Salaries limits were also cut in order to try to save the league. While some Western League teams would spend $6,000 to $7,500 per month in 1913 on salaries the limit in 1933 was $1,200 per month including a $100.00 per month for the manager.
Western League
Standings 1933 President:Dale Gear |
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Standings | Wins----- | Losses--- | GB | Affiliation |
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Des Moines Demons | 35-48 | 23-24 | -- | None |
St. Joseph Saints | 36-41 | 21-26 | 1st half 1st | None |
Springfield Cardinals | 30-43 | 28-22 | St. Louis Cardinals | |
Topeka Senators | 23-45 | 33-22 | 2nd half 1st | Cincinnati |
Omaha Packers | 29-34 | 28-33 | None | |
Joplin Miners | 33-22 | 26-43 | St. Louis Browns | |
Hutchinson Wheatshockers Bartlesville Bronchos |
25-26 | 32-38 | None | |
Wichita Oilers Muskogee Oilers |
18-8 | 38-57 | None | |
|
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BA: Dominic Ryba, Springfield, .380 | ||||
Runs: John Keane, Springfield, 118 | ||||
Hits: Walter Carson, St. Joseph, 186 | ||||
HRs: Vic Shiell, Tulsa 22 | ||||
Wins: Herbert May, St. Joseph, 24 | ||||
SOs: Cy Blanton, St. Joseph, 284 | ||||
Pct: Herbert May, St. Joseph, 24-6, .800 |
St. Joseph won the first half of the split season and Topeka won the second. St Joseph won the playoffs four games to one. Hutchinson moved to Bartlesville on July 7th. Wichita moved to Muskogee on June 5th. It became a "road team" on July 31st. Three teams had major league affiliation. Joplin with the St. Louis Browns, Springfield with the Cardinals and Topeka with Cincinnati.
Omaha started the year in bad financial shape. The Sporting News reported that the club was in receivership. The club owed $9,000 in back salaries and it was discovered that Burch had lost $19,191.10 in 1932. If the Western League did not put a team in Omaha, the the Nebraska State League could expand into the Omaha area. WL president Dale Gear did not want to lose Omaha to the NSL. Gear went to John Ostronic who owned the Vinton Street ball park and negotiated for the lease of the park. Eventually Pug Griffin was put in charge of the club. He coaxed Cy Lingle to come from Des Moines to manage the club.
On July 2nd Omaha pitcher Floyd Carlson hit Jake Batterson of Springfield in the head. Jake died the next day.
Omaha started the season in fine shape and was actually in first place in mid June. Their lack of depth caught up to them and they faded to fifth by the end of the first half season. Their winning record was only due to how terrible the Wichita/Muskogee/traveling team was as the Oilers only won 8 games the entire second half of the season while dropping 57.
One of the more unique feats by the team was that four times a pitcher pitched both games in a double header and won both of them. Sam Dailey beat Des Moines 4-3 and 6-2 on July 4th and repeated the feat on August 9th against Muskogee 17-3 and 16-5. Ernest "Red" Evans pitched two shutouts in one day against Muskogee on September 9th 5-0 and 9-0. Neil Millard then came back the next day and beat Muskogee 8-4 and 11-1. Today it is an oddity when a pitcher completes one game.
It was reported that Omaha broke even for the 1933 season. According to the Sporting News paid attendance was 59,426 for the season. Once again Pug offered to buy the franchise for $500.00. It is unclear whether that would also mean that he would assume the $9,000 in debt left over from the Burch years. President Gear turned him down and in February 1934 the franchise was auctioned off.
Omaha did finally have a player on the all star team as Stanley Tutaj was named at third base.
Roster:
The Packers had a few players who formed the nucleus of their club. Other
positions were swinging doors as a number of players rotated through the
year.
Stanley Tutaj at third was Omaha's only all star for 1928. He was fourth in the league with a .368 batting average.
John McMahon was the regular short stop for Omaha in 1933. He played in 112 games and had a .322 average.
Cliff Knox was their ironman catcher. Cliff was from Coalville Iowa and had a cup of coffee with the Pittsburg Pirates in 1924. The thirty one year old played in 121 games and had a .320 average. He died in Oskaloosa in 1965.
Carl Bouton played half the season for Omaha. In his 61 games he averaged .310 playing second base.
Albert Larson played first for 68 games and had a.242 average.
Outfield was a problem for the Omaha team in 1933 with a number of
players given a chance in the garden on Vinton street.
Lynn Allison 22 games .220 average, Malvin Nydahl 36 games .304 average,
Among the many were: Earl Owens 42
games .275 average, Tom Jenkins 50 games .309 average.
Albert Edwards 47 games .271 average,
Marion McElreath 101 games Omaha/Mus. .280 average.
Pitchers:
Sam Dailey was Omaha's leading pitcher for 1933.
He had a 20-9 record in 32 games. On August 9th, he pitched both ends
of a double header against Muskogee and won both games 17-3 and 16-5.
He was from Oakland Illinois and the 29 year old had pitched one season
for Philadelphia (NL) in 1929.
Ernest "Red" Evans was the second pitcher in the
rotation. He pitched in 34 games and had a 15-11 record. He pitched both
ends of a double header against Muskogee and won both games 5-4 and 9-0 on
September 9th.
Edgar Carroll was one of many pitchers the Omaha team
tried in 1933. He pitched in 12 games and had a 4-6 record. Ed was from
Baltimore and the lanky pitcher played in 24 games for Boston in 1929 and
had a 1-0 record.
Art Neely was 1-4 in 13 appearances and
Adkins was 1-1.
Baker was 6-5 for the year with 15 appearances.
Millard was 8-11 and Moreau was 6-12.
Harold McKain was a 26 year old pitcher from
Logan Iowa. He had played for the Chicago White Sox in 1927 and
1929-1932. Overall he was 18-23 as a major league pitcher. He was 1-4
for the Packers.
John Fonger managed a 2-3 record in 9 appearances.
Earl Langkop pitched in five games and had a 2-0
record.