Western Canada Baseball 1946

1946 Stats
 
1946 Rosters 
1946 Tournaments  

     
SASKATCHEWAN      
SASKATOON SENIOR LEAGUE PCT 
Saskatoon Vets 14
5
.737
Saskatoon Cubs 11 6 .647
Aberdeen 5 10 .333
Saskatoon Saints 4 13 .235
1946 Game Reports
       
SOUTHERN LEAGUE      
Western Division W L PCT
Notre Dame Hounds 12 6 .667
Regina Red Sox 12 7 .632
Moose Jaw Canucks 9 11 .450
Regina Caps 2 15 .118
 
Eastern Division W L PCT
Regina Clippers 14 3 .824
Wilcox Cardinals 10 8 .555
Weyburn Beavers  8 8 .500
Regina Legion 4 13 .235
1946 Game Reports   
1946 Photo Gallery  
1946 Snapshots  
       
BORDER LEAGUE  
Bienfait, Bowbells, Columbus, Crosby, Estevan, Flaxton, Lampman, Lignite, Portal
 
NORTHEASTERN SK LEAGUE  
NESBL History
1946 Wilcox Cardinals 
1946 Sceptre
1946 Wiseton 
1946 Notre Dame Hounds
  
1940s-1950s Notre Dame Hounds
1946 Saskatchewan Photo Gallery 
1946 Delisle Masons Royals 
1946 Humboldt            
 
ALBERTA
FOOTHILLS LEAGUE
     
Calgary Purity
17
7
.708
Calgary Bears
17
8
.680
Calgary Stampeders
8
16
.333
Canadian Legion
6
17
.261
       
VICTORY LEAGUE
Bengough, Ceylon, Khedive, Minton, Ogema, Pangman, Parry, Radville
       
CROW'S NEST PASS LEAGUE
Blairmore Columbus Club, Coleman Pucksters, Hillcrest Miners, Natal-Michel Buffaloes
       
FORTY MILE LEAGUE
Bow Island, Burdett, Etzikom, Foremost, Grassy Lake, Winnifred
1946 Alberta Photo Gallery 
1946 Alberta Game Reports
1946 Calgary Purity 99
1946 Magrath Eagles  
1946 Edmonton Eskimos       
1946 Champion Red Sox
       
MANITOBA
GREATER WINNIPEG SENIOR LEAGUE
Arenas, CUAC, Norwood, St.Boniface, Transcona
       
MID-WESTERN MANITOBA LEAGUE
Brandon Greys, Hamiota, Virden
1946 Snapshots 
1946 Game Reports 
1946 Photo Gallery  
1946 Transcona   
1946 Rosedale Jrs. 
       
BRITISH COLUMBIA      
DEWDNEY LEAGUE EAST
Chilliwack, Hammond, Haney, Mission, Pitt Meadows

DEWDNEY LEAGUE WEST
Coquitlam, Fraser Mills, IOCO, New Westminster, Port Moody
       
VICTORIA SENIOR LEAGUE 
Eagles, Legion, Navy, Machinery Depot
       
NANAIMO-DUNCAN SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE
Chemainus Cubs,  Chemainus McBrides, Duncan Garner Brothers Concos,  Duncan City Service Mercurys, Duncan Zenith-Olympics,  Nanaimo Merchants
       
CUMBERLAND CITY LEAGUE
Hawks, Legion, Maples, Owls, Robins
       
COMOX VALLEY TWILIGHT LEAGUE
Campbell River Athletics, Courtenay Checkers,  Union Bay
       
OKANOGAN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Brewster, Kelowna, Okanogan, Omak, Oroville, Penticton
       
SOUTH OKANAGAN LEAGUE 
Cawston, Kelowna ,Keremeos, Oliver, Osoyoos, Peachland, Penticton, Princeton, Rutland, Summerland
       
CENTRAL OKANAGAN LEAGUE 
Oyama, Rutland Bluecaps, Rutland Redcaps, Winfield
       
NORTH OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE 
Enderby, Kamloops All-Stars, Kamloops C.Y.O., Revelstoke Spikes, Salmon Arm, Vernon Aces
       
ARROW LAKES 
Burton, Edgewood, Nakusp
       
1946 Game Reports Vancouver      
1946 Game Reporsts VCR Island
 
1946 Game Reports BC Interior 
1946 BC Photo Gallery
  
1946 BC Snapshots    
1946 Victoria Horse Show Newsstand Team
1946 Trail    
1946 Bellingham Bells   
1946 Ladysmith High School     
1946 Victoria Legion
       
ONTARIO
INTERCOUNTY LEAGUE      
Galt Terriers, Guelph Maple Leafs, Kitchener Panthers, London Majors, Stratford Nationals, Waterloo Tigers
1946 Game Reports
      
1946 Photo Gallery   
       
WESTERN TORONTO LEAGUE
Chelseas, Columbus Grads, Mahers, Roses
       
MARITIME BASEBALL
HALIFAX & DISTRICT LEAGUE 
Halifax Arrows, Halifax Shipyards, Halifax United Service, Truro Bearcats (Champions)
1946 Maritime Game Reports 
1946 Maritime Snapshots   
 
MINNESOTA
SOUTHERN MINNY LEAGUE      
Rochester
11
3
Albert Lea Packers
10
4
1.0
Winona
8
6
3.0
Faribault
8
6
3.0
Waseca Bluejays
7
7
4.0
Austin Packers
6
8
5.0
Owatonna Aces
4
10
7.0
Mankato Merchants
2
12
9.0
       
       
       

 

Returning servicemen swelled the number of available players as the 1946 Southern League expanded to eight teams within two divisions.

The Regina Clippers, playing at a consistently high calibre from start to finish, had the best regular season record and swept the Moose Jaw Canucks in three straight contests to capture the playoff crown but only after adverse weather conditions forced the clubs to play well into the first week of October.

John "Smokey" Reynoldson, a prisoner during the war, was back from the European front and pitching for the Moose Jaw Canucks of the Southern League.

Aldon WilkieIn the 40s it was a rarity to have a Canadian in the major leagues.  But to have two, on the same team, both from Saskatchewan, was quite something.  In 1946, the Pittsburgh Pirates had Aldon Jay "Lefty" Wilkie (above - born in Zealandia SK 1914-10-30) and Edson Garfield "Ed" Bahr (born in Rouleau SK 1919-10-16)

Fans in Southern Saskatchewan fans felt deprived as a snowstorm wiped out an opportunity to watch a touring team of major-leaguers in Moose Jaw.  The game had been sold out.

The June 25th edition of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix reported that seven members of Spokane's Western International League class B baseball club met their death in a flaming plunge of their chartered cross-state bus.

July 13, the Regina Leader-Post carried an item on Mary "Bonnie" Baker, former Regina Bomber catcher.  Baker was reported to be the leading hitter in the All-American Girls Baseball League. Playing for the South Bend, Indiana Blue Sox, Baker had an average of .318, a lead of 12 points over her nearest rival.

The Moose Jaw Times-Herald, on October 7th, noted the 14-player roster of Earle Mack's touring major leaguers who arrived in Moose Jaw, along with coach Red Kress of the New York Giants, The roster -  Pitchers - Denny Galehouse (St. Louis Browns), Jesse Flores (Philadelphia Athletics), Allie Reynolds (Cleveland Indians), Eddie Lopat (Chicago White Sox), Bert Shepard (Washington Senators and Chatanooga Lookouts) Catchers - Bob Swift (Detroit Tigers), Aaron Robinson (New York Yankees) Infielders - Phil Cavaretta (Chicago Cubs), Mark Christman (St. Louis Browns), Lou Stringer (Chicago Cubs), Gene Handley (Philadelphia Athletics) Outfielders - Al Zarilla (St. Louis Browns), Roger "Doc" Cramer (Detroit Tigers), Jimmy Outlaw (Detroit Tigers)

The 39th annual Midnight Sun Baseball Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, had a Canadian flavour.  In one of the closest duels in the history of the event, the Edmonton Yanks upset the Ladd Field team of Fairbanks 4-3 in ten innings before a crowd of 2,000.

The game started in daylight, shortly after midnight, and the sun was shining brightly when the game ended 2 1/2 hours later. The initial contest was played in 1906 and has been played annually since.

Down by a run going into the 9th inning, Edmonton scored three runs on two walks, a double by third sacker Columbus Birchfield and a triple by outfielder Manuel Dorsky.

But, Ladd Field came right back in the bottom of the 9th as Lon Battles drove in two runs with a double.  Edmonton's Birchfield came through in the extra frame with a scorching single to right to plate the winning marker.


Wiseton captured the championship of the Saskatoon Exhibition Tournament and the J.F. Cairns Memorial Trophy with a 4-0 victory over Viscount. A crowd, estimated at more than 6,500, saw Reinie Kembel fired a four-hit shutout for the title.

A young hustling ball club from Sceptre won the $300 first prize in the Medicine Hat Kinsmen baseball tournament by turning back the city's Tigers 6-0. Big star in the Sceptre win was Cliff "Jake" Jacobson, star hurler, who pitched 18 consecutive innings of baseball in two days against the Medicine Hat Tigers and Picture Butte to ring up 6-0 and 4-0 shutouts.


At Huron, South Dakota, in a seven inning baseball game, yes baseball, June 10th, Huron's Junior Legion nine rang up 59 runs in demolishing Flandreau 59-3. They did it in just 56 official at bats, scoring 16 times in the first inning to put the game out of reach just minutes after it began. Huron took advantage of 18 walks and 27 Flandreau errors. And, they ran wild on the bags, with a total of 32 stolen bases.


Jackie Robinson 1946

On the afternoon of Thursday, April 18th, 1946, Jackie Robinson took the field for the Montreal Royals at Roosevelt Stadium at Jersey City.

It was the opener of the International League's 1946 season and it marked the beginning of the end of segregated baseball.

Robinson's stunning entry into organized ball broke a colour barrier which had existed for nearly fifty years.

Facing incredible pressures, Robinson made it look easy with four hits, one a three-run homer, four RBI and two stolen bases. 

Remnants of a crowd of more than 25,000 almost pulled the shirt off Robinson’s back as the game ended as the young second baseman was kept busy for several minutes shaking hands and autographing score cards.

The Royals’ clubhouse was a mad scene after the final out with well-wishers fighting to get in to congratulate Robinson, who was so excited he had to tie his necktie three or four times. (Associated Press, April 19, 1946)

The following season he was in Brooklyn Dodger blue, the first black player in the big leagues since the 1880s.  (Fleetwood Walker and his brother Welday had brief major league appearances in 1884 before baseball began to ban players of colour.)

Robinson's impact on baseball, sports in general and society ought not to be underestimated. His ability and courage opened many doors.

UCLA Trio 1939

Strode (left), Robinson (centre), Washington (right) in 1939 at UCLA.

Robinson's football teammates at UCLA, Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, suited up for the Los Angeles Rams in the fall of 1946 to be the first black players in the NFL since a ban was imposed in the 1930s.

Strode later played football in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders before embarking on a career in the movies. 

Washington's son, Kenny Jr. played in the Western Canada Baseball League with Saskatoon and Edmonton in the 1960s. 

Check Sports Illustrated, October 12, 2009 issue, for Alexander Wolff's  article on the integration of the National Football League.