1913 Playoff Recap
Northern League
Prescott sails past defending champs, 4-1
Payson looked more than ready to defend its Arizona League title in Game One of the NL championship series, winning 8-4. The Longhorns scored two runs in the top of the eighth and two in the ninth to steal one away on the Antelopes' home diamond.
But the rest of the series belonged to the boys from Whiskey Row.
Russ Ford pitched a two-hitter in Game Two, helping the 'Lopes win 2-1. Prescott then won three straight in Payson, 6-3, 2-1 and 5-0.
Jack Warhop, Happy Townsend and Ford got pitching victories in the road sweep. Prescott pitchers kept Payson quiet most of the series. Longhorn leadoff man
Ginger Beaumont was just 1-for-20.
Tris Speaker, last year's Big Stick winner, was just 3-for-17 with one RBI. Catcher
Ted Easterly and 3B
Del Paddock were both 3-for-18. So much for a murderer's row top of the lineup.
"We just couldn't get anything going against those guys," Speaker said after the Game Five loss. "We were spell-bound at the plate."
Prescott didn't exactly light the world on fire with its offense, either. But guys like catcher
Otto "Moonie" Miller (.267) and shortstop
Rabbit Robinson (.333) at the bottom of the order came up with timely hits.
The Antelopes now will compete for their fifth AZL title since the league started in 1901. This will the 'Lopes sixth appearance in the championship series, with the only loss coming in 1911 to Bisbee.
Southern League
Tucson outlasts Phoenix, 4-2
The battle of the two biggest Southern League cities went to
Ty Cobb and the Saguaros.
This was maybe the wildest playoff series in the history of the league. Tucson pounded out 19 hits to win the opener 14-3. Only
Ty Cobb in the starting lineup failed to get at least two hits (he had one). But in Game Two, Phoenix answered with a resounding 16-6 decision. Tucson had 10 more hits, but the Dust Devils had 20(!!). CF
Ed "The Midget" Mensor, 2B
Del Pratt and LF
Jimmy Sheckard each went 3-for-6. Pratt hit two doubles and four RBIs. Pitchers got whiplash from jerking around so much to see where the hits were flying behind them.
Games Three and Four both went extra innings and featured more potent offense.
Phoenix outlasted Tucson 7-6 in 13 innings in the third contest. The teams combined for 26 hits. 3B
George Moriarty batted home the game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th.
Tucson won Game Four by the same 7-6 score, pushing the winning run across in the top of the 12th. This time, the two squads combined for 30 hits. Balls were sailing all over the park, with Cobb hitting one out as part of a 3-for-5 day.
Finally, a pitcher showed up for the pivotal Game Five.
George McQuillan hurled the Saguaros to a 7-0 triumph, holding the Dust Devils to only four hits. The score was just 1-0 going into the top of the ninth when Tucson exploded for six scores to ice it. LF
Hank Butcher crushed the Devils' spirits with a two-run homer.
More offensive fireworks returned in Game Six, but Tucson used two runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull away for a 5-3 victory. Saguaro pitcher
Jake Boultes gave up 13 hits on the day but kept the Devils quiet down the stretch for the win.
So, the stage is set for the 1913 Cactus Champions Cup. It's the "old" favorite, Prescott Antelopes, vs. the upstart Tucson Saguaros, who have reached their first AZL title series in franchise history. It should be an interesting contrast of styles as well, with Prescott owning solid pitching and Tucson featuring explosive hitting... Stay tuned...