1917 Tri-Copper League

Overview

This league, which has been in existence for the last three years, comprises the Ray Con Mine at Ray, Ariz.; the Ray Con Mill at Hayden, Ariz., and the A. S. & R. Smelter at Hayden, Ariz. In 1915 and 1916 the Mine club won the series and received the trophy, a cup. In 1917 the Mill Club won.

Most of the players are professionals, having played in the National, American or Class A leagues, and are paid the same salary as minor leagues in order to interest and for the enjoyment of the employees at the various mines. The officials have gone to a great deal of expense to get good teams.

The Smelters disbanded after the last regular game of the season and forfeited first place to the Mines team in the second series.

Transcribed from the 1918 Spalding's Official Base Ball Record Book. The data presented in that book for this league doesn't always add up. The Mill team, and some players on it, is credited with playing 33 games. But their regular season W-L record only equals 32 games.

Picture

1917 Mill Team, Champions of the Tri-Copper League.
Image from 1918 Spalding's Official Base Ball Record.

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1917 Final Standings

First Series

Team	G	W	L	PCT
Mill	14	12	2	.857
Mines	14	6	8	.429
Smelter	14	3	11	.214

Second Series

Team	G	W	L	PCT
Mines	18	10	8	.556
Smelter	18	10	8	.556
Mill	18	7	11	.389

Total Regular Season

Team	G	W	L	PCT
Mill	32	19	13	.594
Mines	32	16	16	.500
Smelter	32	13	19	.406

Post Series

Team	G	W	L	PCT
Mill	5	4	1	.800
Mines	5	1	4	.200

Statistics

1917 Team Batting

Notes on batting info: The info presented for this league in the 1917 Spalding Guide is a bit incomplete. Not all teams had all the info.

Following bbref.com's lead, I'm adding in the following stat columns:

• SLG - Slugging Percentage, which is: Total Bases / At Bats
• TB - Total Bases, which is: Singles + 2 x Doubles + 3 x Triples + 4 x HR

Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	SB	BB	SO	BA	SLG	TB	HBP	SH
Mill	33	1113	155	294	62	6	7	25	109	123	.264	.350	389	24	44
Mines		1169	158	295	66	5	13	37			.252	.351	410
Smelter		1019	140	236	40	7	30	37			.232	.373	380

1917 Individual Batting

Notes on batting info: The info presented for this league in the 1917 Spalding Guide is a bit incomplete. Not all teams had all the info.

Following bbref.com's lead, I'm adding in the following stat columns:

• SLG - Slugging Percentage, which is: Total Bases / At Bats
• TB - Total Bases, which is: Singles + 2 x Doubles + 3 x Triples + 4 x HR

Last Name	First Name	Team	Position	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	SB	BB	SO	BA	SLG	TB	HBP	SH
Baerwald		Mines			102	19	39	9	1	1	7			.382	.520	53		9
Galena	Johnny	Mill	OF-2B	18	61	16	21	1	1	0	2	9	5	.344	.393	24	1	1
Meloan		Mill	CF	33	128	23	44	11	2	2	4	14	14	.344	.508	65	2	4
Duddy	George	Smelter	3B		115	20	36	9	1	8	8			.313	.617	71		2
Forsythe		Mill	RF	8	30	4	9	5	0	0	1	3	2	.300	.467	14	1	0
DeMaggio		Mines			101	20	30	5	3	0	7			.297	.406	41		2
Guest		Mill	2B-SS	33	116	23	33	12	0	0	1	12	11	.284	.388	45	3	2
Wachob		Mines			18	0	5	1	0	0	0			.278	.333	6		0
MacMurdo	M.B. “Spots”	Smelter	1B		109	13	30	4	1	5	2			.275	.468	51		9
Flick	Carl	Smelter	2B		120	18	32	6	0	0	2			.267	.317	38		2
Scanlon		Mines			143	29	38	14	1	1	3			.266	.399	57		2
Forsythe		Mines			49	6	13	0	0	1	1			.265	.327	16		0
Stadelli		Mill	OF	13	53	13	14	3	0	1	0	10	4	.264	.377	20	1	1
Smith		Mines			126	17	33	5	0	1	6			.262	.325	41		8
Burch		Mill	C	25	69	7	18	0	1	0	2	6	5	.261	.290	20	4	7
Wisterzil		Mill	3B	32	112	10	29	4	0	0	3	11	13	.259	.295	33	4	7
Tobin		Mines			122	18	31	7	0	3	3			.254	.385	47		1
Kane		Mill	LF	31	126	20	32	6	1	2	8	14	14	.254	.365	46	3	1
McDonnell		Mill	1B	33	127	18	32	8	0	1	1	12	10	.252	.339	43	2	6
Delhi	“Flame”	Mines	P		44	6	11	3	0	3	1			.250	.523	23		2
Butler		Smelter	SS		64	10	16	2	0	1	6			.250	.328	21		10
Critchlow		Smelter	OF		57	13	14	1	1	3	4			.246	.456	26		1
Hosp		Mines			115	14	28	6	0	2	5			.243	.348	40		2
Hester	Herb	Mines			29	1	7	1	0	0	1			.241	.276	8		0
Tonneman		Mines			100	9	24	8	0	0	0			.240	.320	32		3
Bender		Smelter	OF		50	10	12	3	2	1	6			.240	.440	22		0
McIvor		Smelter	OF		71	14	17	4	0	3	2			.239	.423	30		2
McArdle		Smelter	SS		22	3	5	1	0	0	0			.227	.273	6		1
Brandt		Mill	P	20	49	5	11	3	0	0	0	1	12	.224	.286	14	1	6
Engle		Mill	2B-SS	15	55	5	12	2	0	1	0	4	7	.218	.309	17	0	2
Callan		Smelter	C		99	9	21	3	2	2	1			.212	.343	34		4
Leverett		Smelter	P		66	6	14	2	0	3	0			.212	.379	25		0
Johnson		Mill	P	23	57	0	12	1	0	0	1	0	9	.211	.228	13	1	3
Killaley		Smelter	OF		43	5	9	0	0	1	1			.209	.279	12		1
Davis		Mill	SS-OF	19	72	8	15	5	1	0	2	5	14	.208	.306	22	0	3
Carisch		Mill	C	18	58	3	12	1	0	0	0	8	3	.207	.224	13	1	1
Horsted		Smelter	P		16	1	3	0	0	0	0			.188	.188	3		1
Sorey		Mines			71	3	13	4	0	0	0			.183	.239	17		5
Stadelli		Smelter	OF		44	7	8	3	0	0	1			.182	.250	11		0
Beaumiller		Mines			67	9	11	3	0	0	3			.164	.209	14		9
Bromley		Mines			64	4	10	0	0	1	0			.156	.203	13		2
Shaw		Smelter	Utility		70	7	10	1	0	0	4			.143	.157	11		3
Slagle		Smelter	P		32	1	4	1	0	0	0			.125	.156	5		0
Gibbs		Smelter	OF		41	3	5	0	0	3	0			.122	.341	14		2
Ryan		Mines			18	3	2	0	0	0	0			.111	.111	2		0

1917 Team Fielding

Team	G	Ch	PO	A	E	Printed Fld %	Calculated Fld %
Smelter	33	1368	833	473	62	.955	.955
Mines		1424	963	395	66	.953	.954
Mill		1343	887	392	64	.952	.952

1917 Individual Fielding

Notes on individual fielding info: Following bbref.com's lead, I'm adding in the following stat columns:

• Ch - Defensive Chances, which is: Put Outs + Assists + Errors
• RF/G - Range Factor per Game, which is: Put Outs + Assists / Games

Last Name	First Name	Team	Position	G	CH	PO	A	E	printed Fld %	Calculated Fld %	RF/G
Johnson		Mill	P	23	43	4	39	0	1.000	1.000	1.870
Forsythe		Mill	RF	8	17	17	0	0	1.000	1.000	2.125
Wachob		Mines			28	25	3	0	1.000	1.000
Burch		Mill	C	25	152	120	30	2	.987	.987	6.000
Flick	Carl	Smelter	2B		222	104	115	3	.986	.986
Hester	Herb	Mines			67	60	6	1	.985	.985
MacMurdo	M.B. “Spots”	Smelter	1B		360	329	25	6	.983	.983
Tonneman		Mines			218	173	41	4	.982	.982
Kane		Mill	LF	31	49	46	2	1	.979	.980	1.548
Bromley		Mines			47	9	37	1	.979	.979
Butler		Smelter	SS		87	26	59	2	.977	.977
Scanlon		Mines			297	274	16	7	.971	.976
McDonnell		Mill	1B	33	332	300	24	8	.979	.976	9.818
Stadelli		Mill	OF	13	33	30	2	1	.970	.970	2.462
Critchlow		Smelter	OF		32	27	4	1	.969	.969
Carisch		Mill	C	18	124	101	19	4	.970	.968	6.667
McArdle		Smelter	SS		31	8	22	1	.968	.968
Tobin		Mines			79	71	5	3	.962	.962
DeMaggio		Mines			78	73	2	3	.962	.962
Callan		Smelter	C		171	121	43	7	.959	.959
Stadelli		Smelter	OF		22	19	2	1	.955	.955
Ryan		Mines			20	6	13	1	.950	.950
Delhi	“Flame”	Mines	P		39	4	33	2	.949	.949
Guest		Mill	2B-SS	33	204	95	98	11	.946	.946	5.848
Meloan		Mill	CF	33	53	46	4	3	.943	.943	1.515
Forsythe		Mines			33	29	2	2	.939	.939
Sorey		Mines			98	52	40	6	.938	.939
Wisterzil		Mill	3B	32	90	36	48	6	.933	.933	2.625
McIvor		Smelter	OF		42	36	3	3	.929	.929
Killaley		Smelter	OF		27	24	1	2	.926	.926
Horsted		Smelter	P		13	0	12	1	.923	.923
Davis		Mill	SS-OF	19	101	35	58	8	.921	.921	4.895
Duddy	George	Smelter	3B		126	41	75	10	.921	.921
Hosp		Mines			158	61	84	13	.918	.918
Baerwald		Mines			36	24	9	3	.917	.917
Smith		Mines			130	55	64	11	.916	.915
Leverett		Smelter	P		58	11	42	5	.914	.914
Beaumiller		Mines			96	47	40	9	.906	.906
Brandt		Mill	P	20	39	4	31	4	.897	.897	1.750
Gibbs		Smelter	OF		29	23	3	3	.897	.897
Bender		Smelter	OF		38	30	4	4	.895	.895
Slagle		Smelter	P		18	1	15	2	.889	.889
Galena	Johnny	Mill	OF-2B	18	52	34	12	6	.885	.885	2.556
Shaw		Smelter	Utility		92	33	48	11	.880	.880
Engle		Mill	2B-SS	15	54	19	25	10	.815	.815	2.933

Sources / References

• 1918 Spalding's Official Base Ball Record - pages 172-173 at archive.org
• Various editions of The Arizona Republican at the Library of Congress
• 1917 Tri-Copper League page at Baseball-Reference.com

Methods

Source material (the Spalding Guide) was transcribed. The guide was the best available info at the time, but it wasn't always accurate. Typos and name variations were not unusual. Names listed here are in line with those at bbref.com or newspaper entries. Discernible typos were corrected.

Credit

This page was assembled and presented by Mark D. Aubrey.

Please see Copyright info.