Sports hall honours boys of summers past

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This article was published 03/06/2019 (2676 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the Winnipeg Maroons played in the Northern League from 1933 to 1942, the team won three league championships. When the Winnipeg Goldeyes played in the league from 1954 to 1964, the team also won three titles. That version of the Northern League was part of the organized baseball farm system, not the independent league in which the present version of the Goldeyes has played for several seasons.

On June 6 at the Club Regent Event Centre, these six championship teams will be inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as part of a 40th anniversary veterans induction.

In 1935, the Maroons led by colourful manager Bruno Haas finished the regular season in first place with a record of 80-38. Pitcher Lloyd Sterling had a terrific season with 24 wins and only two defeats. In a playoff for the championship, Winnipeg prevailed in six games over the Fargo-Moorhead Twins. The Maroons were back at the top of the standings in 1939, but finished only a 1/2 game ahead of the Duluth Dukes. In the playoffs, Winnipeg eliminated the Twins and knocked off the Eau Claire Bears in the final. Local all-around athlete Hugh Gustafson, a 1997 Hall of Fame honoured member, was named to the league all-star team at first base that season.

The third title came during the Maroons’ final Northern League season in 1942. The team finished the regular season in second place, five games behind the pennant-winning Bears. In the playoffs an interesting situation arose. The Wausau Lumberjacks upset Eau Claire in five games but then disbanded. When this happened, the other semi-final between Winnipeg and the Sioux Falls Canaries was tied at two games each, so the league ruled that series would determine the champion, and the Goldeyes went on to win in nine games.

The Maroons’ success in the Northern League came despite not being affiliated with a major league team. Maroons management had to hunt for players not owned by major league clubs while many of their opponents were part of a farm-team system.

When the Goldeyes won their championships, the team’s players were provided by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League. In 1957, the Duluth-Superior White Sox won the first-half pennant and Winnipeg, managed by Vern Benson, took the second half. In a playoff between the two pennant winners, the Goldeyes won the title two games to one. All-star first baseman Walt Matthews led the league in runs-batted-in with 100, while all-star outfielder Don Brown was tops in both hits and runs. Hal Byfuss had 17 wins.

In 1959, the Goldeyes, managed by Chase Riddle, were the runaway leaders during the regular season, finishing with a record of 80-4, which was 12 1/2 games ahead of the Aberdeen Pheasants. In the playoffs, the Goldeyes first eliminated Fargo-Moorhead and then beat Aberdeen two games to one. Pitcher Bill Carpenter was the clear team leader with a record of 19-3 and an earned run average of 1.59 that was the best in baseball that season. He also shutout the Pheasants in the playoffs and Dick Hughes threw a three-hitter for the other victory. Carpenter will be inducted posthumously into the HOF as an athlete on June 6 for his individual accomplishments with the Goldeyes and the Souris Cardinals.

In 1960, the Goldeyes finished the regular season just one game ahead of the Duluth-Superior Dukes. In the playoffs, they knocked off Aberdeen and then beat the Dukes two straight for the championship. League strikeout king Harry Fanok shutout the Dukes in the final game. All-star outfielder Johnny Lewis topped the league in home runs with 23 and runs-batted-in with 104. Former St. Louis third baseman Whitey Kurowski managed the team.

The 11-season partnership with St. Louis allowed Winnipeg fans to see future major league players in their formative years.

Among those who wore the Goldeyes uniform were Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton, Cards shortstop and general manager Dal Maxvill, pitchers Ray Sadecki and Tom Hilgendorf, catcher Jim Schaffer, infielder Julio Gotay, and outfielder Walt (No Neck) Williams as well as Hughes, Fanok and Lewis.

Hall-of Famers such as Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Jim Palmer, Gaylord Perry, Willie Stargell and Joe Torre were opponents.

Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com