1914 Cactus Champions Cup
Celebration time in the Old Pueblo
Final Scores
Payson 4, Tucson 3 — WP: Nick Cullop
Tucson 7, Payson 2 — WP: George McQuillan
Tucson 6, Payson 2 — WP: Jake Boultes
Payson 4, Tucson 1 — WP: Bill Burns
Tucson 9, Payson 5 — WP: Geoge McQuillan
Tucson 10, Payson 9 — WP: Jack Pfiester
Ty Cobb slides into home for one of his four runs in a Game Two victory over Payson. The Georgia Peach finally has his championship.
Ty Cobb stood around a throng of reporters, flash bulbs popping from all directions. The 27-year-old centerfielder wore a big grin on his face and patiently answered questions for more than 30 minutes. The Georgia Peach, in his ninth year in the AZL, finally had his championship
Cobb and the Tucson Saguaros clinched the franchise's first AZL title with a 10-9 win in Game Six of the Cactus Champions Cup. Tucson lost to Prescott 4-1 in last year's Cup finals in their only other trip.
Cobb didn't exactly set the world on fire during this series or the 1914 post-season as a whole. He had just five hits in 24 at-bats vs. stellar Longhorns pitching. But that didn't matter. The burden had been lifted. Like other great hitters like Sam Crawford (Flagstaff), Tris Speaker (Payson) and Danny Green (Prescott), Cobb finally had a title to go with all the gaudy numbers.
Cobb's best game came in Game Two, with the Saguaros behind 1-0 in the series. He went 3-for-4, batting home the first run of the game. He also had a triple and scored all four times he reached base. Cobb also had a key RBI in the decisive Game Six, a one-run win.
"I'm just elated, for Tucson and my teammates. We've been trying for this thing for what seems like forever," Cobb said. "Now the goal will be holding onto the Cup for many years to come. We can do it.
Shortstop
Art Fletcher was voted the Cactus Cup MVP. He had two hits in Game Five and three in Game Six, and finished the series with six RBIs. Fletch finished with a .390 average for the whole post-season, going 41-for-133 with eight doubles, five triples, 22 RBIs, 20 runs scored and three stolen bases. Cobb-like numbers.
"See, we're a team," Cobb said. "Fletch batted eighth in the order, and he didn't care. He just went out there and did what he had to do to help us win."
Pitcher
George McQuillan was definitely the top pitcher in the post-season. He went 4-0 with a 0.51 ERA, beating Nogales twice and Payson twice. The second win over Nogales went 11 innings, and McQuillan stayed out there the whole time.
The only bad news — McQuillan tore elbow ligaments in his last outing. If the season were still going on, he would be out five weeks. Hopefully with the right treatment, he'll be good to go by spring training...
Here are past winners of the Cactus Champions Cup (insert hypnotic Arizona flute music here):
1901:Payson beat Nogales 4 to 2
1902:Nogales beat Grand Canyon 4 to 1
1903:Prescott beat Jerome 4 to 2
1904:Prescott beat Grand Canyon 4 to 2
1905:Bisbee beat Flagstaff 4 to 3
1906:Prescott beat Grand Canyon 4 to 3
1907:Flagstaff beat Tombstone 4 to 3
1908:Cottonwood beat Yuma 4 to 1
1909:Grand Canyon beat Yuma 4 to 3
1910:Prescott beat Nogales 4 to 1
1911:Bisbee beat Prescott 4 to 1
1912:Payson beat Yuma 4 to 1
1913:Prescott beat Tucson 4 to 1
1914:Tucson beat Payson 4 to 2