1912 Season Recap — Southern League
The Yuma Prisoners swooned a bit over the final weeks, and the Tucson Saguaros caught them on the final day of the regular season, leaving a tie at the top of the SL. Since both teams made the playoffs, a special one-game winner-take-all contest wasn't scheduled to break the stalemate.
Tucson won its last three games of the year, while Yuma dropped two of the last three. The Saguaros made up four games over the last 10 days of the season. Carefree nearly made it a three-way tie for first but the Blues were singing the blues despite winning four of their last five (which included wins over Tucson, Yuma and last year's champion, Bisbee during the free-for-all final week schedule). A 5-3 loss to Nogales on the next to the last day of the regular season clinched their fate as outsiders to the post-season.
Tucson was pretty unstoppable playing in the Old Pueblo, winning 54 home games. The Saguaros epitomized the team concept. Yes, they had
Ty Cobb, who batted .278 with 63 RBIs and 47 stolen bases, but eight other players had at least 40 runs driven in. Three pitchers,
Barney Pelty, George McQuillan and Ralph Glaze combined for 62 wins -- each getting at least 20.
The Saguaros overcame a late-season injury to Cobb, who fractured his hand in early August. At first doctors feared he might miss the rest of the 1912 campaign, but he came back in early September good as new. He hit .280 in his last 21 games of the regular season.
Shortstop
Freddy Parent, another "Old Timer" like Jerome's
Nap Lajoie, proved one of Yuma's MVPs. His .293 batting average was a career best. He also drove home 81 runs (second only to his 99 from the year before). Parent was a seventh-round pick in the 1901 draft. The 36-year-old proved he still has it, driving home eight runs in an August game against Tombstone and twice being named Batter of the Month for the SL.
All-star
Carl Druhot paced Yuma's pitching rotation with 25 wins. He was a nice pick-up from Bisbee last season. He missed out on a title run a year ago, maybe this will be his season to win a ring.
Yuma picked up the nickname "Lifers" during the season because of the age of some of its standouts (i.e. players who have been a Prisoner forever). Parent is 36.
Davey Crockett, who platoons at 1B and had a .265 average, is 38. Starting LF
John Dobbs is 37 -- he hit .278 with 71 RBIs. Reserve RF
Tom McCreery is 38. He struggled at the plate however (.165) and seems on the verge of retirement. Others are in their mid-30s. This could be their last chance to win it all for awhile.
We already know we'll have a new AZL champion in 1912 since Bisbee didn't earn the right to defend its title. But who will stand tallest in the Cactus Champions Cup --
Tris Speaker and Payson, Jerome's mining boys led by Lajoie, Tucson and
Ty Cobb or Yuma's Old Time Prisoners? Stay tuned...
Final SL Standings:
Code:
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Tucson 92 70 .568 - 95-67 -3 54-27 38-43 9-9 32-32 1 W3 7-3
Yuma 92 70 .568 - 95-67 -3 46-35 46-35 6-12 23-26 1 L1 3-7
Carefree 91 71 .562 1.0 86-76 5 44-37 47-34 18-8 38-23 - W1 6-4
Bisbee 81 81 .500 11.0 76-86 5 46-35 35-46 8-7 36-28 - L4 4-6
Nogales 79 83 .488 13.0 84-78 -5 41-40 38-43 7-11 25-33 - L1 7-3
Tombstone 74 88 .457 18.0 75-87 -1 38-43 36-45 9-7 25-30 - W1 3-7
Tempe 71 91 .438 21.0 67-95 4 35-46 36-45 8-10 21-29 - L1 5-5
Phoenix 68 94 .420 24.0 71-91 -3 34-47 34-47 10-11 31-30 - W1 5-5