1916 Divisional Playoffs
Payson, Tucson advance to Cactus Champions Cup
Northern League Final Scores
Payson 8, Jerome 0 — WP: Charley Hall
Jerome 4, Payson 2 — WP: Bert Humphries
Payson 6, Jerome 3 — WP: Nick Cullop
Payson 2, Jerome 0 — WP: Charley Hall
Payson 9, Jerome 1 — WP: Bill Burns
Southern League Final Scores
Carefree 6, Tucson 1 — WP: Marty McHale
Tucson 6, Carefree 3 (16) — WP: Dick Rudolph
Tucson 11, Carefree 6 — WP: George McQuillan
Tucson 4, Carefree 3 — WP: Jake Boultes
Tucson 9, Carefree 5 — WP: Willie Mitchell
Not a whole lot to write about either series. The "veteran" teams pretty much took it to the two squads with scant playoff experience.
Charley Hall had a pair of eye-opening pitching performances for Payson. The Longhorns' 8-0 win in the opener and 2-0 win in Game Four were both one-hitters. Jerome only managed three hits against
Bill Burns in the decisive Game Five.
Carefree had a lot more pop in its bats down in the Southern Leaguer but couldn't overcome the Cactus Kids, who scored 30 runs in four games after losing the opener.
Ty Cobb (.130 batting average) slumped during this series but Tucson teammates like 1B
Jack Fournier (.350 average),
Heinie Zimmerman (.304) and catcher
Tex Erwin (.300) really came through. Erwin had two homers in the five-game set.
"Carefree is a good young team and they look to be a force in the years to come," Cobb said after the series. "We never felt comfortable against them. They just kept coming after us time and again. We're fortunate to be moving on in five."
This series, even in a loss, did something to the small Carefree community and surrounding areas. It awoke a passion for baseball and this team in particular that had been pretty dormant since the franchise moved there from Lake Havasu. People started coming out of the woodwork in August and September during the pennant run to support the team, and filled up the stadium during the playoff set.
"Wait till next year!" had a very positive ring to it among Carefree faithful.
But first, a big Cactus Champions Cup series looms this October between the league's true heavyweights. Tris Speaker vs. Ty Cobb. Charley Hall and Bill Burns vs. Willie Mitchell and Jake Boultes on the mound. Payson vs. Tucson.
Could be a seven-game thriller...