1915 News & Notes
(I could spend hours looking through the yearly almanacs to see what nuggets each season produces. But, we'd never get anywhere if I did that. Here is what I did find this morning)...
Pitchers Rule
There must of have been something in the air during the first week of the 1915 season. There were two no-hitters and a couple more near no-hitters from April 1-7.
Reb Russell of Nogales tossed a PERFECT GAME on Opening Day, the second pitcher in AZL history to do that. He struck out four against Yuma, previewing what was to be a Top Hurler season for him (30-9) record. (For some reason, the game did not note that it was a perfect game, just a no-hitter).
Not to be outdone, Bisbee's
Burt Humphries pitched a no-hitter of his own two days later, striking out six against Carefree. Humphries walked two and Bisbee committed two errors.
On April 2, the day between the no-hitters, Yuma's
Addie Joss tossed a one-hitter -- against Russell's Nogales team no less. Cottonwood's
Orval Overall had a three-hitter on the same day.
There were two more no-hitters during the season.
Willie Mitchell of Phoenix tossed one for the eventual AZL champions on May 13, striking out four and walking three.
Smokey Joe Wood gave Bisbee two no-no's in one season, getting his on June 3 (four Ks, three walks).
Mitchell pitched three shutouts in a row during his hot mid-May stretch.
Christy Mathewson is the only AZL pitcher with more than 300 wins, currently sitting at 315.
300th win
Prescott players had every reason to congratulate
Christy Mathewson, who reached a milestone on May 21, winning his 300th game (the first in the AZL to do that.) Mathewson ended the year with 315 wins. He's got a league-leading 3,300 strikeouts. Can you say Hall of Fame? His career ERA is 2.78.
Matthewson has won 20 games nine times in his career, setting a career high with 30 wins in 1913.
Big Hits
• Flagstaff OF
Sam Crawford got his 2,500th career hit on April 22 against Kayenta. In that same game, fellow Lumberjack
Lee Magee had six hits (tying or breaking an NL record, can't remember).
• Tucson's
Ty Cobb had six hits in a September game against Tempe, tying the SL record.
• Tucson's
Bill Kenworthy had THREE triples in a game on Sept. 5.
Big Injuries
• Yuma' rebuilding efforts took a huge hit when
Happy "Smokey Joe" Finneran went down with a career-ending injury. He was the second overall pick in the 1914 draft. The 24-year-old had won 11 games in 1914 and eight in 1915. But shoulder issues couldn't be resolved and Happy decided he'd be happier hanging it up.
• While Christy Mathewson reached a notable milestone, this was a tough year for the rest of the Prescott pitching staff. Young hurler
Ernie Shore, 24, injured his shoulder and his career is done. He was the fifth overall pick in the 1914 draft. (There is a baseball field near where I live in NC named after him).
Fellow Antelope
Red Faber tore elbow ligaments in the mid-season, and the 27-year-old likely won't pitch again.
Happy Townsend suffered a serious injury in August and that cost him the rest of his season. His status is questionable going into 1916.
The Antelopes promptly fired their pitching coach at season's end. It may take them awhile to recover from this, considering Mathewson is nearing the end of his career...
All-Star Game
Show Low put on another great show in hosting the 1915 mid-summer classic. The Southern League won this one, 6-3.
Stuffy McInnis, 25, of Nogales won player of the game honors, hitting a home run. Tucson's
Ralph Glaze was the winning pitcher.
Show Low has been awarded the 1916 All-Star Game as well, commissioner Doc Victory announced. "They've turned out to be a great host city," Victory said. "Few put on as good a show as they do up there in the White Mountains. If Clyde Cooley and company can remain patient, I'm sure this area will make for a good AZL franchise home some day..."
1915 Leaderboard
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.376 Joe Jackson(NOG,SL) - wow!
.350 Tris Speaker(PAY,NL)
.339 Benny Kauff(TOM,SL CTW)
.324 Wilbur Good(PAY,NL)
.315 George Jackson(PRE,NL)
TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
17 Jimmy Walsh(NOG,SL)
12 Jake Stahl(JER)
12 Tim Jordan(PRE)
11 Clyde Milan(JER,NL)
11 Casey Stengel(KAY)
TOP 5 in RBI :
111 Tex Erwin(TUC,SL)
102 Jack Fournier(TUC)
101 Jimmy Walsh(NOG,SL)
100 Joe Jackson(NOG,SL)
99 Steve Yerkes(FLG,NL)
TOP 5 in ERA :
2.06 Charley Hall(PAY,NL)
2.08 Bill Burns(PAY,NL)
2.11 Happy Townsend(PRE)
2.13 Willie Mitchell(PHX,SL)
2.33 Russ Ford(CTW,NL)
TOP 5 in WINS :
30 Reb Russell(NOG,SL)
27 Willie Mitchell(PHX,SL)
26 Otto Hess(PRE,NL)
26 Jack Warhop(CAR,SL TOM TUC)
26 Fred Beebe(FLG,NL)
TOP 5 in SAVES :
6 Tex Neuer(FLG,NL)
5 Harry Suter(YUM)
5 Joe Boehling(GCA)
5 Dave Black(PRE,NL)
5 Jack Ryan(GCA,NL)