties. The Baby Bruins whacked Tiger starter and loser Jim Rebalkin all over the lot before he gave way to Ian Lowe after five frames. Rebalkin was the victim of 11 of the 14 base hits garnered by the winners. Bernie Almas of the Cubs led all hitters with two singles, a double and a triple. Outfielder Bill Mills followed with two singles and a double. Ross Allan led the vanquished at the dish as he singled twice as well as hitting a double.
Rebalkin (L), Lowe (6) and Moffatt, Stark (6)
Corbin (W) and Bamford
(August 26) The Cubs, backing Johnny Maroniuk’s four-hit pitching with timely hitting and airtight support in the field, took over the lead in the Saskatoon City League playdowns when they blanked the pennant-winning Tigers 11 to 0 in the third game of their best-of-five series at Cairns Field. Jumping into an early 4 to 0 lead, the Cubs were never headed as they wound up slamming 12 base knocks off the slants of complete game loser Johnny Grossman. Maroniuk led in hitting for the victors with two singles and a double. Outfielder Mills of the Cubbies doubled and singled while shortstop Bernie Almas singled twice.
Maroniuk (W) and Bamford
Grossman (L) and Stark
(September 4) The Cubs annexed the Saskatoon City senior baseball crown when they defeated the Tigers 2 to 0 in the fourth game of a best-of-five series at Cairns Field. The victory, their third in a row, gave the upstart Cubbies possession of the D. C. Samson shield. The Tigers had finished the league schedule with an undefeated record but were unable to stem the tide against their youthful rivals. The key to the victory was that winning chucker Johnny Maroniuk held the Tigers to no more than one hit in any frame. Although the Bengals held a slight edge in base hits, 5 to 4, they never really posed a serious offensive threat. The Cubs scored both of their tallies in the fourth inning. Max Bentley doubled in the first counter and scored the second run himself on brother Doug’s single.
Rebalkin (L) and Moffatt
Maroniuk (W) and Bamford
Prince Albert Commercial League
As part of the 1941 Prince Albert Commercial League, the Bohemians were the elite senior calibre squad from the “Gateway to the North” city. As was the case in 1940, their management was most interested in having sufficient scheduling freedom to pursue exhibition games against formidable, outside competition. Within the Prince Albert Commercial League, the Boh’s breezed to the pennant, going undefeated. Their intent in completing the schedule was to hone their skills and stay sharp for their exhibition tilts. They had no illusions about continuing into the playoff picture, however, as there were bigger fish to fry elsewhere. So, determining a 1941 playoff champion was left up to the remaining three teams.
Teams and rosters in the 1941 Prince Albert Commercial League
Airport : Astrowski SS, Aydt OF/1B/SS, Brown E. 3B/OF/1B/SS/2B/P, Chapple OF, Fowlie Gord OF/P/3B, Haugen 2B/OF, Katz SS/OF/C, Kelly OF, Lennox 1B/OF, Mien 2B/OF/1B, Munroe G. 1B/C, Munroe N. OF/3B, Nay OF, Olson P/OF, Shea P/SS, Skaar OF, Smith P/3B, Patterson “Mac” C, Ward C/OF/SS/2B, Whittier John OF
Bohemians : Apps OF, Boden John SS, Carle Chuck OF/P/SS, Coughlin OF/2B/SS, Dahl Teddy P, Dehmpke “Kinky” P, Hill 2B, Horb 2B, Hunter “Scoop” 1B/SS/OF/2B, Jackson OF, Johnson SS/OF, Katz OF, Lane Don 3B/OF, Lane Doug 1B/3B/SS, Logue Dave “Lefty” P/1B/OF, Rock Teddy 2B, Samson P/OF, Zwack Andy C
Nationals : Bamford OF, Belfry Harold P/OF, Chad SS, Fraser 3B, Hazel C. 3B, Hazel Jack OF, Hazel S. SS/P/OF, Johnson Hugh 1B, Leachman C, Peterson OF/P/1B, Porterfield OF/SS, Walker 2B
Penitentiary : Beeson 2B, Fitzpatrick OF, Fraser T. OF, Gnadt P/3B/1B, Grant OF/C/2B, Hall P, Harman 2B/1B, Legault SS, McLeod K. SS/C, McLeod Vince 3B/C, McGrath 1B, Mitchell OF/P, Pelletier OF, Potter 2B, Powers C/OF, Robertson SS/OF, Steedon SS/2B/OF
A sudden-death playoff game between the Airport team and the Penitentiary squad was scheduled to determine an opponent for the Nationals. In the one-game showdown, the Airporters prevailed over the House of Correction gang and moved on to meet the Nationals in a best-of-three final series. On August 29, the Nats soundly trounced the Terminal Troupe 8 to 0 and then, on August 31, scored a ninth-inning run to edge past the Airport crew 5 to 4 to wrap up the series in two straight games and claim the playoff crown.