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1918 News and Notes
An assortment of items from the most recent season in the Arizona League:
A Victorious Start?
I'm sure everyone is dying to know how Phinieus "Lil Doc" Victory III — the grandson of the Arizona League's commissioner — did in his first professional season. Well, the AZL's first "fictional" player actually performed much better than anticipated.
The 23-year-old right fielder batted .301 for Carefree's Double A team, located in Anthem. He had 18 doubles, one triple and 10 -- wow -- home runs. He recorded 59 RBIs and scored 69 times. He did strike out 131 times, so that's not too great. Scouts don't see him breaking into Carefree's Big Club lineup any time soon, though he did enjoy a brief foray with Carefree's Triple A team in nearby Cave Creek. He had five hits in 19 at-bats, with two doubles and four RBIs near the end of the season. Grandpa was pretty proud -- and surprised...
Smokin' Pitcher
"Smoky Joe" Wood pitched a no-no for Bisbee on May 6 (my sister's birthday by the way). He blanked Tombstone. Mike Menosky spoiled the bid for a perfect game when he walked with 1 away in the 7th inning. Wood (5-3 at the time) struck out 8 and issued 3 walks in all, throwing 64 of his 107 pitches for strikes. Amazingly Bisbee won just 1-0. Catcher Bill Carrigan of the Prospectors stroked 2 hits in support of his starter.
Lots of 1, 2 and 3 hitters this season. Wood must have Tombstone's number because he had a two-hitter against the Epitaphs later in the season. (Looking at the News items, I see another two-hitter against Tombstone, by Phoenix pitcher Art Fromme. Geez, the Epis are bad...)
Big Hittin'
• Nogales slugger Jimmy Walsh had a three home-run game against Yuma on July 13. He had a two-run shot in the second inning, a solo shot in the fourth and a two-run long ball in the sixth -- all against Yuma's battered hurler Bugs Raymond. Walsh had six RBIs for the game. Nogales won 12-2.
Only four other players have hit three HRs in a game, and no one has hit more than three. The last to do it, Babe Ruth of Tempe in 1917.
• Payson CF Tris Speaker was 5-for-5 with two RBIs against Flagstaff in May ... Wally Pipp of Tombstone had the same line against Tucson in August, but he managed six RBIs. The only other player to get five hits in a season was Sedona's Johnny Rawlings.
• Kayenta's Frank Snyder had seven RBIs on three hits against Sedona on May 25...
Iron Men
Tucson pitcher Ralph Glaze gave up just three hits in FIFTEEN (15.0!) innings of work against Nogales in a mid-summer game. He struck out three and allowed just one run.
Payson's Nick Cullop lasted 14 innings and surrendered only four hits against Jerome on Aug. 9. He fanned nine without giving up a run. Then his arm felt like rubber for a week...
Career Men
• Nogales CF Sherry Magee had 11 triples this season -- not bad for a 34-year-old -- to pad his lead in the career standings. He now has 204 triples lifetime...
• "Shoeless Joe" Jackson of Nogales is now the career leader for batting average (minimum 2000 AB), batting .334, just ahead of Tris Speaker's .331 clip...
• Carefree closer Alex "Lick" Malloy saved six games this season, increasing his career total to 52 -- best by far in the Arizona League. I think the next closest is 39 or so...
Record Breaker
• Bisbee's Benny Kauff set a new Southern League record with 82 stolen bases. That's one better than the NL record...
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