All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 52

Jiggs McGee · 10-11-2024, 02:57 PM

As we prepare to embark on a trip through the 1960's, the Figment Universe can expect much to change between now -the dawn of the sixties- and we when go back to live weekly simming in each of the four major professional team sports for the start of the 1969 campaign.

Expansion will be the biggest change and the live sim is expected to resume with four new baseball teams conducting their expansion draft following the 1968 season. That is nine years from now and in that time it is expected that baseball, with four new teams slated to debut in 1962 in addition to the four in advance of 1969, will increase in scope from 16 to 24 clubs. The American Football Association, which presently counts 12 members, the North American Hockey Confederation with six and the Federal Basketball League which at the moment houses 8 franchises, all are expected to double size by the time we return to weekly simming with human General Managers in each of those sports.

While a lot will change in nine years, some of the top young players active today will emerge as stars over the coming years and could still be among the top performers in their respective sports as they hit their early to mid-thirties as we approach the 1970's.

Today, as we wait for the 1960 results, TWIFS takes a look at ten names you might want to watch closely over the next decade as each could still play a key role in his respective sport when the weekly sims return.

HOBIE BARRELL

The Barrell reach extends to all sports and hockey is no different. Hobie is the youngest of two hockey playing sons of former Brooklyn Kings catcher and Toronto Wolves manager Fred Barrell. Older sibling Benny is 21 and made his NAHC debut with the Detroit Motors in 1958-59 after being selected fourth overall in the 1956 amateur draft. By all accounts Hobie is a far better player than his brother, perhaps a generational type talent, but as of this writing he has just turned 18 and is still playing in the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for the Halifax Mariners. In a league dominated by 19 and 20 year olds, Hobie amassed 90 points in 61 games in 1958-59 and was named a second team all-star. His NAHC future will become much clearer when the draft results are released. The left winger may be bound for Chicago as the Packers finished last in the league this past season and own the first selection in the draft.

RALPH BARRELL

Ralph made his big league debut in 1959 at the age of 19 and hit 19 homeruns in just 85 games, evoking memories of his famous father Bobby Barrell. The Philadelphia born teen is one of two Barrell's on the Los Angeles Stars, joining his 29-year-old cousin Charlie. Injuries, caused perhaps by a number of years playing both professional baseball and basketball, may help Charlie's career end well before 1969 but odds are pretty good that Ralph may be well on his way to joining his father as one of the most feared power hitters the game has ever seen. That is a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old but he appears ready to handle it.

STEVE BARRELL

As mentioned above with his cousin Hobie, the Barrell reach is all encompassing and Dan Barrell's youngest son Steve seems well on his way to a terrific pro basketball career. A two-sport star at Chicago Poly, where his father Dan - the former FABL player and briefly league president- now serves as Athletic Director, Steve turned down a chance to play pro football with the Los Angeles Tigers because they wanted to convert the former quarterback to a halfback. Instead he decided to concentrate on basketball after being chosen second overall by the Boston Centurions in the 1958 Federal Basketball League draft. The 22-year-old guard averaged over 14 points a game his debut season and was named FBL rookie of the year for the 1958-59 campaign

MILLER BOGERT

The 23-year-old quarterback led the Chicago Wildcats to their first AFA title in a decade as rookie. What is even more impressive is Bogert was a mere afterthought in the 1958 AFA draft, being selected in the 7th round by the Wildcats out of Bluegrass State. A decade long career is a lot to ask for any football player but Bogert may just buck the odds, and if he does the Wildcats may win a few more titles over the next nine years.

HUGO DYAL

Obviously none of the players participating in college football or basketball will be in the AIAA nine years from now but there is a good chance that Hugo Dyal will still be winning football titles. The 62-year-old head coach of the Northern California Miners football team has built his club into a powerhouse. Under Dyal's guidance the Miners have gone 99-17-1 since 1950, winning 8 West Coast Athletic Association titles including 4 straight as well as each of the past four East-West Classic games. Under Dyal, the Miners are 6-3 all-time playing in Santa Ana on New Years Day.

What has eluded the veteran coach, at least so far, is a national title although they have finished in the top five each of the past four years and were ranked second in 1960 and 1958.

GEORGE HOXWORTH

The Toronto Wolves have been a bad baseball team for what feels like forever. They have been fortunate enough over the years to have some good pitchers and we feel George Hoxworth has a chance to be one of the best in the game. Selected 7th overall in 1956 out of high school, he made his big league debut at 18 and now, four years later, has already won 50 games while still a few months shy of his 22nd birthday. FABL has seen three players win their 300th game in the past three seasons (Al Miller, Deuce Barrell and Ed Bowman) and it may be a while for the next one but we feel come 1969 there may be talk about Hoxworth approaching 300. Toronto will have to turn things around as a team for that to happen but OSA sees the 6'2" righthander playing a major role in that as they tout Hoxworth as someone who could win an Allen Award or two.

ALEX MONETTE

The 26-year-old center of the Detroit Motors has etched his name alongside Quinton Pollack and Tommy Burns as one of the top players in the North American Hockey Confederation. Monette led the NAHC with 82 points in the recently completed 1958-59 season, ending a seven year stretch when only Pollack or Burns could claim that honour. After scoring 4 goals in the Challenge Cup clinching game as a rookie in 1953 the Motors knew Monette was something special. He had over 100 points in each of his final two years of junior and has accumulated 451 points in 433 career NAHC games.

Monette, will be 36 when we go "live" again but may still be playing a key role in the Motor City. He has already helped the Motors win three Challenge Cups and it seems just a matter of time before he breaks Pollack's hold on the McDaniels Trophy as the NAHC MVP.

THE BOSTON MINUTEMEN

We could name the two 23-year-old pitchers from Boston in Don Griffin and Dick Wilson, each twenty-game winners in 1959, but truth is this group looks like it might just be the next powerhouse in the Federal Association. It is hard to find a better pair of young pitchers anywhere and the Minutemen offensive core led by 29-year-olds Rick Masters and Joe Kleman along with Jack Denis, 28, and Ed Wise, 27, looks like it could be around for a while. Topping the Detroit Dynamos six pennants in seven seasons during the 1950s seems unlikely but if allowed to stay together, we may be looking back in 1969 at several Minutemen titles.

HANK WILLIAMS

Just 26-years-old, the Kansas City Kings outfielder has already won back to back Whitney Awards and Continental Association batting titles including hitting .406 in 1959. It is the first .400 season FABL has seen since Mel Carrol did it with Washington in 1937. Williams has 493 hits in just 328 big league games and the local product (he is from Liberal, KS) looks to be on a pace, if he stays healthy, to be one of the best pure hitters the game has ever seen. Don't sleep on his power either as Williams hit 34 homers in 1959 and became just the second player ever to smack 60 doubles in a season. The first was Hall of Famer Dave Trowbridge.

JIM YORK

This one might be a little bit of a reach compared to most of the others but we feel York is a carbon copy of another former collegiate lefthander. He reminds us Detroit's 3-time Allan Award winner Jim Norris. York, 22, does not have an Allen Award yet but he did win the Christian Trophy his junior season at Chesapeake State before being drafted in the second round (same as Norris was) to Cincinnati in 1958. York made his big league debut in 1959, posting a 13-10 record and even threw a no-hitter, something else he shares in common with Norris. OSA feels he still has room to grow and could be a true #1 starter. We are anticipating a long career from the Cannons rising star.

Tiger Fan · 10-21-2024, 11:03 AM

1960 IN FIGMENT SPORTS
EXPANSION COMING TO BASEBALL

Ever since it was formed way back in 1892, FABL has consisted of 16 ballclubs with both the Continental and Federal Associations represented by 8 teams. That number will swell in a little over a year from now after word leaked that FABL is set to expand by four clubs, adding two teams to each of its associations. The Continental Association will return to the Big Apple for the first time since 1953. That was when the New York Stars moved to Los Angeles, joining the Philadelphia Sailors on a trip west. Since then, New York City has been the exclusive domain of the Federal Association Gothams but that will change for the 1962 season as the Continental Association will return to New York with a team slated to be called the Imperials. Joining the Imperials as newcomers to the CA for 1962 will be the Dallas Wranglers.

The Federal Association is also expanding to ten teams including the loop's first west coast entry. It will be based in Los Angeles and known as the Suns. Joining the Suns will be a new team based in Minneapolis dubbed the Millers. Here is a look at preliminary logo designs for each of the four newcomers.

Before expansion ushers in a whole new era for baseball we still have the just completed 1960 campaign as well as the 1961 season to look forward to in the final years of a 16-team loop. With baseball expansion a certainty, it feels like it will just be a matter of time before the other three major professional team sports also look to broaden their reach across North America.

On the playing fields it was the city of Boston that had the most to celebrate in 1960. The Boston Minutemen won the World Championship Series for the second year in a row, once again downing the Cleveland Foresters in five games. Boston's basketball team -the Centurions- have never won a Federal Basketball League title but came close last June as they ended a four-year playoff drought by reaching the finals for just the second time in franchise history. They lost, falling to the same organization they did the first time around but instead of the Rochester Rockets it was the St Louis Rockets who ended the Centurions title hopes. Boston also had quite a season on the ice and if you wanted drama in 1960 look no further than the NAHC playoffs.

It was not one but two amazing comebacks for the Boston Bees hockey team. Boston dropped each of the first three games of its semi-final series to the New York Shamrocks and trailed 2-0 after forty minutes in game four before roaring back to take that game in overtime and win the next three as well to complete one of the greatest playoff comebacks in hockey history. The Bees were not done as they fell behind in the Challenge Cup finals as well, trailing the Chicago Packers 3 games to 1 before winning three straight including the last two on Oscar James shutouts, by scores of 3-0 and in game seven 1-0, to win their 9th Challenge Cup.

College Football saw its national champion hail from the state of Georgia for the fourth consecutive year. The first two it was Noble Jones College coming out on top but for the second straight season the Georgia Baptist Gators emerged as the best AIAA grid squad in the nation. Here are the champions in each of the sports for 1960.

It took just two days of 1960 for the first trade involving FABL players, as the Chicago Cougars picked up 30-year-old outfielder Bill Irvin from the Wolves for a pair of prospects. Irvin, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Toronto Wolves, made a career high 388 trips to the plate in 1959. Expected to play a more crucial role on the Wolves this season, he'll instead head to the Windy City after hitting .237/.356/.412 (110 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs in 121 games. The former 8th pick will enter the 60s with a career .255/.353/.446 (121 OPS+) triple slash in 1,160 FABL PAs. The outfielder tallied 48 doubles, 45 homers, 168 RBIs, 139 runs, and 148 walks, spending all his time at either first or left.

As a non-obvious fit, you would think Chicago got a discount, but the Wolves were able to pry away the 76th ranked prospect Red Richards from the Windy City Kitties. Taken 10th in the 1959 draft, he made 7 starts between 3 levels last year, at times dealing with control issues. Just 21, the young righty has a really good curveball, and his low 90s sinker is excellent at generating groundballs. That skillset is usually in demand at Cougars Park, making it even more shocking they parted with a promising rotation member for a corner-only bat. They could be worried about his control, which could lead to future issues, but the movement he gets on his pitches should lead to plenty of whiffs and weak hits. Not an ace unless his stuff and/or control improve, but still a potential reliable middle of the rotation arm. Toronto also picked up a former Keystone 2nd Rounder in George Ewing, who came over in 1956 in exchange for Tom Buchanan. Ewing has now transitioned into a pen role, and is more filler, but could give the Wolves an extra arm for '60 or '61.

Though just over a week later, the landscape of the 60s changed, as the reigning Fed champs made a huge add. Already boasting one of the top lineups, the Minutemen made a major upgrade in the rotation, adding a third ace-quality pitcher to supplement Don Griffin (20-7, 3.09, 199) and Dick Wilson (22-6, 2.51, 116). That would be 26-year-old Bud Henderson, who like Boston's double Ds, is a former 20-game winner. The now- former Sailor was 20-16 in 1958, leading the Conti in wins, as he finished with a 3.60 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 183 strikeouts in an outstanding season. It was his third of now four seasons with an above average ERA+, as the former 3rd Rounder is coming off an unlucky 12-15 season despite a solid 4.05 ERA (105 ERA+), 3.90 FIP (91 FIP-), and 136 strikeouts. He did walk a career high 107 batters, producing a BB% above 8 (9.9) for the first time in his career, but with his age, effectiveness, and durability, the win-now Boston club was willing to throw in some major chips to acquire the 3-Time All-Star. The extreme groundballer is one of the top arms in the game, and if the Minutemen weren't already the favorite for the start of the 60s, they surely are now.

For the Sailors, it's tough parting with such a good pitcher, especially considering their lack of depth and potential 37-year-old ace Duke Bybee (4-10, 3.88, 94) coming off elbow surgery, but they picked up a promising young FABL hurler and two exciting prospects. The FABL pitcher is 24-year-old Gary Pike, who probably would have held a spot in the Boston rotation had they not acquired Henderson. Acquired just last offseason from the Pioneers, the former 7th Rounder made his big league debut last season. Throwing 62.1 innings between 2 starts and 28 relief outings, the 6'4'' righty was 4-1 with 4 saves, a 1.59 ERA (270 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. A hard throwing groundballer, his off-speed pitch is a cutter, as he blows fastballs and sinkers by hitters. The sinker generates a lot of grounders too, which is key considering his command (or lack of it) lead to a lot of traffic on the bases. With his pure stuff, he can overpower, but he's got a lot of moving parts in his windup and that could make it tough for him to ever walk fewer than average hitters.

Pivoting to the prospects, the headliner was last year's 12th pick Jim Cruel. Ranked 65th among prospects, "Slim" got hit pretty hard in Class C last season (5-7, 7.59, 59), as he walked 85 hitters in 85.1 innings pitched. A five-pitch pitcher, he's clearly a development project, but there is a ton of upside hidden inside. He's got a nice sinker that he leans on to get outs in the field, and he mixes all his pitches well. The stuff may never be better then average, but it's already pretty polished. He likes to live on the corners to make up for the lack of stuff, and the Sailor's staff will now work on refining his repertoire and control. They'll also pick up former Toronto 3rd Rounder Mike Logan, who was drafted last year, traded to Boston in October, and now joins his third organization in less then a full calendar year. Clearly in demand, the top 150 prospect was a solid college hitter, and he produced WRC+ of 209, 152, and 141 in Class C, B, and A. Set to be a fast riser, he could crack San Fran's quite quickly, and with his excellent plate discipline he has a nice high floor of a useful off-the-bench bat. The defense at second isn't very good, limiting his overall ceiling, but so far the bat has played well.

Many off seasons, this would be the end of the notable moves, but FABL teams were still active come February. It started with an interesting swap of top 100 prospects, where Washington picked up lefty Carl Levy (51st) from the Cougars for catcher Chappy Sanders (95th) and veteran outfielder Hugh Pate. Levy debuted at 19 for the Cougars just over a year and a half after being selected as a 4th Round high schooler. It went as you might expect more walks (15) then strikeouts (10) and an elevated 6.86 ERA (62 ERA+), but he flashed a ton of potential on the mound. A four-pitch pitcher who projects to be a starter, he's got amazing stuff and solid command. He's got a reliable low 90s fastball that pairs with a strong change, and with his age he could still have opportunities to add velo. And with such a weak staff in the nation's capital, Levy gives them a promising young arm to eat innings in what's likely to be another season towards the bottom for the Eagles.

For the Cougars, Chappy is the headline, as the son of former Cannons catcher Earl Sanders will leave the organization that took him 17th in 1958. 23 in May, he's got an exciting bat, even before adding the "for catcher" qualifier that you usually have to mention. The power is just a projection, like it was at one point for current backstop Stan Czerwinski, but he has a patient approach and makes at worst average contact at the plate. When developed, he could hit around 15 homers with a few more walks then strikeouts, all while maintaining a solid batting average. The defense could use some work, but it's no surprise the Cougars were interested in him. With Hugh Pate, there's some, as they just got Irvin and already boast a deep and talented outfield. Still, Pate hit .360/.407/.514 (146 OPS+) in a bench role last year and owns a .298/.375/.468 (126 OPS+) career line. He can cover all three outfield positions and is a solid clubhouse figure who provides value off the field as well.

Up next was a swap of veteran infielders, with shortstop Cecil LaBonte heading to St. Louis from New York for third basemen Dan Finch. LaBonte, now 34, was once one of the top young shortstops in the game, but since the 1952 season he has failed to produce a WRC+ or OPS+ above 100. This has dropped his career line down to a just-above-average .287/.354/.409 (102 OPS+) in almost 1,700 (1,698) games in a Gothams uniform. With age he's been relegated to a bench role, as he started just 6 games in 1959 after 67 in 1958, which was second to just his rookie season where he got called up a month after being drafted. St. Louis does have Paul Watson (.265, 15, 80) who plays a lot of third and short, but LaBonte could secure the job and shift Watson to third long-term. On the flip side, Finch started a career high 63 games and hit a respectable .261/.386/.376 (106 OPS+) in an also career high 264 PAs. This accounted for a bit less then half of his 599 FABL PAs, and once he appears in a game for the Gothams it will be his third FABL team since his 1950 debut.

But neither of those moves come anywhere close to the deal the Chiefs made, as they added 6-Time All-Star and 1948 Kellogg Winner Irv Clifford from the Miners for a trio of youngsters. After trading Paul Williams, perhaps it shouldn't be too unexpected they'd move on from Clifford too- another mainstay in their lineup. Since his debut, he's been one of the top offensive middle infielders, producing a WRC+ and OPS+ above 100 in all but his 1952 season, and even then, it was 96 and 94 and he was on base early and often. 34 as of this January, Clifford is coming off another excellent season, hitting .281/.365/.420 (111 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 22 triples, 2 homers, 58 RBIs, 27 steals, 73 walks, and 98 runs. His 6th 4+ WAR season (4.1), Clifford will finish his Miners career with a .303/.381/.410 (116 OPS+) career line in 1,794 FABL games. The former 2nd Pick managed to log 430 doubles, 172 triples, 725 RBIs, 915 walks, 206 steals, and 1,201 runs, all while hitting less homers (18) in his career then new teammates Rod Shearer (31) and Mickey Tucker (21) hit in 1959 alone. Tasked with the leadoff spot, Clifford could lead the Fed in PAs for the third time in his career and seems like a lock to surpass 650 like he has in every season since 1949. 1959 was his first season at second base, a position he'll likely maintain when he goes to the Chiefs, and it's a shrewd move by the baseball's original club to take a run at the defending champion Minutemen. A common entrant on the Miners' career record books, he's top 10 in OBP (10th), WAR (9th, 45.9), games (3rd, 1,794), runs (2nd), hits (3rd, 2,145), triples (3rd), RBIs (9th), and walks (3rd) while the leader in doubles. His time in Pittsburgh will be remembered fondly, but now he'll have a shot for an elusive post season at bat.

The cost for Chicago was huge, two top 100 prospects and a former top 100 prospect, but one that should make them a legitimate contender for the 1960 season. The guy they might miss most is the towering 6'4'' catcher Eddie Thomas, who the Chiefs took in the 2nd Round of the 1958 draft. Arguably the top catching prospect in FABL, Thomas split his '59 between Class C and B, dominating the lesser competition before looking somewhat overmatched against older pitchers. A skilled defender, he's already at least average behind the plate, which should make it easier for the young catcher to earn and hold a big-league role. The bat needs some work, his swing isn't that pretty, but oh boy! When he gets a hold of one?!?!?! Man does it go far! His good swings look majestic and captures the attention of all in the crowd, and even when he doesn't make solid contact, he can still muscle a mistake over the outfield walls. On top of all that, he's got a ton of athleticism, allowing him to shag balls on the outfield grass too. If he can't kick it behind the plate, he could handle either three spots on the outfield, and he's already spent some time at first too. While no George Cleaves, Thomas certainly has loads of talent, and it would be very fitting for the Miners to again have the top catcher in all of baseball. That is of course, if Thomas is able to reach or even pass his already lofty ceiling.

Joining Thomas is fellow top 100 prospect John Moreland, a 23-year-old shortstop, and Tom Sexton, a 24-year-old-outfielder, both of which celebrate their birthdays in May. Moreland, the Chiefs 3rd Rounder in 1954, may not see his last of the organization, as after trading him to the Eagles in February 1958, they quickly re-acquired him that same October. Another tall position player, the 6'3'' infielder went 2-for-13 in a cup of coffee with the Chiefs last year and is believed to have the inside edge on one of the middle infield spots now that Clifford is in Chicago. A capable athlete nicknamed "Bullets" due to his arm strength, he's a viable defender at short, but he doesn't have the speed you like to see at premium defensive positions. He makes up for that with his reactions and instincts, both in the field and on the base path. He has a crisp smooth swing and should hit for a high average, and like Clifford he's more discipline and put the ball in play. Don't get me wrong, he has way more power, but even 10 in a season would still be a stretch. Tom Sexton could join him in the Miner lineup as well, as he got a smaller cup (0-for-2) with the Chiefs in September himself. Projected as a useful bench piece, he's capable at all three outfield spots and second base, and he has big league pop from the right side. The Miners did well to infuse their system with high end, high pedigree talent, even at the cost of a franchise icon.

From that point out, it was back to the usual quiet of the preseason, as teams prepared for the start of the new campaign. After making their big offseason moves, the Chiefs and Minutemen were the favorites in the Fed according to OSA, but they still expected a good season from the former dynasty in Detroit. The Conti looked more open, with a lot of love given to the Kings, Foresters, and rather surprisingly, the Cougars, with the Cannons also in the mix for an 80+ win season. Only really the Miners, Eagles, and Saints look to be eliminated in April, but FABL fans know just how crazy a baseball season can get.

*** Miners Surprise Team of Fed in Early Going ***

Despite trading Paul Williams and Irv Clifford in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Miners started the season red-hot, finishing 8-3, tied with the Chicago Chiefs for the top April record in the Fed. Those two would meet for the first time on May 3rd, in a move that could separate the pretender from the contender. The reason? Partially Roy Sneddon, who looked to put the .222/.309/.300 (65 OPS+) he hit last year behind him. The almost 30-year-old hit .371/.450/.629 (171 OPS+) as the everyday third basemen, tallying 4 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Bill Wise (.357, 6, 1) got off to a nice start too, and Clifford return piece John Moreland (.323, 3) completed the unlikely trio that led the Miners lineup. Alex Vaughn (1-0, 1.38, 7) and Joe McDowell (0-0, 2.57, 8) headed the mound staff although in McDowell's two starts his decisions went to Don Honeycutt (1-2, 5.59, 10). It's hard to believe the hot start for Pittsburgh, so it's fitting they'll get a real test after finishing off the Gothams in a double header before an off day they'd use for travel.

Chicago's record was to be believed, as the addition of Irv Clifford has seemingly jump-started the ballclub. The Chiefs shiny new leadoff hitter produced a respectable .306/.346/.449 (104 OPS+) line, but it helped lead to production from Doc Zimmerman (.279, 1, 8, 1), Dave Price (.325, 1, 5), Ed Bloom (.270, 3), and of course, Rod Shearer. Hoping to earn his elusive Whitney, the 31-year-old star hit .286/.375/.643 (158 OPS+), launching 4 homers with 12 RBIs. "Hot Rod" is on track to be just the tenth man to record 350 FABL home runs, needing just 23 more to meet the lofty metric. New starter Jack Halbur (2-0, 2.79, 12), acquired from Detroit, is off to an excellent start to his season, as ace Vern Osborne (3-0, 2.29, 12) showed exactly why he sits atop a contender's rotation. After a double header and off day of their own, Osborne will be the one to welcome the Miners to Whitney Park. It may not feel like a big game to them, but early games like this are critical if you want to nudge middle-of-the-pack teams away from contention.

Set to face Osborne for Pittsburgh is former top 20 prospect Mike Blackham (1-0, 3.75, 5), who debuted at 19 last April. All but one of his league leading 78 appearances came out of the pen, as the young lefty finished 11-5 with 14 saves, a 4.49 ERA (97 ERA+), and 3.84 FIP (88 FIP-) in 122.1 innings pitched. He struck out 90 and walked just 51, and he won one of the many rotation spots behind Ed Power that were up for grabs in the spring. Skipper Clyde Matthews has liked the early returns on him in the rotation so far, as his mid 90s fastballs have been able to overpower in small samples. He's yet to be built up, and in the big game with Chiefs Blackham left after 109 pitches through 6.2 innings. It could have been avoided, as an error is the only thing that stopped it from being seven, as the youngster did a good job bouncing back from a rough first. He surrendered home runs to Mickey Tucker (4) and Rod Shearer (5) and kept the Chiefs at three until they reclaimed the lead in the 6th. This might have been the sign to go to the pen, as the very unreliable Don Honeycutt was the one called upon to strand the bases loaded. It started good, as pinch hitter Willie Martin was quickly down 0-2, but a wild pitch let Ed Bloom score from third. After a foul ball, Honeycutt then hit Martin, promptly reloading the bases for Elmer Walters.

Walter chased a 2-0 pitch, popping up harmlessly to end the inning, but the avoidable damage was done. Pittsburgh went up without a whimper in the top half, and then Honeycutt replacement George Kollock decided to load the bases again with a double and two walks. This led to trouble, as after just missing a tough pitch, Ed Bloom was able to lock on, clearing the bases with a 366 foot wall scraper. To the Miners credit, they battled back for two runs in the ninth, but they just ran out of outs and fell out of the first place tie. With ace Ed Power on against big strikeout arm Joe Cipolla, the Miners would need something from their offense, but they were held scoreless through five. They got finally got two in the 7th, moving within one of the association leaders.

Mother nature decided to interrupt the comeback, as with one out in the 8th, lightning was seen, and play was paused. The 67-minute rain delay ended Cipolla's night too (7.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), but they couldn't mount a rally on the replacement. Even worse, the Miners had to do the same for Power (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K), who aside from allowing homers to Dave Price (3) and Rod Shearer (6) was as good as it gets. Don Honeycutt is not, and after getting a quick ground out he showed exactly why. He walked both Bloom and Shearer on four pitches, and after getting Mickey Turner down 0-2, he threw three wide and the catcher eventually worked an eight-pitch walked. Bases now loaded, he faced young outfielder Dave Price, getting a quick and shallow flyout that kept the veteran Bloom at third. An out away from weaseling his way out, his old nemesis, the wild pitch, came back. That allowed Bloom to score on a 1-1 pitch, and he followed that with two more balls to again load the bases.

After looking silly with the bases loaded the following day, the epitome of an easy out Elmer Walters looked like a man out for revenge, staring menacingly at the pitcher he felt wronged him. Of course, the look didn't do much, his monster swing quickly led to a dribbler on home plate, but lucky for him that meant he got another chance. The wild Honeycutt missed wide trying to get him to chase, which seemed to only increase the rage Walters felt inside. Using that feeling, the defensive specialist unleashed the power of all glove-first guys before him, launching one 425 feet to give the Chiefs their second 8th inning grand slam in as many games. Mercifully, Willie Martin was disposed of quickly to end the frame, but the Miners dugout was dejected, and they realized that any hope they might have gained over the past few weeks was just the foolishness of buying a tiny sample size. The Chiefs used this series to build momentum, while Pittsburgh quickly retreated towards .500.

After the first place deciding Fed series, the Conti was even tighter, as the Cougars (10-7) and Cannons (11-8) were both within a half game of the Foresters (11-7). It was the Cougars who made the first move, as they took first on the 5th of May and didn't look back. After sweeping Montreal they did the same to the Kings and Cannons, and used their patented pitching to hold the lead the rest of the month. Sure, the Foresters got within a half game towards the end, but an 18-12 May allowed Chicago to lead both Ohio teams by two before the new month. The bullpen was amazing, led by David Molina protégé Arch Wilson (3-1, 5, 2.54, 18) who pitched 28.1 innings in just over half (16) of the Cougs May games. When he couldn't go, Bobby Crooks (1-0, 3, 1.54, 7) and Ken Stone (1-1, 1, 2.31, 4) filled in fine, and both Dick Greenlaugh (0-0, 0.46, 7) and Roy Ellis (1-1, 2.29, 12) were excellent in their six relief appearances and single start. Of course, with guys like Hank Walker (5-1, 2.65, 16), Pug White (4-2, 4.20, 26), and Ollie Norris (2-1, 2.75, 16), significant relief isn't always needed. And with young stars like Jack Gibson (.330, 5, 21, 1), Jerry McMillian (.248, 5, 14, 4), and maybe now Jim Barton (.318, 2, 12), they could sustain a pennant run for the first time since 1952.

I can't remember the last time both Chicago teams were atop the standings, as the Cougars haven't been there in ages, but the Chiefs (28-14) held a slightly larger 2.5 game lead over the Pioneers (23-14). They relied heavily on their rotation, namely Joe Cipolla, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Cipolla and Dick Champ (2-0, 1.07, 25) both were outstanding, while the pen got good innings from veterans Mel Haynes (2-2, 3.18, 12) and Carl Potter (1-1, 1, 3.06, 8). For a while, things just stayed close, but on June 12th the Foresters broke the Chicago-only association lead. They didn't hold it outright, matching the Cougars 31-23 record, as the top two teams traded decisions for the next three games. An emphatic 11-0 win over the Saints put the Foresters in front, as Chicago dropped the opener in Cincinnati. They went on to drop the next three, which brought the teams into a tie for 3rd, three and a half behind the first place Foresters (36-24).

*** Cannons Stay in Thick of CA Race as Calendar Turned to June ***

Expected to compete, Cleveland has hit and pitched well, and after an off day they would start a critical 14 game road trip that starts with the Cannons (33-28) and Kings (34-28). The Foresters would open with the now 43-year-old Rufus Barrell, with buddy Adrian Czerwinski and a potential spot starter in the final two starts of the series. Cleveland got off to a fast start, with Tom Carr's speed (BB, SAC, SB, WP) manufacturing an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for any of the fans who made the 250 mile trek, that's really the last thing they enjoyed in the game, as Fred Lainhart (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B), Al Farmer (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B), and Johnny Elliot (3-4, R, RBI) led the Cannons to an easy 7-1 lead. The hosts then piled 15 hits on the Mad Professor in an outing where he didn't finish the 6, exiting with 7 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 2 outs. 1957 Whitney Winner Dallas Berry made some noise after a 1-for-5 in the opener, 3-for-4 with a walk, triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Five players recorded two hit games, with Fred Lainhart (2-5, R), Art McKinney (2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Larry Lewis (2-3 R, RBI), Willie Watson (2-4, 2 RBI), and Nick Remillard (2-4, R, 2B) all getting in the fun. Aside from some late inning runs, Jimmy Block (8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was excellent, and it was his own error that led to an "unearned" run.

In position to sweep, a win here would put Cincinnati a half game out of first. The pitching matchup of Johnny Britton and Hal Miller didn't do justice to the standing implications, but the game delivered early excitement. After two quick outs, the always difficult Dallas Berry worked a seven-pitch double, extending the inning for Al Farmer. Despite going down 0-2, the veteran remained cool and composed, lining a double of his own. Unable to recover, the spot-starting Britton walked Art McKinney on four pitches, at least setting up the force for both runners. Still a bit uneasy, the young righty missed two more times, before Larry Lewis hit the third double of the inning, plating both runners. It was another walk, this time to Willie Watson, and the Cannons stretched the lead to four with a Nick Remillard single. Thankfully, opposing pitcher Hal Miller was easy enough for Britton, but things were not looking good in the visiting dugout.

Wise words from pitching coach Tom Martin and the Mad Professor himself seemed to calm the young righty, who battled for back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Just two more Cannons reached base, and after the misstep in the first he fired off four scoreless innings. But when he was pinch hit for in the 6th, his team was in reach of making it a game. Otis O'Keefe opened the scoring with a one out single earlier in the inning, followed by John Low beating out a double play attempt to allow Sherry Doyal's run to count. Now with runners on first and third, Johnson was the go ahead run and could give his pitcher a win with one swing of the bat. Homers aren't his thing, just eight in the past three years, but a line drive past the second basemen put the tying run on second. Down 4-3, the lineup turned over to Tom Carr, who was quickly down 0-2. Not changing his approach, he thwacked a grounder past the shortstop, sending Jerry Hubbs to round third and try to score. Fielded cleanly, "The Can-Do Kid" Dallas Berry unleashed his cannon, catching the tortoise Hubbs before he could make his slide. With how the series went, that felt like a huge miss, but Frank Young (IP, H) and Lynn Horn (2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) kept the Cannons at the 4, providing the lineup opportunities to tie it up. But once the struggling Joe Smith entered the game, Cleveland showed little resistance, sprinkling a hit and a walk between 4 Ks in 2.2 innings. His first save as a Cannon, he ended the game with a Sherry Doyal strikeout and Hal Kennedy double play, putting themselves in striking distance of first place.

Meanwhile, the 1960 draft class was beginning to fill the low minors rosters, including #1 pick Dixie Turner. Son of former Pittsburgh Miner (and GWL Dallas Centurion) Ed Turner, Dixie has a chance to debut for the team that picked his dad in the 1937 Rule-5 Draft. A versatile high schooler, he played games at second, third, short, center, left, and right, but Pittsburgh views him as their new second basemen of the future. Already a top 10 prospect, Turner hit 14 homers as a senior, and projects to have light-tower power at the plate. Paired with excellent plate coverage, a patient approach, and a nifty contact tool, the younger Turner has the chance to be everything his father wasn't. A potential multi-year All-Star, Turner was both best overall and filling a need, as with no more Irv Clifford there's a massive hole he filled for a season. With his youth, his best day's might not come until Clifford had his worst, but Dixie is almost an ideal prospect. His versatility makes him easy to make room for, as aside from catcher and pitcher he shouldn't have many issues.

Though some would argue that 2nd Overall pick Miguel Paniagua was the better option, as the 6'3'' Dominican was placed in the top 5. Further ahead than Dixie, there's thoughts of placing Paniagua in A ball, as the catcher/outfielder impressed in the Caribbean before moving to Florida for college. A patient hitter with extra base pop and a quality contact tool, Paniagua is the type of hitter you want in big opportunities. His weakness is his speed, and the more he catches the less outfield he can play, providing an interesting decision for the Stars front office to make.

Other notable prospects include 5th selection Bobby Phelps, another talented outfielder with elite power, an outstanding eye, and a swing that should translate to averages well over .300. The only issue is his defense has not been good. Natural catcher Tom Brizzolara was taken 7th by the Gothams, and they aggressively placed the 21-year-old catcher in AA. Lew Mercer has been a reliable starting catcher after George Cleaves left, but the Brooklyn native could break the Gothams catching trend that has seen the starter start one fewer season then the rest. Pete Casstevens was there for 8 years, Cleaves for 7, and now Mercer in his 6th could be replaced next season. He hits for average and power all while providing excellent defense behind the game, with his Midwestern University teammates praising his ability to call a game. Just two pitchers were selected, but all sixteen members of the first round cracked the top 100 in a strong draft that skewed batter heavy, causing some talented pitchers to slip to the 2nd and 3rd.

As much as Cincinnati tried, they just couldn't pass Cleveland in June, a month that saw the Fed leader change on multiple occasions, including three times in the last three days. The Chiefs, Pioneers, and Keystones all held first at some point, while the Minutemen finished the month as one of the four teams within one game of first. Even Detroit was still in it at 2.5 out, as everyone was taking games from the Miners (29-43), Gothams (27-43), and Eagles (25-45). With little separation, it was still anyone's game, but as the league got closer to the all-star break, the Keystones started to gain some ground. They took three of four from the Pioneers in St. Louis, split a double header with Detroit, and won three of five from the Miners to enter the break 47-32. For a team that hadn't had a winning record since Buddy Miller's rookie season, it was a huge accomplishment, and they held 2.5 game leads over St. Louis (45-35) and Detroit (46-36), with the Chiefs (45-37) and Minutemen (46-38) an extra game back.

Star rookie center fielder Harry Dellinger was the main reason the Keystones were on top, as the Kellogg favorite exploded in June, taking home the Rookie and Batter of the Month award. The 21-year-old top five prospect hit an excellent .438/.485/.802 (231 OPS+), mashing 11 homers, 5 doubles, and 3 triples in 132 trips to the plate. The former 2nd Pick scored 31 runs, drove in 40 more, and swiped 4 bases, making him 16-for-18. With Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter, they have a trio of serious sluggers, and for once the pitching staff some young talent that can be relied on. There's still a long season ahead of them, but it's an exciting position that is unfamiliar to many Keystone fans that are still yearning for the days of success under Bobby Barrell.

The Conti began to separate at the break as well, with the Foresters pulling out a 4 game lead over the Cougars, who were the only team within five. While the Fed had five teams all closer to first then the Cougars, the Conti had only four teams within ten games of the Foresters, and were threatening to run away with the first pennant of the 60s. Czerwinski, Jake Pearson, Hal Kennedy, John Low, Tom Carr, and Paul Williams all represented the division leaders at the mid-summer classic, and with the top offense and second best pitching staff, smart money would bet on Cleveland holding the lead the rest of the way.

ALL-STAR GAME

The 28th annual All-Star Game was an offensive display at Cleveland's Forester Stadium. The two sides combined for 30 hits as the Continental stars held off their counterparts from the Federal Association by a 9-8 score. The CA leads the series 16 wins to 12. Among the hitting stars were Charlie Barrell of Los Angeles, who enjoyed a 3-for-5 day for the CA and Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy, who had two hits including the only homerun of the game.

TRADE DEADLINE

While Cleveland carried their momentum after the break, the Keystones could not, as they lost big series to the Pioneers (1-3), Minutemen (0-3), and Chiefs (1-2), only picking up multiple wins against the Eagles. On the 23rd, four teams were within a half a game of their miniscule lead, and by July 24th the Dynamos (53-40) were the first of that group to claim the top spot.

At that point, only the Chiefs, who were a game out at 51-40, had made any deals of note. The first one was about as shocking as it gets, as they sold low on last year's Kellogg winner Dave Price (.248, 5, 34, 3) who was struggling through one of the worst sophomore slumps you could imagine. After hitting .313/.366/.480 (126 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 84 RBIs, and 107 runs, he's scuffled to a .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) line in 82 games. The 1959 hit leader (193) saw his WRC+ more then halve from 127 to 61, due in large part to a stark BB% decline from 8.2 to 2.9. The talented 23-year-old was still excellent out in center, but his bat was so big of a black hole that they felt they needed a new center fielder. Of course, there are options like optioning him to AAA or move him into more of a 4th outfield role, both of which are significantly better options then trading him to Montreal for a 33-year-old starter-turned-stopper in Tom Fisher (4-5, 12, 3.43, 36), especially considering Paul Magee was doing a solid job himself. Fisher has been excellent, but his 4.84 FIP (109 FIP-) is over a full run higher then his ERA, and for the first time since 1952 he was walking (39) more guys then he struck out (36). He does serve as decent rotation depth himself, but it seems like a deal could have gotten done without Price.

A few days later they picked up another pen arm in Lee Loeffler (3-7, 8, 5.12, 41). A long-time Chief who made 174 appearances between 1953 and 1959 with them. He was DFA'd during the season and unclaimed last year, deciding not to refuse his outright assignment. It paid off, as at the Rule-5 draft the Eagles decided to take a risk on him, and despite his high ERA (5.12, 86) and FIP (4.91, 111) he'll now get to pitch in a pennant race. Unlikely to pitch many high leverage outings, he's a good guy to soak up unimportant innings or even the occasional spot start in a double header. The cost was minimal too, a pair of young first basemen, making it a reasonable deal. The more talented prospect is a first basemen only Wally Fontaine, who ranks inside the top 200, but doesn't really have the bat to play every day at first. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Steve Oleson can play some outfield, but he's a former 12th Round pick whom might top out as a AA player. Still, for a team supplying the rest of their association with wins, it's a useful pickup for a guy you gave up nothing to get.

Trade seasons first major domino fell on the 26th, with both association leaders acquiring a bat from the Gothams. Despite a 7 game lead and a lineup as good as any, the Cleveland Foresters continued their outfield addiction by picking up star center fielder Earl Howe. The 1955 Whitney Winner is one of the game's most feared sluggers, and one of the only six humans to homer at least 50 times in a season. He has just 18 this year, but in his previous six seasons he's hit at least 30 or more, and his 247 home runs will remain 4th behind Walt Messer (430), one of the other five guys to hit 50+ in a season, Red Johnson (386), and long-time teammate Hank Estill (317). Just 28, Howe had a legitimate chance to pass all three, but will now have to add to his totals in a new uniform.

A veteran of seven seasons, Howe appeared in 1,008 games for the Gothams, slashing a healthy .288/.369/.538 (142 OPS+) in 4,350 trips to the plate. Worth just shy of 40 WAR (39.2), Howe logged 712 runs, 159 doubles, 772 RBIs, and 473 walks, spending three seasons at the Gothams right fielder and three and a half in center. One of the leagues most valuable players, he'll join an outfield of Tom Carr, Otis O'Keefe, Armando Estrada, and Sherry Doyal, while they have another outfield option in Paul Williams. Already arguably the best lineup overall, there's little doubt now, as Stan Kleminski, Hal Kennedy, John Low, and Jerry Hubbs are all excellent hitters. With no holes and a strong rotation, there was a reason Cleveland has managed to pull away from the pack, and this move shows they have no thoughts about taking the foot off the gas.

New York's four prospect package wasn't particularly deep, but it featured a clear headliner in Les Freedman. A top-50 prospect who is trending upward, Freedman went in the 3rd Round of the 1958 draft, and has quickly worked his way from the classroom to A ball. Just 20, 15 of his 19 starts this year came with the Foresters Class A affiliate in Wilmington, an unlucky 3-7 despite a 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched. A refined four pitch pitcher, his signatured is a wipeout curve, and if you're sitting on it he can push a mid 90s fastball by you. His change and splitter warrant respect as well, and with his strike throwing abilities and horizontal movement, he'll generate plenty of whiffs. Future ace may be a stretch, as the curve is the only plus-plus pitch at this time, but he'll quickly settle into the middle of a FABL rotation. The Gothams farm is lacking top arms like that, and they've done a poor job supplement Jorge Arellano and the grizzled Ed Bowman in the rotation.

Acquiring Freedman as well as borderline top-100 prospect Chuck Ayers is a step forward, as the duo will become the top two ranked pitchers in the system. A lefty who turns 19 on the final day of August, Ayers was Cleveland's 1st Round selection last year, and after a respectable 15 start showing Class C last year, they kept him back until July before letting him debut with their Class B affiliate. It's just 5 starts, and he has a much better FIP (4.21, 87) then ERA (5.29, 91), but New York isn't acquiring him for the pitcher he is now. What they're excited about is the velo, as his sidewind whip of an arm slings 98 mph fastballs. You can't sit on it either, he has six other toys to work with, and he has the foundational pieces in place already. What determines his big league success is his strike throwing ability, as to succeed he'll have to locate his offerings well. Not all the pitches are great, so unless he refines the weak spots there are mistakes waiting to be punished. A high-risk, high-reward type prospect, he's the perfect #2 in a deal for a star, and all the angry Howe fans may get over it if the mid-to-late 60s teams are anchored by the Freedman/Ayers trade partner tandem.

Finishing off the package is a pair of position prospects, but neither have the upside of the pitchers. Outfielder Howie Taylor is still a quality piece in his own right, as the top-200 prospect is a quality defensive outfielder in the corners who can steal bases and hit a few homers. What stands between him and a starting role is himself, as he's not the brightest bulb and he doesn't have the raw talent to make up for it. He does draw a fair amount of walks, but he strikes out too much and struggles to pick up singles. A bench role seems likely, but he has an easily identified weakness that can be worked on. Chubby Smith then was a throw in, as his use was quickly discovered after the next deal. Despite being a former first rounder, Chubby never garnered much attention as a prospect, and that includes this season where he hit .314/.389/.573 (164 OPS+) with the AAA Rochester Rooks before getting word of the trade. He's got 16 homers in 59 games, but he's a slow, unathletic guy who occasionally hits home runs and not much else.

Chubby's upside is limited, but since he's an able bodied catcher who's got youth on his side (23), he became the Gothams' new starter after they parted ways with Lew Mercer. Mercer, 32, will officially finish with one less season starting then his predecessor, fulfilling the role 7-year starter George Cleaves did to 8-year starter Pete Casstevens. I wouldn't necessarily bet on Chubby (or whoever ends up starting next year) going 5, but I would bet on Mercer hitting better in Detroit than current starter Dan Smith's .245/.329/.306 line. One of the better offensive catchers, Mercer is on track for surpassing the 100 WRC+ mark for the sixth time in seven season. Currently at 119, Mercer has continued to provide production behind the plate, hitting .286/.382/.427 (108 OPS+) with 8 homers and 29 RBIs. It's a nice boost to a Dynamo team that's trying to survive an all-out battle for the Fed, and an even nicer reunion for the team's former 2nd Round pick. He got into 11 games across 3 seasons in Detroit, but he was DFA'd on Opening Day in 1954 and spent three months in the unemployment line.

Finally, Mercer caught on with the Gothams, and even though he got a minor league deal he went straight to the Big Apple. He exploded with a .290/.387/.483 (135 OPS+) triple slash, knocking 10 double and 6 homers with 22 runs, 31 RBIs, and 20 walks. That earned him the starting job until the trade, and in 796 games with the Gothams he hit a productive .265/.361/.416 (109 OPS+) batting line with 131 doubles, 78 homers, and 392 RBIs. Mercer is expected to hit in the bottom half of a solid lineup that features Dick Tucker, Bill Morrison, Joe Reed, Pat Petty, and Dick Estes. 21-year-old outfielder Cecil Gregg has started to get settled, and the addition of Mercer lengthens an already tough lineup. In return, Detroit parted with a pair of infielders, headlined by top-100 prospect Phil Mattis. A natural first basemen, Mattis doesn't have an obvious fit in the Dynamos future, as they have a lot of corner bats and are looking to give top prospect and Edwin Hackberry return piece Ray Waggoner time there in the future. Known as "The Hornell Hammer," it would be awesome for the Hornell, New York native to make it big with the Gothams, and he's got the power they may have just lost with Howe. Well developed for a recent high school pick, he seems to be the heir to Estill at first, and a valuable future asset for a team that loves guys who can hit it a mile.

Despite all the congestion in the standings, just one more major trade was made, as on the 28th the second place Cougars added lefty Andy Logue to the #1 pitching staff. Taken in the 2nd Round of the 1951 draft by Montreal, Logue debuted for the Saints in 1956, and became a full time rotation member with 26 starts (11-5, 3.61, 86) for Montreal last season. Chicago must think they can fix the 27-year-old, as his 21 starts this year were awful. Just 3-8, he sported an elevated 6.25 ERA (71 ERA+) and 1.77 WHIP, walking batters at a career high 9.2%. When paired with a career low 12.9%, it was a recipe for disaster, but he showed a lot of promise last season. The Boston native uses his sinker and curve to set up hitters, putting them away with a nifty slider that's great for strikeouts. The stuff is still hittable, which is why his previously stout command allowed him to succeed. Instead, he's allowing homers at an alarming rate (1.5 per 9), and if that continues his time in Chicago won't be long at all.

Though the fact they parted with a talented prospect in Ham Flanders makes it seem likely that the Cougars have identified a flaw in Logue's delivery that has led to the poor results. A former 2nd Rounder, Flanders is a 22-year-old second basemen who may now be stuck behind slugger Jack B. Gibson, who has seen a bit more second then his natural short. A bat-first prospect, Flanders doesn't offer much with the glove, and if Gibson is who Chicago envisions at the keystone long-term, there's now way Flanders can push him off. As good as he is, the 38 homers Gibson hit last season are more then Flanders' minor league number to date, and at a homer friendly park Flanders can't really take full advantage. He does have a nice hit tool, which plays way better at the Parc Cartier, and since he'll be Rule-5 eligible in the offseason he could be an immediate factor in 1961. They have a few other middle infield prospects, but both guys in the majors are in their 30s, with shortstop Bill Elkins 35 and in his worst pro season. Losing pitching depth is tough, but if the Saints don't believe that Logue can return to the pitcher he was last year, they got paid like he will. This could be a nice win-win trade if both players pan out, but it was funny that one of the only deadline trades was a pair of teams trading from a relative weakness to solidify a strength.

*** Hot August Boosts Boston's Repeat Hopes ***

By rattling off nine consecutive victories to end August, the preseason favorite Boston Minutemen were right back to first place, 2.5 above Detroit and 3 above the Chiefs, with the Pioneers (3.5) and Philly (4) still in the mix. Boston's next win would be there 60th, as a second consecutive .600+ month gave them some much needed separation from their competition. They ran that streak to 11 before Detroit's 3-Time Allen Winner Jim Norris (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K) mystified the Minuteman lineup with a 1-0 shutout, but they picked right back up with series wins on the road against the Gothams (3-1) and the Keystones (2-1). In fact, they lost just one series, a three gamer hosting the Chiefs. That finished their three game losing streak, the only part of their 20-9 month where they didn't follow up a loss with a win. The Boston pitching was immaculate, with Don Griffin (4-1, 0.65, 37) and Dick Wilson (3-1, 1.75, 11) picking through lineups with ease. Griffin captured the Pitcher of the Month award, as not only did he have a sub-0.75 ERA and WHIP (0.68), but Doc had a pristine 37-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's yet to walk double digit hitters in a month, something Wilson (15) and three other guys did this month. That's not always a bad thing, as Bud Henderson (3-1, 2.87, 28) was outstanding like Wilson, but the command Boston's ace has shown makes him a shoo-in for the Allen. The offense was excellent too, with stars Rick Masters (.326, 6, 28, 1), Joe Kleman (.359, 4, 23, 1), and Marshall Thomas (.319, 3, 14, 2) providing the staff with plenty of support.

When rosters expanded, just the Chiefs (74-54, 4.5 GB) and Pioneers (71-54, 6 GB) were within ten games, as the five team race faded to just three. Chicago has rode hot too, and don't forget they were the team to win a series against Boston. Offseason pickup Jack Halbur was starting to pitch like the guy they thought they acquired, 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA (166 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP. Fellow offseason pickup Irv Clifford led the offense in OPS for August, hitting an impressive .368/.438/.535 (151 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers,15 RBIs, and 15 walks, and 29 runs. Doc Zimmerman (.342, 7, 23) led the team in homers and RBIs, Ed Bloom (.283, 2, 21, 2) walked (16) more then he struck out (12), and rookie shortstop Guy Johnson (.253, 6, 18) doubled his season output in a single month. All that's left is to get Rod Shearer (.192, 3, 13) going, as with two homers remaining for 300 he's started to press. A relaxed Shearer and quality outings from the rotation are a must, but the Chiefs have kept themselves close enough to claim their first crown since 1949.

St. Louis has a tougher challenge, but with the young dream rotation of Billy Hasson (26), Frenchy Mack (23), and George Blake (22) and reigning Whitney candidate Jerry Smith, the Pioneers cannot be underestimated. It's a bit surprising the Pioneers didn't make a move at the deadline, though their midseason upgrade came the way of #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old second basemen debuted on July 23rd, and was quickly named Rookie of the Month. Already the team's second best hitter, Bell slashed an outstanding .303/.379/.551 (164 OPS+) in August, knocking 6 homers with 24 RBIs, 21 runs, and 30 walks. His July time was pretty great too, 13-for-31 with another home run, and you can't blame the prospect pickers for saying this guy was the best FABL farms had to offer. A potential star in the making, he's got lethal power with one of the best approaches, walking in over 20% of his plate appearances so far. The Missouri native is also a weapon defensively, able to fill the middle infield and all three outfield spots. The early marks at second have been great, and he seems to have found his spot secured on the lineup card for seasons to come.

Unfortunately, the Fed looked to be the only pennant race in the new decade, as the Cleveland Foresters (78-46) were double digit games ahead of everyone else. That didn't hold, but the eventual second place Cannons never got to get within seven of them. The clear best team in the Conti, they scored 170 more runs then they allowed, finishing 1st (878) and 2nd (708) respectively. Ironically, blockbuster acquisition Earl Howe was awful, hitting just 5 home runs in 259 trips to the plate. That's a HR% of just 2%, a third of the 6% he hit in his career with the Gothams. The low home run output prevented Howe from hitting 30 homers for the first time in his career, stuck with just 23 between the spots. His .262/.328/.399 (83 OPS+) line in Cleveland was poor, with the lone saving grace solid defense in his two familiar positions.

Of course, it didn't matter, as despite battling a five week injury, Paul Williams was back to being the sparkplug he's known to be. The first year Forester hit an outstanding .359/.469/.562 (160 OPS+), totaling 32 doubles, 14 homers, 72 runs, and 77 RBIs in 102 games. He boasted an absurd 74-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and would have posted his fourth consecutive 100 walk season had he stayed healthy. A now 7-Time All-Star, Williams anchors a dangerous lineup with Tom Carr (.335, 8, 99, 18), Stan Kleminski (.276, 3, 52, 17), Hal Kennedy (.295, 25, 93), Sherry Doyal (.290, 9, 77, 6), John Low (.328, 17, 106), and Jerry Tubbs (.305, 8, 76). Their is no reprieve on the mound either, as Adrian Czerwinski (15-8, 3.68, 140) delivered another great campaign, while Jake Pearson (13-9, 3.86, 126) and Frank Young delivered consistent starts behind him. Future Hall-of-Famer Rufus Barrell (12-10, 4.25, 97) remained effective even at 43, producing his 19th FABL season with an ERA+ above 100 (106) and 20th with a FIP- below 100 (87). The pen is capable too, and they'll be a handful for the survivor on the other side.

Not only was Cincinnati the only team within 10 games (8 GB) of the Foresters, but at 85-69 they were the only other team to win 80 games. Aside from that, there was plenty to be excited about, as their best hitter and best pitcher were elite. Keen readers would be able to glean the pitcher, but even the most casual fans could tell you that Dallas Berry is the best player on the team. You could make the argument for the best in the league, and at least this year, he was the best in the association. The obvious unanimous Whitney Winner (spoiler alert: the Allen is controversial!), Berry hit a ludicrous .326/.461/.657 (182 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 42 homers, 151 runs, 133 RBIs, 128 walks, 14 steals, and a 10.6 WAR that came second to just his first Whitney season in 1957. The offensive environment wasn't as high in '57 as it was this year, but so despite the higher OPS (1.118 to 1.084), he had a lower OPS+ and WRC+ (188) this time around. Compared to the Conti, he led in runs, walks, OBP, slugging, WRC+, wOBA, WAR, and of course OPS, and his run total was tied for the 8th most in a FABL season yet.

No Allen for the Cannons, but 23-year-old southpaw Jim York led the Conti with 20 wins in his first full seasons as a starter. The sophomore Cannon did it in the association high 35 starts, working to a 3.64 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.41 FIP (76 FIP-) with a 1.39 WHIP, 93 walks, and 165 strikeouts. The new ace of the staff, no one behind him came close, and one of the guys they expected to rely on saw a complete 180 in his production. That would be Doc Clay, who followed up his impressive 1959 (15-12, 3.22, 119) with his first FABL season with an ERA above 4 and a WHIP above 1.40. In both cases, it was WAY above, as his ERA swelled to 5.62 (80 ERA+) with an equally poor 5.35 FIP (119 FIP-). His 32 starts just lasted 149 innings, and for the first time he walked (90) more hitters then he struck out (75). His decline has made a mess of the rotation, but they have a great pen and deep lineup. Paul Williams (6-11, 25, 2.62, 80) led the Conti in saves, the first time a non-Cougar led since 1955, and despite the high loss total he was effective in the late innings. Fred Lainhart (.307, 7, 54, 27), Al Farmer (.312, 15, 86), Charlie Ham (.283, 20, 60), and Johnny Elliot (.300, 8, 47) did a good job to surround "The Can-Do Kid" and even guys like Larry Lewis (.284, 8, 80, 9) and Art McKinney (.264, 25, 107) had above average WRC+, and there's a lot of talent in the state of Ohio.

Late season collapses happen far too often for the Chicago Cougars, who went from a contender for first to barely staying over .500. It makes sense, considering they scored and allowed the fewest runs, as despite being able to record hits, homers, and steals, the Cougars just didn't get on base enough to score runs. The exception, however, was whenever Jack B. Gibson batted, as the 25-year-old superstar hit 43 homers in his 3rd big league season, good for the 2nd most in team history. Already 9th in total homers and 100 within the Cougar record, he shoulder's none of the blame for the low scoring, as he drove in 134 runs and scored 95 times. His .307/.351/.572 (137 OPS+) batting line was well above average, and he's the oldest of the team's young stars. Jerry McMillian (.321, 15, 70, 25) is just 23, Jim Barton (.338, 17, 86) 24, and versatile rookie Henry Watson (.340, 20, 76, 5) 22. And while not stars, Mooney Vetter (.297, 18, 83) and Stan Czerwinski (.242, 13, 42) are both 26 and former 1st Round picks. The pitching has some vets, with quality arms Pug White (17-11, 3.91, 134), Ollie Norris (8-11, 4.83, 71), and Hank Walker (14-10, 4.49, 104) all 28-and-up, and they managed to fix the 27-year-old Andy Logue (1-4, 3.34, 43; 3-8, 6.25, 63). They do have a talented 23-year-old in John Mitchell (7-7, 4.30, 101) too, and their roster is filled with plenty of guys younger then the star Gibson. It was a rough decade in the 50s, and the 60s haven't started better, but the future is starting to look bright for title starved franchise.

The two west coast teams finished tied for 4th, both an even 77-77, which is actually the best season for the Stars since they moved to LA. That's in large part due to Charlie Barrell, who for the second straight year was healthy enough to play 151 games. Now 30, the 6-Time All-Star hit an impressive .322/.382/.493 (121 OPS+) with 41 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 105 RBIs, and 96 runs. Nephew Ralph was even better, as the 20-year-old youngster hit a pristine .325/.395/.541 (140 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, 67 runs, 88 RBIs, and a 151 WRC+ in an injury-shortened season. If for 1961, both can be healthy, things will look good in Hollywood, as they got big years from young outfielders Charlie Sax (.346, 8, 65, 13) and Don Hall (.284, 28, 86, 10), as well as the guy who should have 100% without any question absolutely positively won the Continental Allen, Dewey Allcock. Perhaps the puritan voters held him accountable for things outside of his power, but the 22-year-old righty was the best pitcher in the CA this year. Also not an All-Star, all he did was go 19-10 with a 3.31 ERA (133 ERA+), 3.22 FIP (72 FIP-), 1.20 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts. Allcock led the association in wins, ERA, starts (35), WHIP, K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2), and its an absolute travesty he did not earn an Allen for his efforts. Accolade or not, the Stars found their overpowering ace, and all that's left is to give him someone else who can prevent runs. Aside form second basemen Vern Reynolds, who didn't allow any of the three batters he faced (two outs, one walk) to score, no Star had an ERA below 4.50, and no Star with more then 10 starts had an ERA below 5.25. If it's any consolation, one of those guys was 23-year-old righty Floyd Warner (8-11, 5.30, 136), and as a rookie in 1958 he was 12-14 with a 3.28 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts. 21-year-olds Cal Johnston (4-8, 12, 4.93, 86) and Sy Dunn (7-8, 3, 4.84, 52) both look in-line for longer looks in the rotation, and like the Cougars they have a great collection of youth. It's been 7 years since the Stars finished above .500, but if this trio of young pitchers can take a step forward next season, they have a chance to not only break the .500 mark, but compete for 13th Continental pennant.

San Francisco's future doesn't look as bright, especially in a rotation led by 38-year-old Duke Bybee (5-3, 3.81, 37) and 1959 Rule-5 pick Larry Knez (5-14, 3.79, 79), but at least the top of the order is tough to navigate. Leading is the still talented Edwin Hackberry (.281, 10, 72, 17), even if he did recently turn 34 and take a step back at the plate, and they have the top young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo (.293, 7, 77, 21), who is starting to look like a young Skipper Schneider. And while not household names, John Kingsbury (.315, 15, 89, 6), Ron Turner (.289, 21, 79), Ben Crawford (.275, 20, 99, 10), and Rip Rogan (.294, 11, 57) all provided quality at bats. They have some reinforcements on the farm, but it's all on the position player side, the current strength of the big league club. The young pitching they have is already in San Francisco, as the now 25-year-old Gary Pike (12-13, 4.36, 115) impressed, putting together 34 solid starts after coming over from Boston in the Bud Henderson deal this January. A useful #4 or #5, the same goes to Larry Knez, who scuffled through a rookie season last year and pitched better then that 5-14 record. The George's McDaniel (5-4, 2.77, 39) and Fuller (7-2, 1, 3.21, 55) did well in the pen and rotation, and could earn long-term spots next year. Both project more as back-end guys as well, and may end up being fillers until they can find someone better.

After finishing the 50s with just one sub-.500 season, the Kansas City Kings had a shocking fall from grace, finishing two games under .500 after eight consecutive 80+ win seasons. The culprit was the defense, evidenced best by Beau McClellan's (15-11, 4.46, 171) 4.46 ERA (99 ERA+) being a full run higher then his 3.46 FIP (77 FIP-). When even a pitcher of his caliber has issues keeping runs off the board, they were in trouble, as young stopper Del Lamb (13-11, 14, 3.69, 96) was the only pitcher to throw more then 100 innings and keep an above average ERA. Former Dynamo Jack Miller (8-6, 1, 6.34, 88) was even in worse in year two, Mike Thorpe (6-6, 5.69, 33) again saw his season end early with injury, and now graduated top-100 prospect Fred Myers (5-12, 5.33, 75) was victimized by the poor defense as well. The only plus was Fred Washington (12-7, 4.47, 111) go from awful to average, but any of that was offset by Tony Britten (5-12, 5.77, 76) flop of a season. It may be tough to solve the defense issue too, as they have a lot of good bats. Improving the middle infield is crucial, but the outfield of Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.325, 11, 70, 21), and Bryan Jeffries (.284, 17, 67) will likely remain unchanged. With corner bats Ken Newman (.328, 25, 103, 7) and Bill Guthrie (.302, 39, 119) producing a ton of runs and the always reliable Dutch Miller (.267, 11, 55) continuing to provide a stabilizing force behind the plate, they can really emphasize the defense.

Canada's two teams were again at the bottom, as both the Toronto Wolves (68-86) and Montreal Saints (62-92) failed to finish with more then 70 wins. Lucky for Wolves fans, there new young superstar got an undeserved Allen. No, I'm not talking about 22-year-old George Hoxworth (12-11, 3.75, 173), who was named to his second consecutive All-Star game, but the 20-year-old Arnie Smith. Perhaps the voters were enamored with his good looks, or perhaps a league leading 213 strikeouts was enough, but in every other way Smith didn't hold a candle to Dewey Allcock. He was just 13-13 with a 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, and 85 walks, all worse then Allcock. That's not to say Smith wasn't outstanding, he certainly was, it's just aside from giving Wolves fans something to cheer about, naming him the 14-2 winner makes zero sense. Aside from Smith and Hoxworth, not much else went right, as even though young center fielder Sid Cullen (.332, 20, 78) was amazing at the plate and on the grass, he only got into 92 games due to injury. Not much else went right, but they can hope that the solid seasons put together by Tom Reed (.289, 18, 80, 8), Carl Clark (.289, 18, 80), Hank Lacey (11-10, 4.30, 119), John Wells (.270, 15, 76, 13), and Roy Demonbreun (.284, 8, 43) attract outside interest in the offseason.

In similar fashion to the Kings, Montreal was plagued with the worst pitching staff in the association, as not even one of the nine pitchers to make a start for the Saints this season had an above average ERA+. In fact, the only pitcher to throw an inning with one was the guy they traded at the deadline, Tom Fisher. Phil Murry (9-14, 5.05, 114) underwent his worst season as a starter, loss leader Eddie Martin (8-17, 5.30, 85) had his worst season period, and last year's win leader Jim Montgomery (9-13, 5.68, 119) just could not catch a break. The reinforcements in the farm are too far away to contribute, and the offense isn't strong enough to make up for all their pitchers sucking. Harry Swain (.306, 21, 81, 6) was the only guy to have a WRC+ above 120, and aside from catcher Garland Phelps (.291, 11, 79), Art Robbins (.267, 17, 102) surpassing the 100 RBI mark, and Ralph Hanson (.304, 8, 82, 36) leading the Conti in steals, there wasn't too much to write home about. Just when the Saints were starting to turn things around, putting together three 80 win seasons in four years, and they'll hope to regain that form as soon as possible.

So now who faces the Foresters? Boston would be the house bet, but with how hot they've been perhaps they'd regress back to the mean. Boston has gone 57-29 (.663) in their last 86 games, well on their way to back-to-back 90-win seasons. They started out with a quick test, hosting the St. Louis Pioneers for three games in Boston. It wasn't a pretty shutout, but Foster Sherman (5 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K) was the first of three pitchers to combine for a series opening 5-0 shutout. Win 81 was a 5-3 walk-off courtesy of Marshall Thomas, who finished his 5-for-5 night with a game-winning two-run homer. Before the walk-off, his first four hits were singles, but that big hit built momentum for a sweep with Don Griffin on the mound. As he often does, Doc delivered, coming two-outs away from a 9-2 complete game win. This quickly brought their lead over the Chiefs to 6.5, and the Pioneers were now nine back.

It was at this point, the breaks stopped coming, as after winning game one of a double header in Washington 11-1, they got embarrassed 16-8. They then got swept by the Gothams in New York, and after a sweep of the Dynamos, they dropped five of their next six. With the lead down to 5.5 games, they had a big home series against their closest competitor, the Chiefs. The two teams split a pair of one run games, and with seven to play, things were looking quite good for the reigning champs.

But for some reason, the dominant Minutemen couldn't handle the lowly Eagles, who should have had the 1st pick wrapped up by now. They lost all three in the nation's capital and had to go to the Windy City for two more with the Chiefs. One win was all they needed to clinch, but the Chiefs pen threw 5.1 scoreless innings during a tidy 8-7 win. That was followed up by a big 5-run 7th, where the Chiefs stayed alive for one more night, winning 8-6 to complete the sweep. Unfortunately, they had three with the third place Pioneers, while this Minutemen were again in Washington with the last place Eagles. Boston was pulling out all the stops, putting Don Griffin on for what would be his last game of the regular season. All it took was a Pat Todd solo homer in the 2nd, and in his next at bat Rick Masters scored from third on a wild pitch. Griffin dealt for 8 innings, keeping the hosts off the board, allowing 6 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts to solidify his triple crown. The obvious and clear Allen winner was an elite 21-6 with a 2.01 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.92 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts, but the most impressive part had to be his 6.2 K/BB. It's the third year in a row he's led in that category and his second straight season breaking the Minutemen single season record. For a guy who doesn't turn 24 until the 6th of October, it's remarkable he's already been named to 4 All-Star games, and along with his Allen he has 2 ERA crowns, threw WAR leads, and three WHIP leads. It's fitting that the game's top pitcher pitches for a pennant winner, and it's even more fitting he's the one that earned the clinching win.

Chicago lost the same day, so the win didn't end up mattering, but it allowed them a chance at 90 wins, which they got with a Dick Wilson start that evened his record to 7-7 and brought his ERA to average at 4.41 (100 ERA+) with 75 walks, 79 strikeouts, and an elevated 1.56 WHIP -- a stark contrast from last season where he was 22-6 with a 2.51 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts. His wins and ERAs were best in the Fed, but even with his struggles Boston still boasted the top staff. Obviously, Doc was a major factor, but Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120) had a solid, if slightly less than expected, level season, while Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123) has really settled into his role as a mid-rotation starter. In the pen will be Bob Hollister (6-8, 11, 3.50, 47) who pitched a few solid starts and a lot of excellent high leverage innings, and at 25 he could end up being a full-time starter. The fact he's able to pitch in the pen is a testament to the depth of their pitching staff, though nothing compares to the lineup. Rick Masters (.336, 34, 117) appeared in all but five of the team's games, finishing with his six consecutive 30+ home run season. Like any top offense, the whole is worth more than the parts, and Masters was surrounded with quality hitters in Joe Kleman (.345, 19, 108), Jack Denis (.304, 19, 80), Marshall Thomas (.291, 20, 62), Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85), Sam Walker (.284, 6, 57), Bill Tutwiler (.266, 8, 45, 6), and Del Filo (.291, 23, 67, 6). That's a really good group, and easily the best lineup the Foresters will see all season. Rematches aren't always exciting, but these two are the clear best teams at the moment.

Finishing September and October just 12-12, the Chiefs couldn't take advantage of the Minutemen's late season stumbles, but at 87-67 they were still a high quality team. The addition of Irv Clifford was a plus, as the 6-Time All-Star did a good job lengthening the lineup, batting .304/.379/.424 (108 OPS+) with a 119 WRC+, 4.3 WAR, 38 doubles, 13 triples, 3 homers, 49 RBIs, 68 walks, and 110 runs. Surprisingly, he had a higher WRC+ then Rod Shearer (109), who prior to this season never produced one below 124, with the rest 130 or higher. This year Shearer hit just .259/.360/.469 (113 OPS+), and his 26 homers were tied for a low since his Kellogg winning campaign in 1951. If Shearer hit anywhere near his career .294/.377/.558 (151 OPS+) line, Chiefs fans would be celebrating a pennant, but instead the most excitement they got was his 350th career home run. Shearer was overshadowed by Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Ed Bloom (.327, 10, 91, 18), both of which produced WRC+ above 145, and their pitching staff kept them in every game. All six guys with double digit starts had ERA+ above 100, led by high strikeout arm Joe Cipolla (16-6, 3.35, 171), who put together the best season of his young career. Vern Osborne (14-9, 3.74, 144) and Dick Champ (12-5, 3.64, 98) provided a steadying force atop the rotation, and despite an up-and-down season Jack Halbur (13-10, 4.23, 99) was overall successful in his first season with the Chiefs. Even though they came up short, it was an excellent season at Whitney Stadium, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason the Chiefs may be able to break their decade plus long pennant drought.

Just two games behind them were the Pioneers, who despite having an elite rotation, finished 4th in runs against. Ace Billy Hasson (15-11, 3.52, 176) wasn't able to secure his 3rd consecutive Allen, but the 26-year-old will be in those conversations for many years to come. Frenchy Mack (14-11, 4.34, 142) saw his ERA rise and his strikeouts drop, but the occasionally erratic 23-year-old posted a career best 8.7 BB%. Rounding out the top three is another 23-year-old in Charlie Blake (14-8, 3.52, 173), who was named to the All-Star game in his first season as a starter. With the talent and youth from these three, as well as a dominant stopper in John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), they're just going to need to hit a little, and maybe find a 4 better then 39-year-old John Thomas Johnson (7-6, 4.11, 60). At the plate, reigning Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.280, 39, 107, 17) had another big season, but he was quickly passed up by #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old came up late July and hit an absurd .328/.447/.582 (162 OPS+) with 16 homers, 45 runs, 50 walks, and 50 RBIs in 64 games. The issue moving forward is there isn't much to support those two talented sluggers, as just veterans Larry Gregory (.281, 9, 50) and Dixie Hutchings (.274, 14, 74) provided above average hitting, and that classification felt like more of a technicality then a reflection of their skillsets. But above all, winning 85 games was huge for a team that hadn't done that since their last pennant in 1951, and like the Chiefs, they're just a piece or two away from another pennant.

Philadelphia was the last team in the Fed to win more then 80 games, finishing 83-71 and 7 games out of first. For 8-year vet Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), it was the first time since he became a regular that the Keystones managed to even finish above .500. Most interestingly, is the fact that the elite outfielder wasn't even the best player on his team, as rookie sensation Harry Dellinger captured both the Kellogg and Whitney in a Miller-like season. 22 as of August, Keystone fans are salivating at their new star duo, as Dellinger hit a robust .350/.395/.568 (150 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 31 homers, 118 runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 walks. The former 2nd pick led the Fed in at bats (651), hits (228), runs, RBIs, average, slugging, and WAR (7.3), making him the easy pick for both awards he was eligible for. With his speed, the defense in center should be excellent too, as aside from a sort of small 6.2 BB%, there isn't a weakness in his game. Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) all bashed 30 homers, helping lead the team to the 2nd most runs scored in the Fed. Even better, they've started to churn out some pitching for the first time in a while, as William Davis (15-8, 3.82, 124) and Jim Cooper (15-7, 3.96, 69) provided plenty of quality starts. And despite the lofty ERA, 21-year-old Joe Kienle (10-13, 5.17, 108) could lead a rotation, as his 3.81 FIP (87 FIP-) was much more palatable. That's a solid 1-2-3, and the 4th spot could be filled by the just turned 23-year-old Don McKeown (5-8, 13, 4.68, 111), who after spending his first two FABL seasons in the pen, made 9 starts and could be a capable back-end guy. Like the two teams ahead of them, they're almost there, likely just one bat and one Kienle rebound season away from posing a serious threat.

Detroit may have held first for a while in July, but a miserable 12-18 August pushed them into the second division, and a 10-15 finish ended their season early. Still, they managed 78 wins, extending their winning season streak to ten seasons, matching the 1937 to 1946 Cougars. Of course, they had a single pennant to show for while Detroit has four titles, but like the Chicago club, eleven doesn't seem likely. Sure, they were a contender most of the season, but the offense got cold and has taken a ton of hits. Dick Tucker's (.259, 13, 55) amazing 1958 (.355, 32, 120) is looking more and more like an outlier, especially in the power department as his 32 homers in '58 is one more then he's hit over the past two seasons combined. Joe Reed (.261, 22, 96, 7) put together his 4th consecutive 20+ homer 90+ RBI season, as well as his normal plus defense at short, but his WRC+ plummeted from 141 last year to 96 -- the first time he failed to surpass 120. Lew Mercer (.188, 3, 16; .252, 11, 45) was awful in his homecoming, and aside from outfielders Bill Morrison (.281, 13, 53, 11) and rookie Cecil Gregg (.288, 14, 57, 9), consistent offense was hard to come by. The pitching was still good, if not the elite Dynamos fans are used to, as Jim Norris (13-9, 3,38, 158) was as good as usual, and veteran John Jackson (10-11, 3.23, 101) was one of the few Dynamos to pitch better this year than last. Former top pitching prospect Bob Allen (10-4, 3.43, 86) was a revelation in the five spot, but fellow 1928-born vets Paul Anderson (6-10, 4.13, 102) and Larry Beebe (5-12, 4.65, 71) frequently found themselves on the wrong side of decisions. Add on the mess of a pen, and for the first time in a decade, the Dynamos are no longer going to be considered in my list of contenders. That all could chance if 1961 is finally the season the Dynamos unleash former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner (.379, 6), who used up his last option year. His .379/.419/.517 (141 OPS+) line in 62 PAs was elite, and if they let him unleash his power at Thompson Field, all this talk about not enough offense will be quickly forgotten.

The bottom three were bad. Real bad. But at least the New York Gothams prevented their loss total from reaching 90. 71-83 isn't too bad, but it's their lowest win total since 1945, where they were 65-89 in a second consecutive 7th place finish. Known for big trades, stars, and all-or-nothing approaches, the Gothams now have to adjust to life without pennant winner Earl Howe. There may be more sales in the future, but for now they have a lot of depth in the corner positions. Hank Estill (.309, 39, 106) will be 34 in November, but no Fed hitter hit more homers than him, and he's now hit 35 or more in a season four times. Even at his age, he'd fetch a huge return, but the Gothams could try to retool around him, Rex Pilcher (.262, 30, 88), and Johnny Taylor (.272, 17, 55). Though from the outside, their best bet looks to be getting as much as they could for these corner guys on the wrong side of 30. The only guy I wouldn't entertain trading is Ed Bowman (10-16, 4.69, 102), but aside from Jorge Arellano (7-14, 4.28, 132) they don't have many big-ticket assets. They made their big strike at the deadline and will hope their expansive collection of top 100 prospects will be enough.

Bowman will be back for year 20 as he continues his quest to 350 wins. It may be tough, he's at 314, recently passing Hall-of-Famer and former teammate Jim Lonardo for 13th All-Time. He's already the team leader, has been for almost 100 wins, but perhaps the Gothams have a soft spot for Bowman like I do, and will surround him with bats to continue his ascent up the record books. He's just 30 wins away from 3rd outright, (though he's chasing Rufus Barrell), and that could just be two or three more productive seasons. The youth movement did them well, going 19-9 after rosters expanded, and they were regularly using at least four starters 23 and under. There could be a fifth next year in Frank Arnold (.400, 2, 11), who was great off the bench. Most impressive were 22-year-old center fielder Otto Pilkerton (.333, 5, 17) and 19-year-old shortstop Isaiah Redbird (.300, 1, 6, 1), who should be in line to earn a starting job. With a few step forwards from the young guys, Bowman and the staff may be able to add more wins to their total, and the front office can delay any major subtractions.

Pittsburgh and Washington were mirror images of poor play, with the Miners 6th in runs allowed and 8th in runs scored, while the Eagles were 8th and 6th respectively. On the bright side, neither team expected to compete, and they saw young players get comfortable in their potential roles. The Miners saw instant returns with their big offseason deals, as Paul Williams package member Mike Whisman (.262, 16, 70) emerged as an option in center and Irv Clifford trade return John Moreland (.289, 8, 50) was a borderline top 5 shortstop as a rookie. Plus, potential offseason trade pieces Bill Newhall (.305, 7, 47) and Bob Gaines (.286, 13, 77) both well. Not much to be excited about with the pitching, but 21-year-old Mike Blackham (8-9, 3.28, 123) was named to the All-Star game in his first year as a starter, and him and Ed Power (9-14, 3.63, 116) make a pretty solid 1-2. If you don't look past that, you'd think they were in good shape, but there's a reason they lost 92 games.

94 losses was where Washington ended up, but holy cow they had a talent gap in their rotation. The top two was brilliant, as it's really a shame that Bob Ball wasn't either brought up earlier or just a rookie in a different season, as he was Kellogg worthy in a 21-start sample. Don't get me wrong, he's not beating Dellinger even with a full season, but the former 3rd Round pick may be the ace the Eagles organization has been searching for since, well, forever? A six-pitch righty, he hurls mid 90s fastballs and sinkers by guys, and the off-speed pitches make him infinitely tougher to time up. As a 21-year-old, he was 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. Along with fellow midseason callup and former Miners 7th Rounder Jim Stewart (5-7, 2.97, 72), they were really tough for opposing hitters. A potential third to join that group is the 20-year-old lefty Carl Levy, who was picked up from the Cougars in the offseason and threw 178.1 FABL innings before he'll get his first drink of alcohol. While not as dominant as those two, he was with the team all year, going 10-13 with a 4.31 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 158.2 innings across 35 appearances (22 starts). It's been a while since the Eagles had young pitching to be excited about, and they have some bats to match. Tom Lorang (.285, 20, 91) held his own at 18, but right when he turned 19 in August, he posted back-to-back 130+ WRC+ months. He's one of five lineup members to start the season 25 or younger, with the now 23-year-old Joe Holland (.286, 21, 62, 5) hitting well enough to represent them at the All-Star game. It's been a rough four seasons in the nation's capital, but with this collection of youth it's hard not to get excited about the future.

1960 World Championship Series

The Boston Minutemen and Cleveland Foresters met for the second year in a row in the World Championship Series. The Minutemen had prevailed a year ago, proving to be far too much for the Foresters and taking the series in five games. For Cleveland this would be their seventh trip to the WCS in the past dozen years while the Minutemen won back-to-back Federal Association pennants for the first time since they ended a run of five in a row in 1906.

GAME ONE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3

Adrian Czerwinski made his 15th career WCS start on the mound for the Foresters, tying him with Woody Trease for the most all-time. Czerwinski would break the record in game four but what he really wanted was to win his 11th WCS game. The 35-year-old Cleveland ace failed to beat the Minutemen in last year's series but things looked promising when the Foresters took a quick 2-0 lead on Boston hurler Bud Henderson.

The opening inning pair of runs came courtesy of a 2-run homer off the bat of Sherry Doyal after Stan Kleminski had drawn a 1-out walk. The score would remain 2-0 until young Boston outfielder Del Filo launched a solo blast off Czerwinski in the bottom of the fifth inning. Frank Young would take over on the Cleveland mound in the seventh inning and Filo, who hit 23 homers during the regular season, launched his second round-tripper in his WCS debut. This one was a two-run shot and put the Minutemen up 3-2. Before the inning ended it was 4-2 as Bill Tutwiler added an rbi double. Cleveland would close to within a run in the eighth inning when Paul Williams homered but the string of longballs continued with Joe Kleman delivering a two-run blast in the top of the ninth and the Minutemen would claim a 6-3 victory.

GAME TWO: CLEVELAND 9 BOSTON 2

Just as they did in the series opener the Cleveland Foresters scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. The Foresters runs, which were generated by 3 singles, came after Boston missed a glorious opportunity in the top of the first inning when the Minutemen had runners on second and third with one out. Cleveland starter Jake Pearson got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs before the Foresters greeted Boston starter Don Griffin with a cope of early runs.

The game was tied 2-2 at the seventh inning stretch before Cleveland bats lit up Chet Baker, who had taken over in the bottom of the seventh for Don Griffin. Singles by Jerry Hubbs and Otis O'Keefe set the stage for a 1-out, 2-run double from Tom Carr and then, after Stan Kleminski drew a walk, the Foresters went up 7-2 on a 3-run homer from Paul Williams, marking his second straight game with a longball. Cleveland would add two more in the bottom of the eighth to make the final 9-2 and the series shifted to New England tied at one.

GAME THREE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3

For the third game in a row the Foresters scored a pair of runs in the opening inning, but Boston answered with four off of Foresters veteran starter Deuce Barrell in the bottom of the second. The big blows were back-to-back doubles off the bats of Sam Walker and Boston hurler Foster Sherman. Deuce Barrell may be the winningest active pitcher in the game today, but he was chased in the third inning when Boston added two more runs to go up by a 6-2 score. Del Filo, who homered twice in the opener, delivered a rbi double while Sherman smoked a 2-run single that ended Barrell's night very early. It was a big game for Sherman, who not only had a pair of hits but also earned the win despite exiting in the sixth inning.

GAME FOUR: BOSTON 8 CLEVELAND 3

As they in each of the first three games, the Cleveland Foresters scored in the first inning but this time it was just a single run which came on a Hal Kennedy single off Dick Wilson that plated Stan Kleminski, who had also singled for the visitors. Kennedy drove in another run with a third inning single to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 but the lead was erased quickly in the bottom of the fourth frame when Rick Masters smashed a 2-run homer off of Foresters starter Jerry York to tie the game at 2.

Cleveland quickly regained the lead a half inning later when Tom Carr doubled and Kleminski followed with a rbi single. York had been pitching very well and surrendered just 2-hits through five innings, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter and the Cleveland bullpen immediately landed in hot water. Frank Young took the hill to start the bottom of the sixth and he would retire just one Boston batter as 3 walks, an error and 5 Boston hits including doubles from Rick Masters and Del Filo led to 6 runs and proved the difference in a 8-3 win for the Minutemen.

GAME FIVE: BOSTON 2 CLEVELAND 0

After some high scoring games we finally were treated to a pitching duel in game five as Czerwinski made his record-breaking 16th career WCS start for Cleveland against his game one rival Bud Henderson. Cleveland had runners on the corners with two-out in the opening inning but failed to score. The Minutemen did get a run as Czerwinski, who allowed a homerun in the series opener, served up another longball. This time it was veteran Marshall Thomas with a solo shot to make it 1-0 for the Minutemen.

The score would stay 1-0 until the bottom of the 8th when Boston added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Ed Wise after Joe Kleman and Rick Masters had each singled. Cleveland threatened to extend the series with a 1-out double from Hal Kennedy in the top of the ninth, but Boston reliever Bob Hollister closed out the shutout victory without further incident and the Minutemen celebrated their second straight World Championship Series title.

OFFSEASON

Boston got the job done again, copying their 4-1 WCS win over the Cleveland Foresters from the previous year. Shortly after Boston finished celebrating, one of their Fed challengers-the St Louis Pioneers- made a pair of pitching moves to shore up their staff. Neither are game changing moves, but they picked up swingman Dixie Gaines (5-4, 3.61, 68) from the Cougars and veteran reliever Gene Amico (6-5, 6, 3.81, 44) from the Dynamos. Solid depth pieces, Gaines will fight for the 5th spot in St. Louis' rotation, while Amico can help set up John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), and provide high leverage innings if they decide to move one or both of their 21-year-old pitchers Al Grabner (4-1, 5, 3.31, 38) and Steve Madden (5-1, 2, 3.56, 51) into the rotation. The price to get Gaines was affordable, just a filler level prospect in second basemen Delos Smith, but the Amico trade made a little less sense. While not a top prospect, Loren Patterson ranked 186th on the prospect list, and you can never have too much pitching. 23 in October, he's got a solid five pitch mitch and looked solid in his 18 starts (8-4, 3.53, 52) with St. Louis' AA team.

Between the two Pioneers moves, the Gothams and Cannons hooked up for an interesting trade, as New York traded effective young stopper Hal Adams to the Cannons for vet Aaron Jones (.328, 1, 12) and borderline top 250 prospect John Power. Adams, 25, is the clear best player involved, and it's a bit surprising the Gothams were willing to part with him. Finishing 11-6 with 18 saves, Adams was lockdown in his second FABL season, working to a 3.34 ERA (133 ERA+) in 107.2 innings. He does have some walk issues, allowing 63 to 57 strikeouts, and it led to a high 1.53 WHIP. The Gothams may think his big year was more luck than skill, but getting a 34-year-old bench guy and, Power isn't really a prospect most teams are looking at. 24 in March, he projects as no more then a below average second basemen, but there is a somewhat interesting power/speed mix. In 111 A ball games this year he hit 14 homers and stole 12 bases, but it came with a middling 102 OPS+ and 99 WRC+.

The first major move of the offseason came between a pair of Continental teams, as the Kansas City Kings might have acquired the middle infielder they were looking for. That would be former #1 overall pick John Wells, who unfortunately for Toronto, was rushed to the majors and never reached his lofty potential. Debuted at 19 in 1950, he hit just .269/.302/.339 (78 OPS+) before seeing that plummet to .251/.260/.280 (48 OPS+) in 427 PAs the next season. Wells continued to struggle early in his career, but the bat somewhat came alive in 1955. The then 24-year-old hit a solid .275/.357/.402 (107 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 10 homers, 66 RBIs, 63 walks, and 81 runs. This set up a run of five average or above average offensive seasons, though he couldn't get either his OPS+ or WRC+ to even 110. At 29 in 1960, the streak ended, as his line dropped to .270/.341/.397 (86 OPS+), though he added 26 doubles, 15 homers, 13 steals, 76 RBIs, and 100 runs, with a just-below-average 99 WRC+. With solid defense, he was worth 2.2 WAR, and he'll look to revive his career in Kansas City.

In exchange for Wells, Toronto added 23-year-old outfielder Frank Hardin, who debuted for the Kings this September. A former 3rd Round pick, Hardin dominated the Dixie league, batting .318/.412/.616 (169 OPS+) in parts of four seasons with the Kings AA affiliate. That includes this season, one of his two with over 100 games, where he hit an excellent .322/.421/.609 (159 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 26 homers, 92 runs, 97 RBIs, and a 72-to-43 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This earned him a quick AAA callup before his debut with the Kings. It was almost as good as his AA time, and the Texas native hit a powerful .286/.297/.743 (158 OPS+). Half of his ten hits left the yard, and that power is something Toronto has not seen often. Just two Wolves ever, Tom Reed (31, 34) and Walt Pack (31) have hit more then 30 homers in a season, so if Toronto decides to give their new bat a full season, he could join that small group.

Toronto made a second move a few days later, dumping the contract of 32-year-old rookie Bob Burdick (2-3, 3, 3.86, 49) on the Cougars, providing them with top 200 prospect Bruce McInturf. Taken in the 2nd Round by the Foresters in 1956, he was a former top 100 prospect who came to Toronto in the Lynn Horn deal back in 1957. Now Rule-5 eligible, they might not have wanted to commit a 40-man spot to a guy who hasn't gotten past A-ball, even if he has great raw stuff. The command isn't there, likely preventing him from being more then a spot-starter, and they'll get an unranked teen in John Gates to try to develop. A 3rd Rounder of the Cougars last season, he's the opposite of the outfielder they got from the Kings. He's a high contact, low power guy, who has great speed and an excellent ability to track the ball in the outfield. But that was all Toronto ended up doing, but their little trade spree started to heat things up.

What came next was as shocking a deal as any, as after parting with Dave Price at the deadline, the Chiefs targeted him in their three-player return for top 100 prospect Grady Smith. Price, who hit just .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) with the Chiefs, was much better in Montreal, as the 1959 Kellogg winner hit .304/.340/.422 (96 OPS+). Between his two stops, he gathered 21 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 58 RBIs, and 50 runs scored. A talented defender, he was still valuable even with the poor bat, and he looks to fit back right between Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12). Another outfielder will join the mix, as the almost 24-year-old Marty Hanna will come over as well. A former 11th overall pick by the Miners, this is now the third trade he's been involved in, first as a part of the Bill Wise trade in 1955 before traded in a minor league only deal in 1959. This time, Hanna is traded as an official FABL player, as he struck out in his only plate appearance for the Saints this year. The rest of his time came in AA, where he hit .284/.383/.427 (110 OPS+) with a solid 121 WRC+. A disciplined hitter, he gives good at bats, but a starting role may be hard for him to come into. The last piece was 25-year-old righty Norm Van Dyne, who ranks inside the top 200 as a relief prospect. He was added to the 40, and could assist vets Tom Fisher (4-4, 13, 4.26, 31; 8-9, 25, 3.79, 67) and Paul Magee (5-8, 16, 3.18, 55) in the pen.

On the flip side, Montreal was able to add the 47th ranked prospect Grady Smith, who the Chiefs took 9th in the 1960 draft. Still 18, the lefty swinger has a big bat, featuring a sweet swing that launces baseballs into the outfield. He's got above average power and ability to drive the ball, making him a feared hitter if he can reach his potential. He comes with plenty of risk considering his age and distance from the majors, but after not hitting much in Class C, he hit better after a surprising promotion. In 43 games Smith hit a strong .276/.326/.466 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. With such a high ceiling, Montreal is expected to focus a lot of development effort on their new outfielder, and he's likely to remain among the Saints top 5 prospects come Opening Day. With their last place finish, some expected more subtraction from the roster, but after back-to-back 80-win seasons, they might instead hope that a lot of what went wrong this year, goes their way in the next.

Yet no move will have bigger impact on the pennant race then the surprise blockbuster between the Minutemen and the Keystones, where Boston parted with star second basemen Marshall Thomas. Since the now 32-year-old debuted in 1951, Thomas has only produced above average offensive numbers, hitting an excellent .314/.378/.494 (136 OPS+) in 1,275 games as a Minuteman. "The Experimental Man" will now join an upstart Keystones team, batting ahead star outfielders Harry Dellinger (.350, 31, 125, 24) and Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), giving veteran slugger Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) a chance to hit a ton of grand slams. Thomas has seen his production drop a little in recent seasons, hitting "only" .291/.367/.472 (115 OPS+), but it came with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 62 RBIs, 58 walks, and 83 runs scored. Another well rounded season, Thomas did miss time with injury for the third straight year, so perhaps the Minutemen are worried that these concerns may limit how often he plays for them. On top of that, Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85) offers a ton of power from second or third, and they have gotten reliable, if unspectacular, performance from Pat Todd (.304, 4, 47). Todd would likely be on the bench had Thomas stayed, and Boston will add a young prospect and a pair of big leaguers to improve their depth on a threepeat quest.

Neither major leaguer heading to Boston is a real impact player, but just a few seasons ago the now 33-year-old Sal Nigro (.267, 5, 21) was a reliable everyday guy, with excellent seasons in 1955 (.309, 25, 84) and 1956 (.307, 19, 75) that made him look like a legitimate building block. Instead, he saw his production and playing time dip the next two seasons, before settling into reserve roles the last two seasons. All told, he's got 93 homers and a .291/.363/.461 (122 OPS+) triple slash in 806 games with Philly. The other major leaguer was more interesting, as 23-year-old Ray Gonyea (11-9, 4, 4.18, 157) impressed in a split role between the pen and rotation as a rookie. A former 12th Rounder-turned-top-100-prospect, Goneya started 21 of his 41 games this season, but was much better as a reliever. He was still average as a starter, but with a front four of Allen winner Don Griffin (21-6, 2.01, 186), Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120), Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123), and Dick Wilson (7-7, 4.41, 79), there's not too much room for another starter. Regardless, Gonyea is the headliner, a potential middle-to-back of the rotation arm, and a worthy addition to the staff. Rounding out the return is catcher Larry McLean, but the 23-year-old is a former Kings 1st Rounder that has yet to show why. After 2 games in AA in 1958, he's yet to return, and won't function as more then catching depth unless Boston can unlock his potential.
After such a big and surprising deal, the baseball world was in shock, but the Fed teams still made a few more November trades before the league got quiet again. Detroit picked up veteran outfielder Charlie Phillips (.223, 1, 10, 2; .267, 2, 19, 6) and a prospect from the Gothams for two prospects. Sent to the Foresters from Detroit last offseason, Cleveland waived him midseason, and before he could get to Detroit, the Gothams were able to claim him. Able to re-acquire their outfielder, Phillips gives Detroit some extra outfield depth, and he could look to reclaim the center field spot he made home in 1959. Later, the Miners sent depth arm Carl Prichett (1-0, 3.52, 4) to their in-state rivals for 20-year-old outfielder Buck Russell, who they took in the 2nd in 1958. Neither of these deals seem to make a big impact, but it will be interesting to see how the 1961 season goes, with news of expansion coming to FABL.

Since the 1892 season, FABL has held consistent with 16 teams, but with recent relocation seeing the game capture new markets, expansion has felt like a foregone conclusion. Whether you respected the GWL talent or not, the rebel league showcased that baseball would be watched anywhere, and the west coast was an untapped market. First it was the Kings, moving from Brooklyn to Kansas City, followed by the Sailors and Stars leaving the colonies for California. As early as next season, those western teams could see travel become a little easier for them, with Dallas and LA on the shortlist for a fledgling franchise. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, and even a return to New York have been floated, bringing excitement to baseball fans who don't have a team near them.

For the other 16 teams, 1961 could be the last season that feels regular, classic, even correct, and knowing that the baseball landscape could be thrown on its head, teams may approach the coming season differently. If expansion would occur, the new franchises would be able to select players directly from the historic organizations, meaning that each year prior to expansion could be the most talent you have on your squad. Will we see big trades trying to capture one more title? Or will teams become more conservative, trying to keep their options open in case their organizational depth is pillaged by the newcomers?

But one thing is for sure: once the expansion cat is out of the bag, baseball can never return to being same old game it once was.

And you know what? I think that's a good thing! Let's bring baseball to more fans everywhere!

The baseball Hall of Fame expanded by two with word that Red Johnson and George Cleaves had each received enough votes for induction in what was the first year of eligibility for each of them. Johnson, who hit 535 homeruns in his career and was aptly known as "Big Timber", began his career with seven seasons in Detroit before being dealt to the New York Gothams in 1943 and won 4 Whitney Awards. Cleaves, who won two Whitney Awards, began in Pittsburgh before moving on to New York and was a teammate of Johnson's. Cleaves was selected to the all-star team 13 times, trailing only Bill Barrett in that category and had one more all-star game appearance than Johnson.

Speaking of Bill Barrett. The 41-year-old made the All-Star game for the 15th time in his career. He played in 153 games for the Gothams this season, batting .333 but announced his retirement after the campaign.

Code:

MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS     
15* Bill Barrett      Retired
13  George Cleaves    Retired
13  Bobby Barrell     Retired
12  Red Johnson       Retired
12  Ed Bowman         New York
11  Al Miller         Retired
11  Adam Mullins      Retired
11 Deuce Barrell      Cleveland
10* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland
10 Skipper Schneider  Retired
10  Harry Barrell     Retired
10  Tom Bird          Retired
*selected to 1960 ASG

Deuce Barrell is now 43 and says he will return for the 1961 season after going 12-10, 4.25 for Cleveland in 1960. He now has 329 career victories. If Barrell wins 12 more again in 1961 he will be tied for third all time wins with Aaron Wright and would trail only Double Al and Charlis Sis.
Barrell and another 300-game winner, New York's Ed Bowman, each recorded their 2,500th strikeout just a week apart in August. They rank 4th and 5th all-time in that category with Deuce sitting at 2,531 career K's, three more than Bowman. Only Charlie Sis, Bill Temple and Mike Marner -all Hall of Famers- have fanned more FABL hitters.
Other milestones reached this season include Edwin Hackberry, Charlie Rogers and Sherry Doyal all crossed the 2000 hit threshold and Hank Estill, Jerry Smith and Lloyd Coulter all joined the 300 homer club while Rod Shearer of the Chicago Chiefs hit his 350th career round-tripper.
Stan Kleminski played in another WCS and became the first to appear in 50 WCS games and surpass 200 postseason at bats. Kleminski has taken part in 8 WCS in the past 9 years: six with Detroit and each of the past two seasons while playing for Cleveland.
TWIFS baseball guru Archie Irwin calls it a controversial Continental Association Allen Award selection with 20-year-old Toronto sophomore Archie Smith. "Pretty Boy" was just 13-13 with a solid, but not dominant, 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+). Smith did lead the Conti with 213 Ks, but Irwin adds he has no idea how the Stars' Dewey Allcock didn't win. Unless voters just didn't want to write "Allcock" on their ballot. He struck out "just" 167 hitters, but had a better record (19-10), ERA (3.31), ERA+ (133), and pretty much everything else. Allcock led in not only ERA, but WHIP (1.20), K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2) while a win shy of the lead. The only edge for Smith is one extra inning, more strikeouts, and less hits allowed. Even crazier might have been the 14 to 2 first place split for Smith, who even played for a sub .500 team while Allcock's Stars won more then 75 games for the first time since 1953.
Quite a rookie season for Keystones 22-year-old Harry Dellinger, who led the Fed in batting average (.350) and rbi's (125) while winning both the Whitney Award as MVP and the Kellogg Award as rookie of the year in the Federal Association. Dellinger also had two long hitting streaks this season: the first was 22 games in length and the second was 26.
Boston may have Griffin, Sherman and Henderson on the mound but it seems to me that the St Louis Pioneers pitching staff is going to have a huge decade if they stay healthy. The Pioneers have three top-20 pitchers in Billy Hasson, Charlie Blake and Frenchy Mack and only Hasson, at 26, is older than 23. In addition there is a wagon full of young talent in St Louis. OSA says 24 year old Butch Abrams is at least a #2 arm, 21 year old Steve Madden is potentially a #1, 21 year old Al Grabner can "anchor a rotation", 25 year old Doc Carver is a middle of the rotation arm and 22 year old Danny Daniels also should settle in the rotation someday according to the scouting service. They also have #32 prospect Harry Johnson, who is 18 and their 1960 first round pick that OSA says can anchor a rotation along with 1958 3rd rounder Joe Lee who the scouting service feels could be a solid starter.

They were known for their "3-H Club" when we last watched the Pioneers close up. I have a feeling we may need a new nickname for the 1960s St Louis rotation.
There were two FABL no-hitters this season. Jake Pearson threw one for Cleveland against Kansas City in June while in September Slick Willie Davis of the Philadelphia Keystones tossed a no-hitter against Detroit. Pearson's effort for Cleveland was the first Foresters no-hitter since 1917 and just the second in team history.
Del Filo might have been a playoff hero for Boston with two homers in his first career WCS game but the 24-year-old does not feel quite as comfortable navigating stairs as he does facing Cleveland pitching. In December, the 1954 first round pick, fell down a flight of stairs in his house and separated his shoulder. The Minutemen expect he will be ready to go when spring training gets underway.
Notable retirements at the end of the season included Rats McGonigle and, as previously mentioned, Bill Barrett.
The top pick of the 1960 FABL draft went to Pittsburgh and the Miners selected a high school middle infielder out of Florida by the name of Dixie Turner. Turner finished the season in Class B and cracked the OSA top ten prospect list. Headlining the OSA prospect pipeline are a pair of St Louis Pioneers in 22-year-old second baseman Bob Bell and 21-year-old outfielder Danny Davis.

FOOTBALL STARS SHINE BRIGHTEST IN AFA ONCE MORE

Baseball may no longer be king in New York as the ball Stars and Brooklyn Kings have long since left town and the New York Gothams seem far removed from their glory days. New York has also had some tough times on the ice with the Shamrocks continuing to languish at the bottom of the North American Hockey Confederation. But there is one team shining brightly in the New York City night. That would be the New York Stars football team - a club that has made the playoffs seven times in the past nine seasons, reached the title game five times and won three of them including a dominating 38-20 win over a rejuvenated Kansas City Cowboys squad in the 1960 title tilt.

What is interesting is the fact the Stars success this season came with a rookie quarterback and without star running back Bryan Mire. Mire, who was offensive player of the year in 1957 and league MVP the following season, announced his retirement at age 30 prior to the start of the season while quarterback Charlie Coons was released after Orlin Youngs was drafted 11th overall out of Oklahoma City State. Youngs started all 12 games, threw for nearly 2,000 yards and was named the offensive rookie of the year. The running game was also not a problem as Mire's longtime backup Larry Moen stepped up and the 7th year pro enjoyed the first 1,000 yard rushing season of his career. Moen and Youngs each were named to the East roster for the All-Pro Classic.

The New York offense was solid but it was the Stars defense that truly excelled, allowing the least yards against in the league and surrendering the fewest points. Five Stars defensive starters were named All-Pros led by veteran linebacker Tom Keeney, who led the league in tackles.

New York finished with the best record in the league at 10-2 and really had no competition as the second place Philadelphia Frigates, who finished at 8-4, were 3-3 before putting things together in the second half of the season. The Frigates also made a major change at quarterback, electing not to resign veteran Pete Capizzi after missing the playoffs in back to back seasons, ending a string of five straight trips to the postseason. Capizzi was replaced by Jack Osterman, who was drafted 8th overall out of College of San Diego. Osterman had his ups and downs in the early going but really found his stride with in a November win over Cleveland in which the rookie threw 5 touchdown passes and put an end to any hopes the Finches might have had of overtaking the Frigates for the second playoff berth in the East.

Cleveland was 6-6 and their biggest problem was an inability to stop the run with opposing teams rushing for an average of nearly 210 yards per game against the Finches. Boston was also 6-6 as the Americans struggles continued. The Yanks have not won a playoff game since 1945 and somehow, despite a five game winning streak this season, still managed to only finish with a .500 record.

Fifth place Pittsburgh might be in even worse shape than the Americans, as the Paladins struggled through a 4-8 season and have not made the playoffs since 1952. Pittsburgh has another new quarterback in Landon Peek, who was selected 5th overall out of Detroit City College but he struggled with several nagging injuries. About the only good news for the Paladins was veteran halfback Dean Turgeon ran for a career best 1,186 yards after missing the entire 1959 season with a knee injury suffered in training camp. Rounding out the East Division was the Washington Wasps, who had a terrible collapse. The Wasps won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958 and made the playoffs a year ago but a 5-game losing skid to end the season left the 3-9 Wasps under .500 for the first time since 1952.

Nobody stood out in the West Division but the Kansas City Cowboys finished 7-5 and that was good enough for a playoff berth. It ended a long run of suffering for the once proud franchise which made four straight appearances in the title game to start the decade but had gone 16-56 between 1954 and the end of last season. Wins over Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit to start the season gave the Cowboys confidence and they won the division with a tiebreaker over the Maroons. Detroit, also 7-5, overcame a 2-4 start and made the playoffs with three straight victories to finish the season including a dominating 48-14 road win in Chicago in the season finale to leapfrog the Wildcats and finish second. The mini-quarterback controversy continued in the Motor City as Tom Griffin, a 1958 fourth rounder, again earned the starting job while Sled Hicks, who was a first round pick that same year and had an impressive rookie campaign, spent his second consecutive season as Hicks' backup. Despite some objections from team owner Rollie Barrell, the move must be working as the Maroons had the top passing offense in the league.

Back to back losses in St Louis and at home to Detroit to end the season cost the Chicago Wildcats a playoff berth despite the fact that Chicago led the West Division with 348 points. Second year quarterback Miller Bogert was terrific, passing for an AFA best 2,393 and 27 touchdowns so there certainly is something to build around in the Windy City.

San Francisco missed the playoffs for just the third time in the past seven years but a season ending win at home over Washington assured the Wings of a .500 record, marking the 9th consecutive season they have finished with at least six victories. Just one win in their final six outings doomed the Los Angeles Tigers to fifth place after a 4-2 start. The Tigers defense had plenty of problems, especially against the pass, and they allowed opponents to average more than 30 points a game against them. Last place St Louis had the league's Most Valuable Player in gifted running back Jim Kellogg, who gained 1,424 yards, but not much else as the Ramblers bumbled their way through a 3-9 season.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

Offensive rookie of the year Orlin Youngs started all 12 games at quarterback for the East Division leading New York Stars but he was forced to miss there playoff opener after he was injured late in the regular season finale against Philadelphia. That meant the Stars would be forced to go with untested backup Harris Kummer, also a rookie, under center in the rematch with the Frigates.

Kummer had thrown just 6 passes all season but the fifth round pick out of Miami State looked like a seasoned veteran in throwing a pair of first half touchdown passes as the Stars opened a 17-7 lead on the visiting Frigates at the break. Kummer did not slow down, adding a third touchdown toss in the final minute to conclude a game winning drive as the Stars pulled out a 27-20 victory.

Meanwhile the West Division playoff proved that the Kansas City Cowboys may just be for real. The Cowboys have been searching for success ever since Pat Chappell retired and longtime quarterback Scott Greenwell finally managed to win his first playoff game. It was in resounding fashion as the Cowboys blasted the Detroit Maroons 54-10 in a game that Greenwell went 20-f0r-28 for 214 yards and three touchdown passes while veteran halfback Mike Peel carried the ball for 135 yards.

Any celebration in Kansas City was short-lived as the New York stars dominated the final, opening a 35-3 lead at the break and then coasting to a 38-20 victory. Orlin Youngs was healthy enough to return to action and the Stars quarterback threw four first half touchdown passes while veteran halfback Larry Moen was named playoff MVP after rushing for 164 yards against the Cowboys a week after he went off for 168 yards in the win over Philadelphia.

GATORS CLASS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN

The Deep South Conference, or more specifically the state of Georgia, remained the capital of collegiate football as the Georgia Baptist Gators completed a perfect 11-0 season to win their second straight AIAA national grid title. This after their rivals from Noble Jones College had celebrated the previous two crowns following back to back undefeated seasons.

The Gators had early season non-conference victories over Abilene Baptist, Red River State and Maryland State in a game that required overtime to beat the South Atlantic Conference champions and one that would prove to be the Bengals only loss all season. The Gators also had some tough contests in section play, needing a late touchdown to beat Alabama Baptist by a single point and surviving close calls against Cumberland, Mississippi A&M and Central Kentucky. The Gators did have the luxury of not playing Noble Jones College for a change, as the 12 team Deep South Conference only plays seven games against its section opponents.

Noble Jones lost to Bayou State and was surprisingly upset by Northern Mississippi in late November to finish as one of four schools tied for second in the Deep South at 5-2. The others were the Bayou State Cougars, Cumberland and Western Florida with its first-ever five win showing in conference play. Only two Deep South schools in Georgia Baptist, which returned to the Oilman Classic to face the Southwestern Alliance champion Lubbock State Hawks, and the Cougars, who were tabbed for the Cajun Classic and a meeting with Charleston Tech, received invites to play on New Years Day.

Missing out on a New Years date was especially hard to swallow for the Colonels as Noble Jones College expected a huge year with its three big offensive stars playing their final seasons. Quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel -who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman- and end Don Bernard all had strong campaigns but a season opening 7-point loss to West Coast Athletic Association powerhouse Northern California hurt and a heartbreaking 19-16 defeat at home to Bayou State on a last second field goal made matters worse. Any dreams of a new years game came crushing down when Northern Mississippi (5-5) upset the Colonels 27-20 Thanksgiving weekend.

Maryland State emerged as the class of the South Atlantic Conference, going 7-0 in section play and 10-1 overall with the lone blemish being that early season overtime loss to Georgia Baptist. The Bengals kicked a field goal to go up 10-7 with just under two minutes remaining but Gators senior quarterback Jim Henson completed three big passes to put his club in position for a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds. Henson then worked his magic in overtime with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jim Pukas and when the Bengals drive was stopped the game ended 17-10 in favour of the Gators. Despite the lose to Georgia Baptist, it was a special year for the Bengals who celebrated their first collegiate basketball title the previous April and then won the SAC football crown for the third time in the past four years.

*** MINERS COME CLOSE TO NATIONAL TITLE ONCE AGAIN ***

The Northern California Miners must be wondering just what else they have to do to win a national title. The Miners won their fourth straight West Coast Athletic Association title and are 26-2 in section play over that span. They have also finished second twice, including this year, third once and finally fifth in the national rankings the past four years.

This year Northern Cal, led by sophomore quarterback Charlie Watson's AIAA leading 1,429 yards passing, went 10-1 with the lone loss being a bad stumble, falling 38-9 in Bigsby Garden in a late season neutral site showdown with Rome State. The Miners rebounded the next week with a late rally to nip California rival Redwood 17-16 and secure their 7th New Years Day trip to Santa Ana in the past ten years.

Northern California's opponent would be a Central Ohio Aviators squad that entered the game with a perfect record and expectations of winning their first college football national title. It would have been very interesting to see how the voting would have gone had the Aviators prevailed but Northern California won quite easily and the perfect season was over for Central Ohio which dipped to fourth in the final rankings. The Aviators had a couple of close calls, nipping Coastal California 12-10 on a last minute field goal and needing overtime to beat another non-conference foe in Western Florida but they were dominant in their 27-17 win over Detroit City College to complete a perfect 7-0 record in Great Lakes Alliance play and earn a second trip in three years to face Northern California in the East-West Classic.

Among other schools perhaps the two biggest surprises were Huntington State and College of San Diego. The Huntington State Miners were one of nine teams that were kicked out of the South Atlantic Conference a decade ago and a formed a loose alliance of their own. The Miners were led by Christian Trophy winning halfback Rick Fisher who rushed for an AIAA best 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns as Huntington State went 10-1 on the regular season and earned an invitation to play on New Years Day for just the second time in school history. College of San Diego went 10-1 and also earned a classic invite. The Friars lone loss came to CC Los Angeles and the classic invite was their first since 1947.

NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS

The 45th annual edition of the East-West Classic ended in the exact same way as the previous three, with the Northern California Miners celebrating a victory over the Great Lakes Alliance representative. The Miners dynasty has certainly changed the landscape of the greatest New Years Day game, as prior to the Northern California run the GLA representative was on a six game winning streak.

This loss had huge implications for Central Ohio, which entered the game ranked number one in the nation and was looking for its first collegiate national title. Nerves perhaps got the best of both teams early as the first period was filled with penalties but the Miners did strike first with a field goal midway through the period. An unnecessary roughness call on Miners defensive lineman Del Upperman proved costly late in the opening quarter as it prolonged a Central Ohio drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run for Aviators back Joe Cress.

As it would turn out that would be all the scoring Central Ohio would manage and the game turned quickly in the closing minute of the first half. First it was the culmination of a 14-play, 55 yard drive that ended in a 5-yard Gil Cooper touchdown to put the Miners up 10-7 and two plays later Aviators end Ed Kuntz fumbled as he was tackled and that set up a late field goal to put Northern California ahead 13-7 at the break. The Miners defense was too much for Central Ohio after the break and the Aviators never came close to scoring while Northern California tacked on an additional 13 points in the second half to secure the 26-7 victory and put an end to any title hopes Central Ohio might have had.

With Central Ohio's perfect season in shambles that left just Georgia Baptist looking for perfection and a second straight national title. All that stood in the Gators way was their Oilman Classic opponent Lubbock State. It was the Hawks third straight appearance in the Oilman Classic and they struck first, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Tom Pennington to conclude an opening drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. The Gators responded with a long drive of their own but it stalled at the Hawks 11-yard line and Georgia Baptist was forced to settle for just 3 points on a Mike Mannion field goal.

After a Lubbock State punt the Gators put together another long scoring drive, this one traversing 81 yards and concluding with Roger Harris scoring on a 3-yard run to put the Gators up 10-3. They would never trail again and while Lubbock State did make it close with a late touchdown to cut the deficit to 25-20, the Gators with halfback Harris leading the way with 133 yards rushing, never seemed in danger of losing.

The most notable of the other new years contests saw Maryland State rally with a 4th quarter touchdown to improve to 10-1 with a 22-15 victory over Oklahoma City State. The win moved the Bengals to third in the final rankings, behind the Gators and Northern California and one slot ahead of Central Ohio with Huntington State, winners of Desert Classic in overtime, claiming the fifth slot in the final rankings.

MARYLAND STATE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN

Overshadowed for years by South Atlantic Conference rivals Carolina Poly and North Carolina Tech, the Maryland State Bengals basketball team finally enjoyed its moment in the sun as they defeated another conference rival -Charleston Tech- in the title game to win the Bengals first-ever AIAA cage championship. The recent turnaround for Maryland State has been nothing short of miraculous over the past three seasons as the Bengals, who had never won a tournament game prior to the spring of 1958, reached the quarterfinals a year ago and went all the way this time around, downing the Admirals 70-58 in the title game behind a 15 point effort from junior forward Beryl Towne.

Maryland State finished the season with a 27-5 record, establishing a new school record for wins in a season but they finished second to Charleston Tech in the South Atlantic Conference record, losing on a tiebreaker after both schools finished section play 11-3, one game better than defending national champion Carolina Poly.

West Coast Athletic Association champ Redwood entered the tournament as the number one ranked team in the nation and the Mammoths were assigned the top seed in the West Region. Another WCAA school, Coastal California was handed the top seed in the South while Carolina Poly headlined the East Region. The Bengals were sent to the Midwest as a second seed behind Great Lakes Alliance winners Central Ohio.

The Bengals opened with a game against 19-11 Custer College, champions of the lightly regarded Rocky Mountain Athletic Association. Sophomore forward Pepper Whitney, who led the Bengals in scoring with an 11.5 ppg mark had the hot hand in the tournament opener as the forward shot 7-for-10 from the field and scored 19 points in a 69-42 victory for his Bengals.

Next up was a talented Western Iowa team that had gone to the national title game a year ago but the Canaries were not match for Maryland State and absorbed a 77-48 thrashing from the Bengals. That set up a showdown with Central Ohio in the only regional file that followed script by matching its top two seeds. The Bengals led by two at the half and pulled away after the break to advance to Bigsby Garden and the national semi-finals for the first time in school history with a 53-46 grounding of the Aviators.

Redwood breezed through the West Region including a 12 point victory over third seeded Mississippi A&M in the regional final. The South Region saw third seeded Charleston Tech handle top seed Coastal California by a 59-49 score while the East drew plenty of attention as Dickson, the Academia Alliance champ that had not won a tournament game since the spring of 1917, was the surprise bracket winner after downing Liberty College 61-50 in the title game. The Bells had eliminated Carolina Poly, winners of three of the past six tournaments, in the second round.

Redwood was the tournament favourite and the Mammoths were playing in Bigsby Garden for the second April in the past three years. Redwood has advanced to at least the quarterfinals for six straight seasons but the Mammoths only national title came in 1947-48. They would fall short again this time as Charleston Tech, led by 18 points from senior forward Joe Satterfield, held on for a 64-62 victory to give the Admirals their first ever appearance in the national championship game.

Maryland State halted Dickson's run, dumping the Maroons 68-53 with sophomore Mark Robinson scoring 21 points to pace the Bengals attack and set up a third meeting with their conference rivals from Charleston. The Admirals had won each of the previous two, but the Bengals got their revenge in the biggest game for the pair all season, claiming a 70-58 victory and their first AIAA cage title.

HAWKS FLY HIGH AT COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

It was a long time coming but the Lubbock State Hawks finally won their third college baseball World Championship Series. The Hawks, who were the best AIAA baseball team in the country in 1922 and again six years later, emerged unscathed from the field of 16 hopefuls that gathered in Cleveland in early June. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 39-23 record, good enough to claim their third Southwestern Alliance title in the past four years and then won the five more games necessary to hoist the AIAA baseball championship trophy.

The Hawks start the tournament off with back to back shut out victories, blanking Pittsburgh State 7-0 in the opening round before nipping Mississippi Tech 1-0 in the second round as hurlers Logan Mantica and Chris Paulsen combined on a 3-hitter. The lone came in a wild seventh inning in which the Hawks loaded the bases with three straight singles and then with two-out third baseman Adam Wagner drew a full count walk which plated the only run of the contest.

Wagner, the Hawks lead-off man, had 3-hits and scored three times to lead Lubbock State past Wisconsin Catholic 11-5 and give the Hawks their first appearance in the AIAA finals since the old feeder days when the Hawks were led by catcher Jack Flint and beat a loaded Liberty College squad that included Tommy Wilcox and Jake Shadoan.

Deep South Conference champion Opelika State was the Hawks opponent in the finals after the Wildcats, who were making their fourth tournament appearance in the past five years, eliminated West Coast Athletic Association c-champs Portland Tech in the semi-finals with an 8-5 decision.

Homeruns by Charlie Hess, John Williams and Jim Smith staked Opelika State to a 5-0 lead after two innings of the opening game in the best-of-three final and the Wildcats breezed to a 6-4 victory. It was a much different story in game two as Lubbock State busted open what was a scoreless game with 9 runs in the third inning and the Hawks would add five more in the fifth as they tamed the Wildcats 16-2 to even the series.

Game three was a pitching duel as the Hawks Logan Mantic and three Opelika State hurlers dueled to a 1-1 draw after eight innings. Lubbock State would get a pair of key hits in the top of the ninth as Billy Fuston led off with a double and John Case followed with a 2-run homer off Opelika State's Harry Rowland. That would prove the difference as Lubbock State reliever Chris Paulsen set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth to clinch the 3-1 victory for the Hawks.

ANOTHER ROOKIE GOALIE LEADS DUKES

For the second year in a row the big story in the North American Hockey Confederation was a surprise breakout season from a rookie goaltender in Toronto. A year ago it was Mike Connelly, a career minor leaguer who started his NAHC career with 4 consecutive shutouts and would go on to lead the Dukes to both the best regular season record and their record 11th Challenge Cup win. Now 28, Connelly found himself spending most nights on the bench as Toronto found another rookie with a hot glove in 26-year-old Justin MacPhee.

MacPhee, who was twice named Canadian Amateur Hockey Association goaltender of the year in junior with the Halifax Mariners, went undrafted and spent the past four seasons playing for the Tacoma Lions of the Great Western Hockey League, two rungs below the NAHC. MacPhee was signed by the Dukes, presumably to be Connelly's back up but he did not take long to wrestle away the starting job. MacPhee played in 56 games, winning 32 and his 11 shutouts were just one shy of another former Duke Scott Renes 1954-55 record.

The Dukes finished with 86 points, good for a 7 point bulge on second place Boston but well off their record-setting 97 point showing of a year ago. Toronto still scored the most goals in the league and surrendered the fewest but they were not as effective as a year ago in no small part due to the fact that star center Quinton Pollack (27-31-61) missed 18 games due to injury and while the legendary Tommy Burns (17-23-40) did dress for all 70 contests, but his now 40-year-old body showed signs of breaking down with the lowest point total of his career. Thirty year old Ken Jamieson (27-29-56) had another strong season and often supplanted Burns as the second line pivot while the all-star duo on the blueline in Bobby Fuhrman (9-35-44) and Tim Brooks (8-17-25) anchored the stingiest defense in the league. The Dukes did slow in the second half of the season, playing just .500 hockey from late January until the end of the regular season but were still favourites to repeat as Cup champions.

Chasing Toronto were four teams that battled much of the season for the remaining three playoff spots. The Boston Bees were the hottest team down the stretch, going 11-2-1 over the final month to ensure they would finish in second and claim home ice advantage for the opening round of the playoffs. If there were any lingering doubts about whether Jimmy Rucks was the new big star in Boston, they were erased this season as the 26-year-old right winger was named to the first all-star team for the second consecutive season and his 54 points, including 20 goals, paced the Bees and was the fifth highest total recorded in the loop this campaign. Boston might still be looking for a top center now that Wilbur Chandler is long gone but the Bees appear set on the wing with 27-year-old Jean Lebel (13-30-43), 26-year-old Gabe Vigneault (17-23-40) and 24-year-old Pierre Paquette (21-21-42) all playing key roles. 36-year-old Oscar James (24-16-7, 2.78) continues to guard the crease for Boston.

A late slump cost the New York Shamrocks second place but 75 points and a third place finish is a big win in the Big Apple, as the Shamrocks qualified for the playoffs after missing the post-season each of the previous five seasons. Marc Huot, a 25-year-old who was cut by Boston, joined the Shamrocks part way through last season and had a breakout year in his first season of fulltime NAHC duty. The Montreal born right winger scored 26 goals and finished with 57 points, third best in the league behind only Alex Monette of Detroit and Toronto's Pollack. Newcomer Mathew Garbowsky (20-16-36) also reached the twenty-goal plateau for the Shamrocks and 25-year-old Corb Maybury (16-28-44) took on a bigger role in his third full season on Broadway. New York did not match the offensive firepower of Toronto, Boston and Chicago but the Shamrocks did win a lot of tight games and edged out the Chicago Packers club for third place by a single point.

The Packers barely held off Detroit for the fourth and final playoff spot, finishing two points ahead of the Motors. Chicago seems to have moved on from the Tommy Burns era as a host of players in their early to mid-twenties, along with eight-year veteran rearguard Guy Bernier (13-35-48) who is still just 28, give Windy City fans plenty of hope for the future. The biggest hopes are pinned on Archer Cook (28-26-54), a 23-year-old 1955 second round pick who won the McLeod Trophy two years ago and this season became the first Packers forward to be named to the first all-star team since Burns and Max Ducharme earned the honour five years ago. Ducharme, by the way, once a fixture in Chicago but now 36 years of age, spent most of the season in Pittsburgh as the Packers fully embraced their youth movement. Left winger Ray Weller (23-29-52) made the league's Second All-Star team along with blueliners Bernier and first-time winner Mike Homfray (6-29-35). Other key pieces were forwards Ken York (20-27-47), Conn Maguire (16-25-41) and J.P. Morissette (15-25-40).

Iron man goaltender Henri Chasse (30-28-12, 2.72) played every minute of every game for Detroit for the third year in a row but it was not enough to keep the Motors from missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1951-52 season. Detroit's Alex Monette (30-43-77) won his second straight scoring title and claimed the McDaniels Trophy for the first time his career but the 27-year-old missed 7 games with various injuries and Detroit lost six of them in his absence, which proved the difference between finishing fourth and fifth. Detroit did receive secondary scoring from veterans Nick Tardif (23-23-46) and Lou Barber (15-27-42) and career best point production from 25-year-old Alex Guindon (15-33-48). Another 25-year-old in defenseman Anthony Beauchemin (8-16-24) shows plenty of promise on the backend. Beauchemin is hardly a new face as the he has been playing for the Motors since he turned 19.

It was another awful year for the Montreal Valiants, who won just 11 of 70 games and their 34 points broke the record for futility in a 70 game season, finishing with one point less than the awful 1950-51 Chicago Packers. After back to back playoff appearances, most in Montreal thought the gloomy days of the 1950's, where the Vals went six seasons without a sniff of playoff action, where over but this year set new lows. Montreal had trouble scoring with only veteran Jocko Gregg (22-32-54) and youngsters Mathew Muir (22-26-48) and Roy Forgeron (11-25-36) enjoying much success, but there biggest problem was keeping the puck out of their net. The Valiants allowed a record 254 goals against, smashing their old record of 235 set 8 years ago and allowing 56 more against than any other NAHC team surrendered this season. Nathan Bannister (5-26-9, 3.53) and Tim Burrows (6-20-2, 3.34) are not considered to be bad goaltenders and there is some talent on the blueline but for some reason the Valiants have just never been able to do the job and for the second time in just over two years they are looking for a new coach after Andrew Stymiest was fired following the season. He lasted 79 games behind the Montreal bench.

1959-60 NAHC PLAYOFFS

The Toronto Dukes had cause for worry when they found out their semi-final opponent would be the Chicago Packers. Despite Toronto finishing 12 points ahead of the Packers, Chicago dominated the season series between the two clubs with the Packers winning 9 of their 14 meetings. Like they did a year ago, the Dukes put their fate in the hands of a rookie goaltender but this time it was Juneau Award winner Justin MacPhee instead of Mike Connelly.

Chicago's J.P. Morissette beat MacPhee with one minute remaining in the third period of the opener to tie the game at 3 but it would be the hometown Dukes who came out on top as Tim Amesbury notched the game winner after nearly 24 minutes of extra time. Chicago rebounded with a 3-2 win in the second game to head to the Lakeside Auditorium with the series tied at one.

They would split the two games in the Windy City. Chicago took game three by a 3-2 score as Mark Milot scored the winner in overtime after ex-Packer Tommy Burns had tied the contest late in the third period. The Packers outshot the Dukes 40-25 in the game. Game four was all Toronto as Ken Jamieson and Mitch Moran each had a goal and an assist to pace the visiting Dukes to a 5-2 victory.

For the third time in the series overtime was needed to decide a winner as game five was deadlocked at four after sixty minutes. Archer Cook, the Packers talented young winger, was the hero when he beat Toronto netminder Justin MacPhee 18 minutes into the extra frame. Ken York had scored twice for the Packers while Toronto defenseman Jimmy Cooper had a goal and two helpers while Jamieson scored twice in a losing cause. Back home for game six, the Packers wrapped the series up with a 5-2 victory as Ken York had 3 assists while Conn Maguire scored twice to pace the Packers.

In the other semi-final series the New York Shamrocks were hitting the ice in Boston for their first taste of playoff action since 1954. The Greenshirts got off to a fantastic start, sweeping both games at Denny Arena to start the series. The opener saw New York goaltender Dalton Duco record a shutout in his playoff debut as the Shamrocks skated to a 3-0 victory with Corb Maybury scoring twice and assisting on the third New York tally. Game two was much tighter as the Shamrocks opened a 3-1 lead in the second period but goals from veteran rearguard Mickey Bedard and Luc Fournier allowed Boston to tie it. Jim Macek was the overtime star with a goal just shy of 13 and a half minutes into the extra period.

After dropping the first two games at home, the Boston Bees problems grew even larger with a 2-1 loss in the third game. Alex Sorrell, who was a surprise starter in game two after Duco's shutout in the opener, was called upon again in the third game and was outstanding, turning aside all but one of the 37 shots Boston fired at him. Simon Savard and Alex Breen scored the New York goals with Byron Redmond assisting on both.

There was no margin for error for the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none but then completed a most-improbable comeback with four straight victories to take the series. The Bees were up against the wall in game four, trailing 2-0 after two periods but Jack Gariepy and Gabe Vigneault scored in the third period to force overtime and Jonathan Poirier needed just 4:30 of overtime to end the game, scoring on the powerplay to keep the Bees alive. Jake Stockman scored once and added two assists as the Bees doubled New York 4-2 in game five and then battled back after the Shamrocks scored twice in the opening 96 seconds of game six to beat New York 5-2. Jimmy Rucks had 3 points while Ben Jacobs scored twice for the Bees who had knotted the series after losing each of the first three games.

*** Bees Complete Comeback ***

Boston has done nothing the easy way this series so when the Shamrocks scored three times in a span of less than four minutes to take a 3-1 lead just over six minutes into the second period there was likely far less alarm on the Boston bench than one might have expected. The Bees tied the game with goals from Ben Voyechek and Neil Wilson before the period had ended and then added three more in the third period before the defeated Shamrocks meekly responded with one late goal. One of the biggest comebacks in NAHC history had been completed as the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none and by two goals entering the third period of the fourth game, rallied to win four straight and advance to the Challenge Cup Finals.

BOSTON AND CHICAGO FINALS

The Bees and Packers were meeting in the Challenge Cup finals for the second time in four years. They were far from strangers in post-season action as Chicago and Boston were facing off for the fourth time in the last 14 years. Boston had won two of the three previous meetings including the battle from four years ago.

The Bees entered the series on a 4-game winning streak and stretched it to five straight but not before requiring overtime to dispose of Chicago in game one. The final score was 3-2 with Boston rookie Brad Lowenberger being the unlikely hero, saving his first career playoff goal to be an overtime winner. Chicago goaltender Garrett Topping made 35 saves two nights later as the Packers left Boston with the series knotted at one following a 5-2 victory in the second game. Charlie Bowman paced the Chicago attack, setting up three first period goals to stake the Packers to an early lead.

Game three saw the Bees jump out to a 3-0 lead but the Packers scored five unanswered goals over the final 37 minutes to claim a 5-2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series. J.P. Morissette and Ray Weller each had a goal and two assists to lead Chicago while Pierre Paquette had the same for the visiting Bees. Topping made 27 saves as Chicago blanked Boston 5-0 in game four.

*** Bees Stage Another Comeback ***

It was time for another Boston comeback as the Bees, after overcoming a 3 games to none deficit in the semi-finals, looked to rally after trailing 3-1 in the finals. Game five in Boston saw Mathieu Harnois and Jean Lebel each scored in the final 13 minutes to lift the Bees to a 3-1 victory. Back to Chicago, where they had been defeated twice, the Bees relied on veteran goaltender Oscar James and he delivered with a 29 save shutout in a 3-0 Boston win. Tommy Elliott opened the scoring for the Bees in the second period before Jean Lebel and Neil Wilson added insurance markers in the third stanza.

Game seven was a terrific goalie showdown between James and Topping. Neither team scored in the opening period despite the Bees enjoying a pair of power play opportunities. The only goal of the middle period came courtesy of Boston all-star winger Jimmy Rucks, who notched his playoff leading 6th goal midway through the frame. The third period was tight checking as the Bees held the Packers to just seven shots while managing only four of their own. Neither team could score and the game ended 1-0 giving James back to back shutouts and the Bees another amazing comeback.

Much like baseball, which has confirmed it will add four more franchises in 1962, the Federal Basketball League has had discussion of expanding but, having been burned once before, the loop started by Rollie Barrell in 1946 seems content, at least at the moment, with 8 stable clubs. The Federal League had been big dreams in its infancy and quickly went from eight to seventeen teams by 1948 only to see most flounder. Since the 1955-56 campaign the league has been a stable group of eight teams with only the move of the Rockets from small-market Rochester, N.Y., to St Louis marking any changes.

Whether they were based in Rochester or St Louis the Rockets have been the class of the FBL's West Division, winning six of the last seven division regular season titles including each of the past two seasons after their move to the shores of the Mississippi. They won 50 games for the second consecutive season, something that has only been accomplished five times in FBL history and three of them were by the Rockets. Their leader this season was an unlikely hero by the name of Rick Sims. A 29-year-old center, Sims was a back-up behind Billy Bob McCright for each of his first six seasons in the league but as McCright showed signs of slowing down Sims seized his opportunity.

Sims started all 76 games and was one of just three players to average more than 20 points per game while also providing dominant defense for the Rockets. He was rewarded with the FBL's Most Valuable Player Award and combined with fellow all-league first team forward Wayne Wyrick to give St Louis a team that dominated at both ends of the court thanks to a stellar supporting cast in vets Danny Rachor and Verle Schoonmaker along with first year starter Jerry Kosior.

Second place Detroit finished 5 games back of the front-running Rockets. The Mustangs, led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne and a slowing but still effective Ziggy Rickard, actually outscored St Louis but could not match the Rockets defensive intensity. It was a long way back to third place as the Chicago Panthers finished a full 15 games behind the second place Mustangs. Luther Gordon was once more first team all-league and his 22.8 points per game was good enough to win his 7th scoring title but even a breakout year for 30-year-old Chris Rogerson, who more than doubled his previous career best in averaging just shy of 20 points per game, was not enough to allow the Panthers to keep pace with the big two in the West Division. The Toronto Falcons finished last in the West and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season with the lone bright spot being the play of Bill Spangler. The 3rd year guard out of CC Los Angeles had a breakout season and was named first team All-League.

A 10-game winning streak late in the season helped the New York Knights hold off both Boston and Philadelphia to finish with the best record in the East at 44-32. It marked the first time New York led the division since 1954-55 and the big reason was Howie Farrell. Unlike a year ago Farrell did not win the scoring title but his 22.5 ppg was good for second place and he was named to the All-League Second Team.

The Boston Centurions were battling with New York for top spot in the East Division all season but stumbled down the stretch with just three wins in their final 14 games. They did manage to hold on to second place, claiming a tiebreaker over Philadelphia after both the Centurions and Phantoms ended the season with identical 39-37 records, good enough to put an end to Boston's 4-year playoff drought. The Centurions scored the fewest points in the league, but they had the best defense and led the loop in both rebounds and blocked shots. Guard Steve Barrell followed up his rookie of the year season with a strong sophomore campaign but a mid-March concussion cost him 26 games and coincided with the Centurions late slump. Mel Turcotte continues to be the leader in Philadelphia as the Phantoms veteran center led the loop in rebounds, averaging 13.7, while also scoring at 16.5 point per game clip.

The surprise team left without a playoff chair in the East Division when the music stopped was the Washington Statesmen. It marked a first as the FBL's most successful team was coming off a season when it won its FBL record fourth title and had made the playoffs each of the first 13 years of the league. In fact, going back to the old American Basketball Conference, the Statesmen had not missed the playoffs since their inaugural season of 1937-38. A serious knee injury to Jack English, who along with Ernie Fischer and Hank Adkins were the leaders of the most recent title winner hurt the team as English was limited to just 10 games. Fischer was his usual solid self as the big man in the middle, but Adkins struggled and eventually lost his starting guard job. A dreadful stretch beginning in mid-January when the Statesmen won just once in a dozen outings stated with an exclamation point that a 19-year playoff streak was coming to an end in the nation's capital.

FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
ST. LOUIS GETS ITS TITLE

While Washington was not invited to the playoff party to defend its title, six teams were gearing up for the second season to figure out who would succeed the Statesmen. New York won the East and waited for Boston and Philadelphia to sort out the make-up of the Eastern Divisional Final, while St. Louis was treated to a bye in the Western Divisional Playoff.

Familiar foes kicked off the playoffs in the Western Divisional Semifinal, as Detroit and Chicago renewed acquaintances. It was a contrast of styles, with Detroit’s power coming from its back court tandem of Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin, while Chicago is still led by Luther Gordon and center Chris Rogerson. Bayne and Corwin were a thorn in Chicago’s side all series.

Bayne dished out 13 assists to go along with 16 points in Game One, scored 30 points in Game Two, and after the Mustangs squandered their 2-0 lead in the series, Bayne was named Player of the Game in the deciding Game Five, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds.

Corwin had a great game in Game Two, with 29 points in the Mustangs 116-90 win. The only game decided by less than ten points was the final game and while the home team won all five games in the series, the last one for Detroit was not easy. The Mustangs won, 84-81, and had to hang on against Chicago, as the Panthers chipped away at Detroit’s nine-point edge heading into the fourth quarter.

St. Louis inherited a solid team, a league champion, when the Rockets relocated from Rochester, and the “little engine that could” still had its stars from the Rochester championship, though the torch has been passed. Billy Bob McCright comes off the bench now and Marlin Patterson was a spare player who did not even see action during the regular season. They were simply insurance behind the new stars of the club with Rick Sims and Wayne Wyrick. Sims was the MVP of the regular season and picked up right where he left off when the Western Divisional Final started.

St. Louis built a quick three games-to-none series lead over Detroit with a couple of close wins at home, 75-74 and 72-69. Sims scored 24 points in Game One and Wyrick poured in 22 points in Game Two. Sims and Wyrick combined for 59 points in the 108-95 win in Game Three that pushed Detroit to the brink.

Corwin and the Mustangs tried to claw their way back and they were able to force a sixth game. Corwin averaged 21.3 points in the series and played better as the series went on, scoring 26 points and adding 15 rebounds in Game Four. The Rockets, specifically Rick Sims, were just too much for Detroit. Sims averaged 25.8 points in the series, including 30 points in the Game Six, which was the clincher.

The Eastern Division Semifinal was not nearly as dramatic, though the teams who tipped off against each other had the same regular season record (39-37). Boston defeated Philadelphia in three straight to move on and face New York. Bert LaBrecque, who has come into his own in his third season, arrived in Boston’s first playoff run in years. LaBrecque scored 23 in Game One and 25 more in Game Two. To complete the sweep, Boston had to win it in overtime on the road. It was Boston’s guard play of Charlie Stark (25 points) and Steve Barrell (22) that pushed the Centurions to victory. Mel Turcotte was quiet in the first two games of the series, but he had 27 points and 15 rebounds in Game Three to give Philadelphia a chance.

New York won the opener of the East Final behind a former Playoff MVP, Howie Farrell, and his 26 points, but LaBrecque was at it again to steal a split of the two games in New York. Game Two saw Boston come from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 77-75, as LeBrecque scored 26 points, offsetting 24 from Farrell. Boston went home and win both games to take a commanding three games-to-one lead.

Boston could not close the series out in New York, but won it at Denny Arena, 94-62. LaBrecque scored 16, but the star of the game was center Wally Moorehead, who is known more for his fearsome defensive presence than his offensive traits. Moorehead led all scorers with 22 points in the victory.

The momentum carried over into the FBL Finals between St. Louis and Boston. Boston drew first blood with a 100-80 win in St. Louis, getting off to a 28-14 first-quarter lead and managing the game from there. LaBrecque scored 26 points and Stark (18 points, 10 assists) missed a triple double by a single rebound. Boston shot an unsustainable 47% from the floor as a team.

St. Louis collected itself and won Game Two to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, 87-76. Sims once again led the way with 28 points and Wyrick added 19 points while St. Louis was the hotter shooting team. The series moved to Boston and, for the Centurions, the momentum that helped in Game One came back to bite them. Boston’s hot shooting ran cold and St. Louis won the battle of the front court. The Centurions managed only 66 points in Games Three and Four. Sims scored 30 points in Game Two and 28 points in Game Three, both victories for St. Louis that gave the Rockets a two games-to-one series lead.

Boston came so close to tying the series in Game Four, but the team suffered a fourth-quarter collapse, managing only six points to turn an 18-point fourth-quarter lead into a heart-breaking 68-66 loss to push them to within one game of elimination. St. Louis had to work for it, but the damage to Boston was done. Game Five went to overtime in a game that was tight throughout. Rick Sims set a personal best with 40 points in Game Five in the 78-76 victory, as he carried the Rockets on his back to deliver St. Louis a championship.

Sims had a playoff scoring average of 26.9 points to double up his regular season MVP award with Playoff MVP hardware.

ELLIS BUILDING LEGACY IN WELTER DIVISION

Eugene Ellis continued his dominance of the welterweight class in 1960 as the 29-year-old added three more victims to his impressive resume - one which has seen him involved in every title fight in the division since 1956. The Seattle native is now 42-4-1 and slowing no signs of slowing down although he had a close call early in the year when he faced Dan Hampton in Baltimore.

The battle was the toughest Ellis had been involved in since he lost a split decision to Lonnie Griffin nearly three years ago as Hampton just keeping coming despite being knocked down twice by the champ in their bout. Those knockdowns proved the difference as Ellis prevailed after 15 rounds, but only in the minds of two of the three ringside judges.

With the close call behind him, the Seattle native returned to the west coast where he would have far less trouble in his other two title fights in 1960. Brogan Cattlin travelled all the way from Ireland to Los Angeles, toting with him a big reputation and an impressive 41-1-2 record but Ellis made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the 6th round of their July tussle. Four months later in his hometown of Seattle, Ellis toyed with Michael Wheeler much of the fight and claimed an easy unanimous decision.

The middleweight belt also did not change hands in 1960 as Canadian George Quisenberry, who had won the title from the now retired Mark McCoy in September of 1959, retained control of the division. British challenger Oscar Woodings did fight Quisenberry to a stalemate in the champ's hometown of Toronto in April but Quisenberry scored a unanimous win over the Englishman in a rematch three months later. His final fight was a duel with former champ George Hatchell at the famous Bigsby Gardens and it was a clean decision for the Canadian.

Dave Courtney's brief fling with the heavyweight title ended quickly as, while he did score a unanimous decision over Ezra Frishman in January, he was badly beaten by George Gallashaw, a hard throwing puncher from Syracuse who knocked out Courtney in their May bout to take the title. The 24-year-old Gallashaw would improve to 31-1 for his career with a 7th round TKO of Norm Robinson in his first title defense in October. Gallashaw's only blemish was a title fight loss to former champ Brad Harris a year and a half ago, in a bout that might have just been a little too ambitious for the youngster at that point in his career.

A new decade is dawning and, with it, a sense of renewed optimism. Youth will be served, sooner or later. The War years are in our rear-view mirror, the Red Scare has faded. The future is coming. It is the same brilliant hue of a sunrise. In the sport of boxing, youth has been served.

George Gallashaw is the Heavyweight Champion of the World at the age of 24. George Quisenberry has owned the Middleweight Champion’s belt for the entire calendar year, won his title last year when he was 24 years of age. Eugene Ellis is the old man of the trio of champions, as the Welterweight Champion is 29 with 47 professional fights to his name.

Gallashaw had a title shot in June 1959 as a 23-year-old against then-champion Brad Harris. The moment was too big for Gallashaw, as he suffered his only professional loss to date in a third-round TKO. Harris would drop his next fight to Dave Courtney and Courtney was champion until Gallashaw had his second shot at the belt.

Courtney kicked off the year in January with a fourth-round knockout against a lesser opponent, journeyman Ezra Frishman, but Gallashaw was awarded the next fight. Gallashaw, who hails from Syracuse, New York, went west to Cleveland’s Lake Erie Arena with nothing but confidence. He was ready for this chance. Gallashaw was effective, efficient, and he did not let Courtney permeate his excellent defense.

Gallashaw built an early lead, having his way with the champion and barely taking any punches for the first couple of rounds. Courtney was knocked down in the fourth round and by the middle rounds, Gallashaw was in excellent shape. Courtney had his best round in the eighth, but it barely registered. Gallashaw out-pointed Courtney is every round until he made it official with a knockout in the tenth round. It is hard to remember a title fight this one-sided.

After winning the belt in May, his first defense was a successful one, as he defeated Norm Robinson in October by technical knockout in the seventh round. Robinson is only a year older than the young champion Gallashaw, and started the bout well, holding his own through the first four rounds. Gallashaw earned a quick knockdown in the fifth before dropping Robinson in the seventh, where he rained incessant blows upon the challenger, causing referee Frank Garcia to call the fight with only a few seconds remaining in the round.

The heavyweight division was the only division in professional boxing where a title belt changed hands, but it was close. In the middleweight ranks, George Quisenberry fought to a draw against Oscar Woodings in April before winning by unanimous decision in the July rematch. In the draw, Quisenberry had to contend with a nasty cut inside his left eyebrow, which he suffered in the ninth round and hampered him for the rest of the evening, but it was not enough to lose the fight. Quisenberry was cut again in the rematch, this time in the fourth round. However, he persevered, scoring both knockdowns in the fight and he was ahead at the end of 15 rounds by all three judges.

Quisenberry also exorcised a demon, as he defeated George Hatchell, who had beaten him for his only previous loss in 1958, taking away the middleweight title in the process. Hatchell was already a two-time champion but failed in his quest to win the belt a third time in what may be the sunset of his career.
Eugene Ellis has become “Ol’ Reliable” of boxing, as his exploits in the welterweight division have made him one of the great championships of the weight class. Except for a loss in 1958 to Lonnie Griffin, Ellis has held the title consistently since 1956. This year, Ellis had three fights and two went the distance, but the most harrowing bout for Ellis was his February match against Dan Hampton, the 28-year-old Scranton, Pa. native.

The margin of error was razor-thin throughout. Each fighter scored a knockdown with Hampton dropping Ellis in the fourth round and Ellis returned the favor in Round 12. Each fighter also had a point deducted for illegal maneuvers. The fight went to the end and, luckily for Ellis, two of the three judges had Ellis as the victor. The split decision win for Ellis gave him a reprieve and let to a relatively easy time of it against lesser competition for the rest of the year to end the year with his title reign intact.

George Quisenberry won the Bologna Boxer of the Year for 1960 with his 2-0-1 record and the vanquishing of George Hatchell, the only opponent to beat him.

FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS

WLCOME BACK!
Continental Association Set to Return to NYC in'62

If reports are to be believed the Continental Association is returning to New York City. After abandoning Manhattan and Brooklyn nearly a decade ago, Continental fans have had the choice of switching over to the dreaded Gothams in Queens, following another CA ball club, or sitting home and catching up on other sports.

But that it all to change in about one year's time. If all goes according to plans an expansion draft will take place next winter to create a brand new team for the Big Apple. Granted, your new team will be rostered with cast-offs and those with little prospect, but it's a start. You may begin to dream.

After some digging and a few late night beverages I can report two bits of interesting information. The new teams name will be the New York Imperials.

I can just see the headlines now as the "Imps" challenge the Gothams for the hearts of New York fans. Where will the Imperials play, you ask? Ah, well that's the other bit of information. It will be right here in Manhattan, where a not so ancient ball park sits vacant. Dyckman Field, opened 1934, sits at the northern tip of Manhattan. I'm told that with a fresh coat of paint it will be ready for the 1962 season.

I hope you're all looking forward to a new era in Figment Baseball as the league expands for the first time in the modern era, bringing baseball to cities, new and old. I plan to be here with all the information and reporting on the New York Imperials.

Tales From The Manor- Dukes Fine Regular Season Leads to Disappointing Postseason -- The Toronto Dukes again proved to be the class of the NAHC from October-March as once more they finished first with 38-22-10 record for 86 points, seven more than second place Boston. The season was two stories: one good but the other raising questions of the future for Jack Barrell's charges in the Sixties.

The good story was between the pipes where the Dukes found an unexpected hero in Justin MacPhee, 25. MacPhee who went undrafted after a 5 year career in junior with the Halifax Mariners, eventually signed with Tacoma in the GWHL in 1955. MacPhee spent 4 seasons toiling for the Lions with limited success before winning Goalie of the Year in 1959 for Tacoma. The Dukes scouting staff convinced Barrell to invite him to camp on a tryout in which he was impressive enough to garner a contract with the Dukes. The $1800 deal may prove to be the one the biggest steals in NAHC history. MacPhee went on to lead the league in wins, 32, GAA, 2.22, save percentage at 92.1% not bad for a player who was plying his trade in the low minors last season. He was backed up by last year's goaltending phenom, Mile Connelly, giving the Dukes a solid crease tandem for the next few years.

The concern going forward for the Dukes fans could be in the club's ability to put pucks into the net. Quinton Pollack, 37, again finished second in the scoring race to Detroit's Alex Monette with 27-34-61 despite playing only 52 games after suffering a broken jaw on Feb 9th in practice when Pollack, while working on deflections, took a shot to the face. The team only had two twenty-goal scores in '59-60, with the other being Ken Jamieson with 27 to go with 29 helpers for 56 points, numbers good enough to place Jamieson 4th in the scoring race. Tommy Burns, 40, failed to score twenty for the first time in 16 seasons. Burns ended up with 17 goals and 40 points for his lowest total since collecting 33 points (in just 48 games) as a 22 year old in 1943. Troubling is the fact that Burns managed to score only one goal on the power play. Given their ages along with Pollack's injury history the Dukes are hoping that Jamieson can take on a larger scoring role along with Tim Amesbury to take some of the pressure off Burns, Pollack.

After cruising to the league title, leading the NAHC in goals scored while surrendering the fewest goals against, the Dukes faced the Chicago Packers in the semi-finals. The Packers held off a late season charge by Detroit to secure the final playoff spot by two points over the Motors. Toronto found out quickly that Chicago was playing for keeps even though they finished 14 points behind the Dukes. The Dukes won the first game in the second overtime period on a goal by Tim Amesbury after J.P. Morissette had tied the game at 3 with a minute to play in regulation. Chicago took a surprising 2-1 series lead with back to back 3-2 wins. The second one in overtime before 16,920 in the Auditorium who were seeing their first playoff action in years. Toronto evened the series at two with a 5-2 win in Chicago leaving the fans thinking that the Packers were a mere bump in the road before advancing to the Challenge Cup final. The Gardens, with 14,235 on hand, witnessed a rally then a collapse by the Dukes in Game Five. Down 2-1 after twenty the Dukes scored three in less than 4 minutes in the second, including one by Pollack who returned for the playoffs, to take a 4-2 lead. Enso Eckler narrowed the gap to one before then end of the second and Ken York sent the game to overtime with a goal in the third setting the stage for Archer Cook's game winner at 18:15 of overtime. That 5-4 loss crushed the Dukes who went out meekly two nights later in Chicago. Packers skated to a relatively easy 5-2 victory to eliminate Toronto.

Coach Barrell- "No excuses, we took the Packers far too lightly. Defensively we appear to be fine going forward. I have find the proper line combinations to spread the scoring around with the load moving off Tommy, Quinton even if just a little. Ken Jamieson has found his scoring touch, i need to find the proper wingers for him."

Tales From The Den- More Of The Same Another Non-Competitive Season --The Wolves starts the Sixties the way they ended the Fifties, losing more than they win. They have now stretched their consecutive streak of sub .500 seasons to 12 with a 68-86 record in 1960. The team extinguished any hopes for the fans of progressing in the CA by going 31-53 between June 1st to August 31st after staying at .500, 21-21, through April, May.

At the plate, where there had been signs of hope in recent seasons, the team regressed to start the new decade finishing in the bottom half of the CA in all hitting statistics. There biggest bat, Tom Reed, slumped to .289/.363/.453 18 HR 80 RBI which would be a good season for most FABL players but not for those of Reed's stature. John Wells was a consistent bat in lineup over the summer posting a line of .270/.341/.397 15 HR 76 RBI while providing above average defense at second base on a team that again was poor in the field. Fans will not see Wells in a Wolves uniform any longer as he was dealt to Kansas City in October for a young OF prospect by the name of Frank Hardin, 23, after spending eleven seasons in Toronto. With the exception of new shortstop Jesse Taylor, 24, who led the team in RBI with 87, the rest of the bats were anemic. Taylor's glove while not outstanding at least gave the Wolves the dependable fielder at short they have not seen since the days of Charlie Artuso, a name few of the new generation of fans even recognize from the Wolves' glory days of the early Forties.

On the mound the Wolves again get effective starting pitching but once more dealt with the problem they have had for years, an ineffective bullpen coupled with porous defense. Wilson Pearson, who was supposed to be the shutdown man to secure late inning leads blew almost as many games, 12, as he saved, 15. Arnie Smith, who was the controversial winner of CA Allen Award with 13-13, 3.44 record, led the CA in strikeouts with 213 followed by teammate George Hoxworth with 173. Whitey Stewart suffered through a second subpar season at 6-13, 5.18. The highly touted pitcher who went first overall in 1953 is starting to remind longstanding fans of Les Ledbetter who is still plying his trade in Buffalo. The Wolves have not been successful in developing talent for the last decade which shows in their record.

Fans who might hope the club's future is the minor league system will probably be disappointed as the system again ranks in the bottom half of the FABL. Change up top has happened again as the team fired GM George Thomas in October after three seasons at the helm. His record was an undistinguished 217-245 with a 5th, 6th and 7th place finish in the CA. Owner Bernie Millard handed the keys to the front office to an unproven Dan Atwater, 38, which most fans believe will lead to more losing as the new GM attempts to implement his plans for a new direction for the Wolves. Atwater spent 11 years in the FABL as a pitcher for New York Stars, Boston and San Francisco putting together a 95-105, 4.03 record.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1960

Jan 2- US Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Jan 19- The United States and Japan sign a treaty of mutual cooperation and security.
Adolph Coors III, chairman of the brewing company, is kidnapped and his captors demand a ransom of $500,000. He is later found murdered.
Mar 6- The United States announce that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam.
May 1- A Soviet missile shoots down an American U-2 spy plan and pilot Gary Powers is captured.
May 6- President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights act of 1960 into law.
May 16- Khrushchev demands an apology from Eisenhower for the Spy Plane. The incident cuts the 1960 Paris summit short.
Jul 13- John F. Kennedy wins the Democratic presidential nomination. Two weeks later Vice President Richard Nixon earns the Republican nomination.
Aug 6- In response to a U.S. embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation.
Aug 19- In Moscow, downed American pilot Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage.
Sep 26- Candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in the first televised presidential election debate.
Oct 14- Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps.
Nov 8- In a close race Kennedy is elected over Nixon, becoming (at 43) the youngest man elected President.
Dec 2- President Eisenhower authorizes the use of $1 million for the relief and resettlement of Cuban refugees, who have been arriving in Florida at the rate of 1,000 a week.

Tiger Fan · 11-02-2024, 08:57 PM

1961 IN FIGMENT SPORTS

"Doubling Up" can be considered the theme for the past year in sports. The city of Philadelphia celebrated titles in two sports as the baseball Keystones ended a long pennant drought and the cage Phantoms were the class of the Federal Basketball League. The American Football Association New York Stars doubled up by winning their second consecutive AFA title while the Mississippi A&M Generals accomplished a very rare feat - winning national titles in two sports in the same year as the Generals won their first AIAA basketball tournament in April and followed that up two months later with their first Collegiate World Championship victory. Even a college athlete got in on the doubling theme as Brunswick shortstop Dick Vitt became the first to win back to back Christian Awards as the top college baseball player since Tom Miller did it in 1947-48.

1961 was the end of an era, as this season would be the last time a FABL season saw 16 teams compete for a World Championship Series. For 1962, the Fed and Conti will each see two new organizations, with the Los Angeles Suns and the Minneapolis Millers joining the Fed, and the New York Imperials and Dallas Wranglers join the Conti. An expansion draft is scheduled to kick off 1962, with the new teams getting raid the original eight teams in their association for talent.

Before that, however, we have a season to get through, and the start of the new year sparked a second trade season. In total, five trades involving FABL players were conducted in the year's initial month, starting with a three player trade between the Kings and Sailors.

Kansas City added the big leaguer, picking up outfielder Ben Crawford for a pair of prospects. A four year vet who has experience in all three spots, the now 31-year-old Crawford is coming off his best season yet, hitting .275/.349/.479 (116 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 9 triples, 20 homers, 99 RBIs, 81 runs, 61 walks, and 10 steals. Worth a shade below 4 WAR, Crawford has a nearly average career batting line (.243/.312/.409, 97 OPS+, 98 WRC+), but he has solid power and does well logging doubles and home runs. The speed is good too, leading to some triples and steals, but he has big strikeout issues that usually keep his average low. To acquire Crawford, the Kings sent out their recent 1st Round pick Mike Potter to San Francisco, who was a Southeastern League champion and with great power and an intriguing bat. He's young, 19 in February, so as intriguing as that bat is, he has a lot of development ahead of him, and the Kings want to win now. They tend to have a lot of outfield depth, and considering the second prospect, former 15th Rounder Harry Russell, was nothing more then a thrown in, they sacrificed some future outfield talent to supplement Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and Bryan Jeffress (.284, 17, 67).

Crawford wasn't the only outfielder on the move, though he was the only one that had to find a new apartment. That's because Frank Reece (.246, 110, 533, 84) went from the Cougars to the Chiefs, only slightly adjusting his commute to work. The headliner of the axed Red Johnson deal nearly ten years ago, Reece ended up paving out a solid career in Chicago, spending eight seasons as the Cougars everyday center fielder. A former 2nd Round Pick, 1961 will be his 11th season, and the 33-year-old owns a respectable .246/.312/.394 (95 OPS+) batting line with 220 doubles, 57 triples, 110 homers, 533 RBIs, 617 runs, and 84 steals. A skilled defensive outfielder, last season was the first year he produced a sub 1.000 efficiency, and as recently as 1958 he produced a career high 20.5 zone rating (1.076 EFF) in 150 starts in center. In fact, all but two of his nearly twelve hundred FABL starts have came in his typical center.

Stability like that hasn't been found since another former Cougar John Moss started six straight seasons, and he'll join 5-Time All-Star Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12) and former Cougar draftee Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) in a very capable alignment. Coming off a 2nd place finish, the Chiefs continued to add quality veterans to a roster that is ready to win now. This made it easier to part with top 100 prospect Ricardo Castillo (and throw in outfielder Blackie Morrison), who the Chiefs made the 25th selection in the 1960 draft. The versatile Panamanian hit well in both Class B (.275, 3, 10, 1) and C (.335, 3, 15, 18) after the draft, playing far better then a guy who turned 19 a week after the season. A really talented hitter, he's already driving the ball consistently, relying on a quick and fluid swing. He hits to all fields and can steal a ton of bases, so whenever he's on base he can cause issues. He projects to have good plate discipline, and even walked at a 18.2% clip, but after the promotion he only got 8 walks in 139 trips to the plate. Playing five positions allowed him to stay in the lineup all season, and his versatility will be appreciated in his new organization.

Toronto then added a pair of top 100 prospects, receiving Bob Campbell (85th) from the Stars for Jackson Scott and Red Richards (114th) before sending a trio of prospects to the Foresters for the 99th ranked Fred Tollefson. Despite the rankings, Tollefson might be the more valuable one, as the 18-year-old backstop is a recent 1st Round pick and catcher is a very thin position. He's among the better prospects, and since he's almost ten years younger then current starter Dixie Williams (.247, 17, 58), there's no one blocking his eventual claim on the starting role. At least 4 or 5 seasons away, Tollefson is a strong defender and solid hitter, one of the few guys who can handle both aspects of the game. He won't hit for much power, maybe 10 or so a season, but he can hit for a high average and has shown strong plate discipline. Pitchers will love to throw to him, and that may include Bob Campbell, who threw a no hitter less then a year after he was drafted in 1958, and has transformed from 6th Rounder mid rotation starter. The 20-year-old groundballer has great raw stuff, but it's far too often that he's missing the zone. Tollefson can help with that, as lesser catchers have struggled with Capmbell's wicked mid 90s sinker. It was a concerted effort by Toronto to trade older prospects for younger ones, as perhaps the rebuilding organization was making decisions with the upcoming expansion in mind.

*** OSA Likes Cleveland, But Not Boston ***

For the rest of the preseason, there was little action, and come April OSA made the bold prediction that the Boston Minutemen would not only not threepeat, but win just 73 games in 1961. Instead, they expected the Pioneers to runaway with the crown, as talented Chiefs and Keystones rosters fought for 2nd. In the Conti, Cleveland continued to be the favorite, as they looked to prove that third time's truly a charm. The Kings will give them a lot of trouble, and I'm sure the Cougars will pretend to be a threat for a portion of the season, but OSA thinks them and the Stars will crack 80 wins as the league feasts on the poor Canadian teams competing to stay out of the gutter.

A late start to the season meant some teams only played five games in April, and the season didn't really feel like it got going until June started. At this point the CA was feasting off the Wolves (15-21), Saints (16-22), AND Cougars (16-23), as the Foresters (26-15) looked to put some distance between themselves and the Stars (21-15) and Kings (21-16). In the Fed, the other Chicago team (21-12) was threatening to runaway with the association, as no one else was more then two games over .500. In fact, Philadelphia (18-16) was the only other team over .500, and they were the only team within four games of the leaders. With it still being very early, the pennant was far from settled, as three teams sat at .500 and a fourth was just one under. And instead of pulling away, they settled around the .500 mark. After getting swept by the second place Keystones, their lead shrunk to half a game, but they managed to hold at least a share of the lead until the 28th of June.

St. Louis (39-28) became the new leader, and opened July their new association lead. The Chiefs (35-27, 1.5 GB), Keystones (35-29, 2.5), and surprisingly, the Eagles (34-31, 4 GB), were all within five games. On the flip side, the Foresters held the top spot for all of June, but a slow start to July let the surprise Stars seize control of first. Led by the Barrell's Charlie and Ralph, they were scoring a ton of runs, and the almost 26-year-old Lou Allen making Stars fans wonder why the organization kept him in AAA for most of the last two seasons. Cleveland quickly reclaimed the game, as the Stars' reign lasted a grand total of one day, and the Foresters (53-31) held the lead to the All-Star game. It got as big as four, halved to two after the Stars (50-32) beat them in the last two games of the first half. The Conti was looking like a two-team battle, as the Kings and Sailors were both 9 out at the break. In fact, the Stars were the only team in either association that was less then four out, as the Pioneers (50-32) held a 4.5 game lead over the Chiefs (44-35) and Keystones (45-36). Both teams would need hot starts after the break, or the pennant race could quickly become out of reach.

ALL-STAR GAME

The 29th edition of FABL's midseason classic returned to the site of the initial all-star game as venerable Whitney Park, host of the first contest back in 1933, once more welcomed the best the sport had to offer. The Chicago sporting mecca played witness to not only the 1933 game, won 8-5 by the Federal stars, but also the 1948 contest in which the Continental Association dominated by an 11-3 score.

This time around the Continental Association prevailed by an 8-5 score to take a 17-12 lead in the series. It was the second consecutive win for the CA and its sixth triumph in the last seven years. The game also saw Cleveland pitcher Adrian Czerwinski selected for the 11th time. The star righthander did not pitch in the game- he had started for the Foresters the previous day in Los Angeles- but his selection makes the Mad Professor one of just nine players to be named to the all-star team at least 11 times.

The game itself saw the Continental stars score three times of Detroit's Paul Anderson in the top of the first inning and they never trailed although the Feds did knot the game at 4 in the fourth inning before the CA pulled ahead for good on an rbi double from Lou Allen in the top of the sixth. The young Los Angeles Stars outfielder would round out the Continental scoring with a 2-run homer in the eighth inning and Allen's two extra-base hits to go with 3 rbi's earned him the player of the game award.

Flag Race Over By All-Star Break For Defending Champs

The pennant race was over. That's how the defending champs felt, as at 37-47 they announced that they were going to sell once play resumed. Most teams didn't take that literal, but sure enough, before the Minutemen played the Eagles in Washington on July 21st, they told Foster Sherman (7-2, 4.12, 60) to go to the home team dugout. A staple of the Minutemen rotation, all but 10 of his FABL innings came in Boston, where he went 71-52 with a 3.79 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 683 walks, and 714 strikeouts, Sherman was now an Eagle. Known for some command issues, he led the Fed with 118 walks last season, though that was actually his fewest since his first full season in Boston. Equipped with more talented, younger pitching (though for some reason they've moved reigning Allen winner Don Griffin to the pen), they felt like they would use their lost season as an opportunity to retool.

This first deal, which also saw them move a young catcher, brought in 19-year-old John Swift, who ranked 63rd on the league's prospect list. Taken 3rd by the Eagles in 1960, he hasn't lived up to that hype yet, and there were some in the league who thought the athletic star would give it a go in the outfield too. Instead, Swift has stuck to the mound, where he profiles as a potential #2 pitcher. The six foot lefty has a deep arsenal with an excellent change and curve, while his low 90s sinker generates more grounders then you can count. He worked his way up to A ball, where he was 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 9 starts. An advanced pitcher for his age, we may just be two or three seasons away from the young lefty surpassing Sherman in terms of overall ability.

Washington made another reinforcement that day, but they weren't able to make it to Columbia Stadium in time for the game. The surprise over .500 team, the Eagles improved their depth with righty Walt Staton (2-2, 2.68, 20) and catcher/infielder Del Gaines (.232, 3, 13, 2) coming over from Detroit. While on paper that's not a bad idea, what was is trading the just turned 24-year-old Bill Follis (5-2, 1, 3.83, 59), who was excellent in 12 starts and 4 relief outings. Originally a 7th Round pick of the Dynamos, Fouls didn't last long in that organization, cut less then a month after the draft, and he eventually got to Washington in last year's Rule-5 draft. The rookie was a respectable 9-12 with 2 saves, a 4.63 ERA (92 ERA+), and 83 strikeouts in 138 innings, though he had a high 1.59 WHIP in his 42 appearances (19 starts). Just before being given a second chance in the Motor City Follis was looking like a diamond in the rough, and you could make the case he was better then Staton at this point in his career. Though it could be the appeal of Gaines, who at 24 hit .249/.319/.404 (92 OPS+) parts of three seasons in Detroit, that drew the Eagles to the deal. Mostly as a pinch hitter, he started just 31 of his 162 games, but with his versatility Washington may have thoughts of using him as a rotational guy who can give days off at first, third, short, and even catcher. The power is nice too, and he's already paid Detroit back for taking a chance on him in the 15th Round back in 1954.

What came next possibly rewrote the future for two franchises, as the second place Keystones shipped three top-75 prospects to the Gothams to acquire the ace they've wanted since Lloyd Stevens was dispatched to the Sailors in 1951. That move helped bring a pennant to Philadelphia- but to the Sailors and not the Keystones- and and with adding the highly-skilled Jorge Arellano (9-7, 3.17, 68), the Keystones upgraded the best rotation they've had in years. Just 30, Arellano was once ranked as the top pitching prospect in FABL, and in his mid 20s he showed everybody exactly why. His biggest season came in 1957, where he went 21-8 with a 3.13 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and Association high 202 strikeouts in 279.1 innings pitched. He was named to the All-Star game that season, with this year's inclusion surprisingly his only trip back. In 242 FABL games "Georgie" has gone 102-78 with a 3.78 ERA (113 ERA+), 3.59 FIP (83 FIP-), and 1.33 WHIP. A big strikeout arm, he's set down 1,079 hitters in 1,632.1 innings, and since he's not a power guy, just a guy with great stuff, he keeps the walks manageable (8.5%). Worth an impressive 35.9 wins above replacement, no pitcher taken before or after him (24th) in 1949 has cracked 30, and in the class just the Chiefs duo of Vern Osborne (Gothams, 6th) and Dick Champ (Miners, 22nd) have a chance to take the top spot from him.

Now a member of the Keystones, Arellano will get supported by Harry Dellinger, Marshall Thomas, Buddy Miller, and Lloyd Parker, and with midseason callup Andy Parker looking like a Kellogg contender in limited time, he gets to go from one of the worst offenses to one of the best. New York will feel well compensated, and hope that 19-year-old Charlie Walker can develop into a similar pitcher. Taken in the 3rd Round of the 1960 draft, he was off to a 2-1 start in 4 Class C starts, but the Gothams have aggressively moved him to their Class B affiliate. The hard throwing groundballer has explosive stuff, and I'm sure members of the Gothams lineup would have trouble with his curve. The sinker gets grounders and he does a good job using all five of his pitches. The command will continue to be a work in-progress, but even with no improvements he could be a back-end starter.

Best part is, he's the Glenn Johnson (the fourth prospect in the trade) of the package, as Joe Anderson and Johnny Nelson could be All Stars in the making for the Gothams. Anderson has come close to cracking the top-10, sitting at 17th, and the former 6th pick was crushing it in AA New Orleans. 22 in August, Anderson hit .307/.419/.460 (138 OPS+) in 360 trips to the plate, adding 14 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, 34 RBIs, 49 runs, and 53 walks. Eligible for this year's Rule-5 draft, he was blocked at second and the outfield in Philly, and as talented as he may be, he can't help with this year's pennant chase. Still, it's hard to give away batting title potential and his perfect swing, but Keystone GM Frank York understood the price aces fetch.

Nelson was another tough pill to swallow, as the Keystones don't have a long-term option behind the plate. Initially a 2nd Rounder of the Gothams, he was used to acquire Sam Ivey, in a deal that did not go well form the Gothams. Like Nelson, Ivey is back with his original team, as after struggling with the Gothams (10-16, 4.86, 115), he's been good back home. With the better player back, the Gothams regain a quality prospect even if they're one of the few teams set at catcher. He entices enough with huge home run potential. With good discipline and a solid contact tool, the thing determining his big league potential is his defense. 68 of his 91 games have game in AA, where the 22-year-old hit .249/.373/.498 (134 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 16 homers, and 56 RBIs. You don't see many catchers hit like that, and since he'll need to go on the 40 with Anderson, he could be on the big league roster next season. Starting catcher would be surprising, as their incumbent is the graduated #5 prospect and two months younger. Nelson has played at first, however, and with Hank Estill showing some age at 34, they may view him as an option to play first long-term.

With Philadelphia's big acquisition of Arellano, it would have made sense for the St Louis Pioneers to make a move to counter, but the Fed leaders held through the deadline. They led the Keystones by 2 and Washington by 3, and Washington did link up with the Minutemen for a small deal. A few days later, Boston made their fourth move of trade season, moving on from 27-year-old Bud Henderson just a year and a half after acquiring him from the Sailors. It's back to California for Henderson, but further south to Los Angeles where he was sent to the Stars along with 51st ranked prospect Bobby Garrison, for #2 prospect Frank Kirouac. Kirouac, who was expected to anchor the Stars offense for years to come, is an intimidating 6'4'' slugger who LA took 3rd in 1956. A consistent top-10 prospect, Kirouac has almost ascended to the spire, and was crushing it in 80 AAA games. That's where he's spent most of the season, slashing a strong .275/.404/.498 (146 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 15 homers, 45 RBIs, and 56 runs. He walks (59) more then he strikes out (50), and even swiped 7 bases in a 3.5 WAR effort. The defense was decent in center too (3.0, 1.016), and it's easy to see why Boston was so interested. Along with the big power, he'll hit around .300 with an OBP around .400, and as good as Boston has been, they don't really have a natural center fielder. Bill Tutwiler is an amazing hitter, but his defense is excellent in right and pretty poor in center. Kirouac would be a defensive upgrade, and if the Minutemen want to be aggressive, they can roll out a Masters-Kirouac-Tutwiler outfield once he gets all his bags packed.

It's a big loss for the Stars, but Lou Allen has emerged as an excellent slugger in center, and if they want defense, 23-year-old Ed Moore is going to be ready in a season or two and he's a much better defender. They have plenty of offense, but aside from the robbed Allen winner Dewey Allcock (who actually tore his rotator cuff in the Stars first post-trade inning) and first year starter Sy Dunn, there are a lot of holes in the rotation. Henderson, now in his third organization, is in the middle of what should be his sixth consecutive season with an above average ERA+ and FIP-. This started when he went 17-12 with a 2.79 ERA (133 ERA+) and 2.75 FIP (74 FIP-) as a rookie, where despite a 1.27 WHIP, 93 walks, and an association leading 189 strikeouts, he came up short in the Kellogg race. Two years later he led the Conti with 20 wins, and with better run support he could have came close to that this year. An unlucky 7-9, Bud has a tidy 3.65 ERA (120 ERA+) and 3.76 FIP (85 FIP-), making 20 starts with a 1.37 WHIP, 51 walks, and 73 strikeouts. Him and Allcock will form a lethal 1-2 punch, and with potentially seven 20+ home run hitters, they are going to be a legitimate contender this season and in the near future.

*** Keystones Make Move During Dog Days ***

Fueled by their big acquisition of Jorge Arellano, the Philadelphia Keystones were on a mission in August. The team went 6-0 in his starts -Arellano himself was 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA (167 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts- and didn't lose a single series as the wins kept coming. An outstanding 23-6 for August, they actually didn't reach first place until the second half of the month, as the Pioneers didn't lose a series until the end of August. Unless of course, you count the one game they played (and lost) on the 22nd in Philly. That was an Arellano start, as he (6.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K) matched Billy Hasson (7 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and put the game in the hands of his pen. They held up, John Gibson of St Louis didn't, as Lloyd Coulter led off the 9th with a single, got to second on a bunt, and then scored on Al Coulter's walk-off single. Not only did that put the Keystones back in first, but it let them stay there, and they finished August with a three game lead. The rest of the Fed couldn't keep up with the red hot hopefuls, as just the Eagles (68-55, 9.5 GB) were within 15 of first.

Lucky for baseball fans, the Fed was still likely to have a pennant race, and the Conti is razor thin. The Foresters (73-51) and Stars (70-49) were neck-and-neck, separated by just half a game at months end, and while not close, the Sailors (67-55, 5 GB) and Cannons (64-56, 7 GB) were at least within double digits. LA got off to a hot start, seizing first with a quick series win, but after losing their ace in his first August start, they lost their replacement ace in his first September start. That would be deadline pickup Bud Henderson, who was not only off to a poor start (2-4, 5.57, 28), but will now have the lengthy rehab process involved with torn elbow ligaments. A game and a half lead would be tough to protect, and the gap between Bud and whoever they'll decide to replace him with is about as large as some of the homers the Barrell boys can hit.

Making matters worse, LA stumbled into a three game set in Cleveland with three straight losses, causing them to enter the crucial series down a game. With the injury it meant an unfavorable pitching matchup too, as Earle Wright to take on 44-year-old Rufus Barrell, who was still going strong despite having teammates that weren't even born when he made his FABL debut. That didn't stop Don Hall from getting the scoring going early, as the former #2 pick hit his 19ht homer of the season. That 1-0 lead would have been nice, but the Cleveland offense quickly backed up their beloved vet. Tom Carr got a first pitch double and then walks loaded the bases for Paul Williams. He just missed one, popping up to the second base side of the outfield, and a double play could help the Stars come out unscathed.

The twin-killing did not happen and instead a wild pitch was what they got, as the first pitch to Earl Howe scooted away from Joe Cook, and the lead disappeared. Howe then doubled, scoring the last two on base, and just like that Cleveland was up 3-1. Hal Kennedy matched Howe with a double of his own, and Kennedy made it 5-1 when he scored on a Don Hall error. Wright finally got out of the inning, but he couldn't finish the second. He game up two more before leaving, and Cleveland added a pair of runs in the 3rd, 6th, and 8th too. The game ended up looking closer then it was, as Vic Richardson had a major league debut that could have been worse then his worst nightmare. Cleveland's 3rd Round selection in 1956, he ranks outside the top 250, and was ambushed for a walk, 6 hits, and 5 runs. Richardson recorded just one out, before 21-year-old rookie Johnny Ogden had no issues getting the last two outs of a 13-7 win. Now 73-54, LA had the same amount of losses as the Foresters, just with four less wins.

First-time All-Star Lou Allen had no trouble early in game two, homering off spot starter Johnny Britton in his first two at bats, and the 26-year-old was responsible for all but one of the Stars runs in an early 4-1 lead. Those were his 32nd and 33rd home runs, and his RBI total got up to 103. But the 4th was an issue for Floyd Warner, who after a leadoff single and fly out, he allowed five consecutive batters to reach. This led to a huge five run inning, quickly flipping the score to 6-4. Cleveland got five more in the six, with three coming on a big swing from Paul Williams during an at bat with Ted Ferguson. Again, with the game out of reach, LA got more runs, this time 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th, making their 11-9 loss look closer then it felt.

Now 3 out, LA needed a win to avoid the sweep, and it might have been good they didn't score in the first. This time it was Cleveland who struck first, with Paul Williams' double making it 1-0 early. It felt like it was more of the same, but this time they had their only healthy and effective pitcher, Sy Dunn on the mound. The 22-year-old struggled with his command, walking ten in his start, but he left the game with a 7-4 lead. Homers from Allen and Charlie Barrell were helpful, but Dunn himself had one of four Stars doubles. With two outs in the 8th he handed it off to Hank Myer, who went from being terrible (2-1, 1, 5.14, 44) to almost automatic in the pen. A double play erased his only baserunner, a Cecil Cummings single, and allowed him to lower his ERA to 2.44 and record his 16th save. Avoiding the sweep, the Stars got back within two -- the same amount of games they had remaining with Cleveland.

Those came in over two weeks, meaning they had to at least keep pace with the talented Cleveland squad, but with those teams focused on each other, the San Francisco Sailors decided to start making things interesting. Reeling off wins in 11 of 15 September games, the Sailors got within two games of the leading Foresters. They swept Cleveland in San Francisco, winning a tight 2-1 game before exploding for 14 in the finale. Led by a talented young cast, they had two series against the teams ahead of them, allowing them an opportunity to steal the pennant in the final week. They end their season in Cleveland (3) before home series against the Stars (2) and Foresters (3), setting up an exciting photo finish at the end. Cleveland and LA were within a half game of each other, and had a series of their own in the last week of September. By the time those teams met, the Sailors (82-63) scooted ahead of the Stars (81-63), who were 2.5 games behind the leading Foresters (84-61).

In need of a better performance, the Stars had over 20,000 in the opener, which could be an excellent pitching duel between Jake Pearson and Sy Dunn. That's not how it started, as both offenses got two in the first, and a two-out double from Ralph Barrell in the 2nd made it 3-2 LA. Finally settled in, the starters traded zeros until a Tom Car double tied the game in the 7th. Dunn was able to get out of the inning, finishing his night with 7 strong innings (7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K), but he'd now have to rely on his defense if he wanted his 17th win. Jake Pearson worked around a double in the 7th, and unlike his opponent, he started the 8th. It would have been 8 full innings (6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K) for the 30-year-old, but a Johnny Neal error extended the inning. As punishment, Neal was the one to be taken out in the double switch, as the young Johnny Ogden was brought on to finish the 8th and later start the 9th. His task was retire young leadoff hitter Charlie Sax, something he did on just three pitches.

Hank Myer, who delivered a perfect 8th, got off to a rough start, as Herm Ford singled on the first pitch of the ninth, but after defensive replacement Gene Curtis fouled off a bunt, his second attempt ended up with Ford forced out at second on an excellent play by Ralph Barrell. Stan Kleminski's hustle paid off, as he got on with an infield hit, bringing up slugging shortstop John Low. After taking two pitches wide, he unloaded on a fastball, blasting it 414 feet to right. Though if you thought that was impressive, Paul Williams' encore was even better, as he pounded a get me over fastball 458 feet to left. Dejected, the young Myer was removed from the outing, as September callup Len Trautman was called upon for the final out. He got it, retiring defensive replacement Bob Allie, but the hosts at their work cut out for them.

Ralph Barrell leading off the inning helps, especially if it was a tie game. Down four, they needed more then a leadoff walk. Both Jim Berrien and Lou Allen fell down in the count and each had poor results. Berrien struck out, and Allen erased the lead runner with a dribbler to the pitcher, bringing up breakout infielder Virgil Ewing as the last chance. He pounced on a first pitch breaking ball, singling to the left field gap, with the pitcher's spot ready next. Former Forester Manager Charley McCullough went to Emil Grenier, who gave Ogden all he had. Working the count to 3-2, he fouled off three pitches before grounding to third to end the game.

Desperate for the win to avoid a sweep, Los Angeles went to Carl Johnston, who had the tough task of facing CA win leader Adrian Czerwinski. Making that tougher was a Paul Williams RBI double (1st) and a Gus Melvin home run (2nd), putting Cleveland ahead 2-0 before the Barrell's got to bat. Ralph ended up cutting the lead in half, getting hit on a 2-2 pitch before scoring on a Virgil Ewing double. The run of support seemed to calm Johnston down, as the 23-year-old southpaw finished his night off with five scoreless frames. LA finally broke back through in the 7th, as the Stars were able to bring home Charlie Barrell after his leadoff double. Johnston didn't go back out for the 8th, finishing with 5 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts, although most importantly free from an undeserved loss. Hoping for a bounce back after last night's debacle, Hank Myer was brought in for the 8th, stranding a two-out single to keep the game tied.

Czerwinski made his way out for the 8th, but perhaps he should have had his night end with 7 strong innings and a no decision. Lou Allen reached on a Gus Melvin error, and after an intentional walk to set up the force. the Foresters relieved their multi-time Allen winner. On again was the young Johnny Ogden, who got Ralph Barrell to roll one over to short. Lucky for the Stars, he beat the throw to first, setting up his cousin to give the Stars a lead. After taking a close pitch, Charlie locked in, and hit the next one right over the left field fence. Unrattled, Ogden got the following two batters to strike out, but that big home run could reshape the pennant race.
Myer did allow a two out walk, but it was an overall painless 9th inning, and were back within three games of the Cleveland. The Sailors were a game and a half back, and after a pair of off days they opened their "final gauntlet" a game and a half back. With six games against the leaders, three on the road and three at home, the Sailors controlled their own destiny in the Continental race.

**** Sailors and Foresters Final Weekend Showdown ****

The race to the finish started with a nice late September Friday in Cleveland, where San Francisco's first time All-Star George Fuller took on 11-Time All-Star Rufus Barrell. Both arms had their missteps early, with Barrell charged with one in the first and the Foresters claiming the lead with a Jerry Tubbs three run homer in the second. Both pitchers settled down, but high-stress, high-pitch innings pushed Fuller out after 5 (4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), and after Barrell allowed the first man in the 7th (who later scored) to reach base, his night ended with 6+ innings of decent work (4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K). No win for him, as Johnny Ogden couldn't hold the lead, as after retiring the first batter he faced, Chet Harris took him deep to tie the game at three. With a clean inning, Ogden was able to keep San Francisco off the board in the 8th, but the Foresters offense couldn't get anything going either. Neither team scored in the 9th, so extra innings was needed to decide this all important matchup.

Kicking things off was talented young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo, who worked Lynn Horn to a full count before hitting a hard grounder past short for a single. Playing for one, veteran outfielder Edwin Hackberry did something he'd never do in Detroit, bunt over a runner, but with Jaramillo's speed they increased their winning potential exponentially. To the surprise of some, no intentional walk followed, with second year outfielder John Kingsbury forcing Horn to throw six pitches before surrendering the walk. With the force set up, pinch hitter Carl Matthews rolled up what should have been a routine double play ball for the always reliable John Low, but he booted the grounder, his second error in the game. With the bases now loaded, Ray Rogan pounced on the first pitch, breaking the tie with a one run single. The lead expanded when Herbert Crawford Jr. did the same, though the second out came after when Roy Rutter struck out.

The book was closed on the earned runs, but because of the Low error, Horn still needed one more out. His opponent would be Larry McLaren, who after going down 1-2, added another single. Matthews scored and Rogan followed, beating Tommy Henry's throw from center. Horn's night was over, swingman Frank Young entered, but the scoring continued as early game hero Chet Harris made it 8-3 with the fifth single of the inning. Both runners advanced on the throw home, and the lineup turned all the way back to Jaramillo, who scored the go-ahead run. This time his 3-2 count ended in a flyout, but the damage was done and five runs was tough to overcome. Cleveland did try, even loading the bases with two outs, but 25-year-old lefty Zeke Blake got Bob Allie to flyout and end the game. With the win, the Sailors were just a game behind the Foresters in the win column, a half game away from holding first place.

Now with the chance to take over, the Sailors relied on rookie swingman Eddie Chapman to take on third year swingman Sonny Stoyer. Cleveland got off to a hot start, getting runs in the 3rd and 5th, before a leadoff single ended his night. Perhaps another batter would have worked out well, as former Whitney winner Earl Howe welcomed Roy Rice into the day with a double, increasing the lead to 3-0. On the other end, Stoyer was dominant through seven, putting up zero after zero. Then came the 8th, where a leadoff single sparked some light in the Stars. Quickly, Stoyer retired the next two hitters, but Edwin Hackberry extended the inning with a single, and they got on the board with a John Kingsbury RBI single. Both runners advanced on the throw, moving to third and second, and bringing in the oft-used Johnny Ogden for the final out. He got Heinie Spitler down 1-2, but the rookie second basemen tied up the game with a clutch liner through the left side. Ogden was able to bounce back, getting Rogan to fly out, but just like that the miracle Sailors were right back into it.

They sent Davey Chamberlain in for the 8th, using just five pitches to set down the Foresters before some fans returned from a quick late-game concession break. Ogden was back out for Cleveland in the 9th, getting a ground out and strike out before rookie catcher Larry McLaren extended the inning with a single. This brought up the pitcher's spot, and an obvious substitution, with former first rounder Ray Hughes tasked with turning the lineup back over. Like the Foresters in the previous half inning, he wasted no time, pouncing on a first pitch that he drilled to left. Going all the way to the wall, even the tortoise that is McLaren was able to score from and Forester stadium was so quiet you could hear Hughes' roar of excitement as he popped up from his slide at third. Again, Ogden countered allowed run with an easy out, but now the hosts were down to their final three outs.

Tasked with getting those was Gary Pike, as their top two arms Chamberlain and Roy Rice were already used. Pike got a quick ground out, but walked pinch hitter Larry Curtis after he worked the count full, turning the lineup around for Tom Carr, who already had two doubles on the night. As the go-ahead run, Carr singled. With the winning run on base, Pike was in trouble, but he needed just one pitch to get Stan Kleminski to fly out. The game came down to star shortstop John Low, 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a chance to pick up #108 on the season. Pike got ahead of him, getting a whiff and a foul out, before forcing Low out of the zone with a 60-foot sinker. It didn't get far enough away from McLaren, who was able to complete the put out at first and push San Francisco a half game ahead of Cleveland.

A sweep at home would be devastating for the Foresters, who had just one other game (in Chicago on the 3rd) against a team who wasn't the Sailors, and those final three games would be at Golden Gate Stadium. Making matters worse, Cleveland had to face rookie ace Charlie Lawson, who was not only named to the All-Star game, but led the Continental in earned run average. Cleveland had a dependable arm of their own, Jake Pearson, but the offenses couldn't do much against weaker pitching. A pitching duel was expected, and it certainly lived up to it. Both pitchers were scoreless through four, but while Pearson made it five, Earle Howe fire the opening salvo with a homer off Lawson in the 5th. Howe got to him again in the second, doubling home Paul Williams, who led the inning off with a double of his own. Still, the Sailors ace was advertised, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 8 solid innings. His only hope for a ninth is his offense producing with runners on base. Despite getting ten base runners (6 H, 4 BB) in the first eight innings, they couldn't score a single run. Again in the ninth, runners got on, as down to their final out Chet Harris got himself a pinch-hit double to turn the lineup back over one more time. Carlos Jaramillo kept things going with a single, but Harris held up cautiously as he did not want to get thrown out at home to end the game. Looking to get the platoon advantage, the righty Ron Turner hit for the lefty Edwin Hackberry. Turner held a share of the team RBI leader with John Kingsbury (92), who was waiting on deck. Pearson jumped ahead of the new entrant, and got him to chase a 1-2 pitch, finishing off a huge 8-hit shutout to reclaim first place.

San Francisco got a day off to regroup, and they got an off day to travel home for the last time this year. Half a game back, they had five games against the third and first place teams at Golden Gate Stadium. The Stars came to town 84-65, just a single game behind the Sailors. Both had five games remaining, but LA would need a little help from their hosts to reach Cleveland. They obliged early, as the 23-year-old southpaw Cal Johnston put up zero after zero in a veteran like start. Deadline acquisition Eddie Whitney didn't have the same luck, as Charlie Barrell started the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd, and the Stars lineup added single runs in the 4th and 5th too. For the 6th the Sailors turned to the pen, and in the 8th Vince Ewing hit his 20th homer of the season.

Johnston continued to deal and was looking to complete his first career shutout. Herbert Crawford Jr. had other ideas, pouncing on a get me over pitch, doubling down the left field line. This triggered Charlie McCullough to make the move, turning things over to young stopper Hank Myer. Myer got Bob Gray to fly out to left, keeping the quick Crawford at second, but rookie catcher Larry McLaren got him there with a line drive to right-center. Up again in a big pinch hitting opportunity was Ray Hughes, this time with one out instead of two. The result was worse, as after taking the first pitch, he grounded into a routine 6-4-3 double play, Meanwhile, San Francisco lost to the Cougars 3-1, as George McKee (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) solved The Mad Professor's pop quiz. With Cleveland off on the 4th, whoever won the finale of the Stars/Sailors would enter a tie for first with three games to go.

The win may mean more for Los Angeles, but there's no doubt that San Francisco is the one that needs the win more. With it, pretty much all they have to do is handle the Foresters. Win three and they're in, win two and anything but a sweep form LA and they're postseason bound. From this point on, every start made would be the pitcher's last, so George Fuller finishes his first full season starter with 32 as a Sailor, as he took on former All-Star Floyd Warner. Fuller was the one that pitched like it, as while he limited damage, Wagner was tagged for three in the second while Ray Rogan and Bob Gray went back-to-back in the third. He did end up finishing six, but 7 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks is tough to win with. On the flipside, Fuller fired off six scoreless, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Carlos Jaramillo made it 6-0 in the 7th with a solo homer, and perhaps mercifully, Don Hall's 25th homer gave the Stars a 9th inning pity homer.

With the Sailor win, they entered the last series of the regular season tied with the Cleveland, setting up the storybook finish to the season every fan dreams that their team can come through in. Almost a playoff before the playoff, the winner of this series would likely win the Continental, as the scrappy San Francisco team had a chance to spoil the dominant Foresters threepeat effort. It would be no easy task, but with home field and a team that refused to lose, I'm sure the mighty Foresters were far more nervous then they showed.

In a rematch of October 1sts game, Jake Pearson once again took on Charlie Lawson, as the Sailors looked to get ahead with their ace. The only issues was their defense was abysmal, as the hosts made four errors in the first five innings. This led to six runs, three of which were earned, and put the Sailors in an early 6-1 hole. They did get two in the six, a Heinie Spitler RBI single and Bob Gray bases loaded walk, but after the runners were promptly stranded. Tom Carr then tripled and scored in the 8th, making it 7-3, as Pearson (8 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K) once again provided his club with a huge victory. And with Buddy Byrd's walk-off sac-fly in Chicago, the Stars loss too, meaning all the Foresters had to do to make the playoffs was win one more game.

Easy enough, right?

With a 5-Time Allen winner like Rufus Barrell, it might be, and his lineup gave him an early 1-0 lead. He would need more support, as Larry McLaren doubled and scored to tie the game and then take the lead. Herm Ford battled back with an RBI triple to tie the game backup, but the hosts had a quick answer. Bob Gray launched his 20th homer of the season, doubling the Sailors run total, and allowing starter Eddie Chapman (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K) to exit his start in line for the win. Though win he did not, as after a scoreless frame, Roy Rice allowed Barrell to single to start the 7th. Bringing the lineup back to the top, Tom Carr added a single of his own, and Stan Kleminski bunted both of them over. After a called strike, John Low replaced his pitcher on third, tripling to tie the game up at 4. Low was stranded there, with both Paul Williams and Hal Kennedy flying out, but Rufus was back out for the 7th, but after walking McLaren and Chet Harris he was quickly replaced with Jonny Ogden. Carlos Jaramillo's sac-bunt put both runners in scoring position, giving Edwin Hackberry a chance to retake the lead. He got ahead 3-1, and then lined one past the second basemen to give San Fran the lead. Harris quickly followed McLaren, sliding past the Hal Kennedy tag to make it 6-4. Ogden then caught the talented John Kingsbury looking, but hope was back in the Sailor dugout. Entering form the pen was Davey Chamberlain, who was tasked with getting the final six outs. He ran into little resistance, even striking out Carr and Kleminski to end the game. And since the Stars lost once again, game 154 would officially determine who won the Continental Association.

Smart money was on the back-to-back pennant winners, as they had none other then Adrian Czerwinski, arguably one of the top-5 if not top-10 pitchers of all time, in the deciding game of the season. They would have loved to have him in Game 1 of the World Series, but instead he had to win today to ensure he'd make his 17th career postseason start. Manager Jim Whitehead wouldn't outrightly state it, but everyone knew that game 154 was all on Czerwinski, who was set to lead the CA with 13 complete games and 4 shutouts. Unusual for him, he found himself in an early deficit, as Carlos Jaramillo started the inning with a single, stole second, got to third on a grounder, and scored on Heinie Spitler's two out single. Cleveland responded quickly with a two-out run of their own, with Jerry Tubbs hitting his 7th to tie the game at 1. Both starters settled in, with the Eddie Whitney completing 5 solid innings with just 3 hits, a walk, a run, and 2 strikeouts.

It was a bold decision to turn it to the pen, as both Roy Rice and Davey Chamberlain threw 2 innings each the previous day. Perhaps scoring a run in the 5th is what made the decision, as with a 2-1 lead they might have felt like they had to protect the lead. Rice again threw a scoreless frame, but Hal Kennedy's 24th homer tied the game back up at 2. That led off the 7th, and Rice did manage to keep the game where it was, but a tie game between Czerwinski and Davey Chamberlain did not seem to favor the home team. The durable vet gets outs and gets them quick, and he can throw 140+ pitches if he absolutely must.

Chamberlain entered the 8th, and he had to deal with the top of the Continental's top lineup. Tom Carr got things going with a walk, and as he tends to do, Stan Kleminski bunted the runner over. With John Low up and a runner in scoring position, the pressure was at an all-time high. After going down 1-2, he fought back with four foul balls in five pitches, before lacing the 9th pitch of the at bat to center. With Carr's speed, scoring was easy, and the Foresters were now six outs away from their third consecutive pennant.

Cleveland wasn't ready to stop either, as Paul Williams was a run producer himself. He got down 0-2, fouling off two pitches after, before taking four straight wide ones to reach base. Now on second, Low was pinch ran for in Gene Curtis, a more skilled baserunner. It turned out it wasn't needed, after getting ahead 0-2, Chamberlain hit the catcher Kennedy to load the bases. Though when Earl Howe hit his 0-2 pitch to deep center, perhaps the skipper Whitehead breathed a little easier, knowing Curtis could easily score to stretch the lead to two. Finally, Chamberlain finished off an 0-2 count, striking out Jerry Hubbs to end the inning.

With the season on the line, the Sailors now needed to score two runs off one of the most experienced and talented pitchers in baseball history, and they had just six outs to work with. After a myriad of defensive moves, the battle-tested ace actually made the cardinal sin of baseball, allowing rookie sensation Heinie Spitler to reach with a leadoff walk. The vet did get the next two guys quick, but he put the tying run on base with a walk of Herbert Crawford Jr. That brought up Larry McLaren, who seems to always be the right guy at the right time. Now with the opportunity to bring his team to the playoffs, he knew he had to come through, and he put a jolt into a 1-0 fastball. It looked good off the bat, but it curved just foul, nearly retaking the lead with a huge homer. Hoping to do it again, he put a good swing into the next pitch, but the professor was prepared, and got him to weakly ground out to short.

Before their final chance, the Sailors had to keep the score where it was, and Chamberlain was asked to do what he couldn't do in the previous inning. More composed, he cut through the 8-9-1 hitter, including a strikeout of Czerwinski, who had no intentions of letting someone else hit for him. With the game on the line, he knew he had to be out there, and more then anything, he wanted to be the guy to get things done.

As it has been in September, Ron Turner was there to pinch hit for the pitcher in the 9th, but after a pair of foul balls he was set down on strikes. The lineup turned over for Carlos Jaramillo, who not only scored both Sailor runs, but was 4-for-4 and a homer away from the cycle. That big hit would have been huge, but he was probably just happy to get on, singling on a tough 3-1 pitch. That made Edwin Hackberry the tying run, going ahead 1-0 before fouling off two pitches right back behind the plate. Starting to lock in, he drove the next pitch to center, but right at the well positioned center fielder Jaramillo remained at first making John Kingsbury the Sailors last chance.

Kingsbury took a change low to start the at bat, but then beat the second one in the dirt, right to defensive replacement Johnny Neal at short. Smooth as silk, he unloaded a laser to first, causing the visiting dugout to spill out with an array of ecstatic Forester players and coaches. Down to the last game, with the tying run up, their star did what he did best, and sent his team to their third consecutive World Championship series.

*** Cleveland Continues as Class of Continental ***

It wasn't as easy at it was the previous two seasons, but the Cleveland Foresters were still clearly the best team in the Continental. Not only did they score the most runs and allow the fewest, but they had players win the Allen and Whitney too. For the Allen, it was a common winner, as regular season hero and 11-Time All-Star Adrian Czerwinski won the award for the 6th time in his career. You could make the argument that teammate, runner-up, and staff-ace Jake Pearson (17-7, 3.37, 140) was actually more deserving, but it's hard to argue with the guy that led the association in wins (18), WAR (6.4), complete games (14), and FIP (3.51). A strong 18-9 in what was tied for an association leading 34 starts, "The Mad Professor" worked to a 3.54 ERA (126 ERA+) with a 1.21 WHIP, 74 walks, and 163 strikeouts. His second win in three seasons, and he completed his 13th consecutive season with 33 or more starts, at least 235 innings, an above average ERA+, and a FIP- of 85 or lower. Regardless of whether he wins his 4th championship or not, the run Czerwinski has continued is legendary, and it's truly going to be a shame when the crafty veteran decides that baseball is no longer for him. Once can only hope it comes after 300, if not 350, wins, as through 13 seasons he has 265 to go with a 3.25 ERA (126 ERA+), 3.19 FIP (77 FIP-), 99 WAR, and 2,122 strikeouts.

Despite his propensity for errors, John Low captured the Whitney, the first in his impressive 10-season career. Selected to his 9th consecutive All-Star game, Low finally earned the elusive accolade. An outstanding hitter and fielder, Low cracked the 7 WAR mark or the third time in his career, worth 7.4 in 149 games. The 32-year-old shortstop slashed an outstanding .331/.419/.530 (142 OPS+) with an elite 152 WRC+. Low logged 80 runs, 48 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, 111 RBIs, and 87 walks in a sterling all-around effort. Low's rare mix of offensive and defensive prowess at short is a true rarity in the game, and he's just one of the cogs in the elite lineup. A full season of him, Paul Williams (.307, 28, 111), and Earl Howe (.263, 22, 103, 7) led to 862 runs, but top to bottom everyone could produce. Tom Carr (.283, 6, 61, 32) and Stan Kleminski (.289, 8, 68, 14) excelled at setting the table, and if the 3-4-5 couldn't get it done Hal Kennedy (.285, 24, 84), Cecil Cummings (.281, 11, 62), Sherry Doyal (.298, 15, 64), and Jerry Hubbs (.240, 7, 36) came through when needed. And with the rotation of Pearson, Czerwinski, and Rufus Barrell (13-11, 3.94, 104), beating this team is no easy feat.

San Francisco came about as close as they could, and while still disappointed, rookie manager Walt Zecher should be proud of what his team accomplished. For the first time since 1954, they surpassed the 80 win mark, and with their young talent they might be able to start a streak going. Leading the youth charge is graduated top-50 prospect Charlie Lawson, who made a serious case for the Kellogg. Being 13-8 may have been his undoing, but Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07), striking out 165 with 73 walks and 29 homers in 238.1 innings pitched. Lawson had a meteoric rise, going from 3rd Rounder last season to a top-10 pitcher, and he was the lone stabilizing force in a rotation that saw a lot of movement. Only George Fuller (12-10, 4.34, 118) started more then 20 games, but seven pitchers made double digit starts. The effectiveness varied, as Duke Bybee (3-5, 5.79, 35) looked like a 39-year-old coming off elbow surgery, and George Reynolds (4-5, 5.27, 71) and Gary Pike (3-5, 3, 5.77, 40) were banished to the pen. On the flip side, young guys like Eddie Chapman (15-4, 8, 3.26, 91) and Clem Pranger (7-5, 6, 3.48, 51) pitched their way into the rotation. If those two can fix up the rotation, they can focus on adding some bats. Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) was a nice development, he rounded out a solid top four. Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) would be the best shortstop if John Low didn't exist, and Edwin Hackberry (.243, 16, 70, 18) and John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) are capable corner outfielders. Despite his poor end of season pinch hitting, they may want to make room for home run leader Ron Turner (.326, 24, 92), but for now he's stuck rotating from first, left, and right. They may have surprised teams this year, but expect this Sailors squad to have their hand in the pennant race once again.

Los Angeles will hope to be there too, as even after an embarrassing season ending sweep in Chicago, the Stars still finished with their best record since their pennant winning season in '52. If not for fatal injuries, they probably would have won, as losing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87) and deadline pickup Bud Henderson (2-4, 5.57, 28; 9-13, 4.08, 101), both of whom might not be ready for Opening Day, spoiled their season. Without those two, they just didn't have the pitching to compete. On the bright side, they have a third quality arm for next year, as 22-year-old Sy Dunn impressed in his first season as a starter. Making 29 starts, Dunn was 16-5 with a 3.34 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts. Wild at times, Dunn is a live armed righty that hurls six tough pitches at you, some of which can graze triple digits. His sinker is usually in the 96-98 range, and he can roll up a ton of grounders, and assuming the health of Allcock and Henderson, LA will have a lethal 1-2-3. With a lineup that slugs as many homers as they do, even average pitching overall might be enough, as seven guys hit over 20 homers. Leading the charge was Lou Allen (.287, 39, 119) and his 39, and Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) passed 30 too. Rookie middle infielder Virgil Ewing (.329, 21, 112) was a revelation at 26, and guys like Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), Don Hall (.271, 25, 80), Jim Berrien (.306, 22, 61), and even Joe Cook (.221, 23, 68) could change the game with one swing of the bat. With 240 total homers, the clobbered the previous CA home run record, blowing the 1955 Foresters (183) out of the water. It's very early to make 1963 predictions, but if they can keep their pitchers healthy, I'd wager the Stars be the team to finally stop the Foresters' pennant streak.

A little bit further back were the Cincinnati Cannons, who at 80-74 finished 8 behind Cleveland. With a -39 run differential, they didn't really deserve their record. A lot can be blamed on their rotation, as ace hopeful Jim York (7-11, 5.07, 97) fought injury and poor performance, and Jimmy Block (7-11, 5.14, 88) had similar stats without the injury. On the plus side, young guys like Red Cunningham (10-8, 4.51, 87), Charlie Warren (7-3, 3, 3.19, 73), and Jack Meeks (9-12, 1, 4.14, 105) held there own, and the trio is in-line to fill the back of the rotation next season. Steps forward there would be huge, and if the organization has faith in their young pitching, they can shift their offseason focus to fine-tuning the squad. The outfield is strong, with 2-Time Whitney Winner Dallas Berry (.282, 29, 94, 10) the undisputed star, and elite play by former 5th pick and #4 prospect Bonnie Chapin, who also kind of got screwed out of the Kellogg. 24 as of June, Chapin hit a robust .345/.421/.574 (153 OPS+), capturing the batting title and launching 47 doubles, 7 triples, and 22 homers with 111 runs, 84 RBIs, and more walks (70) then strikeouts (55). That duo is among the best in the bigs, which made up for Fred Lainhart's (.265, 4, 47, 12) stark decline in production. They have a ton of power, even if not at the Stars level, with a 30+ homer season from Art McKinney (.259, 34, 101) and big blasts from Al Farmer (.304, 18, 61) and Charlie Ham (.272, 21, 82). The key now is hitting with runners on, and hoping for no more automatic outs, and with just one more table-setter, they could finish among the top three CA teams in terms of run production.

The last Continental team above .500 was the Kansas City Kings, who at 79-75 were back over he breakeven mark after their 8 season stretch was snapped a year ago. 79 wins was still likely a disappointment, but they got to add another Kellogg to an award they've dominated since its inception. 214 hits, 124 RBIs, and 33 steals were what it took for Pat Davis to win the award, as the highly touted top-15 prospect became the 5th King to win the award. The 23-year-old hit a solid .343/.380/.543 (137 OPS+) with 94 runs, 33 doubles, 17 triples, and 19 home runs, turning into a fourth deadly lefty in the KC lineup. A lot of Davis' RBIs were because Hank Williams (.326, 39, 121, 7) batted in front of him, and the duo spent plenty of time driving in Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and whoever else managed to get on. As good as those four were, the rest of the lineup really struggled. The always reliable and former Kellogg winner Dutch Miller (.217, 11, 75) had his first bad showing since he won back in '54, and his backup Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32, 4) was the only other above average hitter with more then 200 PAs. The pitching staff had a similar situation, as Beau McClellan (11-11, 3.99, 135), Fred Myers (10-14, 3.73, 119), and Gordon McDonald (9-4, 1, 3.63, 34) all impressed, but the rest of the staff seemed to have prolonged cold spells. Even All-Star stopper Del Lamb (10-6, 18, 4.36, 97) wasn't his normal dominant self, so with a return to form from some of their better pitchers they could push for a pennant. They're probably one solid starting pitcher and one quality regular from being a top team, but the foundation is there to make a sustained run.

The Chicago Cougars never got going, as a 10-18 May threatened to sink their season. The final nail came on June 6th, where star middle infielder Jack Gibson (.290, 15, 44) ruptured his MCL. A devastating injury from someone who has had injury issues in the past, cynical Cougar fans will draw parallels to Billy Hunter, another talented young infielder who could never get past his knee issues. Gibson's loss was irreplaceable, as the 26-year-old will enter 1962 with the 5th most home runs (123) in team history, despite having appeared in less then 500 FABL games. Coming off back-to-back 5 WAR seasons, the former 2nd Rounder was on track to break the team's single season home run record of 47, and with him gone the offense was never quite the same. They finished second to last in runs scored, despite solid seasons from Jerry McMillan (.314, 28, 81, 23), Gene Case (.288, 21, 77, 8), and Henry Watson (.302, 26, 90). Jim Barton (.303, 9, 68) might have taken a step back, going from an All-Star to an average bat with out power, but he's just 25, the oldest of the bunch. Add in a solid rookie season from 22-year-old shortstop Tom Holliday (.291, 4, 57), and the beginning of a young core is forming. They've got the pitching, as Andy Logue (15-11, 3.40, 139) seems to have put it all together, while John Mitchell (8-3, 3.74, 45) and rookie Henry Henderson (9-6, 2, 3.72, 66) are looking like solid young pitchers. Barring a combination of breakouts next season, this team is still ways from contention.

As expected, the Canadian teams were at the bottom, with Montreal (62-92) "winning" the Battle of the Great North. They didn't do much scoring or preventing runs, with very little going right. Eddie Martin (9-14, 3.88, 93) was the only pitcher with an ERA below 4.25 among pitchers with a start, and even in the pen only deadline pickup Chet Baker (5-3, 6, 3.78, 40) was able to get many outs. Offensively they had a little more luck, as Harry Swain (.328, 20, 101, 6) and Andy Gilman (.275, 25, 85) put together solid seasons. With Swain it was expected, but the 92 starts Gilman made were more then his previous three seasons combined. Now 24, the former 4th pick is starting to live up to the hype, and Montreal could quickly be his team. Meanwhile, the Toronto Wolves finished 59-95, and they saw their 21-year-old ace and Allen winner Arnie Smith (6-2, 2.81, 70) tear his labrum in June. Even worse, George Hoxworth (5-16, 5.14, 124) was awful, so what was once expected to be a decades long duo of dominance could fizzle out already. There's more of course, as Sid Cullen (.310, 19, 69) fought injuries again, making Tom Reed (.299, 28, 91, 10) the only above average hitter with more then 450 PAs. Canadian baseball is at a new all-time low, and with expansion set to take talent away from FABL organizations, these two cellar dwellers may not be able to stave off the expansion teams.

*** Fed Flag Race Decided Early ***

Suspense was lacking from the Fed finish, but in early September the Philadelphia Keystones and St Louis Pioneers were neck-in-neck. From the 8th to 10th, the top two teams squared off in St. Louis, and when the Pioneers took two-of-three, they opened up a one game lead. St. Louis ripped off three more wins, adding an extra half game to the lead, giving them a week and a half to stay on top before a big series in Philadelphia.

Philly then started to get hot, winning 7 of 8 to take a two game lead over the ice cold Pioneers. With a two game lead and a four game series, St. Louis still had a chance to put themselves in the driver's seat. They got off to a great start, roughing up Jorge Arellano (4 IP, 11 H, 8 ER) in the opener, as homers from Bill Bather (19) and Bob Bell (36) pushed the Keystone ace out early. Bather hit another homer off Sam Ivey in the 6th, helping the guests cruise to an 11-3 win. With the lead cut to one, the Keystones needed to end their struggles against St. Louis, and with a huge outing from Tom Robinson (8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K), they were able to hold onto a tight 2-1 lead.

A double header followed, and while the two teams would play once more in October, this game had huge pennant implications. For St. Louis, a sweep would put them into a tie for first, while a Philly sweep would bring them ever-so-close to their first pennant since 1945. Runs came often in game one, with scoring in four of the first six innings, as the Keystones opened up a nice 5-1 lead. Neither team scored in the 7th, but the Pioneers were making a push in the top of the 8th. Starter Joe Kienle was cruising through 7, but after a leadoff ground out, pinch hitter Steve Schultz made it 5-2 with one swing of the bat. Looking to rebound, Kienle got Bill Bather to hit a grounder, but first basemen Andy Parker booted it, allowing Bather to reach. He got to second on a walk, and with the dangerous Bob Bell up, advanced on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position and a feared slugger at bat, momentum was starting to change, and with one swing from the eventual Whitney winner, it was a brand new game in Philly. Bell tied things up with a 383 foot homer to left center, ending Kienle's night, and producing a sort of uneasiness at Broad Street Park.

Reliever Don McKeown was up next, working around a pair of singles, managing to keep the score where it was. The Keystones got to face a new pitcher too, with John Gibson brought in to keep the game tied, but he failed in about as spectacular fashion as you could. Tom Cooprider was his first test, and he hit a solo homer to right center, quickly returning the lead to the home side. Next was a walk to Sam Gallick, and he only got an out after since Ed Thompson bunted him over. Gibson wanted nothing to do with reigning Whitney winner Harry Dellinger, walking him intentionally to bring up second basemen Marshall Thomas. Up 2-1, he lined a single to right, loading the bases for the young Andy Parker. With a chance to make up for his error, he hit one right back to Gibson, allowing him to get the force at the plate. Bases still loaded, now it was another Whitney winner in Buddy Miller, and there was nowhere to put him. Miller fouled off the first offering, but then hit one harmlessly to short.

Or at least it should have been, but defense was optional today, and the 4th Pioneer error made it 7-5 as Cal Randall, who just moved from third to short, couldn't field it cleanly. Bases still loaded, the dangerous Lloyd Coulter had a chance to make things happen, but he rolled over a 3-1 pitch, grounding out meekly to second to strand the runners. McKeown needed five pitches to get the first two outs of the 9th, but Bill Bather worked a eight pitch walk to keep the game alive. With a chance to make up for his error, Randall became the tying run, but all he could muster was a dribbler to Coulter at third, which he casually tossed across the diamond for the win.

Normally after a tough loss, you have a day to regroup, but instead the teams had about 30 minutes to prep for a rematch. At this point, St. Louis had to win, so putting up zeros for the first six innings was a big no-no. Thankfully, all Philly mustered up on 40-year-old John Thomas Johnson was Dick Christian's 2nd inning RBI single, so 1-0 wasn't a tough deficit to overcome. Still, another zero in the 7th was brutal, and opposing pitcher Jim Cooper decided he needed more run support. With one out and two on, the 27-year-old did something he had never done before: hit a home run. That big blast made it 4-0, so when Cooper left with one out in the 8th, he was inline for his 11th win of the season. In came a second Jim, 20-year-old Jim Elliot, who let St. Louis get on the board with Bob Bell's 38th home run. It was a good start, and St. Louis did get two more in the 9th, but any hope of winning was stamped out when the Bell homer was answered by Lloyd Coulter, who matched Cooper's three-run blast with one of his own. The 7-3 win put Philly 4 up, and with 7 wins in their last 10 games to end it, they cruised to a 97-57 record that put them seven clear of a really good Pioneers team.

For the first time maybe ever, it was pitching and defense, not the high octane offense, that carried the Keystone team. Among qualified hitters, just Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96) even hit above .300, but with him, Miller (.298, 36, 113), and Coulter (.263, 35, 91) they had a trio of 30+ homer and 90+ RBI mashers. Rookie Andy Parker (.324, 13, 52) came up late and impressed, with the graduated 6th ranked prospect producing a 148 WRC+ in 112 games. Picking up Arellano (7-2, 2.89, 62; 16-9, 3.05, 130) at the deadline was massive, and likely won them the pennant, but the Keystones had a 3.43 rotation ERA and every member at the end had a sub 4 ERA. Joe Kienle (16-7, 3.25, 100) dropped his ERA almost two points, while William Davis (16-11, 3.47, 149), Tom Robinson (13-9, 3.45, 97), and Jim Cooper (12-4, 3.68, 83) were all excellent. They're all young too, as Arellano is the only one over 30, so this group can stick together for the long haul. Stopper Don McKeown (12-11, 26, 3.05, 117) is another young guy who could start, but he emerged as a clutch game finisher, leading the Fed with 26 saves. This team is deep and seemed to find the missing piece, and should be the odds on favorite even if Cleveland has the postseason experience most teams can only dream of.

St. Louis is probably the 2nd best team in FABL, but they had the unlucky occurrence of catching an outstanding Keystones team in a year they were at their best. 90-64 is usually good enough to win a pennant, and the best they've done since going 91-63 and capturing the 1951 pennant. I alluded to how good Bob Bell could be last year, as a then 22-year-old hit .328/.447/.582 (176 OPS+) after a late July callup, and he somehow managed to match that with a lethal .345/.435/.635 (173 OPS+). The clear Whitney winner led the association in OBP, slugging, OPS (1.070), WRC+ (176), wOBA (.447), and WAR (9.8), as well as more traditional stats like runs (117), homers (39), and RBIs (128). No one could come close to what he did, and on top of all the offensive output, he even swiped 10 bases and won the Diamond Defense award for second base. As long as this guy is in St. Louis, they're going to compete, and it helps having another Whitney winner in Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14) to compliment him. Add in the elite 1-2-3 of Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188), who won his third Allen in four seasons, ERA leader Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), and pitching WAR (7.5) leader Steve Madden (14-6, 3.17, 166), and it's honestly mind boggling they aren't a postseason team. Aside from catcher, this team doesn't have any real weakness, and will be one of the early favorites for the 1962 pennant.

There's a rather significant drop after the top two, but the Washington Eagles were still way closer to the top then the bottom. In fact, there were 13 games between them and Philly and them and the Gothams and Chiefs, who finished tied for 4th. At 84-70, the Eagles had their best finish in over a decade, ending a stretch of four straight seasons finishing 7th or 8th. They did so with a strong offense, scoring more runs then any of the non-Keystone teams in the association. A balanced approach, they don't have a true star in the lineup, instead getting production from guys like Jack Thompson (.314, 16, 97), the guy who refuses to walk (2.9 career BB%), 20-year-old sophomore Tom Lorang (.305, 18, 62), who might be a star in the making, and Al Marino (.255, 9, 76, 6), who has emerged as a real quality shortstop. The pitching has a lot of holes, but Jim Stewart (13-8, 3.32, 137) looked like an ace, and Foster Sherman (7-5, 3.79, 45; 14-7, 3.97, 105) provided a stabilizing veteran presence. If Washington is confident in young guys like Bob Ball (13-16, 4.35, 127), Wally Phillips (8-4, 3.53, 66), Carl Levy (12-6, 20, 3.93, 84), and Otto Caudill (10-12, 1, 4.95, 104), they might not need to make a big move, but a second veteran like Sherman could do wonders for their postseason probability.

After an 87 win finish last season, dropping to 71-83 was devastating for the Chicago Chiefs, who seemed like one of the tougher competitors before the season started. A lot of the decline can be attributed to Rod Shearer (.260, 15, 77), who battled middling production and injury in a year where he set many career lows. Though aside from Ed Bloom (.315, 23, 104, 17) and Irv Clifford (.312, 2, 49, 8), he was actually their best hitter. Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) saw his WRC+ drop 60 points, posting a below average mark (93) for the first time in a full season, and none of the supporting cast stepped up in his place. They did pitch a bit better, with nice seasons from Vern Osborne (10-15, 3.50, 152) and Jack Halbur (12-10, 3.84, 99), but Joe Cipolla (7-12, 4.71, 130) saw his walk and strikeout rates go in the wrong direction, and Dick Champ (12-9, 4.41, 129) was more average then good. The pen was reliable, led by 23-year-old rookie Joe Lancaster (8-4, 15, 3.31, 56), and they have plenty of other talented young arms ready for more of a role next season. Despite the bad record, they don't really need much legwork in the offseason, and can perhaps bank on Rod Shearer being Rod Shearer again to return to contention.

New York however, does have much to do, as despite being tied in the standings with Chicago, they're in a far different spot then the Chiefs. Shedding stars in recent years, the Gothams will be without Ed Bowman (8-16, 4.25, 78) next year, who decided to hang up the spikes after cracking FABL's top-10 win list. With 322 wins, he finished 1 above Rabbit Day, but he still provided average results. I think he had a year left in him, and with 11 wins he could have moved up to 6th All-Time, but instead he'll have to settle for a slew of Gothams records. This includes wins and WAR (141.7) and pretty much every counting stat you could think of. In total, the former #1 prospect hurled 5,418 innings, working to a 3.31 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 2,606 strikeouts. A 2-Time Allen winner and 12-Time All-Star, he'll go down among the greatest pitchers of all time, leaving a gigantic hole in a mediocre rotation. Left at the top is the now 25-year-old Clarence Reimer (12-12, 4.15, 158) a former 15th round pick who was quickly released by the Keystones, and every arm behind him is either young and raw or a middling vet they are hoping they can increase the value of. The offense is thin, and I would expect them to shop Hank Estill (.248, 15, 71) and Rex Pilcher (.260, 21, 64), as they already have young guys contributing there. Otto Pilkerton (.261, 13, 55, 14) looked great in center, capturing the Diamond Defense award and providing average offense, exactly what Frank Arnold (.297, 5, 65) get at the hot corner. Young catcher Tom Brizzolara (.313, 12, 57, 6) has emerged as a top-5 backstop as well, giving them a trio of talented starters 24 or under. The roster is still a work in-progress, but big '62 seasons from this group could push up their contention timeline.

No team was more disappointing this year then the Boston Minutemen, who followed up back-to-back titles with a deadline sell-off. Finishing 69-85, they had their worst year since 1951 where they failed to reach the 60 win mark for the first time since the turn of the century. Everything that went wrong, did, as Rick Masters (.274, 12, 49) was barely replacement level, Ed Wise (.209, 21, 58) barely hit over .200, and Joe Kleman (.262, 10, 72) was a full five runs worse as he didn't do much hitting and produced a negative zone rating (-2.2) for the first time since his rookie season. My vote is that it was the baseball gods punishing them, as for reasons unknown to the baseball community, reigning 20-game and Allen winner Don Griffin (6-7, 25, 3.07, 74) was banished to the pen. Easily their best pitcher, and maybe one of the bests in the game, it was a shocking move that left many around the game stunned. I mean sure, guys like Ray Gonyea (11-16, 4.09, 153) and Bob Hollister (10-11, 3.63, 76) are solid, but there was plenty of room in the rotation behind them. At this point, it seems like he'll remain their stopper, but word around the league is teams are very interested in adding the recently turned 25-year-old to their staff instead.

Rounding out the Fed at 67-87 are the Detroit Dynamos and Pittsburgh Miners. For Detroit, it was a surprise, as they had finished above .500 ten consecutive seasons, and actually had a +4 run differential. Funny enough, it's the offseason sell-off moves that helped them win games, as veteran John Jackson (11-13, 3.15, 121) pitched like an ace at 37, and former top prospect Ray Waggoner (.317, 30, 100) took home this season's Kellogg award. The 25-year-old showed exactly why they parted with Hackberry to get him, as he mashed to the tune of .317/.372/.566 (141 OPS+) and won the team triple crown. He anchored a lineup with a good amount of power, as Bill Morrison (.276, 14, 75, 9), Dick Tucker (.281, 19, 71), Cecil Gregg (.302, 25, 97), Joe Reed (.299, 23, 87, 10), and Lew Mercer (.295, 16, 56, 9) are all threats to go deep. The offense as constructed is pretty solid, and with Jackson, Jim Norris (9-15, 4.08, 137), and Paul Anderson (18-7, 3.27, 113) the rotation looks pretty good too. They're really just one starting pitcher away, and I'd be willing to bet this team finishes much better in 1962.

Pittsburgh was a more fitting last place team, as they finished with fewer then 70 wins for the fifth time in six years. Arguably the worst pitching staff in the game, Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86) saw his ERA increase by almost three full runs, and they didn't have a single pitcher throw more then 200 innings. Joe McDowell (15-7, 4.29, 90), the "best" starter on the staff, got close, only two outs away, but there just weren't guys who could give them good innings early in the game. They had the 8th and 9th locked up, as 24-year-old George Kollock (6-7, 22, 3.21, 92) was superb, making it surprising they never gave the former starter a chance in the rotation. They did show more life at the plate, as Frank Selander (.351, 12, 72, 14) won the batting tile and is starting to look like the top-20 prospect he once was. Youngsters Chuck Draper (.263, 14, 63, 16), John Moreland (.328, 10, 109), and Mike Whisman (.269, 15, 84, 9) got on plenty ahead of Selander, and veteran Bill Newhall (.280, 12, 56) put together another good season. The bottom three in the lineup needs some work, but until they can shore up the pitching staff, it won't matter too much. One guy to watch on that end is Jimmy Blair (9-16, 4.37, 107), who had a really nice 3.67 FIP (82 FIP-), but there just isn't enough in hand to expect a postseason run in the near future.

1961 World Championship Series

It's been quite some time since the Philadelphia Keystones played in the World Championship Series. You have to go back 16 years since the Keystones last pennant in 1945. It was the second of two straight flags for Philadelphia and they split back to back WCS appearances against the Cincinnati Cannons with Cincinnati winning in 1944 and the Keystones prevailing the following year. There have been some lean years in the City of Brotherly Love since then as the Keystones went 14 years of never been less than double-digits out of first place until the 1960 season when they trailed front-running Boston by seven games but still ended up fourth.

That changed this time around as the Keystones won a franchise record 97 games, one more than the previous mark established by their 1933 championship team. Like the '33 club which featured Rankin Kellogg in his prime and young Bobby Barrell, this edition of the Keystones has plenty of power. Outfielders Buddy Miller and Harry Dellinger each socked 36 homers with third baseman Lloyd Coulter chipping in with 35.

Unlike the long wait the Keystones had before returning to meaningful October baseball, the Continental Association has pretty much belonged to the Cleveland Foresters over the past decade and a half. The Foresters led the CA for the third year in a row and have won 8 pennants in the past 13 years. Four of the five seasons the Foresters did now lead the Continental Association they finished in second place and their 1958 third place showing was the worst the Cleveland fans have seen since 1949.

That is a far cry from the early history of the franchise as Cleveland did not win its first WCS until 1934, beating only the Brooklyn (now Kansas City) Kings in that regard. For most of the 1940's the Foresters were the bottom of the barrel in the CA, spending nine consecutive years in the second division and finishing higher than seventh place just once. That turned around with a surprising worst to first run in 1949 and the Foresters, led the entire time by Adrian Czerwinski and Sherry Doyal, have never looked back.

While Philadelphia clinched its pennant with nearly two weeks to spare, finishing 7 games ahead of the second place St Louis Pioneers, the Foresters needed every game to prevail in the Continental Association flag race. Cleveland and San Francisco entered the final day of the season tied for first and needed two runs in the top of the 8th inning and a complete game from Czerwinski to hold of the Sailors in the season finale. Los Angeles was also very much in the mix until the Stars were swept in a 3-game season ending weekend series by the Chicago Cougars and finished 3 games off the pace.

GAME ONE: CLEVELAND 5 PHILADELPHIA 3

The first ever meeting between the Keystones and Foresters came with plenty of pressure on the visitors from Cleveland. The Foresters were playing in their third consecutive WCS but had lost in five games to Boston each of the past two years. With Adrian Czerwinski needing rest after pitching the regular season clinching game on Sunday, the Foresters had a solid backup option in 17-game winner Jake Pearson. Philadelphia countered with their number one starter Jorge Arellano, who was the only Keystones hurler with previous WCS experience, having won two starts for the Gothams in the 1956 classic.

Pearson had a tough first inning, walking in the games first run when he issued a free pass to former Forester Lloyd Coulter after a single, a walk and an error. In the third Coulter made his former mates pay again when he delivered an rbi double to plate Andy Parker and put the Keystones up 2-0.

Arellano would cruise along until the top of the sixth when the Foresters bats erupted with three runs. CA Whitney Award winner John Low hit a 1-out triple and after Paul Williams worked Arellano for a free pass, bringing Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy to the plate. The second pitch to Kennedy was wild and Low raced home to score with Kennedy adding an exclamation point in the form of a 2-run homer to give the Foresters a 3-2 lead.

The Foresters added some insurance with two runs in the top of the ninth off Philadelphia reliever Tom Robinson. A walk, an error and singles off the bats of Otis O'Keefe ad Tom Carr did the damage increasing Cleveland's lead to 5-2. With Johnny Ogden on the hill trying to close out the win for Cleveland the Keystones made a strong effort at a comeback, scoring once and having the bases loaded with two out but Ogden fanned Dick Sheehan to end the game and give Cleveland a 5-3 victory to start the series.

GAME TWO: PHILADELPHIA 7 CLEVELAND 6

16-game winner William Davis took the hill for the Keystones against the winningest lefthander in FABL history. That would be 44-year-old Deuce Barrell, who went 13-11 and now has 342 career FABL wins. Deuce was making his 16th WCS start, one more than teammate Adrian Czerwinski for the all-time lead, but has had his struggles in recent Octobers, going 0-3 with a 10.98 era in four WCS starts over the past two years. Barrell's postseason problems persisted as he did not make it through the fourth inning as the Keystones scored at least once in each of the first four frames and led 5-2 when Barrell was sent to the showers.

Buddy Miller drove in a run in the first inning after Harry Dellinger and Marshall Thomas led off with back to back singles off of Barrell. The damage could have been worse than 1-0 but Cleveland centerfielder Earl Howe threw out a runner at the plate. Barrell surrendered three more singles in the second inning resulting in another Philadelphia run and then two more on two hits in the third put the Foresters behind 4-0.

Cleveland did score a pair in the top of the fourth but Philadelphia answered with Buddy Miller's second rbi single of the game to make the score 5-2. That marked the end of Barrell's day and the Keystones were finally held scoreless for an inning in the fifth frame. It did not last long as the lead was up to 7-2 when Cleveland reliever Sonny Stoyer gave up 3-hits including a two-run double from Lloyd Coulter in the sixth inning.

The score would remain 7-2 until the Foresters rallied in the top of the ninth inning. They scored four times with Paul Williams' 2-run homer doing most of the damage. Down 7-5 wth two out and runners on second and third the Foresters nearly forced extra innings as pinch-hitter Gary Romeo smacked a single. Earl Howe scored from third and Armando Estrada, who represented the tying run, was waived home after starting on second base. Philadelphia rightfielder Buddy Miller delivered a perfect strike to catcher Tom Cooprider and Estrada was gunned down at the plate to end the game and preserve the 7-6 Philadelphia victory.

GAME THREE: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 4 (16 innings)

It would be hard to top the drama of a game-ending play at the plate that evened the series in game two, but the two clubs were up for the challenge as the series shifted to Cleveland for the third game. Adrian Czerwinski made his first start of the season for the Foresters and allowed just 2 singles over the first 7 innings as the hosts built a 3-0 lead. All of Cleveland's scoring came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Keystones reliever Don McKeown walked two batters and then allowed doubles from Paul Williams and Earl Howe.

Czerwinski, tiring, retired the first batter to start the eighth inning but then allowed back to back line drive singles from Dick Sheehan and Tom Cooprider. The Mad Professor induced a fly ball out from Dick Christian and then seemed to be out of the jam when Harry Dellinger hit a ground ball to Foresters shortstop John Low. Low booted the ball and the bases were loaded setting the stage for a Marshall Thomas grand slam that put Philadelphia ahead 4-3 with one swing of the bat.

The Foresters tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the eighth when Hal Kennedy hit a solo shot for his second homerun of the series. The game would remain tied at 4 until the top of the 16th inning when Buddy Miller led off with a single off of Cleveland hurler Earle Turner. Turner then went to a full count on Lloyd Coulter before walking the ex-Forester but was aided by a double play when another former Clevelander in pinch-hitter Jim Urquhart popped out while trying to sacrifice the runners. The play left Lloyd Coulter unable to get back to first base in time and he was doubled up.

Dick Sheehan was issued an intentional walk leaving runners at first and second and Philadelphia catcher Tom Cooprider at the plate. Cooprider deliver an rbi single to plate Buddy Miller from second and that run would stand up, giving the Keystones a 5-4 victory and a two games to one series lead.

GAME FOUR: PHILADELPHIA 6 CLEVELAND 4

Another game with plenty of offense early as both teams scored in the first inning. Back to back doubles from Marshall Thomas and Andy Parker off Cleveland starter Hank Berkowitz gave the Keystones a quick run but a pair of walks issued by Philadelphia hurler Jim Cooper followed by an rbi single off the bat of Hal Kennedy allowed Cleveland to tie it at one in the home half of the first.

Cooper aided his own cause when the Philadelphia pitcher smashed a 2-run homer in the top of the second to give the Keystones a 3-1 lead but Cleveland again responded, this time with 3 runs in the bottom of the third inning on three singles, a walk and a hit batsman to put the Foresters up 4-3.

The scoring was rounded out in the top of the fifth inning when Philadelphia plated three runs. The first came on a lead-off solo homerun from pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey and the other two came after a pair of walks when Lloyd Coulter delivered a 2-run double. Both bullpens did their jobs after that and the game ended 6-4 for the Keystones, leaving Philadelphia one win away from winning the WCS.

GAME FIVE: CLEVELAND 7 PHILADELPHIA 2

The Foresters did not want to lose the series at home and it would mark the third consecutive season they fell in five games. The game, a rematch of the series opening pitching matchup of Jorge Arellano for the Keystones against Cleveland's Jake Pearson, was tight for five innings with the Foresters holding a 3-2 lead thanks to Paul Williams second homerun of the series. The Foresters added a run in the sixth inning when a wild pitch allowed Earl Howe, who had doubled to score to go up 4-2.

Philadelphia's best chance to pull even in the game came in the top of the seventh when Dick Christian led off with a double and moved to third on a Harry Dellinger single but Marshall Thomas hit into a 2-4-3 double play to end any hopes of a big inning. Cleveland made sure of a return to trip to Philadelphia by plating three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and the Foresters were still alive following a 7-2 victory.

GAME SIX: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 0

Unlike in other WCS starts over the past three years, Deuce Barrell was outstanding for Cleveland for seven innings, scattering 7 hits and making just one mistake - a gopher ball that pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey sent over the rightfield wall in the sixth inning. Barrell left trailing 1-0 as Philadelphia's William Davis was equally good. Davis allowed 6 hits before giving way to reliever Don McKeown. The pair combined on a 7-hit shutout as the Keystones clinched the series with a 5-0 victory.

Barrell was replaced with nobody on and one-out in the eighth and Cleveland reliever Lynn Horn immediately landed in hot water. Harry Dellinger greeted Horn with a single. Marshall Thomas followed with a double to put runners on second and third and a free pass to Andy Parker loaded the bases. For the second time in the series we had a grand slam homerun with this one courtesy of Buddy Miller to put the Keystones ahead comfortably by a 5-0 score. It would end that way and the Keystones had won their franchises 4th World Championship Series while the Foresters had lost in the WCS for the third consecutive season.

Buddy Miller, who hit .375 with a homerun, 6 rbi's and 6 runs scored, was named the series MVP. It was the first taste of post-season action for the 31-year-old three time Whitney Award winner.

OFFSEASON

After the Keystones debunked the "third times a charm" myth, all the focus in the baseball world was on expansion. 1962 would bring the first ever expansion draft, as the 16 FABL organizations that competed for the crown in 1961 had a few months to prepare for one of the biggest advancements of the league. Deemed profitable enough to move to 20 teams, it's a bold move by the league, but one that has been long overdo. Baseball has quickly grown into a national game, and it was clear that there were markets to be tapped. The GWL sparked an interest on the west coach in more competitive baseball, and the relocation of three east coast teams was basically a trial run of viability of baseball on the west of the Mississippi. All three of those teams finished above .500 this season and top-6 in attendance, a resounding success story the league off.

Joining the fray are the Minneapolis Millers, Los Angeles Suns, Dallas Wranglers, and New York Imperials. The first two will compete in the Fed, the last in the Conti, so teams now have to compete against nine others to make it to the postseason. Before all that, the four teams will get to select players from their competitions FABL and AAA rosters. Teams can protect players of course, so don't expect Buddy Miller or Jake Pearson putting on another uniform any time soon. But guys like Bobby Crooks and Charlie Phillips? Who knows! Stars may be born, careers changed, but more importantly, us fans get more of what we love. We get more baseball!

With the shift in the landscape, GMs will go about their business differently, so the trade market was on the quiet side. The Fed runner ups kicked things off, looking to fill their catchers spot with a bounce back candidate. That would be 2-Time All-Star Dutch Miller, who's '61 batting line of .217/.330/.348 (76 OPS+) was nowhere near his .263/.357/.421 (113 OPS+) career line since his debut in 1954. A reliable bat in the seasons prior, as Miller's 84 WRC+ was the first time he produced one below 100. Even in a down year, Miller still drew 79 walks, and despite his personality guys like throwing to him. He's a useful veteran add to the Diamond Defense winner this year Sam Ruggles (.243, 7, 47), who also had the worst season of his career. Then to entice the Kings, they sent infielder Cal Randall (.284, 13, 68) and top-200 prospect Whitey Gates. Randall did start for them some, but with Steve Schultz (.289, 20, 76) and Paul Watson (.245, 12, 52) able to play third and short, they figured it was best to move him instead of one of their top prospects.

Always looking to fill their shortstop position, Kansas City will hope the 25-year-old Randall is the answer. A former 1st Round Pick, "Bucky" ranked as high as 25th on the prospect lists, and 1961 was the first season he got a regular role with the Pioneers. In parts of three seasons he has hit .274/.334/.383 (87 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 17 homers, and 91 RBIs. 598 of his 845 PAs came this season, where he came close to hitting league average (99 WRC+) and developed as a captain on the infield. He could end up having a better season then Miller, and with Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32) hitting really well as the backup for Miller this year, KC might hope he can keep it up in a full-time role. Then with Gates they got a 6'4'' lefty who won't be 21 until next June. His 10 starts in Class B (3-6, 3.64, 51) were excellent, and with a deep five pitch arsenal he could work his way into a big league rotation.

Kansas City then went to upgrade their pen, sending a 20-year-old righty Marty Bean to Toronto for CA save leader Whitey Stewart. Stewart, 30, started all but four of his previous 192 outings, before making an association high 74 appearances this year. His 2-14 record was more about the Wolves being bad then him, as his 4.49 ERA (99 ERA+) was perfectly respectable. He did walk a ton of guys, 67 to be exact, but he hadn't had control issues since he was in his early 20s. In each of the last four seasons he walked less then 10% of hitters, but that jumped to 13.7 in 104.1 innings. A sad outcome for a former #1 pick and prospect, Toronto must think Stewart's best days are behind him. At best, Bean looks like a back-end starter, and Toronto's staff has plenty of holes. Of course, there's always the added factor of the looming expansion draft, and they relied on a lot of young pitchers that they won't want to leave unprotected.

Boston continued to make trades, though the Minutemen fanbase almost rioted when it was announced team home run leader Rick Masters would no longer be wearing a Minutemen jersey. Taken 2nd way back in 1949, the former #1 prospect is just one season removed form winning World Championship Series MVP and hitting .336/.413/.565 (162 OPS+) with 34 homers and a tied for career high 117 RBIs. A former batting title and home run leader, Masters did struggle in 1961, with his .274/.355/.407 (97 OPS+) batting line the worst since his rookie season. His struggled caused his playing time to decrease, and he failed to hit 20 homers for the first time since his 27-game 1952. One of his 12 homers this year was #300, a beautiful blast off Jack Halbur in the first inning of a 3-2 loss. As disappointing as he was this year, it's still a huge shock Boston would even continue parting ways with him, as he just turned 31 and produced six consecutive 5 WAR seasons before this. In his career, Masters has slashed an outstanding .303/.367/.500 (133 OPS+), selected to 6 All-Star games with Boston. Players like that don't come along very often, and the player they got back has no chance of becoming Masters.

In fact, he's almost three years older, as the Minutemen decided to swap one veteran corner outfielder for another. Sure, Bill Newhall hit better this season and has been a quality hitter his whole career, but his peak isn't anywhere near Masters. "The Hollis Hotshot" is more solid then good, with a 122 WRC+ in 457 PAs this year and a 122 WRC+ in 6,063 PAs with the Miners. As productive as that is, Newhall has never hit more then 15 homers in a season, and if you list the top ten seasons between Masters and Newhall there's a lot more for the new Miner then the old one. The advantage he does have is defense, he's good in both corners and can handle center, but when you move on from a fan favorite you send a bad message. And that bad message is amplified when it's perceived as nothing better then a lateral move.

Just a week later the two teams hooked up for another trade, with the Minutemen going after stopper George Kollock with eyes on making him a starting pitcher. Taken 27th in the 1955 draft, Kollock debuted just three years later, and he hasn't gone down since. Primarily a leverage reliever, he did make starts in 1959, though he's been far more effective as a reliever. 1961 was his big breakout, as the just turned 25-year-old made a Fed high 77 appearances. He worked to a 3.21 ERA (138 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 22 saves, 62 walks, 92 strikeouts, and a 6-7 record. One of the hardest throwers in the league, his fastball hits 97, but the real treat is his slider. Righties can't touch it, and he's frozen plenty of lefties from the back door as it clips the zone as it winds by. The stuff is good overall, but in the pen it really shines. The transition back to the rotation may be tough, but with lean years expected they can give him plenty of leeway.

Pittsburgh picks up a pretty solid prospect, adding Boston's recent 1st Round pick Ed Reeves, who sits in the bottom fourth of the top 100 prospect list. After the draft, 53 of his 67 games came in Class C, but he was better in a late season promotion. It was just 52 PAs, but Reeves hit .326/.404/.457 (117 OPS+) with the Class B Arlington Patriots. He has good speed, a good swing, and a good eye, and it's an exciting development project for Pittsburgh. He may never be a star, but he's got the tools to develop into a reliable every day outfielder.

Boston also finished trade season, adding another arm to compete in their rotation. That was World Champion Fred McKnight, who won it with the Keystones. Making an identical 13 starts and relief outings, the now 25-year-old went 8-5 with 2 saves, a 3.87 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 34 walks, and 69 strikeouts. A veteran of four seasons, McKnight has gone 21-16 with 11 saves, a 4.22 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 126 walks, and 223 strikeouts. A former 4th Rounder, McKnight is a six pitch groundballer who excels at keeping the ball in the park. He's more back then middle of the rotation, but the staff finished 7th in runs allowed, and has plenty of room for improvement. joining McKnight is outfielder Howie Taylor, who recently turned 24. Another former 4th Rounder, he's quick and has a good eye, and could quickly replace the guy that will go to Philly. The Keystones got former 9th pick Del Filo, who sandwiched a 426 PAs season with two below 100. Perhaps pushed out of a role in Boston, he's currently lined up to join Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96, 38) and Buddy Miller (.298, 36, 113). That's about as good of a pair as it gets, so even average production from Filo will be a plus. He's got a nice .290/.320/.516 (121 OPS+) batting line, adding 36 homers and 99 RBIs in roughly one full season.

Between those two deals the Saints and Pioneers made a prospect swap. Montreal gets the higher ranked prospect, grabbing 94th ranked outfielder Bill Gilman. Coming along way since being a 14th rounder, Gilman has an advanced feel for the zone and should hit for a solid average. He's a strong kid who could end up hitting more home runs, but with his speed he can do damage just by putting the ball in play. That will play well at the Parc Cartier, and he could be a nice table setter at the top of the order. In return, St. Louis picked up lefty slugger Grady Smith, as well as long-time bench warmer Walter Medlin (.255, 1, 6). Smith is the interesting piece, as the 19-year-old ranks just outside the top-100. A former 9th pick, he's now part of his second trade, as he went from the Chiefs to the Saints in the second Dave Price deal. He's lost a little of his prospect shine, but he has a really good swing and projectable power. He's not hitting many homers right now, but St. Louis sees something in him they like, and will look to get that power unlocked.
Change is now on the horizon, with expansion ready and waiting, and the next big move will be the expansion draft itself. Baseball is about to change, hopefully for the better, as teams are ready to march into the grand unknown. New stars will be born, older ones may shine even brighter, and what happens next may surprise even the keenest of baseball minds.

Good bye 16 teams, hello 20!

Boone County did not add anyone this year as none of the eligible players earned the 80% required to be added to baseball's Hall of Fame. Walt Messer, the longtime New York Gothams outfielder who was in his first year of eligibility came closest but the 8-time All-Star still fell well short, appearing on just 65% of the ballots cast. Joe Hancock, a 294 game winner who played for 4 WCS winning clubs in Toronto and Detroit, headlines the list of 1962 newcomers to the ballot. Here are the 1961 voting results.
Deuce Barrell is still going strong at the age of 44 and after a 13-11 season for the Continental Association pennant winning Cleveland Foresters says he will be back for another year. Barrell is now the winningest lefthander in FABL history and third all-time in victories with a career record of 342-213. He is also fourth all-time in strikeouts with 2,635. Deuce continues to impress during the regular season but he has had three successive awful Octobers, going 0-5 in the WCS with an 8.11 era over that stretch including 2 more losses this season to Philadelphia. The 5-time Allan Award winner is just 5-11 in WCS play.
Barrell and teammate Adrian Czerwinski are tied with 17 WCS starts, more than any other pitcher. Barrell is the loss leader as his 11 are now three more than Woody Trease was tagged with during his career while Czerwinski, at 10-3 in October, is the winningest post-season pitcher.
Adrian Czerwinski recorded his 250th career win and 2,000 strikeout two weeks apart in May. Other milestones reached this year include Irv Clifford collecting his 2,500th hit, Ken Newman notching his 2,000 hit while Buddy Miller and Rick Masters each surpassed the 300 homerun mark.
Czerwinski won his record 6th Allan Award this season while Billy Hasson of the St Louis Pioneers won the Federal Association Allen for the third time. The Whitney winners were both first timers as Bob Bell of St Louis earned the nod in the Fed while veteran Cleveland infielder John Low claimed the CA Whitney.

Czerwinski was also named to the CA all-star team for the 11th time. Only 5 players have been selected more often that the Cleveland ace. Here are the players with the most All-Star game selections.

Code:

MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS     
15  Bill Barrett      Retired
13  George Cleaves    Retired
13  Bobby Barrell     Retired
12  Red Johnson       Retired
12  Ed Bowman         Retired
11* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland
11  Al Miller         Retired
11  Adam Mullins      Retired
11 Deuce Barrell      Cleveland
10 Skipper Schneider  Retired
10  Harry Barrell     Retired
10  Tom Bird          Retired
10* Ken Newman        Kansas City
*selected to 1961 ASG

Ed Bowman, one of the names on the All-Star appearance list above, was the most notable retirement announcement. The 42-year-old who spent his entire 20 year career with the New York Gothams called it quits after an 8-16 season. Bowman finishes with a 322-253 record, good enough for 10th on the all-time win list, one ahead of Rabbit Day. Bowman won a pair of Allen Awards and was a member of three Gothams pennant winning clubs including the 1956 team that won the WCS.
The lone no-hitter thrown in 1961 came in September with 20-year-old Philadelphia rookie Jim Elliott, making just his second big league appearance, turned the trick in a 9-0 win over Detroit. It would be Elliott's only big league start as 1959 second round draft pick's two remaining big league appearances came out of the pen. It was extra special for the rookie as he was born in the Motor City.
Second year outfielder John Kingsbury (.335,18,93) of the San Francisco Sailors enjoyed a 30-game hit streak that came to an end in late August. The 1955 first rounder, a Canadian-born player from the Toronto area, finished third in the CA batting race behind two other 24-year-olds in Bonnie Chaplin of Cincinnati and Kansas City's Pat Davis. Kingsbury's 30-gamer is the longest since Jim Jenkins hit safely in 35 straight games for the Washington Eagles in 1945.
Cleveland skipper Jim Whitehead won the Theobald Award as top manager in the Continental Association for the third consecutive season. The Fed award also went to the pennant winning bench boss, with Don Fox of Philadelphia winning his first.
The Washington Eagles had first pick in the annual FABL draft and they selected George Whaley, an 18-year-old high school third baseman from Providence, RI. Scouts see Whaley, who split his first pro season between Class A and B, as a potential elite big league player. OSA had Whaley 9th in its top prospect list.
Heading the prospect parade is Frank Kirouac, a 24-year-old outfielder who hit 26 homers and batted .294 splitting the season between AA and AAA. Originally selected third overall out of an Ohio high school by the Los Angeles Stars in 1956, Kirouac was dealt to Boston at the deadline in exchange for pitcher Bud Henderson and 19-year-old first base prospect Bobby Garrison.

EXPANSION COMES TO AFA

FABL and the Federal Basketball League are each eyeing expansion in 1962 but it was the American Football Association that became the first to grow as the AFA, which had been at 12 teams since 1951, added two more members in the Buffalo Red Jackets and Houston Drillers. The loop also increased its schedule to 14 games from 12, which had been the standard for decades.

For Buffalo it was the city's first American Football Association club but they did have a team in the old Continental Football Conferences for its four year run immediately after World War II. The Red Jackets nickname was after a famous Seneca tribe chief who negotiated with George Washington. The Houston club, known as the Drillers, is the first major league sports team for the city since its short-run in baseball's Great Western League. As one might expect from an expansion team, it was tough sledding for both of the newcomers as each finished with a 3-11 record and in last place in their respective divisions.

The New York Stars continued their dominance of the East Division despite the fact that last year's playoff MVP, halfback Larry Moen, announced his retirement before the season began. Rookie Reid McDuffy, a first round pick out of Cumberland proved a more than able replacement and was named offensive rookie of the year after rushing for 949 yards. Second year quarterback Orlin Youngs also had a huge season, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and was named league MVP after guiding the Stars to a 13-1 record, best in the AFA. It marked the third consecutive season that New York had made the playoffs and eighth time in the past ten years. New York which scored more points than any other team in the East Division and surrendered the fewest in the league, finished the season with 12 straight victories after suffering their only loss in week two to Pittsburgh by a 9-6 score.

The Washington Wasps earned the second playoff berth in the East Division, bouncing back from a disappointing 3-9 season a year ago after making the postseason each of the three prior years. The Wasps, who won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958, finished tied with the Pittsburgh Paladins for second at 9-5 but Washington earned the tie-breaker after sweeping their two games with the Paladins during the season. Second year quarterback Robin Hornick had a solid season, especially when connecting with veteran end Jim Edmonds who had 41 catches in his 9th year in the league.

The Paladins got off to a quick 6-2 start but struggled somewhat down the stretch and it was the two poor showings against the Wasps that prevented Pittsburgh from ending a playoff drought that has stretched to 9 years. It was the first winning season in four years for Pittsburgh. Cleveland, at 7-7 was the only other East Division team without a losing record this time around as the Finches finished strong with victories in each of their final three games. Cleveland struggled on offense despite another strong season from veteran halfback Erskine Rizzuto, who ran for more than 1,300 yards for the second straight season.

Philadelphia and Boston each finished at 6-8. The future looks bright for the Frigates as second year quarterback Jack Osterman had a strong season, throwing for a league high 2,780 yards and topped the loop with 24 touchdown heaves. The downfall in Philadelphia was the defense which was arguably the worst in the league. As for Boston, the Americans have been a middle of the pack team for well over a decade and especially struggled in the second half of the season, dropping five of their last six games including a 23-17 defeat to expansion Buffalo.

The last place Red Jackets won just three times but two of their wins came against the playoff bound Washington Wasps. Quarterback Jim Rizzi joined the club after six years in Cleveland and provided veteran leadership while passing for 2,452 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rizzi's favourite target was end Don Ishmael, who spent 8 seasons as a backup in Boston but thrived as a starter with Buffalo, leading the division in receptions with 65. Buffalo landed a gem late in the rookie draft, nabbing St. Magnus linebacker Gary Scruggs in the seventh round. Scruggs went on to be one of the best defenders in the league as a rookie, leading Buffalo with 92 tackles and was named to the All-Pro Classic.

*** Maroons Lead Way In West ***

After finishing second in the West Division last year the Detroit Maroons led the West for just the second time since 1946. Hoping to rebound from a humiliating defeat in last years West Division playoff when Kansas City pounded the Maroons 54-10, Detroit raced out to a 10-0 start and had the division title clinched by mid-November. Led by veteran halfback Art Heal, who ran for a league-high 1,627 yards and rookie quarterback Dee Cann, the Maroons put up a whooping 411 points on the season while their defense was the best in the loop at stopping the run.

Chicago won its first five games but could not keep pace with the Maroons. The Wildcats did hang on to claim second with an 8-6 record despite some struggles down the stretch. Late season losses to Kansas City and New York cost the Los Angeles Tigers a shot at the playoffs and they settled for third with a 7-7 mark one game worse than second place Chicago. Los Angeles boasts an impressive offense led by quarterback Garton Bird (2,476 yards passing) and veteran back Dick Drum (1,529 yards rushing) but their defense continues to be the Tigers weak link.

Kansas City won the division a year ago, ending a six-year post-season drought, but the Cowboys failed to build on that as a slow start -one which saw the Cowboys drop 6 of their first 8 ballgames- doomed the club to a fourth place finish at 6-8. They made the surprising decision not to resign veteran quarterback Scott Greenwell, handing the job to rookie Pete Fairfield instead. The Kansas City running game was among the best in the league with both Elvin McGoldrick and long-time star Mike Peel surpassing the 1,000 yard mark but the passing game under Fairfield sputtered.

St Louis, San Francisco and expansion Houston brought up the rear. The fifth place Ramblers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year while the Wings, who finished sixth with a 4-10 mark, were under .500 for the first time in a decade. Expansion Houston, 3-11, has a lot of work to do but the Drillers have some building blocks on defense as rookie linebacker Jim Griffin was named defensive rookie of the year and was joined by fellow rookie John Padgett, a defensive end, as Drillers selected to the All-Pro Classic.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

No team has won more games over the past decade than the 78-40-2 regular season record of the New York Stars and they topped the AFA with a 13-1 season in the loop's first year with a 14-game schedule. New York was the heavy favourite over the second place Washington Wasps in the East Division playoff game, a contest marking the fourth straight season of playoff football and eighth appearance in the postseason since the league went to a 4-team playoff eleven years ago.

Washington stayed with the defending champs for all of 15 minutes. The first quarter ended with the Stars holding a 3-0 as both defenses came up with some key plays. The second quarter was a different story as the Stars put up 24 points to turn the contest into a rout. New York's second year quarterback Orlin Youngs had some trouble in the first quarter due to a persistent Wasps pass rush but on the first possession of the second quarter Youngs connected for back to back passes of at least twenty yards to drive the Stars to the first touchdown of the game. Rookie halfback Reid McDuffy, who ran for a game high 102 yards on the afternoon, finished off the 13 play drive that traversed 98 yards with a 7-yard run around the right end to account for the first major of the afternoon.

Three plays later the Stars were given a gift when Washington quarterback Robin Hornick threw an interception that veteran Stars defensive back Vic Morrell returned 19 yards to set up a first goal for his club. Two plays later it was suddenly 17-0 as Youngs found end Matt Center on a 4-yard touchdown strike. Before the period ended the New York lead had ballooned to 27-0 as Youngs and Gil Cooper hooked up on a 20-yard touchdown throw and Cornelius McAlpin was good on a 31-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half.

The break did nothing to help the Wasps as their offense never did get untracked against the Stars, managing just 198 yards of total offense, barely half that which was accumulated by New York. The final score was 34-3 moving New York to within a victory of repeating as AFA champions.

*** Another Dismal Day For Detroit ***

The Detroit Maroons had a whole year to think about their humiliating showing in the 1960 West Division playoff game, one which saw the Maroons stage a complete collapse in the most lobsided post-season game in AFA history: a 54-10 loss to the Kansas City Cowboys. The Cowboys sputtered this season but the Maroons used that playoff debacle as inspiration, posting a 12-2 record to finish 4 games ahead of second place Chicago in the West Division.

Unfortunately for the Thompson Field faithful, they had to endure a second straight playoff collapse from their local heroes as the visiting Wildcats mauled the Maroons 30-7. Chicago fullback George Hornback rushed for just 30 yards on 12 carries but three of those touches were touchdown runs and all came in the second period as the visitors from the Windy City built a 24-0 lead at the break and coasted to a 30-7 victory.

Detroit fans should have anticipated problems when the Maroons first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception and set up a Wildcats field goal. Like the East Playoff, the West game was just 3-0 after 15 minutes but the game was blown open in the second quarter when the Wildcats scored 21 points. Detroit turned the ball over twice, resulting in Chicago points each time and the Maroons All-Pro back Art Heal could never get untracked. Heal carried the ball 25 times but averaged barely two yards a pick-up and never had a gain of more than 8. The Wildcats were not overly impressive on offense but they did not make mistakes and took advantage of their opportunities leaving the Maroons with plenty of unrealized potential once again. Detroit has not won the AFA title since 1936 and has gone 0-7 in playoff games since then.

*** Stars Shine in Title Tilt ***

The AFA title game matched up the two winningest teams in league history with the Chicago Wildcats own 8 titles including a win in 1959 and the New York Stars six, with their most recent league crown coming last year. It would be New York's third straight appearance in the title game and their fifth meeting for the AFA championship with the Wildcats. Chicago prevailed in 1959, 1948 and 1941 while the Stars only championship game win over Chicago came in 1946 title game.

The Wildcats built an early 10-0 lead on a first quarter field goal from Paul Chestnut and a second quarter 42-yard touchdown run by George Hornback, who had scored three majors in the win over Detroit last week. Hornback's run came a play after Stars quarterback Orlin Youngs was intercepted by Wildcats cornerback Ben Kromer.

Chicago seemed to have all the momentum as New York's next series saw Youngs sacked twice and the Stars forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Chicago appeared to be driving again when halfback Fred Gunther raced for 12 yards on the Wildcats first play and Gunther was off for a big gain on the second play. Then the game turned. After a 17 yard gain Gunther had the ball punched loose by New York defender Vic Morrell and the Stars Rich Hewlett came up with the recovery. The Stars suddenly took over as Youngs found Britt Panos for a 25-yard catch and Gil Cooper for 12 more. Before you knew it New York fullback Ephraim Stanek bulled his way into the endzone from a yard out and the Stars were on the scoreboard.

The first New York score came with 2:24 remaining in the half and it took just 24 seconds for the Stars to score again and take a 14-10 lead. Stars linebacker Galen Cossey, a two-time AFA defensive player of the year, forced a fumble on Chicago's next play from scrimmage and after Cossey recovered the ball, New York half back Reid McDuffy carried the ball twice with the second run being a 19-yard jaunt into the Chicago endzone.

New York was not down as after the Wildcats had a three-and-out the Stars navigated into field goal position in the final minute and Cornelius McAlpin connected from 33 yards out to put New York ahead 17-10 at the break. In a span of 2:22 a 10-0 Chicago lead had turned into a 17 point deficit.

Cossey recovered his second fumble of the day early in the third quarter and that led to another New York touchdown- this one a 16-yard pass from Youngs to Ryne Hardy making the score 24-10. Chicago made it close with a field goal early in the fourth quarter and a long touchdown pass late in the game but could not get into position for a game-tying field goal and the Stars had won their second straight AFA title.

The Stars second consecutive title and fourth championship in the past ten years to go along with 2 other appearances in the title game places them in consideration as one of the best American Football Association teams of all-time. They may not quite yet match the powerhouse Detroit Maroons of the late 1920s and early 1930s or the Wildcats of the late 1930s and 40s that appeared in 8 title games over a 12 year stretch but the current edition of the New York Football Stars is certainly closing in on those two legendary squads.

MARYLAND STATE CLASS OF COLLEGE GRID

It has been quite a couple of years for Maryland State as the Bengals, after winning their first ever AIAA basketball tournament title in the spring of 1960, claimed their first National Title in football in the winter of 1961. Maryland State, with 4 baseball crowns including the most recent in 1943, is one of a select group of schools that now has won national titles in all three major team sports.

The Bengals title this season came after a pair of close calls in recent years as Maryland State was 10-1 in 1960 but finished third behind Georgia Baptist and Northern California. The Bengals also finished third in the 1958 rankings. This year's club, like the squad a year ago, went 10-1 but emerged as the number one ranked team after 48-6 drubbing of Plains Athletic Association champion Oklahoma City State in the Sunshine Classic.

The Bengals were led by the highest scoring offense in the entire AIAA, one which averaged nearly 34 points a game in starting the season with nine consecutive victories. The Bengals calling card was a powerful running game led by junior halfback Mike Moran (1,174 yards) and bruising fullback Bob Butters, who spent most of his time clearing a path for Moran and carried the ball himself just 15 times all season but 13 of them were for short touchdown runs.

Maryland State's most impressive win would be a late September 26-14 triumph over eventual Great Lakes Alliance champion Detroit City College. After non-conference wins over Mile High State and George Fox, the Bengals breezed through their South Atlantic Conference slate until the season finale when it appeared their title hopes may have vanished with a shocking 31-6 loss on the road at Coastal State. The showing in Miami at the Sunshine Classic proved enough to convince the pollsters to place Maryland State at the top of the charts.

As is often the case, the poling system left several schools feeling like they received the short end of the stick. Most notably was Annapolis Maritime, which was 10-0 but struggled to beat Southern Border Conference champion Canyon A&M 25-20 in the Desert Classic. The knock on the naval academy was it played a soft schedule and ended up facing just one team ranked in the final top 25 - #23 Pittsburgh State who the Navigators beat 34-13. Despite missing out on their first National Title the season was a resounding success for Annapolis Maritime in that it included a 44-41 victory over rival Rome State and was a reversal of the Navigators awful 0-10 season from when this senior class were freshman.

Spokane State and Penn Catholic also felt shortchanged by the final ranking as each, like Maryland State, finished with just one loss. The Indians ended Northern California's four-year hold on the West Coast Athletic Association title by defeating the Miners 34-23 and finishing 6-1 in section play. The lone loss was to Rainier College but the Miners also lost their rivalry game with Redwood. What perhaps should have enhanced the Indians case was a thrilling comeback to defeat Detroit City College 27-24 in the East West Classic. The Knights entered the game ranked second and coming off a big win over rival Central Ohio but Spokane State scored 10 points in the final two minutes to pull out the New Year's Day victory. Penn Catholic was also very impressive on New Year's Day, as the Crusaders had little difficulty with Great Lakes Alliance runner-up Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic, posting a 30-10 victory. The Crusaders only loss was an early season defeat at the hands of Miami State and they, like fellow independent Annapolis Maritime, may have been penalized by a schedule that sorely lacked in high end opponents.

In the end the late season loss to Coastal State did not hurt Maryland State as much as one might expect and the Navigators ended up second with the Indians and Crusaders holding down the third and fourth slots. We have to go all the way down to five before we get a Deep South Conference school, marking the first time since 1949 that the Deep South did not place at least one team in the top four. Fifth this year would be the two-time defending champion Georgia Baptist Gators, who ended up 9-2 after a perfect 11-0 season a year ago.

The Gators were one of four schools that finished 5-2 in section play but the conference crown went to Bluegrass State for the first time. The Mustangs went 6-1 in section play, but just 8-3 overall, and may have been aided by a section slate that left both Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College off their docket this year. The lone section loss for the Mustangs was 38-7 thrashing administered on them by Cumberland. The Explorers finished 6th in the final rankings and 9-2 overall but they dropped successive section games on the road to Georgia Baptist and Northern Mississippi late in the schedule. Recent history has dictated that the conference champions of the Deep South and Southwestern Alliance would meet in the Oilman Classic but the selection committee bucked tradition and opted to invite Cumberland to face SWA winner Arkansas A&T meaning the Mustangs had to settle for a trip to New Orleans and a meeting with Coastal State in the Cajun Classic. Both Cumberland and Bluegrass State would win their classic games and Georgia Baptist nipped Lubbock State in the Lone Star Classic to make it perfect 3-0 New Years Day for the Deep South Conference.

It is also worth noting that Jack Dobbins became the first two-time winner of the Christian Trophy after the American Atlantic senior halfback won the award that he first claimed as a freshman in 1958. Dobbins led the nation with 1,672 rushing yards for the Pelicans this season and finishes his career as the all-time rushing leader in AIAA history with 6,763 yards. The Harrisonville, Mo., native ran for a single season record 2,300 yards as a freshman.

NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS

Entering the East-West Classic in Santa Ana on January 1, the Spokane State Indians and Detroit City College Knights each felt they had a shot at the national title. Maryland State may have entered its Sunshine Classic against Oklahoma City State as the number one ranked team but a loss to Coastal State in their South Atlantic Conference finale opened the door for a number of schools including the duo battling in college football's longest running classic game.

The Indians had ended Northern California's four-year reign as West Coast Athletic Association champs and the Great Lakes Alliance schools were likely relieved as the Miners had won the East-West Classic in each of those four years. Spokane State had never won the big game, losing to Minnesota Tech in their only appearance in 1952. The DCC Knights had never lost in Santa Ana, entering the game with a perfect 4-0 mark with their most recent victory in 1955.

The game was a tight battle with DCC holding a 7-point lead until the Indians staged a 14-play 80-yard drive to tie the game at 24 with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation. With just 23 seconds left and the ball on the Spokane State 49 yard line the Knights opted to go for it on fourth and three, but were stopped. The game appeared headed to overtime but a penalty on the DCC defense with 9 seconds left but Spokane State in position to attempt a long field goal. It was a 40-yarder but Indians kicker John Vaughn had just enough leg to force the ball over the upright and the Indians had pulled off a 27-24 victory.

They would learn later than Maryland State did more then enough to retain the number one ranking with a 48-6 corralling of the Oklahoma City State Wranglers in the Sunshine Classic. The Deep South Conference had three teams playing on New Years Day and each of the three came up with victories. The Cumberland Explorers had a strong second half and led by halfback Ron Filas, won galloped for 148 yards, beat Southwest Alliance champion Arkansas A&T 31-21 in the Oilman Classic. Georgia Baptist and Lubbock State met for the third year in a row. Each of the two previous seasons saw the Gators prevail in the Oilman Classic. This time around the venue was different - the Lone Star Classic in Austin- but the result the same as a late field goal lifted Georgia Baptist to a 23-21. Bluegrass State, which won the Deep South for the first time, settled for a trip to New Orleans where the Mustangs beat Coastal State 24-10. Mustangs junior quarterback Bruce Fitzgerald had a big day in the win. He threw for 37 yards but it was his legs, not his arm, that gave the Eagles fits with Fitzgerald running for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Elsewhere, six Steve Eilrich field goals help Annapolis Maritime complete a perfect season with a 25-20 victory over Canyon A&M in the Desert Classic and 23 second half points lifted Penn Catholic to a 30-10 victory over Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic. Two Crusaders backs in Rick Fowler and John Hay each topped the 100 yard rushing mark in the game.

MISSISSIPPI A&M WINS COLLEGE CAGE CROWN

The Mississippi A&M Generals had a close call three years ago when they reached the AIAA championship game only to come up short against Detroit City College but this time around the Generals went all the way, topping Lane State in the semi-finals before having no trouble prevailing over another West Coast Athletic Association foe Rainier College in the championship game to win their first AIAA tile in any of the major team sports. It also meant the collegiate basketball tournament had seen a first-time champion crowned in four of the past five seasons.

For much of their existence the Generals were a bottom rung team, winning just a single tournament game in their first 38 years but the past decade has seen basketball take off in Jackson, MS. as the school qualified for the tournament in eight of the last ten and reached the quarterfinals twice in that span in addition to their near miss in April of 1958.

The Generals spent much of the season chasing Redwood for top spot in the rankings after an early season loss to South Atlantic Conference power Carolina Poly. As freshman forward Rich Edwards began to gain experience the Generals started to string wins together -17 in a row to be exact- including victories over ranked teams in Indiana A&M, Rainier College and Deep South Conference rival Alabama Baptist. A mix of youth and veterans jelled with Edwards and fellow frosh forward Bill Goscha complimenting a pair of players who played small roles on the first Generals team to reach the title game. They were center Mike Lyons and guard George Stevens but the leader of the club was the fifth member of the starting unit in junior guard Dave Simons. The San Antonio, TX., native spent his first two seasons as a backup but took on the leadership role in 1960-61 and led the Generals in scoring with nearly 14 points per game.

Mississippi A&M lost twice in section play but their 14-2 conference record was enough to claim their second consecutive Deep South cage crown, although it did require a 60-41 win over Noble Jones College in the regular season finale as the teams entered that contest tied for top spot. At 26-3 entering the tournament the Generals were ranked second in the nation behind WCAA champ Redwood, which was 29-2. The Mammoths were given the top seed in the West Region while the Generals had similar standing in the South. Rounding out the number one seeds were Great Lakes Association co-champions Whitney College in the Midwest Region and the always strong Carolina Poly Cardinals in the East.

As it would turn out the only number one seed that reached the semi-finals was the Generals. Redwood was knocked off by Indiana A&M in the second round, ending a season in which the Mammoths, following two straight appearances at Bigsby Garden, seemed destined to win it all. The Reapers would then fall to Lane State in the West Region final. Carolina Poly also bowed out in round two as the CC Los Angeles Coyotes feasted on the Cardinals before nipping St Blane 50-49 in the East final thanks to a last second bucket from Ralph Peck. Whitney College was humbled in the Midwest final, falling 79-41 to Rainier College which meant there would three schools from the West Coast Athletic Association in the Emeralds, Coyotes and Majestics joining Mississippi A&M in the final four.

Simons scored a game high 16 points as the Generals opened the tournament with a 55-42 victory over 8th seed and Southern Border Conference champion Abilene Baptist. Round two brought a stronger foe in defending national champion Maryland State but the Bengals were no match for Mississippi A&M and were defeated 61-52. The regional final would be Mississippi A&M's first chance to face Detroit City College since the Knights defeated the Generals in the spring of 1958 with the national title at stake. This time it was a trip to the national semi-finals that was up for grabs and number seed Mississippi A&M, led by 11 points from Simons and 10 each from seniors Stevens and Lyons, built a 13 point lead at the half and went on to down the second seeded Knights 64-55.

The semi-final game with Lane State was noted as a showdown between a pair of senior centers who were touted to be Federal Basketball League draft picks a few months later. Sam Pisani of the Emeralds was considered the best big man in the draft but he was being pursued hotly by the Generals Mike Lyons. Pisani exploded for 19 points while Lyons had just 4 but the Mississippi A&M team balanced approach, with freshman Edwards and Goscha each netting 10 points, carried the Generals to a 43-40 victory. The other semi-final was even tighter as Warren Richardson was fouled in the closing seconds while attempting a game winning shot for Rainier College over CC Los Angeles. Richardson sank both of his shots from the charity stripe and the Majestics prevailed 61-59 over the West Coast Athletic Association rivals in a game that saw top ranked pro prospect Jim Stoner score 25 points for the winners.

Stoner had a much tougher time two nights later as the Generals held him to 13 points. Mississippi A&M had a hot start and led by a dozen at the break before going on to a 56-43 victory in the title game. Simons had a game high 15 points while FBL hopeful Lyons left a good final impression on pro scouts with 9 points and 11 rebounds in his final college game.

GENERALS PREVAIL ON DIAMOND

It turned out to be a double celebration for Mississippi A&M as the Generals followed up their first collegiate basketball national title with another first for the school - a College World Championship Series title. It also meant that seniors George Stevens, a starting guard on the Generals cage club and a backup middle infielder on the ball team, along with sophomore Tommy McCaulley, a backup forward on the basketball team and pitcher on the Generals baseball team, became what is believed to be the first athletes to win AIAA national titles in two different team sports in the same year. Neither are considered solid pro prospects in either sport.

ROOKIE PHENOMS LEAD MOTORS AND VALS TO SUCCESS

A year ago the Montreal Valiants endured the worst season an NAHC club has completed since the schedule expanded to seventy games as they finished with just 34 points. The one benefit to their collapse after making the playoffs each of the two previous seasons is the Valiants were rewarded with the first overall pick in the NAHC amateur player draft. It was an ideal year to be drafting number one as two of the best prospects the game has seen in years were available in Halifax Mariners forward Hobie Barrell and offensively gifted rearguard Mark Moggy, who played his junior hockey in Sherbrooke for the Industrials.

The toughest decision for the Valiants was deciding which of the two super prospects to select with the first pick and which to leave to the Detroit Motors, who slumped to fifth in 1959-60 after making the playoffs each of the previous seven years. In the end, Montreal decided to build around the blueline and drafted Moggy, leaving the playmaking winger Barrell to the Motors. Both teams prospered with the newcomers in the lineup as each made the playoffs this time around.

It was Toronto, however, that once more was the class of the league during the regular season. Longtime coach Jack Barrell - who is new Detroit winger Hobie Barrell's uncle- had moved on, opting for retirement but Ari Bear, promoted from the HAA's Cleveland Eries, guided the Dukes to an 86 point campaign, identical to the total Toronto accumulated in Barrell's final season. Mike Connelly (28-22-9, 2.77) reclaimed the starting job in net after struggles a year ago as a sophomore but the real strength for the Dukes was its blueline that featured Dewar Trophy winning defenseman Jimmy Cooper (13-29-42) and fellow first team all-star selection Tim Brooks (8-22-30) along with steady veteran Bobby Fuhrman (11-9-20) even though the later missed 15 games with an injury.

Up front Quinton Pollack (34-49-83) continued to build his impressive resume as the 38-year-old ended Detroit's Alex Monette's two year hold on the scoring title by leading the NAHC in points for the seventh time in his career and also claimed his seventh McDaniels Trophy as the loop's Most Valuable Player. Tommy Burns (29-25-54) had a terrific year as well, but at age 40 the NAHC's career scoring leader deciding to walk away, announcing his retirement after the season.

The Montreal Valiants, led by rookie rearguard Moggy, finished a surprising second with 78 points, 8 behind the Dukes. It marked the Valiants highest placing in the standings since they finished second a decade ago before going on to win their second consecutive Challenge Cup. There would be no Challenge Cup win this time around, but the future looks might brighter in "la belle province" with the arrival of Moggy. Just 19, he won the McLeod Trophy as top rookie and was also named a second team all-star following a 38 point regular season. With Moggy, along with veterans Jean Tremblay (10-11-21) and Gil Thibeault (8-21-29), patrolling the blueline and a strong showing from 31-year-old netminder Nathan Bannister (28-22-9, 2.77) another Cup win may not be far off. Veterans Jocko Gregg (34-39-73) and Jean's brother Yan Tremblay (26-26-52) along with the emergence of 24-year-old Roy Forgeron (16-46-62) in his second season in the NAHC give the Vals some offensive pop.

Detroit finished third, three points back of the Valiants as once more the big story was Alex Monette (40-42-82). The 28-year-old failed to win his third straight scoring title -he finished a point back of Toronto's Pollack- but Monette found himself a sidekick as rookie Hobie Barrell was very impressive even though his NAHC debut was delayed until January. Barrell (20-19-39) was limited to just 30 games because of a shoulder injury suffered in training camp but once he was pronounced fit for duty he quickly showed why he was considered to be the best offensive player to join the league since Pollack. Once Barrell arrived the Motors caught fire, posting a 15-7-8 with the rookie in the lineup and easily secured themselves a playoff berth.

Barrell, who grew up in Detroit while his father Fred, the former FABL catcher, was scouting for the Detroit Dynamos, had a familiar face in the Motors dressing room as his 23-year-old brother Benny Barrell (17-30-47) had a career best point title in his third season in Detroit. Sprinkle in 35-year-old captain Nick Tardif (15-29-44) and young center Zach Roy (14-24-38) and the Motors have the most offensive depth they have seen in years. They were also very good in their own end as well even if 38-year-old Henri Chasse did not play every game for the fourth consecutive season. Chasse (27-17-9, 2.39) had played nearly 300 consecutive games but clearly benefited from the rest this time around, leading the NAHC in goals against average and was rewarded with the third Juneau Trophy of his career.

The Chicago Packers snuck into the playoffs with their second consecutive fourth place finish. They needed a 4-3 victory over the defending champion Bees in Boston on the final day of the regular season to nose out the Bees for the final playoff slot. Lakeside Auditorium was buzzing all year as the Packers "Kid Line" of 23-year-old John Trumbull (22-35-57) between a pair of 24-year-old wingers is Ken York (31-31-62) and Archer Cook (18-30-48) gave the club its best trio since the Burns brothers and Marty Mahoney over a decade ago.

A Challenge Cup hangover plagued Boston as the Bees never could get untracked. They were looking like a playoff berth would happen until mid-March when leading scorer Jimmy Rucks (30-28-58) went down with back troubles. Boston stumbled with out their all-star winger, going 1-6-1 in their final eight games and allowing Chicago to overtake them for the final playoff slot.

There was hope in New York after the Shamrocks made the playoffs a year ago for the first time since 1954, but they endured an awful season and finished in last place for the fourth time in the past six years. Goaltender Alex Sorrell (14-34-7, 3.59) had little support but it is looking increasingly obvious that the 35-year-old's best days are behind him. New York surrendered far and away the most goals against and had little in the way of offense, a combination that clearly leads to a dreadful 44 point season.

1960-61 NAHC PLAYOFFS

For the second year in a row the Toronto Dukes finished with the best record in the NAHC and opened the playoffs as heavy favourites to defeat the fourth place Chicago Packers. A year ago the Packers shocked Toronto and won the series in six games. Dukes star forward Quinton Pollack seemed to determined to ensure that would not happen again as the league MVP scored twice and added two assists in a 6-2 Toronto victory in the series opener. Chicago did rebound to take the second game by a 2-1 score after Conn Maguire found the back of the net with a shot six and a half minutes into overtime but the Dukes answered with a 7-3 victory in game three, one in which Pollack had two more goals and added an assist.

Game four saw the Dukes take a 3-0 lead early in the third period on a goal by former Packer Tommy Burns but Chicago responded with 5 unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes to even the series with a 5-3 victory. Two nights later the Packers went up 3 games to two in the series with a 4-2 victory on the road at Dominion Gardens. Toronto forced a seventh game after Mike Connelly stopped all 34 Packers shots in a 3-0 Dukes win in game six but Chicago completed its second straight series upset of Toronto with a 6-3 doubling of the Dukes in game seven. Ken York scored twice to lead the Chicago attack with John Trumbull adding three assists.

The other semi-final saw the second place Montreal Valiants facing the Detroit Motors. It was highly anticipated as a showdown between the two stellar rookies in Montreal's all-star teenage defenseman Mark Moggy and Detroit's new scoring sensation Hobie Barrell. Barrell got the upper hand in the series opener, assisting on both Detroit markers as the Motors prevailed 2-1. Moggy had also picked up a point, setting up Jocko Gregg's first period powerplay tally that had given the Vals an early lead.

Game two was another tight battle but once more Barrell played a major roe. Hobie assisted on two goals from Alex Monette, including the game winner with less than three minutes to play, to give Detroit a 3-2 victory and a sweep of the opening two games in Montreal. The series shifted to Detroit for game three and the Motors dominated, winning 5-1 as Hobie Barrell had another goal and his older brother Benny Barrell also scored and added an assist for Detroit.

Montreal did stay alive in the series with a third period rally in game four. Matt Mercier and Matthew Muir each scored in the third period to give the Valiants a 2-1 win and send the series back to Quebec. The Valiants hopes would be dashed at home as Hobie Barrell set up all three Detroit goals, including two from Monette, in a 3-1 series clinching win for the visitors. In all, Hobie Barrell had seven points in the seven game series but he was just getting started.

*** Challenge Cup Finals: Detroit vs Chicago ***

This was Chicago's second straight trip to the finals but the Packers, who have only ever won the Challenge Cup once -in 1952- had never faced Detroit with the Cup on the line. The Motors were looking for their fourth Cup win in the past eight years. The matchup was a bit of a shock as it did not include either the first or second place team from the regular season.

The series opener was surprisingly wide open with five goals scored in the opening period and after sixty minutes the teams were tied at five. Louis Rocheleau thought he notched the game winner with 3:46 left in regulation but Archer Cook replied for the Packers less than a minute later. Veteran Detroit center Alex Monette had a five point hight and set up the game winner just over eight minutes into overtime when he fed Hobie Barrell for the winning goal. Detroit had fired 51 shots on Chicago goaltender Andrew Bomberry including nine in the extra frame.

The hosts also prevailed in game two as Hobie Barrell had a goal and two assists while Robert Kennedy scored twice in another dominating offensive performance by the Motors, who won 5-2. Chicago evened the series with two wins at Lakeside Auditorium. Game three was a 3-2 Motors victory in a game that should have been easier than that for the visitors as Detroit outshot the Packers 34-17 but Motors goaltender Henri Chasse seemed to be fighting the puck. Monette and Hobie Barrell each had a goal and an assit to pace the Detroit offense.

The fourth game also saw the Windy City squad badly outshot but they claimed a 6-3 victory to stay alive in the series. Chicago's winning effort was bolstered behind the strength of a two-goal evening from Ken York.

Up 3 games to one the series shifted back to Thompson Palladium in Detroit for the fifth game with the Motors looking to celebrate a Cup win on home ice. Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse had his difficulties in the two games in Chicago but he was stellar on this night, turning aside all 24 Packers shots for his first shutout of this playoff year after notching five of them when he last saw post-season action two years ago. Detroit once more dominated play, outshooting Chicago 47-24 in a convincing 6-0 victory. Benny Barrell scored his second of the playoffs just over a minute into the game and the Motors would score twice in each stanza and celebrations began in the stands at the Palladium very early.

Winning never gets old, even for rabid Detroit sports fans who in the past decade have witnessed their hockey heroes win 4 Challenge Cups and their beloved baseball club claim six pennants. The baseball Dynamos may be heading for a rebuild but the hockey team looks like it may be the cause of plenty of championship parades in the coming years thanks to the emergence of Hobie Barrell, who paced all playoff performers with 17 points in 10 games, to partner with 28-year-old pivot Alex Monette.

HOCKEY NOTES

The league bid farewell to Tommy Burns as the great Chicago and Toronto center announced his retirement. Longtime Montreal Valiants forward Ian Doyle also called it quits.
There have been some talented brother combinations in the NAHC with the best known duo likely being the Burns brothers, Tommy and Wes, in Chicago. Detroit has what could be a brother act to rival the Packer pair in rookie Hobie Barrell, who led the NAHC in playoff scoring as a 20-year-old and his 24-year-old brother Benny, who showed solid improvement in this, his third season with the Motors. They are the sons of former big league baseball catcher Fred Barrell.
Hobie & Benny Barrell are not the only relatives of a former NAHC star to make his mark this season. Barrell's, nephews of former Toronto Dukes star and later coach Jack Barrell, are teammates in Detroit. Meanwhile Charlie Oliphant Jr., son of the long-time Toronto Duke by the same name, appears to have finally established himself as a key piece with the Montreal Valiants. The 25-year-old has bounced back and forth between the Vals and Syracuse of the HAA the past couple of season but maybe in Montreal full-time now after scoring 10 goals and 18 points after being promoted for the final 29 games of the regular season.
Toronto may have had a disappointing end with a second straight semi-final loss to the Chicago Packers but it perhaps can be explained a bit more when news leaked after the playoffs that second line center Ken Jamieson was playing with a broken hand and veteran top-four defenseman Bobby Fuhrman was skating pretty much on one leg due to an ankle problem.
The Syracuse Lancers beat Pittsburgh in six games to win their second Hockey Association of America playoff title in the past three years.
Justin MacPhee, who had an outstanding rookie season at age 26 in net for Toronto a year ago, one in which he won both the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year and the Juneau Trophy as top goaltender, found himself back in the minors with Rochester where he claimed the Harry Seymour Trophy as the top netminder in the HAA. Toronto still owns his NAHC rights but it appears the Dukes have decided to go with Mike Connelly instead of MacPhee despite the fact the Rochester goalie has now won goalie of the year in all three professional leagues (the Great West Hockey League being the third) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He was goalie of the year in the CAHA in 1953-54 and twice won the GWHL nod while playing for Tacoma.
The Seattle Emeralds ended the Portland Ports two-year reign as GWHL champs, knocking off the Ports four games to two in the best-of-seven league final.
On the strength of the scoring of the "Killer B's", 20-year-old forwards Charles Bozek and Graham Beaton, the Kitchener Roosters won their first CAHA title. The Roosters finished with the best regular season record in the league and then went on to down the East Division leading Verdun Argonauts in 5 games in the best-of-seven Canadian junior championship series. Bozek led all playoff performers with 27 points in 10 games while Beaton finished second with 21 points. Both are undrafted by NAHC clubs and eligible to be signed as free agents.
There is no player that compares to last year's top two draft picks Mark Moggy and Hobie Barrell that will have an immediate impact in the NAHC but there are a couple of talented forwards in this year's draft class. The favourite to go first overall is winger Earl Muirhead of the St. Thomas Pachyderms but Kingston Cadets center Julian Mooney may overtake him. Both have high potential but neither is considered close to being ready for regular duty in the NAHC next season.

ROCKETS SOAR AGAIN IN 60-61

For the third consecutive season the St Louis Rockets owned the best regular season record in the Federal Basketball League. The defending playoff champs have set the pace in the loop's West Division for seven of the past eight seasons, going back to their days in Rochester before the club was moved to the larger market in the Midwest. A hard working defense that led the FBL in steals and forced turnovers, the Rockets also boasted a pretty solid offense led by veteran center Rick Sims (21.4 ppg) and forward Wayne Wyrick (13.9 ppg). Joining the mix this season were a pair of newcomers in Bill Melton and Charlie Glidewell. Both were rookies in the eyes of the league but neither were new to the pro game. Melton was 26 years old and was originally drafted out of Coastal California in 1958 while Glidewell was 29 and had been cut in training camp five times by four different teams before finally catching on in St Louis. A star at Carolina Poly in the early 1950s, he had played only semi-pro league games since 1954 but the point guard ran the Rockets offense with the ease of a seasoned veteran.

The only team that has challenged the Rockets in the West in recent years has been the Detroit Mustangs and once more the Mustangs were the only outfit to stay close, finishing 5 games behind the Rockets league best 55 wins. The Mustangs have had some success against the Rockets in the post-season but have not led the division during the regular campaign in a full decade. The key to Detroit's success was owning the most productive offense in the league led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne. Corwin averaged 20 points per game for the first time in his seven year career while Bayne, a local Detroit product who went to Chicago to play his AIAA ball at Whitney College, averaged nearly 17 points per contest in his fifth season as a pro.

As has been the case for three years now the Chicago Panthers and Toronto Falcons were left in the dust, and forced to battle it out for the third and final playoff berth in the West Division. The Panthers, who have not missed out on postseason action since the spring of 1952, finished the regular season on a dreadful 4-12 run but it was still enough to nose Toronto out by two games in a race that moved at a snail's pace as the Falcons closed the season with just 7 victories in their final 22 outings. The woeful Falcons finished with a 28-52 record -worst in the loop for the sixth consecutive season. Chicago still revolves around 33-year-old Luther Gordon, who was named league MVP for the fifth time despite averaging a career low 18.8 points per game while the Falcons seem to finally have some pieces to build around as after years of dreadful draft day decisions they finally look like they landed a winner in first overall pick Jim Bromberg. The 23-year old was a second team All-American at Detroit City College as a senior and averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.8 assists in his debut with the league's lone Canadian entry. Bill Spangler, another former first overall, also had a big year north of the border with a career best 21.8 points per game earning him a spot on the All-League first team.

While the West Division has been strictly a two-team race between St. Louis and Detroit in recent years, the East has witnessed three different teams finishing atop the division over the past three years. This time it was the Philadelphia Phantoms, who last topped the section four years ago, taking their turn. The Phantoms dominated their three eastern rivals, finishing with a 52-28 record and a 13 game lead over second place Boston. Just like the West Division pace setters in St Louis, the Phantoms did not place a player on the All-League first team but veteran center Mel Turcotte (17.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg) headed up the second squad. The offense was solid, but no team surrendered fewer than the 71.7 points the Phantoms allowed their opponents to average.

The Boston Centurions finished second for the second year in a row as the arrival of guard Steve Barrell three years ago continues to pay dividends. The Centurions had finished last in the division four straight seasons and had not finished with a .500 or better record since 1951-52 until Barrell's breakout year as a sophomore. The second overall pick of the 1958 draft was bypassed in the draft by Toronto but has been a huge reason for the turnaround in New England. T.J. Grimm was somewhat surprisingly waived by Philadelphia prior to the season and immediately fit in perfectly as Barrell's backcourt mate in Boston with Grimm, a two-time first team All-American and AIAA champion at Rainier College nearly a decade ago, averaging more than 15 points a game in his debut campaign with the Centurions.

The Washington Statesmen finished third, returning to the postseason after missing out on a playoff berth last year for the first time ever as a member of the Federal Basketball League. Washington was led by league scoring leader Fred Lillard (24.0 ppg) and a breakout season from Doc Daniels (19.8), a 29-year-old who was an everyday starter for the first time in his career. That left the New York Knights on the outside looking in as they finished last in the East Division, 3 games back of Washington. New York, as always, was led by star forward Howie Farrell (22.5 ppg) but lacked secondary scoring.

FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

The Washington Statesmen defeated Boston in a meaningless game to end the regular season but had no luck against the second place Centurions in the opening round of the East Division playoffs. Boston swept the best-of-five series beginning with a 76-61 victory in the opener behind a 27-point effort from forward Bert LaBrecque. Game two was a little closer, finishing 72-60, with LaBrecque continuing his hot play. The Centurions fourth year forward scored 28 points. A shift to the nation's capital for the third game did little to slow LaBrecque, who scored 29, or the Centurions who completed the sweep with a 78-72 win.

Boston found the second round against Philadelphia much more challenging as the Centurions dropped the opener 83-67 but did battle back with three straight victories and were on the verge of reaching the league finals for the second year in a row. Boston never managed to get that fourth win of the series as the Phantoms took game five 71-58 thanks to Mel Turcotte's 15 point, 12 rebound effort. Game six was all Turcotte as the veteran center had 33 points and Philadelphia thumped Boston on their home court by a 77-64 margin.

With back to back wins forcing a seventh game, Keystone Arena in Philadelphia was buzzing in anticipation as the Phantoms were on the verge of their first trip to the league finals since the spring of 1957. The Centurions defense held Turcotte in check, limiting him to 12 points on the night, but Philadelphia still took a 14 point lead into the half and would go on to win 79-73.

The Detroit Mustangs and Chicago Panthers had squared off in the playoffs for six straight seasons with Detroit winning five of them so it came as little surprise that the Mustangs took the opening West Division series in four games. The opener at Thompson Palladium was a shooting gallery as Detroit, led by Lew Bayne's 33 points, outscored the Wildcats, paced by Luther Gordon's 28 points, 104-96. Game two saw both defenses tighten up and it went right down to the wire with the visiting Panthers winning 74-73 thanks to a late basket from Bob Christensen, who had 17 points on the day.

That would prove to be the high point of the series for the Panthers, who dropped the next two games at home to lose the series. Game four was a 79-71 Mustangs win despite 26 points from Luther Gordon while the fourth game ended 89-76 for Detroit with Mustangs center Jack Briones setting the pace with 28 points.

That set up for the third year in a row a West Division final between St Louis and Detroit. The Mustangs had prevailed two years ago but the Rockets came out on top last season before going on to defeat Boston in the championship series. St Louis took a quick two games to none lead with a pair of wins at the St Louis Event Center. The opener was 90-82 behind 33 points from Rockets center Rick Sims and a wild fourth quarter that saw the two teams combine for 62 points in the period. Erv Corwin led game two scorers with 24 points but his Mustangs came up on the short end of an 83-76 result with Sims scoring 22 and adding 11 boards while his front-court partner Wayne Wyrick scored 21 and collected 13 rebounds in the victory.

A series shift to Detroit did nothing to slow the Rockets as St Louis, led once more by 30 points from Sims, tamed the Mustangs 80-72. Detroit prevented the sweep with a 98-90 win in the fourth game despite another 30 point showing from Sims but any hopes of a comeback disappeared early in game five when St Louis outscored Detroit 34-14 in the opening quarter and went on to win by seven to secure a return to the finals.

*** Championship Series ***

The Philadelphia Phantoms and St Louis Rockets had never met in the playoffs before game one, but each had finals experience over the past decade. The Phantoms won their only title in 1952-53 and made the finals four years later only to come up short against Chicago. St Louis won it all last year and also in 1954-55 while losing to Washington in the spring of 1956.

The series was primarily a showdown between two of the top centers in the league in Philadelphia's Mel Turcotte and Rockets pivot Rick Sims. Both brought their A-game in the opener as Turcotte scored 20 points and added 15 rebounds but he was overshadowed by Sims as the St Louis star scored 30 points and contributed 17 boards. However Turcotte got the last laugh as his Phantoms stole the series opener in St Louis by a 74-69 score.

Game two would also go to the visitors but it was a surprise switch that caught the Rockets off guard. Turcotte shifted to forward and scored 11 points while hauling in 17 rebounds but the man he swapped positions with - Dan Holland- was the story of the night. The 23-year-old rookie from Carolina Poly had the night of his young career, scoring 38 points to pace the Phantoms to a 94-85 win and allowing them to return to Philadelphia up two-nothing in the series.

Holland stayed at center for game three and scored 23 points while Turcotte had 21 and the Phantoms had the Rockets on the ropes with a 79-62 triumph. However the win was tempered when Turcotte was injured late in the game. The diagnosis was a broken finger and he would not return in the series.

There would be no title celebration at Keystone Arena following game four as the Rockets, led by 23 points from Sims, avoided the sweep with an 83-63 victory over a Philadelphia team struggling to adapt without Turcotte. Byrd Summers and Freddy Timms split Turcotte's minutes with Summers having some success but Timms was overmatched.

Game five saw the Rockets feeling they might have a chance to comeback as Turcotte was again sidelined. St Louis entered the fourth quarter with a 4-point lead before Dan Holland took over, scoring 11 of his game high 27 points in the final eight and a half minutes of the game to lead the Phantoms to a 74-66 victory. Holland also had 19 rebounds in the contest and his 18.9 ppg and 12.7 rpg during the post-season earned the rookie the Federal Basketball League playoff MVP award and led the Phantoms to their second ever FBL title.

A MOST UNLIKELY CHAMPION

The biggest story in the world of boxing in 1961 was perhaps the biggest upset the sport had ever seen in a heavyweight title fight. A middle of the road 25-year-old Los Angeles native by the name of Bert Parks went from being a near unknown to the holder of the greatest individual title in professional sports when he shockingly knocked out defending champion George Gallashaw in the 7th round of their fight in Chicago.

Entering the fight it is unlikely that even Parks himself expected to win. Gallashaw, a 25-year-old from Syracuse that some were classifying as at least an equal of Joey Tierney in his prime and perhaps could one day be mentioned in the same breath as Hector Sawyer, was 34-1 and had not needed to go the distance in his previous six fights. Most expected another short night for champion as Parks was merely a warm body to fill a spot when negotiations with several other prominent fighters fell threw.

Somehow, no one told Parks as the challenger, who was 28-8-2 but other than Norm Robinson the previous January, had not beaten any fighter of high standing. Parks actually looked very good early, winning each of the first three rounds as Gallashaw got off to a very sluggish start. That changed in round four as Gallashaw started to find his rhythm and in the fifth round he had Parks in big trouble, prompting many to suspect the fight would be over very shortly. It was, but not how anyone expected. Galleshaw dominated the sixth but Parks hung on and then continued to do the same in the early moments of the seventh round. One moment changed everything. Galleshaw, sensing a chance to end things, loaded up for a big hook but ended up walking into a Parks uppercut and was out before he hit the ground. Referee Johnnie Addie's count had reached nine before Galleshaw even showed signs of stirring and a second later Parks was a very improbable world champion.

The other two divisions were much more predictable. Canadian middleweight George Quisenberry continued his dominance but nearly stumbled in May when he faced a veteran Dutch fighter by the name of Ferdinand De Best. De Best nearly lived up to his name on this night but the 35-year-old could only manage a tie. Shockingly, rather than remain in North America for a rematch, De Best returned to Europe where he fought once more before announcing his retirement. Quisenberry scored an easy win over Italian turned New Yorker Huge Canio in his final fight of the year and has held the title since the fall of 1959.

Seattle welterweight Eugene Ellis finally lost his belt, as his longtime rival Lonnie Griffin got the best of him in a title fight for the second time. The pair have battled four times, three of them with the title on the line, and each has one twice. Odds are good there will be a fifth meeting sometime in 1962.

If 1960 was a vote for the youth movement, 1961 was a swing of the pendulum back to expertise and grizzled experience in at least one weight class. The welterweight division had been owned by Eugene Ellis through seven successful title defenses and at the age of 30, he was still the king of the welterweights.

Lonnie Griffin was the last welterweight to hoist the belt before Ellis and that was three years ago. In fact, the belt has passed between Griffin and Ellis exclusively since Griffin defeated Lewis Kernuish in 1956. Griffin and Ellis clashed for the fourth time in their storied histories. Ellis had won two of the previous three and since their last fight, neither has lost with Griffin winning all eight of his recent fights and Ellis has gone 7-0. Between the two of them, they have won 80 of 91 prior professional matches. The bout took place at Bigsby Garden, appropriate for the importance of the fight.

Griffin started fast and landed a key uppercut in the first round that set the tone. Ellis staggered backwards, but Griffin could not take further advantage. Ellis threw a solid hook that rattled Griffin late in the second round, but that was all Ellis could muster before the end of the round. The third round continued the pattern of one crowning punch late in the round to decide the round, as well as the inability to turn that punch into a sequence that led to more.

Griffin took control of the bout in the tenth round where he showed how little the first nine rounds affected him. Griffin kept his feet light as he dipped and darted all around the ring but stood his ground as he ripped an uppercut to Ellis’s head, knocking him to the canvas. Ellis reached his feet after a seven-count but made it to his corner just 15 seconds later. Only 19 seconds after the 11th round began, Ellis had to pick himself up off the floor again after another uppercut. Those two punches from Griffin sealed Ellis’s fate.

The fight went the distance and referee Barry Yeats called Griffin’s name first to announce the new champion. It was a feeling Griffin felt three times before, as he set a record by being the first boxer of any weight class to acquire a title belt four different times.
Griffin was unencumbered by Ellis as he disposed of journeyman Ernie Black with a ninth-round TKO before a “Christmas Eve-Eve” battle with Carl Rondinelli and the Italian showed very well. Griffin (40-5-1) was up on the cards through 13 rounds and the champion dominated the 14th round, peppering Rondinelli upstairs and downstairs, scoring a knockout at 2:56 of the round.

In the heavyweight division, George Gallashaw had a head of steam coming into the year and looked like he would breeze through his opponents this year. First up was Bill Mosley, who had eight losses coming into his title shot. The bout was closer than expected and in the eighth round, Mosley floored Gallashaw with a right cross. Gallashaw woke up in time to win the fight in the 14th round, earning two separate knockdowns and referee Laurence Cole stopped the fight in the final seconds of the stanza.

Gallashaw faced former Heavyweight Champion Steve Leivers, who last visited the Champion’s corner four years ago. The fight did not last long, but not because Gallashaw was so devastating. Gallashaw won by disqualification on a blatant low blow in the fifth round that was seemingly triggered by nothing in particular. A rematch against Dave Courtney was next for an August date at Thompson Field in Detroit. Gallashaw had his finest bout of the year as he used a cross and an uppercut to knock Courtney down in consecutive rounds and referee Frank Blakeslee had seen enough in the fifth round, calling a technical knockout for the champion.

December opened with Gallashaw’s last fight of the year against virtual unknown Bert Parks, the 25-year-old Los Angeles native who had a 28-8-2 record entering the bout. Gallashaw took the fight to Parks early, but Parks announced his arrival in the sixth round with a right hand that stunned the champion early in the round and another right that almost had Gallashaw’s knee touching the canvas. Gallashaw tried to reassert himself in the seventh and all was well until Parks connected with a hook that snapped Gallashaw’s head back.

In boxing, all it really takes is one punch. The right punch could change everything. With 1:38 gone in the seventh round, Parks unleashed a vicious cross that hit Gallashaw just right. Referee Johnny Addie started counting and it took Gallashaw to a count of nine to start moving, which was way too late. Parks knocked out the champion and picked up one very special present under his Christmas tree: a heavyweight title belt.

George Quisenberry was the only champion to hold on to the belt the entire year, and therefore won the Bologna Boxer of the Year Award for 1961. Quisenberry is the second two-time winner, joining Eugene Ellis, who won it for the second time last year. Quisenberry is the first back-to-back winner of the award. Cases could have been made for Lonnie Griffin, for his long pursuit and his victory over Ellis, as well as Bert Parks and his out-of-nowhere upset victory, but this award is for the best boxer for the entire year and only Quisenberry was truly the best from January to December.

Quisenberry won early thanks to an accidental head butt against Johnny Barton that went to the cards in the fifth round, as Barton was unable to continue. In May, Quisenberry battled Ferdinand de Best to a draw and as fight fans awaited the inevitable rematch, the 35-year-old de Best decided to return back to Holland.

The final fight of the year for Quisenberry was an October win against Hugo Canio, who was in his third title fight without tasting a middleweight championship. The fight went the distance, and it will almost definitely be Canio’s final major bout. The bright spot for Canio was the fifth round, where he pummeled Quisenberry and knocked him down twice, including a nine-count that came very close to ending Quisenberry’s reign. Those were the only two times either fighter fell to the canvas. Quisenberry was accurate and his punches caused Canio to develop a mouse under his right eye very early in the fight.

After a year that saw two longtime rivals fight again, a major upset in another title fight and a champion that just barely held on to his belt all year, it was an unpredictable year in boxing.

FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS

Tales From The Manor: Dukes Again Finish First Bow Out in the Semi-Final -Toronto hockey fans knew this season was going to be different after Jack Barrell retired as head coach in June. The Dukes reached into their system to promote Ari Bear, 56, to be the bench boss after spending the last half of the 1959-60 in Cleveland.

Bear inherited a strong team from Barrell, he also brought in a game with a little more edge to it for the Dukes witnessed by their 738 PIM in the regular season: only Detroit with 755 had more time in the sin bin during the season. Bear also revamped the power play with the Dukes leading the league by a wide margin in power play goals with 54, 10 more than Montreal, converting on better than 1 in 5 chances with the man advantage.

The Dukes were again led offensively by Quinton Pollack, 38, who led the NAHC in scoring putting together a 34-49-83 season to edge out Alex Monette by a single point after Monette led the league in goals with 40. Pollack again missed 6 games due to injury. Tommy Burns, who has announced his retirement at 41 following the season, had another fine year playing against many players half his age with 29-25-54 which was good for 7th in goals, a tie for 10th in points.

Going forward Burns' presence on the ice and in the room will be missed by Bear and his staff. More of the burden down the middle will fall to Ken Jamieson, 31, who seems ready for a bigger role after a 1960-61 season where his 22-39-61 placed him 6th in scoring race. In a head scratching move in many way the Dukes let last year's star in net, Justin MacPhee leave the team as a free agent. No team in the NAHC, inexplicably, signed MacPhee the First Team All-Star goaltender in 1959-60, who ended up signing the HAA's Rochester Robins where he had a 38-20-9 record with a 2.18 GAA. He is again a free agent who might be a hot commodity this summer. It was not all gloom and doom between the pipes as Mike Connelly held down the fort leasing the NAHC with 33 wins in 60 starts with a 2.71 GAA a 91.1% save percentage. He was spelled occasionally by Charlie Dell leaving the Dukes as one the strongest tandems in the league.

After losing their season opener 3-1 in Montreal to the surprising Vals, who finished second in the regular season with 78 points, the team won 10 of the next 11 games. The Dukes only had one small bump on the trip to first place in the regular season with a 39-23-8 record good for 83 points. Between January 29- February 5th they loss 4 in a row including two to Detroit, who finished 3rd then rode a hot playoff streak to the Challenge Cup.

Toronto went into the playoff to face the Chicago Packers who finished 4th with 70 points, 3 more than the Cup defender from Boston. The series started with the Dukes dominate in the first game when a 4 goal third period led to a 6-2 win. The second game was probably not what Bear wanted from his charges when the Packers got some life with 2-1 win in OT thanks to a 34 save performance from rookie Andrew Bomberry, a former Dukes farmhand, with Conn Maguire's winner in the first extra frame. Toronto seemed to reestablish control of the series with hot start in the Lakeside Aud scoring three in the first skating to an easy 7-3 victory solving Bomberry early and often in game three. Things got ugly for the Dukes in the fourth game with a collapse in the third. Leading 3-0 with 16 minutes to go the Packers struck for 5 straight markers including a natural hattrick from Ken York to drive the 16920 on hand into a frenzy tying the series at 2.

The hangover from that game seemed to affect the Dukes in the fifth game as the visitors got out to 4-0 lead in the Gardens before making it close with two in the last seven minutes. Back to Chicago with Packers looking to win the series at home. Connelly brought his A game, despite being outshot 34-22 the Dukes forced a deciding game with a 3-0 whitewash. Toronto fans believed that the team would wrap up the series then go on to face the Motors in the final, but the young Packers had other ideas. Ken York opened the scoring at 23 seconds setting the tone for the game. Riding a 3-1 lead after 20 the Packers held off the Dukes' Pollack who twice brought the team back to with one goal by scoring a pair in the third, but Chicago went on to claim game seven 6-3 with two goals in the third which silenced the Gardens crowd, sent the Dukes to the sidelines for the summer.

Coach Bear- "A successful regular season, the guys bought into my changes to the system at both ends of the ice. For some strange reason we changed our style in the playoffs. We have to be a tough team on the puck, we tried to finesse our way through Chicago. Losing Tommy to retirement opens an opportunity for a young guy to step into the lineup. In camp I will stress being a tough team to play against each and every night, we will take away open ice in all zones by finishing every check. We will have an edge to our game."

Tales From The Den: Wolves Continue Freefall to FABL Cellar in 1961 --If there are any redeeming features of the 1961 Wolves someone else will have to point them out to this writer. The team went through the season, finishing 59-95, without a winning month and ended up with the worst record in baseball. The closest the Wolves got to a breakeven month was a 4-5 record in April followed by 11-16, 10-19, 11-16. 10-18, 12-15. 1-6 in October when the season could not end fast enough for the fans.

At the plate the team was abysmal with lowest numbers in the FABL in all three categories that contribute to the slash line with a team line of .242/.312/.377 scoring only 634 runs over 154 games or 4.1 runs per game. At the plate the leader once more was Tom Reed, an All-Star, with a season of .299/.377/.540 28 HR 91 RBI. Reed, 30, seems destined to suffer through a career as big bat on a lousy team, many fans wonder how much better he would be with some support from teammates. The only other bat worth mentioning was CF Sid Cullen, 25, who started the season in Buffalo then fought off a back injury in May that cost him two months to post a .310/.371/.545 line with 19 HR in 95 games along with solid defense in CF.

If they had pitching the team may be able to be at least competitive in the CA. That was not the case as the Toronto staff ERA was just slightly better than their Canadian counterparts, the seventh place finishers Montreal Saints. Phil Colantuono led the staff a 15-10, 4.35 while leading the CA in strikeouts with 172. The rest of the starters struggled with high touted George Hoxworth never getting untracked (5-16, 5.14) while walking almost as many as he sent down on strikes. Whitey Stewart, 30, was moved the bullpen where he led the CA in saves with 22 despite a record of 2-14, 4.49 with 10 blown saves. Stewart has since been dealt to Kansas City.

If there was one glimmer of hope in a dismal summer it was that the team improved slightly in the field going from horrid to just bad. This is of small consolation if the team is neither scoring runs nor preventing the opposition from crossing the plate.

Expansion is coming to the FABL in 1962 with new CA teams coming to New York and Dallas. The team now has to set its protected roster for the upcoming expansion draft. With Minneapolis, Los Angeles joining the FA the FABL will go through its first expansion from 16 to 20 teams. Wolves fans are hearing rumours of a major shakeup in the front office in which Bernie Millard make do a complete cleaning of the decision makers after 13 straight losing seasons.

The team has fallen upon hard times with improvement required throughout the system to bring the team back to respectability, the feeling amongst the faithful is that they are going hear the refrain they heard far too often over the last decade, "This going to take time to fix the problems." Fans are secretly hoping that Wolves will be able to finish at least ahead of the newcomers but many think this not a lead pipe cinch. Most feel there are far too many areas that the Wolves are below FABL standard to insure they can finish ahead of New York and Dallas if either of those two draft wisely to stock their new teams.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1961

Jan 3- President Eisenhower announces the United States has severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Jan 17- In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warns of the increasing power of a "military-industrial complex and how it can shape public policy.
Jan 20- John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States and Lyndon B. Johnson as his Vice-President.
Feb 15- President Kennedy warns the Soviet Union not to interfere with United Nations efforts in the Congo.
Apr 17- The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba begins, but fails two days later.
May 5- Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3
May 25- Kennedy announces to Congress his goal to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
Jun 4- Kennedy and Khrushchev meet for two days in Vienna, discussing nuclear tests, disarmament and Germany.
Sep 25- Black voting rights activist Herbert Lee is murdered by a Mississippi state representative.
Oct 27- A standoff between Soviet and American tanks in Berlin heightens Cold War tensions.
Nov 18- President Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam.
Dec 11- The Vietnam war officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon along with 400 U.S. personnel.

10-11-2024, 02:57 PM	#1021
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 666	As we prepare to embark on a trip through the 1960's, the Figment Universe can expect much to change between now -the dawn of the sixties- and we when go back to live weekly simming in each of the four major professional team sports for the start of the 1969 campaign. Expansion will be the biggest change and the live sim is expected to resume with four new baseball teams conducting their expansion draft following the 1968 season. That is nine years from now and in that time it is expected that baseball, with four new teams slated to debut in 1962 in addition to the four in advance of 1969, will increase in scope from 16 to 24 clubs. The American Football Association, which presently counts 12 members, the North American Hockey Confederation with six and the Federal Basketball League which at the moment houses 8 franchises, all are expected to double size by the time we return to weekly simming with human General Managers in each of those sports. While a lot will change in nine years, some of the top young players active today will emerge as stars over the coming years and could still be among the top performers in their respective sports as they hit their early to mid-thirties as we approach the 1970's. Today, as we wait for the 1960 results, TWIFS takes a look at ten names you might want to watch closely over the next decade as each could still play a key role in his respective sport when the weekly sims return. HOBIE BARRELL The Barrell reach extends to all sports and hockey is no different. Hobie is the youngest of two hockey playing sons of former Brooklyn Kings catcher and Toronto Wolves manager Fred Barrell. Older sibling Benny is 21 and made his NAHC debut with the Detroit Motors in 1958-59 after being selected fourth overall in the 1956 amateur draft. By all accounts Hobie is a far better player than his brother, perhaps a generational type talent, but as of this writing he has just turned 18 and is still playing in the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for the Halifax Mariners. In a league dominated by 19 and 20 year olds, Hobie amassed 90 points in 61 games in 1958-59 and was named a second team all-star. His NAHC future will become much clearer when the draft results are released. The left winger may be bound for Chicago as the Packers finished last in the league this past season and own the first selection in the draft. RALPH BARRELL Ralph made his big league debut in 1959 at the age of 19 and hit 19 homeruns in just 85 games, evoking memories of his famous father Bobby Barrell. The Philadelphia born teen is one of two Barrell's on the Los Angeles Stars, joining his 29-year-old cousin Charlie. Injuries, caused perhaps by a number of years playing both professional baseball and basketball, may help Charlie's career end well before 1969 but odds are pretty good that Ralph may be well on his way to joining his father as one of the most feared power hitters the game has ever seen. That is a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old but he appears ready to handle it. STEVE BARRELL As mentioned above with his cousin Hobie, the Barrell reach is all encompassing and Dan Barrell's youngest son Steve seems well on his way to a terrific pro basketball career. A two-sport star at Chicago Poly, where his father Dan - the former FABL player and briefly league president- now serves as Athletic Director, Steve turned down a chance to play pro football with the Los Angeles Tigers because they wanted to convert the former quarterback to a halfback. Instead he decided to concentrate on basketball after being chosen second overall by the Boston Centurions in the 1958 Federal Basketball League draft. The 22-year-old guard averaged over 14 points a game his debut season and was named FBL rookie of the year for the 1958-59 campaign MILLER BOGERT The 23-year-old quarterback led the Chicago Wildcats to their first AFA title in a decade as rookie. What is even more impressive is Bogert was a mere afterthought in the 1958 AFA draft, being selected in the 7th round by the Wildcats out of Bluegrass State. A decade long career is a lot to ask for any football player but Bogert may just buck the odds, and if he does the Wildcats may win a few more titles over the next nine years. HUGO DYAL Obviously none of the players participating in college football or basketball will be in the AIAA nine years from now but there is a good chance that Hugo Dyal will still be winning football titles. The 62-year-old head coach of the Northern California Miners football team has built his club into a powerhouse. Under Dyal's guidance the Miners have gone 99-17-1 since 1950, winning 8 West Coast Athletic Association titles including 4 straight as well as each of the past four East-West Classic games. Under Dyal, the Miners are 6-3 all-time playing in Santa Ana on New Years Day. What has eluded the veteran coach, at least so far, is a national title although they have finished in the top five each of the past four years and were ranked second in 1960 and 1958. GEORGE HOXWORTH The Toronto Wolves have been a bad baseball team for what feels like forever. They have been fortunate enough over the years to have some good pitchers and we feel George Hoxworth has a chance to be one of the best in the game. Selected 7th overall in 1956 out of high school, he made his big league debut at 18 and now, four years later, has already won 50 games while still a few months shy of his 22nd birthday. FABL has seen three players win their 300th game in the past three seasons (Al Miller, Deuce Barrell and Ed Bowman) and it may be a while for the next one but we feel come 1969 there may be talk about Hoxworth approaching 300. Toronto will have to turn things around as a team for that to happen but OSA sees the 6'2" righthander playing a major role in that as they tout Hoxworth as someone who could win an Allen Award or two. ALEX MONETTE The 26-year-old center of the Detroit Motors has etched his name alongside Quinton Pollack and Tommy Burns as one of the top players in the North American Hockey Confederation. Monette led the NAHC with 82 points in the recently completed 1958-59 season, ending a seven year stretch when only Pollack or Burns could claim that honour. After scoring 4 goals in the Challenge Cup clinching game as a rookie in 1953 the Motors knew Monette was something special. He had over 100 points in each of his final two years of junior and has accumulated 451 points in 433 career NAHC games. Monette, will be 36 when we go "live" again but may still be playing a key role in the Motor City. He has already helped the Motors win three Challenge Cups and it seems just a matter of time before he breaks Pollack's hold on the McDaniels Trophy as the NAHC MVP. THE BOSTON MINUTEMEN We could name the two 23-year-old pitchers from Boston in Don Griffin and Dick Wilson, each twenty-game winners in 1959, but truth is this group looks like it might just be the next powerhouse in the Federal Association. It is hard to find a better pair of young pitchers anywhere and the Minutemen offensive core led by 29-year-olds Rick Masters and Joe Kleman along with Jack Denis, 28, and Ed Wise, 27, looks like it could be around for a while. Topping the Detroit Dynamos six pennants in seven seasons during the 1950s seems unlikely but if allowed to stay together, we may be looking back in 1969 at several Minutemen titles. HANK WILLIAMS Just 26-years-old, the Kansas City Kings outfielder has already won back to back Whitney Awards and Continental Association batting titles including hitting .406 in 1959. It is the first .400 season FABL has seen since Mel Carrol did it with Washington in 1937. Williams has 493 hits in just 328 big league games and the local product (he is from Liberal, KS) looks to be on a pace, if he stays healthy, to be one of the best pure hitters the game has ever seen. Don't sleep on his power either as Williams hit 34 homers in 1959 and became just the second player ever to smack 60 doubles in a season. The first was Hall of Famer Dave Trowbridge. JIM YORK This one might be a little bit of a reach compared to most of the others but we feel York is a carbon copy of another former collegiate lefthander. He reminds us Detroit's 3-time Allan Award winner Jim Norris. York, 22, does not have an Allen Award yet but he did win the Christian Trophy his junior season at Chesapeake State before being drafted in the second round (same as Norris was) to Cincinnati in 1958. York made his big league debut in 1959, posting a 13-10 record and even threw a no-hitter, something else he shares in common with Norris. OSA feels he still has room to grow and could be a true #1 starter. We are anticipating a long career from the Cannons rising star. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

10-21-2024, 11:03 AM	#1022
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,654	1960 End of Year Report 1960 IN FIGMENT SPORTS EXPANSION COMING TO BASEBALL Ever since it was formed way back in 1892, FABL has consisted of 16 ballclubs with both the Continental and Federal Associations represented by 8 teams. That number will swell in a little over a year from now after word leaked that FABL is set to expand by four clubs, adding two teams to each of its associations. The Continental Association will return to the Big Apple for the first time since 1953. That was when the New York Stars moved to Los Angeles, joining the Philadelphia Sailors on a trip west. Since then, New York City has been the exclusive domain of the Federal Association Gothams but that will change for the 1962 season as the Continental Association will return to New York with a team slated to be called the Imperials. Joining the Imperials as newcomers to the CA for 1962 will be the Dallas Wranglers. The Federal Association is also expanding to ten teams including the loop's first west coast entry. It will be based in Los Angeles and known as the Suns. Joining the Suns will be a new team based in Minneapolis dubbed the Millers. Here is a look at preliminary logo designs for each of the four newcomers. Before expansion ushers in a whole new era for baseball we still have the just completed 1960 campaign as well as the 1961 season to look forward to in the final years of a 16-team loop. With baseball expansion a certainty, it feels like it will just be a matter of time before the other three major professional team sports also look to broaden their reach across North America. On the playing fields it was the city of Boston that had the most to celebrate in 1960. The Boston Minutemen won the World Championship Series for the second year in a row, once again downing the Cleveland Foresters in five games. Boston's basketball team -the Centurions- have never won a Federal Basketball League title but came close last June as they ended a four-year playoff drought by reaching the finals for just the second time in franchise history. They lost, falling to the same organization they did the first time around but instead of the Rochester Rockets it was the St Louis Rockets who ended the Centurions title hopes. Boston also had quite a season on the ice and if you wanted drama in 1960 look no further than the NAHC playoffs. It was not one but two amazing comebacks for the Boston Bees hockey team. Boston dropped each of the first three games of its semi-final series to the New York Shamrocks and trailed 2-0 after forty minutes in game four before roaring back to take that game in overtime and win the next three as well to complete one of the greatest playoff comebacks in hockey history. The Bees were not done as they fell behind in the Challenge Cup finals as well, trailing the Chicago Packers 3 games to 1 before winning three straight including the last two on Oscar James shutouts, by scores of 3-0 and in game seven 1-0, to win their 9th Challenge Cup. College Football saw its national champion hail from the state of Georgia for the fourth consecutive year. The first two it was Noble Jones College coming out on top but for the second straight season the Georgia Baptist Gators emerged as the best AIAA grid squad in the nation. Here are the champions in each of the sports for 1960. It took just two days of 1960 for the first trade involving FABL players, as the Chicago Cougars picked up 30-year-old outfielder Bill Irvin from the Wolves for a pair of prospects. Irvin, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Toronto Wolves, made a career high 388 trips to the plate in 1959. Expected to play a more crucial role on the Wolves this season, he'll instead head to the Windy City after hitting .237/.356/.412 (110 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs in 121 games. The former 8th pick will enter the 60s with a career .255/.353/.446 (121 OPS+) triple slash in 1,160 FABL PAs. The outfielder tallied 48 doubles, 45 homers, 168 RBIs, 139 runs, and 148 walks, spending all his time at either first or left. As a non-obvious fit, you would think Chicago got a discount, but the Wolves were able to pry away the 76th ranked prospect Red Richards from the Windy City Kitties. Taken 10th in the 1959 draft, he made 7 starts between 3 levels last year, at times dealing with control issues. Just 21, the young righty has a really good curveball, and his low 90s sinker is excellent at generating groundballs. That skillset is usually in demand at Cougars Park, making it even more shocking they parted with a promising rotation member for a corner-only bat. They could be worried about his control, which could lead to future issues, but the movement he gets on his pitches should lead to plenty of whiffs and weak hits. Not an ace unless his stuff and/or control improve, but still a potential reliable middle of the rotation arm. Toronto also picked up a former Keystone 2nd Rounder in George Ewing, who came over in 1956 in exchange for Tom Buchanan. Ewing has now transitioned into a pen role, and is more filler, but could give the Wolves an extra arm for '60 or '61. Though just over a week later, the landscape of the 60s changed, as the reigning Fed champs made a huge add. Already boasting one of the top lineups, the Minutemen made a major upgrade in the rotation, adding a third ace-quality pitcher to supplement Don Griffin (20-7, 3.09, 199) and Dick Wilson (22-6, 2.51, 116). That would be 26-year-old Bud Henderson, who like Boston's double Ds, is a former 20-game winner. The now- former Sailor was 20-16 in 1958, leading the Conti in wins, as he finished with a 3.60 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 183 strikeouts in an outstanding season. It was his third of now four seasons with an above average ERA+, as the former 3rd Rounder is coming off an unlucky 12-15 season despite a solid 4.05 ERA (105 ERA+), 3.90 FIP (91 FIP-), and 136 strikeouts. He did walk a career high 107 batters, producing a BB% above 8 (9.9) for the first time in his career, but with his age, effectiveness, and durability, the win-now Boston club was willing to throw in some major chips to acquire the 3-Time All-Star. The extreme groundballer is one of the top arms in the game, and if the Minutemen weren't already the favorite for the start of the 60s, they surely are now. For the Sailors, it's tough parting with such a good pitcher, especially considering their lack of depth and potential 37-year-old ace Duke Bybee (4-10, 3.88, 94) coming off elbow surgery, but they picked up a promising young FABL hurler and two exciting prospects. The FABL pitcher is 24-year-old Gary Pike, who probably would have held a spot in the Boston rotation had they not acquired Henderson. Acquired just last offseason from the Pioneers, the former 7th Rounder made his big league debut last season. Throwing 62.1 innings between 2 starts and 28 relief outings, the 6'4'' righty was 4-1 with 4 saves, a 1.59 ERA (270 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. A hard throwing groundballer, his off-speed pitch is a cutter, as he blows fastballs and sinkers by hitters. The sinker generates a lot of grounders too, which is key considering his command (or lack of it) lead to a lot of traffic on the bases. With his pure stuff, he can overpower, but he's got a lot of moving parts in his windup and that could make it tough for him to ever walk fewer than average hitters. Pivoting to the prospects, the headliner was last year's 12th pick Jim Cruel. Ranked 65th among prospects, "Slim" got hit pretty hard in Class C last season (5-7, 7.59, 59), as he walked 85 hitters in 85.1 innings pitched. A five-pitch pitcher, he's clearly a development project, but there is a ton of upside hidden inside. He's got a nice sinker that he leans on to get outs in the field, and he mixes all his pitches well. The stuff may never be better then average, but it's already pretty polished. He likes to live on the corners to make up for the lack of stuff, and the Sailor's staff will now work on refining his repertoire and control. They'll also pick up former Toronto 3rd Rounder Mike Logan, who was drafted last year, traded to Boston in October, and now joins his third organization in less then a full calendar year. Clearly in demand, the top 150 prospect was a solid college hitter, and he produced WRC+ of 209, 152, and 141 in Class C, B, and A. Set to be a fast riser, he could crack San Fran's quite quickly, and with his excellent plate discipline he has a nice high floor of a useful off-the-bench bat. The defense at second isn't very good, limiting his overall ceiling, but so far the bat has played well. Many off seasons, this would be the end of the notable moves, but FABL teams were still active come February. It started with an interesting swap of top 100 prospects, where Washington picked up lefty Carl Levy (51st) from the Cougars for catcher Chappy Sanders (95th) and veteran outfielder Hugh Pate. Levy debuted at 19 for the Cougars just over a year and a half after being selected as a 4th Round high schooler. It went as you might expect more walks (15) then strikeouts (10) and an elevated 6.86 ERA (62 ERA+), but he flashed a ton of potential on the mound. A four-pitch pitcher who projects to be a starter, he's got amazing stuff and solid command. He's got a reliable low 90s fastball that pairs with a strong change, and with his age he could still have opportunities to add velo. And with such a weak staff in the nation's capital, Levy gives them a promising young arm to eat innings in what's likely to be another season towards the bottom for the Eagles. For the Cougars, Chappy is the headline, as the son of former Cannons catcher Earl Sanders will leave the organization that took him 17th in 1958. 23 in May, he's got an exciting bat, even before adding the "for catcher" qualifier that you usually have to mention. The power is just a projection, like it was at one point for current backstop Stan Czerwinski, but he has a patient approach and makes at worst average contact at the plate. When developed, he could hit around 15 homers with a few more walks then strikeouts, all while maintaining a solid batting average. The defense could use some work, but it's no surprise the Cougars were interested in him. With Hugh Pate, there's some, as they just got Irvin and already boast a deep and talented outfield. Still, Pate hit .360/.407/.514 (146 OPS+) in a bench role last year and owns a .298/.375/.468 (126 OPS+) career line. He can cover all three outfield positions and is a solid clubhouse figure who provides value off the field as well. Up next was a swap of veteran infielders, with shortstop Cecil LaBonte heading to St. Louis from New York for third basemen Dan Finch. LaBonte, now 34, was once one of the top young shortstops in the game, but since the 1952 season he has failed to produce a WRC+ or OPS+ above 100. This has dropped his career line down to a just-above-average .287/.354/.409 (102 OPS+) in almost 1,700 (1,698) games in a Gothams uniform. With age he's been relegated to a bench role, as he started just 6 games in 1959 after 67 in 1958, which was second to just his rookie season where he got called up a month after being drafted. St. Louis does have Paul Watson (.265, 15, 80) who plays a lot of third and short, but LaBonte could secure the job and shift Watson to third long-term. On the flip side, Finch started a career high 63 games and hit a respectable .261/.386/.376 (106 OPS+) in an also career high 264 PAs. This accounted for a bit less then half of his 599 FABL PAs, and once he appears in a game for the Gothams it will be his third FABL team since his 1950 debut. But neither of those moves come anywhere close to the deal the Chiefs made, as they added 6-Time All-Star and 1948 Kellogg Winner Irv Clifford from the Miners for a trio of youngsters. After trading Paul Williams, perhaps it shouldn't be too unexpected they'd move on from Clifford too- another mainstay in their lineup. Since his debut, he's been one of the top offensive middle infielders, producing a WRC+ and OPS+ above 100 in all but his 1952 season, and even then, it was 96 and 94 and he was on base early and often. 34 as of this January, Clifford is coming off another excellent season, hitting .281/.365/.420 (111 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 22 triples, 2 homers, 58 RBIs, 27 steals, 73 walks, and 98 runs. His 6th 4+ WAR season (4.1), Clifford will finish his Miners career with a .303/.381/.410 (116 OPS+) career line in 1,794 FABL games. The former 2nd Pick managed to log 430 doubles, 172 triples, 725 RBIs, 915 walks, 206 steals, and 1,201 runs, all while hitting less homers (18) in his career then new teammates Rod Shearer (31) and Mickey Tucker (21) hit in 1959 alone. Tasked with the leadoff spot, Clifford could lead the Fed in PAs for the third time in his career and seems like a lock to surpass 650 like he has in every season since 1949. 1959 was his first season at second base, a position he'll likely maintain when he goes to the Chiefs, and it's a shrewd move by the baseball's original club to take a run at the defending champion Minutemen. A common entrant on the Miners' career record books, he's top 10 in OBP (10th), WAR (9th, 45.9), games (3rd, 1,794), runs (2nd), hits (3rd, 2,145), triples (3rd), RBIs (9th), and walks (3rd) while the leader in doubles. His time in Pittsburgh will be remembered fondly, but now he'll have a shot for an elusive post season at bat. The cost for Chicago was huge, two top 100 prospects and a former top 100 prospect, but one that should make them a legitimate contender for the 1960 season. The guy they might miss most is the towering 6'4'' catcher Eddie Thomas, who the Chiefs took in the 2nd Round of the 1958 draft. Arguably the top catching prospect in FABL, Thomas split his '59 between Class C and B, dominating the lesser competition before looking somewhat overmatched against older pitchers. A skilled defender, he's already at least average behind the plate, which should make it easier for the young catcher to earn and hold a big-league role. The bat needs some work, his swing isn't that pretty, but oh boy! When he gets a hold of one?!?!?! Man does it go far! His good swings look majestic and captures the attention of all in the crowd, and even when he doesn't make solid contact, he can still muscle a mistake over the outfield walls. On top of all that, he's got a ton of athleticism, allowing him to shag balls on the outfield grass too. If he can't kick it behind the plate, he could handle either three spots on the outfield, and he's already spent some time at first too. While no George Cleaves, Thomas certainly has loads of talent, and it would be very fitting for the Miners to again have the top catcher in all of baseball. That is of course, if Thomas is able to reach or even pass his already lofty ceiling. Joining Thomas is fellow top 100 prospect John Moreland, a 23-year-old shortstop, and Tom Sexton, a 24-year-old-outfielder, both of which celebrate their birthdays in May. Moreland, the Chiefs 3rd Rounder in 1954, may not see his last of the organization, as after trading him to the Eagles in February 1958, they quickly re-acquired him that same October. Another tall position player, the 6'3'' infielder went 2-for-13 in a cup of coffee with the Chiefs last year and is believed to have the inside edge on one of the middle infield spots now that Clifford is in Chicago. A capable athlete nicknamed "Bullets" due to his arm strength, he's a viable defender at short, but he doesn't have the speed you like to see at premium defensive positions. He makes up for that with his reactions and instincts, both in the field and on the base path. He has a crisp smooth swing and should hit for a high average, and like Clifford he's more discipline and put the ball in play. Don't get me wrong, he has way more power, but even 10 in a season would still be a stretch. Tom Sexton could join him in the Miner lineup as well, as he got a smaller cup (0-for-2) with the Chiefs in September himself. Projected as a useful bench piece, he's capable at all three outfield spots and second base, and he has big league pop from the right side. The Miners did well to infuse their system with high end, high pedigree talent, even at the cost of a franchise icon. From that point out, it was back to the usual quiet of the preseason, as teams prepared for the start of the new campaign. After making their big offseason moves, the Chiefs and Minutemen were the favorites in the Fed according to OSA, but they still expected a good season from the former dynasty in Detroit. The Conti looked more open, with a lot of love given to the Kings, Foresters, and rather surprisingly, the Cougars, with the Cannons also in the mix for an 80+ win season. Only really the Miners, Eagles, and Saints look to be eliminated in April, but FABL fans know just how crazy a baseball season can get. * Miners Surprise Team of Fed in Early Going * Despite trading Paul Williams and Irv Clifford in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Miners started the season red-hot, finishing 8-3, tied with the Chicago Chiefs for the top April record in the Fed. Those two would meet for the first time on May 3rd, in a move that could separate the pretender from the contender. The reason? Partially Roy Sneddon, who looked to put the .222/.309/.300 (65 OPS+) he hit last year behind him. The almost 30-year-old hit .371/.450/.629 (171 OPS+) as the everyday third basemen, tallying 4 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Bill Wise (.357, 6, 1) got off to a nice start too, and Clifford return piece John Moreland (.323, 3) completed the unlikely trio that led the Miners lineup. Alex Vaughn (1-0, 1.38, 7) and Joe McDowell (0-0, 2.57, 8) headed the mound staff although in McDowell's two starts his decisions went to Don Honeycutt (1-2, 5.59, 10). It's hard to believe the hot start for Pittsburgh, so it's fitting they'll get a real test after finishing off the Gothams in a double header before an off day they'd use for travel. Chicago's record was to be believed, as the addition of Irv Clifford has seemingly jump-started the ballclub. The Chiefs shiny new leadoff hitter produced a respectable .306/.346/.449 (104 OPS+) line, but it helped lead to production from Doc Zimmerman (.279, 1, 8, 1), Dave Price (.325, 1, 5), Ed Bloom (.270, 3), and of course, Rod Shearer. Hoping to earn his elusive Whitney, the 31-year-old star hit .286/.375/.643 (158 OPS+), launching 4 homers with 12 RBIs. "Hot Rod" is on track to be just the tenth man to record 350 FABL home runs, needing just 23 more to meet the lofty metric. New starter Jack Halbur (2-0, 2.79, 12), acquired from Detroit, is off to an excellent start to his season, as ace Vern Osborne (3-0, 2.29, 12) showed exactly why he sits atop a contender's rotation. After a double header and off day of their own, Osborne will be the one to welcome the Miners to Whitney Park. It may not feel like a big game to them, but early games like this are critical if you want to nudge middle-of-the-pack teams away from contention. Set to face Osborne for Pittsburgh is former top 20 prospect Mike Blackham (1-0, 3.75, 5), who debuted at 19 last April. All but one of his league leading 78 appearances came out of the pen, as the young lefty finished 11-5 with 14 saves, a 4.49 ERA (97 ERA+), and 3.84 FIP (88 FIP-) in 122.1 innings pitched. He struck out 90 and walked just 51, and he won one of the many rotation spots behind Ed Power that were up for grabs in the spring. Skipper Clyde Matthews has liked the early returns on him in the rotation so far, as his mid 90s fastballs have been able to overpower in small samples. He's yet to be built up, and in the big game with Chiefs Blackham left after 109 pitches through 6.2 innings. It could have been avoided, as an error is the only thing that stopped it from being seven, as the youngster did a good job bouncing back from a rough first. He surrendered home runs to Mickey Tucker (4) and Rod Shearer (5) and kept the Chiefs at three until they reclaimed the lead in the 6th. This might have been the sign to go to the pen, as the very unreliable Don Honeycutt was the one called upon to strand the bases loaded. It started good, as pinch hitter Willie Martin was quickly down 0-2, but a wild pitch let Ed Bloom score from third. After a foul ball, Honeycutt then hit Martin, promptly reloading the bases for Elmer Walters. Walter chased a 2-0 pitch, popping up harmlessly to end the inning, but the avoidable damage was done. Pittsburgh went up without a whimper in the top half, and then Honeycutt replacement George Kollock decided to load the bases again with a double and two walks. This led to trouble, as after just missing a tough pitch, Ed Bloom was able to lock on, clearing the bases with a 366 foot wall scraper. To the Miners credit, they battled back for two runs in the ninth, but they just ran out of outs and fell out of the first place tie. With ace Ed Power on against big strikeout arm Joe Cipolla, the Miners would need something from their offense, but they were held scoreless through five. They got finally got two in the 7th, moving within one of the association leaders. Mother nature decided to interrupt the comeback, as with one out in the 8th, lightning was seen, and play was paused. The 67-minute rain delay ended Cipolla's night too (7.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), but they couldn't mount a rally on the replacement. Even worse, the Miners had to do the same for Power (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K), who aside from allowing homers to Dave Price (3) and Rod Shearer (6) was as good as it gets. Don Honeycutt is not, and after getting a quick ground out he showed exactly why. He walked both Bloom and Shearer on four pitches, and after getting Mickey Turner down 0-2, he threw three wide and the catcher eventually worked an eight-pitch walked. Bases now loaded, he faced young outfielder Dave Price, getting a quick and shallow flyout that kept the veteran Bloom at third. An out away from weaseling his way out, his old nemesis, the wild pitch, came back. That allowed Bloom to score on a 1-1 pitch, and he followed that with two more balls to again load the bases. After looking silly with the bases loaded the following day, the epitome of an easy out Elmer Walters looked like a man out for revenge, staring menacingly at the pitcher he felt wronged him. Of course, the look didn't do much, his monster swing quickly led to a dribbler on home plate, but lucky for him that meant he got another chance. The wild Honeycutt missed wide trying to get him to chase, which seemed to only increase the rage Walters felt inside. Using that feeling, the defensive specialist unleashed the power of all glove-first guys before him, launching one 425 feet to give the Chiefs their second 8th inning grand slam in as many games. Mercifully, Willie Martin was disposed of quickly to end the frame, but the Miners dugout was dejected, and they realized that any hope they might have gained over the past few weeks was just the foolishness of buying a tiny sample size. The Chiefs used this series to build momentum, while Pittsburgh quickly retreated towards .500. After the first place deciding Fed series, the Conti was even tighter, as the Cougars (10-7) and Cannons (11-8) were both within a half game of the Foresters (11-7). It was the Cougars who made the first move, as they took first on the 5th of May and didn't look back. After sweeping Montreal they did the same to the Kings and Cannons, and used their patented pitching to hold the lead the rest of the month. Sure, the Foresters got within a half game towards the end, but an 18-12 May allowed Chicago to lead both Ohio teams by two before the new month. The bullpen was amazing, led by David Molina protégé Arch Wilson (3-1, 5, 2.54, 18) who pitched 28.1 innings in just over half (16) of the Cougs May games. When he couldn't go, Bobby Crooks (1-0, 3, 1.54, 7) and Ken Stone (1-1, 1, 2.31, 4) filled in fine, and both Dick Greenlaugh (0-0, 0.46, 7) and Roy Ellis (1-1, 2.29, 12) were excellent in their six relief appearances and single start. Of course, with guys like Hank Walker (5-1, 2.65, 16), Pug White (4-2, 4.20, 26), and Ollie Norris (2-1, 2.75, 16), significant relief isn't always needed. And with young stars like Jack Gibson (.330, 5, 21, 1), Jerry McMillian (.248, 5, 14, 4), and maybe now Jim Barton (.318, 2, 12), they could sustain a pennant run for the first time since 1952. I can't remember the last time both Chicago teams were atop the standings, as the Cougars haven't been there in ages, but the Chiefs (28-14) held a slightly larger 2.5 game lead over the Pioneers (23-14). They relied heavily on their rotation, namely Joe Cipolla, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Cipolla and Dick Champ (2-0, 1.07, 25) both were outstanding, while the pen got good innings from veterans Mel Haynes (2-2, 3.18, 12) and Carl Potter (1-1, 1, 3.06, 8). For a while, things just stayed close, but on June 12th the Foresters broke the Chicago-only association lead. They didn't hold it outright, matching the Cougars 31-23 record, as the top two teams traded decisions for the next three games. An emphatic 11-0 win over the Saints put the Foresters in front, as Chicago dropped the opener in Cincinnati. They went on to drop the next three, which brought the teams into a tie for 3rd, three and a half behind the first place Foresters (36-24). * Cannons Stay in Thick of CA Race as Calendar Turned to June * Expected to compete, Cleveland has hit and pitched well, and after an off day they would start a critical 14 game road trip that starts with the Cannons (33-28) and Kings (34-28). The Foresters would open with the now 43-year-old Rufus Barrell, with buddy Adrian Czerwinski and a potential spot starter in the final two starts of the series. Cleveland got off to a fast start, with Tom Carr's speed (BB, SAC, SB, WP) manufacturing an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for any of the fans who made the 250 mile trek, that's really the last thing they enjoyed in the game, as Fred Lainhart (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B), Al Farmer (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B), and Johnny Elliot (3-4, R, RBI) led the Cannons to an easy 7-1 lead. The hosts then piled 15 hits on the Mad Professor in an outing where he didn't finish the 6, exiting with 7 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 2 outs. 1957 Whitney Winner Dallas Berry made some noise after a 1-for-5 in the opener, 3-for-4 with a walk, triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Five players recorded two hit games, with Fred Lainhart (2-5, R), Art McKinney (2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Larry Lewis (2-3 R, RBI), Willie Watson (2-4, 2 RBI), and Nick Remillard (2-4, R, 2B) all getting in the fun. Aside from some late inning runs, Jimmy Block (8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was excellent, and it was his own error that led to an "unearned" run. In position to sweep, a win here would put Cincinnati a half game out of first. The pitching matchup of Johnny Britton and Hal Miller didn't do justice to the standing implications, but the game delivered early excitement. After two quick outs, the always difficult Dallas Berry worked a seven-pitch double, extending the inning for Al Farmer. Despite going down 0-2, the veteran remained cool and composed, lining a double of his own. Unable to recover, the spot-starting Britton walked Art McKinney on four pitches, at least setting up the force for both runners. Still a bit uneasy, the young righty missed two more times, before Larry Lewis hit the third double of the inning, plating both runners. It was another walk, this time to Willie Watson, and the Cannons stretched the lead to four with a Nick Remillard single. Thankfully, opposing pitcher Hal Miller was easy enough for Britton, but things were not looking good in the visiting dugout. Wise words from pitching coach Tom Martin and the Mad Professor himself seemed to calm the young righty, who battled for back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Just two more Cannons reached base, and after the misstep in the first he fired off four scoreless innings. But when he was pinch hit for in the 6th, his team was in reach of making it a game. Otis O'Keefe opened the scoring with a one out single earlier in the inning, followed by John Low beating out a double play attempt to allow Sherry Doyal's run to count. Now with runners on first and third, Johnson was the go ahead run and could give his pitcher a win with one swing of the bat. Homers aren't his thing, just eight in the past three years, but a line drive past the second basemen put the tying run on second. Down 4-3, the lineup turned over to Tom Carr, who was quickly down 0-2. Not changing his approach, he thwacked a grounder past the shortstop, sending Jerry Hubbs to round third and try to score. Fielded cleanly, "The Can-Do Kid" Dallas Berry unleashed his cannon, catching the tortoise Hubbs before he could make his slide. With how the series went, that felt like a huge miss, but Frank Young (IP, H) and Lynn Horn (2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) kept the Cannons at the 4, providing the lineup opportunities to tie it up. But once the struggling Joe Smith entered the game, Cleveland showed little resistance, sprinkling a hit and a walk between 4 Ks in 2.2 innings. His first save as a Cannon, he ended the game with a Sherry Doyal strikeout and Hal Kennedy double play, putting themselves in striking distance of first place. Meanwhile, the 1960 draft class was beginning to fill the low minors rosters, including #1 pick Dixie Turner. Son of former Pittsburgh Miner (and GWL Dallas Centurion) Ed Turner, Dixie has a chance to debut for the team that picked his dad in the 1937 Rule-5 Draft. A versatile high schooler, he played games at second, third, short, center, left, and right, but Pittsburgh views him as their new second basemen of the future. Already a top 10 prospect, Turner hit 14 homers as a senior, and projects to have light-tower power at the plate. Paired with excellent plate coverage, a patient approach, and a nifty contact tool, the younger Turner has the chance to be everything his father wasn't. A potential multi-year All-Star, Turner was both best overall and filling a need, as with no more Irv Clifford there's a massive hole he filled for a season. With his youth, his best day's might not come until Clifford had his worst, but Dixie is almost an ideal prospect. His versatility makes him easy to make room for, as aside from catcher and pitcher he shouldn't have many issues. Though some would argue that 2nd Overall pick Miguel Paniagua was the better option, as the 6'3'' Dominican was placed in the top 5. Further ahead than Dixie, there's thoughts of placing Paniagua in A ball, as the catcher/outfielder impressed in the Caribbean before moving to Florida for college. A patient hitter with extra base pop and a quality contact tool, Paniagua is the type of hitter you want in big opportunities. His weakness is his speed, and the more he catches the less outfield he can play, providing an interesting decision for the Stars front office to make. Other notable prospects include 5th selection Bobby Phelps, another talented outfielder with elite power, an outstanding eye, and a swing that should translate to averages well over .300. The only issue is his defense has not been good. Natural catcher Tom Brizzolara was taken 7th by the Gothams, and they aggressively placed the 21-year-old catcher in AA. Lew Mercer has been a reliable starting catcher after George Cleaves left, but the Brooklyn native could break the Gothams catching trend that has seen the starter start one fewer season then the rest. Pete Casstevens was there for 8 years, Cleaves for 7, and now Mercer in his 6th could be replaced next season. He hits for average and power all while providing excellent defense behind the game, with his Midwestern University teammates praising his ability to call a game. Just two pitchers were selected, but all sixteen members of the first round cracked the top 100 in a strong draft that skewed batter heavy, causing some talented pitchers to slip to the 2nd and 3rd. As much as Cincinnati tried, they just couldn't pass Cleveland in June, a month that saw the Fed leader change on multiple occasions, including three times in the last three days. The Chiefs, Pioneers, and Keystones all held first at some point, while the Minutemen finished the month as one of the four teams within one game of first. Even Detroit was still in it at 2.5 out, as everyone was taking games from the Miners (29-43), Gothams (27-43), and Eagles (25-45). With little separation, it was still anyone's game, but as the league got closer to the all-star break, the Keystones started to gain some ground. They took three of four from the Pioneers in St. Louis, split a double header with Detroit, and won three of five from the Miners to enter the break 47-32. For a team that hadn't had a winning record since Buddy Miller's rookie season, it was a huge accomplishment, and they held 2.5 game leads over St. Louis (45-35) and Detroit (46-36), with the Chiefs (45-37) and Minutemen (46-38) an extra game back. Star rookie center fielder Harry Dellinger was the main reason the Keystones were on top, as the Kellogg favorite exploded in June, taking home the Rookie and Batter of the Month award. The 21-year-old top five prospect hit an excellent .438/.485/.802 (231 OPS+), mashing 11 homers, 5 doubles, and 3 triples in 132 trips to the plate. The former 2nd Pick scored 31 runs, drove in 40 more, and swiped 4 bases, making him 16-for-18. With Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter, they have a trio of serious sluggers, and for once the pitching staff some young talent that can be relied on. There's still a long season ahead of them, but it's an exciting position that is unfamiliar to many Keystone fans that are still yearning for the days of success under Bobby Barrell. The Conti began to separate at the break as well, with the Foresters pulling out a 4 game lead over the Cougars, who were the only team within five. While the Fed had five teams all closer to first then the Cougars, the Conti had only four teams within ten games of the Foresters, and were threatening to run away with the first pennant of the 60s. Czerwinski, Jake Pearson, Hal Kennedy, John Low, Tom Carr, and Paul Williams all represented the division leaders at the mid-summer classic, and with the top offense and second best pitching staff, smart money would bet on Cleveland holding the lead the rest of the way. ALL-STAR GAME The 28th annual All-Star Game was an offensive display at Cleveland's Forester Stadium. The two sides combined for 30 hits as the Continental stars held off their counterparts from the Federal Association by a 9-8 score. The CA leads the series 16 wins to 12. Among the hitting stars were Charlie Barrell of Los Angeles, who enjoyed a 3-for-5 day for the CA and Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy, who had two hits including the only homerun of the game. TRADE DEADLINE While Cleveland carried their momentum after the break, the Keystones could not, as they lost big series to the Pioneers (1-3), Minutemen (0-3), and Chiefs (1-2), only picking up multiple wins against the Eagles. On the 23rd, four teams were within a half a game of their miniscule lead, and by July 24th the Dynamos (53-40) were the first of that group to claim the top spot. At that point, only the Chiefs, who were a game out at 51-40, had made any deals of note. The first one was about as shocking as it gets, as they sold low on last year's Kellogg winner Dave Price (.248, 5, 34, 3) who was struggling through one of the worst sophomore slumps you could imagine. After hitting .313/.366/.480 (126 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 84 RBIs, and 107 runs, he's scuffled to a .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) line in 82 games. The 1959 hit leader (193) saw his WRC+ more then halve from 127 to 61, due in large part to a stark BB% decline from 8.2 to 2.9. The talented 23-year-old was still excellent out in center, but his bat was so big of a black hole that they felt they needed a new center fielder. Of course, there are options like optioning him to AAA or move him into more of a 4th outfield role, both of which are significantly better options then trading him to Montreal for a 33-year-old starter-turned-stopper in Tom Fisher (4-5, 12, 3.43, 36), especially considering Paul Magee was doing a solid job himself. Fisher has been excellent, but his 4.84 FIP (109 FIP-) is over a full run higher then his ERA, and for the first time since 1952 he was walking (39) more guys then he struck out (36). He does serve as decent rotation depth himself, but it seems like a deal could have gotten done without Price. A few days later they picked up another pen arm in Lee Loeffler (3-7, 8, 5.12, 41). A long-time Chief who made 174 appearances between 1953 and 1959 with them. He was DFA'd during the season and unclaimed last year, deciding not to refuse his outright assignment. It paid off, as at the Rule-5 draft the Eagles decided to take a risk on him, and despite his high ERA (5.12, 86) and FIP (4.91, 111) he'll now get to pitch in a pennant race. Unlikely to pitch many high leverage outings, he's a good guy to soak up unimportant innings or even the occasional spot start in a double header. The cost was minimal too, a pair of young first basemen, making it a reasonable deal. The more talented prospect is a first basemen only Wally Fontaine, who ranks inside the top 200, but doesn't really have the bat to play every day at first. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Steve Oleson can play some outfield, but he's a former 12th Round pick whom might top out as a AA player. Still, for a team supplying the rest of their association with wins, it's a useful pickup for a guy you gave up nothing to get. Trade seasons first major domino fell on the 26th, with both association leaders acquiring a bat from the Gothams. Despite a 7 game lead and a lineup as good as any, the Cleveland Foresters continued their outfield addiction by picking up star center fielder Earl Howe. The 1955 Whitney Winner is one of the game's most feared sluggers, and one of the only six humans to homer at least 50 times in a season. He has just 18 this year, but in his previous six seasons he's hit at least 30 or more, and his 247 home runs will remain 4th behind Walt Messer (430), one of the other five guys to hit 50+ in a season, Red Johnson (386), and long-time teammate Hank Estill (317). Just 28, Howe had a legitimate chance to pass all three, but will now have to add to his totals in a new uniform. A veteran of seven seasons, Howe appeared in 1,008 games for the Gothams, slashing a healthy .288/.369/.538 (142 OPS+) in 4,350 trips to the plate. Worth just shy of 40 WAR (39.2), Howe logged 712 runs, 159 doubles, 772 RBIs, and 473 walks, spending three seasons at the Gothams right fielder and three and a half in center. One of the leagues most valuable players, he'll join an outfield of Tom Carr, Otis O'Keefe, Armando Estrada, and Sherry Doyal, while they have another outfield option in Paul Williams. Already arguably the best lineup overall, there's little doubt now, as Stan Kleminski, Hal Kennedy, John Low, and Jerry Hubbs are all excellent hitters. With no holes and a strong rotation, there was a reason Cleveland has managed to pull away from the pack, and this move shows they have no thoughts about taking the foot off the gas. New York's four prospect package wasn't particularly deep, but it featured a clear headliner in Les Freedman. A top-50 prospect who is trending upward, Freedman went in the 3rd Round of the 1958 draft, and has quickly worked his way from the classroom to A ball. Just 20, 15 of his 19 starts this year came with the Foresters Class A affiliate in Wilmington, an unlucky 3-7 despite a 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched. A refined four pitch pitcher, his signatured is a wipeout curve, and if you're sitting on it he can push a mid 90s fastball by you. His change and splitter warrant respect as well, and with his strike throwing abilities and horizontal movement, he'll generate plenty of whiffs. Future ace may be a stretch, as the curve is the only plus-plus pitch at this time, but he'll quickly settle into the middle of a FABL rotation. The Gothams farm is lacking top arms like that, and they've done a poor job supplement Jorge Arellano and the grizzled Ed Bowman in the rotation. Acquiring Freedman as well as borderline top-100 prospect Chuck Ayers is a step forward, as the duo will become the top two ranked pitchers in the system. A lefty who turns 19 on the final day of August, Ayers was Cleveland's 1st Round selection last year, and after a respectable 15 start showing Class C last year, they kept him back until July before letting him debut with their Class B affiliate. It's just 5 starts, and he has a much better FIP (4.21, 87) then ERA (5.29, 91), but New York isn't acquiring him for the pitcher he is now. What they're excited about is the velo, as his sidewind whip of an arm slings 98 mph fastballs. You can't sit on it either, he has six other toys to work with, and he has the foundational pieces in place already. What determines his big league success is his strike throwing ability, as to succeed he'll have to locate his offerings well. Not all the pitches are great, so unless he refines the weak spots there are mistakes waiting to be punished. A high-risk, high-reward type prospect, he's the perfect #2 in a deal for a star, and all the angry Howe fans may get over it if the mid-to-late 60s teams are anchored by the Freedman/Ayers trade partner tandem. Finishing off the package is a pair of position prospects, but neither have the upside of the pitchers. Outfielder Howie Taylor is still a quality piece in his own right, as the top-200 prospect is a quality defensive outfielder in the corners who can steal bases and hit a few homers. What stands between him and a starting role is himself, as he's not the brightest bulb and he doesn't have the raw talent to make up for it. He does draw a fair amount of walks, but he strikes out too much and struggles to pick up singles. A bench role seems likely, but he has an easily identified weakness that can be worked on. Chubby Smith then was a throw in, as his use was quickly discovered after the next deal. Despite being a former first rounder, Chubby never garnered much attention as a prospect, and that includes this season where he hit .314/.389/.573 (164 OPS+) with the AAA Rochester Rooks before getting word of the trade. He's got 16 homers in 59 games, but he's a slow, unathletic guy who occasionally hits home runs and not much else. Chubby's upside is limited, but since he's an able bodied catcher who's got youth on his side (23), he became the Gothams' new starter after they parted ways with Lew Mercer. Mercer, 32, will officially finish with one less season starting then his predecessor, fulfilling the role 7-year starter George Cleaves did to 8-year starter Pete Casstevens. I wouldn't necessarily bet on Chubby (or whoever ends up starting next year) going 5, but I would bet on Mercer hitting better in Detroit than current starter Dan Smith's .245/.329/.306 line. One of the better offensive catchers, Mercer is on track for surpassing the 100 WRC+ mark for the sixth time in seven season. Currently at 119, Mercer has continued to provide production behind the plate, hitting .286/.382/.427 (108 OPS+) with 8 homers and 29 RBIs. It's a nice boost to a Dynamo team that's trying to survive an all-out battle for the Fed, and an even nicer reunion for the team's former 2nd Round pick. He got into 11 games across 3 seasons in Detroit, but he was DFA'd on Opening Day in 1954 and spent three months in the unemployment line. Finally, Mercer caught on with the Gothams, and even though he got a minor league deal he went straight to the Big Apple. He exploded with a .290/.387/.483 (135 OPS+) triple slash, knocking 10 double and 6 homers with 22 runs, 31 RBIs, and 20 walks. That earned him the starting job until the trade, and in 796 games with the Gothams he hit a productive .265/.361/.416 (109 OPS+) batting line with 131 doubles, 78 homers, and 392 RBIs. Mercer is expected to hit in the bottom half of a solid lineup that features Dick Tucker, Bill Morrison, Joe Reed, Pat Petty, and Dick Estes. 21-year-old outfielder Cecil Gregg has started to get settled, and the addition of Mercer lengthens an already tough lineup. In return, Detroit parted with a pair of infielders, headlined by top-100 prospect Phil Mattis. A natural first basemen, Mattis doesn't have an obvious fit in the Dynamos future, as they have a lot of corner bats and are looking to give top prospect and Edwin Hackberry return piece Ray Waggoner time there in the future. Known as "The Hornell Hammer," it would be awesome for the Hornell, New York native to make it big with the Gothams, and he's got the power they may have just lost with Howe. Well developed for a recent high school pick, he seems to be the heir to Estill at first, and a valuable future asset for a team that loves guys who can hit it a mile. Despite all the congestion in the standings, just one more major trade was made, as on the 28th the second place Cougars added lefty Andy Logue to the #1 pitching staff. Taken in the 2nd Round of the 1951 draft by Montreal, Logue debuted for the Saints in 1956, and became a full time rotation member with 26 starts (11-5, 3.61, 86) for Montreal last season. Chicago must think they can fix the 27-year-old, as his 21 starts this year were awful. Just 3-8, he sported an elevated 6.25 ERA (71 ERA+) and 1.77 WHIP, walking batters at a career high 9.2%. When paired with a career low 12.9%, it was a recipe for disaster, but he showed a lot of promise last season. The Boston native uses his sinker and curve to set up hitters, putting them away with a nifty slider that's great for strikeouts. The stuff is still hittable, which is why his previously stout command allowed him to succeed. Instead, he's allowing homers at an alarming rate (1.5 per 9), and if that continues his time in Chicago won't be long at all. Though the fact they parted with a talented prospect in Ham Flanders makes it seem likely that the Cougars have identified a flaw in Logue's delivery that has led to the poor results. A former 2nd Rounder, Flanders is a 22-year-old second basemen who may now be stuck behind slugger Jack B. Gibson, who has seen a bit more second then his natural short. A bat-first prospect, Flanders doesn't offer much with the glove, and if Gibson is who Chicago envisions at the keystone long-term, there's now way Flanders can push him off. As good as he is, the 38 homers Gibson hit last season are more then Flanders' minor league number to date, and at a homer friendly park Flanders can't really take full advantage. He does have a nice hit tool, which plays way better at the Parc Cartier, and since he'll be Rule-5 eligible in the offseason he could be an immediate factor in 1961. They have a few other middle infield prospects, but both guys in the majors are in their 30s, with shortstop Bill Elkins 35 and in his worst pro season. Losing pitching depth is tough, but if the Saints don't believe that Logue can return to the pitcher he was last year, they got paid like he will. This could be a nice win-win trade if both players pan out, but it was funny that one of the only deadline trades was a pair of teams trading from a relative weakness to solidify a strength. * Hot August Boosts Boston's Repeat Hopes * By rattling off nine consecutive victories to end August, the preseason favorite Boston Minutemen were right back to first place, 2.5 above Detroit and 3 above the Chiefs, with the Pioneers (3.5) and Philly (4) still in the mix. Boston's next win would be there 60th, as a second consecutive .600+ month gave them some much needed separation from their competition. They ran that streak to 11 before Detroit's 3-Time Allen Winner Jim Norris (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K) mystified the Minuteman lineup with a 1-0 shutout, but they picked right back up with series wins on the road against the Gothams (3-1) and the Keystones (2-1). In fact, they lost just one series, a three gamer hosting the Chiefs. That finished their three game losing streak, the only part of their 20-9 month where they didn't follow up a loss with a win. The Boston pitching was immaculate, with Don Griffin (4-1, 0.65, 37) and Dick Wilson (3-1, 1.75, 11) picking through lineups with ease. Griffin captured the Pitcher of the Month award, as not only did he have a sub-0.75 ERA and WHIP (0.68), but Doc had a pristine 37-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's yet to walk double digit hitters in a month, something Wilson (15) and three other guys did this month. That's not always a bad thing, as Bud Henderson (3-1, 2.87, 28) was outstanding like Wilson, but the command Boston's ace has shown makes him a shoo-in for the Allen. The offense was excellent too, with stars Rick Masters (.326, 6, 28, 1), Joe Kleman (.359, 4, 23, 1), and Marshall Thomas (.319, 3, 14, 2) providing the staff with plenty of support. When rosters expanded, just the Chiefs (74-54, 4.5 GB) and Pioneers (71-54, 6 GB) were within ten games, as the five team race faded to just three. Chicago has rode hot too, and don't forget they were the team to win a series against Boston. Offseason pickup Jack Halbur was starting to pitch like the guy they thought they acquired, 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA (166 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP. Fellow offseason pickup Irv Clifford led the offense in OPS for August, hitting an impressive .368/.438/.535 (151 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers,15 RBIs, and 15 walks, and 29 runs. Doc Zimmerman (.342, 7, 23) led the team in homers and RBIs, Ed Bloom (.283, 2, 21, 2) walked (16) more then he struck out (12), and rookie shortstop Guy Johnson (.253, 6, 18) doubled his season output in a single month. All that's left is to get Rod Shearer (.192, 3, 13) going, as with two homers remaining for 300 he's started to press. A relaxed Shearer and quality outings from the rotation are a must, but the Chiefs have kept themselves close enough to claim their first crown since 1949. St. Louis has a tougher challenge, but with the young dream rotation of Billy Hasson (26), Frenchy Mack (23), and George Blake (22) and reigning Whitney candidate Jerry Smith, the Pioneers cannot be underestimated. It's a bit surprising the Pioneers didn't make a move at the deadline, though their midseason upgrade came the way of #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old second basemen debuted on July 23rd, and was quickly named Rookie of the Month. Already the team's second best hitter, Bell slashed an outstanding .303/.379/.551 (164 OPS+) in August, knocking 6 homers with 24 RBIs, 21 runs, and 30 walks. His July time was pretty great too, 13-for-31 with another home run, and you can't blame the prospect pickers for saying this guy was the best FABL farms had to offer. A potential star in the making, he's got lethal power with one of the best approaches, walking in over 20% of his plate appearances so far. The Missouri native is also a weapon defensively, able to fill the middle infield and all three outfield spots. The early marks at second have been great, and he seems to have found his spot secured on the lineup card for seasons to come. Unfortunately, the Fed looked to be the only pennant race in the new decade, as the Cleveland Foresters (78-46) were double digit games ahead of everyone else. That didn't hold, but the eventual second place Cannons never got to get within seven of them. The clear best team in the Conti, they scored 170 more runs then they allowed, finishing 1st (878) and 2nd (708) respectively. Ironically, blockbuster acquisition Earl Howe was awful, hitting just 5 home runs in 259 trips to the plate. That's a HR% of just 2%, a third of the 6% he hit in his career with the Gothams. The low home run output prevented Howe from hitting 30 homers for the first time in his career, stuck with just 23 between the spots. His .262/.328/.399 (83 OPS+) line in Cleveland was poor, with the lone saving grace solid defense in his two familiar positions. Of course, it didn't matter, as despite battling a five week injury, Paul Williams was back to being the sparkplug he's known to be. The first year Forester hit an outstanding .359/.469/.562 (160 OPS+), totaling 32 doubles, 14 homers, 72 runs, and 77 RBIs in 102 games. He boasted an absurd 74-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and would have posted his fourth consecutive 100 walk season had he stayed healthy. A now 7-Time All-Star, Williams anchors a dangerous lineup with Tom Carr (.335, 8, 99, 18), Stan Kleminski (.276, 3, 52, 17), Hal Kennedy (.295, 25, 93), Sherry Doyal (.290, 9, 77, 6), John Low (.328, 17, 106), and Jerry Tubbs (.305, 8, 76). Their is no reprieve on the mound either, as Adrian Czerwinski (15-8, 3.68, 140) delivered another great campaign, while Jake Pearson (13-9, 3.86, 126) and Frank Young delivered consistent starts behind him. Future Hall-of-Famer Rufus Barrell (12-10, 4.25, 97) remained effective even at 43, producing his 19th FABL season with an ERA+ above 100 (106) and 20th with a FIP- below 100 (87). The pen is capable too, and they'll be a handful for the survivor on the other side. Not only was Cincinnati the only team within 10 games (8 GB) of the Foresters, but at 85-69 they were the only other team to win 80 games. Aside from that, there was plenty to be excited about, as their best hitter and best pitcher were elite. Keen readers would be able to glean the pitcher, but even the most casual fans could tell you that Dallas Berry is the best player on the team. You could make the argument for the best in the league, and at least this year, he was the best in the association. The obvious unanimous Whitney Winner (spoiler alert: the Allen is controversial!), Berry hit a ludicrous .326/.461/.657 (182 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 42 homers, 151 runs, 133 RBIs, 128 walks, 14 steals, and a 10.6 WAR that came second to just his first Whitney season in 1957. The offensive environment wasn't as high in '57 as it was this year, but so despite the higher OPS (1.118 to 1.084), he had a lower OPS+ and WRC+ (188) this time around. Compared to the Conti, he led in runs, walks, OBP, slugging, WRC+, wOBA, WAR, and of course OPS, and his run total was tied for the 8th most in a FABL season yet. No Allen for the Cannons, but 23-year-old southpaw Jim York led the Conti with 20 wins in his first full seasons as a starter. The sophomore Cannon did it in the association high 35 starts, working to a 3.64 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.41 FIP (76 FIP-) with a 1.39 WHIP, 93 walks, and 165 strikeouts. The new ace of the staff, no one behind him came close, and one of the guys they expected to rely on saw a complete 180 in his production. That would be Doc Clay, who followed up his impressive 1959 (15-12, 3.22, 119) with his first FABL season with an ERA above 4 and a WHIP above 1.40. In both cases, it was WAY above, as his ERA swelled to 5.62 (80 ERA+) with an equally poor 5.35 FIP (119 FIP-). His 32 starts just lasted 149 innings, and for the first time he walked (90) more hitters then he struck out (75). His decline has made a mess of the rotation, but they have a great pen and deep lineup. Paul Williams (6-11, 25, 2.62, 80) led the Conti in saves, the first time a non-Cougar led since 1955, and despite the high loss total he was effective in the late innings. Fred Lainhart (.307, 7, 54, 27), Al Farmer (.312, 15, 86), Charlie Ham (.283, 20, 60), and Johnny Elliot (.300, 8, 47) did a good job to surround "The Can-Do Kid" and even guys like Larry Lewis (.284, 8, 80, 9) and Art McKinney (.264, 25, 107) had above average WRC+, and there's a lot of talent in the state of Ohio. Late season collapses happen far too often for the Chicago Cougars, who went from a contender for first to barely staying over .500. It makes sense, considering they scored and allowed the fewest runs, as despite being able to record hits, homers, and steals, the Cougars just didn't get on base enough to score runs. The exception, however, was whenever Jack B. Gibson batted, as the 25-year-old superstar hit 43 homers in his 3rd big league season, good for the 2nd most in team history. Already 9th in total homers and 100 within the Cougar record, he shoulder's none of the blame for the low scoring, as he drove in 134 runs and scored 95 times. His .307/.351/.572 (137 OPS+) batting line was well above average, and he's the oldest of the team's young stars. Jerry McMillian (.321, 15, 70, 25) is just 23, Jim Barton (.338, 17, 86) 24, and versatile rookie Henry Watson (.340, 20, 76, 5) 22. And while not stars, Mooney Vetter (.297, 18, 83) and Stan Czerwinski (.242, 13, 42) are both 26 and former 1st Round picks. The pitching has some vets, with quality arms Pug White (17-11, 3.91, 134), Ollie Norris (8-11, 4.83, 71), and Hank Walker (14-10, 4.49, 104) all 28-and-up, and they managed to fix the 27-year-old Andy Logue (1-4, 3.34, 43; 3-8, 6.25, 63). They do have a talented 23-year-old in John Mitchell (7-7, 4.30, 101) too, and their roster is filled with plenty of guys younger then the star Gibson. It was a rough decade in the 50s, and the 60s haven't started better, but the future is starting to look bright for title starved franchise. The two west coast teams finished tied for 4th, both an even 77-77, which is actually the best season for the Stars since they moved to LA. That's in large part due to Charlie Barrell, who for the second straight year was healthy enough to play 151 games. Now 30, the 6-Time All-Star hit an impressive .322/.382/.493 (121 OPS+) with 41 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 105 RBIs, and 96 runs. Nephew Ralph was even better, as the 20-year-old youngster hit a pristine .325/.395/.541 (140 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, 67 runs, 88 RBIs, and a 151 WRC+ in an injury-shortened season. If for 1961, both can be healthy, things will look good in Hollywood, as they got big years from young outfielders Charlie Sax (.346, 8, 65, 13) and Don Hall (.284, 28, 86, 10), as well as the guy who should have 100% without any question absolutely positively won the Continental Allen, Dewey Allcock. Perhaps the puritan voters held him accountable for things outside of his power, but the 22-year-old righty was the best pitcher in the CA this year. Also not an All-Star, all he did was go 19-10 with a 3.31 ERA (133 ERA+), 3.22 FIP (72 FIP-), 1.20 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts. Allcock led the association in wins, ERA, starts (35), WHIP, K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2), and its an absolute travesty he did not earn an Allen for his efforts. Accolade or not, the Stars found their overpowering ace, and all that's left is to give him someone else who can prevent runs. Aside form second basemen Vern Reynolds, who didn't allow any of the three batters he faced (two outs, one walk) to score, no Star had an ERA below 4.50, and no Star with more then 10 starts had an ERA below 5.25. If it's any consolation, one of those guys was 23-year-old righty Floyd Warner (8-11, 5.30, 136), and as a rookie in 1958 he was 12-14 with a 3.28 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts. 21-year-olds Cal Johnston (4-8, 12, 4.93, 86) and Sy Dunn (7-8, 3, 4.84, 52) both look in-line for longer looks in the rotation, and like the Cougars they have a great collection of youth. It's been 7 years since the Stars finished above .500, but if this trio of young pitchers can take a step forward next season, they have a chance to not only break the .500 mark, but compete for 13th Continental pennant. San Francisco's future doesn't look as bright, especially in a rotation led by 38-year-old Duke Bybee (5-3, 3.81, 37) and 1959 Rule-5 pick Larry Knez (5-14, 3.79, 79), but at least the top of the order is tough to navigate. Leading is the still talented Edwin Hackberry (.281, 10, 72, 17), even if he did recently turn 34 and take a step back at the plate, and they have the top young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo (.293, 7, 77, 21), who is starting to look like a young Skipper Schneider. And while not household names, John Kingsbury (.315, 15, 89, 6), Ron Turner (.289, 21, 79), Ben Crawford (.275, 20, 99, 10), and Rip Rogan (.294, 11, 57) all provided quality at bats. They have some reinforcements on the farm, but it's all on the position player side, the current strength of the big league club. The young pitching they have is already in San Francisco, as the now 25-year-old Gary Pike (12-13, 4.36, 115) impressed, putting together 34 solid starts after coming over from Boston in the Bud Henderson deal this January. A useful #4 or #5, the same goes to Larry Knez, who scuffled through a rookie season last year and pitched better then that 5-14 record. The George's McDaniel (5-4, 2.77, 39) and Fuller (7-2, 1, 3.21, 55) did well in the pen and rotation, and could earn long-term spots next year. Both project more as back-end guys as well, and may end up being fillers until they can find someone better. After finishing the 50s with just one sub-.500 season, the Kansas City Kings had a shocking fall from grace, finishing two games under .500 after eight consecutive 80+ win seasons. The culprit was the defense, evidenced best by Beau McClellan's (15-11, 4.46, 171) 4.46 ERA (99 ERA+) being a full run higher then his 3.46 FIP (77 FIP-). When even a pitcher of his caliber has issues keeping runs off the board, they were in trouble, as young stopper Del Lamb (13-11, 14, 3.69, 96) was the only pitcher to throw more then 100 innings and keep an above average ERA. Former Dynamo Jack Miller (8-6, 1, 6.34, 88) was even in worse in year two, Mike Thorpe (6-6, 5.69, 33) again saw his season end early with injury, and now graduated top-100 prospect Fred Myers (5-12, 5.33, 75) was victimized by the poor defense as well. The only plus was Fred Washington (12-7, 4.47, 111) go from awful to average, but any of that was offset by Tony Britten (5-12, 5.77, 76) flop of a season. It may be tough to solve the defense issue too, as they have a lot of good bats. Improving the middle infield is crucial, but the outfield of Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.325, 11, 70, 21), and Bryan Jeffries (.284, 17, 67) will likely remain unchanged. With corner bats Ken Newman (.328, 25, 103, 7) and Bill Guthrie (.302, 39, 119) producing a ton of runs and the always reliable Dutch Miller (.267, 11, 55) continuing to provide a stabilizing force behind the plate, they can really emphasize the defense. Canada's two teams were again at the bottom, as both the Toronto Wolves (68-86) and Montreal Saints (62-92) failed to finish with more then 70 wins. Lucky for Wolves fans, there new young superstar got an undeserved Allen. No, I'm not talking about 22-year-old George Hoxworth (12-11, 3.75, 173), who was named to his second consecutive All-Star game, but the 20-year-old Arnie Smith. Perhaps the voters were enamored with his good looks, or perhaps a league leading 213 strikeouts was enough, but in every other way Smith didn't hold a candle to Dewey Allcock. He was just 13-13 with a 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, and 85 walks, all worse then Allcock. That's not to say Smith wasn't outstanding, he certainly was, it's just aside from giving Wolves fans something to cheer about, naming him the 14-2 winner makes zero sense. Aside from Smith and Hoxworth, not much else went right, as even though young center fielder Sid Cullen (.332, 20, 78) was amazing at the plate and on the grass, he only got into 92 games due to injury. Not much else went right, but they can hope that the solid seasons put together by Tom Reed (.289, 18, 80, 8), Carl Clark (.289, 18, 80), Hank Lacey (11-10, 4.30, 119), John Wells (.270, 15, 76, 13), and Roy Demonbreun (.284, 8, 43) attract outside interest in the offseason. In similar fashion to the Kings, Montreal was plagued with the worst pitching staff in the association, as not even one of the nine pitchers to make a start for the Saints this season had an above average ERA+. In fact, the only pitcher to throw an inning with one was the guy they traded at the deadline, Tom Fisher. Phil Murry (9-14, 5.05, 114) underwent his worst season as a starter, loss leader Eddie Martin (8-17, 5.30, 85) had his worst season period, and last year's win leader Jim Montgomery (9-13, 5.68, 119) just could not catch a break. The reinforcements in the farm are too far away to contribute, and the offense isn't strong enough to make up for all their pitchers sucking. Harry Swain (.306, 21, 81, 6) was the only guy to have a WRC+ above 120, and aside from catcher Garland Phelps (.291, 11, 79), Art Robbins (.267, 17, 102) surpassing the 100 RBI mark, and Ralph Hanson (.304, 8, 82, 36) leading the Conti in steals, there wasn't too much to write home about. Just when the Saints were starting to turn things around, putting together three 80 win seasons in four years, and they'll hope to regain that form as soon as possible. So now who faces the Foresters? Boston would be the house bet, but with how hot they've been perhaps they'd regress back to the mean. Boston has gone 57-29 (.663) in their last 86 games, well on their way to back-to-back 90-win seasons. They started out with a quick test, hosting the St. Louis Pioneers for three games in Boston. It wasn't a pretty shutout, but Foster Sherman (5 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K) was the first of three pitchers to combine for a series opening 5-0 shutout. Win 81 was a 5-3 walk-off courtesy of Marshall Thomas, who finished his 5-for-5 night with a game-winning two-run homer. Before the walk-off, his first four hits were singles, but that big hit built momentum for a sweep with Don Griffin on the mound. As he often does, Doc delivered, coming two-outs away from a 9-2 complete game win. This quickly brought their lead over the Chiefs to 6.5, and the Pioneers were now nine back. It was at this point, the breaks stopped coming, as after winning game one of a double header in Washington 11-1, they got embarrassed 16-8. They then got swept by the Gothams in New York, and after a sweep of the Dynamos, they dropped five of their next six. With the lead down to 5.5 games, they had a big home series against their closest competitor, the Chiefs. The two teams split a pair of one run games, and with seven to play, things were looking quite good for the reigning champs. But for some reason, the dominant Minutemen couldn't handle the lowly Eagles, who should have had the 1st pick wrapped up by now. They lost all three in the nation's capital and had to go to the Windy City for two more with the Chiefs. One win was all they needed to clinch, but the Chiefs pen threw 5.1 scoreless innings during a tidy 8-7 win. That was followed up by a big 5-run 7th, where the Chiefs stayed alive for one more night, winning 8-6 to complete the sweep. Unfortunately, they had three with the third place Pioneers, while this Minutemen were again in Washington with the last place Eagles. Boston was pulling out all the stops, putting Don Griffin on for what would be his last game of the regular season. All it took was a Pat Todd solo homer in the 2nd, and in his next at bat Rick Masters scored from third on a wild pitch. Griffin dealt for 8 innings, keeping the hosts off the board, allowing 6 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts to solidify his triple crown. The obvious and clear Allen winner was an elite 21-6 with a 2.01 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.92 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts, but the most impressive part had to be his 6.2 K/BB. It's the third year in a row he's led in that category and his second straight season breaking the Minutemen single season record. For a guy who doesn't turn 24 until the 6th of October, it's remarkable he's already been named to 4 All-Star games, and along with his Allen he has 2 ERA crowns, threw WAR leads, and three WHIP leads. It's fitting that the game's top pitcher pitches for a pennant winner, and it's even more fitting he's the one that earned the clinching win. Chicago lost the same day, so the win didn't end up mattering, but it allowed them a chance at 90 wins, which they got with a Dick Wilson start that evened his record to 7-7 and brought his ERA to average at 4.41 (100 ERA+) with 75 walks, 79 strikeouts, and an elevated 1.56 WHIP -- a stark contrast from last season where he was 22-6 with a 2.51 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts. His wins and ERAs were best in the Fed, but even with his struggles Boston still boasted the top staff. Obviously, Doc was a major factor, but Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120) had a solid, if slightly less than expected, level season, while Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123) has really settled into his role as a mid-rotation starter. In the pen will be Bob Hollister (6-8, 11, 3.50, 47) who pitched a few solid starts and a lot of excellent high leverage innings, and at 25 he could end up being a full-time starter. The fact he's able to pitch in the pen is a testament to the depth of their pitching staff, though nothing compares to the lineup. Rick Masters (.336, 34, 117) appeared in all but five of the team's games, finishing with his six consecutive 30+ home run season. Like any top offense, the whole is worth more than the parts, and Masters was surrounded with quality hitters in Joe Kleman (.345, 19, 108), Jack Denis (.304, 19, 80), Marshall Thomas (.291, 20, 62), Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85), Sam Walker (.284, 6, 57), Bill Tutwiler (.266, 8, 45, 6), and Del Filo (.291, 23, 67, 6). That's a really good group, and easily the best lineup the Foresters will see all season. Rematches aren't always exciting, but these two are the clear best teams at the moment. Finishing September and October just 12-12, the Chiefs couldn't take advantage of the Minutemen's late season stumbles, but at 87-67 they were still a high quality team. The addition of Irv Clifford was a plus, as the 6-Time All-Star did a good job lengthening the lineup, batting .304/.379/.424 (108 OPS+) with a 119 WRC+, 4.3 WAR, 38 doubles, 13 triples, 3 homers, 49 RBIs, 68 walks, and 110 runs. Surprisingly, he had a higher WRC+ then Rod Shearer (109), who prior to this season never produced one below 124, with the rest 130 or higher. This year Shearer hit just .259/.360/.469 (113 OPS+), and his 26 homers were tied for a low since his Kellogg winning campaign in 1951. If Shearer hit anywhere near his career .294/.377/.558 (151 OPS+) line, Chiefs fans would be celebrating a pennant, but instead the most excitement they got was his 350th career home run. Shearer was overshadowed by Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Ed Bloom (.327, 10, 91, 18), both of which produced WRC+ above 145, and their pitching staff kept them in every game. All six guys with double digit starts had ERA+ above 100, led by high strikeout arm Joe Cipolla (16-6, 3.35, 171), who put together the best season of his young career. Vern Osborne (14-9, 3.74, 144) and Dick Champ (12-5, 3.64, 98) provided a steadying force atop the rotation, and despite an up-and-down season Jack Halbur (13-10, 4.23, 99) was overall successful in his first season with the Chiefs. Even though they came up short, it was an excellent season at Whitney Stadium, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason the Chiefs may be able to break their decade plus long pennant drought. Just two games behind them were the Pioneers, who despite having an elite rotation, finished 4th in runs against. Ace Billy Hasson (15-11, 3.52, 176) wasn't able to secure his 3rd consecutive Allen, but the 26-year-old will be in those conversations for many years to come. Frenchy Mack (14-11, 4.34, 142) saw his ERA rise and his strikeouts drop, but the occasionally erratic 23-year-old posted a career best 8.7 BB%. Rounding out the top three is another 23-year-old in Charlie Blake (14-8, 3.52, 173), who was named to the All-Star game in his first season as a starter. With the talent and youth from these three, as well as a dominant stopper in John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), they're just going to need to hit a little, and maybe find a 4 better then 39-year-old John Thomas Johnson (7-6, 4.11, 60). At the plate, reigning Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.280, 39, 107, 17) had another big season, but he was quickly passed up by #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old came up late July and hit an absurd .328/.447/.582 (162 OPS+) with 16 homers, 45 runs, 50 walks, and 50 RBIs in 64 games. The issue moving forward is there isn't much to support those two talented sluggers, as just veterans Larry Gregory (.281, 9, 50) and Dixie Hutchings (.274, 14, 74) provided above average hitting, and that classification felt like more of a technicality then a reflection of their skillsets. But above all, winning 85 games was huge for a team that hadn't done that since their last pennant in 1951, and like the Chiefs, they're just a piece or two away from another pennant. Philadelphia was the last team in the Fed to win more then 80 games, finishing 83-71 and 7 games out of first. For 8-year vet Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), it was the first time since he became a regular that the Keystones managed to even finish above .500. Most interestingly, is the fact that the elite outfielder wasn't even the best player on his team, as rookie sensation Harry Dellinger captured both the Kellogg and Whitney in a Miller-like season. 22 as of August, Keystone fans are salivating at their new star duo, as Dellinger hit a robust .350/.395/.568 (150 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 31 homers, 118 runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 walks. The former 2nd pick led the Fed in at bats (651), hits (228), runs, RBIs, average, slugging, and WAR (7.3), making him the easy pick for both awards he was eligible for. With his speed, the defense in center should be excellent too, as aside from a sort of small 6.2 BB%, there isn't a weakness in his game. Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) all bashed 30 homers, helping lead the team to the 2nd most runs scored in the Fed. Even better, they've started to churn out some pitching for the first time in a while, as William Davis (15-8, 3.82, 124) and Jim Cooper (15-7, 3.96, 69) provided plenty of quality starts. And despite the lofty ERA, 21-year-old Joe Kienle (10-13, 5.17, 108) could lead a rotation, as his 3.81 FIP (87 FIP-) was much more palatable. That's a solid 1-2-3, and the 4th spot could be filled by the just turned 23-year-old Don McKeown (5-8, 13, 4.68, 111), who after spending his first two FABL seasons in the pen, made 9 starts and could be a capable back-end guy. Like the two teams ahead of them, they're almost there, likely just one bat and one Kienle rebound season away from posing a serious threat. Detroit may have held first for a while in July, but a miserable 12-18 August pushed them into the second division, and a 10-15 finish ended their season early. Still, they managed 78 wins, extending their winning season streak to ten seasons, matching the 1937 to 1946 Cougars. Of course, they had a single pennant to show for while Detroit has four titles, but like the Chicago club, eleven doesn't seem likely. Sure, they were a contender most of the season, but the offense got cold and has taken a ton of hits. Dick Tucker's (.259, 13, 55) amazing 1958 (.355, 32, 120) is looking more and more like an outlier, especially in the power department as his 32 homers in '58 is one more then he's hit over the past two seasons combined. Joe Reed (.261, 22, 96, 7) put together his 4th consecutive 20+ homer 90+ RBI season, as well as his normal plus defense at short, but his WRC+ plummeted from 141 last year to 96 -- the first time he failed to surpass 120. Lew Mercer (.188, 3, 16; .252, 11, 45) was awful in his homecoming, and aside from outfielders Bill Morrison (.281, 13, 53, 11) and rookie Cecil Gregg (.288, 14, 57, 9), consistent offense was hard to come by. The pitching was still good, if not the elite Dynamos fans are used to, as Jim Norris (13-9, 3,38, 158) was as good as usual, and veteran John Jackson (10-11, 3.23, 101) was one of the few Dynamos to pitch better this year than last. Former top pitching prospect Bob Allen (10-4, 3.43, 86) was a revelation in the five spot, but fellow 1928-born vets Paul Anderson (6-10, 4.13, 102) and Larry Beebe (5-12, 4.65, 71) frequently found themselves on the wrong side of decisions. Add on the mess of a pen, and for the first time in a decade, the Dynamos are no longer going to be considered in my list of contenders. That all could chance if 1961 is finally the season the Dynamos unleash former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner (.379, 6), who used up his last option year. His .379/.419/.517 (141 OPS+) line in 62 PAs was elite, and if they let him unleash his power at Thompson Field, all this talk about not enough offense will be quickly forgotten. The bottom three were bad. Real bad. But at least the New York Gothams prevented their loss total from reaching 90. 71-83 isn't too bad, but it's their lowest win total since 1945, where they were 65-89 in a second consecutive 7th place finish. Known for big trades, stars, and all-or-nothing approaches, the Gothams now have to adjust to life without pennant winner Earl Howe. There may be more sales in the future, but for now they have a lot of depth in the corner positions. Hank Estill (.309, 39, 106) will be 34 in November, but no Fed hitter hit more homers than him, and he's now hit 35 or more in a season four times. Even at his age, he'd fetch a huge return, but the Gothams could try to retool around him, Rex Pilcher (.262, 30, 88), and Johnny Taylor (.272, 17, 55). Though from the outside, their best bet looks to be getting as much as they could for these corner guys on the wrong side of 30. The only guy I wouldn't entertain trading is Ed Bowman (10-16, 4.69, 102), but aside from Jorge Arellano (7-14, 4.28, 132) they don't have many big-ticket assets. They made their big strike at the deadline and will hope their expansive collection of top 100 prospects will be enough. Bowman will be back for year 20 as he continues his quest to 350 wins. It may be tough, he's at 314, recently passing Hall-of-Famer and former teammate Jim Lonardo for 13th All-Time. He's already the team leader, has been for almost 100 wins, but perhaps the Gothams have a soft spot for Bowman like I do, and will surround him with bats to continue his ascent up the record books. He's just 30 wins away from 3rd outright, (though he's chasing Rufus Barrell), and that could just be two or three more productive seasons. The youth movement did them well, going 19-9 after rosters expanded, and they were regularly using at least four starters 23 and under. There could be a fifth next year in Frank Arnold (.400, 2, 11), who was great off the bench. Most impressive were 22-year-old center fielder Otto Pilkerton (.333, 5, 17) and 19-year-old shortstop Isaiah Redbird (.300, 1, 6, 1), who should be in line to earn a starting job. With a few step forwards from the young guys, Bowman and the staff may be able to add more wins to their total, and the front office can delay any major subtractions. Pittsburgh and Washington were mirror images of poor play, with the Miners 6th in runs allowed and 8th in runs scored, while the Eagles were 8th and 6th respectively. On the bright side, neither team expected to compete, and they saw young players get comfortable in their potential roles. The Miners saw instant returns with their big offseason deals, as Paul Williams package member Mike Whisman (.262, 16, 70) emerged as an option in center and Irv Clifford trade return John Moreland (.289, 8, 50) was a borderline top 5 shortstop as a rookie. Plus, potential offseason trade pieces Bill Newhall (.305, 7, 47) and Bob Gaines (.286, 13, 77) both well. Not much to be excited about with the pitching, but 21-year-old Mike Blackham (8-9, 3.28, 123) was named to the All-Star game in his first year as a starter, and him and Ed Power (9-14, 3.63, 116) make a pretty solid 1-2. If you don't look past that, you'd think they were in good shape, but there's a reason they lost 92 games. 94 losses was where Washington ended up, but holy cow they had a talent gap in their rotation. The top two was brilliant, as it's really a shame that Bob Ball wasn't either brought up earlier or just a rookie in a different season, as he was Kellogg worthy in a 21-start sample. Don't get me wrong, he's not beating Dellinger even with a full season, but the former 3rd Round pick may be the ace the Eagles organization has been searching for since, well, forever? A six-pitch righty, he hurls mid 90s fastballs and sinkers by guys, and the off-speed pitches make him infinitely tougher to time up. As a 21-year-old, he was 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. Along with fellow midseason callup and former Miners 7th Rounder Jim Stewart (5-7, 2.97, 72), they were really tough for opposing hitters. A potential third to join that group is the 20-year-old lefty Carl Levy, who was picked up from the Cougars in the offseason and threw 178.1 FABL innings before he'll get his first drink of alcohol. While not as dominant as those two, he was with the team all year, going 10-13 with a 4.31 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 158.2 innings across 35 appearances (22 starts). It's been a while since the Eagles had young pitching to be excited about, and they have some bats to match. Tom Lorang (.285, 20, 91) held his own at 18, but right when he turned 19 in August, he posted back-to-back 130+ WRC+ months. He's one of five lineup members to start the season 25 or younger, with the now 23-year-old Joe Holland (.286, 21, 62, 5) hitting well enough to represent them at the All-Star game. It's been a rough four seasons in the nation's capital, but with this collection of youth it's hard not to get excited about the future. 1960 World Championship Series The Boston Minutemen and Cleveland Foresters met for the second year in a row in the World Championship Series. The Minutemen had prevailed a year ago, proving to be far too much for the Foresters and taking the series in five games. For Cleveland this would be their seventh trip to the WCS in the past dozen years while the Minutemen won back-to-back Federal Association pennants for the first time since they ended a run of five in a row in 1906. GAME ONE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3 Adrian Czerwinski made his 15th career WCS start on the mound for the Foresters, tying him with Woody Trease for the most all-time. Czerwinski would break the record in game four but what he really wanted was to win his 11th WCS game. The 35-year-old Cleveland ace failed to beat the Minutemen in last year's series but things looked promising when the Foresters took a quick 2-0 lead on Boston hurler Bud Henderson. The opening inning pair of runs came courtesy of a 2-run homer off the bat of Sherry Doyal after Stan Kleminski had drawn a 1-out walk. The score would remain 2-0 until young Boston outfielder Del Filo launched a solo blast off Czerwinski in the bottom of the fifth inning. Frank Young would take over on the Cleveland mound in the seventh inning and Filo, who hit 23 homers during the regular season, launched his second round-tripper in his WCS debut. This one was a two-run shot and put the Minutemen up 3-2. Before the inning ended it was 4-2 as Bill Tutwiler added an rbi double. Cleveland would close to within a run in the eighth inning when Paul Williams homered but the string of longballs continued with Joe Kleman delivering a two-run blast in the top of the ninth and the Minutemen would claim a 6-3 victory. GAME TWO: CLEVELAND 9 BOSTON 2 Just as they did in the series opener the Cleveland Foresters scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. The Foresters runs, which were generated by 3 singles, came after Boston missed a glorious opportunity in the top of the first inning when the Minutemen had runners on second and third with one out. Cleveland starter Jake Pearson got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs before the Foresters greeted Boston starter Don Griffin with a cope of early runs. The game was tied 2-2 at the seventh inning stretch before Cleveland bats lit up Chet Baker, who had taken over in the bottom of the seventh for Don Griffin. Singles by Jerry Hubbs and Otis O'Keefe set the stage for a 1-out, 2-run double from Tom Carr and then, after Stan Kleminski drew a walk, the Foresters went up 7-2 on a 3-run homer from Paul Williams, marking his second straight game with a longball. Cleveland would add two more in the bottom of the eighth to make the final 9-2 and the series shifted to New England tied at one. GAME THREE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3 For the third game in a row the Foresters scored a pair of runs in the opening inning, but Boston answered with four off of Foresters veteran starter Deuce Barrell in the bottom of the second. The big blows were back-to-back doubles off the bats of Sam Walker and Boston hurler Foster Sherman. Deuce Barrell may be the winningest active pitcher in the game today, but he was chased in the third inning when Boston added two more runs to go up by a 6-2 score. Del Filo, who homered twice in the opener, delivered a rbi double while Sherman smoked a 2-run single that ended Barrell's night very early. It was a big game for Sherman, who not only had a pair of hits but also earned the win despite exiting in the sixth inning. GAME FOUR: BOSTON 8 CLEVELAND 3 As they in each of the first three games, the Cleveland Foresters scored in the first inning but this time it was just a single run which came on a Hal Kennedy single off Dick Wilson that plated Stan Kleminski, who had also singled for the visitors. Kennedy drove in another run with a third inning single to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 but the lead was erased quickly in the bottom of the fourth frame when Rick Masters smashed a 2-run homer off of Foresters starter Jerry York to tie the game at 2. Cleveland quickly regained the lead a half inning later when Tom Carr doubled and Kleminski followed with a rbi single. York had been pitching very well and surrendered just 2-hits through five innings, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter and the Cleveland bullpen immediately landed in hot water. Frank Young took the hill to start the bottom of the sixth and he would retire just one Boston batter as 3 walks, an error and 5 Boston hits including doubles from Rick Masters and Del Filo led to 6 runs and proved the difference in a 8-3 win for the Minutemen. GAME FIVE: BOSTON 2 CLEVELAND 0 After some high scoring games we finally were treated to a pitching duel in game five as Czerwinski made his record-breaking 16th career WCS start for Cleveland against his game one rival Bud Henderson. Cleveland had runners on the corners with two-out in the opening inning but failed to score. The Minutemen did get a run as Czerwinski, who allowed a homerun in the series opener, served up another longball. This time it was veteran Marshall Thomas with a solo shot to make it 1-0 for the Minutemen. The score would stay 1-0 until the bottom of the 8th when Boston added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Ed Wise after Joe Kleman and Rick Masters had each singled. Cleveland threatened to extend the series with a 1-out double from Hal Kennedy in the top of the ninth, but Boston reliever Bob Hollister closed out the shutout victory without further incident and the Minutemen celebrated their second straight World Championship Series title. OFFSEASON Boston got the job done again, copying their 4-1 WCS win over the Cleveland Foresters from the previous year. Shortly after Boston finished celebrating, one of their Fed challengers-the St Louis Pioneers- made a pair of pitching moves to shore up their staff. Neither are game changing moves, but they picked up swingman Dixie Gaines (5-4, 3.61, 68) from the Cougars and veteran reliever Gene Amico (6-5, 6, 3.81, 44) from the Dynamos. Solid depth pieces, Gaines will fight for the 5th spot in St. Louis' rotation, while Amico can help set up John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), and provide high leverage innings if they decide to move one or both of their 21-year-old pitchers Al Grabner (4-1, 5, 3.31, 38) and Steve Madden (5-1, 2, 3.56, 51) into the rotation. The price to get Gaines was affordable, just a filler level prospect in second basemen Delos Smith, but the Amico trade made a little less sense. While not a top prospect, Loren Patterson ranked 186th on the prospect list, and you can never have too much pitching. 23 in October, he's got a solid five pitch mitch and looked solid in his 18 starts (8-4, 3.53, 52) with St. Louis' AA team. Between the two Pioneers moves, the Gothams and Cannons hooked up for an interesting trade, as New York traded effective young stopper Hal Adams to the Cannons for vet Aaron Jones (.328, 1, 12) and borderline top 250 prospect John Power. Adams, 25, is the clear best player involved, and it's a bit surprising the Gothams were willing to part with him. Finishing 11-6 with 18 saves, Adams was lockdown in his second FABL season, working to a 3.34 ERA (133 ERA+) in 107.2 innings. He does have some walk issues, allowing 63 to 57 strikeouts, and it led to a high 1.53 WHIP. The Gothams may think his big year was more luck than skill, but getting a 34-year-old bench guy and, Power isn't really a prospect most teams are looking at. 24 in March, he projects as no more then a below average second basemen, but there is a somewhat interesting power/speed mix. In 111 A ball games this year he hit 14 homers and stole 12 bases, but it came with a middling 102 OPS+ and 99 WRC+. The first major move of the offseason came between a pair of Continental teams, as the Kansas City Kings might have acquired the middle infielder they were looking for. That would be former #1 overall pick John Wells, who unfortunately for Toronto, was rushed to the majors and never reached his lofty potential. Debuted at 19 in 1950, he hit just .269/.302/.339 (78 OPS+) before seeing that plummet to .251/.260/.280 (48 OPS+) in 427 PAs the next season. Wells continued to struggle early in his career, but the bat somewhat came alive in 1955. The then 24-year-old hit a solid .275/.357/.402 (107 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 10 homers, 66 RBIs, 63 walks, and 81 runs. This set up a run of five average or above average offensive seasons, though he couldn't get either his OPS+ or WRC+ to even 110. At 29 in 1960, the streak ended, as his line dropped to .270/.341/.397 (86 OPS+), though he added 26 doubles, 15 homers, 13 steals, 76 RBIs, and 100 runs, with a just-below-average 99 WRC+. With solid defense, he was worth 2.2 WAR, and he'll look to revive his career in Kansas City. In exchange for Wells, Toronto added 23-year-old outfielder Frank Hardin, who debuted for the Kings this September. A former 3rd Round pick, Hardin dominated the Dixie league, batting .318/.412/.616 (169 OPS+) in parts of four seasons with the Kings AA affiliate. That includes this season, one of his two with over 100 games, where he hit an excellent .322/.421/.609 (159 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 26 homers, 92 runs, 97 RBIs, and a 72-to-43 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This earned him a quick AAA callup before his debut with the Kings. It was almost as good as his AA time, and the Texas native hit a powerful .286/.297/.743 (158 OPS+). Half of his ten hits left the yard, and that power is something Toronto has not seen often. Just two Wolves ever, Tom Reed (31, 34) and Walt Pack (31) have hit more then 30 homers in a season, so if Toronto decides to give their new bat a full season, he could join that small group. Toronto made a second move a few days later, dumping the contract of 32-year-old rookie Bob Burdick (2-3, 3, 3.86, 49) on the Cougars, providing them with top 200 prospect Bruce McInturf. Taken in the 2nd Round by the Foresters in 1956, he was a former top 100 prospect who came to Toronto in the Lynn Horn deal back in 1957. Now Rule-5 eligible, they might not have wanted to commit a 40-man spot to a guy who hasn't gotten past A-ball, even if he has great raw stuff. The command isn't there, likely preventing him from being more then a spot-starter, and they'll get an unranked teen in John Gates to try to develop. A 3rd Rounder of the Cougars last season, he's the opposite of the outfielder they got from the Kings. He's a high contact, low power guy, who has great speed and an excellent ability to track the ball in the outfield. But that was all Toronto ended up doing, but their little trade spree started to heat things up. What came next was as shocking a deal as any, as after parting with Dave Price at the deadline, the Chiefs targeted him in their three-player return for top 100 prospect Grady Smith. Price, who hit just .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) with the Chiefs, was much better in Montreal, as the 1959 Kellogg winner hit .304/.340/.422 (96 OPS+). Between his two stops, he gathered 21 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 58 RBIs, and 50 runs scored. A talented defender, he was still valuable even with the poor bat, and he looks to fit back right between Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12). Another outfielder will join the mix, as the almost 24-year-old Marty Hanna will come over as well. A former 11th overall pick by the Miners, this is now the third trade he's been involved in, first as a part of the Bill Wise trade in 1955 before traded in a minor league only deal in 1959. This time, Hanna is traded as an official FABL player, as he struck out in his only plate appearance for the Saints this year. The rest of his time came in AA, where he hit .284/.383/.427 (110 OPS+) with a solid 121 WRC+. A disciplined hitter, he gives good at bats, but a starting role may be hard for him to come into. The last piece was 25-year-old righty Norm Van Dyne, who ranks inside the top 200 as a relief prospect. He was added to the 40, and could assist vets Tom Fisher (4-4, 13, 4.26, 31; 8-9, 25, 3.79, 67) and Paul Magee (5-8, 16, 3.18, 55) in the pen. On the flip side, Montreal was able to add the 47th ranked prospect Grady Smith, who the Chiefs took 9th in the 1960 draft. Still 18, the lefty swinger has a big bat, featuring a sweet swing that launces baseballs into the outfield. He's got above average power and ability to drive the ball, making him a feared hitter if he can reach his potential. He comes with plenty of risk considering his age and distance from the majors, but after not hitting much in Class C, he hit better after a surprising promotion. In 43 games Smith hit a strong .276/.326/.466 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. With such a high ceiling, Montreal is expected to focus a lot of development effort on their new outfielder, and he's likely to remain among the Saints top 5 prospects come Opening Day. With their last place finish, some expected more subtraction from the roster, but after back-to-back 80-win seasons, they might instead hope that a lot of what went wrong this year, goes their way in the next. Yet no move will have bigger impact on the pennant race then the surprise blockbuster between the Minutemen and the Keystones, where Boston parted with star second basemen Marshall Thomas. Since the now 32-year-old debuted in 1951, Thomas has only produced above average offensive numbers, hitting an excellent .314/.378/.494 (136 OPS+) in 1,275 games as a Minuteman. "The Experimental Man" will now join an upstart Keystones team, batting ahead star outfielders Harry Dellinger (.350, 31, 125, 24) and Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), giving veteran slugger Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) a chance to hit a ton of grand slams. Thomas has seen his production drop a little in recent seasons, hitting "only" .291/.367/.472 (115 OPS+), but it came with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 62 RBIs, 58 walks, and 83 runs scored. Another well rounded season, Thomas did miss time with injury for the third straight year, so perhaps the Minutemen are worried that these concerns may limit how often he plays for them. On top of that, Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85) offers a ton of power from second or third, and they have gotten reliable, if unspectacular, performance from Pat Todd (.304, 4, 47). Todd would likely be on the bench had Thomas stayed, and Boston will add a young prospect and a pair of big leaguers to improve their depth on a threepeat quest. Neither major leaguer heading to Boston is a real impact player, but just a few seasons ago the now 33-year-old Sal Nigro (.267, 5, 21) was a reliable everyday guy, with excellent seasons in 1955 (.309, 25, 84) and 1956 (.307, 19, 75) that made him look like a legitimate building block. Instead, he saw his production and playing time dip the next two seasons, before settling into reserve roles the last two seasons. All told, he's got 93 homers and a .291/.363/.461 (122 OPS+) triple slash in 806 games with Philly. The other major leaguer was more interesting, as 23-year-old Ray Gonyea (11-9, 4, 4.18, 157) impressed in a split role between the pen and rotation as a rookie. A former 12th Rounder-turned-top-100-prospect, Goneya started 21 of his 41 games this season, but was much better as a reliever. He was still average as a starter, but with a front four of Allen winner Don Griffin (21-6, 2.01, 186), Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120), Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123), and Dick Wilson (7-7, 4.41, 79), there's not too much room for another starter. Regardless, Gonyea is the headliner, a potential middle-to-back of the rotation arm, and a worthy addition to the staff. Rounding out the return is catcher Larry McLean, but the 23-year-old is a former Kings 1st Rounder that has yet to show why. After 2 games in AA in 1958, he's yet to return, and won't function as more then catching depth unless Boston can unlock his potential. After such a big and surprising deal, the baseball world was in shock, but the Fed teams still made a few more November trades before the league got quiet again. Detroit picked up veteran outfielder Charlie Phillips (.223, 1, 10, 2; .267, 2, 19, 6) and a prospect from the Gothams for two prospects. Sent to the Foresters from Detroit last offseason, Cleveland waived him midseason, and before he could get to Detroit, the Gothams were able to claim him. Able to re-acquire their outfielder, Phillips gives Detroit some extra outfield depth, and he could look to reclaim the center field spot he made home in 1959. Later, the Miners sent depth arm Carl Prichett (1-0, 3.52, 4) to their in-state rivals for 20-year-old outfielder Buck Russell, who they took in the 2nd in 1958. Neither of these deals seem to make a big impact, but it will be interesting to see how the 1961 season goes, with news of expansion coming to FABL. Since the 1892 season, FABL has held consistent with 16 teams, but with recent relocation seeing the game capture new markets, expansion has felt like a foregone conclusion. Whether you respected the GWL talent or not, the rebel league showcased that baseball would be watched anywhere, and the west coast was an untapped market. First it was the Kings, moving from Brooklyn to Kansas City, followed by the Sailors and Stars leaving the colonies for California. As early as next season, those western teams could see travel become a little easier for them, with Dallas and LA on the shortlist for a fledgling franchise. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, and even a return to New York have been floated, bringing excitement to baseball fans who don't have a team near them. For the other 16 teams, 1961 could be the last season that feels regular, classic, even correct, and knowing that the baseball landscape could be thrown on its head, teams may approach the coming season differently. If expansion would occur, the new franchises would be able to select players directly from the historic organizations, meaning that each year prior to expansion could be the most talent you have on your squad. Will we see big trades trying to capture one more title? Or will teams become more conservative, trying to keep their options open in case their organizational depth is pillaged by the newcomers? But one thing is for sure: once the expansion cat is out of the bag, baseball can never return to being same old game it once was. And you know what? I think that's a good thing! Let's bring baseball to more fans everywhere! The baseball Hall of Fame expanded by two with word that Red Johnson and George Cleaves had each received enough votes for induction in what was the first year of eligibility for each of them. Johnson, who hit 535 homeruns in his career and was aptly known as "Big Timber", began his career with seven seasons in Detroit before being dealt to the New York Gothams in 1943 and won 4 Whitney Awards. Cleaves, who won two Whitney Awards, began in Pittsburgh before moving on to New York and was a teammate of Johnson's. Cleaves was selected to the all-star team 13 times, trailing only Bill Barrett in that category and had one more all-star game appearance than Johnson. Speaking of Bill Barrett. The 41-year-old made the All-Star game for the 15th time in his career. He played in 153 games for the Gothams this season, batting .333 but announced his retirement after the campaign. Code: MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS 15* Bill Barrett Retired 13 George Cleaves Retired 13 Bobby Barrell Retired 12 Red Johnson Retired 12 Ed Bowman New York 11 Al Miller Retired 11 Adam Mullins Retired 11 Deuce Barrell Cleveland 10* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland 10 Skipper Schneider Retired 10 Harry Barrell Retired 10 Tom Bird Retired selected to 1960 ASG Deuce Barrell is now 43 and says he will return for the 1961 season after going 12-10, 4.25 for Cleveland in 1960. He now has 329 career victories. If Barrell wins 12 more again in 1961 he will be tied for third all time wins with Aaron Wright and would trail only Double Al and Charlis Sis. Barrell and another 300-game winner, New York's Ed Bowman, each recorded their 2,500th strikeout just a week apart in August. They rank 4th and 5th all-time in that category with Deuce sitting at 2,531 career K's, three more than Bowman. Only Charlie Sis, Bill Temple and Mike Marner -all Hall of Famers- have fanned more FABL hitters. Other milestones reached this season include Edwin Hackberry, Charlie Rogers and Sherry Doyal all crossed the 2000 hit threshold and Hank Estill, Jerry Smith and Lloyd Coulter all joined the 300 homer club while Rod Shearer of the Chicago Chiefs hit his 350th career round-tripper. Stan Kleminski played in another WCS and became the first to appear in 50 WCS games and surpass 200 postseason at bats. Kleminski has taken part in 8 WCS in the past 9 years: six with Detroit and each of the past two seasons while playing for Cleveland. TWIFS baseball guru Archie Irwin calls it a controversial Continental Association Allen Award selection with 20-year-old Toronto sophomore Archie Smith. "Pretty Boy" was just 13-13 with a solid, but not dominant, 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+). Smith did lead the Conti with 213 Ks, but Irwin adds he has no idea how the Stars' Dewey Allcock didn't win. Unless voters just didn't want to write "Allcock" on their ballot. He struck out "just" 167 hitters, but had a better record (19-10), ERA (3.31), ERA+ (133), and pretty much everything else. Allcock led in not only ERA, but WHIP (1.20), K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2) while a win shy of the lead. The only edge for Smith is one extra inning, more strikeouts, and less hits allowed. Even crazier might have been the 14 to 2 first place split for Smith, who even played for a sub .500 team while Allcock's Stars won more then 75 games for the first time since 1953. Quite a rookie season for Keystones 22-year-old Harry Dellinger, who led the Fed in batting average (.350) and rbi's (125) while winning both the Whitney Award as MVP and the Kellogg Award as rookie of the year in the Federal Association. Dellinger also had two long hitting streaks this season: the first was 22 games in length and the second was 26. Boston may have Griffin, Sherman and Henderson on the mound but it seems to me that the St Louis Pioneers pitching staff is going to have a huge decade if they stay healthy. The Pioneers have three top-20 pitchers in Billy Hasson, Charlie Blake and Frenchy Mack and only Hasson, at 26, is older than 23. In addition there is a wagon full of young talent in St Louis. OSA says 24 year old Butch Abrams is at least a #2 arm, 21 year old Steve Madden is potentially a #1, 21 year old Al Grabner can "anchor a rotation", 25 year old Doc Carver is a middle of the rotation arm and 22 year old Danny Daniels also should settle in the rotation someday according to the scouting service. They also have #32 prospect Harry Johnson, who is 18 and their 1960 first round pick that OSA says can anchor a rotation along with 1958 3rd rounder Joe Lee who the scouting service feels could be a solid starter. They were known for their "3-H Club" when we last watched the Pioneers close up. I have a feeling we may need a new nickname for the 1960s St Louis rotation. There were two FABL no-hitters this season. Jake Pearson threw one for Cleveland against Kansas City in June while in September Slick Willie Davis of the Philadelphia Keystones tossed a no-hitter against Detroit. Pearson's effort for Cleveland was the first Foresters no-hitter since 1917 and just the second in team history. Del Filo might have been a playoff hero for Boston with two homers in his first career WCS game but the 24-year-old does not feel quite as comfortable navigating stairs as he does facing Cleveland pitching. In December, the 1954 first round pick, fell down a flight of stairs in his house and separated his shoulder. The Minutemen expect he will be ready to go when spring training gets underway. Notable retirements at the end of the season included Rats McGonigle and, as previously mentioned, Bill Barrett. The top pick of the 1960 FABL draft went to Pittsburgh and the Miners selected a high school middle infielder out of Florida by the name of Dixie Turner. Turner finished the season in Class B and cracked the OSA top ten prospect list. Headlining the OSA prospect pipeline are a pair of St Louis Pioneers in 22-year-old second baseman Bob Bell and 21-year-old outfielder Danny Davis. FOOTBALL STARS SHINE BRIGHTEST IN AFA ONCE MORE* Baseball may no longer be king in New York as the ball Stars and Brooklyn Kings have long since left town and the New York Gothams seem far removed from their glory days. New York has also had some tough times on the ice with the Shamrocks continuing to languish at the bottom of the North American Hockey Confederation. But there is one team shining brightly in the New York City night. That would be the New York Stars football team - a club that has made the playoffs seven times in the past nine seasons, reached the title game five times and won three of them including a dominating 38-20 win over a rejuvenated Kansas City Cowboys squad in the 1960 title tilt. What is interesting is the fact the Stars success this season came with a rookie quarterback and without star running back Bryan Mire. Mire, who was offensive player of the year in 1957 and league MVP the following season, announced his retirement at age 30 prior to the start of the season while quarterback Charlie Coons was released after Orlin Youngs was drafted 11th overall out of Oklahoma City State. Youngs started all 12 games, threw for nearly 2,000 yards and was named the offensive rookie of the year. The running game was also not a problem as Mire's longtime backup Larry Moen stepped up and the 7th year pro enjoyed the first 1,000 yard rushing season of his career. Moen and Youngs each were named to the East roster for the All-Pro Classic. The New York offense was solid but it was the Stars defense that truly excelled, allowing the least yards against in the league and surrendering the fewest points. Five Stars defensive starters were named All-Pros led by veteran linebacker Tom Keeney, who led the league in tackles. New York finished with the best record in the league at 10-2 and really had no competition as the second place Philadelphia Frigates, who finished at 8-4, were 3-3 before putting things together in the second half of the season. The Frigates also made a major change at quarterback, electing not to resign veteran Pete Capizzi after missing the playoffs in back to back seasons, ending a string of five straight trips to the postseason. Capizzi was replaced by Jack Osterman, who was drafted 8th overall out of College of San Diego. Osterman had his ups and downs in the early going but really found his stride with in a November win over Cleveland in which the rookie threw 5 touchdown passes and put an end to any hopes the Finches might have had of overtaking the Frigates for the second playoff berth in the East. Cleveland was 6-6 and their biggest problem was an inability to stop the run with opposing teams rushing for an average of nearly 210 yards per game against the Finches. Boston was also 6-6 as the Americans struggles continued. The Yanks have not won a playoff game since 1945 and somehow, despite a five game winning streak this season, still managed to only finish with a .500 record. Fifth place Pittsburgh might be in even worse shape than the Americans, as the Paladins struggled through a 4-8 season and have not made the playoffs since 1952. Pittsburgh has another new quarterback in Landon Peek, who was selected 5th overall out of Detroit City College but he struggled with several nagging injuries. About the only good news for the Paladins was veteran halfback Dean Turgeon ran for a career best 1,186 yards after missing the entire 1959 season with a knee injury suffered in training camp. Rounding out the East Division was the Washington Wasps, who had a terrible collapse. The Wasps won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958 and made the playoffs a year ago but a 5-game losing skid to end the season left the 3-9 Wasps under .500 for the first time since 1952. Nobody stood out in the West Division but the Kansas City Cowboys finished 7-5 and that was good enough for a playoff berth. It ended a long run of suffering for the once proud franchise which made four straight appearances in the title game to start the decade but had gone 16-56 between 1954 and the end of last season. Wins over Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit to start the season gave the Cowboys confidence and they won the division with a tiebreaker over the Maroons. Detroit, also 7-5, overcame a 2-4 start and made the playoffs with three straight victories to finish the season including a dominating 48-14 road win in Chicago in the season finale to leapfrog the Wildcats and finish second. The mini-quarterback controversy continued in the Motor City as Tom Griffin, a 1958 fourth rounder, again earned the starting job while Sled Hicks, who was a first round pick that same year and had an impressive rookie campaign, spent his second consecutive season as Hicks' backup. Despite some objections from team owner Rollie Barrell, the move must be working as the Maroons had the top passing offense in the league. Back to back losses in St Louis and at home to Detroit to end the season cost the Chicago Wildcats a playoff berth despite the fact that Chicago led the West Division with 348 points. Second year quarterback Miller Bogert was terrific, passing for an AFA best 2,393 and 27 touchdowns so there certainly is something to build around in the Windy City. San Francisco missed the playoffs for just the third time in the past seven years but a season ending win at home over Washington assured the Wings of a .500 record, marking the 9th consecutive season they have finished with at least six victories. Just one win in their final six outings doomed the Los Angeles Tigers to fifth place after a 4-2 start. The Tigers defense had plenty of problems, especially against the pass, and they allowed opponents to average more than 30 points a game against them. Last place St Louis had the league's Most Valuable Player in gifted running back Jim Kellogg, who gained 1,424 yards, but not much else as the Ramblers bumbled their way through a 3-9 season. AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Offensive rookie of the year Orlin Youngs started all 12 games at quarterback for the East Division leading New York Stars but he was forced to miss there playoff opener after he was injured late in the regular season finale against Philadelphia. That meant the Stars would be forced to go with untested backup Harris Kummer, also a rookie, under center in the rematch with the Frigates. Kummer had thrown just 6 passes all season but the fifth round pick out of Miami State looked like a seasoned veteran in throwing a pair of first half touchdown passes as the Stars opened a 17-7 lead on the visiting Frigates at the break. Kummer did not slow down, adding a third touchdown toss in the final minute to conclude a game winning drive as the Stars pulled out a 27-20 victory. Meanwhile the West Division playoff proved that the Kansas City Cowboys may just be for real. The Cowboys have been searching for success ever since Pat Chappell retired and longtime quarterback Scott Greenwell finally managed to win his first playoff game. It was in resounding fashion as the Cowboys blasted the Detroit Maroons 54-10 in a game that Greenwell went 20-f0r-28 for 214 yards and three touchdown passes while veteran halfback Mike Peel carried the ball for 135 yards. Any celebration in Kansas City was short-lived as the New York stars dominated the final, opening a 35-3 lead at the break and then coasting to a 38-20 victory. Orlin Youngs was healthy enough to return to action and the Stars quarterback threw four first half touchdown passes while veteran halfback Larry Moen was named playoff MVP after rushing for 164 yards against the Cowboys a week after he went off for 168 yards in the win over Philadelphia. GATORS CLASS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN The Deep South Conference, or more specifically the state of Georgia, remained the capital of collegiate football as the Georgia Baptist Gators completed a perfect 11-0 season to win their second straight AIAA national grid title. This after their rivals from Noble Jones College had celebrated the previous two crowns following back to back undefeated seasons. The Gators had early season non-conference victories over Abilene Baptist, Red River State and Maryland State in a game that required overtime to beat the South Atlantic Conference champions and one that would prove to be the Bengals only loss all season. The Gators also had some tough contests in section play, needing a late touchdown to beat Alabama Baptist by a single point and surviving close calls against Cumberland, Mississippi A&M and Central Kentucky. The Gators did have the luxury of not playing Noble Jones College for a change, as the 12 team Deep South Conference only plays seven games against its section opponents. Noble Jones lost to Bayou State and was surprisingly upset by Northern Mississippi in late November to finish as one of four schools tied for second in the Deep South at 5-2. The others were the Bayou State Cougars, Cumberland and Western Florida with its first-ever five win showing in conference play. Only two Deep South schools in Georgia Baptist, which returned to the Oilman Classic to face the Southwestern Alliance champion Lubbock State Hawks, and the Cougars, who were tabbed for the Cajun Classic and a meeting with Charleston Tech, received invites to play on New Years Day. Missing out on a New Years date was especially hard to swallow for the Colonels as Noble Jones College expected a huge year with its three big offensive stars playing their final seasons. Quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel -who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman- and end Don Bernard all had strong campaigns but a season opening 7-point loss to West Coast Athletic Association powerhouse Northern California hurt and a heartbreaking 19-16 defeat at home to Bayou State on a last second field goal made matters worse. Any dreams of a new years game came crushing down when Northern Mississippi (5-5) upset the Colonels 27-20 Thanksgiving weekend. Maryland State emerged as the class of the South Atlantic Conference, going 7-0 in section play and 10-1 overall with the lone blemish being that early season overtime loss to Georgia Baptist. The Bengals kicked a field goal to go up 10-7 with just under two minutes remaining but Gators senior quarterback Jim Henson completed three big passes to put his club in position for a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds. Henson then worked his magic in overtime with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jim Pukas and when the Bengals drive was stopped the game ended 17-10 in favour of the Gators. Despite the lose to Georgia Baptist, it was a special year for the Bengals who celebrated their first collegiate basketball title the previous April and then won the SAC football crown for the third time in the past four years. * MINERS COME CLOSE TO NATIONAL TITLE ONCE AGAIN * The Northern California Miners must be wondering just what else they have to do to win a national title. The Miners won their fourth straight West Coast Athletic Association title and are 26-2 in section play over that span. They have also finished second twice, including this year, third once and finally fifth in the national rankings the past four years. This year Northern Cal, led by sophomore quarterback Charlie Watson's AIAA leading 1,429 yards passing, went 10-1 with the lone loss being a bad stumble, falling 38-9 in Bigsby Garden in a late season neutral site showdown with Rome State. The Miners rebounded the next week with a late rally to nip California rival Redwood 17-16 and secure their 7th New Years Day trip to Santa Ana in the past ten years. Northern California's opponent would be a Central Ohio Aviators squad that entered the game with a perfect record and expectations of winning their first college football national title. It would have been very interesting to see how the voting would have gone had the Aviators prevailed but Northern California won quite easily and the perfect season was over for Central Ohio which dipped to fourth in the final rankings. The Aviators had a couple of close calls, nipping Coastal California 12-10 on a last minute field goal and needing overtime to beat another non-conference foe in Western Florida but they were dominant in their 27-17 win over Detroit City College to complete a perfect 7-0 record in Great Lakes Alliance play and earn a second trip in three years to face Northern California in the East-West Classic. Among other schools perhaps the two biggest surprises were Huntington State and College of San Diego. The Huntington State Miners were one of nine teams that were kicked out of the South Atlantic Conference a decade ago and a formed a loose alliance of their own. The Miners were led by Christian Trophy winning halfback Rick Fisher who rushed for an AIAA best 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns as Huntington State went 10-1 on the regular season and earned an invitation to play on New Years Day for just the second time in school history. College of San Diego went 10-1 and also earned a classic invite. The Friars lone loss came to CC Los Angeles and the classic invite was their first since 1947. NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS The 45th annual edition of the East-West Classic ended in the exact same way as the previous three, with the Northern California Miners celebrating a victory over the Great Lakes Alliance representative. The Miners dynasty has certainly changed the landscape of the greatest New Years Day game, as prior to the Northern California run the GLA representative was on a six game winning streak. This loss had huge implications for Central Ohio, which entered the game ranked number one in the nation and was looking for its first collegiate national title. Nerves perhaps got the best of both teams early as the first period was filled with penalties but the Miners did strike first with a field goal midway through the period. An unnecessary roughness call on Miners defensive lineman Del Upperman proved costly late in the opening quarter as it prolonged a Central Ohio drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run for Aviators back Joe Cress. As it would turn out that would be all the scoring Central Ohio would manage and the game turned quickly in the closing minute of the first half. First it was the culmination of a 14-play, 55 yard drive that ended in a 5-yard Gil Cooper touchdown to put the Miners up 10-7 and two plays later Aviators end Ed Kuntz fumbled as he was tackled and that set up a late field goal to put Northern California ahead 13-7 at the break. The Miners defense was too much for Central Ohio after the break and the Aviators never came close to scoring while Northern California tacked on an additional 13 points in the second half to secure the 26-7 victory and put an end to any title hopes Central Ohio might have had. With Central Ohio's perfect season in shambles that left just Georgia Baptist looking for perfection and a second straight national title. All that stood in the Gators way was their Oilman Classic opponent Lubbock State. It was the Hawks third straight appearance in the Oilman Classic and they struck first, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Tom Pennington to conclude an opening drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. The Gators responded with a long drive of their own but it stalled at the Hawks 11-yard line and Georgia Baptist was forced to settle for just 3 points on a Mike Mannion field goal. After a Lubbock State punt the Gators put together another long scoring drive, this one traversing 81 yards and concluding with Roger Harris scoring on a 3-yard run to put the Gators up 10-3. They would never trail again and while Lubbock State did make it close with a late touchdown to cut the deficit to 25-20, the Gators with halfback Harris leading the way with 133 yards rushing, never seemed in danger of losing. The most notable of the other new years contests saw Maryland State rally with a 4th quarter touchdown to improve to 10-1 with a 22-15 victory over Oklahoma City State. The win moved the Bengals to third in the final rankings, behind the Gators and Northern California and one slot ahead of Central Ohio with Huntington State, winners of Desert Classic in overtime, claiming the fifth slot in the final rankings. MARYLAND STATE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN Overshadowed for years by South Atlantic Conference rivals Carolina Poly and North Carolina Tech, the Maryland State Bengals basketball team finally enjoyed its moment in the sun as they defeated another conference rival -Charleston Tech- in the title game to win the Bengals first-ever AIAA cage championship. The recent turnaround for Maryland State has been nothing short of miraculous over the past three seasons as the Bengals, who had never won a tournament game prior to the spring of 1958, reached the quarterfinals a year ago and went all the way this time around, downing the Admirals 70-58 in the title game behind a 15 point effort from junior forward Beryl Towne. Maryland State finished the season with a 27-5 record, establishing a new school record for wins in a season but they finished second to Charleston Tech in the South Atlantic Conference record, losing on a tiebreaker after both schools finished section play 11-3, one game better than defending national champion Carolina Poly. West Coast Athletic Association champ Redwood entered the tournament as the number one ranked team in the nation and the Mammoths were assigned the top seed in the West Region. Another WCAA school, Coastal California was handed the top seed in the South while Carolina Poly headlined the East Region. The Bengals were sent to the Midwest as a second seed behind Great Lakes Alliance winners Central Ohio. The Bengals opened with a game against 19-11 Custer College, champions of the lightly regarded Rocky Mountain Athletic Association. Sophomore forward Pepper Whitney, who led the Bengals in scoring with an 11.5 ppg mark had the hot hand in the tournament opener as the forward shot 7-for-10 from the field and scored 19 points in a 69-42 victory for his Bengals. Next up was a talented Western Iowa team that had gone to the national title game a year ago but the Canaries were not match for Maryland State and absorbed a 77-48 thrashing from the Bengals. That set up a showdown with Central Ohio in the only regional file that followed script by matching its top two seeds. The Bengals led by two at the half and pulled away after the break to advance to Bigsby Garden and the national semi-finals for the first time in school history with a 53-46 grounding of the Aviators. Redwood breezed through the West Region including a 12 point victory over third seeded Mississippi A&M in the regional final. The South Region saw third seeded Charleston Tech handle top seed Coastal California by a 59-49 score while the East drew plenty of attention as Dickson, the Academia Alliance champ that had not won a tournament game since the spring of 1917, was the surprise bracket winner after downing Liberty College 61-50 in the title game. The Bells had eliminated Carolina Poly, winners of three of the past six tournaments, in the second round. Redwood was the tournament favourite and the Mammoths were playing in Bigsby Garden for the second April in the past three years. Redwood has advanced to at least the quarterfinals for six straight seasons but the Mammoths only national title came in 1947-48. They would fall short again this time as Charleston Tech, led by 18 points from senior forward Joe Satterfield, held on for a 64-62 victory to give the Admirals their first ever appearance in the national championship game. Maryland State halted Dickson's run, dumping the Maroons 68-53 with sophomore Mark Robinson scoring 21 points to pace the Bengals attack and set up a third meeting with their conference rivals from Charleston. The Admirals had won each of the previous two, but the Bengals got their revenge in the biggest game for the pair all season, claiming a 70-58 victory and their first AIAA cage title. HAWKS FLY HIGH AT COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES It was a long time coming but the Lubbock State Hawks finally won their third college baseball World Championship Series. The Hawks, who were the best AIAA baseball team in the country in 1922 and again six years later, emerged unscathed from the field of 16 hopefuls that gathered in Cleveland in early June. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 39-23 record, good enough to claim their third Southwestern Alliance title in the past four years and then won the five more games necessary to hoist the AIAA baseball championship trophy. The Hawks start the tournament off with back to back shut out victories, blanking Pittsburgh State 7-0 in the opening round before nipping Mississippi Tech 1-0 in the second round as hurlers Logan Mantica and Chris Paulsen combined on a 3-hitter. The lone came in a wild seventh inning in which the Hawks loaded the bases with three straight singles and then with two-out third baseman Adam Wagner drew a full count walk which plated the only run of the contest. Wagner, the Hawks lead-off man, had 3-hits and scored three times to lead Lubbock State past Wisconsin Catholic 11-5 and give the Hawks their first appearance in the AIAA finals since the old feeder days when the Hawks were led by catcher Jack Flint and beat a loaded Liberty College squad that included Tommy Wilcox and Jake Shadoan. Deep South Conference champion Opelika State was the Hawks opponent in the finals after the Wildcats, who were making their fourth tournament appearance in the past five years, eliminated West Coast Athletic Association c-champs Portland Tech in the semi-finals with an 8-5 decision. Homeruns by Charlie Hess, John Williams and Jim Smith staked Opelika State to a 5-0 lead after two innings of the opening game in the best-of-three final and the Wildcats breezed to a 6-4 victory. It was a much different story in game two as Lubbock State busted open what was a scoreless game with 9 runs in the third inning and the Hawks would add five more in the fifth as they tamed the Wildcats 16-2 to even the series. Game three was a pitching duel as the Hawks Logan Mantic and three Opelika State hurlers dueled to a 1-1 draw after eight innings. Lubbock State would get a pair of key hits in the top of the ninth as Billy Fuston led off with a double and John Case followed with a 2-run homer off Opelika State's Harry Rowland. That would prove the difference as Lubbock State reliever Chris Paulsen set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth to clinch the 3-1 victory for the Hawks. ANOTHER ROOKIE GOALIE LEADS DUKES For the second year in a row the big story in the North American Hockey Confederation was a surprise breakout season from a rookie goaltender in Toronto. A year ago it was Mike Connelly, a career minor leaguer who started his NAHC career with 4 consecutive shutouts and would go on to lead the Dukes to both the best regular season record and their record 11th Challenge Cup win. Now 28, Connelly found himself spending most nights on the bench as Toronto found another rookie with a hot glove in 26-year-old Justin MacPhee. MacPhee, who was twice named Canadian Amateur Hockey Association goaltender of the year in junior with the Halifax Mariners, went undrafted and spent the past four seasons playing for the Tacoma Lions of the Great Western Hockey League, two rungs below the NAHC. MacPhee was signed by the Dukes, presumably to be Connelly's back up but he did not take long to wrestle away the starting job. MacPhee played in 56 games, winning 32 and his 11 shutouts were just one shy of another former Duke Scott Renes 1954-55 record. The Dukes finished with 86 points, good for a 7 point bulge on second place Boston but well off their record-setting 97 point showing of a year ago. Toronto still scored the most goals in the league and surrendered the fewest but they were not as effective as a year ago in no small part due to the fact that star center Quinton Pollack (27-31-61) missed 18 games due to injury and while the legendary Tommy Burns (17-23-40) did dress for all 70 contests, but his now 40-year-old body showed signs of breaking down with the lowest point total of his career. Thirty year old Ken Jamieson (27-29-56) had another strong season and often supplanted Burns as the second line pivot while the all-star duo on the blueline in Bobby Fuhrman (9-35-44) and Tim Brooks (8-17-25) anchored the stingiest defense in the league. The Dukes did slow in the second half of the season, playing just .500 hockey from late January until the end of the regular season but were still favourites to repeat as Cup champions. Chasing Toronto were four teams that battled much of the season for the remaining three playoff spots. The Boston Bees were the hottest team down the stretch, going 11-2-1 over the final month to ensure they would finish in second and claim home ice advantage for the opening round of the playoffs. If there were any lingering doubts about whether Jimmy Rucks was the new big star in Boston, they were erased this season as the 26-year-old right winger was named to the first all-star team for the second consecutive season and his 54 points, including 20 goals, paced the Bees and was the fifth highest total recorded in the loop this campaign. Boston might still be looking for a top center now that Wilbur Chandler is long gone but the Bees appear set on the wing with 27-year-old Jean Lebel (13-30-43), 26-year-old Gabe Vigneault (17-23-40) and 24-year-old Pierre Paquette (21-21-42) all playing key roles. 36-year-old Oscar James (24-16-7, 2.78) continues to guard the crease for Boston. A late slump cost the New York Shamrocks second place but 75 points and a third place finish is a big win in the Big Apple, as the Shamrocks qualified for the playoffs after missing the post-season each of the previous five seasons. Marc Huot, a 25-year-old who was cut by Boston, joined the Shamrocks part way through last season and had a breakout year in his first season of fulltime NAHC duty. The Montreal born right winger scored 26 goals and finished with 57 points, third best in the league behind only Alex Monette of Detroit and Toronto's Pollack. Newcomer Mathew Garbowsky (20-16-36) also reached the twenty-goal plateau for the Shamrocks and 25-year-old Corb Maybury (16-28-44) took on a bigger role in his third full season on Broadway. New York did not match the offensive firepower of Toronto, Boston and Chicago but the Shamrocks did win a lot of tight games and edged out the Chicago Packers club for third place by a single point. The Packers barely held off Detroit for the fourth and final playoff spot, finishing two points ahead of the Motors. Chicago seems to have moved on from the Tommy Burns era as a host of players in their early to mid-twenties, along with eight-year veteran rearguard Guy Bernier (13-35-48) who is still just 28, give Windy City fans plenty of hope for the future. The biggest hopes are pinned on Archer Cook (28-26-54), a 23-year-old 1955 second round pick who won the McLeod Trophy two years ago and this season became the first Packers forward to be named to the first all-star team since Burns and Max Ducharme earned the honour five years ago. Ducharme, by the way, once a fixture in Chicago but now 36 years of age, spent most of the season in Pittsburgh as the Packers fully embraced their youth movement. Left winger Ray Weller (23-29-52) made the league's Second All-Star team along with blueliners Bernier and first-time winner Mike Homfray (6-29-35). Other key pieces were forwards Ken York (20-27-47), Conn Maguire (16-25-41) and J.P. Morissette (15-25-40). Iron man goaltender Henri Chasse (30-28-12, 2.72) played every minute of every game for Detroit for the third year in a row but it was not enough to keep the Motors from missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1951-52 season. Detroit's Alex Monette (30-43-77) won his second straight scoring title and claimed the McDaniels Trophy for the first time his career but the 27-year-old missed 7 games with various injuries and Detroit lost six of them in his absence, which proved the difference between finishing fourth and fifth. Detroit did receive secondary scoring from veterans Nick Tardif (23-23-46) and Lou Barber (15-27-42) and career best point production from 25-year-old Alex Guindon (15-33-48). Another 25-year-old in defenseman Anthony Beauchemin (8-16-24) shows plenty of promise on the backend. Beauchemin is hardly a new face as the he has been playing for the Motors since he turned 19. It was another awful year for the Montreal Valiants, who won just 11 of 70 games and their 34 points broke the record for futility in a 70 game season, finishing with one point less than the awful 1950-51 Chicago Packers. After back to back playoff appearances, most in Montreal thought the gloomy days of the 1950's, where the Vals went six seasons without a sniff of playoff action, where over but this year set new lows. Montreal had trouble scoring with only veteran Jocko Gregg (22-32-54) and youngsters Mathew Muir (22-26-48) and Roy Forgeron (11-25-36) enjoying much success, but there biggest problem was keeping the puck out of their net. The Valiants allowed a record 254 goals against, smashing their old record of 235 set 8 years ago and allowing 56 more against than any other NAHC team surrendered this season. Nathan Bannister (5-26-9, 3.53) and Tim Burrows (6-20-2, 3.34) are not considered to be bad goaltenders and there is some talent on the blueline but for some reason the Valiants have just never been able to do the job and for the second time in just over two years they are looking for a new coach after Andrew Stymiest was fired following the season. He lasted 79 games behind the Montreal bench. 1959-60 NAHC PLAYOFFS The Toronto Dukes had cause for worry when they found out their semi-final opponent would be the Chicago Packers. Despite Toronto finishing 12 points ahead of the Packers, Chicago dominated the season series between the two clubs with the Packers winning 9 of their 14 meetings. Like they did a year ago, the Dukes put their fate in the hands of a rookie goaltender but this time it was Juneau Award winner Justin MacPhee instead of Mike Connelly. Chicago's J.P. Morissette beat MacPhee with one minute remaining in the third period of the opener to tie the game at 3 but it would be the hometown Dukes who came out on top as Tim Amesbury notched the game winner after nearly 24 minutes of extra time. Chicago rebounded with a 3-2 win in the second game to head to the Lakeside Auditorium with the series tied at one. They would split the two games in the Windy City. Chicago took game three by a 3-2 score as Mark Milot scored the winner in overtime after ex-Packer Tommy Burns had tied the contest late in the third period. The Packers outshot the Dukes 40-25 in the game. Game four was all Toronto as Ken Jamieson and Mitch Moran each had a goal and an assist to pace the visiting Dukes to a 5-2 victory. For the third time in the series overtime was needed to decide a winner as game five was deadlocked at four after sixty minutes. Archer Cook, the Packers talented young winger, was the hero when he beat Toronto netminder Justin MacPhee 18 minutes into the extra frame. Ken York had scored twice for the Packers while Toronto defenseman Jimmy Cooper had a goal and two helpers while Jamieson scored twice in a losing cause. Back home for game six, the Packers wrapped the series up with a 5-2 victory as Ken York had 3 assists while Conn Maguire scored twice to pace the Packers. In the other semi-final series the New York Shamrocks were hitting the ice in Boston for their first taste of playoff action since 1954. The Greenshirts got off to a fantastic start, sweeping both games at Denny Arena to start the series. The opener saw New York goaltender Dalton Duco record a shutout in his playoff debut as the Shamrocks skated to a 3-0 victory with Corb Maybury scoring twice and assisting on the third New York tally. Game two was much tighter as the Shamrocks opened a 3-1 lead in the second period but goals from veteran rearguard Mickey Bedard and Luc Fournier allowed Boston to tie it. Jim Macek was the overtime star with a goal just shy of 13 and a half minutes into the extra period. After dropping the first two games at home, the Boston Bees problems grew even larger with a 2-1 loss in the third game. Alex Sorrell, who was a surprise starter in game two after Duco's shutout in the opener, was called upon again in the third game and was outstanding, turning aside all but one of the 37 shots Boston fired at him. Simon Savard and Alex Breen scored the New York goals with Byron Redmond assisting on both. There was no margin for error for the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none but then completed a most-improbable comeback with four straight victories to take the series. The Bees were up against the wall in game four, trailing 2-0 after two periods but Jack Gariepy and Gabe Vigneault scored in the third period to force overtime and Jonathan Poirier needed just 4:30 of overtime to end the game, scoring on the powerplay to keep the Bees alive. Jake Stockman scored once and added two assists as the Bees doubled New York 4-2 in game five and then battled back after the Shamrocks scored twice in the opening 96 seconds of game six to beat New York 5-2. Jimmy Rucks had 3 points while Ben Jacobs scored twice for the Bees who had knotted the series after losing each of the first three games. * Bees Complete Comeback * Boston has done nothing the easy way this series so when the Shamrocks scored three times in a span of less than four minutes to take a 3-1 lead just over six minutes into the second period there was likely far less alarm on the Boston bench than one might have expected. The Bees tied the game with goals from Ben Voyechek and Neil Wilson before the period had ended and then added three more in the third period before the defeated Shamrocks meekly responded with one late goal. One of the biggest comebacks in NAHC history had been completed as the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none and by two goals entering the third period of the fourth game, rallied to win four straight and advance to the Challenge Cup Finals. BOSTON AND CHICAGO FINALS The Bees and Packers were meeting in the Challenge Cup finals for the second time in four years. They were far from strangers in post-season action as Chicago and Boston were facing off for the fourth time in the last 14 years. Boston had won two of the three previous meetings including the battle from four years ago. The Bees entered the series on a 4-game winning streak and stretched it to five straight but not before requiring overtime to dispose of Chicago in game one. The final score was 3-2 with Boston rookie Brad Lowenberger being the unlikely hero, saving his first career playoff goal to be an overtime winner. Chicago goaltender Garrett Topping made 35 saves two nights later as the Packers left Boston with the series knotted at one following a 5-2 victory in the second game. Charlie Bowman paced the Chicago attack, setting up three first period goals to stake the Packers to an early lead. Game three saw the Bees jump out to a 3-0 lead but the Packers scored five unanswered goals over the final 37 minutes to claim a 5-2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series. J.P. Morissette and Ray Weller each had a goal and two assists to lead Chicago while Pierre Paquette had the same for the visiting Bees. Topping made 27 saves as Chicago blanked Boston 5-0 in game four. * Bees Stage Another Comeback * It was time for another Boston comeback as the Bees, after overcoming a 3 games to none deficit in the semi-finals, looked to rally after trailing 3-1 in the finals. Game five in Boston saw Mathieu Harnois and Jean Lebel each scored in the final 13 minutes to lift the Bees to a 3-1 victory. Back to Chicago, where they had been defeated twice, the Bees relied on veteran goaltender Oscar James and he delivered with a 29 save shutout in a 3-0 Boston win. Tommy Elliott opened the scoring for the Bees in the second period before Jean Lebel and Neil Wilson added insurance markers in the third stanza. Game seven was a terrific goalie showdown between James and Topping. Neither team scored in the opening period despite the Bees enjoying a pair of power play opportunities. The only goal of the middle period came courtesy of Boston all-star winger Jimmy Rucks, who notched his playoff leading 6th goal midway through the frame. The third period was tight checking as the Bees held the Packers to just seven shots while managing only four of their own. Neither team could score and the game ended 1-0 giving James back to back shutouts and the Bees another amazing comeback. Much like baseball, which has confirmed it will add four more franchises in 1962, the Federal Basketball League has had discussion of expanding but, having been burned once before, the loop started by Rollie Barrell in 1946 seems content, at least at the moment, with 8 stable clubs. The Federal League had been big dreams in its infancy and quickly went from eight to seventeen teams by 1948 only to see most flounder. Since the 1955-56 campaign the league has been a stable group of eight teams with only the move of the Rockets from small-market Rochester, N.Y., to St Louis marking any changes. Whether they were based in Rochester or St Louis the Rockets have been the class of the FBL's West Division, winning six of the last seven division regular season titles including each of the past two seasons after their move to the shores of the Mississippi. They won 50 games for the second consecutive season, something that has only been accomplished five times in FBL history and three of them were by the Rockets. Their leader this season was an unlikely hero by the name of Rick Sims. A 29-year-old center, Sims was a back-up behind Billy Bob McCright for each of his first six seasons in the league but as McCright showed signs of slowing down Sims seized his opportunity. Sims started all 76 games and was one of just three players to average more than 20 points per game while also providing dominant defense for the Rockets. He was rewarded with the FBL's Most Valuable Player Award and combined with fellow all-league first team forward Wayne Wyrick to give St Louis a team that dominated at both ends of the court thanks to a stellar supporting cast in vets Danny Rachor and Verle Schoonmaker along with first year starter Jerry Kosior. Second place Detroit finished 5 games back of the front-running Rockets. The Mustangs, led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne and a slowing but still effective Ziggy Rickard, actually outscored St Louis but could not match the Rockets defensive intensity. It was a long way back to third place as the Chicago Panthers finished a full 15 games behind the second place Mustangs. Luther Gordon was once more first team all-league and his 22.8 points per game was good enough to win his 7th scoring title but even a breakout year for 30-year-old Chris Rogerson, who more than doubled his previous career best in averaging just shy of 20 points per game, was not enough to allow the Panthers to keep pace with the big two in the West Division. The Toronto Falcons finished last in the West and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season with the lone bright spot being the play of Bill Spangler. The 3rd year guard out of CC Los Angeles had a breakout season and was named first team All-League. A 10-game winning streak late in the season helped the New York Knights hold off both Boston and Philadelphia to finish with the best record in the East at 44-32. It marked the first time New York led the division since 1954-55 and the big reason was Howie Farrell. Unlike a year ago Farrell did not win the scoring title but his 22.5 ppg was good for second place and he was named to the All-League Second Team. The Boston Centurions were battling with New York for top spot in the East Division all season but stumbled down the stretch with just three wins in their final 14 games. They did manage to hold on to second place, claiming a tiebreaker over Philadelphia after both the Centurions and Phantoms ended the season with identical 39-37 records, good enough to put an end to Boston's 4-year playoff drought. The Centurions scored the fewest points in the league, but they had the best defense and led the loop in both rebounds and blocked shots. Guard Steve Barrell followed up his rookie of the year season with a strong sophomore campaign but a mid-March concussion cost him 26 games and coincided with the Centurions late slump. Mel Turcotte continues to be the leader in Philadelphia as the Phantoms veteran center led the loop in rebounds, averaging 13.7, while also scoring at 16.5 point per game clip. The surprise team left without a playoff chair in the East Division when the music stopped was the Washington Statesmen. It marked a first as the FBL's most successful team was coming off a season when it won its FBL record fourth title and had made the playoffs each of the first 13 years of the league. In fact, going back to the old American Basketball Conference, the Statesmen had not missed the playoffs since their inaugural season of 1937-38. A serious knee injury to Jack English, who along with Ernie Fischer and Hank Adkins were the leaders of the most recent title winner hurt the team as English was limited to just 10 games. Fischer was his usual solid self as the big man in the middle, but Adkins struggled and eventually lost his starting guard job. A dreadful stretch beginning in mid-January when the Statesmen won just once in a dozen outings stated with an exclamation point that a 19-year playoff streak was coming to an end in the nation's capital. FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS ST. LOUIS GETS ITS TITLE While Washington was not invited to the playoff party to defend its title, six teams were gearing up for the second season to figure out who would succeed the Statesmen. New York won the East and waited for Boston and Philadelphia to sort out the make-up of the Eastern Divisional Final, while St. Louis was treated to a bye in the Western Divisional Playoff. Familiar foes kicked off the playoffs in the Western Divisional Semifinal, as Detroit and Chicago renewed acquaintances. It was a contrast of styles, with Detroit’s power coming from its back court tandem of Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin, while Chicago is still led by Luther Gordon and center Chris Rogerson. Bayne and Corwin were a thorn in Chicago’s side all series. Bayne dished out 13 assists to go along with 16 points in Game One, scored 30 points in Game Two, and after the Mustangs squandered their 2-0 lead in the series, Bayne was named Player of the Game in the deciding Game Five, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds. Corwin had a great game in Game Two, with 29 points in the Mustangs 116-90 win. The only game decided by less than ten points was the final game and while the home team won all five games in the series, the last one for Detroit was not easy. The Mustangs won, 84-81, and had to hang on against Chicago, as the Panthers chipped away at Detroit’s nine-point edge heading into the fourth quarter. St. Louis inherited a solid team, a league champion, when the Rockets relocated from Rochester, and the “little engine that could” still had its stars from the Rochester championship, though the torch has been passed. Billy Bob McCright comes off the bench now and Marlin Patterson was a spare player who did not even see action during the regular season. They were simply insurance behind the new stars of the club with Rick Sims and Wayne Wyrick. Sims was the MVP of the regular season and picked up right where he left off when the Western Divisional Final started. St. Louis built a quick three games-to-none series lead over Detroit with a couple of close wins at home, 75-74 and 72-69. Sims scored 24 points in Game One and Wyrick poured in 22 points in Game Two. Sims and Wyrick combined for 59 points in the 108-95 win in Game Three that pushed Detroit to the brink. Corwin and the Mustangs tried to claw their way back and they were able to force a sixth game. Corwin averaged 21.3 points in the series and played better as the series went on, scoring 26 points and adding 15 rebounds in Game Four. The Rockets, specifically Rick Sims, were just too much for Detroit. Sims averaged 25.8 points in the series, including 30 points in the Game Six, which was the clincher. The Eastern Division Semifinal was not nearly as dramatic, though the teams who tipped off against each other had the same regular season record (39-37). Boston defeated Philadelphia in three straight to move on and face New York. Bert LaBrecque, who has come into his own in his third season, arrived in Boston’s first playoff run in years. LaBrecque scored 23 in Game One and 25 more in Game Two. To complete the sweep, Boston had to win it in overtime on the road. It was Boston’s guard play of Charlie Stark (25 points) and Steve Barrell (22) that pushed the Centurions to victory. Mel Turcotte was quiet in the first two games of the series, but he had 27 points and 15 rebounds in Game Three to give Philadelphia a chance. New York won the opener of the East Final behind a former Playoff MVP, Howie Farrell, and his 26 points, but LaBrecque was at it again to steal a split of the two games in New York. Game Two saw Boston come from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 77-75, as LeBrecque scored 26 points, offsetting 24 from Farrell. Boston went home and win both games to take a commanding three games-to-one lead. Boston could not close the series out in New York, but won it at Denny Arena, 94-62. LaBrecque scored 16, but the star of the game was center Wally Moorehead, who is known more for his fearsome defensive presence than his offensive traits. Moorehead led all scorers with 22 points in the victory. The momentum carried over into the FBL Finals between St. Louis and Boston. Boston drew first blood with a 100-80 win in St. Louis, getting off to a 28-14 first-quarter lead and managing the game from there. LaBrecque scored 26 points and Stark (18 points, 10 assists) missed a triple double by a single rebound. Boston shot an unsustainable 47% from the floor as a team. St. Louis collected itself and won Game Two to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, 87-76. Sims once again led the way with 28 points and Wyrick added 19 points while St. Louis was the hotter shooting team. The series moved to Boston and, for the Centurions, the momentum that helped in Game One came back to bite them. Boston’s hot shooting ran cold and St. Louis won the battle of the front court. The Centurions managed only 66 points in Games Three and Four. Sims scored 30 points in Game Two and 28 points in Game Three, both victories for St. Louis that gave the Rockets a two games-to-one series lead. Boston came so close to tying the series in Game Four, but the team suffered a fourth-quarter collapse, managing only six points to turn an 18-point fourth-quarter lead into a heart-breaking 68-66 loss to push them to within one game of elimination. St. Louis had to work for it, but the damage to Boston was done. Game Five went to overtime in a game that was tight throughout. Rick Sims set a personal best with 40 points in Game Five in the 78-76 victory, as he carried the Rockets on his back to deliver St. Louis a championship. Sims had a playoff scoring average of 26.9 points to double up his regular season MVP award with Playoff MVP hardware. ELLIS BUILDING LEGACY IN WELTER DIVISION Eugene Ellis continued his dominance of the welterweight class in 1960 as the 29-year-old added three more victims to his impressive resume - one which has seen him involved in every title fight in the division since 1956. The Seattle native is now 42-4-1 and slowing no signs of slowing down although he had a close call early in the year when he faced Dan Hampton in Baltimore. The battle was the toughest Ellis had been involved in since he lost a split decision to Lonnie Griffin nearly three years ago as Hampton just keeping coming despite being knocked down twice by the champ in their bout. Those knockdowns proved the difference as Ellis prevailed after 15 rounds, but only in the minds of two of the three ringside judges. With the close call behind him, the Seattle native returned to the west coast where he would have far less trouble in his other two title fights in 1960. Brogan Cattlin travelled all the way from Ireland to Los Angeles, toting with him a big reputation and an impressive 41-1-2 record but Ellis made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the 6th round of their July tussle. Four months later in his hometown of Seattle, Ellis toyed with Michael Wheeler much of the fight and claimed an easy unanimous decision. The middleweight belt also did not change hands in 1960 as Canadian George Quisenberry, who had won the title from the now retired Mark McCoy in September of 1959, retained control of the division. British challenger Oscar Woodings did fight Quisenberry to a stalemate in the champ's hometown of Toronto in April but Quisenberry scored a unanimous win over the Englishman in a rematch three months later. His final fight was a duel with former champ George Hatchell at the famous Bigsby Gardens and it was a clean decision for the Canadian. Dave Courtney's brief fling with the heavyweight title ended quickly as, while he did score a unanimous decision over Ezra Frishman in January, he was badly beaten by George Gallashaw, a hard throwing puncher from Syracuse who knocked out Courtney in their May bout to take the title. The 24-year-old Gallashaw would improve to 31-1 for his career with a 7th round TKO of Norm Robinson in his first title defense in October. Gallashaw's only blemish was a title fight loss to former champ Brad Harris a year and a half ago, in a bout that might have just been a little too ambitious for the youngster at that point in his career. A new decade is dawning and, with it, a sense of renewed optimism. Youth will be served, sooner or later. The War years are in our rear-view mirror, the Red Scare has faded. The future is coming. It is the same brilliant hue of a sunrise. In the sport of boxing, youth has been served. George Gallashaw is the Heavyweight Champion of the World at the age of 24. George Quisenberry has owned the Middleweight Champion’s belt for the entire calendar year, won his title last year when he was 24 years of age. Eugene Ellis is the old man of the trio of champions, as the Welterweight Champion is 29 with 47 professional fights to his name. Gallashaw had a title shot in June 1959 as a 23-year-old against then-champion Brad Harris. The moment was too big for Gallashaw, as he suffered his only professional loss to date in a third-round TKO. Harris would drop his next fight to Dave Courtney and Courtney was champion until Gallashaw had his second shot at the belt. Courtney kicked off the year in January with a fourth-round knockout against a lesser opponent, journeyman Ezra Frishman, but Gallashaw was awarded the next fight. Gallashaw, who hails from Syracuse, New York, went west to Cleveland’s Lake Erie Arena with nothing but confidence. He was ready for this chance. Gallashaw was effective, efficient, and he did not let Courtney permeate his excellent defense. Gallashaw built an early lead, having his way with the champion and barely taking any punches for the first couple of rounds. Courtney was knocked down in the fourth round and by the middle rounds, Gallashaw was in excellent shape. Courtney had his best round in the eighth, but it barely registered. Gallashaw out-pointed Courtney is every round until he made it official with a knockout in the tenth round. It is hard to remember a title fight this one-sided. After winning the belt in May, his first defense was a successful one, as he defeated Norm Robinson in October by technical knockout in the seventh round. Robinson is only a year older than the young champion Gallashaw, and started the bout well, holding his own through the first four rounds. Gallashaw earned a quick knockdown in the fifth before dropping Robinson in the seventh, where he rained incessant blows upon the challenger, causing referee Frank Garcia to call the fight with only a few seconds remaining in the round. The heavyweight division was the only division in professional boxing where a title belt changed hands, but it was close. In the middleweight ranks, George Quisenberry fought to a draw against Oscar Woodings in April before winning by unanimous decision in the July rematch. In the draw, Quisenberry had to contend with a nasty cut inside his left eyebrow, which he suffered in the ninth round and hampered him for the rest of the evening, but it was not enough to lose the fight. Quisenberry was cut again in the rematch, this time in the fourth round. However, he persevered, scoring both knockdowns in the fight and he was ahead at the end of 15 rounds by all three judges. Quisenberry also exorcised a demon, as he defeated George Hatchell, who had beaten him for his only previous loss in 1958, taking away the middleweight title in the process. Hatchell was already a two-time champion but failed in his quest to win the belt a third time in what may be the sunset of his career. Eugene Ellis has become “Ol’ Reliable” of boxing, as his exploits in the welterweight division have made him one of the great championships of the weight class. Except for a loss in 1958 to Lonnie Griffin, Ellis has held the title consistently since 1956. This year, Ellis had three fights and two went the distance, but the most harrowing bout for Ellis was his February match against Dan Hampton, the 28-year-old Scranton, Pa. native. The margin of error was razor-thin throughout. Each fighter scored a knockdown with Hampton dropping Ellis in the fourth round and Ellis returned the favor in Round 12. Each fighter also had a point deducted for illegal maneuvers. The fight went to the end and, luckily for Ellis, two of the three judges had Ellis as the victor. The split decision win for Ellis gave him a reprieve and let to a relatively easy time of it against lesser competition for the rest of the year to end the year with his title reign intact. George Quisenberry won the Bologna Boxer of the Year for 1960 with his 2-0-1 record and the vanquishing of George Hatchell, the only opponent to beat him. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS WLCOME BACK! Continental Association Set to Return to NYC in'62 If reports are to be believed the Continental Association is returning to New York City. After abandoning Manhattan and Brooklyn nearly a decade ago, Continental fans have had the choice of switching over to the dreaded Gothams in Queens, following another CA ball club, or sitting home and catching up on other sports. But that it all to change in about one year's time. If all goes according to plans an expansion draft will take place next winter to create a brand new team for the Big Apple. Granted, your new team will be rostered with cast-offs and those with little prospect, but it's a start. You may begin to dream. After some digging and a few late night beverages I can report two bits of interesting information. The new teams name will be the New York Imperials. I can just see the headlines now as the "Imps" challenge the Gothams for the hearts of New York fans. Where will the Imperials play, you ask? Ah, well that's the other bit of information. It will be right here in Manhattan, where a not so ancient ball park sits vacant. Dyckman Field, opened 1934, sits at the northern tip of Manhattan. I'm told that with a fresh coat of paint it will be ready for the 1962 season. I hope you're all looking forward to a new era in Figment Baseball as the league expands for the first time in the modern era, bringing baseball to cities, new and old. I plan to be here with all the information and reporting on the New York Imperials. Tales From The Manor- Dukes Fine Regular Season Leads to Disappointing Postseason -- The Toronto Dukes again proved to be the class of the NAHC from October-March as once more they finished first with 38-22-10 record for 86 points, seven more than second place Boston. The season was two stories: one good but the other raising questions of the future for Jack Barrell's charges in the Sixties. The good story was between the pipes where the Dukes found an unexpected hero in Justin MacPhee, 25. MacPhee who went undrafted after a 5 year career in junior with the Halifax Mariners, eventually signed with Tacoma in the GWHL in 1955. MacPhee spent 4 seasons toiling for the Lions with limited success before winning Goalie of the Year in 1959 for Tacoma. The Dukes scouting staff convinced Barrell to invite him to camp on a tryout in which he was impressive enough to garner a contract with the Dukes. The $1800 deal may prove to be the one the biggest steals in NAHC history. MacPhee went on to lead the league in wins, 32, GAA, 2.22, save percentage at 92.1% not bad for a player who was plying his trade in the low minors last season. He was backed up by last year's goaltending phenom, Mile Connelly, giving the Dukes a solid crease tandem for the next few years. The concern going forward for the Dukes fans could be in the club's ability to put pucks into the net. Quinton Pollack, 37, again finished second in the scoring race to Detroit's Alex Monette with 27-34-61 despite playing only 52 games after suffering a broken jaw on Feb 9th in practice when Pollack, while working on deflections, took a shot to the face. The team only had two twenty-goal scores in '59-60, with the other being Ken Jamieson with 27 to go with 29 helpers for 56 points, numbers good enough to place Jamieson 4th in the scoring race. Tommy Burns, 40, failed to score twenty for the first time in 16 seasons. Burns ended up with 17 goals and 40 points for his lowest total since collecting 33 points (in just 48 games) as a 22 year old in 1943. Troubling is the fact that Burns managed to score only one goal on the power play. Given their ages along with Pollack's injury history the Dukes are hoping that Jamieson can take on a larger scoring role along with Tim Amesbury to take some of the pressure off Burns, Pollack. After cruising to the league title, leading the NAHC in goals scored while surrendering the fewest goals against, the Dukes faced the Chicago Packers in the semi-finals. The Packers held off a late season charge by Detroit to secure the final playoff spot by two points over the Motors. Toronto found out quickly that Chicago was playing for keeps even though they finished 14 points behind the Dukes. The Dukes won the first game in the second overtime period on a goal by Tim Amesbury after J.P. Morissette had tied the game at 3 with a minute to play in regulation. Chicago took a surprising 2-1 series lead with back to back 3-2 wins. The second one in overtime before 16,920 in the Auditorium who were seeing their first playoff action in years. Toronto evened the series at two with a 5-2 win in Chicago leaving the fans thinking that the Packers were a mere bump in the road before advancing to the Challenge Cup final. The Gardens, with 14,235 on hand, witnessed a rally then a collapse by the Dukes in Game Five. Down 2-1 after twenty the Dukes scored three in less than 4 minutes in the second, including one by Pollack who returned for the playoffs, to take a 4-2 lead. Enso Eckler narrowed the gap to one before then end of the second and Ken York sent the game to overtime with a goal in the third setting the stage for Archer Cook's game winner at 18:15 of overtime. That 5-4 loss crushed the Dukes who went out meekly two nights later in Chicago. Packers skated to a relatively easy 5-2 victory to eliminate Toronto. Coach Barrell- "No excuses, we took the Packers far too lightly. Defensively we appear to be fine going forward. I have find the proper line combinations to spread the scoring around with the load moving off Tommy, Quinton even if just a little. Ken Jamieson has found his scoring touch, i need to find the proper wingers for him." Tales From The Den- More Of The Same Another Non-Competitive Season --The Wolves starts the Sixties the way they ended the Fifties, losing more than they win. They have now stretched their consecutive streak of sub .500 seasons to 12 with a 68-86 record in 1960. The team extinguished any hopes for the fans of progressing in the CA by going 31-53 between June 1st to August 31st after staying at .500, 21-21, through April, May. At the plate, where there had been signs of hope in recent seasons, the team regressed to start the new decade finishing in the bottom half of the CA in all hitting statistics. There biggest bat, Tom Reed, slumped to .289/.363/.453 18 HR 80 RBI which would be a good season for most FABL players but not for those of Reed's stature. John Wells was a consistent bat in lineup over the summer posting a line of .270/.341/.397 15 HR 76 RBI while providing above average defense at second base on a team that again was poor in the field. Fans will not see Wells in a Wolves uniform any longer as he was dealt to Kansas City in October for a young OF prospect by the name of Frank Hardin, 23, after spending eleven seasons in Toronto. With the exception of new shortstop Jesse Taylor, 24, who led the team in RBI with 87, the rest of the bats were anemic. Taylor's glove while not outstanding at least gave the Wolves the dependable fielder at short they have not seen since the days of Charlie Artuso, a name few of the new generation of fans even recognize from the Wolves' glory days of the early Forties. On the mound the Wolves again get effective starting pitching but once more dealt with the problem they have had for years, an ineffective bullpen coupled with porous defense. Wilson Pearson, who was supposed to be the shutdown man to secure late inning leads blew almost as many games, 12, as he saved, 15. Arnie Smith, who was the controversial winner of CA Allen Award with 13-13, 3.44 record, led the CA in strikeouts with 213 followed by teammate George Hoxworth with 173. Whitey Stewart suffered through a second subpar season at 6-13, 5.18. The highly touted pitcher who went first overall in 1953 is starting to remind longstanding fans of Les Ledbetter who is still plying his trade in Buffalo. The Wolves have not been successful in developing talent for the last decade which shows in their record. Fans who might hope the club's future is the minor league system will probably be disappointed as the system again ranks in the bottom half of the FABL. Change up top has happened again as the team fired GM George Thomas in October after three seasons at the helm. His record was an undistinguished 217-245 with a 5th, 6th and 7th place finish in the CA. Owner Bernie Millard handed the keys to the front office to an unproven Dan Atwater, 38, which most fans believe will lead to more losing as the new GM attempts to implement his plans for a new direction for the Wolves. Atwater spent 11 years in the FABL as a pitcher for New York Stars, Boston and San Francisco putting together a 95-105, 4.03 record. The Year That Was Current events from 1960 Jan 2- US Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Jan 19- The United States and Japan sign a treaty of mutual cooperation and security. Adolph Coors III, chairman of the brewing company, is kidnapped and his captors demand a ransom of $500,000. He is later found murdered. Mar 6- The United States announce that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam. May 1- A Soviet missile shoots down an American U-2 spy plan and pilot Gary Powers is captured. May 6- President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights act of 1960 into law. May 16- Khrushchev demands an apology from Eisenhower for the Spy Plane. The incident cuts the 1960 Paris summit short. Jul 13- John F. Kennedy wins the Democratic presidential nomination. Two weeks later Vice President Richard Nixon earns the Republican nomination. Aug 6- In response to a U.S. embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation. Aug 19- In Moscow, downed American pilot Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage. Sep 26- Candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in the first televised presidential election debate. Oct 14- Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps. Nov 8- In a close race Kennedy is elected over Nixon, becoming (at 43) the youngest man elected President. Dec 2- President Eisenhower authorizes the use of $1 million for the relief and resettlement of Cuban refugees, who have been arriving in Florida at the rate of 1,000 a week. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Columnist- The Figment Sporting Journal MY FIGMENT LEAGUE BROOKLYN KINGS DYNASTY PAST DYNASTYS My History of Hockey Replay Tiger Fan's Sporting News : the mid 1940's Tiger Fan's All Sport Replay: The 1920s History of Sports 1901-15 Historical Tutorial and Feedback League My first fictional attempt The HOB4: The last of my series of history of baseball replays that go back to OOTP2 and the old message board.

11-02-2024, 08:57 PM	#1023
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,654	1961 End of Year Recap 1961 IN FIGMENT SPORTS "Doubling Up" can be considered the theme for the past year in sports. The city of Philadelphia celebrated titles in two sports as the baseball Keystones ended a long pennant drought and the cage Phantoms were the class of the Federal Basketball League. The American Football Association New York Stars doubled up by winning their second consecutive AFA title while the Mississippi A&M Generals accomplished a very rare feat - winning national titles in two sports in the same year as the Generals won their first AIAA basketball tournament in April and followed that up two months later with their first Collegiate World Championship victory. Even a college athlete got in on the doubling theme as Brunswick shortstop Dick Vitt became the first to win back to back Christian Awards as the top college baseball player since Tom Miller did it in 1947-48. 1961 was the end of an era, as this season would be the last time a FABL season saw 16 teams compete for a World Championship Series. For 1962, the Fed and Conti will each see two new organizations, with the Los Angeles Suns and the Minneapolis Millers joining the Fed, and the New York Imperials and Dallas Wranglers join the Conti. An expansion draft is scheduled to kick off 1962, with the new teams getting raid the original eight teams in their association for talent. Before that, however, we have a season to get through, and the start of the new year sparked a second trade season. In total, five trades involving FABL players were conducted in the year's initial month, starting with a three player trade between the Kings and Sailors. Kansas City added the big leaguer, picking up outfielder Ben Crawford for a pair of prospects. A four year vet who has experience in all three spots, the now 31-year-old Crawford is coming off his best season yet, hitting .275/.349/.479 (116 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 9 triples, 20 homers, 99 RBIs, 81 runs, 61 walks, and 10 steals. Worth a shade below 4 WAR, Crawford has a nearly average career batting line (.243/.312/.409, 97 OPS+, 98 WRC+), but he has solid power and does well logging doubles and home runs. The speed is good too, leading to some triples and steals, but he has big strikeout issues that usually keep his average low. To acquire Crawford, the Kings sent out their recent 1st Round pick Mike Potter to San Francisco, who was a Southeastern League champion and with great power and an intriguing bat. He's young, 19 in February, so as intriguing as that bat is, he has a lot of development ahead of him, and the Kings want to win now. They tend to have a lot of outfield depth, and considering the second prospect, former 15th Rounder Harry Russell, was nothing more then a thrown in, they sacrificed some future outfield talent to supplement Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and Bryan Jeffress (.284, 17, 67). Crawford wasn't the only outfielder on the move, though he was the only one that had to find a new apartment. That's because Frank Reece (.246, 110, 533, 84) went from the Cougars to the Chiefs, only slightly adjusting his commute to work. The headliner of the axed Red Johnson deal nearly ten years ago, Reece ended up paving out a solid career in Chicago, spending eight seasons as the Cougars everyday center fielder. A former 2nd Round Pick, 1961 will be his 11th season, and the 33-year-old owns a respectable .246/.312/.394 (95 OPS+) batting line with 220 doubles, 57 triples, 110 homers, 533 RBIs, 617 runs, and 84 steals. A skilled defensive outfielder, last season was the first year he produced a sub 1.000 efficiency, and as recently as 1958 he produced a career high 20.5 zone rating (1.076 EFF) in 150 starts in center. In fact, all but two of his nearly twelve hundred FABL starts have came in his typical center. Stability like that hasn't been found since another former Cougar John Moss started six straight seasons, and he'll join 5-Time All-Star Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12) and former Cougar draftee Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) in a very capable alignment. Coming off a 2nd place finish, the Chiefs continued to add quality veterans to a roster that is ready to win now. This made it easier to part with top 100 prospect Ricardo Castillo (and throw in outfielder Blackie Morrison), who the Chiefs made the 25th selection in the 1960 draft. The versatile Panamanian hit well in both Class B (.275, 3, 10, 1) and C (.335, 3, 15, 18) after the draft, playing far better then a guy who turned 19 a week after the season. A really talented hitter, he's already driving the ball consistently, relying on a quick and fluid swing. He hits to all fields and can steal a ton of bases, so whenever he's on base he can cause issues. He projects to have good plate discipline, and even walked at a 18.2% clip, but after the promotion he only got 8 walks in 139 trips to the plate. Playing five positions allowed him to stay in the lineup all season, and his versatility will be appreciated in his new organization. Toronto then added a pair of top 100 prospects, receiving Bob Campbell (85th) from the Stars for Jackson Scott and Red Richards (114th) before sending a trio of prospects to the Foresters for the 99th ranked Fred Tollefson. Despite the rankings, Tollefson might be the more valuable one, as the 18-year-old backstop is a recent 1st Round pick and catcher is a very thin position. He's among the better prospects, and since he's almost ten years younger then current starter Dixie Williams (.247, 17, 58), there's no one blocking his eventual claim on the starting role. At least 4 or 5 seasons away, Tollefson is a strong defender and solid hitter, one of the few guys who can handle both aspects of the game. He won't hit for much power, maybe 10 or so a season, but he can hit for a high average and has shown strong plate discipline. Pitchers will love to throw to him, and that may include Bob Campbell, who threw a no hitter less then a year after he was drafted in 1958, and has transformed from 6th Rounder mid rotation starter. The 20-year-old groundballer has great raw stuff, but it's far too often that he's missing the zone. Tollefson can help with that, as lesser catchers have struggled with Capmbell's wicked mid 90s sinker. It was a concerted effort by Toronto to trade older prospects for younger ones, as perhaps the rebuilding organization was making decisions with the upcoming expansion in mind. * OSA Likes Cleveland, But Not Boston * For the rest of the preseason, there was little action, and come April OSA made the bold prediction that the Boston Minutemen would not only not threepeat, but win just 73 games in 1961. Instead, they expected the Pioneers to runaway with the crown, as talented Chiefs and Keystones rosters fought for 2nd. In the Conti, Cleveland continued to be the favorite, as they looked to prove that third time's truly a charm. The Kings will give them a lot of trouble, and I'm sure the Cougars will pretend to be a threat for a portion of the season, but OSA thinks them and the Stars will crack 80 wins as the league feasts on the poor Canadian teams competing to stay out of the gutter. A late start to the season meant some teams only played five games in April, and the season didn't really feel like it got going until June started. At this point the CA was feasting off the Wolves (15-21), Saints (16-22), AND Cougars (16-23), as the Foresters (26-15) looked to put some distance between themselves and the Stars (21-15) and Kings (21-16). In the Fed, the other Chicago team (21-12) was threatening to runaway with the association, as no one else was more then two games over .500. In fact, Philadelphia (18-16) was the only other team over .500, and they were the only team within four games of the leaders. With it still being very early, the pennant was far from settled, as three teams sat at .500 and a fourth was just one under. And instead of pulling away, they settled around the .500 mark. After getting swept by the second place Keystones, their lead shrunk to half a game, but they managed to hold at least a share of the lead until the 28th of June. St. Louis (39-28) became the new leader, and opened July their new association lead. The Chiefs (35-27, 1.5 GB), Keystones (35-29, 2.5), and surprisingly, the Eagles (34-31, 4 GB), were all within five games. On the flip side, the Foresters held the top spot for all of June, but a slow start to July let the surprise Stars seize control of first. Led by the Barrell's Charlie and Ralph, they were scoring a ton of runs, and the almost 26-year-old Lou Allen making Stars fans wonder why the organization kept him in AAA for most of the last two seasons. Cleveland quickly reclaimed the game, as the Stars' reign lasted a grand total of one day, and the Foresters (53-31) held the lead to the All-Star game. It got as big as four, halved to two after the Stars (50-32) beat them in the last two games of the first half. The Conti was looking like a two-team battle, as the Kings and Sailors were both 9 out at the break. In fact, the Stars were the only team in either association that was less then four out, as the Pioneers (50-32) held a 4.5 game lead over the Chiefs (44-35) and Keystones (45-36). Both teams would need hot starts after the break, or the pennant race could quickly become out of reach. ALL-STAR GAME The 29th edition of FABL's midseason classic returned to the site of the initial all-star game as venerable Whitney Park, host of the first contest back in 1933, once more welcomed the best the sport had to offer. The Chicago sporting mecca played witness to not only the 1933 game, won 8-5 by the Federal stars, but also the 1948 contest in which the Continental Association dominated by an 11-3 score. This time around the Continental Association prevailed by an 8-5 score to take a 17-12 lead in the series. It was the second consecutive win for the CA and its sixth triumph in the last seven years. The game also saw Cleveland pitcher Adrian Czerwinski selected for the 11th time. The star righthander did not pitch in the game- he had started for the Foresters the previous day in Los Angeles- but his selection makes the Mad Professor one of just nine players to be named to the all-star team at least 11 times. The game itself saw the Continental stars score three times of Detroit's Paul Anderson in the top of the first inning and they never trailed although the Feds did knot the game at 4 in the fourth inning before the CA pulled ahead for good on an rbi double from Lou Allen in the top of the sixth. The young Los Angeles Stars outfielder would round out the Continental scoring with a 2-run homer in the eighth inning and Allen's two extra-base hits to go with 3 rbi's earned him the player of the game award. Flag Race Over By All-Star Break For Defending Champs The pennant race was over. That's how the defending champs felt, as at 37-47 they announced that they were going to sell once play resumed. Most teams didn't take that literal, but sure enough, before the Minutemen played the Eagles in Washington on July 21st, they told Foster Sherman (7-2, 4.12, 60) to go to the home team dugout. A staple of the Minutemen rotation, all but 10 of his FABL innings came in Boston, where he went 71-52 with a 3.79 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 683 walks, and 714 strikeouts, Sherman was now an Eagle. Known for some command issues, he led the Fed with 118 walks last season, though that was actually his fewest since his first full season in Boston. Equipped with more talented, younger pitching (though for some reason they've moved reigning Allen winner Don Griffin to the pen), they felt like they would use their lost season as an opportunity to retool. This first deal, which also saw them move a young catcher, brought in 19-year-old John Swift, who ranked 63rd on the league's prospect list. Taken 3rd by the Eagles in 1960, he hasn't lived up to that hype yet, and there were some in the league who thought the athletic star would give it a go in the outfield too. Instead, Swift has stuck to the mound, where he profiles as a potential #2 pitcher. The six foot lefty has a deep arsenal with an excellent change and curve, while his low 90s sinker generates more grounders then you can count. He worked his way up to A ball, where he was 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 9 starts. An advanced pitcher for his age, we may just be two or three seasons away from the young lefty surpassing Sherman in terms of overall ability. Washington made another reinforcement that day, but they weren't able to make it to Columbia Stadium in time for the game. The surprise over .500 team, the Eagles improved their depth with righty Walt Staton (2-2, 2.68, 20) and catcher/infielder Del Gaines (.232, 3, 13, 2) coming over from Detroit. While on paper that's not a bad idea, what was is trading the just turned 24-year-old Bill Follis (5-2, 1, 3.83, 59), who was excellent in 12 starts and 4 relief outings. Originally a 7th Round pick of the Dynamos, Fouls didn't last long in that organization, cut less then a month after the draft, and he eventually got to Washington in last year's Rule-5 draft. The rookie was a respectable 9-12 with 2 saves, a 4.63 ERA (92 ERA+), and 83 strikeouts in 138 innings, though he had a high 1.59 WHIP in his 42 appearances (19 starts). Just before being given a second chance in the Motor City Follis was looking like a diamond in the rough, and you could make the case he was better then Staton at this point in his career. Though it could be the appeal of Gaines, who at 24 hit .249/.319/.404 (92 OPS+) parts of three seasons in Detroit, that drew the Eagles to the deal. Mostly as a pinch hitter, he started just 31 of his 162 games, but with his versatility Washington may have thoughts of using him as a rotational guy who can give days off at first, third, short, and even catcher. The power is nice too, and he's already paid Detroit back for taking a chance on him in the 15th Round back in 1954. What came next possibly rewrote the future for two franchises, as the second place Keystones shipped three top-75 prospects to the Gothams to acquire the ace they've wanted since Lloyd Stevens was dispatched to the Sailors in 1951. That move helped bring a pennant to Philadelphia- but to the Sailors and not the Keystones- and and with adding the highly-skilled Jorge Arellano (9-7, 3.17, 68), the Keystones upgraded the best rotation they've had in years. Just 30, Arellano was once ranked as the top pitching prospect in FABL, and in his mid 20s he showed everybody exactly why. His biggest season came in 1957, where he went 21-8 with a 3.13 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and Association high 202 strikeouts in 279.1 innings pitched. He was named to the All-Star game that season, with this year's inclusion surprisingly his only trip back. In 242 FABL games "Georgie" has gone 102-78 with a 3.78 ERA (113 ERA+), 3.59 FIP (83 FIP-), and 1.33 WHIP. A big strikeout arm, he's set down 1,079 hitters in 1,632.1 innings, and since he's not a power guy, just a guy with great stuff, he keeps the walks manageable (8.5%). Worth an impressive 35.9 wins above replacement, no pitcher taken before or after him (24th) in 1949 has cracked 30, and in the class just the Chiefs duo of Vern Osborne (Gothams, 6th) and Dick Champ (Miners, 22nd) have a chance to take the top spot from him. Now a member of the Keystones, Arellano will get supported by Harry Dellinger, Marshall Thomas, Buddy Miller, and Lloyd Parker, and with midseason callup Andy Parker looking like a Kellogg contender in limited time, he gets to go from one of the worst offenses to one of the best. New York will feel well compensated, and hope that 19-year-old Charlie Walker can develop into a similar pitcher. Taken in the 3rd Round of the 1960 draft, he was off to a 2-1 start in 4 Class C starts, but the Gothams have aggressively moved him to their Class B affiliate. The hard throwing groundballer has explosive stuff, and I'm sure members of the Gothams lineup would have trouble with his curve. The sinker gets grounders and he does a good job using all five of his pitches. The command will continue to be a work in-progress, but even with no improvements he could be a back-end starter. Best part is, he's the Glenn Johnson (the fourth prospect in the trade) of the package, as Joe Anderson and Johnny Nelson could be All Stars in the making for the Gothams. Anderson has come close to cracking the top-10, sitting at 17th, and the former 6th pick was crushing it in AA New Orleans. 22 in August, Anderson hit .307/.419/.460 (138 OPS+) in 360 trips to the plate, adding 14 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, 34 RBIs, 49 runs, and 53 walks. Eligible for this year's Rule-5 draft, he was blocked at second and the outfield in Philly, and as talented as he may be, he can't help with this year's pennant chase. Still, it's hard to give away batting title potential and his perfect swing, but Keystone GM Frank York understood the price aces fetch. Nelson was another tough pill to swallow, as the Keystones don't have a long-term option behind the plate. Initially a 2nd Rounder of the Gothams, he was used to acquire Sam Ivey, in a deal that did not go well form the Gothams. Like Nelson, Ivey is back with his original team, as after struggling with the Gothams (10-16, 4.86, 115), he's been good back home. With the better player back, the Gothams regain a quality prospect even if they're one of the few teams set at catcher. He entices enough with huge home run potential. With good discipline and a solid contact tool, the thing determining his big league potential is his defense. 68 of his 91 games have game in AA, where the 22-year-old hit .249/.373/.498 (134 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 16 homers, and 56 RBIs. You don't see many catchers hit like that, and since he'll need to go on the 40 with Anderson, he could be on the big league roster next season. Starting catcher would be surprising, as their incumbent is the graduated #5 prospect and two months younger. Nelson has played at first, however, and with Hank Estill showing some age at 34, they may view him as an option to play first long-term. With Philadelphia's big acquisition of Arellano, it would have made sense for the St Louis Pioneers to make a move to counter, but the Fed leaders held through the deadline. They led the Keystones by 2 and Washington by 3, and Washington did link up with the Minutemen for a small deal. A few days later, Boston made their fourth move of trade season, moving on from 27-year-old Bud Henderson just a year and a half after acquiring him from the Sailors. It's back to California for Henderson, but further south to Los Angeles where he was sent to the Stars along with 51st ranked prospect Bobby Garrison, for #2 prospect Frank Kirouac. Kirouac, who was expected to anchor the Stars offense for years to come, is an intimidating 6'4'' slugger who LA took 3rd in 1956. A consistent top-10 prospect, Kirouac has almost ascended to the spire, and was crushing it in 80 AAA games. That's where he's spent most of the season, slashing a strong .275/.404/.498 (146 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 15 homers, 45 RBIs, and 56 runs. He walks (59) more then he strikes out (50), and even swiped 7 bases in a 3.5 WAR effort. The defense was decent in center too (3.0, 1.016), and it's easy to see why Boston was so interested. Along with the big power, he'll hit around .300 with an OBP around .400, and as good as Boston has been, they don't really have a natural center fielder. Bill Tutwiler is an amazing hitter, but his defense is excellent in right and pretty poor in center. Kirouac would be a defensive upgrade, and if the Minutemen want to be aggressive, they can roll out a Masters-Kirouac-Tutwiler outfield once he gets all his bags packed. It's a big loss for the Stars, but Lou Allen has emerged as an excellent slugger in center, and if they want defense, 23-year-old Ed Moore is going to be ready in a season or two and he's a much better defender. They have plenty of offense, but aside from the robbed Allen winner Dewey Allcock (who actually tore his rotator cuff in the Stars first post-trade inning) and first year starter Sy Dunn, there are a lot of holes in the rotation. Henderson, now in his third organization, is in the middle of what should be his sixth consecutive season with an above average ERA+ and FIP-. This started when he went 17-12 with a 2.79 ERA (133 ERA+) and 2.75 FIP (74 FIP-) as a rookie, where despite a 1.27 WHIP, 93 walks, and an association leading 189 strikeouts, he came up short in the Kellogg race. Two years later he led the Conti with 20 wins, and with better run support he could have came close to that this year. An unlucky 7-9, Bud has a tidy 3.65 ERA (120 ERA+) and 3.76 FIP (85 FIP-), making 20 starts with a 1.37 WHIP, 51 walks, and 73 strikeouts. Him and Allcock will form a lethal 1-2 punch, and with potentially seven 20+ home run hitters, they are going to be a legitimate contender this season and in the near future. * Keystones Make Move During Dog Days * Fueled by their big acquisition of Jorge Arellano, the Philadelphia Keystones were on a mission in August. The team went 6-0 in his starts -Arellano himself was 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA (167 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts- and didn't lose a single series as the wins kept coming. An outstanding 23-6 for August, they actually didn't reach first place until the second half of the month, as the Pioneers didn't lose a series until the end of August. Unless of course, you count the one game they played (and lost) on the 22nd in Philly. That was an Arellano start, as he (6.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K) matched Billy Hasson (7 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and put the game in the hands of his pen. They held up, John Gibson of St Louis didn't, as Lloyd Coulter led off the 9th with a single, got to second on a bunt, and then scored on Al Coulter's walk-off single. Not only did that put the Keystones back in first, but it let them stay there, and they finished August with a three game lead. The rest of the Fed couldn't keep up with the red hot hopefuls, as just the Eagles (68-55, 9.5 GB) were within 15 of first. Lucky for baseball fans, the Fed was still likely to have a pennant race, and the Conti is razor thin. The Foresters (73-51) and Stars (70-49) were neck-and-neck, separated by just half a game at months end, and while not close, the Sailors (67-55, 5 GB) and Cannons (64-56, 7 GB) were at least within double digits. LA got off to a hot start, seizing first with a quick series win, but after losing their ace in his first August start, they lost their replacement ace in his first September start. That would be deadline pickup Bud Henderson, who was not only off to a poor start (2-4, 5.57, 28), but will now have the lengthy rehab process involved with torn elbow ligaments. A game and a half lead would be tough to protect, and the gap between Bud and whoever they'll decide to replace him with is about as large as some of the homers the Barrell boys can hit. Making matters worse, LA stumbled into a three game set in Cleveland with three straight losses, causing them to enter the crucial series down a game. With the injury it meant an unfavorable pitching matchup too, as Earle Wright to take on 44-year-old Rufus Barrell, who was still going strong despite having teammates that weren't even born when he made his FABL debut. That didn't stop Don Hall from getting the scoring going early, as the former #2 pick hit his 19ht homer of the season. That 1-0 lead would have been nice, but the Cleveland offense quickly backed up their beloved vet. Tom Carr got a first pitch double and then walks loaded the bases for Paul Williams. He just missed one, popping up to the second base side of the outfield, and a double play could help the Stars come out unscathed. The twin-killing did not happen and instead a wild pitch was what they got, as the first pitch to Earl Howe scooted away from Joe Cook, and the lead disappeared. Howe then doubled, scoring the last two on base, and just like that Cleveland was up 3-1. Hal Kennedy matched Howe with a double of his own, and Kennedy made it 5-1 when he scored on a Don Hall error. Wright finally got out of the inning, but he couldn't finish the second. He game up two more before leaving, and Cleveland added a pair of runs in the 3rd, 6th, and 8th too. The game ended up looking closer then it was, as Vic Richardson had a major league debut that could have been worse then his worst nightmare. Cleveland's 3rd Round selection in 1956, he ranks outside the top 250, and was ambushed for a walk, 6 hits, and 5 runs. Richardson recorded just one out, before 21-year-old rookie Johnny Ogden had no issues getting the last two outs of a 13-7 win. Now 73-54, LA had the same amount of losses as the Foresters, just with four less wins. First-time All-Star Lou Allen had no trouble early in game two, homering off spot starter Johnny Britton in his first two at bats, and the 26-year-old was responsible for all but one of the Stars runs in an early 4-1 lead. Those were his 32nd and 33rd home runs, and his RBI total got up to 103. But the 4th was an issue for Floyd Warner, who after a leadoff single and fly out, he allowed five consecutive batters to reach. This led to a huge five run inning, quickly flipping the score to 6-4. Cleveland got five more in the six, with three coming on a big swing from Paul Williams during an at bat with Ted Ferguson. Again, with the game out of reach, LA got more runs, this time 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th, making their 11-9 loss look closer then it felt. Now 3 out, LA needed a win to avoid the sweep, and it might have been good they didn't score in the first. This time it was Cleveland who struck first, with Paul Williams' double making it 1-0 early. It felt like it was more of the same, but this time they had their only healthy and effective pitcher, Sy Dunn on the mound. The 22-year-old struggled with his command, walking ten in his start, but he left the game with a 7-4 lead. Homers from Allen and Charlie Barrell were helpful, but Dunn himself had one of four Stars doubles. With two outs in the 8th he handed it off to Hank Myer, who went from being terrible (2-1, 1, 5.14, 44) to almost automatic in the pen. A double play erased his only baserunner, a Cecil Cummings single, and allowed him to lower his ERA to 2.44 and record his 16th save. Avoiding the sweep, the Stars got back within two -- the same amount of games they had remaining with Cleveland. Those came in over two weeks, meaning they had to at least keep pace with the talented Cleveland squad, but with those teams focused on each other, the San Francisco Sailors decided to start making things interesting. Reeling off wins in 11 of 15 September games, the Sailors got within two games of the leading Foresters. They swept Cleveland in San Francisco, winning a tight 2-1 game before exploding for 14 in the finale. Led by a talented young cast, they had two series against the teams ahead of them, allowing them an opportunity to steal the pennant in the final week. They end their season in Cleveland (3) before home series against the Stars (2) and Foresters (3), setting up an exciting photo finish at the end. Cleveland and LA were within a half game of each other, and had a series of their own in the last week of September. By the time those teams met, the Sailors (82-63) scooted ahead of the Stars (81-63), who were 2.5 games behind the leading Foresters (84-61). In need of a better performance, the Stars had over 20,000 in the opener, which could be an excellent pitching duel between Jake Pearson and Sy Dunn. That's not how it started, as both offenses got two in the first, and a two-out double from Ralph Barrell in the 2nd made it 3-2 LA. Finally settled in, the starters traded zeros until a Tom Car double tied the game in the 7th. Dunn was able to get out of the inning, finishing his night with 7 strong innings (7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K), but he'd now have to rely on his defense if he wanted his 17th win. Jake Pearson worked around a double in the 7th, and unlike his opponent, he started the 8th. It would have been 8 full innings (6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K) for the 30-year-old, but a Johnny Neal error extended the inning. As punishment, Neal was the one to be taken out in the double switch, as the young Johnny Ogden was brought on to finish the 8th and later start the 9th. His task was retire young leadoff hitter Charlie Sax, something he did on just three pitches. Hank Myer, who delivered a perfect 8th, got off to a rough start, as Herm Ford singled on the first pitch of the ninth, but after defensive replacement Gene Curtis fouled off a bunt, his second attempt ended up with Ford forced out at second on an excellent play by Ralph Barrell. Stan Kleminski's hustle paid off, as he got on with an infield hit, bringing up slugging shortstop John Low. After taking two pitches wide, he unloaded on a fastball, blasting it 414 feet to right. Though if you thought that was impressive, Paul Williams' encore was even better, as he pounded a get me over fastball 458 feet to left. Dejected, the young Myer was removed from the outing, as September callup Len Trautman was called upon for the final out. He got it, retiring defensive replacement Bob Allie, but the hosts at their work cut out for them. Ralph Barrell leading off the inning helps, especially if it was a tie game. Down four, they needed more then a leadoff walk. Both Jim Berrien and Lou Allen fell down in the count and each had poor results. Berrien struck out, and Allen erased the lead runner with a dribbler to the pitcher, bringing up breakout infielder Virgil Ewing as the last chance. He pounced on a first pitch breaking ball, singling to the left field gap, with the pitcher's spot ready next. Former Forester Manager Charley McCullough went to Emil Grenier, who gave Ogden all he had. Working the count to 3-2, he fouled off three pitches before grounding to third to end the game. Desperate for the win to avoid a sweep, Los Angeles went to Carl Johnston, who had the tough task of facing CA win leader Adrian Czerwinski. Making that tougher was a Paul Williams RBI double (1st) and a Gus Melvin home run (2nd), putting Cleveland ahead 2-0 before the Barrell's got to bat. Ralph ended up cutting the lead in half, getting hit on a 2-2 pitch before scoring on a Virgil Ewing double. The run of support seemed to calm Johnston down, as the 23-year-old southpaw finished his night off with five scoreless frames. LA finally broke back through in the 7th, as the Stars were able to bring home Charlie Barrell after his leadoff double. Johnston didn't go back out for the 8th, finishing with 5 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts, although most importantly free from an undeserved loss. Hoping for a bounce back after last night's debacle, Hank Myer was brought in for the 8th, stranding a two-out single to keep the game tied. Czerwinski made his way out for the 8th, but perhaps he should have had his night end with 7 strong innings and a no decision. Lou Allen reached on a Gus Melvin error, and after an intentional walk to set up the force. the Foresters relieved their multi-time Allen winner. On again was the young Johnny Ogden, who got Ralph Barrell to roll one over to short. Lucky for the Stars, he beat the throw to first, setting up his cousin to give the Stars a lead. After taking a close pitch, Charlie locked in, and hit the next one right over the left field fence. Unrattled, Ogden got the following two batters to strike out, but that big home run could reshape the pennant race. Myer did allow a two out walk, but it was an overall painless 9th inning, and were back within three games of the Cleveland. The Sailors were a game and a half back, and after a pair of off days they opened their "final gauntlet" a game and a half back. With six games against the leaders, three on the road and three at home, the Sailors controlled their own destiny in the Continental race. ** Sailors and Foresters Final Weekend Showdown The race to the finish started with a nice late September Friday in Cleveland, where San Francisco's first time All-Star George Fuller took on 11-Time All-Star Rufus Barrell. Both arms had their missteps early, with Barrell charged with one in the first and the Foresters claiming the lead with a Jerry Tubbs three run homer in the second. Both pitchers settled down, but high-stress, high-pitch innings pushed Fuller out after 5 (4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), and after Barrell allowed the first man in the 7th (who later scored) to reach base, his night ended with 6+ innings of decent work (4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K). No win for him, as Johnny Ogden couldn't hold the lead, as after retiring the first batter he faced, Chet Harris took him deep to tie the game at three. With a clean inning, Ogden was able to keep San Francisco off the board in the 8th, but the Foresters offense couldn't get anything going either. Neither team scored in the 9th, so extra innings was needed to decide this all important matchup. Kicking things off was talented young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo, who worked Lynn Horn to a full count before hitting a hard grounder past short for a single. Playing for one, veteran outfielder Edwin Hackberry did something he'd never do in Detroit, bunt over a runner, but with Jaramillo's speed they increased their winning potential exponentially. To the surprise of some, no intentional walk followed, with second year outfielder John Kingsbury forcing Horn to throw six pitches before surrendering the walk. With the force set up, pinch hitter Carl Matthews rolled up what should have been a routine double play ball for the always reliable John Low, but he booted the grounder, his second error in the game. With the bases now loaded, Ray Rogan pounced on the first pitch, breaking the tie with a one run single. The lead expanded when Herbert Crawford Jr. did the same, though the second out came after when Roy Rutter struck out. The book was closed on the earned runs, but because of the Low error, Horn still needed one more out. His opponent would be Larry McLaren, who after going down 1-2, added another single. Matthews scored and Rogan followed, beating Tommy Henry's throw from center. Horn's night was over, swingman Frank Young entered, but the scoring continued as early game hero Chet Harris made it 8-3 with the fifth single of the inning. Both runners advanced on the throw home, and the lineup turned all the way back to Jaramillo, who scored the go-ahead run. This time his 3-2 count ended in a flyout, but the damage was done and five runs was tough to overcome. Cleveland did try, even loading the bases with two outs, but 25-year-old lefty Zeke Blake got Bob Allie to flyout and end the game. With the win, the Sailors were just a game behind the Foresters in the win column, a half game away from holding first place. Now with the chance to take over, the Sailors relied on rookie swingman Eddie Chapman to take on third year swingman Sonny Stoyer. Cleveland got off to a hot start, getting runs in the 3rd and 5th, before a leadoff single ended his night. Perhaps another batter would have worked out well, as former Whitney winner Earl Howe welcomed Roy Rice into the day with a double, increasing the lead to 3-0. On the other end, Stoyer was dominant through seven, putting up zero after zero. Then came the 8th, where a leadoff single sparked some light in the Stars. Quickly, Stoyer retired the next two hitters, but Edwin Hackberry extended the inning with a single, and they got on the board with a John Kingsbury RBI single. Both runners advanced on the throw, moving to third and second, and bringing in the oft-used Johnny Ogden for the final out. He got Heinie Spitler down 1-2, but the rookie second basemen tied up the game with a clutch liner through the left side. Ogden was able to bounce back, getting Rogan to fly out, but just like that the miracle Sailors were right back into it. They sent Davey Chamberlain in for the 8th, using just five pitches to set down the Foresters before some fans returned from a quick late-game concession break. Ogden was back out for Cleveland in the 9th, getting a ground out and strike out before rookie catcher Larry McLaren extended the inning with a single. This brought up the pitcher's spot, and an obvious substitution, with former first rounder Ray Hughes tasked with turning the lineup back over. Like the Foresters in the previous half inning, he wasted no time, pouncing on a first pitch that he drilled to left. Going all the way to the wall, even the tortoise that is McLaren was able to score from and Forester stadium was so quiet you could hear Hughes' roar of excitement as he popped up from his slide at third. Again, Ogden countered allowed run with an easy out, but now the hosts were down to their final three outs. Tasked with getting those was Gary Pike, as their top two arms Chamberlain and Roy Rice were already used. Pike got a quick ground out, but walked pinch hitter Larry Curtis after he worked the count full, turning the lineup around for Tom Carr, who already had two doubles on the night. As the go-ahead run, Carr singled. With the winning run on base, Pike was in trouble, but he needed just one pitch to get Stan Kleminski to fly out. The game came down to star shortstop John Low, 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a chance to pick up #108 on the season. Pike got ahead of him, getting a whiff and a foul out, before forcing Low out of the zone with a 60-foot sinker. It didn't get far enough away from McLaren, who was able to complete the put out at first and push San Francisco a half game ahead of Cleveland. A sweep at home would be devastating for the Foresters, who had just one other game (in Chicago on the 3rd) against a team who wasn't the Sailors, and those final three games would be at Golden Gate Stadium. Making matters worse, Cleveland had to face rookie ace Charlie Lawson, who was not only named to the All-Star game, but led the Continental in earned run average. Cleveland had a dependable arm of their own, Jake Pearson, but the offenses couldn't do much against weaker pitching. A pitching duel was expected, and it certainly lived up to it. Both pitchers were scoreless through four, but while Pearson made it five, Earle Howe fire the opening salvo with a homer off Lawson in the 5th. Howe got to him again in the second, doubling home Paul Williams, who led the inning off with a double of his own. Still, the Sailors ace was advertised, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 8 solid innings. His only hope for a ninth is his offense producing with runners on base. Despite getting ten base runners (6 H, 4 BB) in the first eight innings, they couldn't score a single run. Again in the ninth, runners got on, as down to their final out Chet Harris got himself a pinch-hit double to turn the lineup back over one more time. Carlos Jaramillo kept things going with a single, but Harris held up cautiously as he did not want to get thrown out at home to end the game. Looking to get the platoon advantage, the righty Ron Turner hit for the lefty Edwin Hackberry. Turner held a share of the team RBI leader with John Kingsbury (92), who was waiting on deck. Pearson jumped ahead of the new entrant, and got him to chase a 1-2 pitch, finishing off a huge 8-hit shutout to reclaim first place. San Francisco got a day off to regroup, and they got an off day to travel home for the last time this year. Half a game back, they had five games against the third and first place teams at Golden Gate Stadium. The Stars came to town 84-65, just a single game behind the Sailors. Both had five games remaining, but LA would need a little help from their hosts to reach Cleveland. They obliged early, as the 23-year-old southpaw Cal Johnston put up zero after zero in a veteran like start. Deadline acquisition Eddie Whitney didn't have the same luck, as Charlie Barrell started the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd, and the Stars lineup added single runs in the 4th and 5th too. For the 6th the Sailors turned to the pen, and in the 8th Vince Ewing hit his 20th homer of the season. Johnston continued to deal and was looking to complete his first career shutout. Herbert Crawford Jr. had other ideas, pouncing on a get me over pitch, doubling down the left field line. This triggered Charlie McCullough to make the move, turning things over to young stopper Hank Myer. Myer got Bob Gray to fly out to left, keeping the quick Crawford at second, but rookie catcher Larry McLaren got him there with a line drive to right-center. Up again in a big pinch hitting opportunity was Ray Hughes, this time with one out instead of two. The result was worse, as after taking the first pitch, he grounded into a routine 6-4-3 double play, Meanwhile, San Francisco lost to the Cougars 3-1, as George McKee (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) solved The Mad Professor's pop quiz. With Cleveland off on the 4th, whoever won the finale of the Stars/Sailors would enter a tie for first with three games to go. The win may mean more for Los Angeles, but there's no doubt that San Francisco is the one that needs the win more. With it, pretty much all they have to do is handle the Foresters. Win three and they're in, win two and anything but a sweep form LA and they're postseason bound. From this point on, every start made would be the pitcher's last, so George Fuller finishes his first full season starter with 32 as a Sailor, as he took on former All-Star Floyd Warner. Fuller was the one that pitched like it, as while he limited damage, Wagner was tagged for three in the second while Ray Rogan and Bob Gray went back-to-back in the third. He did end up finishing six, but 7 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks is tough to win with. On the flipside, Fuller fired off six scoreless, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Carlos Jaramillo made it 6-0 in the 7th with a solo homer, and perhaps mercifully, Don Hall's 25th homer gave the Stars a 9th inning pity homer. With the Sailor win, they entered the last series of the regular season tied with the Cleveland, setting up the storybook finish to the season every fan dreams that their team can come through in. Almost a playoff before the playoff, the winner of this series would likely win the Continental, as the scrappy San Francisco team had a chance to spoil the dominant Foresters threepeat effort. It would be no easy task, but with home field and a team that refused to lose, I'm sure the mighty Foresters were far more nervous then they showed. In a rematch of October 1sts game, Jake Pearson once again took on Charlie Lawson, as the Sailors looked to get ahead with their ace. The only issues was their defense was abysmal, as the hosts made four errors in the first five innings. This led to six runs, three of which were earned, and put the Sailors in an early 6-1 hole. They did get two in the six, a Heinie Spitler RBI single and Bob Gray bases loaded walk, but after the runners were promptly stranded. Tom Carr then tripled and scored in the 8th, making it 7-3, as Pearson (8 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K) once again provided his club with a huge victory. And with Buddy Byrd's walk-off sac-fly in Chicago, the Stars loss too, meaning all the Foresters had to do to make the playoffs was win one more game. Easy enough, right? With a 5-Time Allen winner like Rufus Barrell, it might be, and his lineup gave him an early 1-0 lead. He would need more support, as Larry McLaren doubled and scored to tie the game and then take the lead. Herm Ford battled back with an RBI triple to tie the game backup, but the hosts had a quick answer. Bob Gray launched his 20th homer of the season, doubling the Sailors run total, and allowing starter Eddie Chapman (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K) to exit his start in line for the win. Though win he did not, as after a scoreless frame, Roy Rice allowed Barrell to single to start the 7th. Bringing the lineup back to the top, Tom Carr added a single of his own, and Stan Kleminski bunted both of them over. After a called strike, John Low replaced his pitcher on third, tripling to tie the game up at 4. Low was stranded there, with both Paul Williams and Hal Kennedy flying out, but Rufus was back out for the 7th, but after walking McLaren and Chet Harris he was quickly replaced with Jonny Ogden. Carlos Jaramillo's sac-bunt put both runners in scoring position, giving Edwin Hackberry a chance to retake the lead. He got ahead 3-1, and then lined one past the second basemen to give San Fran the lead. Harris quickly followed McLaren, sliding past the Hal Kennedy tag to make it 6-4. Ogden then caught the talented John Kingsbury looking, but hope was back in the Sailor dugout. Entering form the pen was Davey Chamberlain, who was tasked with getting the final six outs. He ran into little resistance, even striking out Carr and Kleminski to end the game. And since the Stars lost once again, game 154 would officially determine who won the Continental Association. Smart money was on the back-to-back pennant winners, as they had none other then Adrian Czerwinski, arguably one of the top-5 if not top-10 pitchers of all time, in the deciding game of the season. They would have loved to have him in Game 1 of the World Series, but instead he had to win today to ensure he'd make his 17th career postseason start. Manager Jim Whitehead wouldn't outrightly state it, but everyone knew that game 154 was all on Czerwinski, who was set to lead the CA with 13 complete games and 4 shutouts. Unusual for him, he found himself in an early deficit, as Carlos Jaramillo started the inning with a single, stole second, got to third on a grounder, and scored on Heinie Spitler's two out single. Cleveland responded quickly with a two-out run of their own, with Jerry Tubbs hitting his 7th to tie the game at 1. Both starters settled in, with the Eddie Whitney completing 5 solid innings with just 3 hits, a walk, a run, and 2 strikeouts. It was a bold decision to turn it to the pen, as both Roy Rice and Davey Chamberlain threw 2 innings each the previous day. Perhaps scoring a run in the 5th is what made the decision, as with a 2-1 lead they might have felt like they had to protect the lead. Rice again threw a scoreless frame, but Hal Kennedy's 24th homer tied the game back up at 2. That led off the 7th, and Rice did manage to keep the game where it was, but a tie game between Czerwinski and Davey Chamberlain did not seem to favor the home team. The durable vet gets outs and gets them quick, and he can throw 140+ pitches if he absolutely must. Chamberlain entered the 8th, and he had to deal with the top of the Continental's top lineup. Tom Carr got things going with a walk, and as he tends to do, Stan Kleminski bunted the runner over. With John Low up and a runner in scoring position, the pressure was at an all-time high. After going down 1-2, he fought back with four foul balls in five pitches, before lacing the 9th pitch of the at bat to center. With Carr's speed, scoring was easy, and the Foresters were now six outs away from their third consecutive pennant. Cleveland wasn't ready to stop either, as Paul Williams was a run producer himself. He got down 0-2, fouling off two pitches after, before taking four straight wide ones to reach base. Now on second, Low was pinch ran for in Gene Curtis, a more skilled baserunner. It turned out it wasn't needed, after getting ahead 0-2, Chamberlain hit the catcher Kennedy to load the bases. Though when Earl Howe hit his 0-2 pitch to deep center, perhaps the skipper Whitehead breathed a little easier, knowing Curtis could easily score to stretch the lead to two. Finally, Chamberlain finished off an 0-2 count, striking out Jerry Hubbs to end the inning. With the season on the line, the Sailors now needed to score two runs off one of the most experienced and talented pitchers in baseball history, and they had just six outs to work with. After a myriad of defensive moves, the battle-tested ace actually made the cardinal sin of baseball, allowing rookie sensation Heinie Spitler to reach with a leadoff walk. The vet did get the next two guys quick, but he put the tying run on base with a walk of Herbert Crawford Jr. That brought up Larry McLaren, who seems to always be the right guy at the right time. Now with the opportunity to bring his team to the playoffs, he knew he had to come through, and he put a jolt into a 1-0 fastball. It looked good off the bat, but it curved just foul, nearly retaking the lead with a huge homer. Hoping to do it again, he put a good swing into the next pitch, but the professor was prepared, and got him to weakly ground out to short. Before their final chance, the Sailors had to keep the score where it was, and Chamberlain was asked to do what he couldn't do in the previous inning. More composed, he cut through the 8-9-1 hitter, including a strikeout of Czerwinski, who had no intentions of letting someone else hit for him. With the game on the line, he knew he had to be out there, and more then anything, he wanted to be the guy to get things done. As it has been in September, Ron Turner was there to pinch hit for the pitcher in the 9th, but after a pair of foul balls he was set down on strikes. The lineup turned over for Carlos Jaramillo, who not only scored both Sailor runs, but was 4-for-4 and a homer away from the cycle. That big hit would have been huge, but he was probably just happy to get on, singling on a tough 3-1 pitch. That made Edwin Hackberry the tying run, going ahead 1-0 before fouling off two pitches right back behind the plate. Starting to lock in, he drove the next pitch to center, but right at the well positioned center fielder Jaramillo remained at first making John Kingsbury the Sailors last chance. Kingsbury took a change low to start the at bat, but then beat the second one in the dirt, right to defensive replacement Johnny Neal at short. Smooth as silk, he unloaded a laser to first, causing the visiting dugout to spill out with an array of ecstatic Forester players and coaches. Down to the last game, with the tying run up, their star did what he did best, and sent his team to their third consecutive World Championship series. * Cleveland Continues as Class of Continental * It wasn't as easy at it was the previous two seasons, but the Cleveland Foresters were still clearly the best team in the Continental. Not only did they score the most runs and allow the fewest, but they had players win the Allen and Whitney too. For the Allen, it was a common winner, as regular season hero and 11-Time All-Star Adrian Czerwinski won the award for the 6th time in his career. You could make the argument that teammate, runner-up, and staff-ace Jake Pearson (17-7, 3.37, 140) was actually more deserving, but it's hard to argue with the guy that led the association in wins (18), WAR (6.4), complete games (14), and FIP (3.51). A strong 18-9 in what was tied for an association leading 34 starts, "The Mad Professor" worked to a 3.54 ERA (126 ERA+) with a 1.21 WHIP, 74 walks, and 163 strikeouts. His second win in three seasons, and he completed his 13th consecutive season with 33 or more starts, at least 235 innings, an above average ERA+, and a FIP- of 85 or lower. Regardless of whether he wins his 4th championship or not, the run Czerwinski has continued is legendary, and it's truly going to be a shame when the crafty veteran decides that baseball is no longer for him. Once can only hope it comes after 300, if not 350, wins, as through 13 seasons he has 265 to go with a 3.25 ERA (126 ERA+), 3.19 FIP (77 FIP-), 99 WAR, and 2,122 strikeouts. Despite his propensity for errors, John Low captured the Whitney, the first in his impressive 10-season career. Selected to his 9th consecutive All-Star game, Low finally earned the elusive accolade. An outstanding hitter and fielder, Low cracked the 7 WAR mark or the third time in his career, worth 7.4 in 149 games. The 32-year-old shortstop slashed an outstanding .331/.419/.530 (142 OPS+) with an elite 152 WRC+. Low logged 80 runs, 48 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, 111 RBIs, and 87 walks in a sterling all-around effort. Low's rare mix of offensive and defensive prowess at short is a true rarity in the game, and he's just one of the cogs in the elite lineup. A full season of him, Paul Williams (.307, 28, 111), and Earl Howe (.263, 22, 103, 7) led to 862 runs, but top to bottom everyone could produce. Tom Carr (.283, 6, 61, 32) and Stan Kleminski (.289, 8, 68, 14) excelled at setting the table, and if the 3-4-5 couldn't get it done Hal Kennedy (.285, 24, 84), Cecil Cummings (.281, 11, 62), Sherry Doyal (.298, 15, 64), and Jerry Hubbs (.240, 7, 36) came through when needed. And with the rotation of Pearson, Czerwinski, and Rufus Barrell (13-11, 3.94, 104), beating this team is no easy feat. San Francisco came about as close as they could, and while still disappointed, rookie manager Walt Zecher should be proud of what his team accomplished. For the first time since 1954, they surpassed the 80 win mark, and with their young talent they might be able to start a streak going. Leading the youth charge is graduated top-50 prospect Charlie Lawson, who made a serious case for the Kellogg. Being 13-8 may have been his undoing, but Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07), striking out 165 with 73 walks and 29 homers in 238.1 innings pitched. Lawson had a meteoric rise, going from 3rd Rounder last season to a top-10 pitcher, and he was the lone stabilizing force in a rotation that saw a lot of movement. Only George Fuller (12-10, 4.34, 118) started more then 20 games, but seven pitchers made double digit starts. The effectiveness varied, as Duke Bybee (3-5, 5.79, 35) looked like a 39-year-old coming off elbow surgery, and George Reynolds (4-5, 5.27, 71) and Gary Pike (3-5, 3, 5.77, 40) were banished to the pen. On the flip side, young guys like Eddie Chapman (15-4, 8, 3.26, 91) and Clem Pranger (7-5, 6, 3.48, 51) pitched their way into the rotation. If those two can fix up the rotation, they can focus on adding some bats. Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) was a nice development, he rounded out a solid top four. Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) would be the best shortstop if John Low didn't exist, and Edwin Hackberry (.243, 16, 70, 18) and John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) are capable corner outfielders. Despite his poor end of season pinch hitting, they may want to make room for home run leader Ron Turner (.326, 24, 92), but for now he's stuck rotating from first, left, and right. They may have surprised teams this year, but expect this Sailors squad to have their hand in the pennant race once again. Los Angeles will hope to be there too, as even after an embarrassing season ending sweep in Chicago, the Stars still finished with their best record since their pennant winning season in '52. If not for fatal injuries, they probably would have won, as losing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87) and deadline pickup Bud Henderson (2-4, 5.57, 28; 9-13, 4.08, 101), both of whom might not be ready for Opening Day, spoiled their season. Without those two, they just didn't have the pitching to compete. On the bright side, they have a third quality arm for next year, as 22-year-old Sy Dunn impressed in his first season as a starter. Making 29 starts, Dunn was 16-5 with a 3.34 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts. Wild at times, Dunn is a live armed righty that hurls six tough pitches at you, some of which can graze triple digits. His sinker is usually in the 96-98 range, and he can roll up a ton of grounders, and assuming the health of Allcock and Henderson, LA will have a lethal 1-2-3. With a lineup that slugs as many homers as they do, even average pitching overall might be enough, as seven guys hit over 20 homers. Leading the charge was Lou Allen (.287, 39, 119) and his 39, and Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) passed 30 too. Rookie middle infielder Virgil Ewing (.329, 21, 112) was a revelation at 26, and guys like Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), Don Hall (.271, 25, 80), Jim Berrien (.306, 22, 61), and even Joe Cook (.221, 23, 68) could change the game with one swing of the bat. With 240 total homers, the clobbered the previous CA home run record, blowing the 1955 Foresters (183) out of the water. It's very early to make 1963 predictions, but if they can keep their pitchers healthy, I'd wager the Stars be the team to finally stop the Foresters' pennant streak. A little bit further back were the Cincinnati Cannons, who at 80-74 finished 8 behind Cleveland. With a -39 run differential, they didn't really deserve their record. A lot can be blamed on their rotation, as ace hopeful Jim York (7-11, 5.07, 97) fought injury and poor performance, and Jimmy Block (7-11, 5.14, 88) had similar stats without the injury. On the plus side, young guys like Red Cunningham (10-8, 4.51, 87), Charlie Warren (7-3, 3, 3.19, 73), and Jack Meeks (9-12, 1, 4.14, 105) held there own, and the trio is in-line to fill the back of the rotation next season. Steps forward there would be huge, and if the organization has faith in their young pitching, they can shift their offseason focus to fine-tuning the squad. The outfield is strong, with 2-Time Whitney Winner Dallas Berry (.282, 29, 94, 10) the undisputed star, and elite play by former 5th pick and #4 prospect Bonnie Chapin, who also kind of got screwed out of the Kellogg. 24 as of June, Chapin hit a robust .345/.421/.574 (153 OPS+), capturing the batting title and launching 47 doubles, 7 triples, and 22 homers with 111 runs, 84 RBIs, and more walks (70) then strikeouts (55). That duo is among the best in the bigs, which made up for Fred Lainhart's (.265, 4, 47, 12) stark decline in production. They have a ton of power, even if not at the Stars level, with a 30+ homer season from Art McKinney (.259, 34, 101) and big blasts from Al Farmer (.304, 18, 61) and Charlie Ham (.272, 21, 82). The key now is hitting with runners on, and hoping for no more automatic outs, and with just one more table-setter, they could finish among the top three CA teams in terms of run production. The last Continental team above .500 was the Kansas City Kings, who at 79-75 were back over he breakeven mark after their 8 season stretch was snapped a year ago. 79 wins was still likely a disappointment, but they got to add another Kellogg to an award they've dominated since its inception. 214 hits, 124 RBIs, and 33 steals were what it took for Pat Davis to win the award, as the highly touted top-15 prospect became the 5th King to win the award. The 23-year-old hit a solid .343/.380/.543 (137 OPS+) with 94 runs, 33 doubles, 17 triples, and 19 home runs, turning into a fourth deadly lefty in the KC lineup. A lot of Davis' RBIs were because Hank Williams (.326, 39, 121, 7) batted in front of him, and the duo spent plenty of time driving in Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and whoever else managed to get on. As good as those four were, the rest of the lineup really struggled. The always reliable and former Kellogg winner Dutch Miller (.217, 11, 75) had his first bad showing since he won back in '54, and his backup Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32, 4) was the only other above average hitter with more then 200 PAs. The pitching staff had a similar situation, as Beau McClellan (11-11, 3.99, 135), Fred Myers (10-14, 3.73, 119), and Gordon McDonald (9-4, 1, 3.63, 34) all impressed, but the rest of the staff seemed to have prolonged cold spells. Even All-Star stopper Del Lamb (10-6, 18, 4.36, 97) wasn't his normal dominant self, so with a return to form from some of their better pitchers they could push for a pennant. They're probably one solid starting pitcher and one quality regular from being a top team, but the foundation is there to make a sustained run. The Chicago Cougars never got going, as a 10-18 May threatened to sink their season. The final nail came on June 6th, where star middle infielder Jack Gibson (.290, 15, 44) ruptured his MCL. A devastating injury from someone who has had injury issues in the past, cynical Cougar fans will draw parallels to Billy Hunter, another talented young infielder who could never get past his knee issues. Gibson's loss was irreplaceable, as the 26-year-old will enter 1962 with the 5th most home runs (123) in team history, despite having appeared in less then 500 FABL games. Coming off back-to-back 5 WAR seasons, the former 2nd Rounder was on track to break the team's single season home run record of 47, and with him gone the offense was never quite the same. They finished second to last in runs scored, despite solid seasons from Jerry McMillan (.314, 28, 81, 23), Gene Case (.288, 21, 77, 8), and Henry Watson (.302, 26, 90). Jim Barton (.303, 9, 68) might have taken a step back, going from an All-Star to an average bat with out power, but he's just 25, the oldest of the bunch. Add in a solid rookie season from 22-year-old shortstop Tom Holliday (.291, 4, 57), and the beginning of a young core is forming. They've got the pitching, as Andy Logue (15-11, 3.40, 139) seems to have put it all together, while John Mitchell (8-3, 3.74, 45) and rookie Henry Henderson (9-6, 2, 3.72, 66) are looking like solid young pitchers. Barring a combination of breakouts next season, this team is still ways from contention. As expected, the Canadian teams were at the bottom, with Montreal (62-92) "winning" the Battle of the Great North. They didn't do much scoring or preventing runs, with very little going right. Eddie Martin (9-14, 3.88, 93) was the only pitcher with an ERA below 4.25 among pitchers with a start, and even in the pen only deadline pickup Chet Baker (5-3, 6, 3.78, 40) was able to get many outs. Offensively they had a little more luck, as Harry Swain (.328, 20, 101, 6) and Andy Gilman (.275, 25, 85) put together solid seasons. With Swain it was expected, but the 92 starts Gilman made were more then his previous three seasons combined. Now 24, the former 4th pick is starting to live up to the hype, and Montreal could quickly be his team. Meanwhile, the Toronto Wolves finished 59-95, and they saw their 21-year-old ace and Allen winner Arnie Smith (6-2, 2.81, 70) tear his labrum in June. Even worse, George Hoxworth (5-16, 5.14, 124) was awful, so what was once expected to be a decades long duo of dominance could fizzle out already. There's more of course, as Sid Cullen (.310, 19, 69) fought injuries again, making Tom Reed (.299, 28, 91, 10) the only above average hitter with more then 450 PAs. Canadian baseball is at a new all-time low, and with expansion set to take talent away from FABL organizations, these two cellar dwellers may not be able to stave off the expansion teams. * Fed Flag Race Decided Early * Suspense was lacking from the Fed finish, but in early September the Philadelphia Keystones and St Louis Pioneers were neck-in-neck. From the 8th to 10th, the top two teams squared off in St. Louis, and when the Pioneers took two-of-three, they opened up a one game lead. St. Louis ripped off three more wins, adding an extra half game to the lead, giving them a week and a half to stay on top before a big series in Philadelphia. Philly then started to get hot, winning 7 of 8 to take a two game lead over the ice cold Pioneers. With a two game lead and a four game series, St. Louis still had a chance to put themselves in the driver's seat. They got off to a great start, roughing up Jorge Arellano (4 IP, 11 H, 8 ER) in the opener, as homers from Bill Bather (19) and Bob Bell (36) pushed the Keystone ace out early. Bather hit another homer off Sam Ivey in the 6th, helping the guests cruise to an 11-3 win. With the lead cut to one, the Keystones needed to end their struggles against St. Louis, and with a huge outing from Tom Robinson (8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K), they were able to hold onto a tight 2-1 lead. A double header followed, and while the two teams would play once more in October, this game had huge pennant implications. For St. Louis, a sweep would put them into a tie for first, while a Philly sweep would bring them ever-so-close to their first pennant since 1945. Runs came often in game one, with scoring in four of the first six innings, as the Keystones opened up a nice 5-1 lead. Neither team scored in the 7th, but the Pioneers were making a push in the top of the 8th. Starter Joe Kienle was cruising through 7, but after a leadoff ground out, pinch hitter Steve Schultz made it 5-2 with one swing of the bat. Looking to rebound, Kienle got Bill Bather to hit a grounder, but first basemen Andy Parker booted it, allowing Bather to reach. He got to second on a walk, and with the dangerous Bob Bell up, advanced on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position and a feared slugger at bat, momentum was starting to change, and with one swing from the eventual Whitney winner, it was a brand new game in Philly. Bell tied things up with a 383 foot homer to left center, ending Kienle's night, and producing a sort of uneasiness at Broad Street Park. Reliever Don McKeown was up next, working around a pair of singles, managing to keep the score where it was. The Keystones got to face a new pitcher too, with John Gibson brought in to keep the game tied, but he failed in about as spectacular fashion as you could. Tom Cooprider was his first test, and he hit a solo homer to right center, quickly returning the lead to the home side. Next was a walk to Sam Gallick, and he only got an out after since Ed Thompson bunted him over. Gibson wanted nothing to do with reigning Whitney winner Harry Dellinger, walking him intentionally to bring up second basemen Marshall Thomas. Up 2-1, he lined a single to right, loading the bases for the young Andy Parker. With a chance to make up for his error, he hit one right back to Gibson, allowing him to get the force at the plate. Bases still loaded, now it was another Whitney winner in Buddy Miller, and there was nowhere to put him. Miller fouled off the first offering, but then hit one harmlessly to short. Or at least it should have been, but defense was optional today, and the 4th Pioneer error made it 7-5 as Cal Randall, who just moved from third to short, couldn't field it cleanly. Bases still loaded, the dangerous Lloyd Coulter had a chance to make things happen, but he rolled over a 3-1 pitch, grounding out meekly to second to strand the runners. McKeown needed five pitches to get the first two outs of the 9th, but Bill Bather worked a eight pitch walk to keep the game alive. With a chance to make up for his error, Randall became the tying run, but all he could muster was a dribbler to Coulter at third, which he casually tossed across the diamond for the win. Normally after a tough loss, you have a day to regroup, but instead the teams had about 30 minutes to prep for a rematch. At this point, St. Louis had to win, so putting up zeros for the first six innings was a big no-no. Thankfully, all Philly mustered up on 40-year-old John Thomas Johnson was Dick Christian's 2nd inning RBI single, so 1-0 wasn't a tough deficit to overcome. Still, another zero in the 7th was brutal, and opposing pitcher Jim Cooper decided he needed more run support. With one out and two on, the 27-year-old did something he had never done before: hit a home run. That big blast made it 4-0, so when Cooper left with one out in the 8th, he was inline for his 11th win of the season. In came a second Jim, 20-year-old Jim Elliot, who let St. Louis get on the board with Bob Bell's 38th home run. It was a good start, and St. Louis did get two more in the 9th, but any hope of winning was stamped out when the Bell homer was answered by Lloyd Coulter, who matched Cooper's three-run blast with one of his own. The 7-3 win put Philly 4 up, and with 7 wins in their last 10 games to end it, they cruised to a 97-57 record that put them seven clear of a really good Pioneers team. For the first time maybe ever, it was pitching and defense, not the high octane offense, that carried the Keystone team. Among qualified hitters, just Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96) even hit above .300, but with him, Miller (.298, 36, 113), and Coulter (.263, 35, 91) they had a trio of 30+ homer and 90+ RBI mashers. Rookie Andy Parker (.324, 13, 52) came up late and impressed, with the graduated 6th ranked prospect producing a 148 WRC+ in 112 games. Picking up Arellano (7-2, 2.89, 62; 16-9, 3.05, 130) at the deadline was massive, and likely won them the pennant, but the Keystones had a 3.43 rotation ERA and every member at the end had a sub 4 ERA. Joe Kienle (16-7, 3.25, 100) dropped his ERA almost two points, while William Davis (16-11, 3.47, 149), Tom Robinson (13-9, 3.45, 97), and Jim Cooper (12-4, 3.68, 83) were all excellent. They're all young too, as Arellano is the only one over 30, so this group can stick together for the long haul. Stopper Don McKeown (12-11, 26, 3.05, 117) is another young guy who could start, but he emerged as a clutch game finisher, leading the Fed with 26 saves. This team is deep and seemed to find the missing piece, and should be the odds on favorite even if Cleveland has the postseason experience most teams can only dream of. St. Louis is probably the 2nd best team in FABL, but they had the unlucky occurrence of catching an outstanding Keystones team in a year they were at their best. 90-64 is usually good enough to win a pennant, and the best they've done since going 91-63 and capturing the 1951 pennant. I alluded to how good Bob Bell could be last year, as a then 22-year-old hit .328/.447/.582 (176 OPS+) after a late July callup, and he somehow managed to match that with a lethal .345/.435/.635 (173 OPS+). The clear Whitney winner led the association in OBP, slugging, OPS (1.070), WRC+ (176), wOBA (.447), and WAR (9.8), as well as more traditional stats like runs (117), homers (39), and RBIs (128). No one could come close to what he did, and on top of all the offensive output, he even swiped 10 bases and won the Diamond Defense award for second base. As long as this guy is in St. Louis, they're going to compete, and it helps having another Whitney winner in Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14) to compliment him. Add in the elite 1-2-3 of Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188), who won his third Allen in four seasons, ERA leader Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), and pitching WAR (7.5) leader Steve Madden (14-6, 3.17, 166), and it's honestly mind boggling they aren't a postseason team. Aside from catcher, this team doesn't have any real weakness, and will be one of the early favorites for the 1962 pennant. There's a rather significant drop after the top two, but the Washington Eagles were still way closer to the top then the bottom. In fact, there were 13 games between them and Philly and them and the Gothams and Chiefs, who finished tied for 4th. At 84-70, the Eagles had their best finish in over a decade, ending a stretch of four straight seasons finishing 7th or 8th. They did so with a strong offense, scoring more runs then any of the non-Keystone teams in the association. A balanced approach, they don't have a true star in the lineup, instead getting production from guys like Jack Thompson (.314, 16, 97), the guy who refuses to walk (2.9 career BB%), 20-year-old sophomore Tom Lorang (.305, 18, 62), who might be a star in the making, and Al Marino (.255, 9, 76, 6), who has emerged as a real quality shortstop. The pitching has a lot of holes, but Jim Stewart (13-8, 3.32, 137) looked like an ace, and Foster Sherman (7-5, 3.79, 45; 14-7, 3.97, 105) provided a stabilizing veteran presence. If Washington is confident in young guys like Bob Ball (13-16, 4.35, 127), Wally Phillips (8-4, 3.53, 66), Carl Levy (12-6, 20, 3.93, 84), and Otto Caudill (10-12, 1, 4.95, 104), they might not need to make a big move, but a second veteran like Sherman could do wonders for their postseason probability. After an 87 win finish last season, dropping to 71-83 was devastating for the Chicago Chiefs, who seemed like one of the tougher competitors before the season started. A lot of the decline can be attributed to Rod Shearer (.260, 15, 77), who battled middling production and injury in a year where he set many career lows. Though aside from Ed Bloom (.315, 23, 104, 17) and Irv Clifford (.312, 2, 49, 8), he was actually their best hitter. Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) saw his WRC+ drop 60 points, posting a below average mark (93) for the first time in a full season, and none of the supporting cast stepped up in his place. They did pitch a bit better, with nice seasons from Vern Osborne (10-15, 3.50, 152) and Jack Halbur (12-10, 3.84, 99), but Joe Cipolla (7-12, 4.71, 130) saw his walk and strikeout rates go in the wrong direction, and Dick Champ (12-9, 4.41, 129) was more average then good. The pen was reliable, led by 23-year-old rookie Joe Lancaster (8-4, 15, 3.31, 56), and they have plenty of other talented young arms ready for more of a role next season. Despite the bad record, they don't really need much legwork in the offseason, and can perhaps bank on Rod Shearer being Rod Shearer again to return to contention. New York however, does have much to do, as despite being tied in the standings with Chicago, they're in a far different spot then the Chiefs. Shedding stars in recent years, the Gothams will be without Ed Bowman (8-16, 4.25, 78) next year, who decided to hang up the spikes after cracking FABL's top-10 win list. With 322 wins, he finished 1 above Rabbit Day, but he still provided average results. I think he had a year left in him, and with 11 wins he could have moved up to 6th All-Time, but instead he'll have to settle for a slew of Gothams records. This includes wins and WAR (141.7) and pretty much every counting stat you could think of. In total, the former #1 prospect hurled 5,418 innings, working to a 3.31 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 2,606 strikeouts. A 2-Time Allen winner and 12-Time All-Star, he'll go down among the greatest pitchers of all time, leaving a gigantic hole in a mediocre rotation. Left at the top is the now 25-year-old Clarence Reimer (12-12, 4.15, 158) a former 15th round pick who was quickly released by the Keystones, and every arm behind him is either young and raw or a middling vet they are hoping they can increase the value of. The offense is thin, and I would expect them to shop Hank Estill (.248, 15, 71) and Rex Pilcher (.260, 21, 64), as they already have young guys contributing there. Otto Pilkerton (.261, 13, 55, 14) looked great in center, capturing the Diamond Defense award and providing average offense, exactly what Frank Arnold (.297, 5, 65) get at the hot corner. Young catcher Tom Brizzolara (.313, 12, 57, 6) has emerged as a top-5 backstop as well, giving them a trio of talented starters 24 or under. The roster is still a work in-progress, but big '62 seasons from this group could push up their contention timeline. No team was more disappointing this year then the Boston Minutemen, who followed up back-to-back titles with a deadline sell-off. Finishing 69-85, they had their worst year since 1951 where they failed to reach the 60 win mark for the first time since the turn of the century. Everything that went wrong, did, as Rick Masters (.274, 12, 49) was barely replacement level, Ed Wise (.209, 21, 58) barely hit over .200, and Joe Kleman (.262, 10, 72) was a full five runs worse as he didn't do much hitting and produced a negative zone rating (-2.2) for the first time since his rookie season. My vote is that it was the baseball gods punishing them, as for reasons unknown to the baseball community, reigning 20-game and Allen winner Don Griffin (6-7, 25, 3.07, 74) was banished to the pen. Easily their best pitcher, and maybe one of the bests in the game, it was a shocking move that left many around the game stunned. I mean sure, guys like Ray Gonyea (11-16, 4.09, 153) and Bob Hollister (10-11, 3.63, 76) are solid, but there was plenty of room in the rotation behind them. At this point, it seems like he'll remain their stopper, but word around the league is teams are very interested in adding the recently turned 25-year-old to their staff instead. Rounding out the Fed at 67-87 are the Detroit Dynamos and Pittsburgh Miners. For Detroit, it was a surprise, as they had finished above .500 ten consecutive seasons, and actually had a +4 run differential. Funny enough, it's the offseason sell-off moves that helped them win games, as veteran John Jackson (11-13, 3.15, 121) pitched like an ace at 37, and former top prospect Ray Waggoner (.317, 30, 100) took home this season's Kellogg award. The 25-year-old showed exactly why they parted with Hackberry to get him, as he mashed to the tune of .317/.372/.566 (141 OPS+) and won the team triple crown. He anchored a lineup with a good amount of power, as Bill Morrison (.276, 14, 75, 9), Dick Tucker (.281, 19, 71), Cecil Gregg (.302, 25, 97), Joe Reed (.299, 23, 87, 10), and Lew Mercer (.295, 16, 56, 9) are all threats to go deep. The offense as constructed is pretty solid, and with Jackson, Jim Norris (9-15, 4.08, 137), and Paul Anderson (18-7, 3.27, 113) the rotation looks pretty good too. They're really just one starting pitcher away, and I'd be willing to bet this team finishes much better in 1962. Pittsburgh was a more fitting last place team, as they finished with fewer then 70 wins for the fifth time in six years. Arguably the worst pitching staff in the game, Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86) saw his ERA increase by almost three full runs, and they didn't have a single pitcher throw more then 200 innings. Joe McDowell (15-7, 4.29, 90), the "best" starter on the staff, got close, only two outs away, but there just weren't guys who could give them good innings early in the game. They had the 8th and 9th locked up, as 24-year-old George Kollock (6-7, 22, 3.21, 92) was superb, making it surprising they never gave the former starter a chance in the rotation. They did show more life at the plate, as Frank Selander (.351, 12, 72, 14) won the batting tile and is starting to look like the top-20 prospect he once was. Youngsters Chuck Draper (.263, 14, 63, 16), John Moreland (.328, 10, 109), and Mike Whisman (.269, 15, 84, 9) got on plenty ahead of Selander, and veteran Bill Newhall (.280, 12, 56) put together another good season. The bottom three in the lineup needs some work, but until they can shore up the pitching staff, it won't matter too much. One guy to watch on that end is Jimmy Blair (9-16, 4.37, 107), who had a really nice 3.67 FIP (82 FIP-), but there just isn't enough in hand to expect a postseason run in the near future. 1961 World Championship Series It's been quite some time since the Philadelphia Keystones played in the World Championship Series. You have to go back 16 years since the Keystones last pennant in 1945. It was the second of two straight flags for Philadelphia and they split back to back WCS appearances against the Cincinnati Cannons with Cincinnati winning in 1944 and the Keystones prevailing the following year. There have been some lean years in the City of Brotherly Love since then as the Keystones went 14 years of never been less than double-digits out of first place until the 1960 season when they trailed front-running Boston by seven games but still ended up fourth. That changed this time around as the Keystones won a franchise record 97 games, one more than the previous mark established by their 1933 championship team. Like the '33 club which featured Rankin Kellogg in his prime and young Bobby Barrell, this edition of the Keystones has plenty of power. Outfielders Buddy Miller and Harry Dellinger each socked 36 homers with third baseman Lloyd Coulter chipping in with 35. Unlike the long wait the Keystones had before returning to meaningful October baseball, the Continental Association has pretty much belonged to the Cleveland Foresters over the past decade and a half. The Foresters led the CA for the third year in a row and have won 8 pennants in the past 13 years. Four of the five seasons the Foresters did now lead the Continental Association they finished in second place and their 1958 third place showing was the worst the Cleveland fans have seen since 1949. That is a far cry from the early history of the franchise as Cleveland did not win its first WCS until 1934, beating only the Brooklyn (now Kansas City) Kings in that regard. For most of the 1940's the Foresters were the bottom of the barrel in the CA, spending nine consecutive years in the second division and finishing higher than seventh place just once. That turned around with a surprising worst to first run in 1949 and the Foresters, led the entire time by Adrian Czerwinski and Sherry Doyal, have never looked back. While Philadelphia clinched its pennant with nearly two weeks to spare, finishing 7 games ahead of the second place St Louis Pioneers, the Foresters needed every game to prevail in the Continental Association flag race. Cleveland and San Francisco entered the final day of the season tied for first and needed two runs in the top of the 8th inning and a complete game from Czerwinski to hold of the Sailors in the season finale. Los Angeles was also very much in the mix until the Stars were swept in a 3-game season ending weekend series by the Chicago Cougars and finished 3 games off the pace. GAME ONE: CLEVELAND 5 PHILADELPHIA 3 The first ever meeting between the Keystones and Foresters came with plenty of pressure on the visitors from Cleveland. The Foresters were playing in their third consecutive WCS but had lost in five games to Boston each of the past two years. With Adrian Czerwinski needing rest after pitching the regular season clinching game on Sunday, the Foresters had a solid backup option in 17-game winner Jake Pearson. Philadelphia countered with their number one starter Jorge Arellano, who was the only Keystones hurler with previous WCS experience, having won two starts for the Gothams in the 1956 classic. Pearson had a tough first inning, walking in the games first run when he issued a free pass to former Forester Lloyd Coulter after a single, a walk and an error. In the third Coulter made his former mates pay again when he delivered an rbi double to plate Andy Parker and put the Keystones up 2-0. Arellano would cruise along until the top of the sixth when the Foresters bats erupted with three runs. CA Whitney Award winner John Low hit a 1-out triple and after Paul Williams worked Arellano for a free pass, bringing Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy to the plate. The second pitch to Kennedy was wild and Low raced home to score with Kennedy adding an exclamation point in the form of a 2-run homer to give the Foresters a 3-2 lead. The Foresters added some insurance with two runs in the top of the ninth off Philadelphia reliever Tom Robinson. A walk, an error and singles off the bats of Otis O'Keefe ad Tom Carr did the damage increasing Cleveland's lead to 5-2. With Johnny Ogden on the hill trying to close out the win for Cleveland the Keystones made a strong effort at a comeback, scoring once and having the bases loaded with two out but Ogden fanned Dick Sheehan to end the game and give Cleveland a 5-3 victory to start the series. GAME TWO: PHILADELPHIA 7 CLEVELAND 6 16-game winner William Davis took the hill for the Keystones against the winningest lefthander in FABL history. That would be 44-year-old Deuce Barrell, who went 13-11 and now has 342 career FABL wins. Deuce was making his 16th WCS start, one more than teammate Adrian Czerwinski for the all-time lead, but has had his struggles in recent Octobers, going 0-3 with a 10.98 era in four WCS starts over the past two years. Barrell's postseason problems persisted as he did not make it through the fourth inning as the Keystones scored at least once in each of the first four frames and led 5-2 when Barrell was sent to the showers. Buddy Miller drove in a run in the first inning after Harry Dellinger and Marshall Thomas led off with back to back singles off of Barrell. The damage could have been worse than 1-0 but Cleveland centerfielder Earl Howe threw out a runner at the plate. Barrell surrendered three more singles in the second inning resulting in another Philadelphia run and then two more on two hits in the third put the Foresters behind 4-0. Cleveland did score a pair in the top of the fourth but Philadelphia answered with Buddy Miller's second rbi single of the game to make the score 5-2. That marked the end of Barrell's day and the Keystones were finally held scoreless for an inning in the fifth frame. It did not last long as the lead was up to 7-2 when Cleveland reliever Sonny Stoyer gave up 3-hits including a two-run double from Lloyd Coulter in the sixth inning. The score would remain 7-2 until the Foresters rallied in the top of the ninth inning. They scored four times with Paul Williams' 2-run homer doing most of the damage. Down 7-5 wth two out and runners on second and third the Foresters nearly forced extra innings as pinch-hitter Gary Romeo smacked a single. Earl Howe scored from third and Armando Estrada, who represented the tying run, was waived home after starting on second base. Philadelphia rightfielder Buddy Miller delivered a perfect strike to catcher Tom Cooprider and Estrada was gunned down at the plate to end the game and preserve the 7-6 Philadelphia victory. GAME THREE: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 4 (16 innings) It would be hard to top the drama of a game-ending play at the plate that evened the series in game two, but the two clubs were up for the challenge as the series shifted to Cleveland for the third game. Adrian Czerwinski made his first start of the season for the Foresters and allowed just 2 singles over the first 7 innings as the hosts built a 3-0 lead. All of Cleveland's scoring came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Keystones reliever Don McKeown walked two batters and then allowed doubles from Paul Williams and Earl Howe. Czerwinski, tiring, retired the first batter to start the eighth inning but then allowed back to back line drive singles from Dick Sheehan and Tom Cooprider. The Mad Professor induced a fly ball out from Dick Christian and then seemed to be out of the jam when Harry Dellinger hit a ground ball to Foresters shortstop John Low. Low booted the ball and the bases were loaded setting the stage for a Marshall Thomas grand slam that put Philadelphia ahead 4-3 with one swing of the bat. The Foresters tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the eighth when Hal Kennedy hit a solo shot for his second homerun of the series. The game would remain tied at 4 until the top of the 16th inning when Buddy Miller led off with a single off of Cleveland hurler Earle Turner. Turner then went to a full count on Lloyd Coulter before walking the ex-Forester but was aided by a double play when another former Clevelander in pinch-hitter Jim Urquhart popped out while trying to sacrifice the runners. The play left Lloyd Coulter unable to get back to first base in time and he was doubled up. Dick Sheehan was issued an intentional walk leaving runners at first and second and Philadelphia catcher Tom Cooprider at the plate. Cooprider deliver an rbi single to plate Buddy Miller from second and that run would stand up, giving the Keystones a 5-4 victory and a two games to one series lead. GAME FOUR: PHILADELPHIA 6 CLEVELAND 4 Another game with plenty of offense early as both teams scored in the first inning. Back to back doubles from Marshall Thomas and Andy Parker off Cleveland starter Hank Berkowitz gave the Keystones a quick run but a pair of walks issued by Philadelphia hurler Jim Cooper followed by an rbi single off the bat of Hal Kennedy allowed Cleveland to tie it at one in the home half of the first. Cooper aided his own cause when the Philadelphia pitcher smashed a 2-run homer in the top of the second to give the Keystones a 3-1 lead but Cleveland again responded, this time with 3 runs in the bottom of the third inning on three singles, a walk and a hit batsman to put the Foresters up 4-3. The scoring was rounded out in the top of the fifth inning when Philadelphia plated three runs. The first came on a lead-off solo homerun from pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey and the other two came after a pair of walks when Lloyd Coulter delivered a 2-run double. Both bullpens did their jobs after that and the game ended 6-4 for the Keystones, leaving Philadelphia one win away from winning the WCS. GAME FIVE: CLEVELAND 7 PHILADELPHIA 2 The Foresters did not want to lose the series at home and it would mark the third consecutive season they fell in five games. The game, a rematch of the series opening pitching matchup of Jorge Arellano for the Keystones against Cleveland's Jake Pearson, was tight for five innings with the Foresters holding a 3-2 lead thanks to Paul Williams second homerun of the series. The Foresters added a run in the sixth inning when a wild pitch allowed Earl Howe, who had doubled to score to go up 4-2. Philadelphia's best chance to pull even in the game came in the top of the seventh when Dick Christian led off with a double and moved to third on a Harry Dellinger single but Marshall Thomas hit into a 2-4-3 double play to end any hopes of a big inning. Cleveland made sure of a return to trip to Philadelphia by plating three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and the Foresters were still alive following a 7-2 victory. GAME SIX: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 0 Unlike in other WCS starts over the past three years, Deuce Barrell was outstanding for Cleveland for seven innings, scattering 7 hits and making just one mistake - a gopher ball that pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey sent over the rightfield wall in the sixth inning. Barrell left trailing 1-0 as Philadelphia's William Davis was equally good. Davis allowed 6 hits before giving way to reliever Don McKeown. The pair combined on a 7-hit shutout as the Keystones clinched the series with a 5-0 victory. Barrell was replaced with nobody on and one-out in the eighth and Cleveland reliever Lynn Horn immediately landed in hot water. Harry Dellinger greeted Horn with a single. Marshall Thomas followed with a double to put runners on second and third and a free pass to Andy Parker loaded the bases. For the second time in the series we had a grand slam homerun with this one courtesy of Buddy Miller to put the Keystones ahead comfortably by a 5-0 score. It would end that way and the Keystones had won their franchises 4th World Championship Series while the Foresters had lost in the WCS for the third consecutive season. Buddy Miller, who hit .375 with a homerun, 6 rbi's and 6 runs scored, was named the series MVP. It was the first taste of post-season action for the 31-year-old three time Whitney Award winner. OFFSEASON After the Keystones debunked the "third times a charm" myth, all the focus in the baseball world was on expansion. 1962 would bring the first ever expansion draft, as the 16 FABL organizations that competed for the crown in 1961 had a few months to prepare for one of the biggest advancements of the league. Deemed profitable enough to move to 20 teams, it's a bold move by the league, but one that has been long overdo. Baseball has quickly grown into a national game, and it was clear that there were markets to be tapped. The GWL sparked an interest on the west coach in more competitive baseball, and the relocation of three east coast teams was basically a trial run of viability of baseball on the west of the Mississippi. All three of those teams finished above .500 this season and top-6 in attendance, a resounding success story the league off. Joining the fray are the Minneapolis Millers, Los Angeles Suns, Dallas Wranglers, and New York Imperials. The first two will compete in the Fed, the last in the Conti, so teams now have to compete against nine others to make it to the postseason. Before all that, the four teams will get to select players from their competitions FABL and AAA rosters. Teams can protect players of course, so don't expect Buddy Miller or Jake Pearson putting on another uniform any time soon. But guys like Bobby Crooks and Charlie Phillips? Who knows! Stars may be born, careers changed, but more importantly, us fans get more of what we love. We get more baseball! With the shift in the landscape, GMs will go about their business differently, so the trade market was on the quiet side. The Fed runner ups kicked things off, looking to fill their catchers spot with a bounce back candidate. That would be 2-Time All-Star Dutch Miller, who's '61 batting line of .217/.330/.348 (76 OPS+) was nowhere near his .263/.357/.421 (113 OPS+) career line since his debut in 1954. A reliable bat in the seasons prior, as Miller's 84 WRC+ was the first time he produced one below 100. Even in a down year, Miller still drew 79 walks, and despite his personality guys like throwing to him. He's a useful veteran add to the Diamond Defense winner this year Sam Ruggles (.243, 7, 47), who also had the worst season of his career. Then to entice the Kings, they sent infielder Cal Randall (.284, 13, 68) and top-200 prospect Whitey Gates. Randall did start for them some, but with Steve Schultz (.289, 20, 76) and Paul Watson (.245, 12, 52) able to play third and short, they figured it was best to move him instead of one of their top prospects. Always looking to fill their shortstop position, Kansas City will hope the 25-year-old Randall is the answer. A former 1st Round Pick, "Bucky" ranked as high as 25th on the prospect lists, and 1961 was the first season he got a regular role with the Pioneers. In parts of three seasons he has hit .274/.334/.383 (87 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 17 homers, and 91 RBIs. 598 of his 845 PAs came this season, where he came close to hitting league average (99 WRC+) and developed as a captain on the infield. He could end up having a better season then Miller, and with Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32) hitting really well as the backup for Miller this year, KC might hope he can keep it up in a full-time role. Then with Gates they got a 6'4'' lefty who won't be 21 until next June. His 10 starts in Class B (3-6, 3.64, 51) were excellent, and with a deep five pitch arsenal he could work his way into a big league rotation. Kansas City then went to upgrade their pen, sending a 20-year-old righty Marty Bean to Toronto for CA save leader Whitey Stewart. Stewart, 30, started all but four of his previous 192 outings, before making an association high 74 appearances this year. His 2-14 record was more about the Wolves being bad then him, as his 4.49 ERA (99 ERA+) was perfectly respectable. He did walk a ton of guys, 67 to be exact, but he hadn't had control issues since he was in his early 20s. In each of the last four seasons he walked less then 10% of hitters, but that jumped to 13.7 in 104.1 innings. A sad outcome for a former #1 pick and prospect, Toronto must think Stewart's best days are behind him. At best, Bean looks like a back-end starter, and Toronto's staff has plenty of holes. Of course, there's always the added factor of the looming expansion draft, and they relied on a lot of young pitchers that they won't want to leave unprotected. Boston continued to make trades, though the Minutemen fanbase almost rioted when it was announced team home run leader Rick Masters would no longer be wearing a Minutemen jersey. Taken 2nd way back in 1949, the former #1 prospect is just one season removed form winning World Championship Series MVP and hitting .336/.413/.565 (162 OPS+) with 34 homers and a tied for career high 117 RBIs. A former batting title and home run leader, Masters did struggle in 1961, with his .274/.355/.407 (97 OPS+) batting line the worst since his rookie season. His struggled caused his playing time to decrease, and he failed to hit 20 homers for the first time since his 27-game 1952. One of his 12 homers this year was #300, a beautiful blast off Jack Halbur in the first inning of a 3-2 loss. As disappointing as he was this year, it's still a huge shock Boston would even continue parting ways with him, as he just turned 31 and produced six consecutive 5 WAR seasons before this. In his career, Masters has slashed an outstanding .303/.367/.500 (133 OPS+), selected to 6 All-Star games with Boston. Players like that don't come along very often, and the player they got back has no chance of becoming Masters. In fact, he's almost three years older, as the Minutemen decided to swap one veteran corner outfielder for another. Sure, Bill Newhall hit better this season and has been a quality hitter his whole career, but his peak isn't anywhere near Masters. "The Hollis Hotshot" is more solid then good, with a 122 WRC+ in 457 PAs this year and a 122 WRC+ in 6,063 PAs with the Miners. As productive as that is, Newhall has never hit more then 15 homers in a season, and if you list the top ten seasons between Masters and Newhall there's a lot more for the new Miner then the old one. The advantage he does have is defense, he's good in both corners and can handle center, but when you move on from a fan favorite you send a bad message. And that bad message is amplified when it's perceived as nothing better then a lateral move. Just a week later the two teams hooked up for another trade, with the Minutemen going after stopper George Kollock with eyes on making him a starting pitcher. Taken 27th in the 1955 draft, Kollock debuted just three years later, and he hasn't gone down since. Primarily a leverage reliever, he did make starts in 1959, though he's been far more effective as a reliever. 1961 was his big breakout, as the just turned 25-year-old made a Fed high 77 appearances. He worked to a 3.21 ERA (138 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 22 saves, 62 walks, 92 strikeouts, and a 6-7 record. One of the hardest throwers in the league, his fastball hits 97, but the real treat is his slider. Righties can't touch it, and he's frozen plenty of lefties from the back door as it clips the zone as it winds by. The stuff is good overall, but in the pen it really shines. The transition back to the rotation may be tough, but with lean years expected they can give him plenty of leeway. Pittsburgh picks up a pretty solid prospect, adding Boston's recent 1st Round pick Ed Reeves, who sits in the bottom fourth of the top 100 prospect list. After the draft, 53 of his 67 games came in Class C, but he was better in a late season promotion. It was just 52 PAs, but Reeves hit .326/.404/.457 (117 OPS+) with the Class B Arlington Patriots. He has good speed, a good swing, and a good eye, and it's an exciting development project for Pittsburgh. He may never be a star, but he's got the tools to develop into a reliable every day outfielder. Boston also finished trade season, adding another arm to compete in their rotation. That was World Champion Fred McKnight, who won it with the Keystones. Making an identical 13 starts and relief outings, the now 25-year-old went 8-5 with 2 saves, a 3.87 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 34 walks, and 69 strikeouts. A veteran of four seasons, McKnight has gone 21-16 with 11 saves, a 4.22 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 126 walks, and 223 strikeouts. A former 4th Rounder, McKnight is a six pitch groundballer who excels at keeping the ball in the park. He's more back then middle of the rotation, but the staff finished 7th in runs allowed, and has plenty of room for improvement. joining McKnight is outfielder Howie Taylor, who recently turned 24. Another former 4th Rounder, he's quick and has a good eye, and could quickly replace the guy that will go to Philly. The Keystones got former 9th pick Del Filo, who sandwiched a 426 PAs season with two below 100. Perhaps pushed out of a role in Boston, he's currently lined up to join Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96, 38) and Buddy Miller (.298, 36, 113). That's about as good of a pair as it gets, so even average production from Filo will be a plus. He's got a nice .290/.320/.516 (121 OPS+) batting line, adding 36 homers and 99 RBIs in roughly one full season. Between those two deals the Saints and Pioneers made a prospect swap. Montreal gets the higher ranked prospect, grabbing 94th ranked outfielder Bill Gilman. Coming along way since being a 14th rounder, Gilman has an advanced feel for the zone and should hit for a solid average. He's a strong kid who could end up hitting more home runs, but with his speed he can do damage just by putting the ball in play. That will play well at the Parc Cartier, and he could be a nice table setter at the top of the order. In return, St. Louis picked up lefty slugger Grady Smith, as well as long-time bench warmer Walter Medlin (.255, 1, 6). Smith is the interesting piece, as the 19-year-old ranks just outside the top-100. A former 9th pick, he's now part of his second trade, as he went from the Chiefs to the Saints in the second Dave Price deal. He's lost a little of his prospect shine, but he has a really good swing and projectable power. He's not hitting many homers right now, but St. Louis sees something in him they like, and will look to get that power unlocked. Change is now on the horizon, with expansion ready and waiting, and the next big move will be the expansion draft itself. Baseball is about to change, hopefully for the better, as teams are ready to march into the grand unknown. New stars will be born, older ones may shine even brighter, and what happens next may surprise even the keenest of baseball minds. Good bye 16 teams, hello 20! Boone County did not add anyone this year as none of the eligible players earned the 80% required to be added to baseball's Hall of Fame. Walt Messer, the longtime New York Gothams outfielder who was in his first year of eligibility came closest but the 8-time All-Star still fell well short, appearing on just 65% of the ballots cast. Joe Hancock, a 294 game winner who played for 4 WCS winning clubs in Toronto and Detroit, headlines the list of 1962 newcomers to the ballot. Here are the 1961 voting results. Deuce Barrell is still going strong at the age of 44 and after a 13-11 season for the Continental Association pennant winning Cleveland Foresters says he will be back for another year. Barrell is now the winningest lefthander in FABL history and third all-time in victories with a career record of 342-213. He is also fourth all-time in strikeouts with 2,635. Deuce continues to impress during the regular season but he has had three successive awful Octobers, going 0-5 in the WCS with an 8.11 era over that stretch including 2 more losses this season to Philadelphia. The 5-time Allan Award winner is just 5-11 in WCS play. Barrell and teammate Adrian Czerwinski are tied with 17 WCS starts, more than any other pitcher. Barrell is the loss leader as his 11 are now three more than Woody Trease was tagged with during his career while Czerwinski, at 10-3 in October, is the winningest post-season pitcher. Adrian Czerwinski recorded his 250th career win and 2,000 strikeout two weeks apart in May. Other milestones reached this year include Irv Clifford collecting his 2,500th hit, Ken Newman notching his 2,000 hit while Buddy Miller and Rick Masters each surpassed the 300 homerun mark. Czerwinski won his record 6th Allan Award this season while Billy Hasson of the St Louis Pioneers won the Federal Association Allen for the third time. The Whitney winners were both first timers as Bob Bell of St Louis earned the nod in the Fed while veteran Cleveland infielder John Low claimed the CA Whitney. Czerwinski was also named to the CA all-star team for the 11th time. Only 5 players have been selected more often that the Cleveland ace. Here are the players with the most All-Star game selections. Code: MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS** 15 Bill Barrett Retired 13 George Cleaves Retired 13 Bobby Barrell Retired 12 Red Johnson Retired 12 Ed Bowman Retired 11* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland 11 Al Miller Retired 11 Adam Mullins Retired 11 Deuce Barrell Cleveland 10 Skipper Schneider Retired 10 Harry Barrell Retired 10 Tom Bird Retired 10* Ken Newman Kansas City selected to 1961 ASG Ed Bowman, one of the names on the All-Star appearance list above, was the most notable retirement announcement. The 42-year-old who spent his entire 20 year career with the New York Gothams called it quits after an 8-16 season. Bowman finishes with a 322-253 record, good enough for 10th on the all-time win list, one ahead of Rabbit Day. Bowman won a pair of Allen Awards and was a member of three Gothams pennant winning clubs including the 1956 team that won the WCS. The lone no-hitter thrown in 1961 came in September with 20-year-old Philadelphia rookie Jim Elliott, making just his second big league appearance, turned the trick in a 9-0 win over Detroit. It would be Elliott's only big league start as 1959 second round draft pick's two remaining big league appearances came out of the pen. It was extra special for the rookie as he was born in the Motor City. Second year outfielder John Kingsbury (.335,18,93) of the San Francisco Sailors enjoyed a 30-game hit streak that came to an end in late August. The 1955 first rounder, a Canadian-born player from the Toronto area, finished third in the CA batting race behind two other 24-year-olds in Bonnie Chaplin of Cincinnati and Kansas City's Pat Davis. Kingsbury's 30-gamer is the longest since Jim Jenkins hit safely in 35 straight games for the Washington Eagles in 1945. Cleveland skipper Jim Whitehead won the Theobald Award as top manager in the Continental Association for the third consecutive season. The Fed award also went to the pennant winning bench boss, with Don Fox of Philadelphia winning his first. The Washington Eagles had first pick in the annual FABL draft and they selected George Whaley, an 18-year-old high school third baseman from Providence, RI. Scouts see Whaley, who split his first pro season between Class A and B, as a potential elite big league player. OSA had Whaley 9th in its top prospect list. Heading the prospect parade is Frank Kirouac, a 24-year-old outfielder who hit 26 homers and batted .294 splitting the season between AA and AAA. Originally selected third overall out of an Ohio high school by the Los Angeles Stars in 1956, Kirouac was dealt to Boston at the deadline in exchange for pitcher Bud Henderson and 19-year-old first base prospect Bobby Garrison. EXPANSION COMES TO AFA* FABL and the Federal Basketball League are each eyeing expansion in 1962 but it was the American Football Association that became the first to grow as the AFA, which had been at 12 teams since 1951, added two more members in the Buffalo Red Jackets and Houston Drillers. The loop also increased its schedule to 14 games from 12, which had been the standard for decades. For Buffalo it was the city's first American Football Association club but they did have a team in the old Continental Football Conferences for its four year run immediately after World War II. The Red Jackets nickname was after a famous Seneca tribe chief who negotiated with George Washington. The Houston club, known as the Drillers, is the first major league sports team for the city since its short-run in baseball's Great Western League. As one might expect from an expansion team, it was tough sledding for both of the newcomers as each finished with a 3-11 record and in last place in their respective divisions. The New York Stars continued their dominance of the East Division despite the fact that last year's playoff MVP, halfback Larry Moen, announced his retirement before the season began. Rookie Reid McDuffy, a first round pick out of Cumberland proved a more than able replacement and was named offensive rookie of the year after rushing for 949 yards. Second year quarterback Orlin Youngs also had a huge season, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and was named league MVP after guiding the Stars to a 13-1 record, best in the AFA. It marked the third consecutive season that New York had made the playoffs and eighth time in the past ten years. New York which scored more points than any other team in the East Division and surrendered the fewest in the league, finished the season with 12 straight victories after suffering their only loss in week two to Pittsburgh by a 9-6 score. The Washington Wasps earned the second playoff berth in the East Division, bouncing back from a disappointing 3-9 season a year ago after making the postseason each of the three prior years. The Wasps, who won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958, finished tied with the Pittsburgh Paladins for second at 9-5 but Washington earned the tie-breaker after sweeping their two games with the Paladins during the season. Second year quarterback Robin Hornick had a solid season, especially when connecting with veteran end Jim Edmonds who had 41 catches in his 9th year in the league. The Paladins got off to a quick 6-2 start but struggled somewhat down the stretch and it was the two poor showings against the Wasps that prevented Pittsburgh from ending a playoff drought that has stretched to 9 years. It was the first winning season in four years for Pittsburgh. Cleveland, at 7-7 was the only other East Division team without a losing record this time around as the Finches finished strong with victories in each of their final three games. Cleveland struggled on offense despite another strong season from veteran halfback Erskine Rizzuto, who ran for more than 1,300 yards for the second straight season. Philadelphia and Boston each finished at 6-8. The future looks bright for the Frigates as second year quarterback Jack Osterman had a strong season, throwing for a league high 2,780 yards and topped the loop with 24 touchdown heaves. The downfall in Philadelphia was the defense which was arguably the worst in the league. As for Boston, the Americans have been a middle of the pack team for well over a decade and especially struggled in the second half of the season, dropping five of their last six games including a 23-17 defeat to expansion Buffalo. The last place Red Jackets won just three times but two of their wins came against the playoff bound Washington Wasps. Quarterback Jim Rizzi joined the club after six years in Cleveland and provided veteran leadership while passing for 2,452 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rizzi's favourite target was end Don Ishmael, who spent 8 seasons as a backup in Boston but thrived as a starter with Buffalo, leading the division in receptions with 65. Buffalo landed a gem late in the rookie draft, nabbing St. Magnus linebacker Gary Scruggs in the seventh round. Scruggs went on to be one of the best defenders in the league as a rookie, leading Buffalo with 92 tackles and was named to the All-Pro Classic. * Maroons Lead Way In West * After finishing second in the West Division last year the Detroit Maroons led the West for just the second time since 1946. Hoping to rebound from a humiliating defeat in last years West Division playoff when Kansas City pounded the Maroons 54-10, Detroit raced out to a 10-0 start and had the division title clinched by mid-November. Led by veteran halfback Art Heal, who ran for a league-high 1,627 yards and rookie quarterback Dee Cann, the Maroons put up a whooping 411 points on the season while their defense was the best in the loop at stopping the run. Chicago won its first five games but could not keep pace with the Maroons. The Wildcats did hang on to claim second with an 8-6 record despite some struggles down the stretch. Late season losses to Kansas City and New York cost the Los Angeles Tigers a shot at the playoffs and they settled for third with a 7-7 mark one game worse than second place Chicago. Los Angeles boasts an impressive offense led by quarterback Garton Bird (2,476 yards passing) and veteran back Dick Drum (1,529 yards rushing) but their defense continues to be the Tigers weak link. Kansas City won the division a year ago, ending a six-year post-season drought, but the Cowboys failed to build on that as a slow start -one which saw the Cowboys drop 6 of their first 8 ballgames- doomed the club to a fourth place finish at 6-8. They made the surprising decision not to resign veteran quarterback Scott Greenwell, handing the job to rookie Pete Fairfield instead. The Kansas City running game was among the best in the league with both Elvin McGoldrick and long-time star Mike Peel surpassing the 1,000 yard mark but the passing game under Fairfield sputtered. St Louis, San Francisco and expansion Houston brought up the rear. The fifth place Ramblers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year while the Wings, who finished sixth with a 4-10 mark, were under .500 for the first time in a decade. Expansion Houston, 3-11, has a lot of work to do but the Drillers have some building blocks on defense as rookie linebacker Jim Griffin was named defensive rookie of the year and was joined by fellow rookie John Padgett, a defensive end, as Drillers selected to the All-Pro Classic. AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS No team has won more games over the past decade than the 78-40-2 regular season record of the New York Stars and they topped the AFA with a 13-1 season in the loop's first year with a 14-game schedule. New York was the heavy favourite over the second place Washington Wasps in the East Division playoff game, a contest marking the fourth straight season of playoff football and eighth appearance in the postseason since the league went to a 4-team playoff eleven years ago. Washington stayed with the defending champs for all of 15 minutes. The first quarter ended with the Stars holding a 3-0 as both defenses came up with some key plays. The second quarter was a different story as the Stars put up 24 points to turn the contest into a rout. New York's second year quarterback Orlin Youngs had some trouble in the first quarter due to a persistent Wasps pass rush but on the first possession of the second quarter Youngs connected for back to back passes of at least twenty yards to drive the Stars to the first touchdown of the game. Rookie halfback Reid McDuffy, who ran for a game high 102 yards on the afternoon, finished off the 13 play drive that traversed 98 yards with a 7-yard run around the right end to account for the first major of the afternoon. Three plays later the Stars were given a gift when Washington quarterback Robin Hornick threw an interception that veteran Stars defensive back Vic Morrell returned 19 yards to set up a first goal for his club. Two plays later it was suddenly 17-0 as Youngs found end Matt Center on a 4-yard touchdown strike. Before the period ended the New York lead had ballooned to 27-0 as Youngs and Gil Cooper hooked up on a 20-yard touchdown throw and Cornelius McAlpin was good on a 31-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half. The break did nothing to help the Wasps as their offense never did get untracked against the Stars, managing just 198 yards of total offense, barely half that which was accumulated by New York. The final score was 34-3 moving New York to within a victory of repeating as AFA champions. * Another Dismal Day For Detroit * The Detroit Maroons had a whole year to think about their humiliating showing in the 1960 West Division playoff game, one which saw the Maroons stage a complete collapse in the most lobsided post-season game in AFA history: a 54-10 loss to the Kansas City Cowboys. The Cowboys sputtered this season but the Maroons used that playoff debacle as inspiration, posting a 12-2 record to finish 4 games ahead of second place Chicago in the West Division. Unfortunately for the Thompson Field faithful, they had to endure a second straight playoff collapse from their local heroes as the visiting Wildcats mauled the Maroons 30-7. Chicago fullback George Hornback rushed for just 30 yards on 12 carries but three of those touches were touchdown runs and all came in the second period as the visitors from the Windy City built a 24-0 lead at the break and coasted to a 30-7 victory. Detroit fans should have anticipated problems when the Maroons first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception and set up a Wildcats field goal. Like the East Playoff, the West game was just 3-0 after 15 minutes but the game was blown open in the second quarter when the Wildcats scored 21 points. Detroit turned the ball over twice, resulting in Chicago points each time and the Maroons All-Pro back Art Heal could never get untracked. Heal carried the ball 25 times but averaged barely two yards a pick-up and never had a gain of more than 8. The Wildcats were not overly impressive on offense but they did not make mistakes and took advantage of their opportunities leaving the Maroons with plenty of unrealized potential once again. Detroit has not won the AFA title since 1936 and has gone 0-7 in playoff games since then. * Stars Shine in Title Tilt * The AFA title game matched up the two winningest teams in league history with the Chicago Wildcats own 8 titles including a win in 1959 and the New York Stars six, with their most recent league crown coming last year. It would be New York's third straight appearance in the title game and their fifth meeting for the AFA championship with the Wildcats. Chicago prevailed in 1959, 1948 and 1941 while the Stars only championship game win over Chicago came in 1946 title game. The Wildcats built an early 10-0 lead on a first quarter field goal from Paul Chestnut and a second quarter 42-yard touchdown run by George Hornback, who had scored three majors in the win over Detroit last week. Hornback's run came a play after Stars quarterback Orlin Youngs was intercepted by Wildcats cornerback Ben Kromer. Chicago seemed to have all the momentum as New York's next series saw Youngs sacked twice and the Stars forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Chicago appeared to be driving again when halfback Fred Gunther raced for 12 yards on the Wildcats first play and Gunther was off for a big gain on the second play. Then the game turned. After a 17 yard gain Gunther had the ball punched loose by New York defender Vic Morrell and the Stars Rich Hewlett came up with the recovery. The Stars suddenly took over as Youngs found Britt Panos for a 25-yard catch and Gil Cooper for 12 more. Before you knew it New York fullback Ephraim Stanek bulled his way into the endzone from a yard out and the Stars were on the scoreboard. The first New York score came with 2:24 remaining in the half and it took just 24 seconds for the Stars to score again and take a 14-10 lead. Stars linebacker Galen Cossey, a two-time AFA defensive player of the year, forced a fumble on Chicago's next play from scrimmage and after Cossey recovered the ball, New York half back Reid McDuffy carried the ball twice with the second run being a 19-yard jaunt into the Chicago endzone. New York was not down as after the Wildcats had a three-and-out the Stars navigated into field goal position in the final minute and Cornelius McAlpin connected from 33 yards out to put New York ahead 17-10 at the break. In a span of 2:22 a 10-0 Chicago lead had turned into a 17 point deficit. Cossey recovered his second fumble of the day early in the third quarter and that led to another New York touchdown- this one a 16-yard pass from Youngs to Ryne Hardy making the score 24-10. Chicago made it close with a field goal early in the fourth quarter and a long touchdown pass late in the game but could not get into position for a game-tying field goal and the Stars had won their second straight AFA title. The Stars second consecutive title and fourth championship in the past ten years to go along with 2 other appearances in the title game places them in consideration as one of the best American Football Association teams of all-time. They may not quite yet match the powerhouse Detroit Maroons of the late 1920s and early 1930s or the Wildcats of the late 1930s and 40s that appeared in 8 title games over a 12 year stretch but the current edition of the New York Football Stars is certainly closing in on those two legendary squads. MARYLAND STATE CLASS OF COLLEGE GRID It has been quite a couple of years for Maryland State as the Bengals, after winning their first ever AIAA basketball tournament title in the spring of 1960, claimed their first National Title in football in the winter of 1961. Maryland State, with 4 baseball crowns including the most recent in 1943, is one of a select group of schools that now has won national titles in all three major team sports. The Bengals title this season came after a pair of close calls in recent years as Maryland State was 10-1 in 1960 but finished third behind Georgia Baptist and Northern California. The Bengals also finished third in the 1958 rankings. This year's club, like the squad a year ago, went 10-1 but emerged as the number one ranked team after 48-6 drubbing of Plains Athletic Association champion Oklahoma City State in the Sunshine Classic. The Bengals were led by the highest scoring offense in the entire AIAA, one which averaged nearly 34 points a game in starting the season with nine consecutive victories. The Bengals calling card was a powerful running game led by junior halfback Mike Moran (1,174 yards) and bruising fullback Bob Butters, who spent most of his time clearing a path for Moran and carried the ball himself just 15 times all season but 13 of them were for short touchdown runs. Maryland State's most impressive win would be a late September 26-14 triumph over eventual Great Lakes Alliance champion Detroit City College. After non-conference wins over Mile High State and George Fox, the Bengals breezed through their South Atlantic Conference slate until the season finale when it appeared their title hopes may have vanished with a shocking 31-6 loss on the road at Coastal State. The showing in Miami at the Sunshine Classic proved enough to convince the pollsters to place Maryland State at the top of the charts. As is often the case, the poling system left several schools feeling like they received the short end of the stick. Most notably was Annapolis Maritime, which was 10-0 but struggled to beat Southern Border Conference champion Canyon A&M 25-20 in the Desert Classic. The knock on the naval academy was it played a soft schedule and ended up facing just one team ranked in the final top 25 - #23 Pittsburgh State who the Navigators beat 34-13. Despite missing out on their first National Title the season was a resounding success for Annapolis Maritime in that it included a 44-41 victory over rival Rome State and was a reversal of the Navigators awful 0-10 season from when this senior class were freshman. Spokane State and Penn Catholic also felt shortchanged by the final ranking as each, like Maryland State, finished with just one loss. The Indians ended Northern California's four-year hold on the West Coast Athletic Association title by defeating the Miners 34-23 and finishing 6-1 in section play. The lone loss was to Rainier College but the Miners also lost their rivalry game with Redwood. What perhaps should have enhanced the Indians case was a thrilling comeback to defeat Detroit City College 27-24 in the East West Classic. The Knights entered the game ranked second and coming off a big win over rival Central Ohio but Spokane State scored 10 points in the final two minutes to pull out the New Year's Day victory. Penn Catholic was also very impressive on New Year's Day, as the Crusaders had little difficulty with Great Lakes Alliance runner-up Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic, posting a 30-10 victory. The Crusaders only loss was an early season defeat at the hands of Miami State and they, like fellow independent Annapolis Maritime, may have been penalized by a schedule that sorely lacked in high end opponents. In the end the late season loss to Coastal State did not hurt Maryland State as much as one might expect and the Navigators ended up second with the Indians and Crusaders holding down the third and fourth slots. We have to go all the way down to five before we get a Deep South Conference school, marking the first time since 1949 that the Deep South did not place at least one team in the top four. Fifth this year would be the two-time defending champion Georgia Baptist Gators, who ended up 9-2 after a perfect 11-0 season a year ago. The Gators were one of four schools that finished 5-2 in section play but the conference crown went to Bluegrass State for the first time. The Mustangs went 6-1 in section play, but just 8-3 overall, and may have been aided by a section slate that left both Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College off their docket this year. The lone section loss for the Mustangs was 38-7 thrashing administered on them by Cumberland. The Explorers finished 6th in the final rankings and 9-2 overall but they dropped successive section games on the road to Georgia Baptist and Northern Mississippi late in the schedule. Recent history has dictated that the conference champions of the Deep South and Southwestern Alliance would meet in the Oilman Classic but the selection committee bucked tradition and opted to invite Cumberland to face SWA winner Arkansas A&T meaning the Mustangs had to settle for a trip to New Orleans and a meeting with Coastal State in the Cajun Classic. Both Cumberland and Bluegrass State would win their classic games and Georgia Baptist nipped Lubbock State in the Lone Star Classic to make it perfect 3-0 New Years Day for the Deep South Conference. It is also worth noting that Jack Dobbins became the first two-time winner of the Christian Trophy after the American Atlantic senior halfback won the award that he first claimed as a freshman in 1958. Dobbins led the nation with 1,672 rushing yards for the Pelicans this season and finishes his career as the all-time rushing leader in AIAA history with 6,763 yards. The Harrisonville, Mo., native ran for a single season record 2,300 yards as a freshman. NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS Entering the East-West Classic in Santa Ana on January 1, the Spokane State Indians and Detroit City College Knights each felt they had a shot at the national title. Maryland State may have entered its Sunshine Classic against Oklahoma City State as the number one ranked team but a loss to Coastal State in their South Atlantic Conference finale opened the door for a number of schools including the duo battling in college football's longest running classic game. The Indians had ended Northern California's four-year reign as West Coast Athletic Association champs and the Great Lakes Alliance schools were likely relieved as the Miners had won the East-West Classic in each of those four years. Spokane State had never won the big game, losing to Minnesota Tech in their only appearance in 1952. The DCC Knights had never lost in Santa Ana, entering the game with a perfect 4-0 mark with their most recent victory in 1955. The game was a tight battle with DCC holding a 7-point lead until the Indians staged a 14-play 80-yard drive to tie the game at 24 with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation. With just 23 seconds left and the ball on the Spokane State 49 yard line the Knights opted to go for it on fourth and three, but were stopped. The game appeared headed to overtime but a penalty on the DCC defense with 9 seconds left but Spokane State in position to attempt a long field goal. It was a 40-yarder but Indians kicker John Vaughn had just enough leg to force the ball over the upright and the Indians had pulled off a 27-24 victory. They would learn later than Maryland State did more then enough to retain the number one ranking with a 48-6 corralling of the Oklahoma City State Wranglers in the Sunshine Classic. The Deep South Conference had three teams playing on New Years Day and each of the three came up with victories. The Cumberland Explorers had a strong second half and led by halfback Ron Filas, won galloped for 148 yards, beat Southwest Alliance champion Arkansas A&T 31-21 in the Oilman Classic. Georgia Baptist and Lubbock State met for the third year in a row. Each of the two previous seasons saw the Gators prevail in the Oilman Classic. This time around the venue was different - the Lone Star Classic in Austin- but the result the same as a late field goal lifted Georgia Baptist to a 23-21. Bluegrass State, which won the Deep South for the first time, settled for a trip to New Orleans where the Mustangs beat Coastal State 24-10. Mustangs junior quarterback Bruce Fitzgerald had a big day in the win. He threw for 37 yards but it was his legs, not his arm, that gave the Eagles fits with Fitzgerald running for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Elsewhere, six Steve Eilrich field goals help Annapolis Maritime complete a perfect season with a 25-20 victory over Canyon A&M in the Desert Classic and 23 second half points lifted Penn Catholic to a 30-10 victory over Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic. Two Crusaders backs in Rick Fowler and John Hay each topped the 100 yard rushing mark in the game. MISSISSIPPI A&M WINS COLLEGE CAGE CROWN The Mississippi A&M Generals had a close call three years ago when they reached the AIAA championship game only to come up short against Detroit City College but this time around the Generals went all the way, topping Lane State in the semi-finals before having no trouble prevailing over another West Coast Athletic Association foe Rainier College in the championship game to win their first AIAA tile in any of the major team sports. It also meant the collegiate basketball tournament had seen a first-time champion crowned in four of the past five seasons. For much of their existence the Generals were a bottom rung team, winning just a single tournament game in their first 38 years but the past decade has seen basketball take off in Jackson, MS. as the school qualified for the tournament in eight of the last ten and reached the quarterfinals twice in that span in addition to their near miss in April of 1958. The Generals spent much of the season chasing Redwood for top spot in the rankings after an early season loss to South Atlantic Conference power Carolina Poly. As freshman forward Rich Edwards began to gain experience the Generals started to string wins together -17 in a row to be exact- including victories over ranked teams in Indiana A&M, Rainier College and Deep South Conference rival Alabama Baptist. A mix of youth and veterans jelled with Edwards and fellow frosh forward Bill Goscha complimenting a pair of players who played small roles on the first Generals team to reach the title game. They were center Mike Lyons and guard George Stevens but the leader of the club was the fifth member of the starting unit in junior guard Dave Simons. The San Antonio, TX., native spent his first two seasons as a backup but took on the leadership role in 1960-61 and led the Generals in scoring with nearly 14 points per game. Mississippi A&M lost twice in section play but their 14-2 conference record was enough to claim their second consecutive Deep South cage crown, although it did require a 60-41 win over Noble Jones College in the regular season finale as the teams entered that contest tied for top spot. At 26-3 entering the tournament the Generals were ranked second in the nation behind WCAA champ Redwood, which was 29-2. The Mammoths were given the top seed in the West Region while the Generals had similar standing in the South. Rounding out the number one seeds were Great Lakes Association co-champions Whitney College in the Midwest Region and the always strong Carolina Poly Cardinals in the East. As it would turn out the only number one seed that reached the semi-finals was the Generals. Redwood was knocked off by Indiana A&M in the second round, ending a season in which the Mammoths, following two straight appearances at Bigsby Garden, seemed destined to win it all. The Reapers would then fall to Lane State in the West Region final. Carolina Poly also bowed out in round two as the CC Los Angeles Coyotes feasted on the Cardinals before nipping St Blane 50-49 in the East final thanks to a last second bucket from Ralph Peck. Whitney College was humbled in the Midwest final, falling 79-41 to Rainier College which meant there would three schools from the West Coast Athletic Association in the Emeralds, Coyotes and Majestics joining Mississippi A&M in the final four. Simons scored a game high 16 points as the Generals opened the tournament with a 55-42 victory over 8th seed and Southern Border Conference champion Abilene Baptist. Round two brought a stronger foe in defending national champion Maryland State but the Bengals were no match for Mississippi A&M and were defeated 61-52. The regional final would be Mississippi A&M's first chance to face Detroit City College since the Knights defeated the Generals in the spring of 1958 with the national title at stake. This time it was a trip to the national semi-finals that was up for grabs and number seed Mississippi A&M, led by 11 points from Simons and 10 each from seniors Stevens and Lyons, built a 13 point lead at the half and went on to down the second seeded Knights 64-55. The semi-final game with Lane State was noted as a showdown between a pair of senior centers who were touted to be Federal Basketball League draft picks a few months later. Sam Pisani of the Emeralds was considered the best big man in the draft but he was being pursued hotly by the Generals Mike Lyons. Pisani exploded for 19 points while Lyons had just 4 but the Mississippi A&M team balanced approach, with freshman Edwards and Goscha each netting 10 points, carried the Generals to a 43-40 victory. The other semi-final was even tighter as Warren Richardson was fouled in the closing seconds while attempting a game winning shot for Rainier College over CC Los Angeles. Richardson sank both of his shots from the charity stripe and the Majestics prevailed 61-59 over the West Coast Athletic Association rivals in a game that saw top ranked pro prospect Jim Stoner score 25 points for the winners. Stoner had a much tougher time two nights later as the Generals held him to 13 points. Mississippi A&M had a hot start and led by a dozen at the break before going on to a 56-43 victory in the title game. Simons had a game high 15 points while FBL hopeful Lyons left a good final impression on pro scouts with 9 points and 11 rebounds in his final college game. GENERALS PREVAIL ON DIAMOND It turned out to be a double celebration for Mississippi A&M as the Generals followed up their first collegiate basketball national title with another first for the school - a College World Championship Series title. It also meant that seniors George Stevens, a starting guard on the Generals cage club and a backup middle infielder on the ball team, along with sophomore Tommy McCaulley, a backup forward on the basketball team and pitcher on the Generals baseball team, became what is believed to be the first athletes to win AIAA national titles in two different team sports in the same year. Neither are considered solid pro prospects in either sport. ROOKIE PHENOMS LEAD MOTORS AND VALS TO SUCCESS A year ago the Montreal Valiants endured the worst season an NAHC club has completed since the schedule expanded to seventy games as they finished with just 34 points. The one benefit to their collapse after making the playoffs each of the two previous seasons is the Valiants were rewarded with the first overall pick in the NAHC amateur player draft. It was an ideal year to be drafting number one as two of the best prospects the game has seen in years were available in Halifax Mariners forward Hobie Barrell and offensively gifted rearguard Mark Moggy, who played his junior hockey in Sherbrooke for the Industrials. The toughest decision for the Valiants was deciding which of the two super prospects to select with the first pick and which to leave to the Detroit Motors, who slumped to fifth in 1959-60 after making the playoffs each of the previous seven years. In the end, Montreal decided to build around the blueline and drafted Moggy, leaving the playmaking winger Barrell to the Motors. Both teams prospered with the newcomers in the lineup as each made the playoffs this time around. It was Toronto, however, that once more was the class of the league during the regular season. Longtime coach Jack Barrell - who is new Detroit winger Hobie Barrell's uncle- had moved on, opting for retirement but Ari Bear, promoted from the HAA's Cleveland Eries, guided the Dukes to an 86 point campaign, identical to the total Toronto accumulated in Barrell's final season. Mike Connelly (28-22-9, 2.77) reclaimed the starting job in net after struggles a year ago as a sophomore but the real strength for the Dukes was its blueline that featured Dewar Trophy winning defenseman Jimmy Cooper (13-29-42) and fellow first team all-star selection Tim Brooks (8-22-30) along with steady veteran Bobby Fuhrman (11-9-20) even though the later missed 15 games with an injury. Up front Quinton Pollack (34-49-83) continued to build his impressive resume as the 38-year-old ended Detroit's Alex Monette's two year hold on the scoring title by leading the NAHC in points for the seventh time in his career and also claimed his seventh McDaniels Trophy as the loop's Most Valuable Player. Tommy Burns (29-25-54) had a terrific year as well, but at age 40 the NAHC's career scoring leader deciding to walk away, announcing his retirement after the season. The Montreal Valiants, led by rookie rearguard Moggy, finished a surprising second with 78 points, 8 behind the Dukes. It marked the Valiants highest placing in the standings since they finished second a decade ago before going on to win their second consecutive Challenge Cup. There would be no Challenge Cup win this time around, but the future looks might brighter in "la belle province" with the arrival of Moggy. Just 19, he won the McLeod Trophy as top rookie and was also named a second team all-star following a 38 point regular season. With Moggy, along with veterans Jean Tremblay (10-11-21) and Gil Thibeault (8-21-29), patrolling the blueline and a strong showing from 31-year-old netminder Nathan Bannister (28-22-9, 2.77) another Cup win may not be far off. Veterans Jocko Gregg (34-39-73) and Jean's brother Yan Tremblay (26-26-52) along with the emergence of 24-year-old Roy Forgeron (16-46-62) in his second season in the NAHC give the Vals some offensive pop. Detroit finished third, three points back of the Valiants as once more the big story was Alex Monette (40-42-82). The 28-year-old failed to win his third straight scoring title -he finished a point back of Toronto's Pollack- but Monette found himself a sidekick as rookie Hobie Barrell was very impressive even though his NAHC debut was delayed until January. Barrell (20-19-39) was limited to just 30 games because of a shoulder injury suffered in training camp but once he was pronounced fit for duty he quickly showed why he was considered to be the best offensive player to join the league since Pollack. Once Barrell arrived the Motors caught fire, posting a 15-7-8 with the rookie in the lineup and easily secured themselves a playoff berth. Barrell, who grew up in Detroit while his father Fred, the former FABL catcher, was scouting for the Detroit Dynamos, had a familiar face in the Motors dressing room as his 23-year-old brother Benny Barrell (17-30-47) had a career best point title in his third season in Detroit. Sprinkle in 35-year-old captain Nick Tardif (15-29-44) and young center Zach Roy (14-24-38) and the Motors have the most offensive depth they have seen in years. They were also very good in their own end as well even if 38-year-old Henri Chasse did not play every game for the fourth consecutive season. Chasse (27-17-9, 2.39) had played nearly 300 consecutive games but clearly benefited from the rest this time around, leading the NAHC in goals against average and was rewarded with the third Juneau Trophy of his career. The Chicago Packers snuck into the playoffs with their second consecutive fourth place finish. They needed a 4-3 victory over the defending champion Bees in Boston on the final day of the regular season to nose out the Bees for the final playoff slot. Lakeside Auditorium was buzzing all year as the Packers "Kid Line" of 23-year-old John Trumbull (22-35-57) between a pair of 24-year-old wingers is Ken York (31-31-62) and Archer Cook (18-30-48) gave the club its best trio since the Burns brothers and Marty Mahoney over a decade ago. A Challenge Cup hangover plagued Boston as the Bees never could get untracked. They were looking like a playoff berth would happen until mid-March when leading scorer Jimmy Rucks (30-28-58) went down with back troubles. Boston stumbled with out their all-star winger, going 1-6-1 in their final eight games and allowing Chicago to overtake them for the final playoff slot. There was hope in New York after the Shamrocks made the playoffs a year ago for the first time since 1954, but they endured an awful season and finished in last place for the fourth time in the past six years. Goaltender Alex Sorrell (14-34-7, 3.59) had little support but it is looking increasingly obvious that the 35-year-old's best days are behind him. New York surrendered far and away the most goals against and had little in the way of offense, a combination that clearly leads to a dreadful 44 point season. 1960-61 NAHC PLAYOFFS For the second year in a row the Toronto Dukes finished with the best record in the NAHC and opened the playoffs as heavy favourites to defeat the fourth place Chicago Packers. A year ago the Packers shocked Toronto and won the series in six games. Dukes star forward Quinton Pollack seemed to determined to ensure that would not happen again as the league MVP scored twice and added two assists in a 6-2 Toronto victory in the series opener. Chicago did rebound to take the second game by a 2-1 score after Conn Maguire found the back of the net with a shot six and a half minutes into overtime but the Dukes answered with a 7-3 victory in game three, one in which Pollack had two more goals and added an assist. Game four saw the Dukes take a 3-0 lead early in the third period on a goal by former Packer Tommy Burns but Chicago responded with 5 unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes to even the series with a 5-3 victory. Two nights later the Packers went up 3 games to two in the series with a 4-2 victory on the road at Dominion Gardens. Toronto forced a seventh game after Mike Connelly stopped all 34 Packers shots in a 3-0 Dukes win in game six but Chicago completed its second straight series upset of Toronto with a 6-3 doubling of the Dukes in game seven. Ken York scored twice to lead the Chicago attack with John Trumbull adding three assists. The other semi-final saw the second place Montreal Valiants facing the Detroit Motors. It was highly anticipated as a showdown between the two stellar rookies in Montreal's all-star teenage defenseman Mark Moggy and Detroit's new scoring sensation Hobie Barrell. Barrell got the upper hand in the series opener, assisting on both Detroit markers as the Motors prevailed 2-1. Moggy had also picked up a point, setting up Jocko Gregg's first period powerplay tally that had given the Vals an early lead. Game two was another tight battle but once more Barrell played a major roe. Hobie assisted on two goals from Alex Monette, including the game winner with less than three minutes to play, to give Detroit a 3-2 victory and a sweep of the opening two games in Montreal. The series shifted to Detroit for game three and the Motors dominated, winning 5-1 as Hobie Barrell had another goal and his older brother Benny Barrell also scored and added an assist for Detroit. Montreal did stay alive in the series with a third period rally in game four. Matt Mercier and Matthew Muir each scored in the third period to give the Valiants a 2-1 win and send the series back to Quebec. The Valiants hopes would be dashed at home as Hobie Barrell set up all three Detroit goals, including two from Monette, in a 3-1 series clinching win for the visitors. In all, Hobie Barrell had seven points in the seven game series but he was just getting started. * Challenge Cup Finals: Detroit vs Chicago * This was Chicago's second straight trip to the finals but the Packers, who have only ever won the Challenge Cup once -in 1952- had never faced Detroit with the Cup on the line. The Motors were looking for their fourth Cup win in the past eight years. The matchup was a bit of a shock as it did not include either the first or second place team from the regular season. The series opener was surprisingly wide open with five goals scored in the opening period and after sixty minutes the teams were tied at five. Louis Rocheleau thought he notched the game winner with 3:46 left in regulation but Archer Cook replied for the Packers less than a minute later. Veteran Detroit center Alex Monette had a five point hight and set up the game winner just over eight minutes into overtime when he fed Hobie Barrell for the winning goal. Detroit had fired 51 shots on Chicago goaltender Andrew Bomberry including nine in the extra frame. The hosts also prevailed in game two as Hobie Barrell had a goal and two assists while Robert Kennedy scored twice in another dominating offensive performance by the Motors, who won 5-2. Chicago evened the series with two wins at Lakeside Auditorium. Game three was a 3-2 Motors victory in a game that should have been easier than that for the visitors as Detroit outshot the Packers 34-17 but Motors goaltender Henri Chasse seemed to be fighting the puck. Monette and Hobie Barrell each had a goal and an assit to pace the Detroit offense. The fourth game also saw the Windy City squad badly outshot but they claimed a 6-3 victory to stay alive in the series. Chicago's winning effort was bolstered behind the strength of a two-goal evening from Ken York. Up 3 games to one the series shifted back to Thompson Palladium in Detroit for the fifth game with the Motors looking to celebrate a Cup win on home ice. Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse had his difficulties in the two games in Chicago but he was stellar on this night, turning aside all 24 Packers shots for his first shutout of this playoff year after notching five of them when he last saw post-season action two years ago. Detroit once more dominated play, outshooting Chicago 47-24 in a convincing 6-0 victory. Benny Barrell scored his second of the playoffs just over a minute into the game and the Motors would score twice in each stanza and celebrations began in the stands at the Palladium very early. Winning never gets old, even for rabid Detroit sports fans who in the past decade have witnessed their hockey heroes win 4 Challenge Cups and their beloved baseball club claim six pennants. The baseball Dynamos may be heading for a rebuild but the hockey team looks like it may be the cause of plenty of championship parades in the coming years thanks to the emergence of Hobie Barrell, who paced all playoff performers with 17 points in 10 games, to partner with 28-year-old pivot Alex Monette. HOCKEY NOTES The league bid farewell to Tommy Burns as the great Chicago and Toronto center announced his retirement. Longtime Montreal Valiants forward Ian Doyle also called it quits. There have been some talented brother combinations in the NAHC with the best known duo likely being the Burns brothers, Tommy and Wes, in Chicago. Detroit has what could be a brother act to rival the Packer pair in rookie Hobie Barrell, who led the NAHC in playoff scoring as a 20-year-old and his 24-year-old brother Benny, who showed solid improvement in this, his third season with the Motors. They are the sons of former big league baseball catcher Fred Barrell. Hobie & Benny Barrell are not the only relatives of a former NAHC star to make his mark this season. Barrell's, nephews of former Toronto Dukes star and later coach Jack Barrell, are teammates in Detroit. Meanwhile Charlie Oliphant Jr., son of the long-time Toronto Duke by the same name, appears to have finally established himself as a key piece with the Montreal Valiants. The 25-year-old has bounced back and forth between the Vals and Syracuse of the HAA the past couple of season but maybe in Montreal full-time now after scoring 10 goals and 18 points after being promoted for the final 29 games of the regular season. Toronto may have had a disappointing end with a second straight semi-final loss to the Chicago Packers but it perhaps can be explained a bit more when news leaked after the playoffs that second line center Ken Jamieson was playing with a broken hand and veteran top-four defenseman Bobby Fuhrman was skating pretty much on one leg due to an ankle problem. The Syracuse Lancers beat Pittsburgh in six games to win their second Hockey Association of America playoff title in the past three years. Justin MacPhee, who had an outstanding rookie season at age 26 in net for Toronto a year ago, one in which he won both the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year and the Juneau Trophy as top goaltender, found himself back in the minors with Rochester where he claimed the Harry Seymour Trophy as the top netminder in the HAA. Toronto still owns his NAHC rights but it appears the Dukes have decided to go with Mike Connelly instead of MacPhee despite the fact the Rochester goalie has now won goalie of the year in all three professional leagues (the Great West Hockey League being the third) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He was goalie of the year in the CAHA in 1953-54 and twice won the GWHL nod while playing for Tacoma. The Seattle Emeralds ended the Portland Ports two-year reign as GWHL champs, knocking off the Ports four games to two in the best-of-seven league final. On the strength of the scoring of the "Killer B's", 20-year-old forwards Charles Bozek and Graham Beaton, the Kitchener Roosters won their first CAHA title. The Roosters finished with the best regular season record in the league and then went on to down the East Division leading Verdun Argonauts in 5 games in the best-of-seven Canadian junior championship series. Bozek led all playoff performers with 27 points in 10 games while Beaton finished second with 21 points. Both are undrafted by NAHC clubs and eligible to be signed as free agents. There is no player that compares to last year's top two draft picks Mark Moggy and Hobie Barrell that will have an immediate impact in the NAHC but there are a couple of talented forwards in this year's draft class. The favourite to go first overall is winger Earl Muirhead of the St. Thomas Pachyderms but Kingston Cadets center Julian Mooney may overtake him. Both have high potential but neither is considered close to being ready for regular duty in the NAHC next season. ROCKETS SOAR AGAIN IN 60-61 For the third consecutive season the St Louis Rockets owned the best regular season record in the Federal Basketball League. The defending playoff champs have set the pace in the loop's West Division for seven of the past eight seasons, going back to their days in Rochester before the club was moved to the larger market in the Midwest. A hard working defense that led the FBL in steals and forced turnovers, the Rockets also boasted a pretty solid offense led by veteran center Rick Sims (21.4 ppg) and forward Wayne Wyrick (13.9 ppg). Joining the mix this season were a pair of newcomers in Bill Melton and Charlie Glidewell. Both were rookies in the eyes of the league but neither were new to the pro game. Melton was 26 years old and was originally drafted out of Coastal California in 1958 while Glidewell was 29 and had been cut in training camp five times by four different teams before finally catching on in St Louis. A star at Carolina Poly in the early 1950s, he had played only semi-pro league games since 1954 but the point guard ran the Rockets offense with the ease of a seasoned veteran. The only team that has challenged the Rockets in the West in recent years has been the Detroit Mustangs and once more the Mustangs were the only outfit to stay close, finishing 5 games behind the Rockets league best 55 wins. The Mustangs have had some success against the Rockets in the post-season but have not led the division during the regular campaign in a full decade. The key to Detroit's success was owning the most productive offense in the league led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne. Corwin averaged 20 points per game for the first time in his seven year career while Bayne, a local Detroit product who went to Chicago to play his AIAA ball at Whitney College, averaged nearly 17 points per contest in his fifth season as a pro. As has been the case for three years now the Chicago Panthers and Toronto Falcons were left in the dust, and forced to battle it out for the third and final playoff berth in the West Division. The Panthers, who have not missed out on postseason action since the spring of 1952, finished the regular season on a dreadful 4-12 run but it was still enough to nose Toronto out by two games in a race that moved at a snail's pace as the Falcons closed the season with just 7 victories in their final 22 outings. The woeful Falcons finished with a 28-52 record -worst in the loop for the sixth consecutive season. Chicago still revolves around 33-year-old Luther Gordon, who was named league MVP for the fifth time despite averaging a career low 18.8 points per game while the Falcons seem to finally have some pieces to build around as after years of dreadful draft day decisions they finally look like they landed a winner in first overall pick Jim Bromberg. The 23-year old was a second team All-American at Detroit City College as a senior and averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.8 assists in his debut with the league's lone Canadian entry. Bill Spangler, another former first overall, also had a big year north of the border with a career best 21.8 points per game earning him a spot on the All-League first team. While the West Division has been strictly a two-team race between St. Louis and Detroit in recent years, the East has witnessed three different teams finishing atop the division over the past three years. This time it was the Philadelphia Phantoms, who last topped the section four years ago, taking their turn. The Phantoms dominated their three eastern rivals, finishing with a 52-28 record and a 13 game lead over second place Boston. Just like the West Division pace setters in St Louis, the Phantoms did not place a player on the All-League first team but veteran center Mel Turcotte (17.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg) headed up the second squad. The offense was solid, but no team surrendered fewer than the 71.7 points the Phantoms allowed their opponents to average. The Boston Centurions finished second for the second year in a row as the arrival of guard Steve Barrell three years ago continues to pay dividends. The Centurions had finished last in the division four straight seasons and had not finished with a .500 or better record since 1951-52 until Barrell's breakout year as a sophomore. The second overall pick of the 1958 draft was bypassed in the draft by Toronto but has been a huge reason for the turnaround in New England. T.J. Grimm was somewhat surprisingly waived by Philadelphia prior to the season and immediately fit in perfectly as Barrell's backcourt mate in Boston with Grimm, a two-time first team All-American and AIAA champion at Rainier College nearly a decade ago, averaging more than 15 points a game in his debut campaign with the Centurions. The Washington Statesmen finished third, returning to the postseason after missing out on a playoff berth last year for the first time ever as a member of the Federal Basketball League. Washington was led by league scoring leader Fred Lillard (24.0 ppg) and a breakout season from Doc Daniels (19.8), a 29-year-old who was an everyday starter for the first time in his career. That left the New York Knights on the outside looking in as they finished last in the East Division, 3 games back of Washington. New York, as always, was led by star forward Howie Farrell (22.5 ppg) but lacked secondary scoring. FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS The Washington Statesmen defeated Boston in a meaningless game to end the regular season but had no luck against the second place Centurions in the opening round of the East Division playoffs. Boston swept the best-of-five series beginning with a 76-61 victory in the opener behind a 27-point effort from forward Bert LaBrecque. Game two was a little closer, finishing 72-60, with LaBrecque continuing his hot play. The Centurions fourth year forward scored 28 points. A shift to the nation's capital for the third game did little to slow LaBrecque, who scored 29, or the Centurions who completed the sweep with a 78-72 win. Boston found the second round against Philadelphia much more challenging as the Centurions dropped the opener 83-67 but did battle back with three straight victories and were on the verge of reaching the league finals for the second year in a row. Boston never managed to get that fourth win of the series as the Phantoms took game five 71-58 thanks to Mel Turcotte's 15 point, 12 rebound effort. Game six was all Turcotte as the veteran center had 33 points and Philadelphia thumped Boston on their home court by a 77-64 margin. With back to back wins forcing a seventh game, Keystone Arena in Philadelphia was buzzing in anticipation as the Phantoms were on the verge of their first trip to the league finals since the spring of 1957. The Centurions defense held Turcotte in check, limiting him to 12 points on the night, but Philadelphia still took a 14 point lead into the half and would go on to win 79-73. The Detroit Mustangs and Chicago Panthers had squared off in the playoffs for six straight seasons with Detroit winning five of them so it came as little surprise that the Mustangs took the opening West Division series in four games. The opener at Thompson Palladium was a shooting gallery as Detroit, led by Lew Bayne's 33 points, outscored the Wildcats, paced by Luther Gordon's 28 points, 104-96. Game two saw both defenses tighten up and it went right down to the wire with the visiting Panthers winning 74-73 thanks to a late basket from Bob Christensen, who had 17 points on the day. That would prove to be the high point of the series for the Panthers, who dropped the next two games at home to lose the series. Game four was a 79-71 Mustangs win despite 26 points from Luther Gordon while the fourth game ended 89-76 for Detroit with Mustangs center Jack Briones setting the pace with 28 points. That set up for the third year in a row a West Division final between St Louis and Detroit. The Mustangs had prevailed two years ago but the Rockets came out on top last season before going on to defeat Boston in the championship series. St Louis took a quick two games to none lead with a pair of wins at the St Louis Event Center. The opener was 90-82 behind 33 points from Rockets center Rick Sims and a wild fourth quarter that saw the two teams combine for 62 points in the period. Erv Corwin led game two scorers with 24 points but his Mustangs came up on the short end of an 83-76 result with Sims scoring 22 and adding 11 boards while his front-court partner Wayne Wyrick scored 21 and collected 13 rebounds in the victory. A series shift to Detroit did nothing to slow the Rockets as St Louis, led once more by 30 points from Sims, tamed the Mustangs 80-72. Detroit prevented the sweep with a 98-90 win in the fourth game despite another 30 point showing from Sims but any hopes of a comeback disappeared early in game five when St Louis outscored Detroit 34-14 in the opening quarter and went on to win by seven to secure a return to the finals. * Championship Series * The Philadelphia Phantoms and St Louis Rockets had never met in the playoffs before game one, but each had finals experience over the past decade. The Phantoms won their only title in 1952-53 and made the finals four years later only to come up short against Chicago. St Louis won it all last year and also in 1954-55 while losing to Washington in the spring of 1956. The series was primarily a showdown between two of the top centers in the league in Philadelphia's Mel Turcotte and Rockets pivot Rick Sims. Both brought their A-game in the opener as Turcotte scored 20 points and added 15 rebounds but he was overshadowed by Sims as the St Louis star scored 30 points and contributed 17 boards. However Turcotte got the last laugh as his Phantoms stole the series opener in St Louis by a 74-69 score. Game two would also go to the visitors but it was a surprise switch that caught the Rockets off guard. Turcotte shifted to forward and scored 11 points while hauling in 17 rebounds but the man he swapped positions with - Dan Holland- was the story of the night. The 23-year-old rookie from Carolina Poly had the night of his young career, scoring 38 points to pace the Phantoms to a 94-85 win and allowing them to return to Philadelphia up two-nothing in the series. Holland stayed at center for game three and scored 23 points while Turcotte had 21 and the Phantoms had the Rockets on the ropes with a 79-62 triumph. However the win was tempered when Turcotte was injured late in the game. The diagnosis was a broken finger and he would not return in the series. There would be no title celebration at Keystone Arena following game four as the Rockets, led by 23 points from Sims, avoided the sweep with an 83-63 victory over a Philadelphia team struggling to adapt without Turcotte. Byrd Summers and Freddy Timms split Turcotte's minutes with Summers having some success but Timms was overmatched. Game five saw the Rockets feeling they might have a chance to comeback as Turcotte was again sidelined. St Louis entered the fourth quarter with a 4-point lead before Dan Holland took over, scoring 11 of his game high 27 points in the final eight and a half minutes of the game to lead the Phantoms to a 74-66 victory. Holland also had 19 rebounds in the contest and his 18.9 ppg and 12.7 rpg during the post-season earned the rookie the Federal Basketball League playoff MVP award and led the Phantoms to their second ever FBL title. A MOST UNLIKELY CHAMPION The biggest story in the world of boxing in 1961 was perhaps the biggest upset the sport had ever seen in a heavyweight title fight. A middle of the road 25-year-old Los Angeles native by the name of Bert Parks went from being a near unknown to the holder of the greatest individual title in professional sports when he shockingly knocked out defending champion George Gallashaw in the 7th round of their fight in Chicago. Entering the fight it is unlikely that even Parks himself expected to win. Gallashaw, a 25-year-old from Syracuse that some were classifying as at least an equal of Joey Tierney in his prime and perhaps could one day be mentioned in the same breath as Hector Sawyer, was 34-1 and had not needed to go the distance in his previous six fights. Most expected another short night for champion as Parks was merely a warm body to fill a spot when negotiations with several other prominent fighters fell threw. Somehow, no one told Parks as the challenger, who was 28-8-2 but other than Norm Robinson the previous January, had not beaten any fighter of high standing. Parks actually looked very good early, winning each of the first three rounds as Gallashaw got off to a very sluggish start. That changed in round four as Gallashaw started to find his rhythm and in the fifth round he had Parks in big trouble, prompting many to suspect the fight would be over very shortly. It was, but not how anyone expected. Galleshaw dominated the sixth but Parks hung on and then continued to do the same in the early moments of the seventh round. One moment changed everything. Galleshaw, sensing a chance to end things, loaded up for a big hook but ended up walking into a Parks uppercut and was out before he hit the ground. Referee Johnnie Addie's count had reached nine before Galleshaw even showed signs of stirring and a second later Parks was a very improbable world champion. The other two divisions were much more predictable. Canadian middleweight George Quisenberry continued his dominance but nearly stumbled in May when he faced a veteran Dutch fighter by the name of Ferdinand De Best. De Best nearly lived up to his name on this night but the 35-year-old could only manage a tie. Shockingly, rather than remain in North America for a rematch, De Best returned to Europe where he fought once more before announcing his retirement. Quisenberry scored an easy win over Italian turned New Yorker Huge Canio in his final fight of the year and has held the title since the fall of 1959. Seattle welterweight Eugene Ellis finally lost his belt, as his longtime rival Lonnie Griffin got the best of him in a title fight for the second time. The pair have battled four times, three of them with the title on the line, and each has one twice. Odds are good there will be a fifth meeting sometime in 1962. If 1960 was a vote for the youth movement, 1961 was a swing of the pendulum back to expertise and grizzled experience in at least one weight class. The welterweight division had been owned by Eugene Ellis through seven successful title defenses and at the age of 30, he was still the king of the welterweights. Lonnie Griffin was the last welterweight to hoist the belt before Ellis and that was three years ago. In fact, the belt has passed between Griffin and Ellis exclusively since Griffin defeated Lewis Kernuish in 1956. Griffin and Ellis clashed for the fourth time in their storied histories. Ellis had won two of the previous three and since their last fight, neither has lost with Griffin winning all eight of his recent fights and Ellis has gone 7-0. Between the two of them, they have won 80 of 91 prior professional matches. The bout took place at Bigsby Garden, appropriate for the importance of the fight. Griffin started fast and landed a key uppercut in the first round that set the tone. Ellis staggered backwards, but Griffin could not take further advantage. Ellis threw a solid hook that rattled Griffin late in the second round, but that was all Ellis could muster before the end of the round. The third round continued the pattern of one crowning punch late in the round to decide the round, as well as the inability to turn that punch into a sequence that led to more. Griffin took control of the bout in the tenth round where he showed how little the first nine rounds affected him. Griffin kept his feet light as he dipped and darted all around the ring but stood his ground as he ripped an uppercut to Ellis’s head, knocking him to the canvas. Ellis reached his feet after a seven-count but made it to his corner just 15 seconds later. Only 19 seconds after the 11th round began, Ellis had to pick himself up off the floor again after another uppercut. Those two punches from Griffin sealed Ellis’s fate. The fight went the distance and referee Barry Yeats called Griffin’s name first to announce the new champion. It was a feeling Griffin felt three times before, as he set a record by being the first boxer of any weight class to acquire a title belt four different times. Griffin was unencumbered by Ellis as he disposed of journeyman Ernie Black with a ninth-round TKO before a “Christmas Eve-Eve” battle with Carl Rondinelli and the Italian showed very well. Griffin (40-5-1) was up on the cards through 13 rounds and the champion dominated the 14th round, peppering Rondinelli upstairs and downstairs, scoring a knockout at 2:56 of the round. In the heavyweight division, George Gallashaw had a head of steam coming into the year and looked like he would breeze through his opponents this year. First up was Bill Mosley, who had eight losses coming into his title shot. The bout was closer than expected and in the eighth round, Mosley floored Gallashaw with a right cross. Gallashaw woke up in time to win the fight in the 14th round, earning two separate knockdowns and referee Laurence Cole stopped the fight in the final seconds of the stanza. Gallashaw faced former Heavyweight Champion Steve Leivers, who last visited the Champion’s corner four years ago. The fight did not last long, but not because Gallashaw was so devastating. Gallashaw won by disqualification on a blatant low blow in the fifth round that was seemingly triggered by nothing in particular. A rematch against Dave Courtney was next for an August date at Thompson Field in Detroit. Gallashaw had his finest bout of the year as he used a cross and an uppercut to knock Courtney down in consecutive rounds and referee Frank Blakeslee had seen enough in the fifth round, calling a technical knockout for the champion. December opened with Gallashaw’s last fight of the year against virtual unknown Bert Parks, the 25-year-old Los Angeles native who had a 28-8-2 record entering the bout. Gallashaw took the fight to Parks early, but Parks announced his arrival in the sixth round with a right hand that stunned the champion early in the round and another right that almost had Gallashaw’s knee touching the canvas. Gallashaw tried to reassert himself in the seventh and all was well until Parks connected with a hook that snapped Gallashaw’s head back. In boxing, all it really takes is one punch. The right punch could change everything. With 1:38 gone in the seventh round, Parks unleashed a vicious cross that hit Gallashaw just right. Referee Johnny Addie started counting and it took Gallashaw to a count of nine to start moving, which was way too late. Parks knocked out the champion and picked up one very special present under his Christmas tree: a heavyweight title belt. George Quisenberry was the only champion to hold on to the belt the entire year, and therefore won the Bologna Boxer of the Year Award for 1961. Quisenberry is the second two-time winner, joining Eugene Ellis, who won it for the second time last year. Quisenberry is the first back-to-back winner of the award. Cases could have been made for Lonnie Griffin, for his long pursuit and his victory over Ellis, as well as Bert Parks and his out-of-nowhere upset victory, but this award is for the best boxer for the entire year and only Quisenberry was truly the best from January to December. Quisenberry won early thanks to an accidental head butt against Johnny Barton that went to the cards in the fifth round, as Barton was unable to continue. In May, Quisenberry battled Ferdinand de Best to a draw and as fight fans awaited the inevitable rematch, the 35-year-old de Best decided to return back to Holland. The final fight of the year for Quisenberry was an October win against Hugo Canio, who was in his third title fight without tasting a middleweight championship. The fight went the distance, and it will almost definitely be Canio’s final major bout. The bright spot for Canio was the fifth round, where he pummeled Quisenberry and knocked him down twice, including a nine-count that came very close to ending Quisenberry’s reign. Those were the only two times either fighter fell to the canvas. Quisenberry was accurate and his punches caused Canio to develop a mouse under his right eye very early in the fight. After a year that saw two longtime rivals fight again, a major upset in another title fight and a champion that just barely held on to his belt all year, it was an unpredictable year in boxing. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Tales From The Manor: Dukes Again Finish First Bow Out in the Semi-Final -Toronto hockey fans knew this season was going to be different after Jack Barrell retired as head coach in June. The Dukes reached into their system to promote Ari Bear, 56, to be the bench boss after spending the last half of the 1959-60 in Cleveland. Bear inherited a strong team from Barrell, he also brought in a game with a little more edge to it for the Dukes witnessed by their 738 PIM in the regular season: only Detroit with 755 had more time in the sin bin during the season. Bear also revamped the power play with the Dukes leading the league by a wide margin in power play goals with 54, 10 more than Montreal, converting on better than 1 in 5 chances with the man advantage. The Dukes were again led offensively by Quinton Pollack, 38, who led the NAHC in scoring putting together a 34-49-83 season to edge out Alex Monette by a single point after Monette led the league in goals with 40. Pollack again missed 6 games due to injury. Tommy Burns, who has announced his retirement at 41 following the season, had another fine year playing against many players half his age with 29-25-54 which was good for 7th in goals, a tie for 10th in points. Going forward Burns' presence on the ice and in the room will be missed by Bear and his staff. More of the burden down the middle will fall to Ken Jamieson, 31, who seems ready for a bigger role after a 1960-61 season where his 22-39-61 placed him 6th in scoring race. In a head scratching move in many way the Dukes let last year's star in net, Justin MacPhee leave the team as a free agent. No team in the NAHC, inexplicably, signed MacPhee the First Team All-Star goaltender in 1959-60, who ended up signing the HAA's Rochester Robins where he had a 38-20-9 record with a 2.18 GAA. He is again a free agent who might be a hot commodity this summer. It was not all gloom and doom between the pipes as Mike Connelly held down the fort leasing the NAHC with 33 wins in 60 starts with a 2.71 GAA a 91.1% save percentage. He was spelled occasionally by Charlie Dell leaving the Dukes as one the strongest tandems in the league. After losing their season opener 3-1 in Montreal to the surprising Vals, who finished second in the regular season with 78 points, the team won 10 of the next 11 games. The Dukes only had one small bump on the trip to first place in the regular season with a 39-23-8 record good for 83 points. Between January 29- February 5th they loss 4 in a row including two to Detroit, who finished 3rd then rode a hot playoff streak to the Challenge Cup. Toronto went into the playoff to face the Chicago Packers who finished 4th with 70 points, 3 more than the Cup defender from Boston. The series started with the Dukes dominate in the first game when a 4 goal third period led to a 6-2 win. The second game was probably not what Bear wanted from his charges when the Packers got some life with 2-1 win in OT thanks to a 34 save performance from rookie Andrew Bomberry, a former Dukes farmhand, with Conn Maguire's winner in the first extra frame. Toronto seemed to reestablish control of the series with hot start in the Lakeside Aud scoring three in the first skating to an easy 7-3 victory solving Bomberry early and often in game three. Things got ugly for the Dukes in the fourth game with a collapse in the third. Leading 3-0 with 16 minutes to go the Packers struck for 5 straight markers including a natural hattrick from Ken York to drive the 16920 on hand into a frenzy tying the series at 2. The hangover from that game seemed to affect the Dukes in the fifth game as the visitors got out to 4-0 lead in the Gardens before making it close with two in the last seven minutes. Back to Chicago with Packers looking to win the series at home. Connelly brought his A game, despite being outshot 34-22 the Dukes forced a deciding game with a 3-0 whitewash. Toronto fans believed that the team would wrap up the series then go on to face the Motors in the final, but the young Packers had other ideas. Ken York opened the scoring at 23 seconds setting the tone for the game. Riding a 3-1 lead after 20 the Packers held off the Dukes' Pollack who twice brought the team back to with one goal by scoring a pair in the third, but Chicago went on to claim game seven 6-3 with two goals in the third which silenced the Gardens crowd, sent the Dukes to the sidelines for the summer. Coach Bear- "A successful regular season, the guys bought into my changes to the system at both ends of the ice. For some strange reason we changed our style in the playoffs. We have to be a tough team on the puck, we tried to finesse our way through Chicago. Losing Tommy to retirement opens an opportunity for a young guy to step into the lineup. In camp I will stress being a tough team to play against each and every night, we will take away open ice in all zones by finishing every check. We will have an edge to our game." Tales From The Den: Wolves Continue Freefall to FABL Cellar in 1961 --If there are any redeeming features of the 1961 Wolves someone else will have to point them out to this writer. The team went through the season, finishing 59-95, without a winning month and ended up with the worst record in baseball. The closest the Wolves got to a breakeven month was a 4-5 record in April followed by 11-16, 10-19, 11-16. 10-18, 12-15. 1-6 in October when the season could not end fast enough for the fans. At the plate the team was abysmal with lowest numbers in the FABL in all three categories that contribute to the slash line with a team line of .242/.312/.377 scoring only 634 runs over 154 games or 4.1 runs per game. At the plate the leader once more was Tom Reed, an All-Star, with a season of .299/.377/.540 28 HR 91 RBI. Reed, 30, seems destined to suffer through a career as big bat on a lousy team, many fans wonder how much better he would be with some support from teammates. The only other bat worth mentioning was CF Sid Cullen, 25, who started the season in Buffalo then fought off a back injury in May that cost him two months to post a .310/.371/.545 line with 19 HR in 95 games along with solid defense in CF. If they had pitching the team may be able to be at least competitive in the CA. That was not the case as the Toronto staff ERA was just slightly better than their Canadian counterparts, the seventh place finishers Montreal Saints. Phil Colantuono led the staff a 15-10, 4.35 while leading the CA in strikeouts with 172. The rest of the starters struggled with high touted George Hoxworth never getting untracked (5-16, 5.14) while walking almost as many as he sent down on strikes. Whitey Stewart, 30, was moved the bullpen where he led the CA in saves with 22 despite a record of 2-14, 4.49 with 10 blown saves. Stewart has since been dealt to Kansas City. If there was one glimmer of hope in a dismal summer it was that the team improved slightly in the field going from horrid to just bad. This is of small consolation if the team is neither scoring runs nor preventing the opposition from crossing the plate. Expansion is coming to the FABL in 1962 with new CA teams coming to New York and Dallas. The team now has to set its protected roster for the upcoming expansion draft. With Minneapolis, Los Angeles joining the FA the FABL will go through its first expansion from 16 to 20 teams. Wolves fans are hearing rumours of a major shakeup in the front office in which Bernie Millard make do a complete cleaning of the decision makers after 13 straight losing seasons. The team has fallen upon hard times with improvement required throughout the system to bring the team back to respectability, the feeling amongst the faithful is that they are going hear the refrain they heard far too often over the last decade, "This going to take time to fix the problems." Fans are secretly hoping that Wolves will be able to finish at least ahead of the newcomers but many think this not a lead pipe cinch. Most feel there are far too many areas that the Wolves are below FABL standard to insure they can finish ahead of New York and Dallas if either of those two draft wisely to stock their new teams. The Year That Was Current events from 1961 Jan 3- President Eisenhower announces the United States has severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba. Jan 17- In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warns of the increasing power of a "military-industrial complex and how it can shape public policy. Jan 20- John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States and Lyndon B. Johnson as his Vice-President. Feb 15- President Kennedy warns the Soviet Union not to interfere with United Nations efforts in the Congo. Apr 17- The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba begins, but fails two days later. May 5- Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3 May 25- Kennedy announces to Congress his goal to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Jun 4- Kennedy and Khrushchev meet for two days in Vienna, discussing nuclear tests, disarmament and Germany. Sep 25- Black voting rights activist Herbert Lee is murdered by a Mississippi state representative. Oct 27- A standoff between Soviet and American tanks in Berlin heightens Cold War tensions. Nov 18- President Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam. Dec 11- The Vietnam war officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon along with 400 U.S. personnel. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Columnist- The Figment Sporting Journal MY FIGMENT LEAGUE BROOKLYN KINGS DYNASTY PAST DYNASTYS My History of Hockey Replay Tiger Fan's Sporting News : the mid 1940's Tiger Fan's All Sport Replay: The 1920s History of Sports 1901-15 Historical Tutorial and Feedback League My first fictional attempt The HOB4: The last of my series of history of baseball replays that go back to OOTP2 and the old message board.