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08-07-2024, 01:52 PM
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#1001 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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December 31, 1951
 DECEMBER 31, 1951 DOTSON CARRIES PALADINS TO AFA TITLE Pittsburgh Upsets Kansas City 21-16 Wally Dotson delivered the greatest rushing performance an American Football Association title game has ever seen and was the difference as the Pittsburgh Paladins found the end zone three times in a wild opening quarter and then hung on to beat the Kansas City Cowboys 21-16 in the AFA championship game. Dotson ran for a championship game record 176 yards with all but five of them coming in the opening half to make the difference in the game. The win allowed the Paladins a measure of revenge after being knocked off 30-21 by the Cowboys in last year's championship showdown. While Dotson was certainly the deciding factor, the Cowboys loss can be almost entirely attributed to the fact that quarterback Pat Chappell, who threw for a 179 yards and 2 touchdowns in last year's championship game, was forced to watch this one from the bench with his sprained finger taped up after being knocked out in the first half of the Cowboys semi-final victory over the Detroit Maroons last week. Rookie Michael Barth filled in and completed just 4 of 17 passes for 80 yards. Dotson became the story of the game very early as the former Christian Trophy winner from Texas Gulf Coast bolted 75 yards for the game's opening touchdown on the Paladins first play from scrimmage. Kansas City would reply with a field goal seven minutes later but moments later another big play led to a second Pittsburgh touchdown. This one was courtesy of quarterback Dusty Sinclair who combined with Craig Kramer on a 61-yard scoring toss to increase the Paladins lead to 14-3. The Cowboys answered with their best drive of the opening half, an 11-play, 71 yard march that culminated in a one yard touchdown run for Ted Armstrong to cut the deficit to 14-10. Kansas City fans that packed Prairie Park for the game might have thought their club was ready to take over just as it always seems to do but Dotson once more had other ideas. With just 42 seconds remaining in the quarter and immediately after Bobby Leonard's 33-yard return of Adam Nelson's post-touchdown kick-off, Dotson broke through the Kansas City defensive line and dashed 58 yards for his second touchdown of the game. The first quarter line for Dotson was 4 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns putting his club ahead 21-10 after 15 minutes. The rest of the game Dotson would gain just 20 yards on 20 carries and be held to 5 yards on 12 rushes in the second half once the Cowboys had adjusted to deal with him. Unfortunately for Kansas City the damage was done and while the Cowboys had opportunities, they could not capitalize on them and overcome their slow start. *** Missed Opportunities Doomed Cowboys *** Despite the terrible start, the Cowboys really could have and likely would have won the game had Chappell been available. Kansas City special teams did everything it could to give the team a chance to win and the defense, once it solved Dotson in the second quarter, was terrific. Kansas City had two glorious opportunities for touchdowns in the second half but without Chappell to ignite the offense the Cowboys never found the end zone again and managed just three points after the break. The Cowboys will be kicking themselves after being gifted two late Christmas presents, both in the form of blocked punts deep in Pittsburgh territory, but coming away with only three points. The first came at the start of the fourth quarter when, trailing 21-13, Cowboys linebacker Jim Taylor blocked a Pittsburgh punt giving Kansas City the ball on the Paladins 15 yard line. They actually lost ground as after a pair of Pat Hill runs went nowhere and quarterback Barth was sacked by Bob Williams for a six yard loss on third down. To make matters worse Adam Nelson shanked his 27-yard field goal attempt and the Cowboys were left with nothing but a squandered opportunity. Nelson did make a 23-yard field with just under six minutes to play, cutting the Pittsburgh lead to five points at 21-16, but that came after another blocked punt set up terrific field possession once more for the Cowboys. This time they started at the Pittsburgh 16 and once more ended up going the wrong way as Barth was sacked for an 8-yard loss on third down after the first two plays generated nothing. TANK TIPPETT'S NOTES:
 FORESTERS ACE CZERWINSKI TOP ATHLETE OF 1951 Adrian Czerwinski won his third consecutive Continental Association Allen Award this summer while becoming the only FABL pitcher this season to reach the twenty victory plateau. The Cleveland Foresters ace added one final piece of hardware to his mantle this season when he was voted as This Week in Figment Sports' Athlete of the Year. A poll of contributors to the weekly sports magazine favoured Czerwinski with college three-sport star Charlie Barrell and Chicago Wildcats basketball sensation Luther Gordon finishing second and third. Czerwinski will not turn 27 years of age for another two weeks but he already owns three Allen Awards and a World Championship Series ring. His Cleveland Foresters won back to back Continental Association pennants during his first two Allen winning seasons but despite winning 92 games this summer, the Foresters had to settle for second place in the Continental Association four games back of the Philadelphia Sailors. Czerwinski went 22-7 with a 3.26 era and was a clear choice as his loop's Allen Award winner for the third year in a row, appearing at the top of 14 of the 16 ballots to easily outpoint Duke Bybee of the Chicago Cougars. It was a historic award for the Pittsburgh native, who joins Hall of Famer Tom Barrell as the only pitchers to win three straight Allen Awards. Born in Pittsburgh to Polish immigrants, Czerwinski was the middle of three baseball playing sons but education was a priority in the household as their father, a college professor who did work during the war on the atomic bomb project, insisted school came first. A baseball star at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh who followed in the footsteps of his older brother Paul, who is now retired but also pitched in the Foresters organization, Adrian went to the prestigious Whitney College on an academic scholarship where he earned his nickname "The Mad Professor." He was a second team All-American selection as a sophomore and led Whitney College to its only appearance in the AIAA College World Championship Series. His draft year was a bit of a struggle with a heavy school workload perhaps being a factor but despite his 6-5 college record that year the Cleveland Foresters, who had drafted his older brother Paul in the 11th round in 1939, selected Adrian in the second round of the 1946 draft. He peaked at #67 on the OSA prospect pipeline and struggled as a rookie with the Foresters in 1948, going 4-11 with a 6.04 era as Cleveland won just 60 games and finished dead last in the CA. 1949 was a much different story, a breakout year for both Czerwinski and the Foresters, with the Mad Professor winning 26 games and his first Allen Award and then winning one more in the World Championship Series but his Foresters lost to the Chicago Chiefs. He would go 3-0 in the WCS the following season as Cleveland won it all, topping the New York Gothams in the WCS. While older brother Paul retired last year after 11 seasons in the minors, there may be a third Czerwinski brother joining the Foresters as the third brother, 17-year-old Stan, is a two-time High School All-American catcher and stands a very good chance of being selected in the opening round of the upcoming FABL draft.   WEST SEEKING FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN IN SANTA ANA After its struggles for much of the past decade, including a string of six straight losses beginning in 1942, the Western half of the East-West Classic is seeking its third straight victory. The Northern California Miners, who finished with a 9-1 record and celebrated a West Coast Athletic Association title, are looking to win on New Year's Day for the third time in the past four years. The Miners, led by junior quarterback John D'Anna, all American lineman Ewell Jessop and a ballhawking defense keyed by back Dick Davis, are a four point favourite over Great Lakes Alliance champion Lincoln College despite the fact the Presidents finished third in the polls and plowed through an unbeaten season with a fine junior passer of their own in Derek Ridenour leading the way. Tomorrow will mark the 36th annual installment of the original classic game and the sixth involving the Miners. Northern California is 4-1 all-time with wins in 1921 and 1922 and well as in 1947 over St. Magnus and two years ago over Wisconsin State. It will be strange territory for a Lincoln College squad that has never played on New Years Day before.  UNBEATENS SET TO TANGLE IN NEW ORLEANS The biggest showdown outside of Santa Ana tomorrow will take place in New Orleans where the national champion Cumberland Explorers and the South Atlantic Conference co-winners from Maryland State each put perfect records on the line in the Cajun Classic. It marks the second consecutive season the national champion will play in the Cajun Classic with the Explorers following Central Kentucky. The Tiges prevailed over Oklahoma City State last January to retain their unbeaten record. Cumberland will be making its second appearance in the Cajun Classic as the current band of Explorers will look to follow in the footsteps of the 1942 club, which downed Payne State 34-26. It will also give Cumberland All-American halfback Billy Kirkwood, a Baton Rogue native, a chance to close out his collegiate career in his home state. The Explorers paly on New Year's Day for the second straight year, following up on their 20-3 victory over Iowa A&M in the one and down Ozark Classic. This will be Maryland State's first appearance in a Classic game.     DE-EMPHASIS FRENZY MAY PUT AN END TO CLASSIC GAMES While there is excitement across the country for the feast of eight Classic games on the slate tomorrow, many university presidents are calling for at the very least, a de-emphasis on the New Years Day tradition, and in some cases suggesting that all classic games be abolished. Athletic officials from ten leading schools met recently and have recommended that this should be the farewell appearance for most, if not all the classic games. Athletic officials have been genuinely alarmed over revelations of "point-shaving" in basketball, "fixing" of entrance requirements and "cribbing" in the classroom - and a general retrenchment in the holiday hoopla is their suggestion. Contracts have already signed, which may preserve some of the traditional contests, most prominently the longest running game, the East-West Classic. NBC has paid well over $1 million for tv and air rights to the annual showcase in Santa Ana for the next three years and similar, although less lucrative deals have been made with several other classic games. However, on December 13, ten university presidents, appointed by the American Council on Education to study the sports situation, unanimously agreed that the elimination of post-season games, specifically football classic and the collegiate basketball tournament which has been contested annual for more than forty years, would materially improve the situation. In addition, the group decided that (1)Freshman should not be permitted to play on varsity teams; (2) Athletic scholarships should be handled by the schools through the same committees that would handle other student aid; (3) High school graduates should not be lavishly entertained by colleges hunting prize athletes, and (4) in order to compete, an athlete should have to make steady progress toward a degree. Reaction to council's recommendations, particularly the ban on classic games, was swift but also ran from one extreme to the other. Some players, such as All-American Redwood University end Bob Hoover was, perhaps surprisingly, in favour of the idea, saying "I agree. It would be for the general good of the game." On the other hand there was very negative reaction from others including a statement from the athletic director of Georgia Baptist, which is preparing for Lubbock State in the Sunshine Classic, that read "I feel that classics are fine, if brought under the supervision of the colleges or conferences. Financial games from the classic games enable colleges to do much good for their institutions." FORESTERS ADD VETERAN ARM IN DEAL WITH ST LOUIS The last time the Cleveland Foresters and St Louis Pioneers made a major trade it led to multiple pennants for each of the clubs with the deal that sent Hiram Steinberg to Missouri and Sherry Doyal to the shores of Lake Erie. The frequent trade partners were at it again last week with a move that certainly looks to have enhanced the 1952 flag chances for both clubs. Cleveland adds a veteran to its very deep and young collection of pitchers with the move to bring 34-year-old southpaw Danny Hern to the club in exchange for 26-year-old shortstop Eddie Morris, who enjoyed a breakout season in Cleveland last summer. Hern, who won the 1947 Federal Association Allen Award and had a strong 17-12 season with a 4.34 era this season, joins a deep Foresters rotation headed by 3-time Continental Association Allen Award winner Adrian Czerwinski and also includes a rising star in 23-year-old Larry Beebe and dependable veterans Ducky Davis and Ollie White. Cleveland was already an early favourite to contend for what would be its third pennant in the last four years and the addition of Hern just further strengthens Cleveland's chances. The trading of Hern breaks up the famous Three H Club, of Hern, Hal Hackney and Hiram Steinberg that led the Pioneers to three pennants, including last season, and a pair of World Championship Series titles. It seems like a costly price to pay for a shortstop that may not necessarily address their needs. The Pioneers had been torn between using the all glove, no bat Win Hamby or a solid hitter but shaky fielder in Homer Mills at shortstop. Morris will certainly provide an upgrade on Hamby at the plate and he is coming off a career year (.301,6,51) but his defense may be even more suspect than that of Mills. Hern may well be expendable, well as expendable as any 17-game winning pitcher can be, as St Louis added Joe Potts (16-11, 3.34) from Brooklyn in an October deal that perhaps left their rotation with one too many arms with Hackney, Steinberg, Tom Buchanan and Ben Fiskers as holdovers to join Potts. Archie Irwin's Take: If the Foresters weren't already your pick to runaway with the Continental this coming season, they should be now, as the top lineup in the game upgraded their biggest weakness. Pitching kept the Foresters from winning a third straight pennant, as behind three-time Allen Winner Adrian Czerwinski (22-7, 3.26, 127), there wasn't anyone to be scared of. Sure, Ducky Davis (11-10, 4.19, 102) was average, but Larry Beebe's (14-13, 4.53, 90) sophomore slump saw more walks then strikeouts as his ERA swelled a run, and they couldn't find any reliable arms at the back of their rotation to pitch the starts "The Professor" couldn't cover. Now, that will be far less of an issue, as Cleveland added another Allen Winner to their stable of arms for a cost that shouldn't impact them in the slightest. In yet another trade between St. Louis and Cleveland, Danny Hern got an interesting 35-year-old birthday gift, as he'll leave the organization he threw 2,575.1 innings with since his debut in 1940. A former 14th Round selection and top 100 prospect in the Cougars organization, Hern was the centerpiece in a Freddie Jones trade that was widely criticized at the time, despite the fact it ended up winning the Pioneers a pair of titles. The '47 Allen Winner finished his Pioneer career 152-131 with a 3.72 ERA (105 ERA+) and 3.35 FIP (85 FIP-), striking out 1,076 hitters with just 747 walks. He has the 3rd most strikeouts and 4th most wins in Pioneer history while his 54.5 WAR surpasses any hurler in team history. This is a huge get for a Foresters team that's rotation ranked in the bottom half of the association, even if he wasn't quite the ace that once led the 3-Hs in St. Louis. Depending on what stats you look at, Hern was average or well above, as his 4.34 ERA (98 ERA+) wasn't great but his 3.69 FIP (86 FIP-) was sixth among pitchers who only pitched in the Fed. If you're like the award voters and like win-loss record, he was 17-12, working to a strong 1.38 WHIP with 69 walks and 101 strikeouts. Early indications from the Foresters manager have Hern slotted into the third spot, but scouts still see him as an ace, and to me he's clearly better then Ducky Davis. Now if you got this far and thought this was an awful deal for the Pioneers, you'd be sorely mistaken, as I view this as a huge win-win. Sure, Hern could still be an ace and the 3-Hs should never have been broken up, but they picked up one of the game's best pitchers in Joe Potts (16-11, 3.34, 85) from Brooklyn earlier in the offseason and even after the trade they boast one of the top rotations in the league. What they didn't have is a quality shortstop, and Eddie Morris may be that. The 26-year-old had a nice season at the plate, hitting .301/.386/.406 (103 OPS+) with a 111 WRC+, 23 doubles, 6 homers, 51 RBIs, 57 walks, and 70 runs scored. Even if the glove isn't any good (-18.5 ZR, .903 EFF), his offense is way better then his eventual defensive replacement Win Hamby (.219, 3, 36), and when Hamby went down, Homer Mills (.272, 3, 32) didn't impress at the plate or in the field. I don't think Morris has the glove for short, and perhaps the Pioneers may want to give him a look at second and put his former teammate Frank Kirchner (.297, 5, 79) at short. All the Pioneers need to do now to form an all Cleveland infield is pickup Lorenzo Samuels (.264, 26, 91) for first base, but we may have to wait until next season for the annual trade between these two teams. I know I said this could be a win-win for both teams, and it could, but today it looks like a massive win for Cleveland and a regular win for St. Louis. Cleveland won't miss Morris one bit, he was already pushed to the bench in favor of 22-year-old shortstop John Low (.308, 1, 9), who ranks as the league's 34th prospect after his debut in September. He's already a better defender then Morris and his 126 WRC+ in 60 FABL PAs was better then what Morris posted in each of his five seasons in Cleveland. He's out in Cuba and absolutely mashing, hitting .371/.413/.629 (163 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 6 homers, and 15 RBIs, further solidifying that he's ready for regular playing time in FABL. They basically improved their lineup, pitching, and defense in one fell swoop, with the only real cost a minor reduction in depth. For St. Louis, they were able to make a trade from a strength to patch a hole, and even if they are getting the "worse" end of the deal, I don't think there was much of a market for the veteran Hern, and Morris might have been the best middle infielder available. It's always fun seeing two of the top teams link up for a trade that's allowed to go through, and these two clubs could easily meet again this Fall in a game that could be decided with a Morris vs. Hern at bat.  Foresters Gamble on Hern; Pioneers Snag Morris in Cross-League Blockbuster In a move that has the entire baseball world buzzing, the Cleveland Foresters of the Continental Association have sent their 26-year-old shortstop Eddie Morris packing to the Federal Association’s pennant-winning St. Louis Pioneers. In return, Cleveland receives 35-year-old veteran southpaw Danny Hern, a former Allen Award winner with plenty of gas left in the tank. This trade could shake up the CA standings, as Hern’s arrival in Cleveland might just be the final piece needed to propel the young and talented Foresters to a 1952 pennant. Hern, a seasoned moundsman, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record to a Foresters squad hungry for glory. On the other side of the ledger, the Pioneers nab a lively and popular infielder in Morris. Though he has yet to fully realize his defensive potential, his bat has been more than serviceable. The Pioneers are betting that a change of scenery might unlock the star within. For Cleveland, this deal seems to come from a position of strength. With John Low penciled in as the future at shortstop and veteran Glenn White capable of holding down multiple infield positions, the Foresters felt they could afford to part with Morris to land a southpaw of Hern’s caliber. As the dust settles, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if this bold move pays off for both clubs. The race for the pennant just got a whole lot more interesting.   ANNUAL NAHC PLAYER POLL RELEASED  NOTES FROM AROUND THE NAHC Chicago Daily News: No wins this week, but the Packers are even with the Shamrocks. Tommy Burns is dealing with another nagging injury, and he's scored in just one of his last eight games. He's now in a three-way tie for the goal scoring lead and an assist behind Lou Galbraith, while Quinton Pollock sits a point behind him for the NAHC lead. Detroit Times:Despite lacking a truly elite scorer, although 25-year-old Nick Tardif is trending in that direction, the Detroit Motors lead the NAHC in goals with 97 a game shy of the midway point of the season. It has been a streaky season so far for Palladium crew, which is currently riding a 7-game unbeaten streak after enduring a string of four games without a victory. Detroit management is watching very closely the progress of Gordie Thomas. The 20-year-old, who was Detroit's second round choice in the 1950 NAHC draft, is presently leading the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association with 72 points in just 33 games. [*]Boston Globe:[/b] The Bees are two points back of Detroit for fourth place and the final playoff berth but have gone seven games without a loss after blanking the Dukes 2-0 in Toronto Saturday. It was a Merry Christmas for Boston rookie forward Luc Fournier as the 20-year-old who was selected in the second round of the 1950 draft picked a perfect time for his first career NAHC goal. Fournier scored the only goal of the third period to allow the Bees to overcome a 2-0 deficit and tie Chicago 2-2 on December 25. Fournier had 10 goals in 29 games with Springfield of the HAA but was recently promoted to the big club when Craig Simpson went down with an injury.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY DECEMBER 25 New York 2 at 2 Detroit : It was 2-2 ties all around as the Detroit Motors and New York Shamrocks also skated to a 2-2 draw. Jim Macek scored both New York goals thirty seconds apart in the opening period but Adam Vanderbilt and Lou Barber replied for the Motors. New York is unbeaten in six games and Detroit is unbeaten in five. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26 Detroit 4 at 2 New York : Lou Barber scored twice and added an assist while Henri Chasse made 33 saves in a rare start to lead Detroit past the New York Shamrocks 4-1 in the back half of their holiday home and home series. Rusty Mullins scored the lone Shamrocks goal and it was the only first period marker before Derek Veysey evened things for Detroit early in the middle stanza. Barber scored twice in just over a minute in the third period and Adam Vanderbilt sealed the win with an empty net goal.Montreal 3 at 3 Toronto : A boxing day battle between the two Canadian clubs ended in a 3-3 tie thanks to a pair of third period markers from Dukes star Quinton Pollack. Lou Galbraith assisted on all three of Toronto's goals, with Doug Zimmerman being the other Dukes lamplighter. Paulie Mosca, Ed McRae and Wayne Augustin scored for the Valiants who are now winless in 10 games and have only one victory since November 10. SATURDAY DECEMBER 29 Chicago 0 at 2 Detroit : Millard Touhey made 35 saves to backstop the Detroit Motors to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Packers. The Motors are now unbeaten in their last seven games. Tyson Beddoes and Moe Treadwell were the Detroit goal scorers.New York 2 at 3 Montreal : A huge sigh of relief was emitted from the Montreal Arena after the defending Challenge Cup champions ended their 10 game winless drought with a 3-2 victory over the New York Shamrocks. Tom Brockers made 41 saves in one of the veteran's best outings of the season while Adam Sandford scored once and set up a second goal for the Valiants. For New York, which also lost at home to Detroit on Wednesday, it is only the second time all season they have lost back to back games. Boston 2 at 0 Toronto : The Bees are unbeaten in seven after blanking Toronto 2-0. Jacob Godin scored his 8th goal of the season in the first period and Conn Cundiff added some insurance in the third. Oscar James stopped all 23 Dukes shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. SUNDAY DECEMBER 30 Toronto 5 at 3 New York :A three game losing streak for the Greenshirts, their longest of the season after falling 5-3 to the visiting Toronto Dukes. Lou Galbraith and Miles Norman paced the Toronto offense with a goal and two helpers each while Jocko Gregg also had three points, but in a losing effort for New York.UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY DECEMBER 31 Montreal at Detroit TUESDAY JANUARY 1 New York at Boston Montreal at Chicago WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2 Detroit at New York THURSDAY JANUARY 3 Toronto at Montreal SATURDAY JANUARY 5 Boston at Montreal Chicago at Toronto SUNDAY JANUARY 6 Boston at Detroit Chicago at New York  DUKES ENTER 1952 IN THIRD PLACE Brett looks at the team at the midway point of the season. Toronto will bid farewell to 1951 sitting in third in a highly competitive NAHC where the champions of the last two years, Montreal, is in last place and last season's doormats, Chicago, are leading the league. The Dukes along with Coach Barrell are probably glad that 1951 will soon be in the rear mirror. The team got off to an incredible start not losing until their tenth game of the season and threatening to run away with the league title. Since Remembrance Day the team has struggled, since opening 9-1-3 the team has gone 4-11-7 to enter 1952 with 35 points at the halfway point of the campaign. The team's record by month is October 6-0-2, November 4-6-3, December 3-6-5 showing a marked decline that has to turn around in 1952. The team came into the year with a different focus. Instead of the Barrell's Boys trying to check the team into submission then make the most their goal scoring chances Barrell opened up the offense which seemed to surprise their opponents in October and early November. Teams changed their plans when playing the Dukes which has to led to the abysmal finish to 1951. Toronto is only giving up 2.80 goals per game which in most seasons would be a top of the heap performance. Not during 1951-52, the teams ahead of them in the standings Chicago is giving up 2.12 while New York is a little better at 2.06. Chasing the Dukes are the Motors, trailing Toronto by a point with a game in hand, are surrendering 2.50 goals per game, Boston, three point in arrears with 2 games in hand, at 2.45 goals against per game. Only Detroit has scored more goals, 97, four more than Toronto but the Dukes have given up the second most goals against. Brett feels that the team must go back to old style to move up in the standing during 1952. Coach Barrell- We have obviously had an awful last six weeks after a great start out of the blocks. In the second half we have to cheat less breaking out of our zone, we are getting caught far too often on turnovers in the neutral zone then being forced to scramble to pick up our checks. Our goaltenders have bailed out the team time and again, you cannot be giving up 33 shot on goal a game in this environment. We also are taking far too many lazy stick penalties, many caused by turnovers. Our scoring leaders are jumping the gun to flee the defensive zone. Pollack, 16-20-36, is minus 4, Galbraith, 9-22-31, is also minus 4, Carlson, 13- 16-29, has been on the ice for 5 more goals by the opposition than we have scored. That is unacceptable, we have tightening up, I have told the team that if you jump early, you will be part of the pinewood gang. We have a few nagging injuries that have not helped but that is part of the game. We also have to figure out Boston. Since winning the first game in October 4-3, we have gone 0-4-2 being outscored 25-15 that is not winning hockey. we will go back to tighter game in '52.   
  NO CHANGES AT TOP OF POLLS AS SECTION PLAY APPROACHES The beginning of a new calendar year means that conference play is fast approaching for AIAA collegiate basketball teams. The first section games are still a couple of weeks away and as usual the big four conferences, in terms of representation in the weekly top twenty five rankings belongs to the big four sections: the West Coast Athletic Association, Great Lakes Alliance, Deep South and South Atlantic Conferences. WCAA schools Coastal California, the defending national tournament champion, and Rainier College still lead the way after each returned to action yesterday following a week long break for Christmas. The topped ranked Dolphins extended their perfect record to 9-0 with a 57-46 win in Los Angeles over Brooklyn State. Rowdy Becker, Herm McShane and Gary Moore each had 10 points in the win to pace the Coastal California offense. Meanwhile, second ranked Rainier College is 9-1 after T.J. Grimm scored 17 points to lead the Majestics to a 61-53 win over visiting Boulder State. Western Iowa, despite being Kansas Agricultural 74-51 on the strength of Leo Beck's 19 points yesterday, dipped from third to fifth in the latest rankings with Great Lakes Alliance rival Whitney College taking the Canaries spot. The 7-1 Engineers played twice last week, dumping Central Kentucky and Chicago Poly. Liberty College, the top ranked independent in the nation, also moved ahead of the Canaries as the Bells ran their record to 11-0 with a Christmas Day 66-51 win over Commonwealth Catholic and a 72-55 triumph in New York over Henry Hudson three days later. Two schools that were ranked in the top ten the previous week suffered losses yesterday and have tumbled in the polls. Indiana A&M slipped from 6th to 12th in the rankings after absorbing a 59-58 overtime loss at home against Pittsburgh State while Redwood, which had been ranked 8th, is now 13th in today's poll after the Mammoths were shocked 72-62 in Stanford by Western State. Our weekly Charlie Barrell watch continues as the Noble Jones College three sport star and first overall draft pick of FABL's Cincinnati Cannons a year ago, had 11 points in a Christmas eve 64-36 victory over Chicago Poly and then added 12 in Wednesday's 65-52 victory over Cowpens State. After dropping their opener to Indiana A&M, the Colonels have won each of their last six games but face a stiff test this week with a trip to Raleigh to face 5-2 North Carolina Tech. Barrell is average 9.9 points through the first 7 games despite dividing his focus for the opening month between football and basketball.  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY DECEMBER 24 at #9 Noble Jones College 64, Chicago Poly 36 at #10 Perry State College 56, Northern Mississippi 30 at #13 Redwood 56, Eastern Virginia 39 at #20 Lubbock State 63, South Valley State 54 American Atlantic 48, at #23 Spokane State 44 TUEDAY DECEMBER 25 at #4 Liberty College 66, Commonwealth Catholic 51 #8 Detroit City College 56, at Cuyahoga University 36 at #12 Indiana A&M 81, Boulder State 59 #18 Berwick 43, at Piedmont University 42 at #25 Ohio Poly 48, NW New York State 20 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26 at #9 Noble Jones College 65, Cowpens State 52 #11 CC Los Angeles 57, at Quaker College (CA) 48 #16 Carolina Poly 58, at Central Maryland 26 at #19 Annapolis Maritime 67, St. Patrick's 52 at #22 Great Plains State 59, Eastern Kansas 50 at #24 Elyria 58, Cleveland 31 THURSDAY DECEMBER 27 at #3 Whitney College 65, Central Kentucky 39 at #10 Perry State College 49, Alabama Baptist 41 at #17 Central Ohio 74, Commonwealth Catholic 52 at #21 Frankford State 54, Troy State (NY) 50 #23 Spokane State 57, at Utah A&M 44 FRIDAY DECEMBER 28 #4 Liberty College 72, at Henry Hudson 55 #6 Lane State 60, at Huntington State 48 #7 Opelika State 66, at Eastern Virginia 46 at #11 CC Los Angeles 54, Topeka State 34 at #14 Lexington State 52, St. Matthew's College 34 #15 Northern California 66, at Iowa A&M 40 Michigan Lutheran 56, at #16 Carolina Poly 52 SATURDAY DECEMBER 29 at #5 Western Iowa 74, Kansas Agricultural 51 #10 Perry State College 78, at Cumberland 71 at #23 Spokane State 55, Western Montana 43 SUNDAY DECEMBER 30 at #1 Coastal California 57, Brooklyn State 46 at #2 Rainier College 61, Boulder State 53 at #3 Whitney College 64, Chicago Poly 53 at #6 Lane State 59, Henry Hudson 50 at #8 Detroit City College 51, Maumee State 43 at #11 CC Los Angeles 49, Minnesota Tech 37 Pittsburgh State 59, at #12 Indiana A&M 58 Western State 72, at #13 Redwood 62 #14 Lexington State 58, at Glover (GA) 42 at #17 Central Ohio 59, St. Martin's College 49 #18 Berwick 57, at University of New Jersey 55 
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/30/1951
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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. |
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08-08-2024, 01:31 PM
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#1002 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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January 7, 1952
JANUARY 7, 1952 LINCOLN COLLEGE WINS EAST-WEST CLASSIC Lincoln College downed Northern California 14-10 in as entertaining an East-West Classic that has been seen in years. The tight affair turned early in the fourth quarter when a Miners pass backfired and gave the Great Lakes Alliance its first victory over the West Coast Athletic Association in Santa Ana since 1947, a stretch which had included a pair of victories for Northern Cal. Featuring their running attack, the Presidents completed a perfect 10-0 season in a winning cycle in this oldest of post-season classics. It was Lincoln's first-ever appearance in a New Years Day game. The defining moment of the contest came early in the fourth period with the Miners up 10-7 when a Lincoln sophomore defensive back, Mike Pinkston, intercepted a pass thrown by Northern California quarterback John D'Anna and raced back 54 yards to the Miners 12-yard mark. Three plays later Presidents fullback Bob Stratton turned right end and traveled the final five yards for a touchdown that put the visitors ahead 14-10. Neither team would add to that total and the contest would end in frustration for the Miners, who had little success moving the ball against a staunch Lincoln defense. CUMBERLAND TAMES TIGERS 40-24 IN NEW ORLEANS The Cumberland Explorers proved worthy of the title National Champions bestowed upon the Tennessee school last month, rolling over a talented but clearly over matched Maryland State eleven in the Cajun Classic, 40-24. The victory leaves the top ranked Explorers at 11-0 on the season and extended an unbeaten streak that stretches back to the 1949 season to 26 games while the Bengals, who had such high hopes entering the game after being declared co-champions of the South Atlantic Conference, drop to 9-2 on the year. The outcome was never really in doubt as the Explorers scored on their opening drive - an 81-yard, 12-play expedition that would have made Lewis and Clark proud. That opening drive culminated as two others would later in the day, with a Billy Kirkwood touchdown run. The Cumberland All-American back was just too much for the Bengals defenders in the 82-degree weather as Kirkwood ran for 94 yards and passed for additional 75. By the half the lead was 30-7 but the most exciting play of the day was saved for the fourth quarter when Cumberland's other talented back, Garland Churchwell, weaved back and forth across the field on a dizzying touchdown run that will officially go down as a 64-yard carry but the senior may have traversed twice that distance in his efforts to dodge would be tacklers. LUBBOCK STATE BEATS GEORGIA BAPTIST 17-7 IN SUNSHINE CLASSIC Under cloudy skies in Miami the Lubbock State Hawks fell behind Georgia Baptist early before racing back with 17 unanswered points to down the Gators 17-7 in the Sunshine Classic. The Southwestern Alliance champs finish their campaign with an unblemished 11-0 record while Georgia Baptist, co-champs in the Deep South with Cumberland, end with a 10-2 record. The Gators, seemingly bottled by a strong Hawks line, popped the cork with a trick play in the closing minutes of the first quarter when a lateral in open field to freshman Ed Suggs on a 34-yard play to open the scoring. It would be all the offense the Gators could muster on this after as Lubbock State senior quarterback Jamie Costner took over. Costner threw for 81 yards on the day including one touchdown volley and called his own number on a 2-yard scoring plunge in the closing minutes of the contest that extended the Hawks lead to ten and put the game away. CAPIZZI GOES OUT A WINNER WITH TIGERS The Pete Capizzi era at Central Kentucky officially came to an end but the two-time All-American quarterback went out with a bang, passing the Tigers to a 38-13 thrashing of Texas Gulf Coast in the Lone Star Classic. The Brooklyn, NY native, who lead his club to a national title a year ago and a 29-5-2 record over the past three season, made his final game count with a pair of first half touchdown passes and a scoring run of his own in the third quarter giving the Tigers a win on New Years Day for the second year in a row. The Tigers, whose light, fast line outclassed the Hurricanes most of the afternoon, reached the endzone three times in the opening quarter alone and led 21-6 after 15 minutes of wide open play. They tacked on 10 more before the break to extend their half time lead to 31-6 with much of the damage caused by the running of senior fullback Ike Greathouse, who accumulated 97 of Central Kentucky's 213 yards rushing on the day. LANCERS PIERCE ALEXANDRIA IN OILMAN CLASSIC St Ignatius strengthened their claims to at least a share of the national title with a dominating 34-14 performance to completely outclass Alexandria in the Oilman Classic. The Lancers end the season with a 10-0 record but had to settle for fourth in the final rankings while the Generals, who went unbeaten in South Atlantic Conference play to share that loop's title with Maryland State, finish the year 8-3. In other New Years Day action the Eastern State Monitors dumped the Coastal State Eagles 28-16 in the Bayside Classic, a late field goal lifted Wyoming A&I past Payne State 24-21 in the Cactus Classic and Abilene Baptist prevailed 31-20 over College of San Diego in the Desert Classic.    EMERGENCY MEETING CALLED TO DECIDE FATE OF FABL PRESIDENT DAN BARRELL Owners Plot to Oust League Leader Amid Allegations WASHINGTON, D.C., January 3, 1952 — A storm is brewing in the world of professional baseball as the owners of the Federal Association of Base Ball Leagues (FABL) are set to convene an emergency meeting this month. The purpose? To determine the future of league president Dan Barrell, whose tenure may be cut short after only two years at the helm. Barrell, a former Brooklyn Kings player and scion of baseball’s first family, took over the reins from the retiring Sam Belton nearly two years ago. However, his appointment was far from unanimous, and it appears his presidency might be nearing an abrupt end. Leading the charge for Barrell’s removal is the outspoken and irascible Bernie Millard, owner of the Toronto Wolves and a magnate in the coal industry. Millard is joined by Mack Dalmer of the Chicago Cougars, who remains aggrieved over Barrell’s decision to void a deal that would have sent star first baseman Red Johnson to Chicago, citing the transaction as too lopsided and not in the best interest of the sport. Adding fuel to the fire are accusations of conflicts of interest due to Barrell’s extensive family ties within the league. Two of his brothers manage big league clubs, and multiple nephews play in the league. Ironically, one of Barrell’s brothers manages Millard’s own Toronto Wolves. The latest controversy involves another of Barrell’s brothers Rollie, owner of the Detroit Maroons (American Football Association) and Detroit Mustangs (Federal Basketball League), reportedly negotiating to purchase the Detroit Dynamos baseball club. This potential transaction flies in the face of FABL founder William Whitney’s mandate that the league president must have no financial or other ties to any single club to maintain impartiality. In a nation already wary of political maneuverings and backroom dealings in Washington, D.C., these allegations have only added to the clamor. Millard asserts that Barrell has exploited his position for familial gain, an accusation that, if proven, could indeed be grounds for his dismissal. The issue intensified when Hall of Fame player-turned-Congressman Max Morris was asked by Barrell to help secure an appointment for his son at Rome State Military Academy. Barrell contends he was merely inquiring about the possibility for his son, but Millard perceived it as another instance of Barrell leveraging his presidential influence improperly. Millard was one of the few owners initially opposed to Barrell’s appointment and is now seizing this opportunity to push for his ouster. At least eight owners, the minimum required, appear open to considering Barrell’s removal. In addition to Millard and Dalmer, the bloc favoring Barrell’s dismissal reportedly includes Matilda Johnson of the Sailors and Chester Coleman of the Kings, who believes Barrell delayed the Kings' relocation from Brooklyn to Kansas City. Standing in Barrell’s corner are notable figures such as Billy Whitney of the Chicago Chiefs, Thomas Bigsby of the New York Stars and the Barton family of the Boston Minutemen. The stances of other owners remain unclear, though speculation suggests that Powell Thompson Jr., owner of the Dynamos, might support Barrell’s removal to facilitate the sale to Rollie Barrell, in a twist of irony. The upcoming meeting promises to be a pivotal moment in the annals of professional baseball, potentially marking the end of Dan Barrell’s brief yet controversial presidency. 
 ROSTERS ANNOUNCED FOR NAHC ALL-STAR GAME The Montreal Valiants are finally showing signs of life with four wins in their past five games. This season has been a struggle for the two-time defending Challenge Cup champions and while the strong showing has not lifted them out of the cellar yet - Montreal still sits seven points back of Boston and Detroit who are tied for fourth place- but there are finally some positive signs for the club that went 1-12-6 before turning things around recently. Next up for the Valiants will be a reminder of last season as on Friday evening at the Montreal Arena the club will play host to the best of the NAHC in an all-star game, something that is becoming a fixture in the middle of the league schedule. This will be the third all-star contest the league has staged and the second in a row using the format where they defending Challenge Cup champion will play a collection of stars from around the league. The Valiants skated to a 2-2 tie against the league stars a year ago. The All-Star roster reads like a who's who of the scoring leaderboard with offensive stars like Tommy Burns, Quinton Pollack and Orval Cabbell all expected to play. The Chicago Packers, who presently sit second in the league standings three points back of the front-running New York Shamrocks, will lead the way with five players participating in the game for the All-Stars. Detroit places four, New York and Toronto three each and Boston two on the 17 man roster named for the all-star squad.   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK MONDAY DECEMBER 31 TUESDAY JANUARY 1 New York 6 at 2 Boston : New York snapped a three-game losing skid with a 6-2 road win in Boston. The Bees led 2-0 after twenty minutes on goals from Jacob Gron and John Bentley and it was 2-1 after the second period with Orval Cabbell cutting into the Bees lead with his 17th goal of the season. The third period was nothing but a wave of green as the Shamrocks scored 5 times including two from Jim Macek and outshot Boston 17-5 in the period.Montreal 5 at 1 Chicago : Montreal's modest two game winning streak came to an end on New Years Day as the Chicago Packers dumped the Valiants 5-1. Tommy Burns and Ed Delarue each scored twice for the Packers while Max Ducharme had a goal and two helpers. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2 Detroit 2 at 5 New York : New York won its second straight game as Orval Cabbell had two points to lead the way in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Motors. The Motors have lost two in a row after their seven game unbeaten streak was snapped New Years Eve by Montreal. THURSDAY JANUARY 3 Toronto 1 at 2 Montreal : Pat Coulter's 8th goal of the season, with four and a half minutes remaining in the game snapped a 1-1 tie and lifted the Valiants to a 2-1 victory on home ice over the Toronto Dukes. Coulter's goal came just 18 seconds after Lou Galbraith had tied the game. Clarence Skinner scored the other Montreal goal and the Valiants are suddenly hot with three wins in their last four games. Toronto has won just once in its last six outings. SATURDAY JANUARY 5 Boston 1 at 2 Montreal : Make it four wins in their last five games for Montreal after a second straight 2-1 victory. Boston was the victim this time in a game that saw all the scoring take place in the middle frame. Ed McRae and Wayne Augustin scored just over two minutes apart to stake Montreal to a 2-0 lead with Jacob Godin firing the only one of the Bees 34 shots to elude Montreal netminder Tom Brockers.Chicago 1 at 1 Toronto : Tommy Burns scored his 19th goal of the season with just under four minutes remaining to secure a point on the road for the Chicago Packers, who leave Toronto with a 1-1 draw. Doug Zimmerman was the Dukes marksman. SUNDAY JANUARY 6 Boston 4 at 1 Detroit : The Bees pulled into a tie with the Motors for the fourth and final playoff spot after Boston dumped Detroit 4-1. Each club has 35 points, just two back of the third place Toronto Dukes, but the Bees have played just 36 games, one less than both the Motors and Dukes. Jacob Godin scored twice to pace the Bees attack.Chicago 1 at 2 New York :New York's third straight win, a 2-1 victory at Bigsby Garden over Chicago stretched the first place Shamrocks lead on the second place Packers to three points. Simon Savard scored both of the New York goals with Joe Fleming getting a late marker for the Packers to deny Freddy Hubbs, making a rare appearance in the New York net, a chance at his first career NAHC shutout. Hubbs was inserted into the New York lineup because Alex Sorrell is nursing a minor injury that will likely keep him out of action for the next week. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY JANUARY 8 Boston at Chicago WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9 Toronto at New York THURSDAY JANUARY 10 New York at Detroit FRIDAY JANUARY 11 NAHC All-Stars at Montreal SATURDAY JANUARY 12 Chicago at Montreal Detroit at Toronto SUNDAY JANUARY 13 Chicago at Boston Toronto at Detroit Montreal at New York DUKES ENTER '52 TENTATIVELY The Toronto Dukes start the New Year the way they finished to the past year: with a heartbreaking loss before following it up with a tie in a pair of low scoring games. The team began 1952 with a visit to the Montreal Arena before a crowd of 11460 on hand to see their Vals, who are beginning to show signs of life with only one loss in their last six games. This game was lopsided if fans looked only at shots on goal. In the first Toronto outshot the home team 23-7 but left the first twenty trailing 1-0 on a shorthanded goal by Clarence Skinner. Tom Brockers was the story of the opening period, repeatedly stoning Toronto shooters with a trapper that seemed to come out of nowhere to snag the puck. The Dukes continued to control the puck in Montreal's zone in the second testing Brockers 11 more times with only one success by Lou Galbraith, his tenth from Les Carlson and Frank Featherstone at 15:15. If Toronto felt that the goal would open the floodgates they were wrong as Pat Coulter restored the Vals lead 18 seconds later on a deflection that gave Gordie Broadway no chance. Toronto again dominated play in the final period firing another 16 shots on Brocker's goal. Brockers turned aside all of them giving him 49 stops for the game in to preserve a 2-1 victory. First home game of 1952 found the first half surprises from Chicago in town. This game was a reversal of the midweek game with Chicago opening a shooting gallery on Broadway in the Toronto goal. Chicago held a 15 shot advantage for the game 42-27. Surprisingly the game was scoreless through 40 minutes although Broadway had been tested 33 times while Norm Hanson had turned aside all 15 attempts off Dukes sticks. Toronto look like they may have their goaltender steal another game when they took the lead with Jesse Santoro in the box for elbowing on a Doug Zimmerman goal from Quinton Pollack and Miles Norman at 5:49 of the third. The Dukes seemed to have a little more jump in the third. They were carrying the play until Tommy Burns finally found a chink in Broadway's armour with less than four minutes remaining converting on passes from Derek Grubb AND Jeremy MacLean in a game that ended tied at 1. Coach Barrell- "Tom Brockers single-handedly won the game in Montreal. How do you get 50 shots and lose 2-1? Going 0 for 5 on the powerplay is one reason. I thought we were going to steal the game against the Packers Saturday until they tied it up late which would have been fitting to have Broadway steal one. As good as Gordie, Scott have been between the pipes we are just middle of the pack league wide. Overall the league puck stoppers have been exceptional game in, game out. It is looking like a pile of 2-1, 3-2 games for the balance of the year. We have to work on the powerplay, need some different options going forward. It looks like special teams will be the key to victories. We are too static while up a man now, have to get some movement into the powerplay to free guys up for clear shots. Going 1 for 9 this week is not good enough going forward. Tough week coming up with a game in NYC then back to back with the Motors on the weekend. Lots of work to do to get out of this funk the team is in."  AFA NAMES FIVE FINALISTS FOR TOP PLAYER AWARD The American Football Association revealed the names of five players who are finalists for the league Most Valuable Player Award for the 1951 campaign. Heading the list is Wally Dotson, the championship game MVP won ran for 174 yards eight days ago to lead the Pittsburgh Paladins to a 21-16 triumph over the Kansas City Cowboys in the title game. During the regular season the 25-year-old former Christian Trophy winner from Texas Gulf Coast gained 1,020 yards on 252 carries despite missing two games with an injury. Joining Dotson on the short list for the AFA's best player are two other running backs and a pair of defenders. The backs are Jim Lyster of the Washington Wasps, who ran for 1,157 yards this season and Los Angeles Tigers halfback Lou Grossman who ran for 11 touchdowns and gained 1,057 yards on the ground. The defenders are Philadelphia Frigates linebacker George Klavich, who led the AFA in both tackles (155) and sacks (19) as well as Ox Ostermann, a lineman for the San Francisco Wings who finished second to Klavich with 18 sacks. 
 BARRELL, GRAYBEAL LEAD COLONELS Two years ago Jim Graybeal and Charlie Barrell were part of a strong supporting cast as the Noble Jones College Colonels became the first team in AIAA history ever to complete a college basketball season undefeated. The Colonels followed up that 34-0 national championship winning season with a 24-8 showing last year as both Graybeal and Barrell became key players on the club. This season with Barrell, now a senior three sport star already drafted first overall by FABL's Cincinnati Cannons and perhaps also about to become a first round pick in football and basketball, and Graybeal, a junior center with pro cage aspirations of his own, being counted on as the leaders of the team the Colonels are looking like title contenders once more. There will be no perfect season as Noble Jones College lost its season opener to Indiana A&M in a contest in which Barrell, fresh off the football field from a game at Western Florida just two days earlier, had one of his worst outings on the court in shooting 0-for-12 as the Colonels were embarrassed 63-40 by the Reapers. Graybeal also had an awful game, getting into foul trouble early and scoring just 5 points. After that contest the two held a meeting with their teammates and both promised to play better. They have certainly lived up to that promise as the Colonels won each of their next 8 games with Graybeal averaging a team high 12.8 points per game and Barrell right behind him, scoring at an 11.0 ppg clip. The Colonels have climbed to seventh in the weekly polls after a pair of wins last week to boost their record to 8-1. On Thursday they rolled over South Atlantic Conference power North Carolina Tech 56-31 with Barrell scoring 12 points and junior Don Gendreau, finally starting after two seasons on the bench, scoring a career high 15. Sunday afternoon they were back in action against another South Atlantic School. The result, while a little closer, was another victory as the Colonels dumped Bulein 65-59 with Graybeal scoring 27 points and adding 11 rebounds while Barrell had 18 points and 11 boards of his own. The Colonels have four more games over the next couple of weeks before the difficult Deep South Conference schedule takes over and they will face an immediate test with a January 23 game on the road against 13th ranked Opelika State. In his career Barrell has reached the AIAA basketball championship game twice already (and two trips to the AIAA baseball College World Series best of three final series as well) and he may just make it a third trip to Bigsby Garden come early April.  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY DECEMBER 31 at #2 Liberty College 61, Garden State 43 at #14 Annapolis Maritime 69, Western Florida 56 at #24 Mobile Maritime 50, Capital (MS) University 30 TUESDAY JANUARY 1 #3 Western Iowa 63, at Lawrence State 33 at #5 Rainier College 58, Chicago Poly 50 Bluegrass State 60, at #18 Indiana A&M 34 #21 Berwick 54, at St. Martin's College 45 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2 at #4 Whitney College 74, St. Matthew's College 48 at #8 Detroit City College 58, College of Omaha 39 at #10 Lexington State 61, Dickson 52 at #11 Northern California 60, College of San Diego 45 at #13 Opelika State 51, Sunnyvale 41 #20 Lubbock State 55, at Dakota College 53 at #22 Pittsburgh State 63, Maumee State 29 THURSDAY JANUARY 3 at #1 Coastal California 41, California Catholic 32 at #3 Western Iowa 54, North Central (NE) 38 #7 Noble Jones College 56, at North Carolina Tech 31 at #15 Carolina Poly 50, Topeka State 42 at Central Kentucky 61, #17 Perry State College 44 at #19 Frankford State 53, Manhattan Tech 35 #25 Columbia Military Academy 55, at Three Rivers State 50 FRIDAY JANUARY 4 #2 Liberty College 60, at Grafton 52 at #6 Lane State 56, College of Omaha 48 #14 Annapolis Maritime 55, at El Paso Methodist 50 at #16 Central Ohio 56, Michigan Lutheran 48 at #20 Lubbock State 62, Wichita Baptist 53 at #23 Ohio Poly 47, Cuyahoga University 44 at #24 Mobile Maritime 65, Eastern Virginia 45 SATURDAY JANUARY 5 Dickson 57, at #5 Rainier College 49 at #9 CC Los Angeles 63, St. Blane 37 at #11 Northern California 50, Golden Gate 37 SUNDAY JANUARY 6 at #2 Liberty College 58, George Fox 44 at #3 Western Iowa 61, College of Omaha 41 at #7 Noble Jones College 65, Bulein 59 at #10 Lexington State 66, Springfield State 63 #14 Annapolis Maritime 53, at Hamman 40 at #17 Perry State College 61, Queen City 59 Here are the latest quarterly rankings of the top boxers in each of the three divisions.  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/06/1952
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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. |
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08-09-2024, 02:02 PM
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#1003 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
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January 14, 1952
JAUNARY 14 , 1952 CHIEFS WIN FABL DRAFT LOTTERY, LAND CATCHING PHENOM Lady Luck smiled upon the Chicago Chiefs as they won the FABL draft lottery and with it the right to select first in the 1952 amateur player draft. It marks the second time since the lottery system was put in place that the Chiefs ended up with the top pick although it is the first time they won the lottery as the 1946 draft the Chiefs made a draft day deal with the Detroit Dynamos for a pick that originally belonged to the New York Gothams. The lottery, instituted for the 1946 draft as means of encouraging teams to continuously strive to improve, is a weighted draw where the two teams in each association with the greatest improvement over their previous season's record get 3 balls in the lottery, the next two each get two entries and the three clubs with the least improvement (or biggest drop-off) get just a single entry in the draw. The balls are then drawn out at random with picks being alternated between leagues. This year the Federal Association gets the odd numbered selections including the first overall pick. The lottery is repeated for the second round of the draft and the two pennant winners automatically select 15th and 16th in each round. From rounds three until the conclusion of the draft the order of finish in the standings is used to determine the draft order. ***Catcher Czerwinski Selected #1 *** The Chiefs wasted little time announcing their selection, calling the name of Stan Czerwinski as the first choice of the 1952 draft. The highly touted Pittsburgh high schooler is the youngest brother of three time Continental Association Allen Award winner Adrian Czerwinski of the Cleveland Foresters. Most experts feel it won't take Stan, or Stosh as he is known to family and friends, long to make his own mark. Immediate reaction from retired scout Rube Carter was the Czerwinski may well be the best amateur catcher since George Cleaves was taken fourth overall by the Pittsburgh Miners in the 1931 draft. The list of catchers drafted first overall is very short with only Hall of Famer T.R. Goins (1919 Washington) and Jack Flint (1930 St Louis) being number one picks. In fact, Czerwinski is only the 9th catcher drafted among the top five picks joining an exclusive list  The Kansas City Kings had the second pick and surprised a few people with the decision to select college shortstop Claude Richerson out of Ruston Tech. The Kings were targeting a shortstop in the draft but there was some speculation that picking second they would opt for high school pitcher Mike Fresh, who topped the mock draft and the draft boards of many scouts. The Kings have a history of looking at pitchers high in the draft but felt Richerson was too good to pass up. The 20-year-old was an All-American last year after batting .301 with 22 homers in 62 college games. The Philadelphia Keystones, desperate for some pitching to go with the large collection of sluggers they possess, although age may be catching up with some of them, jumped at the chance to take Fresh, a Massachusetts high schooler who is still just 16 years old but is a two-time High School All-American and was the winner of the 1950 Adwell Award when, as a sophomore, he was named the top high school player in the country. A pair of college pitchers who may be ready for the big leagues as soon as sometime this season went fourth and fifth with the Cincinnati Cannons grabbing Bayou State lefthander Jake Pearson, a first team All-American, with pick four and Detroit following with Darnell State's Red Sheridan, who was the first team All-American pitcher as a freshman two years ago. A run on pitchers reminiscent of the early 1930s continued with a pair of high school arms going sixth and seventh. The Cleveland Foresters drafted Jim Cooper, an 18-year-old from Brooklyn while the New York Gothams made it five straight pitchers with the news that they were drafted Baltimore high school hurler Ted Kukulski with the seventh pick. Toronto broke the pitching trend when the Wolves called the name of California high school outfield John Samuel, who was an honourable mention for high school All-American status in 1951 after making the team in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Pittsburgh selected slugging high school first baseman Eddie Black, a 17-year-old from Richmond, Virginia before the New York Stars snapped up 1950 Christian Trophy winning outfielder Dutch Wilson. The smooth-swinger from Minnesota Tech has been called the best hitter the Great Lakes Alliance has produced since Freddie Jones was playing for Central Ohio in 1931. Like Jones, Wilson is a two-time collegiate All-American. There is no shortage of high end young outfielders in the Boston Minutemen system but the club felt they could not pass on selecting another one when Stew Manning was still available at pick 11. The 18-year-old New Jersey high schooler has plenty of power according to OSA, which feels he can make an impact on a top-tier club when he matures. Manning was a high school All-American selection last spring. The 12th pick was the second California high school player to go in the opening round, and both went to Canadian teams as the Montreal Saints drafted 17-year-old pitcher Allen Barnet. The San Francisco native was an honourable mention for the High School All-American team in 1951 and OSA feels he could end up near the top of a big league rotation some day. The Washington Eagles were up next with the 13th pick and they stayed close to home with the selection of a local product. Gil Woodruff, a 17-year-old righthander from St. John's High School in Washington, DC, was the Eagles pick. Woodruff becomes the fifth Washington born player to be selected by his hometown team and the highest local product ever drafted by the Eagles. He also joins Bill Moore as the only DC born players to ever be selected in the opening round. Moore was drafted 13th by Boston in 1932. With the 14th selection the Chicago Cougars went for a power bat in Oklahoma high school outfielder Elmer "Fudd" Hoffman. The 6'5" giant smacked 15 homers in 25 games for Wagoner High last season but he comes with a lot of baggage in the form of just a terrible personality according to many observers. The two pennant winners closed out the first round with each selecting a pitcher, making for a total of 9 arms drafted in the opening 16 picks. Both were from the high school ranks with the St Louis Pioneers calling the name of William Redmann before the Philadelphia Sailors opted for Harry Cahill. Both are 17 years old and each his considered a terrific leader. Redmann hails from Tennessee and OSA raves about his command but has questions surrounding his stamina. Cahill was born in Seattle and OSA voices a similar concern regarding his ability to go deep in games but praises his elite stuff. Twelve of the sixteen players selected in the opening round were from the high school ranks with four outfielders, two infielders and a catcher joining the nine hurlers drafted.   Ranking FABL's Top Selection (1925-1934) 1. Harry Barrell (Foresters, 1931) 2. Al Wheeler (Dynamos, 1925) 3. Tom Barrell (Cougars, 1929) 4. Joe Hancock (Wolves, 1933) 5. Cliff Moss (Saints, 1927) 6. Tommy Wilcox (Kings, 1928) 7. Jack Flint (Pioneers, 1930) 8. Curly Jones (Gothams, 1932) 9. Bobo White (Eagles, 1934) 10. Karl Stevens (Foresters, 1926) 1931 1st Overall Pick: Harry Barrell (Still Active) FABL Teams: Kings (1933-1943), Minutemen (1943-Present) Accolades: 10 All-Star Selections, 1 World Championship This may be a controversial ranking, as I'm sure many would have expected Hall-of-Famer Al Wheeler to lead the list, but it's hard to look past the longtime King and current Minutemen shortstop Harry Barrell. Barrell, set to be the third (after Bobby, who will retire first) member of his family inducted into the Hall-of-Fame as a player, was commonly the best shortstop in the game, and will be remembered as one of the All-Time greats for his acrobatics at baseball's toughest position. Only two players who appeared in a game after his debut, brother Bobby (115.4) and home run leader Max Morris (129.0) have accumulated more WAR then Harry's 108.4, currently good for 15th in FABL history. He's a win below Thomas Watkins (109.4) for 14th, and with some luck he could end up between 10th and 12th depending on how much gas is left in his tank. Recently 38, he was still a plus defender for the Minutemen (5.2 ZR, 1.014) this year, and he hit a solid .280/.353/.365 (88 OPS+) with a slightly below average 99 WRC+ in 136 games. He doesn't have the big power numbers of Wheeler, just 50 since his debut at 19 with the Kings. It's funny, the Foresters have both the best and worst first overall selection for the period we are observing, but neither played a FABL game for the organization. They traded Harry less then a year after selecting him in one of the most lopsided trades ever. Heinie Bretz was plagued with injuries, and the picks the Foresters got became Levi Redding and Al Heard, who became nothing more then fourth outfielders. Sure, they used Redding to get Eddie Quinn, who had three good years in the mid 30s for them, but that pales in comparison to the top shortstop. It's always an interesting "What-If" story to see if the Foresters held on to the guy that lead FABL in WAR in each of his first three seasons, and is set to be just the 15th (or 16th if Fred McCormick gets there first) FABL player to reach the 3,000 hit mark. 1925 1st Overall Pick: Al Wheeler (Hall-of-Fame) Career Stats: 2,951 G, 12,792 PA, 3,248 H, 422 2B, 124 3B, 516 HR, 2,014 RBI, 1,623 BB, 64 SB, .295/.383/.496 (139 OPS+), 136 WRC+, -84.5 ZR (RF), .980 EFF, 78.7 WARFABL Teams: Dynamos (1928-1935), Kings (1935-1943), Chiefs (1943-1944), Cannons (1944-1947) Accolades: 3 Whitney Awards, 5 All-Star Selections, 3 World Championships You could definitely make the case that Wheeler deserves the top spot, but I'm a pitching and defense guy and shortstop is a much harder spot to fill then corner outfield. A well-traveled slugger, Wheeler debuted in 1928 for the team that selected him to kick off the Modern Era's start, and he spent a significant time as Harry Barrell's teammate with the Brooklyn Kings. Almost all his best work came in Detroit, but he had a nice resurgence in Cincinnati before calling it quits in 1947. Traded in three midseason deals, from a ten piece package that sent him to Brooklyn to the 7th Round pick that led to a Cannons championship, many players are linked to "The Wonder Wheel" through trade or the titles he brought teams. Though his best work came in Detroit, where he slashed .325/.407/.549 (150 OPS+) with 204 homers and 821 RBIs. His HOF plaque should boast a Dynamo hat, even if he played more with the Kings, and if he got just one more season (or half season) in Detroit he would have had the rare honor of leading two teams in home runs. One of the most feared sluggers the game has seen, Wheeler did more then live up to the #1 overall selection, and no position player from that draft selected after him was able to surpass his stellar career. 1929 1st Overall Pick: Tom Barrell (Hall-of-Fame) Career Stats: 179-111, 6 SV, 3.68 ERA (109 ERA+), 3.66 FIP (91 FIP-), 409 G, 2,722.2 IP, 724 BB, 1,257 K, 1.27 WHIP, 48.9 WARFABL Teams: Cougars (1932), Kings (1932-1940), Miners (1941-1943), Cannons (1944-1945) Accolades: 3 Allen Awards, 4 All-Star Selections, 2 World Championships As far as I know, Tom Barrell is the only #1 overall pick to be traded for another #1 overall pick, as he was a part of the ill-fated Cougars/Kings swap that sent Mike Taylor and Tommy Wilcox to the Windy City for a four prospect package. At the time, Barrell already debuted for the Cougars, but they were looking to defend their title and were willing to sacrifice some of the future for what was at the time arguably the best pitcher/catcher duo. Of course, we all know how that ended up, as Wilcox can barely feel his arm while Tom can use what's left of his arm to shine his Hall-of-Fame plaque. It's hard to find a better three year stretch then Tom's 1934 to 1936, which is pretty much the reason he has the previously mentioned plaque. Leading the CA all three times in FIP- and WAR, it was far more dominant then the recent three year run that Adrian Czerwinski went on, and even if the '36 award was a little sketchy, he was far more deserving of the trifecta then Cleveland's ace. Unfortunately, injuries got him not long after, as he really only had three or four decent seasons after his 3rd Allen, and two of them were more lucky and good with the Cannons as he toyed with the war weakened Conti lineups. He earned the three spot here due to his immense talent and dominant peak, as since we've only seen Deuce Barrell able to replicate. Even with little success on the wrong side of 30, Tom finished with 179 wins and a 3.68 ERA (109 ERA+), striking out 1,257 hitters. Considering his lofty expectations, he didn't really live up to all the hype, but you can't blame him for the arm injuries, and for a short time he was on top of the baseball world. 1933 1st Overall Pick: Joe Hancock (Still Active) Career Stats: 214-166, 2 SV, 3.28 ERA (120 ERA+), 3.30 FIP (83 FIP-), 469 G, 3,502.1 IP, 1,069 BB, 1,498 K, 1.30 WHIP, 77.2 WARFABL Teams: Wolves (1936-1951), Dynamos (1951) Accolades: 1 Allen Award, 6 All-Star Selections, 1 World Championship If it wasn't for a deadline deal this season, Joe Hancock would be the only member of the group to spend his entire FABL career with one team. Hancock was a Wolf until he was almost 39, traded this summer to the Detroit Dynamos for a three player package headlined by a rotation replacement in George Avery, who went 6-3 with a 3.51 ERA (121 ERA+) in 74.1 innings. Most of the innings came in the rotation, and while he showed some promise, the odds of him becoming the next Joe Hancock are slim to none. Hancock doesn't have the peak Tom Barrell did, but the fact that he's still pitching at 39 and leads Barrell in most of the counting stats speaks to his longevity. It was really a toss-up between the two, and Hancock could theoretically pass him in my mind if he keeps pitches. He did win the Allen in '39 and had a nice little run from his debut through his 20-win campaign before his enlistment, he may not have done enough to prove his case to Hall-of-Fame voters. The war taking two years away from him makes his 214 wins more impressive, and he'd likely reach 250 with two extra prime seasons. He never quite regained his pre-way form, though Hancock's maintained FIP- of 90 since he led the league at 26 with an elite 78 (3,36 FIP). And despite just one Allen Award, he's led the league in wins three times, with a pair of 20-game seasons and a career best 22 the year he took home the award. I'm sure he was partially glad to get out of Toronto this season, and after spending 14 seasons in Toronto he ranks 2nd in strikeouts (1,455) and starts (432), 3rd in wins (204), innings (3,394.2), and WAR (75.1), 4th in complete games (163) and shutouts (23). Co-ace George Garrison (151-151, 3.38, 1,249) may pass him in some of those categories, but that doesn't limit the impact he had on both competitive and uncompetitive Wolves teams throughout his career. Sure, he was rarely the best, but Hancock has yet to have a below average ERA+ or FIP-. If he can pitch his way into the hall, perhaps he'll have a chance to overtake Barrell in a later ranking, but just like for most of his career, he's going to have to settle for second best. And second best with Joe Hancock is nothing to be ashamed of. It gets you results and quality innings, and it certainly wasn't his fault (10-4, 2.59, 43) the Dynamos couldn't outlast the Pioneers and Gothams in a pennant race for the ages. 1927 1st Overall Pick: Cliff Moss Career Stats: 2,203 G, 8,702 PA, 2,221 H, 318 2B, 71 3B, 284 HR, 1,166 RBI, 924 BB, 37 SB, .290/.366/.462 (126 OPS+), 124 WRC+, 11.7 ZR (RF), 1.011 EFF, 48.9 WARFABL Teams: Saints (1928-1935), Chiefs (1935-1940), Cougars (1941-1945) Accolades: 4 All-Star Selections, 2 World Championships It's hard to be underrated as a #1 Overall Pick, but I've always felt like the reliable Cliff Moss never got enough credit for being one of the most consistent sluggers. Sure, he's not what you picture when you think #1 pick, and his career isn't what you're shooting for in the top spot, he was still the right call at #1. A few players from the class ended up better then him, namely future Hall-of-Famer Fred McCormick, multiple time teammate and Saints draft mate Hank Barnett, and pitcher Dean Astle, but aside from 2nd Rounder Ed Wood, none of the players were selected in the first five rounds. Being a slugger, Moss had the disservice of starting his career in Montreal, as the Parc Cartier does a great job suppressing power. So much so that the 26 he hit in 1930 were tied for the third most in a season, with his 24 the year prior part of a tie for sixth. His 104 homers as a Saint actually rank 7th in team history, despite just one player in the top 10, slumping Slugger Maurice Carter (92, 2,197) having made fewer trips to the plate then Moss' 3,760. The park was so bad for Moss that in his last two seasons he hit just 9 total homers, and poor offensive production moved him to the bench. Then in 1935, he got the gift he wanted, as the GM who selected him was now in Chicago, and he brought the familiar Moss to the Chiefs. His career was revived, as Moss slashed .331/.422/.579 (160 OPS+) after the trade, clonking 19 homers in just 365 trips to the plate. From that point on, Moss never saw a OPS+ or WRC+ below 100, and he hit a superb .295/.377/.495 (133 OPS+) in his six seasons with the Chiefs. His defense was passable, leading to some down ballot Whitney votes, and then like many 34-year-old veterans he was traded to the crosstown Cougars. Moss was more passable then good his first two seasons, but he turned things on as he got closer to 40. Three of his best seasons were after 36, posting WRC+ of 142, 147, and 135 from '43 to '45. The 147 is second only to his 154 in his only midseason trade, and the other two ranked third and tied for fifth in a season. His 284 career homers are good for 12th all-time, and it's not hard to imagine him getting closer to 400 if he spent his early years in Chicago, and he would have had 30 had he not retired despite hitting .300 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs in his final season. He's already been on and left the ballot for the Hall, but his career was certainly a successful one, and you can even argue he made the difference for the Chiefs in their title wins in '36 and '38. 1928 1st Overall Pick: Tommy Wilcox Career Stats: 91-84, SV, 3.95 ERA (107 ERA+), 3.84 FIP (90 FIP-), 205 G, 1,554 IP, 428 BB, 531 K, 1.36 WHIP, 28.3 WARFABL Teams: Kings (1929-1932), Cougars (1932-1936) Accolades: 1 Allen Award, 3 All-Star Selections It's hard for me to not tear up a bit when writing about Tommy Wilcox, as I'll never be able to forgive Dick Pozza for ruining his arm during the 1934 season. That's not what he's remembered most for, nor his 1933 Allen in a pennant winning season for the Cougars, but for being part of the Tom Barrell trade that might have cursed the Cougars for good. Fresh off a championship, the Cougars were going for more, but a tough New York Stars team stood in their way. In an effort to improve the staff and lineup, Wilcox and catcher Mike Taylor were brought in from Brooklyn. At the time, the 25-year-old knuckleballer was 9-9 with a 3.19 ERA (131 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP with 29 walks and 53 strikeouts, and he was arguably the frontrunner for the Allen Award. In what could have been a win-win trade, Wilcox absolutely imploded, going 6-6 with a 6.70 ERA (62 ERA+) and 1.53 WHIP with 18 walks and 28 strikeouts. Considering the Cougars missed the postseason by just two games, it's fair to say the trade cost them a title, as Barrell went 8-3 with a 2.48 ERA (168 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts for the Kings. That would've have been perfect, but instead, the Cougars have still failed to win a title since. Of course, his Allen which led to a pennant the following season made it seem like everything was going to be okay, but the joy proved to be short lived. After being forced to pitch in three games in a short period, including an All-Star game when he was already gassed, the ironed arm Wilcox (no prior injuries more then 4 days) ruptured his UCL. He was never the same when he returned, and the top rotation arm who was dominant for most of his first five seasons was out of the majors before he turned 30. Funny enough, his 107 ERA+ was just two points worse then Barrell, and the beginning of his career was so good he still ranked 5th in the draft class in WAR among pitchers. Among hitters, only Bobby Barrell (who was injured on draft-day and has more WAR then literally anyone) bested Wilcox, so all things considered this was the right pick. You can't plan for injuries, and considering at 26 he went 21-11 with a 2.58 ERA (140 ERA+), 2.91 FIP (80 FIP-), and 1.02 WHIP, he clearly had talent. He struck out 113 and walked just 43, leading the CA in wins, ERA, FIP-, WHIP, K/BB (2.6), and WAR (6.8). It's a shame FABL fans were robbed of more gems, he finished with 120 complete games and 16 shutouts, and perhaps if that ill-fated trade was never made, we'd be discussing Wilcox's Hall-of-Fame career in Brooklyn. 1930 1st Overall Pick: Jack Flint Career Stats: 990 G, 3,832 PA, 1,036 H, 154 2B, 14 3B, 32 HR, 471 RBI, 248 BB, SB SB, .292/.338/.371 (93 OPS+), 94 WRC+, 2.8 ZR (C),.989 EFF, 15.9 WARFABL Teams: Pioneers (1833-1938), Gothams (1939), Cannons (1940), Minutemen (1941-1943) Accolades: 2 All-Star Selections, 1 World Championship The 1930 draft did not seem to have much talent, headlined by Lubbock State's Jack Flint who went #1 to the Pioneers. The lack of talent is evident now, with the "best" players above Flint Jim Beard, Jake Smith, and Rip Curry. Bill Ross was the only other player worth more WAR then Flint, who at just 15.9 was fifth in the class. Surpassing 500 PAs just once in his eleven season career, Flint flip-flopped between backup and starter, getting around 100 or 50 starts in most of his campaigns. A pretty highly touted prospect, he was in the majors in 1933, and had a nice three year run with the Pioneers from 1936 to 1938. Most of his time was in St. Louis appearing in 492 games and hitting a solid .314/.361/.393 (100 OPS+). During the '38 season he was replaced by longtime catcher Heinie Zimmer, though he got starting at bats elsewhere. Shipped to the Gothams in a minor offseason deal, he spent one season in New York before being included in the blockbuster trade that sent Gus Goulding to the Big Apple. Flint joined the Cannons for their first season in Cincinnati, before he was sent to Boston for a pair of picks. He did not do well, hitting .245/.301/.295 (66 OPS+) in 478 trips to the plate, but if you ask him which season is his favorite, he'll tell you its that one. That's because the Minutemen won the World Championship Series, and Flint caught six of seven games. After the title, his playing time dropped gradually, and after entering the Army at 34, he decided he would not return to baseball when his term was over. He ended his 11-year career with a respectable .292/.338/.371 (93 OPS+) line, good enough for a solid defensive catcher. He's the first of these first selections to never really show why he went #1, but for a while he was a middle-of-the-road starter that was usually better then half the league's starters. 1932 1st Overall Pick: Curly Jones Career Stats: 59-67, 18 SV, 3.98 ERA (99 ERA+), 4.14 FIP (104 FIP-), 374 G, 1,320 IP, 745 BB, 551 K, 1.58 WHIP, 9.5 WARFABL Teams: Gothams (1935-1936), Kings (1936-1938), Dynamos (1939), Kings (1939-1944) GWL Teams: Thunderbirds (1946-1947) Accolades: 1 All-Star Selections, 2 World Championships Sometimes you can have all the talent in the world, but it doesn't matter one bit if you don't have the drive to improve on it. Despite having all that talent, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised Curly Jones ended up not panning out, as the Georgia native was ready to call it quits before throwing a single pitch. Though a conversation with a very important Barrell encouraged him to give baseball a shot. The well-traveled Jones was expected to be an ace, consistently ranked among the top five FABL prospects before his debut at 24. It did not go great, as despite a 12-6 record, his ERA was nearly 5 (4.92, 94) and he allowed 72 walks to just 60 strikeouts. Those control issues stuck with him his whole career, as in 13 starts with the Gothams the next season his 15.1 BB% was nearly twice as high as his 7.8 K%. Jones was then sent to the Kings in return for two players and a pick, the team he spent most of his career with. He had a brief interruption with the Dynamos in '39, but aside from that he only played in Brooklyn from '37 to '44. Most of that was as a reliever, where he actually had a few solid seasons after 30. When you're picking #1, the last thing you want is a solid reliever, as Curly never made more then 25 starts or threw more then 200 innings in his 12 year career. He even played a little in the GWL, though the starts weren't great, and he called it quits with less then 1,500 innings of mileage on his arm. 1934 1st Overall Pick: Bobo White Career Stats: 44-58, 4.97 ERA (84 ERA+), 4.74 FIP (113 FIP-), 134 G, 923.1 IP, 440 BB, 309 K, 1.63 WHIP, 5.9 WARFABL Teams: Eagles (1937-1940), Dynamos (1941, 1943) Accolades: N/A Another pitcher who was supposed to be an ace, Bobo White didn't have the lofty prospect grading that Curly had, but he was a consistent top 100 prospect who spent most of his time in the top half. A starter for nearly all his career, Bobo debuted for the Eagles in 1937, making the Opening Day roster and making 36 starts. It wasn't a great debut season, as he was 12-14 with a 5.24 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.66 WHIP, 106 walks, and 121 strikeouts. Like Curly, he walked too many guys, and in each of his next five seasons he walked a lot more guys then he struck out. This prevented him from ever having an above average ERA+ with the Eagles, and at 27 they were ready to give up on him. They sent him to Detroit for a late round pick before the 1941 season, and he pitched a little in '41 and '43. '41 was awful, '43 was good, but it was just two starts and he survived walking 7 with just a single strikeout. He didn't pitch at all the next four seasons, but had a late career resurgence as a minor league reliever. He pitched for five different teams in a two year period, but poor starter turned minor-league reliever isn't the ideal career trajectory for a player taken first in his class. 1926 1st Overall Pick: Karl Stevens Career Stats: 14 G, 47 PA, 7 H, 4 2B, 3B, 6 RBI, 9 BB, .184/.340/.342 (91 OPS+), 98 WRC+, -0.1 ZR (LF), 1.041 EFF, 0.1 WARFABL Teams: Foresters (1930-1931) Accolades: N/A You can forgive your Forester fan friends if they don't remember Karl Stevens, who was the clear dud of the first ten Modern Era picks. To be fair, the '26 class was very weak, as aside from Fred Barrell, Sam Sheppard, Walt Wells, and Ben Turner, there weren't many quality players they could have ended up with. But there were plenty of less-then-quality players that were leaps and bounds better then Stevens. In the Foresters defense, Stevens hit an outstanding .346/.414/.612 (175 OPS+) in college with 45 doubles, 32 homers, and 125 RBIs, so there was clearly a lot of offensive potential here. He crushed minor league pitching, but once he got to the majors, he started to see more time on the bench instead of in the lineup. At this point, he hit well in the minors, but for one reason or another he didn't really get a chance. He never played for a FABL team after the 1931 season, wasting away in the minors from 1932 to 1937, calling it quits with just 14 career FABL games at 33 in 1938.  ALL-STARS RALLY LATE TO BEAT VALIANTS The third annual NAHC all-star game was, at least for 57 minutes, a goaltending clinic staged by the Montreal Valiants duo of Tom Brockers and Brad Carter. The two split the contest with Carter, the usual backup, starting the game and making 35 saves in a wide open game. He gave way to the veteran Brockers who also stymied the all-star shooters until the stars broke through with a pair of late goals to claim a 2-1 victory over the defending Challenge Cup Champions. Montreal was outshot by the all-stars 61-43 in a game in which little attention was paid to defensive play by either side. The Vals Arlen Doherty scored the only goal of the first period, tucking the puck short-side on Detroit's Millard Touhey with a shot from near the bottom of the right circle. Nickolas Roch and Shel Herron drew the assists and the goal would stand up as the only one of the game until Orval Cabbell, the New York Shamrocks star center, whistled a wrist shot from the high slot past Brockers with just 2:15 remaining in the contest. Toronto's Les Carlson and Detroit defenseman Tyson Beddoes earned assists on the tying marker. It looked like we would have a second straight tie game - Montreal and the Stars skated to a 2-2 draw a year ago- but Lou Galbraith had other ideas. Set up by Packers defenseman Bert McColley, the Toronto winger ripped a one-time from the top of the left circle that caught Brockers by surprise and gave the All-Stars the 2-1 victory. Tyson Beddoes, the offensive minded Detroit defenseman, who assisted on the tying goal, was named the first star of the game with Doherty and Carlson claiming second and third star honours.   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY JANUARY 8 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9 Toronto 2 at 5 New York : The Shamrocks are now a perfect 4-0 in 1952 after a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Dukes. Geoff Hartnell scored twice for New York with Orval Cabbell and Rusty Mullins each earning a pair of helpers. Les Carlson had both Toronto goals. THURSDAY JANUARY 10 New York 1 at 3 Detroit : The Motors snapped a 3-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory on home ice over New York. Millard Touhey made 38 saves while Nick Tardif had two assists to pace Detroit. SATURDAY JANUARY 12 Chicago 2 at 2 Montreal : Back in action a night after hosting the All-Star Game, the Montreal Valiants skated to a 2-2 tie with Chicago. Kip Bedard opened the scoring and Rey Sclisizzi earned the tie for Montreal with a third period goal. In between the Packers got a pair of late first period goals off the sticks of Max Ducharme and Jarrett McGlynn.Detroit 1 at 3 Toronto : A productive night for Quinton Pollack who scored once and assisted on the other two Toronto goals to lead the Dukes to a 3-1 victory over the Motors. Les Carlson and Lou Galbraith scored the other Toronto goals with all three of them coming in a 10-minute span in the middle frame. SUNDAY JANUARY 13 Chicago 3 at 3 Boston :Tommy Hart had a goal and assisted on both of Craig Simpson's goals as Boston battled Chicago to a 3-3 draw. Tommy Burns had a pair of helpers for the Packers.Toronto 6 at 3 Detroit :Toronto sweeps a home and home weekend series with Detroit by doubling the Motors 6-3 on Sunday night at Thompson Palladium. Doug Zimmerman and Les Carlson each scored twice for the Dukes. Montreal 4 at 4 New York : A second straight tie on the weekend for Montreal as Wayne Augustin pulled the Vals even when he scored with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game, shortly after Joe Martin had given New York a 4-3 lead. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY JANUARY 15 Toronto at Boston WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16 Chicago at New York THURSDAY JANUARY 17 New York at Chicago Boston at Detroit Toronto at Montreal SATURDAY JANUARY 19 Detroit at Montreal Boston at Toronto SUNDAY JANUARY 20 Montreal at Boston Toronto at Chicago New York at Detroit DUKES WIN TWO OF THREE Toronto's hockey team takes two straight from Detroit during a weekend home and home set after going down to defeat in NYC on Wednesday. Against the Shamrocks during the week the game really turned on one call. With the Dukes leading 2-1 on a an opening minute powerplay goal by Les Carlson then a second Carlson marker after Jocko Gregg had tied the game at 1 Frank Featherstone was given a 5 minute major plus a game misconduct with less than 3 minutes left in the first. This penalty, that was hotly disputed by Jack Barrell, gave the NY team the lift they needed, they scored once to knot the game at 2 while the Dukes were killing the major. This was the first of 4 straight to let the Shamrocks walk away with an easy 5-2 win before 12509. Scott Renes got the start for Toronto who were again were badly outshot 44-29 in a game where they assessed 19 or 21 total penalty minutes. Barrell is said to be scheduled for a hearing at the league offices after his tirade following the Featherstone call. The Dukes started a big weekend series with Detroit at home on Saturday night in front of 13668 at the Gardens. The scoreless first period was a chippy affair with each team shorthanded three times. Neither goaltender was particularly busy, Broadway for Toronto, Touhey for the Motors, as there was little pace to the game with the constant parade to the penalty box. Whatever changes Barrell made to the attack plan at intermission worked as the Dukes came out flying in the second constantly buzzing around Touhey's cage. Toronto fired 22 shots Touhey's way in the middle stanza with Carlson, Galbraith, Pollack all finding paydirt to lead 3-0 after 40 minutes. Pollack also had a helper on the other two goals. Detroit narrowed the gap to two on Spencer Larocque's 8th of year before the 5 minute mark of the third. That was the only time the red light went on behind Broadway in a 3-1 final. The teams went back to battle Sunday in the Thompson Palladium. The game started more wide open as Detroit went the attack early with both teams using the same netminders. Broadway was not beat in the first despite facing 22 shots, The only goal was by Spencer Hoffard from the high slot at 16:56 on passes from Brown, Galbraith. In a high scoring second Carlson's man advantage goal, his 17th, made 2-0 less than 3 minutes into the second. The team's then exchanged 4 more goals in the second with Comeau, McKenzie, scoring for the Motors only to be answered by Carlson's second of the night along with Zimmerman. Detroit made 4-3 before the third was a minute old, that was as close as the home team would get this night. J.C. Martel, Zimmerman's second in the game made the final 6-3 Dukes sending almost 17000 home unhappy this night. Coach Barrell- "The game in NY was stolen from us by the referee. We were up then all of a sudden Featherstone gets a major plus a game. That check was clean, their guy picked up sucker pass, turned then Frank destroyed him, the hit was bone jarring but clean. I have said this before, you learn in peewee hockey not to take a pass in your skates because if you do you are going pay to as soon as your head comes up. I have been lobbying for years for an upgrade to the on ice officials. The game has passed some of the older guys, they cannot keep up to the play, the game is too fast therefore they are out position making calls on the result not the play. That is what happened Wednesday, that call took us right out of the game. I have an upcoming hearing that will no doubt leave me lighter in the wallet, so be it, maybe someone will look at what is happening with officials that are constantly behind the play. The players know who can't keep up with the game. I give the guys credit for coming out on the weekend with two good games against Detroit. i hope we have finally turned a corner, the guys we count on are starting to find the back of the net again with regularity. This week will be a good test with two against Boston who have owned us lately, I have a few new wrinkles to throw in which hopefully will confuse them."
  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 7 at #1 Coastal California 57, Allentown State 30 at #8 Carolina Poly 55, Grafton 51 at #10 Northern California 45, Rose Point (PA) 39 at #12 Central Ohio 64, Brooklyn State 59 at #15 Opelika State 56, Maumee State 38 University of New Jersey 50, at #18 Lane State 42 #20 Berwick 53, at Henry Hudson 49 TUESDAY JANUARY 8 at #2 Whitney College 70, Dickson 61 at #4 Liberty College 78, Boulder State 73 at #11 Noble Jones College 81, Michigan Lutheran 46 #17 Mobile Maritime 54, at St Andrews College 44 #19 Perry State College 52, at Eastern Kansas 48 at #21 St. Ignatius 58, Ohio Poly 43 at #24 Lincoln 66, Central Illinois 57 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9 #3 Western Iowa 52, at Northern Mississippi 32 at #5 CC Los Angeles 69, Central Carolina 47 at #8 Carolina Poly 73, Brooklyn State 60 at #12 Central Ohio 66, St. Matthew's College 28 #13 Annapolis Maritime 68, at Commonwealth Catholic 56 at #18 Lane State 62, Bluegrass State 45 #20 Berwick 63, at Frankford State 60 #25 Lubbock State 58, at Miners College 34 THURSDAY JANUARY 10 at #1 Coastal California 56, Chicago Poly 31 at #4 Liberty College 66, Dickson 37 at #10 Northern California 56, Valley State 45 at #14 Indiana A&M 73, Michigan Lutheran 48 #21 St. Ignatius 50, at Eastern State 43 at #22 Columbia Military Academy 60, Adirondack State 49 #23 North Carolina Tech 50, at #16 Rainier College 48 at #24 Lincoln 64, Canton State 52 FRIDAY JANUARY 11 at #2 Whitney College 72, Brooklyn State 49 at #5 CC Los Angeles 67, Kansas Agricultural 59 at #6 Detroit City College 68, Commonwealth Catholic 64 #7 Redwood 71, at Flagstaff State 42 at #9 Lexington State 49, Grant (IN) 36 St. Matthew's College 77, at #11 Noble Jones College 73 at #12 Central Ohio 69, Pittsburgh State 51 #17 Mobile Maritime 56, at College of Omaha 51 at #18 Lane State 63, Western State 45 #20 Berwick 75, at Chesapeake State 69 at Utah A&M 43, #25 Lubbock State 38 SATURDAY JANUARY 12 at #1 Coastal California 51, Central Carolina 35 #13 Annapolis Maritime 56, at St. Gordius 37 at #15 Opelika State 53, Harrisburg State 41 at #21 St. Ignatius 64, Cleveland 58 at #23 North Carolina Tech 60, Michigan Lutheran 53 SUNDAY JANUARY 13 #4 Liberty College 66, at #20 Berwick 44 at #5 CC Los Angeles 63, Spokane State 38 at #7 Redwood 43, #16 Rainier College 42 at #8 Carolina Poly 54, St. Matthew's College 38 at #9 Lexington State 70, St. Blane 58 at #10 Northern California 62, Portland Tech 59 at #14 Indiana A&M 75, #19 Perry State College 48 #17 Mobile Maritime 60, at Alabama Baptist 51 Idaho A&M 46, at #18 Lane State 45 at #22 Columbia Military Academy 56, Armstrong 45
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/13/1952
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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. |
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08-12-2024, 12:06 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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January 21, 1952
JANUARY 21, 1952 MAGNATES TO BARRELL: YOU'RE OUT! By an overwhelming vote of 13 to 3 the owners of the 16 FABL clubs have voted to fire Dan Barrell as their league President after less than two years on the job. Led by coal magnate and Toronto Wolves owner Bernie Millard, a large group of owners pressed for a vote calling for Barrell's removal due to violating one of the core principles wanted in a league president by William Whitney when FABL was organized in 1892. At the time Whitney, the first to form a professional baseball league two decades prior to the creation of FABL, stated the FABL President must have "no ties, financial or otherwise, to any one club in order to preserve the impartiality of the office." Barrell, a member of baseball's most recognizable family, had plenty of ties when he was appointed to replace outgoing president Sam Belton when he was retiring, and some owners objected at that point with Millard being among Barrell's most vocal critics. The February 1950 vote to appoint Barrell as Belton's replacement was not unanimous as Millard and New York Gothams owner Leland Winthrop both voted against the decision. Ironically Millard's Toronto Wolves are one of the teams that perhaps violate the "no ties" guideline as the manager of Millard's club is none other than Dan's brother Fred Barrell. The final straw, in Millard's mind and clearly enough to push enough magnates to follow his lead and vote Barrell out, came when Max Morris - the legendary slugger and current Congressman- told Millard that Dan Barrell had asked him about an appointment to Rome State for his son Mike. While Barrell maintains it was simply innocent questioning of an old acquaintance on the prospects of son qualifying for the military academy, Millard painted a picture to his fellow owners of Barrell abusing his power to secure favor for his family." Only longtime Barrell allies Bill Whitney of the Chicago Chiefs, Calvin Stockdale of the Washington Eagles and Tom Bigsby, who recently purchased the New York Stars voted against the removal of Barrell. There has been no word on when a new league president will be appointed, not any indication of who the candidates for the position might be.   BREAKING NEWS - ONE BARRELL OUT IN TORONTO As the dark winter nights set in on Lake Ontario with fans beginning to dream of the crack of the bat, and with it the warmth of spring, fans of the Wolves will have a new man in charge on the field. Fred Barrell went into the Wolves offices over the weekend to tender his resignation as the club's manager. This comes after the shakeup at the top of the FABL in which it is said Bernie Millard engineered the ouster of League President Dan Barrell, Fred's brother. This was probably the straw that broke the camel's back for Fred, although it was rumoured that Millard was also on the verge of terminating Barrell after a record of 174-288 in three seasons as bench boss at Dominion Stadium. The front office has announced that for the upcoming season Dick Dennis will be the manager after 15 seasons as bench coach for the Wolves. A statement from the team was "Dick Dennis will takeover as manager after Fred Barrell's sudden resignation. We have all confidence in Dick given his decade and a half as bench coach, he knows the players, the Wolves system now he will be in complete control. A search for a bench coach will begin immediately, we hope to fill the position before heading to spring training. We wish Fred success with his future endeavours." Brett was alerted by an insider that big news was about to break for the Wolves, he should try to contact Fred Barrell. Brett was able to contact Fred who agreed to a brief interview: Brett: Well, that was surprising news for baseball fans during the dead the winter. Is there anything you would like to tell the fans through the Mail & Empire? Fred Barrell: The first thing I would like to say is that I would like to apologize to Wolves' fans for the teams performance during my 3 seasons in charge. A record of 174-288 is nothing I can be proud of, the people of Toronto deserve better, hopefully Dick will give them a better record. Brett: Did Dan's departure have anything to do with your decision? Fred: In a way, yes. I had been thinking over the winter than maybe I was not cutout to be a manager. My talents might be better suited to player evaluation. I may not have what is needed to lead an FABL team. When I heard that the Wolves owner led the group that fired Dan I knew it was time for me to leave. The thing that I could not stomach was that Mr. Millard did not have the decency to call me in to tell of his plans before enacting them as matter of courtesy. With that type of subterfuge I was not comfortable with what would be going on out of my sight, hearing with the team. Without the full confidence of the owner I could not stay with the Wolves. I would like to wish the players and staff all possible success in 1952 as the team begins to move forward. Dick is right man at this time for the team and its fans. Right now I am going to Georgia for awhile to consider my future. I would also like to thank the Mail & Empire for its tough but fair coverage of the team during my tenure. You could have been much harsher in your coverage. TOP OF FABL DRAFT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR ONCE AGAIN The Chicago Chiefs selection of Stan Czerwinski with the first selection in the 1952 draft marked the second year in a row that the top selection had a sibling with three Allen Awards to his credit. Czerwinski is the younger brother of Cleveland Foresters ace Adrian Czerwinski, winner of each of the last three Allen Awards. A year ago it was the name Charlie Barrell that was uttered at the start of the draft as the Cannons made the three sport star from Noble Jones College the first pick. Charlie is the half brother of Cannons hurler Rufus 'Deuce' Barrell, who also has won three Allen Awards. Barrell is also a half-brother of Philadelphia Keystones catcher Roger Cleaves. Deuce himself was a first overall selection by the Cannons back in 1935 and is one of five other number one picks who had previous pro baseball family ties when selected. There was Jim Adams Jr., currently with the St Louis Pioneers but drafted by Cleveland in 1943 and is the son of former big league shortstop Jim Adams Sr., who played a dozen seasons for the Keystones and Toronto in the 1920s. Then there is Frank Bunch Jr., the top pick in the 1938 draft, who's father Frank Sr. had a cup of coffee with the New York Gothams - the same club that drafted Jr. Finally we have two more of the Barrell brothers as both Harry (1931-Cleveland) and Tom (1929-Chicago Cougars) were first overall selections. They are two of Rufus Barrell's five sons to play in the big leagues. Czerwinski is not the only player in this year's draft class with family ties. Jack Brinker of the New York Herald Tribune recently published a column outlining the 1951 and 1952 draftees with family ties to FABL. Here is a brief look at each of them. 1952 DRAFT
1951 DRAFT
 POST HECTOR SAWYER ERA SET TO BEGIN FOR HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION The shadow of Hector Sawyer, champion for over a decade and the greatest fight of all-time, will loom large over whoever may become the next ABF heavyweight champion of the world. The belt, without an owner since Sawyer walked away from the sport in September at the age of 37 after scoring a TKO win over Max Bradley in what was his 19th fight with the world title on the line. Bradley now has another opportunity to claim the title as the search for Sawyer's replacement begins this Saturday evening at Boston's Denny Arena. The 25-year-old Bradley is now considered the best in the division but there are plenty of others hoping to lay claim to the crown. The top four contenders - Bradley along with Lewis Jones, Joey Tierney and Tommy Cline- are the new hope for the next generation of heavyweights and all four will fight over the next two weeks as the job of weeding out a new champion gets underway. Bradley will meet Tommy Cline, a 27-year-old from Tennessee who has yet to receive a title shot, in Boston on Saturday. The winner of that 10 round tussle will earn the right to fight for the title at New York's Bigsby Garden, likely the first weekend of June. A week from now Jones and Tierney, considered the second and third best active heavyweights, will stage a similar bout at Keystone Arena in Philadelphia with the survivor punching his ticket to Bigsby Garden for that late spring title shot.  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
BIG WEEK IN TORONTO HAS DUKES CLIMBING BACK INTO RACE FOR NAHC LEAD If nothing else the Toronto Dukes have proved to be a very streaky team this season. Coach Jack Barrell's squad sprinted out of the gate with six straight victories and lost just once in their first thirteen games sparking speculation they might run away with first place this season. That changed quickly after a dismal stretch that saw Toronto win just once in its next thirteen games. More stretches of shoddy play followed after Christmas but suddenly the Dukes are on fire once again and demonstrating the same form that sent them to a big lead in early November. Even a 4-2 loss for a travel weary squad in Chicago last night did little dampen the spirits of rejuvenated Dukes club which went 4-0-1 in its last five games played over an eight day stretch before finally running out of gas in the Windy City. Toronto is still looking up at the Packers, who with last night's win lead the Dukes by six points, but while the Dukes may sit in third behind the New York Shamrocks as well as the Packers they can take comfort in the fact the recent stretch has secured their hold on a playoff spot far more tightly than it was just a week and a half ago. There is a long ways to go, 26 games for the Dukes, but Toronto is back to travelling in the right direction during a season that has had more than its share of ups and downs.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY JANUARY 15 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16 Chicago 3 at 0 New York : The opener of a home and home back to back showdown between the top two teams in the league and Michael Cleghorn stole the show. The Chicago goaltender stopped all 34 New York shots he faced for his league leading fifth shutout of the season. Tommy Burns, with his 20th goal of the season, Max Ducharme and Tommy Brescia, with his first goal in 23 games this year, handled the offense. THURSDAY JANUARY 17 New York 2 at 7 Chicago :The two clubs were tied for top spot entering the game, but the Chicago Packers clubbed the New York Shamrocks 7-2 to take sole possession of first place with a statement victory. Marty Mahoney scored twice and added an assist while NAHC scoring leader Tommy Burns and Jarrett McGlynn also each had three points as the Packers led 3-0 after twenty minutes and 6-0 at the end of forty.Boston 1 at 1 Detroit : Two clubs battling for fourth place skated to a 1-1 tie. Tommy Hart gave the visitors the lead midway through the second period but Moe Treadwell replied on the power play for Detroit early in the third. The Motors have a 1-point lead on the Bees for the final playoff berth. Toronto 6 at 3 Montreal : Quinton Pollack scored once and added three assists while Lou Galbraith and Rob Painchaud contributed three points each as the Dukes doubled the Valiants 6-3. It was Toronto's fourth straight victory. SATURDAY JANUARY 19 Detroit 0 at 2 Montreal : A masterful goaltending display from Tom Brockers as the veteran Montreal netminder turned aside 28 Detroit shots for his first shutout of the season. Jimmy Backus and Adam Sandford were the Valiants goal scorers.Boston 3 at 3 Toronto :The Bees tied for the third time in the past four games but the single point was enough to move Boston ahead of Detroit and into sole possession of fourth place in the NAHC standings. Third period goals from rookie Ben Voyechek and John Bentley allowed the Bees to rally for a 3-1 deficit after forty minutes. SUNDAY JANUARY 20 Montreal 1 at 2 Boston :A tight checking affair saw the Bees nip the visitors from Montreal 2-1. Kip Bedard opened the scoring shorthanded for the Valiants just under three minutes into the game but that would be the only one of 23 shots to elude Pierre Melancon in the Boston net. John Bentley tied the game just over three minutes after Bedard's goal and Robert Walker's 14th tally of the season, late in the second period, proved to be the game winner.Toronto 2 at 4 Chicago : An exhausted Toronto squad, unbeaten in its previous four games played over an eight day span, ran out of gas in Chicago playing for the fifth time in five different cities over the last nine days. Derek Gubb and Max Ducharme each scored twice to pace the Chicago offense. New York 3 at 2 Detroit :The New York Shamrocks snapped a 4-game winless streak with a 3-2 road win in Detroit. Most of the offense came in the third period as the Shamrocks Geoff Hartnell scored the only goal of the first two frames. Detroit jumped ahead 2-1 before the final stanza was six minutes old as first Lou Barber and then Adam Vanderbilt gave the hosts the lead but Jack Watkins and Alfie Dennis, the latter on the powerplay, secured the two points for the Greenshirts. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY JANUARY 22 New York at Boston WEDNESDAY JANUARY 23 Montreal at Toronto THURSDAY JANUARY 24 Montreal at Chicago Toronto at Detroit SATURDAY JANUARY 26 Chicago at Detroit Boston at Montreal New York at Toronto SUNDAY JANUARY 20 Toronto at Boston Detroit at Chicago Montreal at New York DUKES FIND SCORING TOUCH Toronto seems to have solved their scoring woes during a week in which the team donned their game uniforms four times going 2-1-1 while lighting the lamp 15 times. The week started in Denny Arena with the Bees, a team that has had the Dukes' number this season. Jack Barrell promised new wrinkles in an attempt to confuse Boston. Whatever changes he made worked on this night as his squad skated to a 4-2 win on foreign ice thanks to a three goal second period to lead 4-1 after 40 minutes of play. Special teams along with goaltending was again the key for Toronto. The Dukes killed all six Boston power play opportunities while Gordie Broadway turned aside 32 shots in yet anther game Toronto was outshot 34-28. A quick trip into Montreal for a Thursday night encounter with the Vals. In a fast-paced relatively wide open game the visitors came out flying taking a 3-0 lead after the first on goals by Miles Norman, Alex Cameron -with his first of the year- and Quinton Pollack. Montreal narrowed the lead the 4-2 after 40 with two goals, both while enjoying the man advantage. The Dukes, backed again between the pipes by Broadway, skated away with a 6-3 victory on a night in which Pollack had a goal and added 3 helpers. The week continued on Garden's ice Saturday as the Dukes hosted Boston in front of 14,058. Boston seemed to be out for revenge after the loss earlier in the week. The opening twenty was scoreless until the final minute when Boston's Jake Durand scored his first of the year at 19:28 only to be tied by Les Carlson's 20th with one tick left on the clock. Rather than the hardnosed, hard hitting, penalty filled affair these two teams normally play this night was a break for the referee. The were only a total of 7 minor penalties called in the game. Dukes took a 3-1 lead into the final twenty when two players, Joe Camposano and Kenny Woolley, tallied their first markers of the campaign in the second. Camposano's goal was his first career NAHC goal. Boston stormed back to salvage a tie with two goals in third, with John Bentley tying the match with less than 3 minutes to play. The last game of the week was Sunday night in Chicago. The Dukes scored early with Clyde Lumsen finding the back of the net on the powerplay at 2:08. After that the busy schedule seem to take a toll on the team's legs as the Packers took over the game. Scott Renes was again the victim of a shooting gallery facing 52 pucks on goal for the game. In a testy tilt Packers emerged as 4-2 winners thanks to 3 powerplay goals on six chances. Down 3-2 heading into the third the Dukes could only manage 2 shots on Norm Hanson in final 20 minutes for a total of 15 for the game. Coach Barrell- Overall a good week until we ran out of gas in Chicago. Scott held us in the game when we could not seem to get control of puck to mount any type of attack. Goals are starting to come, we have to work on cutting down shots against, our goaltenders are under siege far too often all season. I have no comment on either Fred's or Dan's situation only to tell you what Mr. Welcombe told me "Nothing Millard does surprises me, he seems to enjoy chaos, upsetting the boat."
 COYOTES KNOCK RIVAL DOLPHINS OUT OF TOP SPOT Section play, especially in the highly competitive West Coast Athletic Association and Great Lakes Alliance, is always fraught with danger and that was certainly the case Sunday afternoon as Coastal California fell from the ranks of the unbeaten and from number one in the polls after the Dolphins were upset at Barrette Arena by their cross-town rivals. City College of Los Angeles needed overtime but the Coyotes, keyed by a dozen points from junior forward Del Marmaduke, downed the Dolphins 51-47. This after the Coyotes themselves suffered a loss just four days earlier when Redwood beat CCLA 63-47 and at 3-0 is the only remaining unbeaten school in WCAA section play. The Dolphins, who are 14-1 overall, slide from top spot down to fourth in the rankings as preseason number one Whitney College ascends back to the top of the collegiate cage poll. The Engineers, who were ranked second a week ago, completed the non-conference portion of their schedule with wins over Central Carolina and Elyria this week to enter GLA play, which begins Thursday, with a 12-1 mark. There are only two unbeaten schools remaining in all of division one basketball. The Western Iowa Canaries who, like Whitney College, begin Great Lakes Alliance play on Thursday, improved to 13-0 and number three in the polls with wins at home over Boulder State and Chicago Poly last week. The other is Liberty College as the independent school is now 18-0 and ranked second in the nation. It is a return to form for the Bells, who stumbled (for them) thru a 21-9 season a year ago that saw them miss the AIAA tournament for the first time since the spring of 1935. Two seasons ago the Bells went 33-1 and were perfect until losing the national championship game to Noble Jones College, which became the first school ever to complete an unbeaten season. The Bells have reinvented themselves, changing from an under the basket offense led by big men Luther Gordon and before him Ward Messer, to a team that plays a little more on the perimeter with guard Joe Cesarini (10.1 ppg, 5.5 apg) leading the way. While not in the class of Gordon or Messer, both current Federal Basketball League stars, the Bells do have a pair of quality big men in center Bernie Stainbrook (8.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and forward Ole Avery (13.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg).  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 14 at #10 Detroit City College 73, Michigan Lutheran 57 Coastal State 44, at #12 Noble Jones College 41 #13 Central Ohio 55, at #23 North Carolina Tech 46 #17 Lincoln 63, at Great Plains State 53 Constitution State 46, at #21 Opelika State 45 TUESDAY JANUARY 15 at #1 Whitney College 64, Central Carolina 40 at #3 Western Iowa 60, Boulder State 46 at #8 Annapolis Maritime 65, Maryland State 57 at #15 Columbia Military Academy 60, Capital (MS) University 42 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16 at #5 Redwood 63, #6 CC Los Angeles 47 at #7 Carolina Poly 57, Kansas Agricultural 41 St. Matthew's College 67, at #10 Detroit City College 54 #17 Lincoln 80, at Bayou State 76 #19 Lubbock State 59, at Oklahoma City State 50 at #25 Quaker College (CA) 74, #22 Berwick 50 at #23 North Carolina Tech 49, Topeka State 40 THURSDAY JANUARY 17 at #3 Western Iowa 66, Chicago Poly 55 at #15 Columbia Military Academy 56, Allentown State 39 at Petersburg 59, #24 St. Ignatius 50 FRIDAY JANUARY 18 #1 Whitney College 73, at Elyria 47 #2 Liberty College 67, at Harrisburg State 59 at #4 Coastal California 56, Idaho A&M 48 at #7 Carolina Poly 57, Rose Point (PA) 28 #8 Annapolis Maritime 55, at Tallmadge State 39 at #12 Noble Jones College 63, Central Carolina 55 #20 Lane State 57, at #18 Rainier College 39 at #19 Lubbock State 60, Bulein 49 at #23 North Carolina Tech 51, St. Matthew's College 47 SATURDAY JANUARY 19 at #9 Lexington State 63, Manhattan Tech 29 Chicago Poly 59, at #13 Central Ohio 50 at #11 Indiana A&M 53, Maldin 52 at #15 Columbia Military Academy 50, Eastern Virginia 36 SUNDAY JANUARY 20 #6 CC Los Angeles 51, at #4 Coastal California 47 at #5 Redwood 54, #20 Lane State 42 at Idaho A&M 66, #14 Northern California 56 at #18 Rainier College 57, Portland Tech 32 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/20/1952
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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. Last edited by Tiger Fan; 08-12-2024 at 12:24 PM. |
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08-13-2024, 01:01 PM
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January 28, 1952
JANUARY 28, 1952  CLINE SURPRISES BRADLEY IN SAWYER CUP SEMIFINAL Denny Arena, Boston, Mass. – Max Bradley (22-2-1, 6 KO) vs. Tommy Cline (20-4-0, 15 KO) - After more than an 11-year reign as champion of the Heavyweight Division, Hector Sawyer is no longer at the top of the heap. No one could beat Sawyer; he retired because there was nothing left to prove. More difficult to fathom than Sawyer not being the champion is thinking about someone else holding the champion’s belt. Instead of bestowing that honor right away, the American Boxing Federation decided a four-way playoff – a Sawyer Cup, of sorts – was a fitting way to crown a new champion. Two bouts a week apart, this fight in Boston and next week’s tilt in Philadelphia, will determine the combatants in the bout that will decide Sawyer’s successor. Max Bradley, who held his own in Sawyer’s final fight, got the nod for one of the semifinal slots and he earned the top billing. His opponent was Tommy Cline, the fourth-ranked contender, who has already lost four times, but he earned knockouts in three-quarters of his 20 victories. Bradley was the favorite with his standing as the top-ranked contender and while Bradley was content to take it slow after the opening bell, Cline played the underdog card very well, trying to make his mark from the get-go and dominating the first round. After Bradley called him out about midway through the round, Cline opened the festivities with a big uppercut and followed it up with a hook to Bradley’s jaw that made him sorry he taunted him. Cline took a big punch from Bradley, a left hook to the body, but controlled the play for most of the round. His corner, and many in the crowd, began to take notice. The third round marked Bradley turn to own the tempo and he slowed it down, trying to force Cline to be too aggressive. The clinching by Cline in the third round became a mark of frustration, as Cline hit Bradley on the break and he was issued a warning by referee Dunk McGuire. Cline regained his composure in the fifth round, leading off with an uppercut that snapped Bradley’s head back. Bradley was not about to lose momentum to Cline and responded with a couple of hooks late in the round that put Cline back on his heels. In the sixth round, Cline was given two warnings, one for leaning on Bradley’s neck and another for using the shoulder. The eighth round was Bradley’s finest hour, as he did not let Cline get a single punch to break through. Bradley did everything but knock Cline down and it was the uppercut that did the most damage. Bradley seemed to have had enough to win the fight after nine rounds. In the tenth and final round, Cline connected on a devastating hook and an effective combination, and the judges and fans were left with those punches in their minds when the bell signaled the end of the fight. Both fighters acted as though they had won. The crowd was rooting for the underdog Cline, who fought with a more dynamic style, but Bradley was fouled four times during the bout, so there was some dirty play involved to help Cline along the way. The judges made a unanimous decision to declare Tommy Cline the winner and each card only had Cline up by one point, so the tenth round did indeed decide the winner. Cline will face the winner of the Lewis Jones-Joey Tierney fight in Philadelphia next weekend. Although the fight was only scheduled for ten rounds, both were ready to go longer. Ten rounds were clearly not enough to settle this matter. This bout was suited for a title fight and who knows? The next time they meet could be when Cline (21-4-0) wins the playoff and Bradley (22-3-1) gets another title shot. BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS Round 1: Cline, 3-0 (1:19 uppercut, 1:33 hook/jaw, 2:47 hook) Round 2: Cline, 3-1 (B: 0:25 hook/body; C: 0:46 combo, 1:02 right/head, 2:09 hook/head) Round 3: Tied, 1-1 (B: 0:52 left; C: 2:25 right) Round 4: None Round 5: Cline, 2-1 (B: 2:22 hook/head; C: 0:12 uppercut/head, 1:27 right/body) Round 6: Cline, 3-0 (0:55 cross, 1:44 hook, 2:11 right/head) Round 7: None Round 8: Bradley, 5-0 (0:57 cross/face, 1:17 uppercut, 2:12 uppercut, 2:26 uppercut, 2:43 uppercut) Round 9: Bradley, 1-0 (1:21 hook/midsection) Round 10: Cline, 2-0 (1:03 hook, 2:22 combo) TOTAL: Cline 14, Bradley 9  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
Gridiron WEST RALLIES TO WIN GRID ALL-PRO CONTEST The best of the American Football Association was on display in New York Sunday afternoon for the first-ever AFA All-Pro game. Taking a page out of baseball's playbook, which has staged an all-star spectacle since 1933, the footballers put on an entertaining show at Gothams Stadium over the weekend, with the stars of the West Division rallying for 20 unanswered points in the second half to claim a 23-20 victory. Pat Hill, the lanky speedster from the Kansas City Cowboys found the endzone twice after the break including a 12-yard catch on a pass thrown by his Cowboys teammate Pat Chappell with a little over four minutes remaining in the game that provided the game winning points. Hill was the busiest of a strong contingent of West Division backs, carrying the ball 14 times for 51 yards including a 12-yard scamper in the third quarter that cut into the East Division 20-3 halftime lead. East Division end Bobby Leonard, the former St. Blane All-American who now catches passes for the AFA champion Pittsburgh Paladins, was the star of the first half with a pair of scoring grabs, both on heaves from Cleveland's Rich McKowen. In all, Leonard made 5 catches for 102 yards and carried the ball twice for seven more to walk away with player of the game honours. The first half of the game was looking like it might be a rout for the East, which also benefited from a pair of field goals off the foot of Boston's Neville Caron to take a commanding 20-3 lead at the break. The West stars, with Vince Gallegos of San Francisco and Kansas City star Pat Chappell - recovered from an injury that forced him to miss the championship game loss to Pittsburgh- both struggling at quarterback and their running game unable to gain traction early managed just 27 yards of offense in the first half and their only points of the opening thirty minutes came on a 43-yard field goal by Detroit's James Church. The second half was a much different story as the West's second series after the break nearly doubled their first half yardage gains, with Hill doing most of the legwork in a 46-yard scoring march to cut the East lead to 20-10. Hill carried the ball four times on the drive for 27 yards, including a 12-yard scoring run while also adding 19 more yards by catching a Chappell pass. A series later saw a big 19-yard gain on a Gallegos pass to his Wings teammate Herk Loveall set up a 24-yard Church field goal to cut the deficit to seven points and it shrank to four early in the final period when a long West Division drive sputtered out on the 5-yard line but Church split the uprights with his 15-yard three point attempt to make the score 20-16 with a little over ten minutes remaining in the game. The East, which seemed to move the ball with ease in the opening half, was shut down by the West defenders after the break and with eight minutes left another West drive, this one which would result in the game winning points being scored, got underway from just a yard shy of mid-field. Lou Grossman of the Los Angeles Tigers ran around the right end for 13 yards and the Cowboys Mason Matthews followed two plays later with a bullrush for 19 yards shredding his way through the middle of the East Division. Chappell and Hill finished the drive with a 12-yard scoring strike through the air that put the West ahead for good 23-20 with 4:39 on the clock. The East had an opportunity to tie or even win the game after an explosive run from championship game MVP Wally Dotson of the Pittsburgh Paladins went for 52 yards and set up a first and goal for the East stars on the Western 8 yard line with two minutes remaining. The next three plays went backwards as Dotson was stopped for a one yard loss and McKowen, after throwing an incomplete pass on second down, was sacked by rookie linebacker Scott Cross of Detroit to lose eight more. That backed up the East for its game-tying field goal attempt and perhaps made all the difference in the world as Catron, lining up from 23 yards out, missed wide on his kick and the West would hang on for 23-20 victory.  PACKERS AND SHAMROCKS CONTINUE BATTLE FOR NAHC LEAD Just two points continues to separate the Chicago Packers and New York Shamrocks at the top of the North American Hockey Confederation standings. Each club won twice in three outings last week and with 24 games remaining for each team the Packers, with 56 points, are holding a two point lead on the Greenshirts. Tommy Burns, who had a rough year by his standards last season, and the team was awful, is back to showing the form that won the 31-year-old center three straight McDaniels Awards not all that long ago. Burns, who led the NAHC in scoring twice in his career, is riding a 12-game point scoring streak during which time he has tallied seven goals and 19 points. His 23 goals and 56 points on the year are each leading the NAHC this season. Meanwhile, winger Max Ducharme scored in six straight games before having that streak come to an end last night in a win over Detroit. Chicago rode the strength of its key offensive performers but the big story this season has been the goaltending duo of Michael Cleghorn and Norm Hanson. A year ago with the same duo between the pipes the Packers surrendered 225 goals, far and away the highest total in the league. This year they are on pace to cut more than a goal per game off that mark and have given up just 90 opposition goals in 46 games.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY JANUARY 22 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 23 Montreal 5 at 2 Toronto :Another big effort from Tom Brockers as the veteran Montreal goaltender made 40 saves to help the Valiants down the Toronto Dukes 5-2. Pat Coulter scored twice while Claude LeClerc had a goal and an assists for the Vals. THURSDAY JANUARY 24 Montreal 1 at 3 Chicago : Chicago is 5-0-2 in their last seven but this victory came at a price as Packers forward Jarrett McGlynn left with an injury and will be sidelined until March. The 30-year-old center had 25 points in 42 games this season. Max Ducharme scored twice to pace the Chicago attack and now has goals in five consecutive games.Toronto 2 at 4 Detroit : The Motors snapped a 5-game winless drought and handed Toronto its third straight loss, doubling the Dukes 4-2 at Thompson Palladium. Graham Comeau and Derek Veysey each had a goal and an assist for Detroit. SATURDAY JANUARY 26 Chicago 1 at 3 Detroit : Millard Touhey made 47 saves as Detroit ended Chicago's 7-game unbeaten streak with a 3-1 victory keyed by a goal and an assist from defenseman Harry Remington. Max Ducharme now has goals in six consecutive games and 18 on the season after scoring the lone Chicago goal. League scoring leader Tommy Burns earned an assist and has points in 11 straight games.Boston 3 at 0 Montreal :Boston stays two points ahead of Detroit in the battle for the fourth and final playoff spot after Oscar James recorded a 31 save shutout to help the Bees blank Montreal 3-0. Boston scored once each period with Robert Walker, Craig Simpson and Jacob Gron doing the honours. The Bees have won 3 straight and are unbeaten in their last five outings. New York 4 at 2 Toronto : Toronto is on a cold streak again as the Dukes lost their third in a row, falling 4-2 at home to New York. Orval Cabbell scored twice for the Shamrocks including his 20th goal of the season. Only Chicago's Tommy Burns and Les Carlson of Toronto, who scored his 21st in a losing effort, have scored more often this campaign. SUNDAY JANUARY 27 Toronto at Boston :Detroit 1 at 4 Chicago :Tommy Burns scored twice and Norm Hanson stopped 32 shots to lead Chicago to a 4-1 win over Detroit in the back half of a weekend home and home between the two rivals. Montreal 3 at 6 New York :Simon Savard had four points and Joe Martin three to lead New York to a 6-3 win over the Montreal Valiants. The Vals have lost three in a row and were badly outplayed in this one with the Shamrocks holding a 45-22 shot advantage. UPCOMING GAMES After enduring his team's worst season since his debut, Packers superstar Tommy Burns has been doing everything he can to help Chicago's hockey team win. After scoring a pair of goals in a 4-1 win over the visiting Motors, Burns extended his point streak to 12, giving him 56 in 46 games. Already within five points of his total from all of last season, the 31-year-old center currently leads all skaters in points and goals (23), while he and Toronto's Lou Galbraith are tied for the second most assists with 33. Only Galbraith's teammate Quinton Pollack has more helpers, and his 53 points are second to Burns.TUESDAY JANUARY 29 Detroit at Boston THURSDAY JANUARY 31 Boston at Chicago New York at Montreal SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2 Detroit at Montreal Boston at Toronto SUNDAY FEBRUARY 3 Montreal at Boston Toronto at Chicago New York at Detroit  As we get closer to the home stretch of the season, the Packers are almost assured a postseason spot, but they'll have to keep winning to stay on top of the New York Shamrocks. With one more loss and one fewer win, the Shamrocks are keeping pace with the first place Packers, in what should be a fun race to the finish. Unfortunately for the Packers, their offense took a huge hit, as assistant captain and second line center Jarrett McGlynn's regular season is now in doubt. The 30-year-old center lacerated his spleen, and will now miss the next 1 to 2 months as he focuses on getting back into playing shape. The anchor of the second line, McGlynn has provided his squad with 6 goals and 19 assists, and he's been effective for Chicago on the power play. McGlynn's absence should lead to more playing time for young center Kevin Braun (5-1-6) and veteran Ed Delarue (3-8-11), and McGlynn will be replaced in the lineup by the now healthy Max Lavgine, who has spent most of his time with the Rovers this season. Offense may be tough to come by for the Packers while McGlynn is on the shelf, but with the top goaltending duo they haven't needed to score much. The Motors got to Michael Cleghorn (13-4-0, 1.50) in a rare loss, but he's the only goalie in the NAHC allowing fewer then two goals a game, and he has more shutouts (5) then losses (4). Regular netminder Norm Hanson (12-11-5, 2.18) hasn't been as lucky with the wins, but his 2.18 GAA is second to just Cleghorn and the Shamrock's Alex Sorrell (2.04). The Pack still have a long way to go if they want to capture the team's first ever cup, and this duo will be tested without their top faceoff winner (4th in NAHC, 53.3%) for the foreseeable future DUKES SLUMP DURING BUSY STRETCH IN SCHEDULE Toronto had a second straight week with 4 games but this week's results were not nearly as good as last week's 2-1-1. This time the Dukes lost three straight before salvaging a win on Sunday to finish January with an overall record of 5-6-2. The Dukes will probably enter February in third place although Boston could move into a tie. Boston has two games remaining in January and the Bees currently sit 4 points in arrears of Toronto. Toronto started the week at home with a match against cellar dwelling Montreal. For one of the few times during the month the Dukes actually outshot the opposition 42-28. Unfortunately Tom Brockers outplayed Broadway in the crease. Montreal came away with a 5-2 victory in Broadway's weakest effort in a long, long time. No rest for the wicked as the saying goes, Toronto laced up the skates again in Detroit the next night. Dukes held a 2-1 lead after one before their legs appeared to give out on them over the final 40 minutes. Scott Renes again faced a lot of rubber between the pipes as the Motors tied the score in the second then took a lead with 3:56 remaining in the game. Renes made many cultch saves to keep the score close finishing the game with 32 stops. The game ended 4-2 with the net empty the Motors iced the victory with a shorthanded goal by Brock Ternovatsky. Barrell choose not hold practice on Friday's off day thinking that rest was more important before the Shamrocks invaded the Gardens on Saturday night. Defense-first seemed to the message from Barrell facing the high paced offense from the Big Apple. The Dukes held the visitors to under thirty shots, which in itself is a feat, in fast paced game before 13,122 in the stands. The Dukes held the score close for the first 40 minutes with Orval Cabbell scoring both goals for the Shamrocks while Lou Galbraith drew the Dukes within one with a goal at 18:29 of the second frame. The crowd came to life when Les Carlson tied the game while up a man from Galbraith and Quinton Pollack just past the eight minute mark of the third. The fans again rose from their seats after the visitors were once more put a man short less than a half minute after Carlson's goal. Anticipation turned to disappointment when Eric Abbott was sent in alone on Broadway to score a shorthanded goal while the Dukes were pressing for the lead. Patrick Banning put the game away with a power play goal with J.C. Martel off for slashing at 14:07, sending fans heading for the exits. After dropping three in rapid succession the team was in Denny Arena for the third back to back in seven days. It seemed like must win for Toronto to right the ship. Boston knew that their opponents were probably tired, they proceeded to throw everything at Scott Renes. Despite being outshot 32-12 in the first two period the Dukes went to the dressing room up 1-0 on Pollack's 19th in the first. Boston had four power plays in the game but for each Renes was equal to the task. Boston continued to press in the third while Toronto tried to protect the slim lead. Tom Atchinson's first NAHC goal gave the Dukes breathing room at 10:53 followed by Doug Zimmerman's 16th less than two minutes later making it 3-0. All attention then turned preserving Renes' shutout bid. Those efforts were thwarted by Conn Cundiff's goal in the last 5 minutes, the only shot of 42 that eluded the Toronto netminder on this evening. Boston continued to press, pulling Oscar James in an attempted to tie the game. Zimmerman found the untended cage with 39 seconds remaining to make the final 4-1, for a much needed 2 points during a long week for the Dukes. The win for Renes was his first in 1952. Coach Barrell- "I am glad that stretch of games is done, nine games in fourteen days, including six on the road will certainly test any team. You have no time to work on things in practice, the guys are so drained that practices sometimes do more harm than good. We have five full days off to work on the things plus rest guys that are nicked up time to heal. As a team we have missed a pile of games with guys out due to injury, I believe only the Motors have been bitten worse by the injury bug. Injuries are part of the game, a number of guys have stepped up when forced into the lineup. Give Renes all the credit for an outstanding game in Boston, we badly needed that win. I still think we can get home ice advantage in the playoffs with 22 games left on the schedule."
 LIBERTY COLLEGE SUFFERS FIRST LOSS Only Western Iowa Remains Perfect on Season Last Monday was a tough day for ranked schools as three of them tasted defeat in upset losses with the biggest one coming in Philadelphia where Liberty College was upset by the University of New Jersey 58-57, handing the Bells their first loss after beginning the season with 16 straight victories. The Bells dug themselves a deep hole against the Warriors, who entered the game with a middling 7-7 record, in allowing UNJ to build a 12 point lead in the early going and remain up by eight points at the break. The Bells were much more inspired in the second half and led by a point in the closing seconds only to fall just short thanks to a buzzer beating basket from the corner by Warriors junior guard Terry Harrod to steal a win for the visitors. Liberty College rebounded with a 58-34 win over St. Gordius in their next outing but slipped one spot in the polls with the loss, dropping to third. One loss Whitney College, which began Great Lakes Alliance play with home wins over the section's two Michigan schools, dumping Detroit City College 63-50 and St. Ignatius 63-56, remains ranked number one but GLA foe Western Iowa is right behind them. The Canaries are now the only remaining unbeaten school and are 15-0 after a pair of road wins to open their Great Lakes Alliance slate. On Thursday Wisconsin State pushed the Canaries to overtime but Western Iowa, led by Leo Beck's 24 points in his hometown, came out on top with a 60-8 win in Milwaukee. Yesterday on the road against Indiana A&M it was just as nerve-wracking with the Canaries holding on to nip the Reapers 62-60 with Beck once more enjoying a terrific game. The sophomore from Milwaukee who was the GLA freshman of the year last season had 20 points against Indiana A&M. It does not get much easier for the Canaries as their tough GLA schedule does allow them to play at home Thursday but the opponent will be 9th ranked Central Ohio, which split its first two section games.  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 21 University of New Jersey 58, at #3 Liberty College 57 at St Andrews College 61, #19 Lexington State 54 at Campion 72, #20 Mobile Maritime 69 #21 Charleston Tech 49, at Alabama Gulf Coast 39 TUESDAY JANUARY 22 at Richmond State 55, #8 Annapolis Maritime 42 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 23 at #17 Opelika State 58, #15 Noble Jones College 49 at #22 Bluegrass State 64, Georgia Baptist 57 THURSDAY JANUARY 24 at #1 Whitney College 65, #10 Detroit City College 50 #2 Western Iowa 60, at Wisconsin State 58 at #6 Carolina Poly 58, #19 Lexington State 45 at #9 Indiana A&M 77, Minnesota Tech 60 #12 Lincoln 57, at St. Magnus 51 at #13 Columbia Military Academy 57, Bulein 47 at #16 Central Ohio 59, St. Ignatius 51 #20 Mobile Maritime 63, at Huntington State 55 #21 Charleston Tech 60, at Chesapeake State 53 FRIDAY JANUARY 25 #4 Coastal California 53, at Spokane State 26 #5 Redwood 62, at Portland Tech 50 #8 Annapolis Maritime 66, at North Carolina Atlantic 41 at #11 Lane State 57, #23 Northern California 49 at #14 Lubbock State 66, Texas Gulf Coast 62 #18 Rainier College 52, at Idaho A&M 45 SATURDAY JANUARY 26 at #1 Whitney College 63, St. Ignatius 56 #2 Western Iowa 62, at #9 Indiana A&M 60 at #3 Liberty College 58, St. Gordius 34 at #10 Detroit City College 71, St. Magnus 63 at #12 Lincoln 76, Wisconsin State 69 at #14 Lubbock State 63, Arkansas A&T 47 #15 Noble Jones College 56, at Alabama Baptist 50 at #17 Opelika State 58, Bayou State 42 #22 Bluegrass State 53, at Northern Mississippi 36 at #25 Brooklyn Catholic 48, Empire State 34 SUNDAY JANUARY 27 #4 Coastal California 55, at #18 Rainier College 47 #8 Annapolis Maritime 44, at Armstrong 33 at #11 Lane State 60, #7 CC Los Angeles 51 Spokane State 56, at #23 Northern California 48 ONE PLAYOFF SPOT SET, SECOND UP FOR GRABS IN WINTER LOOP The Camaguey Coyotes have clinched top spot in the East Division of the Cuban Winter League but with a week left in the season will have to wait to see who their opponent will be in the championship game. The Coyotes, supplied players this season by the two Missouri teams -the St Louis Pioneers and the recently relocated Kansas City Kings, are 6 games ahead of second place Manzanillo with 3 games remaining. It will be the first time in the six year history of the league the Coyotes had won their division. Leading their offense is former Pittsburgh Miners catcher Bob Burge (.370,12,28). The Kansas City product leads the winter league in long balls and is fourth in batting average. Red Hinton, a 25-year-old outfielder who was traded from the Pioneers to the Kings in October in the deal that moved major league pitcher Joe Potts to St Louis, is also having an impressive winter for the Coyotes with 11 homers and a .279 batting average. On the mound most of the focus was on the two youngsters the Kings acquired from Detroit last summer in Beau McClellan (3-6, 5.40) and Fred Washington (5-2, 3.92) but it is a Kings homegrown prospect who has stolen the spotlight. That would be Alex Vaughan, a 23-year-old who was a 16th round draft pick in 1947 and looked impressive in a brief trial at the AAA level late last summer. Vaughan has inserted himself in conversations about cracking the big league roster in the spring after going 9-1 with a 2.25 era in Cuba. The Coyotes will face either Matanzas or Havana in the title game. The Buccaneers, with players coming from Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia Sailors, have a one game lead on the Havana Sharks with 3 games to play following a dramatic 6-5 win over the Sharks in Matanzas on Saturday. Like Camaguey, the Buccaneers have never played in the title game. In fact they have finished last in the four team West Division each of the past three seasons and four of the previous five. Havana has won a pair of league titles and played in the championship game three times.  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/27/1952
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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. |
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08-14-2024, 02:46 PM
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#1006 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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February 4, 1952
FEBRUARY 4, 1952 TIERNEY GOES THE DISTANCE TO SET STAGE FOR TITLE FIGHT AGAINST CLINE Keystone Arena, Philadelphia, Pa. – Lewis Jones (26-4-1, 11 KO) vs. Joey Tierney (24-1-0, 15 KO) – After a worthy matchup last week in Boston where Tommy Cline outpointed Max Bradley to earn a title shot, tonight’s fight at Keystone Arena in Philadelphia will sort out who Cline will face. Bradley was the top-ranked contender and Cline pulled off the upset. Bradley was Hector Sawyer’s final opponent, while Cline never faced the all-time champion. Tonight, Lewis Jones, the second-ranked contender with a previous bout against Sawyer swapped punches with Joey Tierney. Tierney hoped for the same scenario to play out, where the underdog who had never faced Sawyer would emerge victorious. Jones lasted into the 13th round in the October 1949 fight against Sawyer and he was set to be the heir apparent when Sawyer retired. But Sawyer did not retire until last September and Jones did not fare well in the eight fights since his title shot, going 6-2 while keeping his powder dry. Tierney took control of the first minute of action, landing a few glancing blows before a sharp combination stunned Jones. Jones recovered and used his uppercut, but Tierney kept coming. The two boxers took the action to each other and in times like this, one wayward punch could leave a lasting mark on both the fighter and the bout. With a few seconds left in the first round, Tierney threw that punch. It was an uppercut that marked Jones almost immediately, as a mouse quickly developed under Jones’s right eye, which suddenly started to swell. The swelling became progressively worse during the bout. It hampered Jones’s ability to defend punches, but it also stopped him for punching effectively. Tierney continued to throw punches, gearing up for haymakers, which often landed with desired results. While Jones was only knocked down once during the bout, Tierney was constantly on offense, so Jones barely had time to collect himself before Tierney was after him again. Jones’s last major scoring punch was early in the 7th round. His vision was blurred, and it was described ringside as a “ugly mass of swollen flesh”. Tierney was at his most dominant in the eighth round and while the swollen right eye of Jones earned an assist, Tierney earned the only knockdown of the night, landing several big blows in tight and in rapid succession to send Jones down. Jones barely made it to his feet on an eight-count and the fight continued, though in retrospect, referee Ernest Byrd may have been better off calling the fight right there. Tierney connected on multiple Big Boppers in each of the ten rounds and outscored Jones on major scoring punches by a 27-7 margin. The judges unanimously awarded eight of the ten rounds to Tierney. Rounds Three and Four were the only rounds where Jones even received any support for taking a round, but that was more about Jones catching Tierney with a couple of power punches rather than controlling the play. While the fight went to the judges’ cards, Tierney won in a walkover. Tierney was much more precise throughout the bout and never seemed to be in any kind of trouble, offering fewer punches throughout the bout, but connected at almost twice the rate (52.8% for Tierney, 19.2% for Jones). Tierney’s corner was probably game-planning for Tommy Cline in between rounds. Sawyer’s delayed retirement hurt Lewis Jones, who waited patiently while Sawyer played out his fight card. Jones’s candidacy for a heavyweight championship waxed and waned in the meantime. Tierney, as well as Cline and Bradley, all represent the next group to fight and win the belt. Jones might be a cautionary tale to carpe diem, to seize the day, because laying in wait allows others to pass you by. BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS Round 1: Tierney, 3-1 (J: 1:02 uppercut; T: 0:32 combo, 2:29 hook/side, 2:53 uppercut) Round 2: Tierney, 2-1 (J: 0:45 hook; T: 1:33 right/midsection, 2:09 combo) Round 3: Tierney, 3-1 (J: 1:42 combo; T: 0:44 cross, 1:28 hook/head, 2:06 right) Round 4: Tierney, 3-2 (J: 0:37 hook, 1:09 right; T: 0:20 cross, 1:30 right/head, 1:54 combo) Round 5: Tierney, 3-1 (J: 1:22 hook/jaw; T: 1:08 combo/midsection, 1:51 hook/midsection, 2:41 hook) Round 6: Tierney, 2-0 (1:24 hook/midsection, 1:38 combo) Round 7: Tierney, 2-1 (J: 0:27 combo; T: 1:12 right/head, 1:48 uppercut/face) Round 8: Tierney, 3-0 (0:17 combo/knockdown #1, 0:45 hook/ribs, 3:00 hook) Round 9: Tierney, 3-0 (0:51 left, 1:14 right/body, 1:57 left hook/body) Round 10: Tierney, 3-0 (0:13 cross/face, 0:34 uppercut, 1:38 uppercut/face) TOTAL: Tierney 27, Jones 7  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
COWBOYS STAR CHAPPELL NAMED GRID MVP Winning Most Valuable Player awards is nothing new for Pat Chappell but the Kansas City Cowboys quarterback just won his first one in the American Football Association. The 29-year-old already owns three MVP's from his days of leading the Cowboys in the old Continental Football Conference and now he adds one from the AFA after guiding the Cowboys to the league finals. Chappell threw for an AFA best 21 touchdowns while leading the Cowboys to eleven straight victories to start the season before their bid for an undefeated year was ruined by the St Louis Ramblers in the season finale. Chappell, who completed 106 passes and threw for 1,922 yards -both numbers second in the AFA this season- was injured in the Cowboys semi-final playoff win over Detroit and forced to sit out the championship game, one in which the Cowboys lost to Pittsburgh ending their bid for a second straight AFA title. The former three sport star at St. Magnus, where he was an All-American but in basketball rather than football, has been the Cowboys star quarterback since the Continental Conference was formed in 1946. When that league folded following the 1949 season, Chappell, who led the Cowboys to three CFC titles in four years, moved with his teammate to the AFA and won another title in 1950. Chappell may have been named the Most Valuable Player but he was not recognized as the top offensive producer. That award went to Los Angeles Tiger halfback Lou Grossman, who ran for 1,057 and tied for the league lead with 11 rushing touchdowns. Grossman, who played his college ball at Indiana A&M, was in his second season with the Tigers. The top defender was also a second year player as former Pierpont All-American George Klavich, now with the Philadelphia Frigates was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Klavich led the AFA in tackles with 155 and sacks with 19. For the first time the AFA also presented rookie awards with the top newcomers being Nat Oldham and Chuck Kane. Oldham, of the St Louis Ramblers, led the AFA in rushing yards with 1,189 in his first pro season after playing college ball at Coastal State. Oldham's yardage total for the season was the second highest ever seen in an AFA campaign, falling 70 yards shy of Greg LePage's 1947 record. On the defensive side of the ball the top rookie was Cleveland linebacker Kane, who finished third in tackles with 139 this season.   BEES SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE The Boston Bees have moved into a tie with the Toronto Dukes for third place in the NAHC after a big 3-1 victory over Toronto on Saturday evening at Dominion Gardens. One of the preseason favourites, along with Toronto and Detroit, the Bees have simply meandered along all season, never getting to high or too low but instead have just provided solid consistent play. Boston is middle of the pack in both goals for and against, sitting at 117 in each category at the moment. The Bees also lack a big time scoring star with age starting to catch up to both Wilbur Chandler and Tommy Hart but they have a strong group of defenseman and are getting steady netminding from Oscar James. The Bees were the class of the NAHC in the 1940s, winning five Challenge Cups that decade and never missing the playoffs. That changed two years ago when Boston fell to the cellar of the NAHC but rebounded to finish fourth last season before a surprising playoff run that saw the Bees knock off the first place New York Shamrocks in the semi-finals before pushing Montreal the full seven games in the Cup finals a year ago. That title bid, which would have been the 8th Cup win in franchise history, fell just short but the Bees -who have played in eleven of the last fifteen Cup finals- may just be gearing up for another one.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY JANUARY 29 THURSDAY JANUARY 31 Boston 1 at 3 Chicago : Tommy Burns 12 game point scoring streak came to an end but it did nothing to slow down the first place Chicago Packers, who dumped Boston 3-1. Stanley Royce, Bert McColley and Ed Delarue scored for Chicago with Mark Dyck getting the lone Boston tally. Chicago has won six of its last seven games and went 8-2-3 in January.New York 2 at 4 Montreal :The Montreal Valiants snapped a 3-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over New York. The loss, coupled with Chicago's win over Boston, leaves the Shamrocks four points behind the Packers in the battle for first place. Adam Sandford had a goal and an assist to lead the Montreal offense while veteran Vals goaltender Tom Brockers had another strong game, turning aside 36 of 38 New York shots. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2 Detroit 3 at 0 Montreal : The bottom two teams in the standings met at the Montreal Arena with Tom Brockers putting on another clinic in the Vals net but it was in a losing effort this time around. Millard Touhey stopped 21 Montreal shots for his third shutout of the season in the 3-0 Detroit win but it was Brockers, who stopped 46 of 48 shots, that had the building buzzing. Bob Pilon and Graham Comeau were the Motors shooters to each put a puck past Brockers and Mike Schlegel, with his first goal of the season, added an empty netter.Boston 3 at 1 Toronto : Boston pulled into a tie with the slumping Toronto Dukes for third place by beating their hosts 3-1 at the Dominion Gardens. All the scoring came in the opening twenty minutes with the Bees taking a 3-0 lead just over eight minutes into the game. Craig Simpson, Ben Voyechek and Willis Beane scored for Boston with Lou Galbraith getting the only Toronto goal late in the opening period. The Dukes are struggling once again, with five losses in their last six outings. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 3 Montreal 2 at 2 Boston : Ed McRae and Adam Sandford scored early as the Vals took a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the game but Boston battled back to earn a single point in a 2-2 tie. Jacob Gron's 9th of the season got the Bees on the scoreboard midway through the opening period and then Mark Dyck, with his 6th of the season but third goal this week, scored the tying marker on a third period powerplay.Toronto 5 at 5 Chicago : A wild first period in Chicago saw the visiting Toronto Dukes take a 4-2 lead after twenty minutes before the first place Packers roared back with three goals in the middle frame. There was just one goal in the third period. It came on the power play as Les Carlson moved into a tie for the goalscoring lead with Chicago's Tommy Burns when the Toronto winger connected on a power play goal with the man advantage to make the final score 5-5. Chicago outshot the Dukes 50-32. Carlson had two goals and an assist while Burns had two helpers for the hosts. New York 7 at 2 Detroit : Simon Savard and Ryan Kennedy each had a goal and two assists to pace the New York Shamrocks to a 7-2 rout of Detroit. It was 3-1 after forty minutes before the Greenshirts exploded for four goals in a 13-minute span early in the third. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 Chicago at Boston THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 New York at Chicago Montreal at Detroit SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9 New York at Boston Montreal at Toronto SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 Detroit at Boston Montreal at Chicago Toronto at New York RESTED DUKES DROP TO FOURTH IN NAHC After a grueling two weeks rest for the team did not seem to be the answer as the Toronto Dukes were winless in two games last week with a loss and a tie. The Dukes are now technically in fourth place, tied with Boston at 49 points, due to the Bees having played one less game. The Dukes and Bees met in the Gardens Saturday night. If the 13,848 in attendance expected to see a rejuvenated, rested team to come out flying they were sorely disappointed as the hometown heroes were slow out of the gate. For all intents and purposes the game was over before it was 9 minutes old. The Dukes seemed tentative in their puck movement, there was no flow to their attack after the opening puck drop. Boston pounced on early giveaways of the puck to jump out to 3-0 lead on goals by Craig Simpson at 2:30, Ben Voyechek at 4:41 and Willis Beane at 8:16 as Gordie Broadway was clearly fighting the puck although he was not given much help by his mates. Lou Galbraith closed the gap to 2 with just over 3 minutes left in the opening period buy that was as close as the Dukes would get. Oscar James was a story of the night. The Boston netminder stood tall, not allowing another puck to find the twine in the final 40 minutes stopping all 24 shots the Dukes. Toronto did seem to find its form after a shaky start but could not solve James. Broadway also settled in not allowing the red light to go on behind him in the last 51:44. The three early goals were too deep a hole for the Dukes to climb out of, Boston captured the important two points 3-1. Following an overnight train ride to Chicago, the Dukes faced the rags to riches Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Auditorium. In a game where backchecking, picking up your check was an afterthought the visitors stormed out to 4-2 lead after a period. The fans seemed to enjoy the wide open, up and down the ice, much more than Barrell who was constantly animated behind the bench. Much of the discussion was said to be about defensive assignments. Packers' staff changed the attack in the middle period seemingly confusing the Dukes further in their defensive zone much to Barrell's chagrin. Chicago stormed back with 3 , two in the last 4 and a half minutes, on 18 shots to take a 5-4 lead into the second intermission. Scott Renes continued his strong performance in net during the third allowing Les Carlson, with his 23rd, to even the score with Chicago's Mike Geiger off for high sticking with just under 8 minutes to play. Toronto took a couple more minors after tying the score. Renes, who again faced 50 shots, denied the Packers a winner with Dukes escaping Lakeside with a point in a 5-5 game. Coach Barrell- "At times I am at a loss with this group. We stormed out in October, now we are a below .500 team with 49 points in 50 games. Every time I think the team has finally turned the corner it seems the corner we turned is a dead end then we go full speed to crash in a wall. I have lost count of the number times our goaltenders have been tested 50+ times in 60 minutes, that is not winning hockey. It is time to get back to basics with everyone doing their job not trying to do more than their job, We at times are running around out there like headless chickens. We can, will turn this around starting next weekend we have 5 days to get our game sorted out." FABL UNVEILS '52 SCHEDULE The 1952 FABL season will get underway with a full slate of games on Tuesday April 15. Gone, at least for this year is the traditional single game from the Federal Association, usually contested in the nations capital as all eight Federal Association clubs are set to stage their opening days on the same afternoon including the Washington Eagles, who will face Boston. The Continental Association's eight clubs will also begin on the 15th of April with the first-ever game to be staged in Kansas City that afternoon as the transplanted Brooklyn Kings entertain the Cleveland Foresters. The Philadelphia Sailors, winners of the World Championship Series last October, open in Toronto and fans will have to wait until that Saturday for the first game at Sailors Park and the traditional raising of the World Championship Series banner. Other notable events have the All-Star game slated for Tuesday July 8 in St Louis, the regular season to come to an end on Sunday September 28 and the World Championship Series slated to begin, barring the need for a playoff tie-breaker like the Federal Association required last season, to open on October 1st. *** Its' Official. Dudkiewicz Takes Kings Helm *** The Kansas City Kings made it official by naming Jim Dudkiewicz as their manager for the club's debut season in the west. The 66-year-old had been ex-skipper Tom Barrell's right hand man since 1946, when he was appointed as the Kings bench coach. When Barrell announced in December that, for family reasons, he had decided to resign his position and remain in the New York City area, it had been expected that Dudkiewicz would take over. The other FABL club to make a manager change recently was the Toronto Wolves who also tabbed their former bench coach for the job. That would be Dick Dennis, who had been the Wolves bench coach since 1937 and likely had no designs on the top job but that changed quickly when now former skipper Fred Barrell resigned in a show of solidarity for his brother Dan. Dan Barrell was recently fired as FABL president after a coup was organized with Wolves owner Bernie Millard widely considered to be the ringleader of the call for Barrell's replacement. KINGS COUNTY STADIUM TO RAZED One of the great historic ballparks in FABL history will be torn down as Kings County Stadium in Brooklyn is set to be demolished this spring. City of New York Parks & Recreation Director Robert Moses announced plans to use the Flatbush Avenue location to build green space and a city park which will be named after Brooklyn sporting legend Daniel Prescott. Demolition will begin within two months. Built in 1883 and upgraded in 1912, Kings County Stadium had been the pride of the borough of Brooklyn for decades and was home to the city's only championship baseball team in 1937 when the Kings won their lone World Championship Series. The park had been showing signs of age and it was clear that it was no longer capable of supporting a big league baseball team. Prescott, the Brooklyn bottling magnate who purchased the club two decades ago, had pressed for a new stadium to be built but he and Moses were unable to come up with a suitable location or plan. Realizing the team could not continue in Brooklyn and not wanting to leave a legacy of being the man "who stole the Kings from Brooklyn," Prescott sold the Kings to Kansas City businessman Chester Coleman. Coleman immediately announced plans to move the club to his hometown and after finishing out last season as a lame duck franchise in Brooklyn the Kings have been relocated. The park will honor Prescott's great contribution to Brooklyn. Prescott's bottling company is known worldwide and a unique canning process for carbonated soft drinks and beer made the former Kings owner very wealthy. In addition to the Kings, Prescott also brought professional basketball to Brooklyn and his Red Caps cage club won six titles in the now defunct American Basketball Conference as well as one in the Federal Basketball League before Prescott folded the team.   For the moment the rotation seems to be set with Ed Bowman and new acquisition Ed Cornett locking down the top spots followed by 18 game winner Buddy Long and Cuban Winter league star Ted Beaven. Jim Morrison seems to have the 5th spot for now. It will be interesting this season to see if any jilted Brooklyn fans make their way to Queens to catch some major league baseball. Or do they remain CA fans and make the trek to upper Manhattan? Certainly Gothams ownership will be happy to have less competition for the local fans dollars. We have a few weeks until games start. Look for us to catch-up with a member of management and with the always chatty Bud Jameson.
CUBAN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SET FOR TODAY Both finalists in the Cuban Winter League championship stumbled down the stretch but it will be the Matanzas Buccaneers and Camaguey Coyotes each making their first appearance in the title game of the six year old development league. The Buccaneers, supplied players by FABL's Philadelphia Sailors and Pittsburgh Miners, lost their final two games of the season and ended up tied with two-time league champion Havana but the Buccaneers earn the division crown by virtue of their better head-to-head record against the Sharks this season. Not only to Matanzas reach the single game championship showdown but they will get to host the game because the West Division champs also won the head-to-head series with Eastern champs Camageuey. The Coyotes lost each of their last four games and five of their final six but still won the division by four games over Manzanillo. That losing streak forces Camaguey, which his comprised of prospects from the Brooklyn Kings and St Louis Pioneers, on the road for today's winner take all championship game. 
 LAST OF THE UNBEATENS FALL There will be no undefeated team in collegiate basketball this year after Western Iowa, the last school standing with a perfect ranked, tumbled from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 66-57 loss at home against Central Ohio on Thursday. The Canaries did rebound with a win over St. Magnus two days later and are tied for second in Great Lakes Alliance play at 3-1, a game back of the number one ranked Whitney College Engineers. The only undefeated team in college basketball history was the 1949-50 Noble Jones College Colonels as the club, led by a strong tournament showing by then-sophomore Charlie Barrell, capped a 32-0 year with a win over Liberty College in the title game at Bigsby Gardens. Both Noble Jones and Liberty are ranked in the top ten this season with the Bells close to wrapping up their season as the independent school from Philadelphia owns a 21-1 record and the 4th spot in this weeks rankings. The tenth ranked Colonels are 3-1 in Deep South Conference play and 13-4 overall. Noble Jones College won a pair of road games last week with victories over Bayou State and rival Georgia Baptist. Barrell, who must soon contemplate whether he wants to return to the Cincinnati Cannons baseball club or wait and see what the Federal Basketball League and American Football Association drafts have in store for him, had a big game in the rivalry rout over the Gators. Barrell scored 14 points and had 6 rebounds as the Colonels dominated by a 60-33 count. Full college results can always be found here  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 28 at #4 Liberty College 73, Ellery 44 at #19 Perry State College 54, Dudley 21 at #22 Frankford State 59, Penobscot State 53 TUESDAY JANUARY 29 No game involving ranked teams WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30 #10 Noble Jones College 64, at Bayou State 60 #13 Lane State 65, at Spokane State 46 at #15 Opelika State 47, Northern Mississippi 36 at #18 Lubbock State 58, Pueblo State 53 at #19 Perry State College 59, College of Cairo 38 at #24 Bluegrass State 62, Alabama Baptist 41 THURSDAY JANUARY 31 #1 Whitney College 72, at #16 Lincoln 60 #4 Liberty College 63, at Narragansett 50 #6 Carolina Poly 64, at Charleston Tech 55 #7 Indiana A&M 69, at Wisconsin State 56 #12 Central Ohio 66, at #3 Western Iowa 57 #14 Detroit City College 48, at Minnesota Tech 38 at #17 Mobile Maritime 46, Maryland State 36 at #20 North Carolina Tech 51, #25 Lexington State 44 #21 Great Plains State 56, at Topeka State 53 #23 Brooklyn Catholic 66, at Brooklyn State 58 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1 at #2 Coastal California 62, #5 Redwood 42 #8 Rainier College 51, at Northern California 46 at #9 CC Los Angeles 61, Idaho A&M 45 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 63, Central Maryland 47 Eastern Oklahoma 59, at #18 Lubbock State 52 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2 #1 Whitney College 70, at Wisconsin State 60 at #3 Western Iowa 58, St. Magnus 47 #6 Carolina Poly 57, at Richmond State 46 #7 Indiana A&M 66, at #12 Central Ohio 50 #10 Noble Jones College 60, at Georgia Baptist 33 St. Ignatius 55, at #14 Detroit City College 47 #15 Opelika State 46, at Central Kentucky 29 at #16 Lincoln 72, Minnesota Tech 63 #17 Mobile Maritime 66, at Petersburg 52 at #19 Perry State College 49, Orrville 46 at #20 North Carolina Tech 65, Huntington State 55 at #21 Great Plains State 55, Dudley 42 at #22 Frankford State 61, Hamman 41 #23 Brooklyn Catholic 53, at Empire State 39 at Mississippi A&M 49, #24 Bluegrass State 42 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 3 at #2 Coastal California 49, Northern California 39 #5 Redwood 63, at Spokane State 36 #8 Rainier College 58, at #9 CC Los Angeles 45 #13 Lane State 61, at Portland Tech 55 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/03/1952
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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. Last edited by Tiger Fan; 08-14-2024 at 02:47 PM. |
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08-15-2024, 12:44 PM
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#1007 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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February 11, 1952
FEBRUARY 11, 1952 HALL OF FAME BALLOT REVEALED The ballot candidates eligible for induction into FABL's Hall of Fame in Boone County,IL., has been announced and the list includes three players appearing for the first time. The newcomers are Hank Barnett, George Dawson and Bob Martin and the full list is quite short with only four holdovers from last year. Of the newcomers, Bob Martin is given the best chance of induction. The third baseman played his entire 22 year FABL career with the Chicago Chiefs and was a member of three World Championship Series winning teams. A three-time all-star, the Cincinnati native led the Federal Association in hits four times on his way to accumulating 3,314 of them: a total that places his ninth all-time in that category. His only major individual award came in 1932 when his .351 batting average paced the Federal Association. His son Bill spent some time with the Chiefs in 1949, Bob's final season, and together they joined a very exclusive list of fathers and sons to play in the same big league game. Like Martin, Hank Barnett was best known as a third baseman and he was Martin's teammate for several seasons in Chicago including on the World Championship Series winning 1938 Chiefs club. Barnett, who spent some time at second base as well, played for four different FABL clubs in Montreal, both Chicago teams and the Brooklyn Kings while suiting up for 2,536 games. He won a Whitney Award during the war, claiming top player in the Federal Association in 1942 with the Chiefs but was dealt to the Cougars that fall. A seven-time all-star game selection, the native of Chelsea, MA., finished with 2,671 career hits including 309 homeruns. He presently sits 8th all-time in homers and 10th in rbi's with 1,482. The final newcomer to the Hall of Fame ballot is smooth fielding shortstop George Dawson. A second round selection of Cleveland in the 1929 draft, the Hammond, IN., native made his big league debut with the Foresters four years later. He helped the Foresters win a pair of pennants and the 1935 World Championship Series and appeared in three all-star games. That number would have likely been much higher had Dawson spent his prime in the Federal Association as the Continental Association was loaded with high quality shortstops, most notably Harry Barrell, during Dawson's tenure in Cleveland. With the Foresters on a downturn he was dispatched to Detroit as a 30-year-old in 1941 and later had stops in Washington and with the Chicago Cougars. He did hit .288 and played 146 games for the Eagles surprise pennant winning squad of 1946 but Dawson was a shadow of his former self once he left Cleveland. In all, Dawson played 1,772 big league games and recorded 1,980 hits but was best known, especially early in his career, for his tremendous defensive ability. The holdovers from last year's ballot are outfielder Moxie Pidgeon, pitcher Charlie Stedman, first baseman Dick Walker and pitcher Ed Wood. 
BARRELL TASKED WITH REVIVING CHICAGO POLY PROGRAM It did not take Dan Barrell long to find new employment. Ousted just a few weeks ago as President of FABL due to what many are calling a personal vendetta on the part of Toronto Wolves magnate Bernie Millard, Barrell has returned to the school he once starred for in three sports, being named the new Athletic Director of Chicago Poly. Barrell comes with a wealth of experience having contributed to the growth and expansion of OSA, sports foremost scouting service, prior to accepting the FABL job as Sam Belton's successor as President two years ago. Before that Barrell was a football and track star at Chicago Poly and competed in the decathlon in the 1924 Paris Olympics. A devastating leg injury while with the Panthers ended Barrell's hopes for a pro grid career but through sheer determination he fashioned a serviceable professional baseball living and was even selected to play in an all-star game as well as joining three of his brothers as key players on the Brooklyn Kings 1937 World Championship Series winning club. Returning Chicago Poly to sporting prominence may well be Barrell's most difficult task yet. The Panthers program was once among the nation's elite. In the early days of collegiate athletics Chicago Poly had a number of football players selected as All-Americans, won the AIAA basketball national championship in 1917 and again in 1926 and made several appearances in the Collegiate baseball world championship series. In the 1930s the program fell on hard times, bad enough to the point where they were forced to drop out of the Great Lakes Alliance and play as an independent because they simply were not strong enough to compete at an elite level. The have not been at the division one level in football since before the war. The Chicago Poly basketball team last qualified for the AIAA tournament in 1940, won just 6 games all of last season and are just 7-16 playing as a low level independent this year. On the diamond the program has not finished in the top twenty since the AIAA revamped the sport in 1933 and only a handful of Chicago Poly players have been drafted by FABL clubs since then and none have ever made it to the major leagues. Barrell's appointment is expected to bring a renewed commitment to sports at the historic institution with planning said to be already underway to compete at the highest level - Division One- in football next season.   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 New York 7 at 2 Chicago : Geoff Hartnell took charge in a showdown between the top two teams in the NAHC this season. The New York Shamrocks winger scored a natural hat trick -three straight goals- in a six minute span of the opening period as the Greenshirts jumped out to a 5-0 first period lead and never looked back on their way to a 7-2 triumph.Montreal 3 at 2 Detroit : Arlen Dohery had two assists as Montreal beat Detroit 3-2 to hand the Motors their fourth loss in five games. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9 New York 2 at 5 Boston : The Bees continued their hot play of late, distancing themselves further from fourth place Toronto with a 5-2 win on home ice over New York. Defenseman Conn Cundiff scored once and had two helpers for the Bees.Montreal 4 at 3 Toronto :Montreal moved to within three points of Detroit for fifth place after edging Toronto 4-3. Adam Sandford scored twice for the Vals who won for the second straight game. The Dukes are winless in February and have won just once since January 18. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 Detroit 1 at 3 Boston : Detroit's fading playoff hopes were dealt another blow as Mark Dyck scored twice to lead the Boston Bees to a 3-1 victory. Boston is now securely in third place, five points ahead of Toronto and 10 up on the fifth place Motors.Montreal 1 at 4 Chicago :Chicago remains two points ahead of the Shamrocks atop the NAHC standings after both of those clubs won by 4-1 scores. The Packers rode Norm Hanson's 32-save effort along with a pair of Max Lavigne goals to victory. Toronto 1 at 4 New York : Jocko Gregg scored once and added an assist to lead New York past Toronto 4-1 but the big story was Shamrocks goaltender Etienne Tremblay. The 29-year-old, who has spent more time than he would like on the bench as Alex Sorrell's backup, was stellar on this night with 37 saves to steal a game that Toronto clearly outplayed his New York mates. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13 Boston at New York Detroit at Toronto THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14 Detroit at Chicago Toronto at Montreal SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16 New York at Montreal Chicago at Toronto SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17 Boston at Chicago Montreal at New York DUKES REMAIN WINLESS IN FEBRUARY After an unsatisfactory January, Toronto's hockey team continues to disappoint their followers in the new month. The Dukes have a record of 0-3-1 since January ended and now sit in the final playoff spot trialing Boston by 5 points. Looking behind them the Motors are only 5 points behind Toronto. Coach Barrell's dream of have home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs seems to be out the window. This group will have to up their game now just to make the postseason. The week began with the Dukes hosting their Canadian rivals, basement dwelling Montreal in front a win hungry crowd of 14,550. In a penalty filled game Montreal opened the scoring when Adam Sandford beat Scott Renes knocking home a rebound at 5:03. Doug Zimmerman, a pleasant surprise on offense this season, tied the game with his 18th less than 90 seconds later as the teams retreated to the dressing rooms tied after 20 minutes of play. Montreal came out of the break flying seeking to bury the Dukes' Sandford notched his second of the night only 18 seconds after the puck drop to start the period. Isaac Finnson and Ray Sclisizzi scored in quick succession to make it 4-1 before the second period was seven minutes old. Montreal then settled into a game in which the main objective was to support Tom Brockers in their goal. The Vals tightly checked the Dukes, if a Toronto shooter got free, goaltender Brockers was there to make the save until, with less than 5 minutes left in the game, Ken Jamieson gave the crowd some hope with a goal. Toronto continue to press down by 2, and they were able to close the gap to 1 with 36 seconds left on Les Carlson's goal with Renes off for an extra attacker but Montreal hung on for a 4-3 win. The next night in Bigsby Gardens Toronto seemed to find their legs after a shaky first period. New York controlled the opening frame outshooting their opponent 10-4 to take a 1-0 lead into intermission on a goal by Jocko Gregg on a snap shot that beat Broadway to the top corner. Barrell is said have come unglued between periods in an attempt to inspire his charges. The rant did not seem to work as Orval Cabell put the Shamrocks up by 2 less than 3 minutes into the second. From that point on Toronto controlled the possession of the puck outshooting New York 34-15 over the final two periods. Shots are one thing, goals are another. Etienne Tremblay, as has been the case all year long, robbed the Dukes time and again with spectacular saves. Of those 34 shots only one by Quinton Pollack found its way behind Tremblay. With limited chances the Shamrocks made the most of what they had in putting two more behind Broadway to make the final 4-1. Barrell was visibly upset leaving the bench as the Shamrocks congratulated their netminder after the final siren. Coach Barrell- "I have no more excuses for this team. We have three of the top four point getters in the league but are in fourth place with 3 more losses than wins. We have given up the second most goals against in the league although overall I cannot fault either keeper. Trying to outscore your defensive misgivings will not work this season in the NAHC the other 5 teams are far too sound defensively. We have to improve in all three areas of the game defensively, offensively, special teams especially marking your man. Far too many times we give up goals on a rebound when someone loses their check. We give the players a system they have follow the system. Too many guys are improvising to try to get to the attack before we have clear puck possession, that has to stop. We are too talent a team to play this way, we have a few guys almost ready to return to lineup that may help. It now is in the player's laps they have to preform on the ice. I will be putting my best performers on the ice on a game by game basis. An off night will find you spending more time on the bench."
  TOUGH WEEKEND FOR GREAT LAKES ALLIANCE POWERS The tough competition from top to bottom in the Great Lakes Alliance lends itself well to upsets and last weekend provided a pair of them as both Whitney College and Western Iowa, two of the top three teams in the country, each went down to defeat at the hands of section rivals. The Engineers, preseason number one and the top team in the nation entering play last week, were humiliated on the road in Terre Haute Thursday evening as Indiana A&M crushed the Engineers by 30 points. Sophomore Sherman Burkhalter had 17 as the Reapers built a 41-20 lead at the break and cruised to a 69-39 triumph. It was just the second loss all season and the first in section play for a Whitney College team stacked with senior talent. The loss also dipped the Engineers to second in the rankings, behind defending National Champion Coastal California. After that loss the Engineers took out their frustrations on Minnesota Tech Saturday afternoon as Solly Morris, the potential first overall selection in the Federal Basketball League draft this summer, had 30 points in a 64-22 flooding of the Lakers. Indiana A&M won on the road at St. Magnus Saturday and the Reapers are tied with the Engineers for the section lead at 5-1. The other GLA upset on Saturday say Western Iowa slip up for the second time in six section contests. Larry Grice had 13 points off the bench to propel St. Ignatius to a 49-47 win over the Canaries, who are now ranked third in the latest AIAA poll. Coastal California, with road wins over Lane State and Idaho A&M over the weekend, improves to 20-1 on the season and the Dolphins take over the number one spot in the rankings.  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY FEBRUARY 4 at #4 Liberty College 65, Grant (IN) 48 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 56, Brandywine 49 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 at #17 Perry State College 70, Wisconsin Catholic 61 at #21 Frankford State 70, Conwell College 67 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6 #10 Noble Jones College 58, at Bluegrass State 51 #18 Opelika State 46, at Georgia Baptist 42 at #19 Great Plains State 53, North Central (NE) 43 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 at #7 Indiana A&M 69, #2 Whitney College 39 #3 Western Iowa 69, at Minnesota Tech 42 at #4 Liberty College 72, Topeka State 49 #6 Carolina Poly 55, at Petersburg 36 #15 Detroit City College 67, at #13 Central Ohio 45 #16 North Carolina Tech 50, at Bulein 49 at #21 Frankford State 59, Harrisburg State 45 at #22 St. Ignatius 71, #25 Lincoln 62 at #23 Lexington State 62, #20 Mobile Maritime 54 #24 Brooklyn Catholic 59, at Bronx Tech 41 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8 #1 Coastal California 46, at #12 Lane State 43 at #8 CC Los Angeles 53, Portland Tech 33 Northern California 67, at #9 Redwood 61 Strub College 64, at #11 Annapolis Maritime 54 at #14 Lubbock State 57, Travis College 46 at #19 Great Plains State 49, Eastern Oklahoma 35 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9 at #2 Whitney College 64, Minnesota Tech 22 at #22 St. Ignatius 49, #3 Western Iowa 47 at #4 Liberty College 50, College of Cairo 47 at #6 Carolina Poly 58, Maryland State 51 #7 Indiana A&M 59, at St. Magnus 46 at #10 Noble Jones College 72, Georgia Baptist 52 at #13 Central Ohio 73, #25 Lincoln 65 at #14 Lubbock State 64, Darnell State 51 Wisconsin State 58, at #15 Detroit City College 55 #16 North Carolina Tech 59, at Coastal State 38 at Cumberland 66, #18 Opelika State 47 at #20 Mobile Maritime 57, Richmond State 48 at #23 Lexington State 56, Huntington State 47 #24 Brooklyn Catholic 51, at Jersey City Tech 39 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 #1 Coastal California 50, at Idaho A&M 38 #5 Rainier College 48, at #12 Lane State 34 at #8 CC Los Angeles 58, #9 Redwood 48 at #19 Great Plains State 48, Needham 41
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/10/1952
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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. |
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08-16-2024, 03:13 PM
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#1008 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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February 18, 1952
FEBRUARY 18, 1952 NAHC PLAYOFF PICTURE COMING INTO FOCUS Boston Continues to Charge as Detroit Fades There may still be five weeks remaining in the NAHC schedule but unless there are some drastic changes in Detroit or Montreal the playoff clubs appear to be decided. The Chicago Packers and New York Shamrocks, as they have done since early December, are waged in a ferocious battle for first place, a spot the Shamrocks occupied at the conclusion of each of the past two seasons. The Packers have come out of nowhere to challenge for top spot after one of the worst years in NAHC history (excluding the mistake that was the Brooklyn Eagles of course), a campaign that saw the Packers win just 9 of 70 games a year ago. With Tommy Burns once more the most dangerous offensive force in the sport, the Packers are clinging to a 1-point lead on the Shamrocks with 16 games remaining on the 1951-52 season agenda. Boston is making a determined bid to turn the Big Two into a Big Three as the Bees have not lost in February and boast the best record in the league since the calendar flipped to 1952. The Bees hunted down and passed Toronto and are just six points behind the second place Shamrocks. The Dukes, after their fantastic start to the season, one that saw them win their first six games and go unbeaten in their opening nine, have cooled substantially and now find themselves languishing in fourth place, four points in arrears of the Bees. Things could be much worse at Dominion Gardens were it not for the fact that Detroit has collapsed in the second half of the season. The Motors have picked up just 11 points in their last 17 games and are now much closer to last place than they are the playoffs. Detroit does have two games in hand on the fourth place Dukes but the Motors are seven points back and showing little signs of a team willing, or perhaps able, to make a late playoff push. Montreal, winners of the last two Challenge Cups, has had an awful season, spending nearly its entirety in the NAHC cellar but may just creep out of the basement if things do not turn around quickly for the fifth place Motors. The playoffs and a chance to defend their twice claimed title seems an impossibility for the Valiants, who are a full 10 points out of fourth place and have just 14 games remaining, one less than the Dukes.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13 Detroit 1 at 6 Toronto : The Motors slump continues as Detroit, which has claimed just 9 points in its last 15 games, gets hammered 6-1 by the Toronto Dukes. Quinton Pollack scored his 22nd goal of the season and is riding a 12 game point streak THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14 Detroit 4 at 3 Chicago : The Motors surprise the first place Packers as Louis Rocheleau scores twice to lead Detroit to a 4-3 victory. Marty Mahoney had two goals and one assist to lead Chicago.Toronto 2 at 1 Montreal : Lou Carlson scored twice, his 25th and 26th goals of the year, with Quinton Pollack drawing an assist on each as the Dukes edged the Montreal Valiants 2-1 for their second win in as many nights. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16 New York 6 at 4 Montreal : New York outshot Montreal 53-14 on the night but needed four third period goals to overcome a 3-2 deficit entering the final stanza. New York has earned points in five of its six February games. Defenseman Jerry Finch had three points for the winners while Brett Lanceleve had three in a losing cause. Tom Brockers faced 25 Shamrocks shots in the third period alone.Chicago 4 at 1 Toronto : Tommy Burns and Max Ducharme each had a goal and an assist to lead the Chicago Packers to a 4-1 victory in Toronto and keep Chicago a point ahead of the New York Shamrocks in the fight for top spot in the NAHC. For Burns it was his 25th tally of the season while Ducharme notched his 20th of the campaign. Toronto's Quinton Pollack saw his 13-game point scoring streak come to an end. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17 Boston 10 at 1 Chicago : A game the Packers would like to forget about quickly after Boston beat Norm Hanson four times in both the first and second period and rolled to a 10-1 lambasting of Chicago. Wilbur Chandler had what many players would consider a decent month with 2 goals and 4 assists while John Bentley added four points and Craig Simpson scored twice for the Bees, who are riding a 7 game unbeaten streak.Montreal 5 at 4 New York :Pat Coulter scored twice in the third period including the game winner on the power play with just 42 seconds remaining in the game to lift Montreal to a 5-4 victory over New York and deny the Shamrocks a chance to overtake Chicago for first place. The Shamrocks lead 3-2 after forty minutes thanks to a pair of Jocko Gregg goals. Coulter also had two assists in the win with Montreal teammate Claude LeClerc scoring once and chipping in with a pair of helpers. UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY FEBRUARY 18 Boston at Detroit TUESDAY FEBRUARY 19 New York at Toronto WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 Detroit at New York THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21 Toronto at Chicago Boston at Montreal SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23 Chicago at Montreal Detroit at Toronto SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24 Detroit at Chicago Boston at New York DUKES PARTIALLY WAKEUP TO TAKE TWO OF THREE A reeling hockey team began to show signs of righting the ship by registering two wins in three games this past week. Probably more importantly the two wins came against the teams trying to catch Toronto for the final playoff spot. The Dukes seemed to take Barrell's disparaging comments to heart on Wednesday at home while hosting the Motors. In an up and down first period both goaltenders, Toronto's Scott Renes and Millard Touhey of Detroit, were tested early and often with the Motors holding a 12-10 shot advantage in the first twenty. Toronto led where it ultimately counts. Goals by Clyde Lumsen, shorthanded, Doug Zimmerman and finally Lou Galbraith's powerplay tally made it 3-0 after one. Detroit got some life when Louis Rocheleau beat Renes at the 5 minute mark of second. Any hopes of a comeback were quickly quashed when both Maurice Charette and Charlie Brown found the twine behind Touhey before the end of the second to make it 5-1 after two. Toronto's goal of protecting the lead was accomplished in the third. They closely checked the Motors not allowing them any room to move. For good measure Quinton Pollack notched his 22nd while Vincent Arsenault was serving time in the box to make the final 6-1. The team went into Montreal the next evening to drop the puck against the Vals who thanks to Tom Brockers' stellar performance has beaten them last Saturday night in the Gardens. The Dukes were prepared for another night where the key would be to solve Brockers in the Montreal net. The game got off to a good start for the visitors when off the opening faceoff Pollack setup Les Carlson who tipped it behind Brockers with only a half minute off the clock. Both teams settled into a tight checking affair. Montreal evened the score after Zimmerman was whistled for interfering with Brockers in the crease allowing Wayne Augustin to put the puck behind Toronto's Gordie Broadway. The balance of the game was chippy affair with both teams parading to the sin bin for numerous stick infractions. There was only one more scoring play. With 39 seconds remaining in the second Carlson converted a loose rebound to make it 2-1 which was the way the game ended with the Dukes taking another 2 important points. Bach home Saturday to face the rags to riches Chicago Packers. The Packers showed why they are the class of the year's NAHC by not giving the Dukes any space for the entire 60 then counterattacking every time they got the puck. Shots for the game were 36-14 for the Packers who led 2-0 after one, 3-0 after two periods. After Max Ducharme put Chicago's fourth past Broadway, Doug Zimmerman spoiled Michael Cleghorn's shutout bid with just over eight minutes to play. The goal was a milestone for Zimmerman who has 20 on the year doubling his output of a year ago. Coach Barrell- "Better in all phases of the game this week. The win against Detroit was big, we had to stop the Motors from gaining any momentum. Scott (Renes) turned the game around with a couple of big stops early that allowed us to jump out to lead. The win in Montreal was almost as important giving us some breathing room on the two teams chasing us for the playoffs. Chicago took us to task on Sunday, they controlled the game from beginning to end. If we can learn a lesson from that thrashing it would be how much better, tighter our game has to be if we want to advance in the playoffs. Time to go back to work, big test Tuesday at home to NY before going into Chicago Thursday to see if we have learned any lessons. I expect a big crowd Saturday for another big game against Detroit."
 CAGE TOURNAMENT FIELD STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE With a little over three weeks to go until tournament selection time, the 32 team field for the AIAA collegiate basketball tournament is starting to take shape. This will mark the 42nd season of the championship tournament and Coastal California, last years winners, will certainly be around to defend their title and look like they will be one of the four number one seeds. The Dolphins are the most successful team in AIAA history in terms of victories and are looking to add to their record 23 conference titles with another West Coast Athletic Association crown this year. They moved closer to that goal last week with home victories over Portland State and Spokane State to run their section record to 9-1, two games ahead of Redwood. The Dolphins a couple of big games ahead with a visit to Stanford to play the 6th ranked Mammoths before a showdown with City College of Los Angeles in 10 days. It was the CCLA Coyotes that handed the Dolphins their only loss this season. Assuming Coastal California continues to play well the Dolphins seem assured of being the number one seed in the West Region. It is looking like a pair of Great Lakes Alliance squads will also claim top seeds but the questions is which two? Whitney College, the preseason number one and current top team in the polls seems a likely choice for one of the top seeds but the Engineers do have games remaining with both of their chief rivals in third seed Western Iowa and the surprising Indiana A&M Reapers. The Reapers climbed another spot in the polls last week despite a loss on the road to the Canaries coupled with a win in Lansing over St. Ignatius. Indiana A&M had knocked off Whitney College a couple of weeks ago and may be poised for a deep tournament run. That would be a rare achievement for the Reapers, who have never won the AIAA tournament and only reached Bigsby Garden for the national semi-finals once in school history. Liberty College's fine rebound season as they bounce back from a down year following the graduation of Luther Gordon hit a snag last week when the Bells lost for just the second time this season. It was a shocking loss as the upset was engineered by the Bigsby College Gents, a school that entered the contest with a 12-10 record and had suffered through a six game losing streak in January. The Gents, behind 13 points from senior guard Harry Blanton, rang up a 50-45 victory over the Bells. Liberty College did bounce back with wins over St Blane and Eastern State to close out the week and has just one more game remaining on its season schedule - a meeting with St. Matthew's College this week. Liberty College will likely be 27-2 come tournament selection day and certainly in the running for the top seed in the East Region. There is always a chance the committee sends a West Coast school like Rainier College (17-6) to the East or South regions but the final top seed is likely between the Bells, Carolina Poly and perhaps Noble Jones College. The Cardinals and Colonels are ranked 7th and 9th respectively and each will need a strong finish but a section title in the South Atlantic Conference for the Cardinals and Deep South for Colonels is very much a possibility and will certainly strengthen either of their cases for a number one seed. The 32 team AIAA tournament field will be announced March 16, and the tournament will begin on Saturday March 22.  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY FEBRUARY 11 Bigsby College 50, at #4 Liberty College 45 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 40, St. Matthew's College 32 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12 at #14 Perry State College 50, Rome State 42 #17 Frankford State 57, at Brandywine 48 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13 at #2 Coastal California 47, Portland Tech 46 at #9 Noble Jones College 57, Alabama Baptist 42 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 60, Eastern Virginia 48 #13 Opelika State 50, at Mississippi A&M 33 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14 #1 Whitney College 77, at #3 Western Iowa 71 #6 Indiana A&M 68, at St. Ignatius 57 at #12 Mobile Maritime 61, #7 Carolina Poly 50 at Wisconsin State 65, #18 Central Ohio 62 Central Carolina 57, at #19 North Carolina Tech 44 at #21 Lincoln 52, #23 Detroit City College 49 at #24 Coastal State 59, Cowpens State 55 #25 Lexington State 65, at Maryland State 47 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 at #4 Liberty College 63, St. Blane 50 at #5 Rainier College 73, Spokane State 51 at #8 Redwood 52, Idaho A&M 34 at #20 Northern California 54, #10 CC Los Angeles 45 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 77, Capital (MS) University 70 at #14 Perry State College 56, Daniel Boone College 44 #16 Lubbock State 55, at Amarillo Methodist 42 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16 #1 Whitney College 58, at #23 Detroit City College 47 at #3 Western Iowa 68, #6 Indiana A&M 44 at #7 Carolina Poly 53, Chesapeake State 41 at #9 Noble Jones College 56, Bayou State 53 at #12 Mobile Maritime 60, Central Carolina 47 at #13 Opelika State 54, Alabama Baptist 39 at Arkansas A&T 72, #16 Lubbock State 58 at #18 Central Ohio 64, St. Magnus 55 at #19 North Carolina Tech 53, Alexandria 45 at #21 Lincoln 51, St. Ignatius 50 #22 Great Plains State 58, at Pueblo State 46 #24 Coastal State 43, at Richmond State 42 Columbia Military Academy 61, at #25 Lexington State 60 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17 at #2 Coastal California 53, Spokane State 45 at #4 Liberty College 68, Eastern State 60 at #5 Rainier College 80, Idaho A&M 40 at #8 Redwood 60, Portland Tech 44 #14 Perry State College 58, at Lambert College 45 at #20 Northern California 61, #15 Lane State 57 at #17 Frankford State 55, Meade 47 RUTLEDGE SET FOR WELTERWEIGHT DEFENSE Danny Rutledge is bringing some much-needed stability to the welterweight division, which has seen a revolving door of champions since 1950. The division has lacked a dominant fighter since the days before the war, when Kid Simpson reigned supreme. Rutledge will be aiming for his third successful title defense this Friday evening at Chicago's Lakeside Auditorium, where he will face off against former champ Dale Roy. Rutledge is no stranger to the fight scene. He first made a name for himself in 1944, while still serving in the Army, during a memorable bout with Mac Erickson in England before thousands of military personnel. Rutledge triumphed with a 12th round knockout, and great things were predicted for both young fighters. Erickson went on to hold the title for nearly two years, even successfully defending it in a rematch with Rutledge. Undeterred, Rutledge continued to fight his way up the ranks and finally earned a second title shot last February. He seized the opportunity with a unanimous decision over Ira Mitchell to capture the title. Erickson's reign ended shortly after his victory over Rutledge, leading to a succession of champions who quickly lost the title. Mark Westlake defeated Erickson but then lost to Dale Roy in his second defense. Roy, in turn, lost to Mitchell in his next outing, who was subsequently defeated by Rutledge. Now, it will be Roy, a 34-year-old veteran from Binghamton, NY, who will challenge Rutledge in the Windy City. Roy has been a solid fighter throughout his career, though never considered one of the greats. He won the title in the spring of 1950, seizing the opportunity when he caught an aging Mark Westlake off guard, delivering the performance of his career. However, he was quickly dispatched with a TKO loss to Mitchell in his first defense. Roy now has one more chance to prove that his victory over Westlake was no fluke and that he can stand toe-to-toe with the best in the division.  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/17/1952
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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. |
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08-19-2024, 01:17 PM
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#1009 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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February 19, 1952
A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FANS OF TWIFS Figment sports is entering a new era - literally as FABL, the AFA, the NAHC, the FBL and the college leagues are all fast forwarding a couple of decades. It is a decision that while, in some ways tough to swallow, was necessary and ushers in a new chapter in the Figment Sporting Universe that I hope any of you who have been reading this will be excited for. Our commissioner revealed there are some major issues with the baseball file ratings, especially power numbers, of many players plus a real talent glut and, if unchecked, they will create big issues in the coming seasons. No one knows exactly why it happened: whether it is tied back to originally using feeder leagues and switching 20 seasons or so ago, edits to select draft class players each season, or simply because the league has gone from OOTP18 or 19 all the way through to 25 and could not handle it especially with all the ratings system changes in version 25. But the bottom line is the need to do mass edit to a number of elite hitters (which rightly the commissioner considered would be unfair to the GMs of those clubs) has helped the commissioner decide the best course is a hands-off period and a fast sim to January 1, 1969. This will allow him to make the necessary edits with impacting individual GMs and retain the entire history of the league will also letting us "watch" the next two decades unfold. *** This Means Expansion, and Your Chance to Join the Best Multi-Sport League Around *** A side-benefit is it will be almost a brand-new Figment Baseball (and other sports) Universe complete with expansion teams (both in 1962 and 1969) so there is an opportunity for you to join the league if interested. We are also making a change from stats-only to visible current ratings (1-5 scale I believe) but potentials and stars stay hidden. The idea is it might make this league, with all of his rich history and multiple sports, more accessible for potential GMs who might have felt intimidated by the time that stats-only can require to learn your team. It is a big change, to quickly over the next month or so go from 1952 to 1969 and there are pros and cons to this for both the GMs and you the reader. The cons are our General Managers will now have to be content to simply be fans for the next two decades of game play. We no longer have the ability to make an impact on our teams but hopefully all will enjoy cheering on the successes of our favourite players. The other con is I expect it will take a number of weeks to get from 1952 to our final landing point in 1969. The pros in my mind far outweigh those cons with the biggest one being that the issues get hopefully solved and the league (and your favourite online dynasty newspaper) will continue. During this "fast-forward" period TWIFS will go to an annual year in review format designed to keep you informed on all the major happenings in the Figment Universe and be up to speed when we land in 1969. At that point TWIFS will go back to the same weekly format we have used for nearly the past decade and a half of gameplay. I am very excited to see how the careers of the many great young talents across our universe play out and it will happen quickly over the next month or so. We will see how long Quarterback Pat Chappell and the Kansas City Cowboys dominate the AFA. Will Luther Gordon become the greatest player in pro basketball history? Will John Stallings of the Chiefs, Carl Potter of the Dynamos or Adrian Czerwinski of the Foresters make a run at 300 wins? Will a new home run king that can rival Mighty Mo or Bobby Barrell arrive on the scene? How many more Challenge Cups will Quinton Pollack and the Toronto Dukes win? There is so much that would have taken a couple of years in real time to play out that we will see unfold over the coming month or so. And what new stars will crop up in the coming seasons? Plus when we resume football will be an online league as well instead of a solo project so all four major team sports will have human GMs and there will be expansion in each. As touched on above there will also be a fundamental change in baseball that we will no longer be fully stats only. The learning curve for new GMs is very stiff and, as some of our GMs pointed out stats-only does not fully mirror real life. Potentials are unknown but scouts have a great knowledge of current skills beyond just stats so upon resumption FABL will have current and other (running/fielding) ratings visible but stars and potential will remain hidden. There will also, of course, be expansion so if you have ever considered joining now is the perfect time. League files will be provided each year so you can pick your team and then follow along allowing any new GMs to have a some great knowledge of their organization. And multiple sports too. There will be hockey, basketball and football league openings (with FHM, Fast Break Pro Basketball, and Draft Day Sports:Pro Football) so you can run multiple teams. If you weren't aware I am the GM of the Detroit Dynamos, Detroit Motors hockey club, Detroit Mustangs basketball team and will be in charge of the Detroit Maroons football team once we land in 1969. Mixed emotions for sure as it is hard to give up control of my teams for the next two decades, but also plenty of excitement about what the next two decades will look like. A new chapter is coming in the masterpiece of a book that is the Figment Sports Universe. By the way here is a sneak peak at what FABL is going to look like in 1969. (teams in bold are expected to be available for potential new General Managers CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION EASTERN DIVISION Cincinnati Cannons Cleveland Foresters Chicago Blues (1969) Montreal Saints - New York Imperials (1962) Toronto Wolves WESTERN DIVISION Milwaukee Cougars (relocated from Chicago, 1965) Dallas Wranglers (1962) Denver Grizzlies (1969) Los Angeles Stars (relocated from New York in 1950s) San Francisco Sailors (relocated from Philadelphia in 1950s) Seattle Kings (from KC in 1968) FEDERAL ASSOCIATION EASTERN DIVISION Atlanta Firebirds (1969) Boston Minutemen Detroit Dynamos New York Gothams Philadelphia Keystones Pittsburgh Miners WESTERN DIVISION Chicago Chiefs Houston Oilers (1969) Kansas City Eagles (from Washington in 1969) Los Angeles Suns (1962) Minneapolis Millers (1962) St. Louis Pioneers It may be a few days but keep an eye out as 1952 Figment Sports Year in Review will be arriving soon.
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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. |
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08-25-2024, 02:59 PM
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#1010 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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1952 End of Year Report
The first of our annual looks at the year in Figment Sports as we journey towards a landing in 1969. 1952 was a year of contradiction in Figment Sports. Many things were as one might expect but also much was suddenly different, particularly in the realm of big-league baseball where the game had sweeping changes and pitching suddenly became dominant while homer happy first basemen were benched left and right and seemed to become a mere afterthought. College football entered a new era with the addition of a controversial overtime rule that would do away once and for all with the dreaded tie game. Heavyweight boxing perhaps had the greatest change of all as after a dozen years the American Boxing Federation finally had a new champion in its most prestigious division as a Detroit native by the name of Joey Tierney replaced the retired legend Hector Sawyer at the top of the heap. 1952 IN FIGMENT SPORTS Speaking of Detroit, it was quite a year for Motor City sports fans who not only could cheer hometown hero Tierney's rise to the top but also celebrated not one, but two team sports titles in a city that had won nothing since the 1930s. The Detroit Dynamos ended a 22-year pennant drought, one which had them endure seven agonizing second place finishes including a tie-breaker loss to St Louis in 1951, and finally win not only the Federal Association crown but also the World Championship Series. Detroit's basketball entry, the Rollie Barrell owned Mustangs, also won their first Federal Basketball Association title making 1952 twice as nice for the Motor City. While on the topic of droughts that came to an end, one must quickly mention the Chicago Packers who won their first ever Challenge Cup title just twelve months after finishing last in the NAHC with the worst record in franchise history. In college action Chicago was also able to celebrate as the local cage quintet from Whitney College won their third AIAA collegiate basketball tournament title. Meanwhile Daniel Boone College out of Missouri defied the odds with an improbable run to the collegiate baseball title and east coast basketball power Liberty College was a surprise national champion on the grid. Yes, much changed but then again there were plenty of things happening that Figment sports fans have grown accustomed to. The Kansas City Cowboys were back in the American Football Association title game for the third year in a row and few, if any, were surprised when Pat Chappell won another offensive MVP on the football field. On the diamond Cleveland Foresters ace Adrian Czerwinski celebrated his record fourth straight Continental Association Allen Award and in college cage action Coastal California, which finally won that elusive national title a year ago, once more reached Bigsby Garden in April only to fall short and not win it all. Below is an in depth recap of the 1952 year in Figment sports as we put our pedal foot on the gas and look to fly head first through the next two decades before making a groovy landing back in the weekly format in January of 1969. If 1952 is any indication it will be a wild trip through what I guess, for now anyway, we will call the "Post-Modern Era" of Figment Sports since the human GM baseball era of 1926-51 was dubbed the "Modern Era." Let the journey begin.   1952 IN FABL: YEAR OF THE PITCHER 1952 was a year of change, from the draft being cut from 25 rounds to 20, to some of the franchise altering trades that the calendar year saw, there was plenty of action from start to finish as pitching reigned supreme. Before getting into the pennant races, there were a pair of two-horse races from dominant 90+ win teams, we have to visit the wild ride that got us to where we were. After spending all offseason working to upgrade their rotation, the New York Gothams made a huge splash as Opening Day was fast approaching, swapping star outfield prospect Jim Allen to the offense-starved Toronto Wolves for longtime ace George Garrison. It was the second long-time Wolf starter in less then twelve months to be moved, as they swapped eventual 1952 Allen Winner Joe Hancock (22-9, 1.77, 80) to the Dynamos in one of their many all-in moves at the 1951 deadline. For Toronto, they got a legit bat to pair with Kirby Copeland (.273, 7, 54), who can't carry the load himself, though he and Allen (.276, 3, 41) were the only two qualified hitters for the team that finished with a league worst 53-101 record. The Gothams, never satisfied with second best, saw Garrison (20-8, 2.55, 124) join Ed Bowman (19-7, 2.38, 136) and fellow offseason pickup Ed Cornett (9-10, 9, 3.07, 65) in one of the league's top rotations, as in '52 they looked to outlast the Pioneers and Dynamos, who they fought with nearly all season long. The Garrison trade didn't warrant a response, the only other trade for a while was the Gothams shipping longtime infielder Roosevelt Brewer (.230, 1, 47, 28) to the Eagles for Dutch Reaves (.235, 11, 60) two weeks into the season, but as the weather started heating up, so did the trade market. The opening salvo came on July 14th, when a surging New York Stars squad led by a young Paul Anderson (22-6, 2.16, 215) made a swap with the Washington Eagles to pickup Cuban vet Juan Tostado (15-14, 2.36, 84). At the time of the trade, Tostado was an unlucky 8-10 despite his 2.33 ERA (149 ERA+), 2.93 FIP (80 FIP-) and 1.11 WHIP. Now thrust into a pennant race, Tostado would keep that dominance up (7-4, 2.41, 30), making him well worth the cost of 24-year-old lefty George Blake (1-1, 1, 3.50, 20), a former 2nd Round pick who ranked 51st in the Opening Day prospect rankings. This started a flurry of moves, with the Stars adding to their staff. They picked up Jerry York (6-11, 3.12, 61) from the Wolves for 1951 4th Rounder Cal Yeager, before adding Pete Ford (12-13, 6, 3.00, 81) from the Saints for a pair of low minors prospects. The biggest move, however, came from the Stars crosstown rival Gothams, who were not satisfied with one major pitching add, as they inquired on a struggling fireballer who finished second in the Allen Award race last season. That struggling arm was John Stallings, who after leading FABL with a 2.57 ERA (166 ERA+) last season, saw that figure double to 5.10 (68 ERA+) in 23 starts. As a result his price dropped significantly, costing just a pair of Vern's in Osborne and Armstrong, in a deal that the Chiefs may quickly regret. Osborne went from the 97th ranked prospect to 79th, so he could end up a useful rotation member, but it's hard to imagine him coming anywhere close to as productive as Stallings. Stallings may have been the biggest name moved, but he was far from the only impact player changing hands. At the time, the Chicago Cougars were just four games out of first, and they were in unfamiliar territory: they needed to improve their pitching. The first addition was Wally Reif (9-7, 2.05, 67), who tore his UCL in 1951, and made 6 excellent starts (4-1, 1.98, 24) after struggling through a rehab assignment. Flush with minor leaguers, especially in the outfield, the cost of 139th ranked prospect Bob Allie was minimal. A few days later, the team in 4th picked up a big arm of their own, as the first year Kansas City Kings pried Ray Dalpman (12-12, 2.60, 110) from the Minutemen for a pair of middling prospects. This came after the Kings boosted the lineup with Bob Lopez (.280, 5, 50, 7), inserting him at third to move Ken Newman (.253, 20, 77) to first. The last deal of note concerned the defending champion Pioneers, as they picked up last year's breakout swingman John Thomas Johnson (14-10, 3.58, 123) from the Sailors to round out their rotation, parting with a former top 15 prospect Jack Adams who has seen his prospect shine dim in recent years. In total, 11 deals were agreed upon before the deadline, though August started with what looked like only one pennant race. The Detroit Dynamos (66-38) led the Pioneers (60-46) by 7 and the Gothams (59-46) by 7.5, part of which encouraged them picking up new arms in Garrison and Stallings. In the Continental, four teams were closer to the first place Stars (64-42) than St. Louis was to Detroit in the Fed, with Cleveland (61-43), Chicago (59-44), and Kansas City (58-49) all within shouting distance. The Stars got hot, going 20-7 in August as the addition of Tostado (3-2, 2.72, 15) paid instant dividends, and the offense got support from unusual sources in Newt Cooper (.350, 1, 13, 1; .271, 6, 40, 10) and Paul Watson (.337, 1, 10; .267, 11, 70), but it was the pitching that got the job done. Ace Paul Anderson was a perfect 6-0, boasting a pristine 1.62 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 50 innings. Between him, Tostado, and Vern Hubbard (4-1, 2.28, 11; 16-9, 2.70, 99), you pretty much had to keep the Stars quiet to beat them, and in close games deadline pickup Pete Ford (2-0, 3, 1.38, 3) made it almost impossible for teams to come back. The Kings and Cougars quickly fell off, leaving just the Stars (85-49) and preseason favorite Cleveland Foresters (81-54) in line for the pennant, as the Chicago Cougars (14-16; 74-60) and Kansas City Kings (11-15; 70-64) both found themselves double digit games back. At the same time, the Gothams (81-53) made things interesting in the Fed, going 20-8 to pull within two of the Dynamos (83-51), who lost ground despite going 18-11 themselves. You can thank the Chiefs for that, as John Stallings was energized by the trade, a perfect 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.29 WHIP despite more walks (18) then strikeouts (14). His addition shifted Ed Cornett to the pen, but it worked well, as he allowed just 1 run in 15.2 innings, picking up a win and 5 saves with an elite 0.64 WHIP and 7 strikeouts in 13 appearances. They lost just four of those games, though in each case Cornett was not the cause of the defeat. Though it was the offense that did the heavy lifting, with youngsters Bill Burgess (.379, 4, 22, 1; .297, 8, 54) and Hank Estil (.248, 9, 22; .278, 41, 109) both providing OPS' above .900. Walt Messer (.270, 6, 21; .257, 21, 81), Cecil LaBonte (.342, 2, 15, 3; .332, 6, 57, 14), and George Cleaves (.284, 3, 17; .232, 16, 60) would have had the best month on plenty of teams, as they were excellent support for what would end up being the highest scoring Fed team. The Gothams stayed hot in September, again losing just 8 games as they finished the season 52-28 over the last three months. The offense cooled, no more .900+ hitters, and only Burgess (.292, 6, 27) and Bill Moody (.241, 4, 12; .203, 7, 25) had more then 20 at bats and an OPS above .700. This is why the addition of Stallings (2-0, 2.17, 17) was so big, he finished his Gothams season 7-0 with a 2.45 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts, but Lou Eaker (3-0, 1.76, 13; 13-2, 1, 2.12, 51), Ed Bowman (3-2, 2.02, 26), and George Garrison (2-3, 3.05, 18) kept them in every game. In a regular season, this would have been more then enough to win a pennant, but one has to wonder if the Gothams committed to Red Johnson (.312, 22, 60), who made just 273 PAs despite a 208 WRC+ and a whopping 22 homers in a limited role. Detroit, who had just one month with a sub .600 win percentage (17-14, .548 in May), ended the season 14-8, allowing them to finish four up of the challenging Gothams. Detroit's pitching was just too good, as they finished the season with the only two qualified pitchers with sub 2 ERAs. We may never see a 1-2 punch as dominant as Jack Miller (22-7, 1.86, 157) and Joe Hancock (22-9, 1.77, 80), who made 67 starts, and in just 5 of these did one of the co-aces allow more then 4 runs. That alone gives you a huge chance of winning, but when your offense contains a full season of Whitney Winner Ralph Johnson (.303, 30, 104, 7), Edwin Hackberry (.254, 21, 78, 9), and Dick Estes (.272, 20, 75), it's no surprise Miller and Hancock went back-and-forth all season for the Fed league in Wins and ERA. The two team race in Conti saw two teams that couldn't wait for the season to end, as the Foresters (11-10) and Stars (13-9) had September's that didn't match their overall numbers. Cleveland in particular was disappointing, but you can't blame Frenchy Sonntag (.375, 6, 22; .311, 35, 118), Larry McClure (.344, 4, 14; .280, 10, 67), Adrian Czerwinski (4-1, 1.02, 19; 25-10, 2.18, 148), or offseason pickup Danny Hern (3-0, 0.67, 9; 14-11, 3.21, 99). Czerwinski capped off another absurd year, capturing his record 4th consecutive Allen by going 25-10 with a 2.18 ERA (163 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, and 148 strikeouts. Along with his wins and WHIP, he led the CA in innings (309.1), FIP- (72), and WAR (8.7), truly emphasizing just how dominant the still relatively young professor has been. The back of the rotation, namely Ducky Davis (0-5, 5.40, 24; ) and Dick Lamb (1-1, 3.97, 22; ) let them down in the final month, while Joe Wood (.224, 5, 24; .259, 7, 41), Lloyd Coulter (.214, 5; .228, 20, 62), Earle Haley (.167, 8; .274, 1, 57), and Glenn White (.175, 2; .283, 22) wasted nearly every at bat they had. It's a shame such good seasons by Czerwinski, Sonntag, and reigning Whitney winner Sherry Doyal (.263, 18, 74) went for naught, but they'll continue to be one of the top picks for the '53 season after coming up just short again. This left the Stars atop the CA once more, as they claimed their fourth pennant since 1939. Picking up the previously mentioned Tostado was huge, but it was really the blossoming of former top pitching prospect Paul Anderson that helped the Stars secure the pennant. The 23-year-old lefty would've won the Allen in most years, going 22-6 with a CA best 2.16 ERA (162 ERA+) and 215 strikeouts, allowing just 4 homers in 279.1 innings pitched. He did walk a league high 171 batters, but his 1.26 WHIP was still strong, as when batters hit him it was hard to hit him hard. Vern Hubbard (16-9, 2.70, 99) once again looked like one of FABL's best pitchers, even playing all season at 37, while Hub Armstrong (14-7, 3.19, 116) and Eli Panneton (14-9, 3.23, 101) rounded out the best rotation in the association. They also ended up scoring the most runs, despite not really having a standout bat. Jack Welch's (.268, 24, 84) 139 WRC+ is well above average, but it's not star level, and that's similar for Bill Barrett (.263, 14, 53), but they had a strong supporting cast with Watson, Ralph Hanson (.269, 11, 76, 17), Bob Riggins (.220, 8, 48, 11), and Gene Curtis (.286, 2, 50). For the other 14 teams that didn't get to play in October, there were plenty of things to look forward to, with one of the biggest stories being the inaugural season in Kansas City for the Kings franchise that spent their history in Brooklyn. At 85-69, it was there best season since 1941, as they have quickly found a new ace in Walt Staton. A deal that may be looked back to as a major win-win, Staton came in the Ralph Johnson trade last July, and managed to lead the CA with 37 starts. The production was more then ever expected from the former 9th Rounder, who was 19-10 with a 2.40 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts. Ray Dalpman may now be 36, but he can contribute next season for them too, as he was 5-4 with a 2.67 ERA (131 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts, dropping his BB% to a tiny 5.5% in 81 innings. Then there was 30-year-old Mike Thorpe (11-7, 2.87, 55), a former 4th Rounder of the Cougars acquired in a minor deal back in 1946, who's breakout 1952 saw him throw more innings then he did in his four prior seasons. Fred Miller (.312, 10, 77, 9) won a second batting title, Charlie Rogers (.295, 12, 68, 15) may not have hit .300, but for a third season he led the CA in hits (190), and Ken Newman (.253, 20, 77) boasted an elite .397 OBP with a CA high 112 walks. You can also add in 26-year-old Red Hinton (.257, 14, 31, 10), acquired in the deal that sent Joe Potts (16-17, 3.45, 125) to the Pioneers, who didn't let a torn groin stop him from posting a 140 WRC+ in 390 PAs. The youth movement is starting to pan out for KC, and the CA is certainly on watch. For the first time since 1938, the Chicago Cougars did not finish top 3 in the CA in runs allowed, as the franchise with the top farm system finished 5th in runs allowed as they got only half of a season out of Pete Papenfus (8-3, 2, 3.16, 61), who's velo plummeted after what should have been minor shoulder inflammation, while 1951 Allen runner up Duke Bybee (12-13, 3.98, 120) and veteran Johnnie Jones (12-13, 3.98, 79) each had their first season with an ERA+ (86) below 95, and in both cases it was their second full season with an ERA+ below 100. Even longtime co-ace Donnie Jones (16-15, 3.27, 150) was average as opposed to his regular elite, with George Polk (16-9, 3.31, 125) offering similar production. On the bright side, David Molina (7-2, 20, 2.08, 58) alleviated any worries that he was washed up, and the offense led the association in WAR (30.3), homers (113), and steals (83), with the most shocking occurrence their 29-23 record in one-run games. It's no surprise that Jerry Smith emerged as an elite outfielder, as the 1952 Kellogg Winner hit .265/.372/.482 (143 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 30 homers, 100 walks, 101 runs, 95 RBIs, and 12 steals, worth 7.4 WAR. He spent 200 or more innings at all three outfield spots, and the future outfield of him, Henry Norman (.281, 5, 37, 7) and Frank Reece (.300, 6, 18) could usher in a new age of offense. Star defender Skipper Schneider (.278, 8, 65, 14) saw a drop in his still elite defense (21.6 ZR, 1.065 EFF), but with a 114 WRC+ his 6.6 WAR was his highest since a 7.2 in 1947. The club isn't quite ready to threaten the pennant, but if the youth continues to breakout, specifically Bob Allen (2-4, 1, 4.59, 14) and Dixie Gaines (3-6, 5.90, 23), who both struggled out of the pen, they could make noise for the entirety of the 1950s. Last year's Continental pennant winner regressed back to earth, as the Philadelphia Sailors offense couldn't replicate what they did the previous season. Al Farmer (.237, 9, 38) was the main culprit, as his WRC+ dropped from 147 to 105, while going from 17 triples and 19 homers to 8 and 9 respectively. Billy Forbes (.258, 10, 53, 10) had a drop from 135 to 106, and their stars underperforming led to a mini-sell off. A healthy Win Lewis (3-5, 2.84, 37) could be one of the next to go, as they got big years from Lloyd Stevens (16-11, 3.25, 111), Jackie James (16-10, 2.67, 91), and George Reynolds (5-5, 19, 2.56, 41), the latter of which seems ready to move from stopper back to the rotation. One of the bright spots was the emergence of catcher Tom Cooprider (.283, 13, 57), who has positioned himself as a top-5 catcher, and despite less homers and RBIs, George Rutter (.284, 14, 56) increased his WRC+ from 123 to 136. The team that came up short against the Sailors in the World Championship Series last year, the St. Louis Pioneers, were a distant third in the Fed, and they were the last of eight FABL teams to finish above .500. A 12-15 August kept them from making things a three team race, but at 83-71 it was far from a disappointing season. All eyes remained on 22-year-old Rex Pilcher, who is already one of the elite bats in baseball. Pilcher slashed .292/.421/.468 (146 OPS+), launching 30 doubles and 19 homers with 87 RBIs and 106 walks. He won a team triple crown, leading an offense that has some building blocks in Otis Ballard (.298, 14, 53, 7) and Jim Adams Jr. (.272, 7, 19, 8). Joe Potts disappointed some, even if his 3.45 ERA and 104 ERA+ tells a far different story then his 2.99 FIP and 84 FIP-, but that didn't stop the pitching for trying to carry the offense. The remaining Hs Hal Hackney (17-16, 2.24, 175) and Hiram Steinberg (16-10, 3.18, 103) continued to remain among the game's toughest at bats, and stopper Russ Peeples (4-7, 21, 3.12, 42) secured most late leads. Potentially a bat away, the Pioneers have a chance to win their fourth titles in seven seasons with a return to form. For the other half of the league, the losers of the losers, all fans can hope for is the fate of their youngsters. The team in most need of a rebranding may be the Philadelphia Keystones, who saw franchise icon Bobby Barrell (.223, 4, 23) retire in July, capping off a legendary career that sees him leading plenty of team categories, while ranked top-5 All-Time in slugging (3rd, .537), hits (3rd, 3,815), runs (2nd, 2,076), doubles (2nd, 598), and homers (2nd, 639), and leading all FABL players in games (3,092), at bats (12,350), total bases (6,628), and RBIs (1,238). There's not a player on the planet who can replace what Bobby meant to the team, but they seem ready to start their next generation with former #1 prospect Buddy Miller, FABL's top catcher Roger Cleaves (.267, 27, 100), and Don Berry (.282, 13, 42), though aside from second year starter Sam Ivey (17-10, 3.38, 102), they don't have much going for them on the mound. Closer to contention might be the Chicago Chiefs and Boston Minutemen, though Boston might have been closer to .500 had they held on to Earl Leckie (.284, 17, 64), who won the Kellogg in a Windy City sweep. Sure, Boston has plenty of young outfielders, but they saw reduced roles for Rick Masters (.328, 3, 18), Yank Taylor (.270, 9, 33), and Danny Taylor (.238, 1), as well as veteran mainstay Ben McCarty (.267, 6, 30). Masters and the Taylors seem in line for a bigger role, joining the elite young middle infield duo of Joe Kleman (.280, 5, 56) and Marshall Thomas (.298, 16, 75), as this group of young bats matures together. Boston also had the luck of Charlie Todd (12-9, 2.56, 119) emerging as an ace, despite walking a Fed high 131 batters in 232 innings. The Chiefs don't have an ace ready after shipping out the struggling Stallings, but the offense may end up rivaling the Minutemen's. They picked up young third basemen Jim Gaiter (.256, 10, 47) from the pennant winning Dynamos, giving them a revamped, young, 3-4-5 ahead of him. Leckie has gotten comfortable in the five spot, while Ed Bloom (.302, 11, 65, 13) and Rod Shearer (.256, 34, 130) had WRC+ of 162 and 139 at 24 and 23. The Pittsburgh Miners and Washington Eagles both finished above the last place Keystones, but the 6th and 7th place teams each failed to win 70 games. These teams couldn't be more different, Pittsburgh had a great offense and the worst pitching staff, while Washington had the worst offense and a solid pitching staff. Pitching was an obvious weakness for Pittsburgh, though they wanted more from offseason pickup Roy Schaub (13-13, 3.70, 115), and will be an area in need of upgrade in the offseason. With Paul Williams (.300, 29, 108) and his 175 WRC+ with 29 doubles and triples, they just need someone to keep runs off the board, as he lives up to his "Spark Plug" nickname whenever the Miners need a rally. With a return to form from Ernie Campbell (.272, 56, 7), Irv Clifford (.247, 1, 42, 8), and Charlie J. Williams (.266, 10, 64), they could make some real noise, especially if center fielder Bill Newhall's (.318, 9, 67) breakout at 24 was legit. They're in a better position then Washington, who endured a slump from Jesse Alvarado (.262, 20, 79, 12) and a partially torn labrum of Rats McGonigle (.254, 1, 6, 1) that ended his season in early May. Alvarado's 104 WRC+ was the only one above 100, but at least former 4th pick Ike Perry (.265, 10, 44) solidified himself as a reliable everyday backstop. The staff is old and in need of a talent infusion, so it may be Washington that ends up at the bottom of the association in 1953. Shifting focus back to the Continental, it was a third straight 100 loss season for the Toronto Wolves, who dropped 101 games after 100 in '50 and 106 in '51. Top pick John Wells spent all year in the minors, while fellow top pick Les Ledbetter (7-15, 4.72, 108) had an ERA over a full run higher then his FIP (3.67, 103). Finishing dead last in runs scored and allowed, there wasn't much to be happy about, but Jim Allen is a legit bat to build around, and loss leader Jimmy Gibbs (8-19, 3.31, 105) may have built back some trade value after a 2.84 FIP (80 FIP-) in 245 innings. There are still a lot of holes on this team, but this year's 3rd Rounder Tom Reed has risen to the 5th ranked prospect, getting a small cup of coffee where he went 4-for-19 with a solo homer, and is maybe another Wally Boyer (.221, 1, 29) poor season away from becoming the every day center fielder. The '52 draft could be the start of the recovery, as along with Reed, their first and second round picks rank 19th and 62nd respectively, making up three of the Wolves top four prospects. Montreal and Cincinnati weren't nearly as bad as the Wolves, but at 68 and 61 wins respectively, it was a big let down in terms of expectations. Montreal got better from last year's deadline pickup Sal Pestilli (.256, 14, 64, 15), but Otis O'Keefe (.236, 10, 57), Joe Austin (.244, 5, 63, 14), and Gordie Perkins (.254, 5, 41, 8) were all below average at the plate. On the bright side, Bill Elkins (.256, 2, 46) had a 5 WAR season while offering plus defense at short (9.3, 1.062) and in center (5.9, 1.041), while Ted Coffin (9-13, 3.11, 99) and Wally Doyle (13-15, 3.17, 97) were effective in the rotation. Like Cincinnati, they're likely embarking on a rebuild, but aside from last year's #3 pick Bob Porter (11th ranked prospect), they don't have many impact players. Cincy has Dallas Berry (4th), Charlie Barrell (16th), and more, plus an excellent front three with Rufus Barrell (11-13, 4.38, 110), Jim Anderson (11-18, 2.98, 122), and Tony Britten (1-14, 3.15, 141). Rufus had an uncharacteristically poor season, setting worsts in most categories, though the offense had it worse. Denny Andrews (.205, 11, 35) barely hit over .200, Mike Taylor (.251, 16, 73, 13) went from outstanding to average, and only really Fred Galloway (.285, 8, 46) and Dan Scurlock (.253, 14, 63) were tough to get out. With such a deep system a youth movement seems inevitable, and if they tear down enough Toronto might have some competition for the bottom spot in the Conti.  1952 World Championship Series Game 1: Detroit Dynamos (97-57) vs New York Stars (96-58) That was the enviable dilemma for Dynamos Manager Dick York, though you could argue quite quickly that York made the wrong decision. He went with the guy who's spent his entire FABL career in Detroit, sending out 26-year-old ace Jack Miller (22-7, 1.86, 157) to take on the Stars best Paul Anderson (22-6, 2.16, 215) in what many expected would be a pitcher's duel. Jersey Jack Welch (.268, 24, 84) had other ideas, as he followed Gene Curtis' (.286, 2, 50) two-out first inning double with a huge two-run homer. Miller could not avoid the extra base hit, as Bill Barrett (.263, 14, 53) doubled and was scored on Paul Watson's (.263, 14, 53) single to give the Stars a 3-run cushion after just the opening frame. Miller did settle down, but you have to realize that was his first postseason inning. That comes with extra nerves, and when he came back out for the second he looked like the pitcher folks watched all season. He recovered with three scoreless frames, but the Dynamos lineup couldn't thwart Anderson. The Stars ace was provided a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh, as the middle of the order was able to get on base or drive in a run. Both starters completed the eighth inning, with Anderson entering the 9th up 6-0. Instead of attacking leadoff man Stan Kleminski (.248, 4, 49, 13) he threw him four wide ones, setting up the dangerous Dick Estes (.272, 20, 75) who had eventual Whitney Winner Ralph Johnson (.303, 30, 104, 7) behind him. Estes singled and Johnson walked, and instead of going with Edwin Hackberry (.254, 21, 78, 9), York turned to Bill Morrison (.118, 1). Against all odds, he drew a walk, forcing in the Dynamos first run of the game. They plated two more with fielder's choice, before Anderson got deadline pickup Len Stewart (.216, 8, 43) to roll over a 82 mile per hour fastball that Paul Watson had no trouble fielding. The Allen runner up allowed just the three ninth inning runs on four hits and walks, striking out eight in the complete game victory. Final Score: Detroit 3, New York 6 Game 2: Detroit Dynamos (97-57) 0, vs New York Stars (96-58) 1 This game turned into the pitcher's duel that we were promised, though it should be no surprise because these are the top ranked pitching staffs in their respective associations. Believe it or not, both vets threw nine scoreless innings, and both arms took the mound in the tenth. Vern Hubbard got the first two outs, ending his night with 128 pitches. He allowed just 5 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The Dynamos' Hancock managed to complete the 10th, and since his team couldn't score in the 11th he left after allowing a single to the speedy Ralph Hanson (.269, 11, 76, 17). Hanson then took advantage of Hancock's replacement, swiping second off former 12th ranked prospect Jack Halbur (3-4, 15, 2.38, 35). Despite being down 0-2, Bob Riggins (.220, 8, 48, 11) managed to get a hold of Halbur's fastball, lining it in front of outfielder Ralph Johnson. Hanson tested the Whitney Winner's arm, and was gunned at the plate, preventing what could have been a walk-off orchestrated by the first (Riggins) and second (Hanson) players selected in the 1945 draft. The next threat came in the 13th, when deadline pickup Pete Ford (12-13, 3.00, 81) allowed a leadoff double to Del Johnson (.274, 8, 30, 8). Ford got the 11th inning star Johnson, as Ralph flew to left on a tough 3-2 pitch. Setting up a double play, Edwin Hackberry was intentionally walked. No groundball was needed, as Ford required just three additional pitches to finish the inning. He navigated a scoreless 13th as well, before passing it off to George Scruggs (5-5, 14, 4.38, 29) for a relatively painless 14th and 15th. This set up a rally in the bottom half, as Elijah Bourdeau (.235, 7) jumped on a 1-0 forkball, getting the inning going with a leadoff double. After getting a tapper to third, the Dynamos set up a double play, walking the catcher Dan Atwood (.267, 8, 44) to bring up shortstop Ed Holmes (.218, 7, 26, 4). Bill Sohl's forkball got him the grounder he wanted, Atwood's slide caused the Dynamo shortstop to leap out of harms way. Instead of the nine spot and the pitcher Scruggs, Stars manager Ken Tannen went with the pinch hitter in Charlie Woodbury (.194, 2, 9). Acquired last year from the Cougars after hitting .320 with 6 homers, 32 RBIs, and a 150 WRC+ in 254 PAs, he was almost completely relegated to a bench role in his second year in the Big Apple. Some of the pain from his poor season were alleviated today, as Sohl hung a forkball, and the 34-year-old veteran unleashed a monstrous 422 foot homer to send the Dyckman Stadium fans home happy in an instant classic. Final Score: Detroit 0, New York 3: 15 innings Trailing 2-0 in the series, the Detroit Dynamos at least had the home crowd in attendance in game three, as last year's deadline pickup Bob Arman (12-12, 2.85, 110) needed some help from his offense against Hub Armstrong (14-7, 3.19, 116), who was drafted by the hosts in the 6th Round of the 1947 draft. Since then, he blossomed into one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, and was the cost to acquire Mack Sutton (.206, 14, 44), the struggling slugger who spent most of the WCS on the bench. Sutton hit an impressive .263/.377/.491 (133 OPS+) with 18 homers and 65 RBIs after the trade, and he almost slugged the Dynamos to a pennant last season.Game 3: New York Stars (96-58) 2, vs Detroit Dynamos (97-57) 0 Hub entered the season as the 18th ranked prospect, and ended the season 14-7 with a 3.19 ERA (109 ERA+) and 2.67 FIP (76 FIP-) in 31 starts. Unlike Jack Miller, Hub was dominant right out of the gate, holding the Dynamos scoreless for six more innings. Just like yesterday, the Dynamos starter held the Stars scoreless, but the visitors got things going in the seventh as Gene Curtis started the inning with a triple. He wasn't standing on third for long, as Jersey Jack brought him home with a double. Arman intentionally walked Bill Barrett, allowing himself a moment to settle back in. He got the next three out quickly, but again Hub held his former organization scoreless. He got to hit for himself in the 8th, kicking things off with a single to set up the top of the order. Ralph Hanson followed in kind, and both runners were moved over on a sac-bunt. With one out and two in scoring position, last inning's sparkplug Gene Curtis couldn't capitalize, looping a lazy fly to center that was too shallow to score the pitcher. Hub then got ahead of Jack Welch 0-2, even fouling off a pitch before delivering a clutch two run single. This proved to be the wakeup call the hosts needed, as the heart of the order jumped on the Stars starter in the bottom of the eighth with a run of extra base hits. Del Johnson doubled, Ralph Johnson copied him, and then Edwin Hackberry launched a first pitched mistake for a hard hit triple. Still no outs, Dan Smith (.242, 14, 76) hit a hard grounder to second, allowing Hackberry to score easily on the bobble to tie the game at 3. With the bases clear, Hub was able to get the final two outs, but for the first time all series the Dynamos had some life. That continued with a scoreless ninth for Arman, while Hub left with two outs and Stan Kleminski (.248, 4, 49, 13) on second base. Ralph Johnson couldn't capitalize, and for the second straight game, more then nine innings were needed. Arman didn't start the 10th, as the battle of the pens commenced once more. There wasn't much action until the 13th, when one of the saddest stories of the year Carl Potter (9-11, 4.43, 73) returned for a second inning. Once a 22-game winner with a 1.97 ERA (212 ERA+), Potter tore his UCL in his first start last season, and like Tommy Wilcox he came back a shell of himself. Currently with 101 career wins at 26, Potter never had an ERA above 3.06 (130 ERA+), and his 124 ERA+ as a rookie was a career worst. This year his ERA ballooned to 4.43 (78 ERA+) while walking (100) more guys then he struck out (73) for the first time in his FABL career. In pretty much every category it was a career worst. But in the postseason, everything is different, and the Dynamos' fifth starter was needed to pitch innings out of the pen. He got the first two outs, but Mike Holt (.269, 6, 65, 9) bested him with a double. For 1950 Cal Potter, Elijah Boudreau would be about as easy an out as it gets, but the veteran bench warner worked the count to 3-2. Rearing back, Potter found some of that Allen winning power, placing a pitch perfectly on the edge to get Bourdeau looking. He kept it going, as after another scoreless inning from a Stars pitcher Potter was brought back for the 14th. He got a quick 1-2-3, but with his spot third in the order it appeared that his night would be over. After two quick outs from Pete Ford, Dick York went to a guy who started just one regular season game in his big league career, Fred Carter (.214, 1) in place of his pitcher. Kept for his leadership, he worked a huge walk, extending the inning for shortstop Stan Kleminski. Most in attendance were hoping he could keep the train going, but the sixth year starter took matters into his own hands and ended the game with one swing of the bat. Kleminski unloaded on a 2-1 slider from George Scruggs, and for the second straight game, the hosts outlasted their guests long enough to walk-off with a homer. It was an inning shorter this time, and with two more games back-to-back, both teams are hoping for a more reasonably timed game on Sunday. Final Score: New York 3, Detroit 5: 14 innings In a seven game series, teams can technically stick with just their top three, forcing their best pitchers on short rest, but both contenders went to their 4th starter. That's one of the perks of having the best staffs in their associations, so an Eli Panneton (14-9, 3.23, 101) vs Wally Hunter (20-7, 2.98, 88) matchup still felt like a postseason matchup. Hunter in particular fits the role, as not only is his nickname "Big Game," but he was the Dynamos third and final 20-game winner this year. Initially a 1st Round Pick by the team he'd be facing, the Dynamos actually picked up Hunter from the other New York team, as just eight months after being acquired by the Gothams from the Stars, the Gothams send him, Jim Lonardo, and a pair of draft picks to Detroit for Sal Pestilli.Game 4: New York Stars (96-58) 2, vs Detroit Dynamos (97-57) 1 Hunter lived up to his name, as through the first seven innings, the only base runner he allowed was a Bill Barrett double in the second. Panneton had far less luck, as in his second he should have had a 1-2-3 inning, but Ed Holmes could not handle Len Stewart's 0-2 groundball. This extended the inning for Tommy Griffin (.235, 6, 46), another former Star who entered the game 0-for-9. He was the clear weakness in a loaded lineup making for what should have been an easy out, but the light hitting Griffin had other ideas. He hit a super slow first pitch curve just over the left field fence. Now down 2-0, the pitcher's spot should have been even easier, but it's easy to forget Hunter attempted to be a two-way player. He hit an above average .280/.358/.366 (106 OPS+) during the season. Panneton's opponent pounced on a fastball down the middle, whacking it 410 feet to center field to put Detroit up 3-0. Panneton finally got Kleminski to end the inning, but it took him a while to get an out he never should have needed. Detroit added single runs in the third and fifth, capitalizing on two Ralph Johnson solo home runs. Johnson was plenty familiar with Panneton from his time with the Kings, and those insurance runs were huge, as it allowed their stater to pitch with confidence. Only one of Hunter's four walks came around, as Barrett (1-2, R, BB, 2B) did pretty much everything himself. It came in the 8th where Barrett worked a lead off eight pitch walk. He got to second on a ground out before two more walks, eventually scoring on a flyball to center. Hunter then got Ralph Hanson to pop up, escaping his only real troublesome inning. He was back out for the ninth too, but it seemed his command was gone. He hit Bob Riggins on the first pitch, prompting Jack Halbur to warm up in the pen. Hunter got Gene Curtis to ground out, but then threw four wide to Jack Welch. This prompted a pitch change, so Hunter left with one hit, four walks, and two runners on, up 5-1 in his first and potentially only WCS start. Dick York did not want him facing Barrett a fourth time, but he worked a walk on Halbur too, loading the bases for Paul Watson. Halbur found the zone and got a lazy fly to center, forcing Gene Curtis to hold at third. He fell behind Dan Atwood, who made great contact on the 3-1 fastball. Unfortunately for him, it was only a few paces away from Del Johnson, who got it on the hop. He had plenty of time to get the catcher at first, and just like that the series was tied at two. Final Score: New York 1, Detroit 5 Game five means a rematch of game one, and with the packed Thompson Field behind him Jack Miller was determined to make up for his rough (8 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) performance on the road. He capped off a 1-2-3 first with a Gene Curtis strikeout, and the Stars were hoping Paul Anderson could do the same.Game 5: New York Stars (96-58) 2, vs Detroit Dynamos (97-57) 2 Anderson got the strikeout to start the inning, needing three pitches to dispose of the leadoff hitter Stan Kleminski. Continuing to attack, he tried to get ahead of Dick Estes, who was ready and whizzed a ground ball up the middle for a one-out single. Ralph Johnson couldn't move him over, popping one up to third, but Edwin Hackberry kept things going with a 2-0 single. A little rattled, Anderson walked Dan Smith on four pitches, loading the bases for the second basemen Del Johnson. He fouled off a 3-2 slider, and then cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. Still not himself, Paul Anderson allowed a slider to get away from his catcher, sending Johnson to third with two outs. Anderson finally settled down, getting Len Stewart to chase a pitch in the dirt to finally end the first inning. With Detroit leading 3-0 the damage was done, and with Miller on a mission the Stars were in trouble quick. Miller didn't allow a base runner until the 6th, when game four goat Ed Holmes worked an eight pitch walk. The first hit came from Paul Watson in the 8th, but Miller had no trouble getting the next two outs. The Dynamos entered the 9th up 4-0, looking to go up 3 games to 2 by taking all three games at Thompson Field. Miller got pinch hitter Moe Holt down 0-2, but the postseason star hit one somewhat deep to left. Perhaps picturing tomorrow's headlines, he sprinted towards second, but was hung out to dry by a strong throw from Dick Estes. If he was patient, he would have gotten to second anyways, as Ralph Hanson worked a walk to set up the 2-3-4 hitters. Though the fourth never got there, as after nine pitches Bob Riggins flied out and after just one Gene Curtis looped one to second. If the momentum hadn't swung after game four, it certainly did now. Final Score: New York 0, Detroit 4 Two things could happen today. The home team can continue to win every game. Or the champion will be crowned.Game 6: Detroit Dynamos (97-57) 3, vs New York Stars (96-58) 2 Let's not forget how well the Stars pitchers pitched early in the series, as Vern Hubbard threw 9.2 shutout innings. His command was not great, but it was the hosts who scored first, as Jack Welch took long time Wolf Joe Hancock deep in the 4th. He took him deep again in the 6th, a carbon copy of what Ralph Johnson did to Eli Panneton in game four. The second homer even broke a tie, as Edwin Hackberry's two out triple in the top half of the inning gave Detroit their first run of the game. Hancock got the Dynamos through seven, but for the fourth time all season he didn't record a single strikeout. The Allen winner allowed 8 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks, and was expected to go back out for the 8th since he was the last out of the 7th. Hancock wasn't needed for the 8th, as floodgates opened in the top half. Hubbard got Del Johnson out to start the inning, but he then walked the bases loaded, prompting Ken Tannen to go to the pen. The Stars skipper made the call for Pete Ford, who did the one thing that got the starter taken out of the game, walked a batter. This tied the game, allowing Dynamos manager Dick York to make a nepotism move that would have made fans furious. It's not that Len Stewart is any good, but going to backup catcher Rick York (.228, 1, 15, 3) with the bases loaded in the most important at bat of the game is as big of a head scratcher as you can make. His first swing confirmed those theories, but the 33-year-old backup laced one down the first base line, scoring all three Dynamos to make it 5-2. York was credited with a double but ended up on third because of the throw to the plate, and that was a smart move that led to another run after a Pat Petty (.293, 10, 27) sacrifice fly. The Dynamos got all the way to Hancock's spot in the lineup, and with the four run lead they decided to pinch hit for their starter. I'm sure many Dynamos fans envisioned Carl Potter finishing an elimination game in the World Championship Series, but before his injury few would have thought it'd be finishing the game for someone else. He was tasked with the final six outs, and with the Dynamos faithful cheering him on I don't think there was any way he was losing the lead. He worked around a Mo Holt walk in the 8th, and then got three quick outs to win the Dynamos first title in 23 years. Final Score: Detroit 6, New York 2 There weren't many obvious choices to go to for WCS MVP, but it's hard to go wrong with the Dynamos star Ralph Johnson. ."The Cornhusker Crusher" won both WCS MVP and the Whitney this season, going 7-for-24 with a double, triple, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 7 runs, and 6 walks in the six game series. Johnson was critical in both the game three and four wins, and he reached base in all six games.  CONTINENTAL STARS BLANK FEDS IN MIDSEASON CLASSIC 1952 was a year the pitchers dominated in baseball and the All-Star Game was no different. Six Continental Association hurlers combined to blank the Federal Association on five hits in a 3-0 shutout victory for the CA. It was the 20th anniversary of the game and the Continental Association, winners of six of the last seven games, now leads the series 11 victories to nine. The Continental Association opened the scoring in the third inning when young Kansas City outfielder Charlie Rogers, playing in his second all-star game, led off the inning with a double off Gothams veteran hurler George Garrison. He would move to third on a Jerry Smith groundout and score on a Ralph Hanson grounder. That would be all the offense the CA would need on this night but they added a second run in the seventh inning on a Skipper Schneider rbi double. Schneider, the Chicago Cougars veteran infielder, was playing in his 9th all-star game and only Red Johnson, with 10 appearances, had more among those dressed for this game. The final CA run came in the top of the ninth on a solo homerun with two out from Stars slugger Jack Welch to make the final 3-0. It was Welch's only appearance in the game but the powers that be decided his round-tripper was good enough to lay claim on the MVP award although many might lean towards Cougars reliver David Molina, who pitched 4 shutout innings for the save.  A VERY BUSY OFFSEASON FOR FABL CLUBS The league wasted no time after the WCS to make adjustments for 1953, starting with last year's champion St Louis Pioneers making the first three moves. Bringing in competition for glove first, second and always shortstop Win Hamby, the Pioneers called up the champion Dynamos for reserve shortstop Bob Montgomery (.276, 18), sending them a veteran pitcher and the 64th ranked prospect William Redmann. It was one of two poor decisions by St. Louis: their 1-for-1 swap with the Saints seemed reasonable, but they paid a hefty price for Chiefs pitcher Bill Kline (6-5, 1, 2.73, 38). An effective swingman who could hold down a rotation spot in a rotation in need of help, but he's pretty much depth and a future option as St. Louis has a rotation similar to Detroit's. He's a solid pitcher, but they sent George Atkins (.170, 1, 5) out of town. The 23-year-old has been ranked as high as 3rd overall, and was effective in a full time role in 1951. This year the Pioneers decided to go with Cal Page (.241, 7, 76, 17), in a sense making Atkins expendable, and the still optionable center fielder could be in AAA next season as John Moss (.255, 7, 59) has that position locked down. The Chiefs also added Chuck Clark, who currently ranks 11th in their system and 202nd overall. The 1951 3rd Rounder spent time between three levels, with his best hitting coming in Class C. Clark hit .267 with 10 homers, 28 RBIs, and 37 walks. The first surprising move is what followed, as the Montreal Saints announced they were open for business by making a blockbuster move with their Canadian counterpart. Longtime shortstop Gordie Perkins (.254, 5, 41, 8) will be suiting up for the Wolves now, as they made a huge buy to ease wonderkid John Wells to second early in his career. 30 this October, Perkins has hit .280/.342/.382 (103 OPS+) in 8 seasons with the Saints. When you combine that with excellent shortstop defense, (123.7 ZR, 1.085 EFF), that's the kind of player the Wolves have been missing lately. He's expected to leadoff the lineup with young outfielders Wally Boyer (.221, 1, 29, 2), Jim Allen (.276, 3, 41), and Kirby Copeland (.273, 7, 54) behind him. They aren't ready yet, but he's got plenty of years ahead of him if he can stay healthy. Montreal has been in sell mode, and parting with Perkins shows the faith they have in 28-year-old Bill Elkins (.256, 2, 46). Elkins is one of the only players really ever to have plus marks in center (5.9, 1.041) and in short (9.3, 1.062) during the same season. Moving Perkins allows Elkins to play at short long term, as his .256/.373/.333 (102 OPS+) batting line in a return to form from his worst season to date in '51. He'll have a new double play partner too, as one of the players received for Perkins was Harry Finney (.220, 3, 46). The now 29-year-old second basemen hasn't been able to match his strong production from 1950 where he hit .322/.386/.417 (124 OPS+). Montreal is hoping the change of scenery can do him well. In a continuation of their deadline selloff, they traded a low ranked outfield prospect and longtime rotation member Pat Weakley (8-9, 4.12, 92) to the Sailors for outfielder turned first basemen Joe Scott (.263, 7, 44). Taken 8th by the Saints in 1938, Weakly started 278 games in 10 seasons with Montreal, going 119-111 with a 3.69 ERA (102 ERA+). He struck out 1,037 hitters in over 2,100 innings pitched, but 1952 was probably the worst season of his career. The same could be said for Scott, who hit just .218/.326/.313 (78 OPS+) after slashing .294/.390/.488 (140 OPS+) for the 1951 Champion Sailors. They've continued to cycle through first basemen, and are relying on Scott to play a key role for them next year. But the biggest trade was the last trade, as they sent away 1951 Kellogg runner up Ted Coffin (9-13, 3.11, 99) to the Miners for a pair of young players who can contribute to next years team. The bigger get is George Scott (.179, 3), the 79th ranked prospect, but Don Goldman is a former 3rd Rounder in A-ball who ranks just outside the 100 (128th) as the clubs 5th prospect. Scott, however, is in position to start the year at third base. The former 14th Overall pick will be 25 all next season, and hadn't really had a chance to break into the Miners lineup. It's one of those potential win-wins where a surplus fills a need, as the Miners have plenty of bats and none of the arms. He's a young quality middle rotation arm, but currently the best they have as the calendar flips to 1953. If they can add more arms to push him and Roy Schaub (13-13, 3.70, 115) back in the rotation, they could really compete. Montreal wasn't the only team that was on fire sale mode, as the Cincinnati Cannons completely overhauled their roster. The 7th place Cannons traded three members of their rotation, including the thought to be untradeable Rufus Barrell (11-13, 4.38, 110). "Deuce" was awful for the first time since his debut season in 1938, going 11-13 with a 4.38 ERA (80 ERA+) and 1.46 WHIP. He struck out 110 and walked 89 in 232.1 innings, far from the dominant pitcher he was for so long. Since Deuce became a regular starter in 1939, he's dominated Continental batters, and he's got 216 FABL victories to his name. Barrell owns a 3.07 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP, striking out 1,679 batters with just 825 walks in his 3,343 innings pitched. Barrell's name litters their career leaderboards, top five in wins (2nd), WAR (2nd, 75.9), complete games (3rd, 211), shutouts (2nd, 34), innings (2nd), strikeouts (2nd), and WHIP (5th). In his time he won 3 Allens and went to 8 All-Star games, even winning three pennants and two titles with the team. It's about a shocking a trade as any, and one that sent shockwaves through the fanbase. The move to Cleveland could completely reinvigorate him, and the cost of two top 100 prospects in Paul Williams (73rd) and Stump Patterson (88th) is easy to accept. The Foresters rotation now has 8 Allens and 15 All Star selections, and they might boast the most talent in all of FABL. They made plenty of depth moves to staff as well, adding All-Star Lou Robertson (12-11, 2, 4.06, 91) from the Sailors, Art Edwards (3-6, 1, 3.98, 46) from the Cannons, and Sid Moulton (12-12, 3.21, 102) from the Keystones. They'll be able to survive an injury or two in the rotation, and insurance against regression if one of their non-Czerwinski (25-10, 2.18, 148) starters. The second of the Cannons guy to go was Tony Britten (15-14, 3.15, 141), who the Kings acquired for a four player package headlined by Charlie Ham and Les Sasson. Once a top 15 prospect, Ham's down to 67 right now, and the first basemen is starting to play more left field to get him the playing time he needs. He's got a lot of power, and hit 14 homers with the Kings Class C team. Sasson is a well regarded prospect as well, but he's no stranger to being traded. He was one of the centerpieces in the Pioneers trade for Joe Potts, and is a former first rounder of St. Louis in 1950. Ham projects as more of an impact player, but Sasson could be a solid supplemental piece at second if the glove and bat continue to progress. They got a third highly ranked prospect in the most recent trade to date, sending longtime righty Jim Anderson (11-18, 2.98, 122) to the Sailors for the 82nd ranked prospect Ray Hill. Since his debut in 1940, he's pitched in 11 different seasons, waiting until 32 before becoming a regular rotation member. The Cannons also moved Les Bradshaw, but none of their deals brought back more players then the deal that sent Fred Galloway to the St. Louis Pioneers. Galloway had been a Cannon so long that he used to play in Baltimore, as the first two of his 14 seasons came before the 1940 move to Cincinnati. In that time he appeared in 1,824 games, hitting .270/.369/.390 (114 OPS+) with 299 doubles, 157 triples, 63 homers, 733 RBIs, 1,014 runs, and 1,062 walks. Even at 36, Bradshaw hit .285/.389/.396 (120 OPS+), producing a 135 WRC+ in 142 games. His 83-to-36 walk-to-strikeout rate was among the best, and he provided the Cannons with 28 doubles, 8 homers, 46 RBIs, and 74 runs. It's why they were able to part with four prospects. None of them rank in the top 20 of a loaded Cannons system, but Larry Lewis is their 23rd prospect and he's still part of the top 200 (194). The 24-year-old former 4th Rounder hit .319/.395/.517 (169 OPS+) in AAA, and has a real shot to start the season on the big league club. That would be increased by a move of Mike T. Taylor (.251, 16, 73, 13) as Cincinnati continues with their youth movement. Other interesting prospects include Ben Crawford, who a former 2nd Round center fielder who ranks just outside the top 200 (215th). The 23-year-old hit well in A ball (.298, 3, 19, 6) and then held his own in AA (.277, 8, 37, 10), and projects to be a solid role player. The other two players were Marty Joiner, a 24-year-old first basemen who's spent two seasons on the Cannons' 40-man roster, and 18-year-old catcher Walker Garner, who St. Louis took in the 12th round of the most recent draft. The Cannons now have 40 prospects in the top 500, and their combination of 11 top 100 prospects is good enough for 2nd in the league. If you were wondering if the Gothams would make a big deal, they certainly did, as they picked up veteran second basemen Billy Woytek from the Philadelphia Keystones. 34 in September, Woytek was taken 3rd back in 1936, and debuted at 19 in 1938. Since then, he's won a championship and gone to two All-Star games, batting .265/.370/.417 (118 OPS+) in 1,478 games. Woytek has collected 252 doubles, 71 triples, 152 homers, 697 RBIs, 814 runs, and 918 walks in his 6,597 trips to the plate, and he'll give the top offense another big bat to turn to. The Keystones picked up four prospects, headlined by 54th ranked prospect Leon Peck. Peck was taken 43rd overall in the most recent draft, and the now 19-year-old hit .219/.351/.377 (79 OPS+) in his professional debut. He's got plenty of developing to do, but he shows consistent raw power and there aren't many pitches he can't hit. He has all the tools to be an elite hitter, but the Gothams have Walt Messer (.257, 21, 81) there and he'll keep it until Hank Estil (.278, 41, 109) eventually replaces him when he inevitably calls it quits. Of the other three prospects, Ralph LeFevre stands out, as the 23-year-old reliever was added to the 40 last offseason and had an impressive 3.53 FIP (85 FIP-) in his 205 AA innings. He's more filler then star, but the Keystones have plenty of open rotation spots that could open up if he keeps pitching well. Adding borderline top-500 prospect Joe Harris (478th) is a plus too, as the recent 7th rounder has a great glove and profiles as a useful bench player. The final piece is first basemen Dick Allen, a backup option for first base. The Keystones added five more players from the Foresters in the Sid Moulton trade, including former Pioneers 1st Rounder Bill Kiley. Like LeFevre, Kiley can work his way into the Keystones rotation this year, and the 258th ranked prospect has a decent four pitch mix that could earn him an audition in a rotation role. The real headliner of that trade was recent 6th overall pick Jim Cooper, who ranks just inside the league's top 100 at 99. A standout high school pitcher, he was an unlucky 2-9 between Class B and C despite an ERA+ of 106 and 111. Cooper alone could make the trade worth it, because if he can keep his command he'll make his way into a FABL rotation. Sid Moulton (12-12, 3.21, 102) is a solid, reliable rotation member, but that's a huge get for someone who's not projected to make the Foresters Opening Day rotation. Aside from Hank Koblenz, they now have only guys below 30 in the lineup, and I imagine they'd take offers on any of their veteran starters behind Sam Ivey (17-10, 3.38, 102). They moved Pepper Tuttle (7-15, 3.49, 105) to the Cougars for a former 1st Rounder in Jack Craft, who was one of nine prospects they picked up in a busy offseason. The last place Keystones could have plenty of rookies in the lineup next season, and any number of the players they obtained in their sell-off could emerge from the competition. With three months until Opening Day, plenty of change awaits the FABL, but one has to wonder if the New York Stars will make a big move. Aside from picking up Cotton Dillon (.280, 12, 53) from the Sailors to play right field and recently turned 36-year-old Don Fluharty (1-0, 2, 3.72, 21) from the Keystones for the pen, they haven't been too active. Shortstop seems like an obvious need, as Ed Holmes (.218, 7, 26, 4) is not a championship level short stop. One has to wonder if they were in on Gordie Perkins, and it may be tough for him to hold off an improving Continental Association.  CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR ONCE AGAIN FOR COWBOYS The Kansas City Cowboys reached the American Football Association championship game for the third year in a row, but just as last season the Cowboys came up a little short. It was the New York Stars who used a stifling defense to edged Pat Chappell and the mighty Cowboys offense by a 10-9 score. The win was the third championship for the Stars, who also claimed the crown in 1937 and 1946. There will be more on the AFA playoffs further down in this report but lets begin our recap with a look at last April's American Football Association draft. *** Wildcats Select All-American Guard at Top of Draft *** The Chicago Wildcats found themselves in a very strange position last spring. The first AFA draft was held in 1936 and until this year the Wildcats had never selected first overall. They were far more accustomed to picking at the other end of the draft because of their great success over the years but after a dismal 1951 season that saw the Wildcats post a 2-10 record the Wildcats were awarded the top pick as the worst team in the league the previous season. Chicago used that selection on Maryland State lineman Dick Caldwell, one of five college All-Americans drafted in the opening round. Caldwell would have a fine season in the Windy City and started all twelve games but a broken wrist in the season finale, coupled with another terrible season from the Wildcats, who won just 3 games, certainly put a damper on his season. Other picks of note in the draft including the Philadelphia Frigates calling the name of Pete Capizzi with the fifth pick. The two-time All-American had led Cumberland to a National Title in 1951 but had his struggles and dealt with some injuries as a rookie pro. One quarterback that caught the attention of sports fans across the country, particularly in Cincinnati, was former Noble Jones College three sport start Charlie Barrell. The son of former pro footballer Joe Barrell was a baseball first overall selection by the Cincinnati Cannons but a combination of Barrell being stuck in the minor leagues and persistence on the part of Los Angeles Tigers owner Thomas Bigsby convinced Barrell to give football a go after the Tigers selected him in the sixth round. It was clear very quickly to almost everyone except Bigsby that Barrell was not quite ready to play quarterback in the AFA. The Tigers owner, perhaps frustrated that incumbent QB Mark Monday looked so good with Buffalo in the old Continental loop but had an awful 1951 campaign in Los Angeles, demanded that Barrell be given the starting job. The results were mixed to say the least. The Tigers did post a winning record at 7-5 but Barrell, who started all 12 games, completed less than 25% of his pass attempts. No word on whether Charlie will continue with football, return to the Canons minor league system for baseball or perhaps try his hand at pro basketball which may just be his best sport.  STARS AND WINGS FLYING HIGH IN AFA REGULAR SEASON The New York Stars and San Francisco Wings each engineered dramatic turnarounds in 1952. The New York club went from last place in the East Division in 1951 with a 3-8-1 record to the top of the heap in tying defending league champion Pittsburgh for the league's best record at 10-2. Meanwhile, the Wings finished atop the West Division with their 9-3 record being a mirror image of the club's 3-9 showing a year ago. Led by quarterback Archie Rawlings and a stifling defense the Stars proved they were a much different team than their 1951 edition right from the opening week, when Rawlings threw for 161 yards and the New Yorkers blanked the defending champion Paladins 17-0. New York would win its first six games until finally stumbling in the rematch against the Paladins in the Steel City but while both teams finished with identical 10-2 records, New York claimed top spot on a tiebreaker. No one else in the East Division was even close to the co-leaders as third place Cleveland at 6-6, was the only other team not to post a losing record. The Paladins, with Dusty Sinclair still leading the offense at quarterback but 1951 title game hero Wally Dotson now in a reserve role at half back, stumbled out of the gate. Blame it on a title hangover but Pittsburgh was 1-2 with losses to the Stars and the lowly Boston Americans on the road. Fortunes turned the following week with a 17-0 shutout of Washington as the start of a nine game winning streak to close out the regular season, a streak so dominant that the Paladins outscored their opponents 212-25 and including the win over the Wasps to get the run started shut out their opponent four times. They entered the playoff game with the Stars not only on a nine game run, but also coming off a season ending 63-7 crushing of the Frigates in Philadelphia. The West Division was dominated by the Kansas City Cowboys a year ago when they won their first 11 games before finally falling in the regular season finale. This year the Cowboys lost in the opening week as the San Francisco Wings kept the vaunted Cowboys offense in check, claiming a 13-7 victory in the season opener. Kansas City, perhaps not the same powerful offense after news broke in training camp that fullback Mason Matthews had decided to retire, had its struggles all year and would lose three more times on the season - twice against the Pittsburgh Paladins who had defeated them in last year's title game and once a Detroit Maroons club that went just 3-9 on the year. Kansas City still scored the most points in the league and surrendered the fewest in the West Division but they just no longer seemed like a team that would win not matter what. Instead it was Vince Gallegos and the San Francisco Wings that seemed to always manage to score the game winning points in the clutch, a feat that Chappell and the Cowboys had been famous for. The Wings won the West Division with a 9-3 record but they were lucky to escape with at least three of those victories. In week three after a late field goal in a loss to Chicago had evened the Wings record at 1-1 there season may have charted an entirely different course had Gallegos not engineered two drives into field goal position in the final two minutes to turn what would have been a 12-10 loss in Los Angeles into a 16-12 victory. Three weeks later Gallegos found Herk Loveall for an 88-yard touchdown pass late in the game to lift the Wings past St Louis 17-16 and improve their record to 6-1 at the time. Finally, late in the season they clinched the division crown thanks to a 42-yard field goal in overtime by James Wise to nab a win over the Chicago Wildcats. Between Gallegos, who led the league with 2,085 passing yards, ends Herk Loveall and Bob Walker who finished one-two in receiving yards and back Jeff Blevins, who ran for 840 yards including 10 touchdown carries and was named the top player in the AFA, it was clear that the Wings were a special team.  STARS SHINE BRIGHT IN AFA PLAYOFFS Kansas City and Pittsburgh had squared off in the last two AFA title games and both had their sights set on a third appearance but in order to get there each of them would have to win on the road in the semi-finals. The Paladins faced the East Division leading New York Stars, having split their two meetings during the regular season. The Stars jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never trailed in claiming an 18-12 victory. Pittsburgh's strength all season had been its defense and Paladins held the Stars to just 148 yards of offense but New York, aided by four Paladins turnovers, did just enough to win the game. While defense was the word of the day in the East, San Francisco and Kansas City had a wild game in the West Division. Pat Chappell was terrific for the Cowboys, throwing for 257 yads and a pair of scores while Pat Hill gained 88 yards on 26 carries. The Wings Vince Gallegos only attempted 8 passes all day and threw for just 85 yards but 10 of those yards came on a second quarter touchdown pass to Fred Rigby which put the Wings ahead 14-0. The focus of the San Francisco offense was Sam Gerst and the former Coastal California back had a whale of game, rushing for 114 yards. The Wings led 14-3 at the break and extended their lead to 17-3 in the third period. That is when Kansas City delivered another vintage Pat Chappell comeback. The Cowboys signal caller threw two long completions to set up a 2-yard Ted Armstrong touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-10 with 12 minutes remaining in regulation and on the next series tied the game with a 34 yard scoring strike to Jason Harris. The game remained knotted at 17 as time ran out in the fourth quarter. The Wings never got a chance in the extra period as Kansas City won the coin toss and Chappell completed two passes for 22 yards before Walt Stewart ran twice for another 28. Next came the game winning play that sent the Cowboys to their third consecutive AFA title game when Chappell found Ernie Orr in the endzone to make the final score 23-17. The championship game was a matchup between the West Division mighty offense of the Kansas City Cowboys and the tight, defensive play of the East Division as exhibited by the New York Stars. Defense won out as the Stars prevailed 10-9 with a missed extra point by Cowboys kicker Josh Briggs being the difference. Neither club generated much offense as Chappell threw for just 85 yards and the Stars managed only 129 yards of total offense. Special teams led to the opening points as Glen Sechrist's 52-yard punt return set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge for Ricky Sevy late in the opening period. Sevy's fumble early in the second quarter gave Kansas City the ball inside the New York twenty yard line and Chappell found end Thomas Cline for a 6-yars scoring strike three plays later. Briggs missed the extra point which allowed New York to hold the lead, at 7-6. The Cowboys kicker redeemed himself with a 31-yard field goal just before the half and the Cowboys led 9-7 at the break. Neither team moved the ball much in the second half but the Cowboys did get into field goal range for Briggs early in the fourth period. In a moment that might have clinched the game the way both defenses were play, Briggs again had troubles and missed a 24-yard field goal to keep the Cowboys lead at just two points. Five minutes later New York kicker Donnie Ashby was given his opportunity and he made no mistake, splitting the uprights with a 46-yard field goal that would prove the difference in a 10-9 New York victory. It marked the third AFA title for the Stars, who also won in 1937 and 1946- both over Chicago- while the Cowboys have lost each of the last two championship games.     LIBERTY COLLEGE WINS COLLEGIATE GRID NATIONAL TITLE Liberty College has long been known as a pipeline for basketball talent with current pro stars Ward Messer and Luther Gordon heading a long list but now pro football teams may need to spend a little more time watching the Philadelphia school after the Bells completed a perfect 9-0 season and won their first solo grid national title in over forty years. The Bells last won the AIAA football title outright in 1911 and they shared the championship with Lubbock State in 1916. With baseball titles in 1919 and 1920 along with three collegiate basketball national tournaments between 1935 and 1942, and football titles in 1911 and now this year are the only school in AIAA to win at least two national titles in each of the three major collegiate team sports. Opelika State, North Carolina Tech and Coastal California all have multiple wins in two of the three sports but the Wildcats have just a single college cage title and the Techsters and Dolphins each lay claim to just a single Collegiate World Championship Series victory. As for the grid Bells, there perfect 9-0 season including a very close call with Rome State, escaping with a 17-16 victory thanks to a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute. The Bells strong suit was its running game with a pair of senior backs in Ron Sykora and Barney Hoopes each surpassing the 1,000 yard mark on the ground. With all the attention of defenses focused on the backs, that allowed senior Liberty College quarterback Rollie Whitney to have a big year as well. Whitney attempted to carry the ball just once all season but as a passer he was deadly, throwing for 1,097 yards and 14 touchdowns. The St. Blane Fighting Saints, appearing fully rebounded from their bottoming out in 1950 when they suffered through a dismal 3-4-3 campaign, followed up a solid 7-2-1 showing a year ago with a 9-1 mark this season. It had appeared the Fighting Saints were set to claim their third national title in a seven-year span as they bounded out to a 9-0 start and topped the polls until they were tripped up in their regular season finale on the west coast, dropping a 30-16 decision to a middling Coastal California eleven that finished the season with a 5-5 record. That loss for the Saints would be further compounded when they were edged 27-20 in the Cajun Classic by a Georgia Baptist team that prevailed in overtime. That is correct. A new rule instituted by the AIAA would eliminate tie games from the collegiate football vernacular with overtime becoming part of not only the New Year's Classic games but also the regular season. History was made on the opening weekend of the 1952 season when Bobby Baldwin scored on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Dennis Leister to give College of San Diego a 19-13 victory at home over Idaho A&M in overtime, spoiling the Pirates excitement of tying the game with a last second field goal. There were some surprising champions in section play as Western Florida finished at the top of the Deep South Conference and Minnesota Tech was a surprise winner in the Great Lakes Alliance. Quite a turnaround for a Wolves team that went 1-5 in section play as season ago and a Lakers squad that lost all six of its Great Lakes Alliance contests in 1951. On the other side of the coin, Spokane State, after a near miss last season claimed the West Coast Athletic Association title and secured its first appearance in the New Years Day East-West Classic where it will meet another debutant in the GLA champion Minnesota Tech Lakers. For Spokane State the big star was Mike Peel. The senior halfback led the nation with 1,583 yards rushing including a career best 194 in a win over College of San Diego. For his efforts Peel was named to the All-American team and also became the second player in as many years to win both the Christian Trophy and Bryan Awards. The Indians lone loss on the season came at Northern California late in the season and the 9-1 Indians finished third in the national rankings. Rounding out the top five was a talent laden Georgia Baptist Gators squad that finished second to Western Florida in the Deep South despite the fact the Wolves were ranked just 18th because of a pair of non-conference losses and in fifth was a resurgent Southwest Alliance winning Amarillo Methodist squad, a team that went just 5-4-1 a year ago.   NOBLE JONES COLLEGE LINEMEN HEAD ALL-AMERICAN SQUAD Noble Jones College head coach Dick Donnelly may get a lot of credit for the work he did with Charlie Barrell and now junior Dave Atchison to improve their passing skills but his claim to fame may lie in the trenches. Donnelly's Colonels placed three linemen on the 1952 College Football All-American team in the former of guard Ed Koester along with tackles Rollie Waldorf and Dick Breland. That made Noble Jones College, despite finishing a disappointing 4-6, one of two schools to place three on the all-star list. Koester and Waldorf, both seniors, played almost exclusively on offense and formed an impenetrable line with neither surrendering a sack all season. Breland, also a senior, does his best work on defense and breaking into the opposition's backfield where he had 3 sacks and a 11 tackles of ballcarriers for losses. The other team to see three of its players named All-Americans this season was Darnell State with center Bob Helman, linebacker Sherman Brock and punter Tony Thornberry gaining recognition. Here are the All-Americans as well as the winners of the three major individual awards for 1952.   COLLEGIATE CLASSIC RECAP OVERTIME THE STORY OF NEW YEARS DAY National Champ Liberty College Upended in Extra Time Overtime, a new wrinkle to collegiate football this season, played a crucial role in two of the five major New Years Day Classic football games including sending national champion Liberty College to a loss in the Sunshine Classic. The Bells, who entered the game with a perfect 9-0 record did not exit with that unblemished mark intact as Lawrence State rallied with a late touchdown to tie the game and then benefited from a 3-yard scoring run by back Bob Dawley to beat the Bells 27-24. Liberty College, which benefited from another big game by its two talented senior backs, built a 21-7 leave after three quarters as Ron Sykora ran 136 yards and two scores while Barney Hoopes added 89 more on the ground. The Bells defense had troubles of its own with a surprisingly strong Chippewa ground game headed by Bill Bell. The senior back gained 125 yards on the ground and helped Lawrence State nearly match the time of possession of the clock chewing Liberty College offense. Lawrence State quarterback Dick Humes completed just 4 passes on the day but one was a 14-yard touchdown toss to Dawley, a powerfully built sophomore fullback who would later score the game winner in the fourth quarter that cut the Bells lead to seven and a second was a 4-yard chuck to Bob Benedict for the tying score with just a minute and a half remaining in the game. *** Gators Claim OT Win in New Orleans *** The Georgia Baptist Gators met St Blane in a highly anticipated battle between a pair of 9-1 teams in the Cajun Classic. For sixty minutes the game was a defensive struggle, knotted at 13 with only a single touchdown from each side. Georgia Baptist scored its major in dramatic fashion with a second quarter 98-yard catch and run play with Dave Hall hauling in a Sam Burson pass and racing the length of the field. St Blane was far more methodical with his foray into the end zone, as Wally Willingham's five yard run early in the fourth quarter capped an 11-play, 68 yard drive that evened score at 10-10. That set up a pair of dramatic field goals with first Paul Chestnut's 41 yard attempt splitting the uprights to give the Fighting Saints the lead with just 1:31 remaining in regulation but Burson would execute the hurry-up offense to perfection as he gained enough yardage to allow Gators kicker Clay Croce to kick the tying field goal. The game, such a tight defensive struggle for 60 minutes, became an offensive showcase in a matter of minutes. Ron Cornwall gave Georgia Baptist the led with a 13 yard touchdown run but under the new rules the Fighting Saints would be give a possession to try and tie up the game once more. Starting from the Gators 25-yard-line as is the custom with the new rule, the Saints needed just three plays to reach the endzone with the majority of the damage done by Bob Callender's 14 yard run. The Gators second opportunity also resulted in a score, this one on a 2 yard Will Mains run and once more St Blane needed to reach the endzone to prolong the game. It did not happen as for Saints runs netted just two yards and the Gators could celebrate a 27-20 victory. LAKERS ROMP TO WIN IN SANTA ANA The Minnesota Tech Lakers had a surprisingly easy team before nearly 100,000 fans on hand in Santa Ana, CA. for the annual East-West Classic showdown. Both the Great Lakes Alliance champion Lakers and the Spokane State Indians, winners of the West Coast Athletic Association, entered the game with just one loss and each was making its New Years Day debut. The game turned into a rout quickly as the Lakers built a 17-0 lead at the break and rolled to a 30-7 victory. The win gives the Great Lakes Alliance a 4-3 lead in the series since the oldest classic game, which debuted in 1916, went to a format that sees the WCAA and GLA champions to meet each year. Played in unseasonably cold temperatures that hovered right around the freezing mark all game, the Lakers rolled over the Indians, amassing 453 yards in total offense while holding their west coast rivals to less than half of that. Spokane State simply had no answer for the Lakers running game and in particular senior halfback Terry Cupples, who seemingly had free reign to do whatever he pleased in accumulating 186 yards on the ground spread over 25 carrries.  In other Classic game action Southwest Alliance champion Amarillo Methodist held off a late charge from Deep South winner Western Florida as Grizzles hung on for a 30-27 victory in the Oilman Classic despite a pair of late scores by Western Florida. The Grizzlies benefited from special teams as Wayne Hott returned a first half punt 83 yards for a score and Terry Gouge ran back the opening kickoff of the second half from his own endzone for a 105 yard touchdown. Northern California, which represented the West Coast Athletic Association in the East-West Classic three of the previous four years, failed to score an offensive touchdown but still beat Canyon A&M 21-16 in the Desert Classic. The Miners had a safety, three Larry Jost field goals and a Jim Guest kick-off return for a score to account for all of their offense. A pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes from quarterback Vince Branam proved the difference and lifted Miami State to a 20-3 triumph over Alabama Baptist in the Bayside Classic. Bill Fowler scored on a 37-yard touchdown run to lead the Darnell State Legislators to a 23-19 victory over Columbia Military Academy in the Lone Star Classic. Junior back John Churchwell ran for 142 yards to help Wisconsin State past Valley State 26-3 in the Volunteer Classic while College of Omaha, behind three Tom Nicoletti touchdown runs and 134 yards in total on 20 carries, had little trouble with Colorado Poly in the San Joaquin Classic, winning in a rout by a 34-3 count.  COLLEGE BASKETBALL THIRD AIAA NATIONAL CAGE TOURNAMENT TITLE FOR WHITNEY COLLEGE The Whitney College Engineers were crowned the champions of collegiate basketball for the 1951-52 campaign after they nipped the defending champion Coastal California Dolphins in overtime by a 65-60 score in the title game. A team loaded with talented seniors went from preseason number one to champions of the Great Lakes Alliance and finally a national title. Solly Morris, the smooth shooting senior from Chattanooga, led the Engineers to the title and was named winner of the Barrette Award as national player of the year but in the title game it was Whitney College's other first team All-American that shone the brightest. That would be junior guard Sam Doane who had a game high 17 points in the win over the Dolphins and was named player of the game. Joining Morris and Doane as first team All-Americans were Coastal California senior center Rankin Egbert, forward George Becker - who also starred at end in football- of the St Ignatius Lancers and Brunswick guard Ed Warren. Three sport star Charlie Barrell of Noble Jones College was a second team selection.   DANIEL BOONE COLLEGE WINS AIAA BALL CROWN A dawn of a new era perhaps in collegiate baseball as two schools that had combined to finish in the top twenty of the college rankings just once in the past two dozen years and neither had played in the AIAA baseball tournament before met in the finals of the seventh annual AIAA World Championship Series since the adoption of the 16 team tournament format. That would be the Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen and South Valley State Roadrunners. The Frontiersmen, champions of the Plains Athletic Association with a 37-23 regular season record defeated the Southern Border Conference winning Roadrunners two games to one in the best of three finals. The Frontiersmen were led by junior catcher Ron Johnston (.268,14,60) who was a 16th round selection of the New York Stars and sophomore shortstop Milt Harden (.276,4,45) who missed a dozen games at the start of the season with an injury but helped ignite the club upon his return. The revised format shoulders much of the blame for long running tournament participants like Noble Jones College, Lane State and Central Kentucky missing out on selection. Previously it had been just the top 16 teams in the country earning invites regardless of conference affiliation but the new plan guarantees a spot to one team from each of the 14 conferences with the final two openings in the 16-team field going to wildcards. That means the Deep South Conference, often represented by four or more schools, was now restricted to sending only champion Opelika State along with wildcard entry Bluegrass State. The Christian Trophy, presented annually since 1927 to the player judged to be the best in college baseball, went to Bayou State junior pitcher Jake Pearson. The award is named after legendary baseball coach Frank Christian and is often confused with college football's Christian Trophy which is named after Christian's brother John who coached both football and baseball for decades. Pearson, who was selected 4th overall by the Cincinnati Cannons in the 1952 FABL draft, went 11-4 with a 2.65 era in 20 starts for the Bayou State Cougars this season.   FROM WORST TO FIRST - DREAM SEASON FOR CHICAGO The Chicago Packers lived through a nightmare a year ago, as the club posted its worst regular season effort of all-time and finished dead last in the NAHC. That cost head coach Ed Hempenstall his job but things could not have gone any better for his replacement Chad Fillman. Under Fillman the Packers nightmare quickly turned into a dream season as the club finished first and posted a team record 82 points after going 36-24-10. Everything that went wrong a year ago in the Windy City suddenly was perfect for the Packers. Tommy Burns led the loop with 85 points and won his third scoring title. Burns tallied 34 goals and 51 helpers, trailing only Toronto's Les Carlson (36) in goals and Quinton Pollack (54) in assists. The Packers offense revolved around Burns but they finished second in the NAHC in goals scored thanks to a supporting cast that included Marty Mahoney (27-21-48), Jeremy MacLean (17-29-46), Max Ducharme (23-21-44) and some unexpected offense from defensive stalwart Bert McColley (11-19-30). As productive as the Packers offense was, it was the defense that took center stage with the club surrendering just 157 goals against, the fewest in the NAHC, a year after they had allowed 225, far and away the most against. There was little change in personnel from the previous season but both Norm Hanson (17-17-8, 2.48) and especially Michael Cleghorn (19-7-1, 1.79) were terrific. The Boston Bees rallied to overtake New York for second place with veterans Tommy Hart (18-32-50) and Wilbur Chandler (16-32-48) leading the offense once again. Like Chicago this season, the Bees strength was and seems to have always been its work in its own end. 28-year-old Oscar James had another strong season between the pipes and the Bees top six on the blue is likely unmatched in the loop. The Shamrocks finished first each of the previous two seasons but did not win the Challenge Cup in either of them -New York has not won a Cup since 1932. The Shamrocks will face Boston in the opening round of the playoffs and hoped to reach the finals for third time in five years. Orval Cabbell did not match his stellar McDaniels Trophy winning campaign of a year ago but the veteran center still notched 52 points, good enough for the club lead and six more than Simon Savard. Alex Sorrell had another strong season in net but veteran Etienne Tremblay continues to push him for playing time. The Toronto Dukes finished fourth with the big line of Quinton Pollack (29-54-83), Lou Galbraith (20-49-69) and Les Carlson (36-32-68) doing most of the heavy lifting. Goaltending became an issue for a Jack Barrell coached club that had relied on its defense to win back to back Cups a few years ago but Gordie Broadway seems to be showing signs of age and youngster Scott Renes lack consistency. The Dukes had a great start to the season and were in top spot with an 8 point lead on second place in mid-November but struggled at times during the season. Toronto did do enough to hold off Detroit and Montreal for the final playoff berth. The Motors team defense was suspect at times and the club lacks a star to carry the mail although 26-year-old Nick Tardif (24-34-58) may be trending in that direction. For the last place Valiants it was a sobering dose of reality after back to back Challenge Cup wins. Tom Brockers absorbed much of the criticism and yes the 36-year-old netminder did struggle at times but he could have sued his mates on many nights for lack of support in a year that is best just forgotten about in Montreal.  PACKERS HOIST CHALLENGE CUP FOR FIRST TIME It really was a dream season for the Chicago Packers as they not only bounced back from the worst season in team history a year ago with a franchise record setting point total but they also won the Challenge Cup for the first time in franchise history. The Packers faced Toronto in the semi-finals and drew first blood with a 3-2 victory at home but it was a game that the hosts had to rally with a pair of third period goals to force an extra period. Mike Van Tol was the hero with the winner at 7:54 of overtime but the big news was 26-year-old forward Stanley Royce who scored once and assisted on the other two Packers markers. Royce had just 6 goals and 25 points during the regular season. Toronto drew even with a 4-3 win in game two despite a pair of goals by league scoring leader Tommy Burns. The Dukes offense was rolling as the big line of Quinton Pollack between Lou Galbraith and Les Carlson combined for 3 goals and 10 points. A marathon game three saw a pair of outstanding goaltending efforts as both Toronto's Gordie Broadway and Norm Hanson of the Packers were tested often. It was 1-1 after twenty minutes with Carlson and Burns each scoring their third of the series. No one would score again until the third overtime period, 105:03 into the game when Jeremy MacLean got the winner, assisted by game one hero Stanley Royce, to give the Packers a 2-1 win and the same margin lead in the series. Toronto held on for a 3-2 win in game four to even the series once more but the Packers struck again in overtime the next night. Tommy Burns sent the home fans happy with a goal just 8 seconds into overtime after Marty Mahoney tied the contest 2-2 midway through the third period. Chicago's first three wins were in overtime but that was not the case in game six as the Packers wrapped up the series with a 7-2 thrashing of the Dukes. Tommy Burns scored again, giving the Packers star 6 goals in the opening round. In the other semi-final the Boston Bees jumped out to a 3-0 series lead with wins by 3-2 and 5-0 at home, led by a 33-save shutout from Oscar James, and then a 3-2 overtime victory at Bigsby Garden. Tommy Hart got the game winner to put the Shamrocks on the brink of elimination. New York did not roll over as Alex Sorrell blanked the Bees 3-0 in game four to keep the Greenshirts alive with Jocko Gregg scoring twice. Bees fans had to be getting a little nervous with Simon Savard scored twice and added an assist to lead the Shamrocks to a 4-2 win at Denny Arena in the fifth game but any comeback hopes vanished for New York when Boston rearguard Mickey Bedard scored the series winner with less than five minutes remaining in game as the Bees wrapped up the series with a 3-2 victory. There was far less drama, but a couple of tight games, in the finals as the Packers swept their way to the first Challenge Cup victory in franchise history. Tommy Burns, who would lead the loop in playoff scoring with 18 points in just 10 games, scored once and added an assist as the Packers took the opener at Lakeside Auditorium by a 4-2 count. Game two was an easy 5-2 win for Chicago with centerman Kevin Braun notching three points. Chicago would wrap the series up with a pair of one goal wins on the road. Game three was 3-2 as Burns factored in on all three Packers goals including getting the game winner to snap a 2-2 tie late in the middle stanza. Stanley Royce opened the scoring in Chicago's 2-1 Cup clinching victory, a game that saw Chicago prevail despite an outstanding 36 save effort from Boston netminder Oscar James.   PARTING SHOTS ON GOAL [list][*]An expanded schedule in recent years is the major factor but Tommy Burns set a new NAHC point record with 85 this season. The Packers center snapped the old mark established just last year by New York's Orval Cabbell, who had 82 points. Quinton Pollack of Toronto also bested Cabbell's mark this season with 83 points.[*]The single season goal scoring and assists records were not touched. Quinton Pollack came close, but his 54 helpers this season were four shy of the record he established in 1949-50. The goal scoring mark of 47 was established by Bert Cordier in a short season in 1929-30 and equaled by Burns in 1947-48. The top mark this year was 36 for Toronto's Les Carlson.[*]With the Packers Cup win, all six active NAHC teams have won at least one. Toronto leads the way with 8 Challenge Cups, one more than Boston. Montreal has 5, New York 3 and the Detroit Motors just the one they claimed in the spring of 1939.[*]The first all-star team featured three Packers in Burns as well as defenseman Pete Moreau and Bert McColley. Toronto wingers Lou Galbraith and Les Carlson along with Boston netminder Oscar James rounded out the top team. The second team consisted of winger Nick Tardif of Detroit, Toronto center Quinton Pollack and four New York Shamrocks in goalie Alex Sorrell, winger Simon Savard along with defensemen Ryan Kennedy and George Collingsworth.[/b]list]   Washington is the two-time defending champions entering the 1951-52 season and the regular season did not preclude an end to the domination. The Statesmen started the season 32-8, on pace for the best winning percentage for a full season in league history, but as the Modern Era moved into the Transition Era, Washington eased into another playoff run. Washington finished the regular season with a 48-18 record, which was off the pace from their blazing hot start. There was little drama in the Eastern Division, however, where Washington finished nine games ahead of Philadelphia (39-27) and 12 in front of Boston (36-30). The top three make the postseason and there was an 11-game cliff between third-place Boston and fourth-place New York (25-41), so there was never a real challenge to the Statesmen, Phantoms, or Centurions for a playoff berth almost all season. The Western Division was more of a dogfight, both at the top of the table and for third place. The top two teams all year were Rochester and Detroit; Rochester had a lead early and Detroit came on like a house afire late. A glimpse at the final standings shows Detroit (47-19) finishing 13 games ahead of Rochester (34-32), but it was a tale of two halves. Prior to the end of the Modern Era on February 18th, Detroit was 25-16 and Rochester was 23-17 after the Rockets led for most of the early going. Detroit proceeded to win every game from mid-February to the end of March. In those six season-defining weeks, the Mustangs reeled off a 16-game winning streak while Rochester played to a 5-12 record. Detroit’s run turned a 1-1/2 game lead into a 13-game bulge. Cleveland won the battle for third place, as the Crushers kept waiting for a Chicago Panthers team that was expecting to compete and a Toronto Falcons team that was the Western Division’s representative in the FBL Finals. Cleveland won a postseason berth despite its 30-36 record, six games better than both Chicago and Toronto (24-42). In the playoffs, Rochester and Cleveland played the full schedule in their best-of-five series and only one game was decided by less than 10 points. Cleveland won Game Two, 86-85, and the league’s leading scorer, Ziggy Rickard, had his best game of the series with 33 points. Cleveland took Game Three to take a 2-1 lead, but Rochester stayed alive in Game Four win in Cleveland with a good second half and a signature performance by Marlin Patterson. Patterson scored 42 points, adding 21 rebounds and seven blocked shots. Rochester won the deciding fifth game on their home court, 73-62. Rochester played Detroit tough in the Western Division Final, and the home court made a big difference. The two teams alternated wins and losses all series, but Detroit had the first win and the last win, both at home, to take the series in seven games. Ward Messer was the silver bullet in Game Seven and it was his defense that made his performance memorable. Messer only had 11 points, but he pulled in 29 rebounds and held his opposite number, Billy Bob McCright, to ten points. The Eastern Division playoffs had an upset to start its march to the Finals. Boston had a surprisingly easy time of it against Philadelphia after a terrible Game One. After losing the opener by 40 points, 93-53, Boston got all the bad play out of its system. The Centurions won the next three games to send Philadelphia home, crossing the century mark twice in Game Two (100-84) and the clinching Game Four (105-75). Gerald Abbott was the scoring star for the Centurions in the Eastern Division Semifinal, averaging 22.3 points in the three Boston wins. Washington waited in the Eastern Division Final for the winner of that series and the fact that Boston stretched Washington to the full seven games was itself was a big surprise. Washington jumped out to a 3-1 series lead, but Boston was resilient. Facing elimination at the National Auditorium where the Statesmen only lost nine times all year, Boston played its best game of the year in a 86-74 win over the Statesmen. Boston forced 24 Washington turnovers and held the Statesmen to 29.8% shooting. The Centurions evened the series at home in Game Six, expanding a one-point halftime lead to a 80-67 final score behind 20 points from Abbott and star guard Morgan Melcher. The Statesmen survived to win its fifth straight playoff series, winning Game Seven, 89-78. In Game Seven, the leading scorer was not even on the team until mid-February. Steve Arnette was signed off the street on February 20th and averaged 12.6 points per game in 26 regular season games and set a career playoff high with 23 points in the victory. Washington was in position to defend its title and advance its quest on a third straight championship. Detroit was ready for the challenge, fresh off winning 22 of 25 to close the regular season and fresh off its battle with Rochester. Washington hosted Games One and Two and was ready to set the tone but Detroit had other plans. Detroit won Game One, 81-71, behind 24 points from Jack Kurtz, to get Washington’s attention, and Detroit very well may have won the series in Game Two after taking a nailbiter, 74-73. For Washington to lose only ten games leading into the Finals but suddenly see have Detroit take the first two games of the series, that would confound the Statesemen and there simply were no answers. In the past couple of seasons, Ivan Sisco and Blake Brooks were there when they needed them. But Sisco came off the bench and Brooks was nowhere to be found. The personnel changes did not help, and the Statesmen were a victim of their own making. Ivan Sisco did come off the bench in Game Two to score 18 points in 34 minutes after Ernie Fischer, the new starter at center, ran into foul trouble. Detroit came home with a chance to keep the series from going back to Washington. The Mustangs closed out the series in style, winning Game Three, 93-82, behind Ward Messer’s 21 points and 22 rebounds, adding six assists and four steals, and finished the sweep in Game Four, 91-75. Israel Slusher was two assists shy of a triple-double but contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds. Washington’s bad shooting tendencies were on full display in the series with the Statesmen shooting 32.7% from the floor in Game One and their shooting percentage dropped each game, to 29.8%, 29.6%, and 26.3% in the finale. After losing in the 1948 Finals to Brooklyn in the Red Caps swan song, ironically in a sweep, Detroit won their first cage title. Ward Messer was named the MVP for the series, as he led rebounding in the playoffs with 18.6 and field goal percentage at 45.8%. His play away from the ball, especially on the defensive end, made the club go  MORRIS TOPS CAGE DRAFT BUT FOCUS ON BARRELL Panthers Tab Noble Jones College Star Second in Cage Draft A historic moment in the Federal Basketball League draft as the Chicago Panthers selected Charlie Barrell with the second overall choice, making Barrell not only the first athlete to be drafted by teams in three different sports but also a first rounder in two of them. The three sport star from Noble Jones College was drafted first overall by Cincinnati in the 1951 FABL draft and the talented youngster was also selected in the 1952 American Football Association draft but he lasted until the sixth round in that one. Barrell has already played two seasons of minor league baseball in the Cannons organization although he cut things short both times so that he could play football, first for his senior season as the quarterback at Noble Jones College and more recently last fall where he ended up starting all twelve games for the AFA's Los Angeles Tigers. With his decision to go to Los Angeles he elected not to join the Chicago Panthers basketball team for the first half of the FBL season but did report to the team just before Christmas. Long term, it seems unlikely Barrell would be able to play both pro basketball and football due to scheduling conflicts but there is a possibility he could team one of those two sports with baseball. However, throwing a potential monkey wrench into that scenario is Barrell is rumoured to be less than impressed with the Cannons organization for two reasons. Primarily he has indicated some frustration with the Cannons for their what he considers "feet dragging" in a hesitation to call him up to the big leagues. The relationship with the Cannons likely became just a little more frosty after Charlie's half-brother Deuce Barrell was dealt by the Cannons to the Cleveland Foresters at the conclusion of the 1952 season. *** Morris Selected First *** While all of the focus was centered on Charlie Barrell, a player who did not even compete in the FBL in 1952-53, the first overall selection, and the rest of the draft class, seemed to take a backseat. The Baltimore Barons landed a gem of a player in Solly Morris. The guard who grew up in Chattanooga seems to have been destined for great things. He was the top high school prospect in the nation in his recruiting year, only overshadowed by Luther Gordon -the current Chicago star who was a junior college transfer that year. Morris earned virtually every award you could claim in college basketball. He was a freshman All-American, a two-time first team All-American, twice the Great Lakes Alliance player of the year, a Barrette Award winner as the AIAA's top player as a senior and the leader of the national champion Whitney College Engineers this past season. The Toronto Falcons selected Central Carolina guard Denny Thomas with the third selection and while some felt that was perhaps a reach there proved to be a run on guards this draft with them accounting for four of the top six selections. Here are the results of the 1952 Federal Basketball League draft.   A NEW ERA IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION With many deserving contenders the ABF debated long and hard before deciding to pull a page out of its post-war playbook. In 1946, when the welterweight title had sat vacant for the duration of World War II, it was decided a four-fighter "playoff" would be best to determine a champion. The same approach was agreed to in order to find Sawyer's successor and the top four contenders for the crown staged fights in late January/early February. Top ranked contender Max Bradley was favoured to defeat Tommy Cline, the fourth ranked challenger, when they met at Boston's Denny Arena on January 26 but when the dust settled after 10 rounds it was Cline who had prevailed, but just by a single point on each of three judge's cards. A week later in Philadelphia, young Joey Tierney -the highly regarded Detroit fighter managed by Chester Conley, who had previously represented Sawyer- came out on top, winning a fight over Lewis Jones that esteemed fight reporter Johnny Bologna termed a "walkover." That set the stage for a historic June fight in the famous sporting mecca in New York, Bigsby Garden. Cline and Tierney clashed for 15 rounds with the heavyweight championship of the world was there for the taking, something heavyweights could only dream about during Sawyer's dozen year reign. Tierney would dominate that fight, sending Cline to the canvas four times and winning by a TKO in the 15th and final round. There was a new champion for the first time in a dozen years but what had not changed was that controversial fight promoter Chester Conley still represented the heavyweight champion. Tierney would fight just once more in 1952, picking a fairly easy opponent in Pete Sanderson, a 35-year-old ring veteran from Scranton with a 46-13-3 career mark. Many years ago, back in 1945, Sanderson was the first postwar victim of Hector Sawyer in the champ's first title fight after returning from the war and now he would serve as the same to ignite Tierney's hopes for a long run at the top. Sanderson did manage to survive the full fifteen rounds against Tierney, but the outcome was never in doubt as Tierney scored a clear decision. Tierney's camp did confirm shortly before 1952 came to a conclusion that his next fight would be against Brad Harris. Like Tierney, Harris is a rising young star in the division with 24 victories and just two losses, one at the hands of Hector Sawyer and the other to another strong heavyweight in Tommy Cline. While the heavyweight division had a change at the top, for the first time in a long while neither the middleweight nor welterweight belts changed hands in the past year. Mark McCoy is just 23 years old but the Kansas City born middleweight has already made three successful title defenses since outpointing Millard Shelton to win the title in the summer of 1951. McCoy, fresh off a December 1951 win over European champion Yohan Revel, took it easy in 1952. He scored a unanimous decision over top American contender Jim Ward at a packed Prairie Park in his hometown in May and then ushered in the fall with an easy time outpoint journeyman Bob Hinkle. Welterweight king Danny Rutledge has now made five successful title defenses after making three trips into the ring in 1952. The Kentucky born 28-year-old scored a unanimous decision over Dale Roy in Chicago in February, followed that up with a 7th round stoppage of Cal Kotterman n July and concluded his trio of 1952 defenses with a 2nd round TKO of a clearly fading Rudy Perry. It marked the second missed opportunity for Perry, now 36 years old, as he also lost a title shot against Mac Erickson in 1949. Perry only got the title shot against Rutledge because he spoiled the plans of young Scottish sensation Lewis Kernuish, who had come across the pond with eyes on an October meeting with Rutledge. Those plans were thwarted when Kernuish was upset by Perry in what was supposed to be a tune-up for the Scot, but instead it propelled the veteran Philadelphia fighter Perry into one last shot at the limelight. RING NOTES Mark Westlake, who briefly held the ABF world welterweight title on two occasions, announced his retirement at the age of 35. The Biloxi, MS. native finished with a career record of 30-9-1. He defeated Dennis O'Keefe in the fall of 1946 to win the title but lost it in his first defense against Harold Stephens. Three years later he would surprise Mac Erickson in a rematch. Erickson won a TKO decision over Westlake in a November 1949 title fight after referee Ernest Byrd stopped the bout in the 7th with round with Westlake well ahead because of a nasty cut over the challenger's eye. Granted a rematch by Erickson five months later, Westlake won a decision but again would lose in his first title defense, dropping a decision to Dale Roy.  We did not find an answer to this question this year and an answer may not be apparent next year either. Joey Tierney is the current Heavyweight Champion, and he had a formative year in 1952. Tierney won a chance to win the vacant belt with a victory in February over Lewis Jones, defeated Tommy Cline in June for the title, and fought Pete Sanderson in November to have a first successful title defense. Tierney went from a contender to a recognized, undisputed champion in one year. And, it just so happens that Tierney is the “next” champion after the greatest champion of all time. It is a hard act to follow. But can Tierney truly follow Sawyer’s act? The Tierney-Cline fight was memorable and, in an evening where Sawyer was in attendance, it was a dominating performance that Sawyer approved. Tierney knocked Cline down four times and while the fight was never stopped and Cline got up every time, Tierney put on a clinic for 15 rounds. Tierney was just as dominant against veteran pugilist Pete Sanderson. However, Sanderson is over seven years removed from losing to Sawyer and he was probably a weaker combatant than Hector Sawyer would have been a year into his retirement. Tierney will be a global star if there are opponents that will force him to rise to the occasion. In the Middleweight Division, Mark McCoy started and ended the year as champion. McCoy fought twice and survived a fight with Jim Ward in May that went the distance and where McCoy was the only one to drop to the canvas. It was close, but McCoy lived to fight another day, where he kept the belt despite another fairly close match. In September, Bob Hinkle could never quite recover after McCoy got off to a fast start. Hinkle threw a lot of punches, but rarely connected and McCoy got away with another one. Of the three current champions, McCoy is the one on the least solid footing. Danny Rutledge can safely put his name right up there with Mac Erickson among the two best Welterweight Champions since the division rebooted after the war. Rutledge now has five successful title defenses to his credit with three of those occurring in 1952. It is not just the wins for Rutledge, it is how he has won his bouts. Rutledge let Dale Roy take him to the limit in February, but Rutledge knocked Roy down three times and the decision was anti-climactic. The other two fights did not go the distance, with Rutledge dispatching Cal Kotterman in the seventh round in their July fight and Rutledge dispending Rudy Perry with a second-round TKO for Rutledge in October. Rutledge wins the Bologna Boxer of the Year with his sterling 3-0 record and two decisive technical knockouts during the year.  FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS  A YEAR TO REMEMBER 1952 was a special year for long suffering sports fans in the Motor City as the local heroes provided fans with not just one championship club but delighted them with a pair of titles courtesy of the baseball Dynamos and the cage Mustangs. It marked the first sporting triumph for the city since the grid Maroons won the American Football Association championship game in 1936. The fun began in the spring as while the ice Motors stumbled and bumbled their way through another disappointing season - one which once more did not involve playoff hockey- the other tenant at Thompson Palladium dominated on the hardwood. Rollie Barrell's cage Mustangs had not won a championship in the league Barrell founded in 1946 but did reach the championship series once before. This time around, as the club caught fire down the stretch with 22 victories in its final 25 games, one could just sense they were witnessing something special. The Mustangs finished in first place in the Federal Basketball League's West Division for the third time in four years with Ward Messer once again leading the way. The 26-year-old forward won his second FBL Most Valuable Player award and has clearly crawled out from under the shadow of his famous baseball playing older brother. Messer was the most dominating rebounder in the league while also finishing in the top ten in scoring and a major reason why the Mustangs finished 13 games ahead of the second place Rochester Rockets with a 47-19 regular season record. Regular season titles are fine, but the Mustangs had yet to prove they could win when it mattered most, losing to the old Brooklyn Red Caps in the title series three years ago and being knocked out in the opening round each of the past two years. That nearly happened again this season as they traded victories with the second place Rochester Rockets and entered the decisive game seven of the semi-finals tied at three wins apiece. Home court advantage, something they worked so hard for all year, and a large dose of Messer, proved the tonic to return to the championship series as the former Liberty College All-American had 29 rebounds while still finding time to tie teammate Israel Slusher with a game high 17 points as the Mustangs blasted the Rockets 83-66 thanks to a dominant 24-9 run in the fourth quarter. Next came the champions of the East in the Washington Statesmen, a talented outfit that had won each of the previous two league titles. Washington had home court advantage by virtue of one more regular season victory than the Mustangs but it mattered not. Jack Kurtz, the veteran center from Louisiana who has called Detroit home since his days with City College in the early 1940's, scored 24 points in the opener with Messer chipping in with 16 to go with his 22 boards as the Mustangs galloped to an 81-71 victory in the opener. Game two was a tight 74-73 victory led by Slusher's 20 points and the Mustangs returned home with a commanding 2-0 series lead. The final two games were relatively easy victories as Messer had 21 points and 20 boards in a 93-82 victory and then added 19 points and 21 rebounds in a game four 91-75 rout that saw Detroit lead by 29 at the half. The Mustangs win, as it would turn out, was merely the preamble for the true celebration that would come in October as the Dynamos, who thought they had built their title team with a series of aggressive deals at the deadline a year ago only to lose a winner-take-all one game playoff to St Louis the previous October, survived a September push by the New York Gothams to end the longest active title drought in the Federal Association. The Dynamos had not won a pennant since 1929 but had numerous close calls including 7 second place finishes over that stretch. The club, with virtually the same cast of characters as it employed the previous season, finally got over the hump thanks to a brilliant three month stretch in the summer that saw them post a 57-30 record. The story was the pitching with three Detroit hurlers winning at least twenty games: Joe Hancock (22-9, 1.77), Jack Miller (22-7, 1.86) and Wally Hunter (20-7, 2.98). Hancock, the 40-year-old acquired from Toronto the previous July, would win his second career Allen Award with Miller hot on his heels in the balloting. The Dynamos had offense as well for a change with another 1951 acquisition in Ralph Johnson (.303,30,104) leading the way. Johnson would win his first Federal Association Whitney Award to go with the three claimed in the Continental while with the Brooklyn (now Kansas City) Kings. The long elusive pennant was the prize but the Dynamos added a cherry on top by defeating the Continental Association champion New York Stars four games to two in the World Championship Series. It marked the first time the two clubs had ever clashed and the Detroit nine would claim its 6th World Title. Things did not start well that October as the Stars took the opening two games of the series in the Big Apple. New York got to Miller in the opener, doubling the Dynamos 6-3 and then prevailed in a marathon second game that needed 15 innings before its first run was scored. Hancock and Stars starter Vern Hubbard were both terrific but each was long gone when pinch-hitter Charlie Woodbury took Bill Sohl deep with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 15th to put the Dynamos in a 2-0 hole. A game of nearly as epic proportions followed but this time it was a Dynamos bat that provided the heroics. Trailing 3-0 and on the verge of falling behind by the same count in the series, the Dynamos rallied with 3-runs in the bottom of the 8th inning and then won the game in the 14th on shortstop Stan Kleminski's 2-run homer of Stars reliever George Scruggs. With the dramatic 5-3 victory the Dynamos were back in business. A day later the series was even when Wally Hunter, with some assistance to close things out by Jack Halbur, tossed a one-hitter as Detroit downed New York 5-1. Miller atoned for his game one struggles with a 2-0, 2-hit shutout in game five and two nights later in New York the visitors would plate 5 runs in the top of the 8th inning and claim the title with a 6-2 victory. Two championships highlighted by that long awaited end to a 23-year drought for the diamond Dynamos made 1952 a year to remember in the Motor City and even a return to the depths of the American Football Association by the 3-10 Detroit Maroons did little to temper the enthusiasm 1952 brought to the Motor City sports scene. TALES FROM THE LAIR- TORONTO WOLVES 1952 REVIEW Changes began early when George Garrison was dealt to the Gothams during ST where he went 20-8, 2.55 for the runner-ups in Fed. At the trade deadline the Wolves dealt three veterans. First to go was RP Bob Currier to St. Louis for a pair of minor leaguers LHP Glenn Moor, 2B Larry Oliver. Then Lou Jayson went to KC for a catching prospect Ray Smith followed by Jerry York who was sent to the eventual CA pennant winners, NY Stars, for another prospect 1B Cal Jaeger. Dick Dennis' first year as manager was also his last, Dennis retired at season's end on the same day the team cut ties with Pitching Coach Johnny Franklin after 7 seasons of guiding the Wolves staff. They have been replaced by Jim Whitehead as manager, Joe Short to handle the pitchers. The trading was not done as the team hooked up in two deals with the Saints right after Detroit took the World Series. Gone to Montreal are INF Harry Finney, OF Al Bennett, OF Tommy Aiken in return new Wolves are 5 time All-Star SS Gordie Perkins, 3B Ray Words. The Wolves then dealt 1B Bill Grove, 30, to the Dynamos in return for two more prospects LF Ford Duncan, C Joe Grace. The next day came the trade that has Wolves fans, a diminishing number, shaking their heads. GM Bill Terry who took the job after the previous GM was dismissed preseason sent 24 year old Tony Ballinger, long touted as Fred McCormick's replacement, to the Chiefs for a C Sam Clarke, 28. Even though McCormick is said to returning for 1953 at 43 he is a mere shell of his former self, fans are up in arms saying Ballinger was the future. Then Terry acquired a 41 year old 1B, Joe Owens along with an unproven P Earl Jaeger for a young SS Bob Gellatly, 18. A combination at 1B with two players whose ages total 84 does not seem like planning for the future. in December the Wolves lost four on waiver claims, Sam Franklin, Lee Woodward, Tom B Davis are all now property of the Pittsburgh Miner while Bob Mills will be playing his trade for Montreal in 1953. Brett thinks the suffering fans in Toronto may be in for a few more tough seasons. The only hope seems to be in the system as both Chattanooga, Dixie, Davenport, Heartland, won their league titles in 1952. Toronto changed drastically this season, now has the 6th ranked system, it is still a long way from prospect to FABL talent. Tales From The Manor-After starting out like a house on fire, the Toronto Dukes hockey club could be described in one word starting in November: inconsistent. The team would go from hot to cold week to week. A good week would almost assuredly be followed by a week where the team struggled often times not even looking like the same team. Jack Barrell had stressed defense, defense, defense in his first five seasons at the helm of the Dukes. This strategy had led Toronto to two Challenge Cups. After missing the playoff during the 1951-52 season Barrell decided to change tacks. From the start of training camp Barrell instituted new plans which was meant to bring more offense to the team. With talented goal scorers Les Carlson, Quinton Pollack and Lou Galbraith in his lineup this seemed to a perfectly logical decision. Out of the gate the new Dukes seemed to surprise their opposition getting off to 6-0-3 start threatening to leave the rest of the NAHC in their dust. In the top league in the world teams adjust quickly, teams put different plans together for the Dukes. The balance of the season Toronto went 22-25-14 to finish in the last playoff spot. Their opponents in the semi-final were the rags to riches Chicago Packers who went from worst to first in one season. The playoff series will be remembered for years to come. The first game was a harbinger of things to happen in the series. Toronto held a 2-0 lead going into the third only to have the home team level the score in the third then win on a goal 8 minutes into overtime. Dukes would gain a split in Chicago with a 4-3 win before coming home to lose 2-1 in triple overtime before levelling the series with a 3-2 win in regulation. Back to Chicago where again the Packers score 8 seconds into overtime for another 3-2 victory. That loss took everything out of the Dukes. Chicago won game six and the series 4-2 with an easy 7-2 victory on Gardens ice sending the Dukes home for the summer. Coach Barrell- "A better season but still short of the goal. We proved we can score, we know how to defend although that was lacking this season. We led the league in goals with 198. Allowing 199 is far, far too many, our goaltenders played well though we allowed them to face too many shots on too many nights. Facing an average of 33 shots per game is not a winning combination. I want the best of both worlds, teams to fear our goal scoring ability plus be sound without the puck. Twelve guys with a minus rating is too many. The series against Chicago was a classic that will be talked about for years. Hardly seems fair to lose 3 in OT, the loss in triple overtime was the turning point. The nucleus is in the room for a dominant team going forward, lets see what we can add in the draft." Tales From The Nest -After two trips to league finals but losing both to Washington, the Federal Basketball League's Toronto Falcons struggled all season falling to fifth with a 24-42 record. While they were not bad at home posting a 17-16 record they were doormats away from the Dominion Gardens only winning 7 of 33 games. They were last in rebounding along with next to last in turning over the ball. Injuries, lack of a regular starting lineup never allowed the Falcons to get on the proverbial roll. Head Coach Irwin Lewis has a young team that will no doubt be bolstered in upcoming draft. A team can turn its fortunes quickly in the FBL, hopefully the Falcons will not spiral downhill as the Wolves, owner Bernie Millard's other pro sports entry, have in the Fifties. Look for Major Belk to bounce back from down season in scoring along with a marked improvement in a number of youngsters. The Year That Was Current events from 1952
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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. Last edited by Tiger Fan; 08-29-2024 at 05:55 PM. |
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08-25-2024, 11:32 PM
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#1011 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 666
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1952 in Review continued: More reaction from local newspapers
1952 RECAP: PART TWO
 1952 SEASON IN REVIEW We all knew this time was coming. No one knew how it would end, but it did have to end. Bobby Barrell, the greatest Keystone in the Modern Era, and arguably the greatest player in franchise history, retired midseason. Barrell was willing to give it a go in 1952 after a major injury hurt his march towards a couple of league records, specifically the RBI record and the doubles record. On July 27th, after appearing in 57 games and hitting an uncharacteristic .223 with four home runs and 23 RBI, he retired. Barrell did set the RBI record with 2,328 runs batted in, four ahead of Max Morris (1914-37). In true Bobby Barrell fashion, he homered in his last at-bat, which was a solo homer to break a scoreless tie in the 11th inning in New York against the Gothams. The 3-0 win also featured a home run later in the inning by fellow Keystone great Hank Koblenz. Koblenz would only appear in nine games after that pinch-hit home run, as the franchise has begun to turn away from its legacy and turn towards the next generation of players that will define the next decade in Keystones history. The 1950s will be defined by a couple of players who led the way for the Keystones in 1952. Roger Cleaves topped 25 home runs for the fourth time in his career, as the 28-year-old easily led the team with 27 round-trippers and an even 100 RBI. The catcher was already entrenched as a star before the decade began and may etch his name in some of the Keystones all-time records by the time his career is up. You can draw a throughline from Kellogg to Barrell to Cleaves and Miller, which is how a franchise endears itself to generation after generation. Among the more confounding decisions the Keystones made this year was to keep top prospect Buddy Miller stashed in Louisville all season. Miller’s season was more of a study in the psyche of a ballplayer than a display of talent. Miller did not make the big club, sulked in April (.219/.286/.344), become angry in May (6 HR, .504 SLG), sulked again in June when he was not called up (.264/.302/.364), continued his monthly Jekyll-and-Hyde act in July (7 HR, .546 SLG, .921 OPS) and hit .381 in August and September to finish the season with a .317 average, 18 homers and 104 runs batted in. The former #1 prospect was disappointed with the organization, but perhaps the inconsistency was too much for the Keystones to shoulder at the major league level. 1953 will be a new year and a new opportunity for Miller. The standings showed the Keystones have a lot of work to do to bring the franchise back to the heights of the late 1920s, the 1930s, and the war years. The age had already been starting to show on the stalwarts of the rotation for the better part of a decade. Jim Whiteley (11-21, 4.52 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) and George M. Brooks (6-19, 5.57 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) had forgettable seasons. Brooks retired following the season after a 17-year career where he was 172-171 with 73 saves. Whiteley will enter 1953 as a 37-year-old number two starter behind staff ace Sam Ivey (17-10, 3.38 ERA, 1.39 WHIP). Whiteley is the last man standing from the veteran starting rotation. Pepper Tuttle (7-15, 3.49 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) was shipped to the Cougars and Sid Moulton (12-12, 3.21 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was moved to Cleveland, two trades among a slew of moves that set fire to the remains of the Keystones glory years. Other long-time Keystones to find new homes after the season were former first-round picks Billy Woytek (.242-9-44 in 495 AB) and Davey Robicheaux (.235-3-7 in 51 AB), whose career spanned 15 years and 13 years at the major league level, respectively. Woytek was flipped to the Gothams for Leon Peck and three other players. Peck was recently listed as the 54th-best prospect in baseball. Robicheaux was traded to St. Louis for 22-year-old Rufe Halterman. The one major-league ready player that was acquired was Jeep Erickson, a five-year veteran with a career .289 hitter who burst onto the scene as a 22-year-old rookie for Pittsburgh in 1948, hitting .350 in 56 games. The Keystones parted with minor league catcher Bob Gaines and minor league middle infielder Andres Pagan. Erickson’s high-water mark was two years later, when he hit .300 with 14 home runs and 75 RBI. He struggled last year, hitting .225 in part-time play over 71 games for the Miners. After the dust settled from all of the trading, were the Keystones better in the short run for next season? This reporter doubts it. Are the Keystones better positioned in the long run? The deals did not bring in any impact arms or any future stars. Among prospects, Nelson Galletta is one to watch, as his star is on the rise in the minors and he will start in Louisville, one step away from Broad Street Park. Mike Fresh, the number three pick in this January’s draft, is years away, but he may be a difference-maker and a future staff ace. Ivey, the current ace, is only 24 years of age. In three or four years, pitching will be a strength. Don Berry (.282-13-42 in 312 AB) had a slightly down year in his third campaign after setting personal bests with 28 homers and 90 RBI in his first full year last season. Charlie Enslow was traded across town to the Sailors for a couple of intriguing pieces drafted last January, second baseman Roxy Schilling and catcher Vic Weaver. Enslow’s exit also paves the way for Miller to take over centerfield full-time. Berry will shift to right field to let Jeep Erickson ply his trade in left. Bill Del Vecchio is ready to contribute at the major league level and he can play all three outfield positions. Rudy Minton continues to be in the long-term plans at third base, but Hank Koblenz was relegated to the bench too soon in my opinion. First base will likely be manned by either Dick Green or Leon Peck, but neither are going to make their debut next season. Up the middle, besides Cleaves behind the plate, the future is bright with Al Coulter likely joining Red Ellis in the infield sometime next season or the season after. Coulter proved adept at either shortstop or second base and where he plays will depend on Ellis, who had a terrible season (.228/.283/.280 in 522 AB). However, until the pitching is better or until the farm system can turn out a couple of gifted arms, this team will not be able to contend. 1952 RECAP Record: 63-91 (.409), 34 GB (8th/8) Team MVP: Roger Cleaves - .267/.349/.479, 27 HR, 100 RBI, 6.4 WAR Notable: Sam Ivey – 17-10, 3.38 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 2.6 WAR Farm System: 10th/16 – Top Prospects: #24 RHP Nelson Galletta, #46 1B Dick Green Minor League highlights: Allentown (A) and Bakersfield (B) win respective leagues  1951-52 BOSTON BEES SEASON IN REVIEW The Boston Bees were the bridesmaids again in 1951-52. For the second straight year, Boston made it to the NAHC Challenge Cup Final but could not seal the deal. Boston was in better position this year, thanks to a more impressive regular season. Boston chased down New York to finish in second place behind Chicago and home ice made a difference, as the Bees outlasted the Shamrocks in the Semifinals with a Game Seven win at Denny Arena. Boston was 30-23-17 (77 points), which was only five points behind Chicago (36-24-10) for the best record in the regular season. Oscar James (25-19-6) took the next step in his career journey, leading all first-string goaltenders with a goals-against average of 2.32 and pacing the circuit in wins with 25. In the process, James won his first Juneau Trophy as the league’s top netminder. For the regular season, 35-year-old Tommy Hart led the team in scoring with 50 points. His 18 goals were only topped by Robert Walker’s 19 tallies. Walker added five goals in the postseason. Hart’s 32 assists were tied with 34-year-old Wilbur Chandler (16-32-48). Mickey Bedard led all defensemen in scoring with eight goals and 28 points. Bedard also paced the team in penalty minutes with 82. Walker had five game-winning goals and also led Boston with 17 power play points. In the Semifinals, Boston built a 3-0 series lead with 3-2, 5-0, and 3-2 victories to open the series. Conn Cundiff had the deciding goal with 4:57 left in the third period in Game One. Oscar James was the first star in Game Two, spinning a 33-save shutout. Tommy Hart potted two goals in Game Three, including the winner 1:38 into overtime to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. New York took Game Four at home, 3-0, and continued to stave off elimination in Game Five, 4-2, before Boston finally finished off the Shamrocks in Game Six, 3-2. In Game Six, Wilbur Chandler scored a power play goal and a shorthanded goal in a 3:01 span in the first period to stake Boston to a 2-1 lead, but it was Mickey Bedard’s game winner to break a 2-2 tie with 4:27 left in regulation to win the series for Boston. Chicago dominated the regular season but had a tougher time than expected in the Western Division Final against the Toronto Dukes. It took six games to dispatch the Dukes and the series was knotted at two before Chicago’s Tommy Burns won Game Five just eight seconds into overtime. That goal took the heart out of Toronto, as Chicago skated to a 7-2 win at Dominion Gardens. Both teams entered the Final with a head of steam, but Chicago was the only team able to keep that momentum. In Game One, Boston pushed Chicago in the third period, as a Robert Walker goal with 3:59 remaining cut the Packer lead to 3-2. An empty-net goal by Sam Furr secured the 4-2 victory. There were a couple of fights to set the tone earlier in the game, as John Bentley and Chicago’s Bert McColley renewed acquaintances late in the first before Mickey Bedard and Phil Gagne engaged in a spirited bout a few minutes into the second period of what was a 2-1 Chicago lead. Chicago left the fisticuffs behind in Game Two, easily coming away with a 5-2 lead to hold serve at home. Both pugilists for Chicago scored in the first period to set the tone in a different way. David Scarpone broke the seal for Boston, but by then, it was 3-1. Mike Brunell scored on a power play with 5:25 left to cut the lead to 4-2, but another empty-netter by Furr ended the scoring. The good news as the series moved to Boston was the Bees got out to a lead for the first time all series. Walker scored his fifth of the playoffs after a Jeremy MacLean tripping penalty that staked Boston to a 1-0 lead. However, just 21 seconds later, Chicago tied it when Derek Gubb scored. John Bentley put Boston up, 2-1, with his first of the postseason. The lead lasted longer, but Chicago scored the next goal eight minutes later to tie and another goal seven minutes later for the final goal in a 3-2 Chicago win. Boston was up against New York in the Semifinals, three games to none, and the Bees found themselves down oh-three to Chicago. After the Packers led 20 minutes in, 1-0, Mark Dyck tied the score early in the second period, but Ed Delarue scored with under three minutes remaining in the second period to put Chicago up, 2-1. Neither team scored in the third period, as Chicago held tight and actually outshot Boston, 15-7, in the final stanza. For the series, Boston led Chicago for a total of eight minutes and 26 seconds. Boston was outscored in the four games, 14-7, and while the Bees were not shutout in a game all series, Chicago was in control from pillar to post. Looking at next season, the goaltending and the defense are as solid as any team in the league, both now and in the future. The Bees welcomed 19-year-old Ben Voyechek (5-8-13 in 42 GP) and 26-year-old Jake Durand (2-7-9 in 36 GP) to the fold and they were able to crack the lineup more often than not. The aging core of forwards needs to be addressed in the next couple of years. There is youth on the way up, as center Luc Fournier (7-3-10 in 39 GP) and 19-year-old left winger Manny Coutu (1-2-3 in 44 GP) made their NAHC debuts this season. In Springfield, there is some offensively capable players who project to contribute at the major league level, as James Smart (16-30-46 in 58 GP) and Nolan Pfeifer (21-40-61 in 61 GP) had solid years, while Bill Girard (15-18-33 in 60 GP) is the top prospect who has not made his Bees debut yet. The amazing success in the 1940s casts a long shadow in the expectations for this franchise. Two straight appearances in the Final will not be enough to satisfy the Boston faithful. The Bees’ seven Challenge Cups are second behind Toronto’s eight championships and the Boston brass is hungry to add to their collection. 1951-52 RECAP Record: 30-23-17, 77 points (2nd/4, 5 PB of CHI) Postseason: 4-6; Lost in 4 games in Challenge Cup Final to Chicago Team MVP: Oscar James – 57 GP, 25-19-12, 2.32 GAA, .919 SV%, 6 ShO (Postseason: 4-6, 2.51 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 ShO) Notable: LW Tommy Hart (70 GP, 18-32-50, +14), 9 players with 10+ goals System Rankings: 5th/6 - Top Prospects: #4 LW Nolan Pfeifer (61 GP, 21-40-61, 78 PIM in Springfield), #20 RW Vince Banks (61 GP, 13-21-34, 36 PIM in Springfield) Minor League Notes: Springfield (38-11-12, 88 pts, 1st East) lost in HAA Semis to Toledo, 4-3  STATESMEN OF THE UNION: 1951-52 SEASON IN REVIEW The Washington Statesmen were trying to do something only the Brooklyn Red Caps did: win three straight titles. Of course, the Red Caps won six straight league titles in the American Basketball Conference. Since the ABC folded into the Federal Basketball League in 1948-49, no other team before or since have won three consecutive league championships. Washington reached 50 wins in the regular season for the second straight year in 1949-50, but the postseason run was remarkable as the 8-4 playoffs earned the Statesmen its first title since Washington joined the FBL. Washington went 45-21 last season and won the 1951 FBL Finals to make it back-to-back against Toronto, the team which Washington vanquished in the previous postseason. In both seasons, sure-fire Hall of Famer Ivan Sisco won the Finals MVP. This season, the Statesmen started 36-8 and 44-9, but only won four of their 13 to finish 48-18, which was fine for the division and a Division Semifinal bye, but a major lineup shakeup left Statesmen fans with a pit in their stomachs. The biggest change was to make Sisco the sixth man, benching him in favor of second-year forward Ernie Fischer. Long-time point guard Blake Brooks was replaced in the starting lineup by rookie George Sommer. Don Brito was shelved after Steve Arnette was signed as a free agent on February 20th. The 33-year-old Arnette is a journeyman, missing three years for military service during World War II and missing 1950-51 due to unemployment. Arnette was brought in to start for Washington and did well, playing all 26 games after his signing, averaging 12.6 points per game with 8.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest. Compared to Brito, Arnette’s statistics were better in every category. But the sum of the starting lineup and the rotation for the Statesmen were worth more than the individual parts. The bright spot of the changes was the added responsibility given to Ernie Fischer, who moved from his power forward role to becoming the man in the middle. The changing of the guard at point guard meant that the future was now for George Sommer. Sommer’s play improved during the playoffs, as his assist average during the season increased from 4.5 per game to 8.5 per game. Also, Willie Wright continued to start and play a lead scoring role. Wright set a career-high in his sixth season with a 16.0 points-per-game average and almost doubled his career playoff scoring average this postseason as he scored 18.1 per game. The changes were exploited in the postseason. Washington uncharacteristically allowed Boston to come back from a three games-to-one deficit to force a Game Seven. It showed throughout the four-game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Mustangs in the FBL Finals. Washington’s Achilles’ heel is its tendency to run cold from the floor and Sisco was the Statesmen’s highest percentage shooter. In the FBL Finals, the team shot 32.7% in Game One before dipping under 30% for the rest of the series, including an anemic 26.3% in Game Four. Against Boston, the Statesmen survived to win its fifth straight playoff series, winning Game Seven, 89-78. In Game Seven, it was Arnette who led the team and set a playoff high with 23 points for the guard who won a title with the 1942 Red Caps. In the Final, Washington did not have much to combat a red-hot Detroit Mustangs squad. Detroit took the first two games in Washington and the Mustangs were off and running. The Statesmen were 24-9 both at the National Auditorium and on the road. After dropping Game Five in the Eastern Division Final to the Centurions, Washington could not buy a win against Detroit at home or on the road after sweeping the two-game season series. Both regular season meetings were in November, which seemed like several seasons ago. In the past couple of seasons, Ivan Sisco and Blake Brooks were there when they needed them. But Sisco came off the bench and Brooks was nowhere to be found. Ivan Sisco did come off the bench in Game Two of the 74-73 loss to score 18 points in 34 minutes after Ernie Fischer, the new starter at center, ran into foul trouble. Looking ahead to next season, Ernie Fischer has the road paved in front of him to become a front-line player in the league for years to come. George Sommer is starting to come into his own. The aging stars of this team that led the Statesmen to unparalleled success are being ushered towards the exit. 33-year-old Blake Brooks, 32-year-old Charles Hooper, and 31-year-old Ivan Sisco all project as bench players next season and with 1,267 regular season games and 212 postseason contests, the Statesmen will have a deep rotation. 1951-52 RECAP Record: 48-18 (.727), 1st in Eastern Division, 9 games ahead of Philadelphia Postseason: 4-7; Lost in 4 games in FBL Finals to Detroit Team MVP: C Ivan Sisco – 66 GP (38 GS), 18.0 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks per game Notable: SF Willie Wright – 64 GP, 16.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals per game
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports |
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08-26-2024, 11:33 AM
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#1012 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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January 1953: Breaking baseball news
The 1953 year end edition is still a few days away but here is some early January breaking news to tide you over until then. BREAKING BASEBALL NEWS JANUARY 1953 CANNONS DEAL ANOTHER BARRELL Four Former First Round Picks Swapped Just months after dispatching Allen Award winning pitcher Rufus 'Deuce' Barrell to the Cleveland Foresters the Cincinnati Cannons have dealt his half-brother, three sport star Charlie Barrell in a blockbuster deal with the New York Stars. The move sends the 1951 first overall draft pick to the Big Apple along with all-star outfielder Mike T. Taylor in exchange for Whitney Award winning outfielder Bill Barrett and all-star second baseman Ralph Hanson. Barrell, known as The Heartbreak Kid in part because of the movie-star good looks he got from his mother Dorothy, a Hollywood actress, is just 22 years old and has not yet played a single big league baseball game but he is among the most recognizable athletes in the nation. He was a three sport star at Noble Jones College, helping the Colonels win a national title with the only perfect season in collegiate basketball history as a junior while also quarterbacking the football team and playing second base to lead the Colonels to three consecutive appearances in the 16-team collegiate baseball world championship series. The Cannons were just one of three teams to draft Barrell as the Federal Basketball League's Chicago Panthers selected him second overall in last summer's cage draft after the Los Angeles Tigers of the American Football Association selected Charlie in the sixth round of the football draft two months earlier. The Tigers, like the baseball Stars, are owned by Thomas X. Bigsby and Barrell started all 12 games for Bigsby's football team this past fall marking his first big league sporting experience. Bigsby, the founder of the new defunct Great Western Baseball League prior to purchasing the Stars and grid Tigers, is said to be romantically linked to Barrell's mother Dorothy but insists the deal is strictly about what Charlie will bring to the table as a ballplayer. There had been speculation that Barrell may not return to baseball and focus on his football and perhaps basketball careers but it is clear that if Bigsby was willing to make the type of deal he did that Barrell is certainly planning to stick with baseball. Whether he adds a secondary sport remains to be seen. The cost was a high one for the Stars as Barrett, a 33-year-old outfielder, is a 4-time Whitney Award winner as the Most Valuable Player in the Continental Association and has been selected for nine all-star games. He is coming off one of the least productive seasons of his career (.263,14,53) but is still considered one of the best outfielders in the sport. Hanson, 25, just completed his second season as the Stars full-time second baseman, batting .269 with 11 homers and 76 rbi's. Mike T. Taylor, a 34-year old outfielder who has played in two all-star games, joins Barrell in the move to New York and like each of the other three involved in the trade is a former first round draft pick. Taylor went 13th overall in the 1936 draft and has spent his entire 10-year big league career with the Cannons. Last season he hit .251 with 16 homers and 73 rbi's.  MARTIN GETS CALL FROM BALL HALL Third Baseman Lone Addition The ranks of the Baseball Hall of Fame have swelled by one with the news longtime Chicago Chiefs third baseman Bob Martin will be the lone member of the 1953 class to be enshrined in the Boone County baseball museum. Martin, who is eighth all-time with 3,314 career big league hits, was the only player to appear on at least 80% of the submitted ballots which is required for selection. The native of Cincinnati, OH., was a third-round selection of the Chicago Chiefs in the 1925 FABL draft and would spend his entire career in the Windy City and appear in a franchise record 2,477 games. Martin debuted at the age of 21 and stuck around long enough to accomplish the very rare feat of suiting up for the same team as his son Bill who played briefly for the Chiefs in Bob's final season. A three-time All-Star who won three World Championship Series rings with the Chiefs, Martin ranks among the top twenty all-time FABL hitters in games played, at bats, hits, doubles and runs scored. Martin led the Federal Association in hits four times and won the loop batting crown in 1932 when he hit .351. His career .324 batting is the second highest in Chiefs history, trailing only Jim Hampton. Martin also batted .268 (19-for-71) in 18 career WCS games. His consistency at the plate and in the field earned Martin the nickname "Mr. Automatic" but now he will simply be referred to as Hall of Famer Bob Martin.  
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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. |
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08-29-2024, 03:04 PM
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#1013 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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1953 End of Year Report
1953 IN FIGMENT SPORTS Winning a championship is tough but repeating is even more difficult which makes the New York Football Stars back to back American Football Association championship game wins all that much more special. The Stars join the 1948-49 Chicago Wildcats and 1934-35 Pittsburgh Paladins as the only AFA clubs to win back to back titles. No other 1952 champion managed to finish on the top of the heap in 1953 although the Detroit Dynamos came close. The Dynamos, who had not won a pennant since 1929 prior to claiming the Federal Association title and then beating the baseball version of the New York Stars in the World Championship Series in 1952, won the pennant once more but fell short to the Cleveland Foresters in a bid for a second straight WCS win.There were some pretty impressive individual achievements over the past year but no one will likely ever duplicate what Charlie Barrell did. The former three sport star at Noble Jones College became a three sport professional athlete, and fared pretty well at two of them. Barrell began his big-time pro sports journey in the fall of 1952 when he started all twelve games at quarterback for the Los Angeles Tigers. He had his struggles completing passes but did lead the Tigers to a winning season. As soon as baseball ended in December, Charlie was off to Chicago where the 23-year-old participated in 53 games for the Chicago Panthers of the Federal Basketball League. He averaged 14.2 points per game and helped the Wildcats win the West Division regular season title before falling in the playoffs to Toronto. Barrell was not done there as he joined the New York Stars baseball club, which had acquired him in a trade over the winter, and all he did in his big league debut was win the Kellogg Award as the rookie of the year in the Continental Association. Barrell did dress for three football games this past fall for the Tigers but saw very little action and word is he is going to give up the gridiron and attempt to play both professional baseball and basketball for at least the next few seasons. Another outstanding accomplishment happened on the ice where Toronto Dukes star center Quinton Pollack set a new North American Hockey Confederation record for points in a season with 99. Pollack also tied the goal scoring mark with 47 as he helped the Dukes win a record 9th Challenge Cup last spring. Here is a sport-by-sport look at the year 1953.  Betting money was on the Detroit Dynamos and Cleveland Foresters for the pennants, but OSA thought Kansas City would finish a game higher then the loaded young Foresters team. But by mid-July when the trade deadline was a weak away, only the Foresters (58-44) were in first, as the always competitive New York Gothams (57-39) were a game and a half ahead of Detroit in the Federal Association. The biggest surprise may have been that the Pittsburgh Miners (55-44) were in third in the Fed and just three and a half games out, as Paul Williams had began to establish himself as one of the best hitters in the league. Pittsburgh also made the only trade of the regular season that wasn't on the deadline, parting with an interesting low minors prospect in Doug Lucas to acquire the Cannons Les Bradshaw (7-11, 3.90, 44). It's one of many veteran pitchers Cincinnati has been able to move, and the Miners continued to need pitching to support their excellent lineup. They added a second starter at the deadline in Jim Kenny (12-9, 3.45, 72), sending a pair of prospects to the last place Eagles for the 33-year-old lefthander. The headliner in that transaction was former 4th Rounder Bob Stuart, who at the time ranked as the 128th prospect in the league. The other big move that came on the deadline also involved a veteran arm as an awful 39-65 Pioneers team shipped off 2-Time Allen Winner Hal Hackney (7-13, 4.48, 107) to the New York Gothams for a four prospect package. Known for his dominance at times but also inconsistency, Hackney was not having a great season in St. Louis, but he was just two year's removed from his second Allen and he was 17-16 with a 2.24 ERA (161 ERA+) and 1.05 WHIP the season before. Hackney led the Fed in innings (301) and strikeouts (175), and he currently ranks as the Pioneers All-Time strikeout leader. He had 1,358 of them in 2,157.2 innings pitched, starting all 265 appearances with the team that took him 41st Overall in 1940. Hackney was 123-112 with a 3.67 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.34 WHIP, and ranks top five all time in Pioneers history for wins (5th), WAR (5th, 43.2), shutouts (t-1st, 20), and K/9 (2nd, 5.7) all while ranking outside the top five (8th) in innings. St. Louis does have plenty of pitching depth, but it was shocking to see them move a starter of that caliber to a team they competed so tightly with. The four player package St Louis netted in return helps, led by the 70th ranked prospect Delos Davis. Taken in the 8th Round of the 1952 draft, Davis impressed his draft season, hitting .262/.359/.598 (132 OPS+) at 18 in 53 Class C games. He hit well in Class C again this year, but struggled against tougher competition with the Gothams Class B affiliate. He's got good speed, draws walks, and plays solid defense, and could be a useful starting outfielder once he's done developing. They also got an interesting young pitcher in Zeb Stevens, a 1951 3rd Rounder with good stuff, and a pair of minor league catchers. The Pioneers moved another pitcher in Tom Buchanan, the struggling former 2nd pick. They sent him to the Chicago Cougars for 23-year-old middle infielder Roy Gass. Buchanan (4-9, 6.35, 45), had a 6.35 ERA (64 ERA+) that was far scarier then his 3.91 FIP (95 FIP-), and the Cougars were hoping a change of scenery could do them well. At 51-45, the Cougars were four games out of first in the Continental Association, but both Kansas City (55-44) and New York (54-45) sat between them and Cleveland. With four teams within five games of top spot, you'd expect a lot of action, but the Cougars' acquisition of Buchanan was the only move any of these four teams would make at the deadline. Other clubs were active as the Cincinnati Cannons continued to sell, sending center fielder Joe Burns (.291, 3, 39, 11) to the Minutemen for a pair of low ranked prospects in Charlie Brown and Don Gage. They then sent starter Davey Chamberlain (7-11, 3.93, 78) to the Sailors for two more prospects. Chamberlain was a nice reclamation project for the Cannons, as he came from the Kings in the Rule-5 draft, pitching in FABL for the first time since 1949. His 3.93 ERA (103 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP were above average, and he gave the Cannons 19 effective starts. In return, they'll get George Potter and Bucky Ackley. Ackley is the more interesting prospect, ranked 219th in the league and 19th in their system. A 9th Rounder of the Keystones in 1952, he's a solid defensive catcher with the floor of a useful backup. The Sailors, who at 51-50 were just 6.5 games out, added a second pitcher in Duke Bybee (7-10, 4.35, 77), who has had a terrible fall from Allen runner up to waiver cast off in Chicago. Bybee went 12-13 with a 3.98 ERA (85 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP in 32 starts for the Cougars last season, and they decided to cut bait before the season started. Montreal ended up making the claim, and the former 4th Rounder game Montreal 20 solid starts before the trade. His 92 ERA+ was a little below average, and far from the 110 he produced in 1,435 innings in Chicago, and the Sailors could be a great fit for the lefty. In the past, they've done well with untapped potential, but it is a decent cost. The Saints will add two arms to their top 30, picking up Harry Cahill (5th, 103rd) and Milt Lane (27th, 389th) for a player they got for free. Cahill is the big get, as he was the 16th pick in the 1952 draft, and has flashed the potential to start in the big leagues. His 5 starts in 1953 haven't been great, but he was 3-6 with a 5.63 ERA (100 ERA+) and 56 strikeouts in 60.1 innings last year. Lane, like Bybee, was a 4th Round selection of the Cougars, and he came to Philly in the winter for Al Duster. The 23-year-old reached AA in less then a year after being drafted, and could fill Bybee's spot in the Saints rotation in a few seasons. *** Federal Association Flag Chase*** After a relatively calm deadline, August made a lot of teams question their decisions, with just three teams less then seven games away from first. Cleveland (83-51) had nothing to worry about in the CA, but the Gothams (79-54) were right on the Detroit Dynamos' (79-53) tail in the Fed. Unfortunately for Gothams fans, the team got cold (9-13), while Detroit (15-8) finished just as well as they started. Believe it or not, it was not Ralph Johnson (.309, 11, 53), who led the Dynamos to their second consecutive pennant, as you could argue even Bill Morrison (.301, 13, 56) had the better overall season. Johnson hit just .309/.382/.467 (124 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 11 homers, 53 RBIs, and 41 walks. That's solid, don't get me wrong, but last year's Whitney Winner hit .303/.373/.519 (160 OPS+) in 1952, launching 30 homers with 30 doubles, 104 RBIs, and 107 runs. Like Johnson, Edwin Hackberry (.249, 26, 95, 10), Del Johnson (.266, 11, 62, 14), and Dick Estes (.285, 19, 74) were all solid, and they did enough to support the #1 ranked pitching staff. Jack Miller cemented himself as the Detroit ace, earning a well deserved Allen after finishing 19-13 with a league leading 2.75 ERA (146 ERA+) and 1.13. His 3.24 FIP had an association best 80 FIP-, and his 7.1 WAR was best among Fed pitchers. It all came in a Fed high 298.1 innings, as it's hard to argue against quantity and quality. The middle was dependable, with reliable starts the norm for Joe Hancock (15-10, 3.45, 101), Wally Hunter (15-11, 3.34, 90), and Bob Arman (15-11, 3.34, 90), as the Dynamos completed the first step of their repeat attempt. The Gothams lost steam at the end, but it wasn't the fault of deadline pickup Hal Hackney (12-18, 4.11, 153). The Fed loss leader might have been 5-5 in his 11 appearances (10 starts) with the Gothams, but he had an excellent 3.30 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP with 46 strikeouts. Including his time with the Pioneers, he struck out a Fed best 153, but he's the clear #3 in the Big Apple behind George Garrison (23-7, 3.23, 135) and Ed Bowman (14-14, 3.94, 140). Bowman looked mortal this year, but in terms of ERA September (3.11, 130) was actually his best month. The issue was that Ed Cornett (12-11, 3.93, 88; 1-2, 5.86, 12) and whoever got the 5th start couldn't get stuff done in September. Last year's big deadline pickup John Stallings (5-9, 13, 4.46, 72) struggled as a starter, but they're hoping he can make it work as a hard throwing stopper. The offense recommitted to Red Johnson (.294, 36, 106) this year, and was rewarded with his typical high level production, but the team somehow finished 6th in runs scored. Walt Messer (.329, 32, 121) was just as good as Red, but Hank Estill (..237, 26, 72) saw his WRC+ drop from 171 to 110, and 40-year-old George Cleaves (.268, 10, 56) might be coming to the end of his storied career. There's still a lot of talent on this team, but they're going to have to look to improve the lineup if they want to dethrone the Dynamos in the Fed. The nicest surprise of the Fed was the Pittsburgh Miners, who after eight consecutive losing seasons, finished 85-69 and just two games behind the second place Gothams. They got a huge season from Paul Williams, who slashed .331/.441/.589 (165 OPS+), though that impressive production ended in September as he fractured his foot. Assuming no ill effect, they should be a legit contender, as Williams anchors the top scoring offense of the season. Ernie Campbell (.331, 65, 15) had a huge season in the leadoff spot and Irv Clifford (.323, 1, 76, 11) was back to being an automatic .300 hitter. They still need some more pitching, no team allowed more runs then they did, but the foundation is there. Ted Coffin (14-9, 3.81, 120) survived his first season atop the rotation, and Jim Kenny (16-12, 3.51, 96) was effective as he attempts to return as a starting pitcher. They don't have much farm depth, but their top three guys are pitchers, and this year's 5th pick Jack Davidson could headline a package for a legit top of the rotation arm. Boston (78-76), Philadelphia (77-77), and Chicago (75-79) all finished within three games of each other, and all three have a legit young star to build around. The Keystones may have the best of them, as Philly fans have not had to wait very long for another Bobby Barrell-like season. Taken 5th Overall in 1948, Buddy Miller got a cup of coffee in 1951, but after spending all of last season in AAA completely exploded on the big league scene in 1953. The eventual Whitney Award winner, Buddy hit an absurd .397/.446/.706 (206 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 16 triples, 46 homers, and 103 RBIs. Along with all three triple slash numbers, Buddy led the Fed in runs (133), hits (250), triples, WRC+ (215), wOBA (.495), and WAR (11.3), putting together one of the best overall offensive seasons ever. Just 23, OSA already considers him the best player in baseball, and it hard to argue with that assessment. He'll keep the Keystones in contention his whole career, but right now the supporting cast is just adequate. They finished 4th in runs scored and allowed, but they got good seasons from Sal Nigro (.283, 14, 45) and Roger Cleaves (.293, 23, 90). The Keystones still have a lot of holes, especially in the rotation, but Sam Ivey (15-14, 4.37, 116) should recover next season and they have time to support him in the rotation. The only player with more homers and RBIs then Buddy Miller was the Chicago Chiefs' Rod Shearer, who hit 48 and drove in 149 with a beautiful .316/.395/.647 (172 OPS+) batting line. Shearer had an outstanding 182 WRC+ and his 48 homers were the second most of a Chief, trailing just the 56 Joe Masters hit in 1928. Shearer already has an excellent co-star in Ed Bloom (.313, 5, 65, 14). Even better, veteran Pete Casstevens (.273, 19, 62) had a resurgence, and Charlie Bingham (11-10, 3.31, 89) was still effective at 43. As crazy as it sounds, he may earn some down ballot Hall-of-Fame votes now, as the longtime Chief has won 210 games in his 17 season career. The Chifes are in need of a youth infusion, but for now they can patiently wait until top prospects Stan Czerwinski (2nd), Tom Sexton (30th), and Hugh Freebee (57th) are ready to join Bloom and Shearer in Chicago. Boston's star didn't contribute in the triple crown race, but Marshall Thomas' .337/.395/.532 (143 OPS+) batting line was well above average. Clearly best second basemen in the Fed, Thomas hit 38 doubles and 25 homers with 95 runs, 121 RBIs, and 62 walks. He may be the lesser of the three stars on those three teams, but Thomas has a ton of upside in his supporting cast, joined by young stars Joe Kleman (.313, 10, 74), Rick Masters (.294, 23, 96), and Ray Rogan (.320, 11, 62). They may have uncovered a hidden gem in Max Edwards, who they claimed off waivers from the Pioneers right before the season started. Edwards got 32 starts in Boston, going 14-13 with a 3.19 ERA (126 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP. Having only pitched out of the pen, Edwards' 231.2 innings were higher then his first six seasons combined, and the former 8th Rounder struck out a team high 107 hitters. Aside from Edwards, swingman Dan Atwater (9-9, 1, 3.32, 73), and stopper Merton Myers (8-10, 17, 3.54, 69), there was a lot of fluctuation on the staff, and with the top ranked system they are in position to either develop Mike Quigley (34th) and Spencer Hayes (39th) or tap into their prospect capital to add a top arm. The Washington Eagles (62-92) and St Louis Pioneers (59-95) fought for last in the Fed, though only really Washington expected that. Coming off a 7th place finish, they anticipated a similar finish, as they continue a planned rebuild. They have yet to move on from Rats McGonigle (.307, 25, 89, 7) or Jesse Alvarado (.286, 19, 102, 9), but Rats' days in Washington could be numbered. He's the one who came from elsewhere, and the former King will be 35 on Opening Day. With Alvarado just 30, he could be productive when the Eagles are good enough to compete, as they look to build around former 1st Rounder Bill Wise (.311, 5, 45). 3rd ranked prospect Brad Keylon tore up C ball, slashing .319/.459/.496 (148 OPS+), and could hit his way up to Washington quick. Ike Perry (.292, 11, 82) could fetch a decent return, as at this point it looks like he's the starter behind the plate until Keylon is ready to show the league why he's ranked so high. St. Louis likes to bounce between good and bad, as they now have had three first and three last place finishes since 1946. Larry Gregory (.330, 2, 10) remains a part-time player, and could have done something to help the lowest scoring offense. Otis Ballard (.305, 18, 88) could have moved to the infield, allowing Gregory and Rex Pilcher (.290, 28, 94) to handle the corners. Trading Hackney was big news in July, leaving just Hiram Steinberg (4-18, 5.81, 74), who might have felt lost without his co-aces. It's hard to imagine "The Undertaker" is done at 31, and a rebound season from him could propel the Pioneers back into contention. Joe Potts (14-17, 3.69, 131) might even be better then Hackney and Danny Hern (12-13, 4.27, 94), who after being released by Cleveland signed a free agent deal in Toronto. St. Louis will be looking to Bill Kline (4-4, 3.27, 40) to play a key role in their 1954 rotation, but without something different happening next year they may stick around the bottom for a bit. *** Continental Association Down the Stretch*** In the Continental, Cleveland cruised to a pennant, pretty much staying five games above the rest for most of the season. In the end, just the Kings (90-64, 7 GB) were within 15 games of them. As you'd expect, Adrian Czerwinski (23-9, 2.78, 159) was amazing, and a huge reason the Foresters had the #1 staff in the association. Surprisingly, they did not test Rufus Barrell (7-2, 2, 3.11, 45) much as a starter, giving the once dominant lefty just 9 starts. Instead, Ducky Davis (20-7, 3.01, 140) and Larry Beebe (8-14, 3.35, 106) excelled in starters roles, as Barrell, Lou Robertson (8-3, 8, 2.13, 29), and Hank Berkowitz (8-3, 12, 1.38, 28) got games to the finish line. The bats weren't great, but Sherry Doyal (.311, 29, 92) was certainly the exception. Sure, he's been better, but a 159 WRC+ is elite and he continues to play excellent defense in right. Frenchy Sonntag (.268, 29, 89) and Joe Wood (.276, 5, 35) took steps back offensively and defensively, and Jim Urquhart (.231, 4, 58, 9) finally had a bad season in year four. Of course, this is a team that won a pennant, and other guys stepped up. Lorenzo Samuels (.284, 11, 25) effectively replaced Lloyd Coulter (.238, 29, 72) when called upon and John Low (.293, 11, 82) made his play on becoming the top shortstop in the CA. Catcher Larry McClure (.281, 17, 64) set a career best in home runs, and few teams can match the depth the Foresters have top to bottom. The clear class of the association, they deserved their finish, and will get to represent the Continental in the World Championship Series.Kansas City was pretty solid, even if Brooklyn breakout star Fred Miller (.272, 10, 47) has been figured out, and they had a team that could have won a pennant in another season. Ken Newman took over, as the Whitney Winner hit .323/.454/.543 (162 OPS+) with 38 doubles, 24 homers, 100 RBIs, 121 runs, and 126 walks. He's a big reason the Kings led the CA with 737 runs, but Newman had plenty of support from perennial hit leader Charlie Rogers (.311, 15, 97, 13). Unfortunately, that's all he got, as with Miller's struggles and little from anyone else who wasn't Joe Cahill (.328, 5, 51), they could be picked apart by top pitchers. It's funny to say the team who scored the most needs a bat to compete, but a third guy to worry about would do wonder's to their title aspirations. They found a new ace in Fred Washington: a key piece in the Ralph Johnson deal from a couple of years ago. Washington was 21-10 with an association low 2.50 ERA (160 ERA+). Washington had an excellent 1.11 WHIP, striking out 165 in 288.1 innings atop the Kings rotation, numbers strong enough to end Cleveland's Adrian Czerwinski's four year old on the Continental Allen Award. Washington leads a formidable top three with offseason pickup Tony Britten (18-11, 3.41, 115) and last year's breakout arm Walt Staton (6-12, 3.89, 120), who was also part of the big trade with Detroit. 12th ranked prospect Elmer Sullivan is still a few seasons away, but he could be exactly what they need to complete their rotation. The only other CA team to win over 80 games was the New York Stars, as they gave Charlie Barrell the keys to second base and didn't look back. The three-sport sensation appeared in 152 of the Stars' 154 games, slashing .310/.386/.528 (138 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 25 homers, 101 RBIs, and 94 runs scored. That's better then Ralph Hanson (.301, 10, 63, 12) did in Cincinnati, but one has to wonder if they could have defended their pennant with Hanson and Bill Barrett (.291, 23, 80) instead. The Stars rotation was excellent, as Paul Anderson (19-12, 3.12, 191) proved he was legit, and Juan Tostado (20-11, 3.07, 121) flourished in his first full season in New York. Postseason hero Moe Holt (.296, 13, 82, 6) did well in a full-time role and Pete Ford (12-7, 2.67, 99) really impressed in a back-end role. The trade for Barrell still scratches some heads, but if he sticks with baseball he could lead the Stars right back to the postseason. The rest of the association was mediocre, but there was plenty to look forward to. The Philadelphia Sailors (78-76) got a breakout year from former 2nd Overall pick George Reynolds (20-14, 3.07, 181) and 12th ranked prospect Bill Harbin (.279, 25, 88) had a huge rookie season in the outfield. The pennant winning forms of Billy Forbes (.270, 15, 59, 8) and Al Farmer (.282, 17, 76) have been proved to be outliers, but the two up the middle players are still highly productive regulars. They seem to be stuck in the middle of contention and rebuilding, and with the second ranked farm system a retool may be the direction to take. They've drafted well in recent years, and if they're in the thick of things next season they have the pieces to get an impact player. The Chicago Cougars (74-80) had just their second losing season in the last seventeen years, but they have a new single season home run leader as Jerry Smith shattered Sal Pestilli's previous record of 33. The reigning Kellogg winner had no sophomore slump, slugging a CA high 47 homers while driving in an association best 118 runs. Smith hit an elite .299/.373/.608 (158 OPS+), adding 29 doubles, 9 triples, 68 walks, and 9 steals. His pitching counterpart Bob Allen (3-6, 2, 4.08, 46) still hasn't found his groove on the mound, but Donnie Jones (14-15, 3.27, 152) continues to be one of the game's top starters and David Molina (7-3, 16, 2.84, 47) a top stopper. The Cougars boast five top 100 pitching prospects, but they took a huge hit to their depth when recently graduated 7th overall prospect Pug White (9-3, 4, 3.17, 50) tore his UCL. He spent all season in Chicago, but his year ended in July. He'll be ready for Opening Day, and they'll hope he can regain his form as a top of the rotation arm. Cincinnati (67-87), Toronto (64-90), and Montreal (64-90) all won fewer then 70 games, and may stay at this level for the next few seasons. Montreal was technically last on tiebreaker, and the bright spot for them this season was taking advantage of Cougar waiver claims. Along with flipping Duke Bybee (11-13, 4.73, 93), they got a new ace in George Polk (10-11, 3.34, 84), though they've traded most of the arms of interest. The lineup has thinned too, but Bill Elkins (.297, 4, 46) was excellent as the everyday shortstop, and they can either build around him or use him to trigger a teardown. Joe Austin (.268, 8, 53, 12), Otis O'Keefe (.276, 7, 53) and Sal Pestilli (.291, 7, 66, 6) could fetch prospects to refill a thin system. Third base prospect Bob Porter (9th) could be a star, but he's about all to get excited about in the farm right now. Toronto had the same record, but by virtue of head-to-head record they finished out of the cellar for the first time since 1949's 6th place finish. Part of that can be due to free agent signing Danny Hern, who was 12-13 with a 4.27 ERA (96 ERA+) that was significantly higher then his 3.49 FIP (85 FIP-). 37 on Opening Day, he could be a trade candidate or new rotation lead, and they made the surprising decision to move Les Ledbetter (8-9, 18, 4.19, 85) to the stopper role. Gordie Perkins (.248, 7, 58) wasn't great in year one with the Wolves, and John Wells (.257, 7, 45) still hasn't solved major league pitching. Jim Allen (.306, ,9, 74) was really the only productive hitter, and he still hasn't lived up to the star hitter some thought he could be. It might have been a morale victory for the Wolves to finish above someone, and with a shiny new top prospect in 1st overall pick Whitey Stewart, they have another youngster to pin their future hopes on. The system is as deep as its ever been, however, so the Wolves return to contention could be just around the corner. Cincinnati had a weird season, trading Barrell to improve the current lineup, and since their biggest weakness is currently second base you have to imagine they'd be better off with him. They're playing Ralph Hanson everywhere, getting starts at second, third, short, and left, with left the position they seem to want him at next year. Aside from that, the only real locks would be graduated 6th ranked prospect Dallas Berry (.250, 17, 43) in center and Dan Scurlock (.264, 13, 77) behind the plate, as the youth movement will continue. No one in the lineup has stood out, but former Kings 11th Rounder Barney Robinson emerged as a top of the rotation pitcher. Acquired in the Bob Arman trade, the 24-year-old started 36 games as a rookie, going 12-8 with a 3.23 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts. Rufus Barrell returnee Paul Williams (6-9, 1, 2.95, 74) pitched well in a swingman role, and veteran journeyman Don Bitters (13-4, 3.52, 76) was a welcome surprise even with the walks. Just like with the lineup, the rotation is wide open, with plenty of potential combinations.  [size="6"1953 World Championship Series[size] It was billed as a meeting of dominant pitching staffs and as good as the Foresters collection of arms led by four-time Allen Award winner Adrian Czerwinski (23-9, 2.78), Ducky Davis (20-7, 3.01) and newcomer Deuce Barrell (7-2, 3.11), a three-time Allan Award recipient the Detroit mound staff might even be better. The Dynamos pitchers dominated the Federal Association with four 15-game winners including this year's Allen Award winner Jack Miller (19-13, 2.75) and last years winner in 41-year-old Joe Hancock (15-10, 3.45). The billing would prove false as the two clubs combined for 81 runs in the seven games and the Foresters would smack a dozen homers off of Detroit pitching. GAME ONE: Cleveland 9 Detroit 6 The series opened in Detroit and a pitching duel was expected with Czerwinski and Miller on the bump but the result was anything but as the Foresters blasted four homeruns and claimed first blood with a 9-6 road win. Miller, who struggled in the WCS opener last year as well, lasted just six innings and gave up 3 homers to trail 6-1 when he was lifted for a pinch-hitter. Czerwinski survived 8 innings but had just an awful bottom of the sixth when Detroit plated four runs on five hits to cut the Cleveland lead to 6-5. The Dynamos tied the game an inning later when Del Johnson belted a solo homerun off of The Professor and Czerwinski was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 9th with the game tied at 6.The Foresters regained the lead with a 3-run ninth inning off of Detroit rookie pitcher Jim Norris with the big blow being a 2-run homer off the bat of pinch-hitter Orie Martinez, who had replaced Czerwinski. An insurance run made the final 9-6 and gave Czerwinski his fifth career WCS win. GAME TWO: Detroit 11 Cleveland 2 Ducky Davis won a career best twenty games this season but had an awful day in game two of the WCS as the Detroit Dynamos blasted Davis and the visiting Foresters 11-2. With the exception of Edwin Hackberry, who went 0-for-5, every Detroit starter including pitcher Joe Hancock managed at least one hit with infielder Del Johnson and Tommy Griffin leading the way with three each. Detroit's 11 runs came without a home run. In fact, the Dynamos managed just two extra base hits, both doubles, but had 14 singles and benefited from six free passes issued by Davis and reliever Larry Beebe. GAME THREE: Cleveland 3 Detroit 2 Tied at one, the series shifted to Forester Field and saw Deuce Barrell and Detroit starter Wally Hunter each start strong with three scoreless innings. The Foresters struck for two runs in the bottom of the fourth as, after striking out lead-off man John Low, Hunter issued a one-out walk to Frenchy Sontag. Sherry Doyal followed with a triple to make it 1-0 and Lorenzo Samuels, who had homered in each of the first two games, delivered an rbi single to plate Doyal and double the Cleveland lead.Detroit would scratch out a run in the fifth as Dick Estes doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly and then did the same in the seventh inning when Stan Kleminski doubled and was plated on Dan Smith's second sac fly of the afternoon to tie the game at two. It would not stay that way for long as the Foresters would score the winning run in the 8th inning on back to back singles from Jim Urquhart and John Low followed by a Frenchy Sontag sacrifice fly. Detroit put the tying run on base for Ralph Johnson in the top of the ninth but that runner, catcher Dan Smith, foolishly allowed himself to be picked off at first base for the final out giving the Foresters a 3-2 win and a two games to one series lead. GAME FOUR: Cleveland 10 Detroit 3 The Foresters went with Game One starter Adrian Czerwinski while Dick York, winner of three straight Theobald Awards as Federal Association manager of the year, gambled with his number four starter Bob Arman. The move was not one of York's better ideas as Arman failed to survive the third inning, allowing 7 runs on 8 hits while walking 5 before mercifully being sent to the showers. Czerwinski was not at his best, scattering 9 hits, but he did more than enough to win his second game of the series. GAME FIVE: DETROIT 8 CLEVELAND 7 (13 innings) Leading the series three games to one and looking to wrap it up at home the Foresters sent Ducky Davis to the mound against Jack Miller. The Dynamos entered the bottom of the 9th with a 5-1 lead but Cleveland scored four times on three hits, including doubles by Lorenzo Samuels and pinch-hitter George Brown, to tie the game and force extra innings.Detroit had runners on second and third with one out in the top of the eleventh but filed to score off Hank Berkowitz, who had relieved Davis. Finally in the 13th inning Dick Estes hit a lead-off triple and scored on a pinch-hit single from the manager's son Rick York. Aided by an error by Cleveland shortstop John Low the Dynamos plated three runs that frame and it was a good thing as Lorenzo Samuels closed the gap with a 2-run homer -his third of the series- in the bottom of the 13th but 8-7 was as close as the Foresters could get and Detroit was able to extend the series. GAME SIX: DETROIT 6 CLEVELAND 3 Detroit lit up Cleveland starter Deuce Barrell for three runs in the bottom of the first inning but Tom Carr leveled things with one swing of the bat in the top of the second, smacking a 3-run homer off of Detroit starter Joe Hancock. Detroit would answer again with two more on 4 hits in the home half of the second frame to take a 5-3 lead. Deuce was pulled after three frames but the Cleveland pen, just like Hancock and later reliver Jack Halbur for Detroit settled things down and only one more run was scored the rest of the way as the Dynamos pulled even in the series with a 6-3 victory. GAME SEVEN: Cleveland 7 Detroit 4 With Adrian Czerwinski and his 2 victories already in this series to go with a 6-1 career WCS record, once more taking the ball the Foresters had to feel at least some confidence despite losing the last two games and seeing the series go the distance. Detroit countered with Wally Hunter and the man known as "Big Game" had pitched well in game three despite taking the loss.This would not be Hunter's day as the Foresters jumped on him early. Hunter issued a one-out walk in the top of the first inning to John Low and Frenchy Sontag followed with his second homer of the series. Still perhaps in shock, Hunter's next offering also landed in the seats as Sherry Doyal made the score 3-0 Cleveland before many of the Thompson Field faithful had settled into their seats. Detroit would get one back in the bottom of the second on a Dan Smith rbi single but the long ball came back to haunt the Dynamos once more in the series as Larry McClure hit a 2-run shot in the top of the third to put the visitors ahead 5-1. The Dynamos did not quit and answered with a run in the bottom of the third but it could have been so much more. With one out Detroit, aided by another error from Foresters shortstop John Low, had runners on the corners. Pat Petty singled in a run to bring Edwin Hackberry up with runners again on first and third and just one out. Czerwinski caught Hackberry looking and the induced an inning ending ground out from Stan Kleminski and a collective sigh out of the crowd that sensed a miss in what might have been Detroit's final opportunity. Bill Morrison's rbi single in the fifth inning did cut the Cleveland lead to 5-3 but in the top of the ninth the Foresters put the game away with, what else, another longball. It was a 2-run shot by Lorenzo Samuels, his fourth of the series and the 12th overall in the seven games from Cleveland hitters. Czerwinski completed the game and his third victory of the series with a 1-2-3 ninth that included a pair of strikeouts giving the Foresters, who won just one title in the first 55 years of the World Championship Series, now had their second victory in the past four years.  BASEBALL OFF-SEASON Two days later the Chiefs decided they needed a pitcher this time, so they picked up breakout Rule-5 pick Jim Carter from the Keystones, who went 12-15 with a 3.16 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts in his lone season in Philadelphia. This level of production was almost expected when Carter was taken 7th Overall in 1943, but the former top 15 prospect never looked like this in Toronto. It's a big rotation pickup for a team that doesn't have much behind the ageless Charlie Bingham (11-10, 3.31, 89), as age took Al Miller (14-9, 4.56, 65) and left Angel Lopez (17-8, 3.51, 111) as the #2. The Chiefs have shown a commitment to compete around Rod Shearer (.316, 48, 149) and Ed Bloom (.313, 5, 65, 14). Along with Carter, the Chiefs did something they've done with familiarity, picking up a Pioneers infielder. They sent a pair of bats for Homer Mills (.276, 13, 76) to fill a hole, committing to Bloom fulltime at first. The former 6th pick has appeared in 300 games in each of second, short, and third, with the 32-year-old expected to play third. A bit below an average hitter, when you combine his .266/.327/.375 (95 OPS+) career line with plus defense at the hot corner, you get a solid table setter, as he can get on for Bloom and Shearer to drive him in. The Keystones picked up prospects in this deal, as well as moves of Wilbur Zimmerman (.254, 7, 27, 9), Davey Chamberlain (14-13, 3.82, 112), Gordie Irwin (6-2, 3.60, 41), and Glen Sexton (.344, 3, 22). In total it was nine players added, with all but the Irwin trade bringing back two. Jim Carter was probably the best player moved, so it makes sense that he also brought back the best prospect. Ranked 17th in the Keystones system and 169th overall, Joe Menzie came with a young outfielder Chick Barber. An 18-year-old southpaw, he was the Chiefs 3rd Round pick this year, and he had an excellent 10 start stint with the Class C Waterloo Chiefs. He had a strong 3.72 ERA (124 ERA+) and 69 strikeouts after going 9-0 as a high school senior. He has good stuff and a deep four pitch mix, with a sinker that excels at getting ground outs. The command needs some work, but if he can iron that out he'll work his way into a big league rotation. A guy to lookout for the future is 22-year-old first basemen Wayne Cottrill, who came over from the crosstown Sailors. The former 2nd Rounder doesn't have big power, but he'll hit around .300 with strong plate discipline. Then there's 24-year-old utility man Ted Haggarty, who was involved in the deal that sent Bob Arman to Brooklyn and was a consistent top 50 prospect through the 1951 season. There were some big trades, but the only other real seller was the Toronto Wolves. The first deal provided the Chiefs with one more pitcher, sending longtime New York Star Jack Wood (9-13, 1, 5.44, 58) to the Windy City a year and a half after Toronto signed him as a free agent. The return was minimal, as expected with a 41-year-old, but they did make an interesting move with the Saints. The teams swapped first basemen, sending the one-time shortstop John Fast (.276, 7, 56) to Montreal for Hank Smith (.097) and William Benns (1-0, 1, 2.38, 10). Fast and Smith were both former 1st Rounders, and Benns went 18th in 1947. Despite all the draft pedigree, only Fast has had sustained success at the highest level, and even he hasn't started more then 85 games. The Wolves have decided to move Kirby Copeland (.282, 4, 63, 9) to first, and to go with Jim Sibert (.250, 1) instead of Fast at second, so he was deemed expendable. Fast is now penciled in to the third spot in the Saints order, as they decided not to move any of their remaining vets. While not quite a blockbuster, the biggest move came between the Cougars and the Kansas City Kings, two teams with a storied trade history. In a shocking turn of events, the Kings decided to move on from Fred Miller (.272, 10, 47), who is just two years away from hitting .345/.407/.562 (163 OPS+) and won the last two batting titles before his teammate Ken Newman (.323, 24, 100) broke his streak. Ironically, they are expected to replace Miller in the lineup with 25-year-old rookie Fred McHenry, who was acquired from the Cougars back in a 1947 deal for Jim Kenny (16-12, 3.51, 96). Having a replacement ready on hand made Miller somewhat expendable, and they were able to fill their second base hole with Elmer Grace (.251, 15, 59), who like Miller is 26 and had his best season in 1951. His version was an abbreviated stint, 65 games after a July callup, but he hit .340/.438/.502 (157 OPS+) and has been a useful regular for the Cougs at third. The Kings also picked up a twice traded prospect in Bob Logan, who the Miners took 5th in the most recent draft. This deal could be a win-win for both teams, but it seems to involve a lot of risk on both sides. PROSPECT UPDATE: The draft was back to happening all at once, with all 20 of the rounds taking place in June. 21-year-old righty Whitey Stewart went first overall to the Toronto Wolves, and currently ranks as the top prospect in baseball. Stewart was not the only 1953 June draftee to crack the OSA top twenty-five that was released at the conclusion of the regular season. Behind Stewart one would find fourth overall pick Brad Keylon, a catcher selected by Washington who sits third on the scouting service list, the Sailors picked outfielder Ray Waggoner 9th and he is #10 on the prospect pipeline. Cincinnati's second overall selection Lou Allen, a high school outfielder from Alabama who won the Adwell Award is 15th on the OSA rankings and Ted Cummings (3rd pick by the Keystones) cracks the OSA top 25 at 19th. Meanwhile, last year's first overall selection Stan Czerwinski ranks between Stewart and Keylon. Rounding out the top five is former #1 pick Earl Howe of the Gothams and former 2nd Rounder of the Minutemen Jack Denis. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION SNAPS ALL-STAR DROUGHT After losing six of the previous seven All-Star Games the Federal Association came up with a 6-4 victory in the 1953 edition of the Midsummer Classic. The contest, held for the first time at Kansas City's Prairie Park, was the 21st annual edition of the game and the Continental Association series lead is trimmed to 11-10. The game, held under partly cloudy skies on a warm July 14 night, was the second straight contested in the Show-Me state as the St Louis Pioneers hosted the event a year ago. The Continental stars manufactured a run without the benefit of a hit in the opening inning to take a quick lead. The run came after Kings young star Fred Miller was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a walk and third on an error before scoring when New York Stars rookie second baseman Charlie Barrell hit into a fielders choice. The score would remain 1-0 until the Federal Association plated a pair of runs in the fourth thanks to a 2-run single by New York Gothams infielder Cecil LaBonte. Marshall Thomas of the Boston Minutemen ripped a 2-out out solo homerun off 4-time Continental Association Allen Award winner Adrian Czerwinski in the top of the fifth to put the Fed up 3-1 but the CA answered quickly in the home half of the frame. Singles by John Low of Cleveland and Montreal's Bill Elkins set the table for a 3-run homer off the bat of Kings exciting young outfielder Charlie Rogers, which caused quite a stir among the more that 47,000 locals on hand for the festivities. Trailing 4-3 the Federal Association staged the game winning rally in the 7th inning when they scored three runs on four hits, all singles, from Paul Williams of Pittsburgh, Gothams sluggers Walt Messer and Red Johnson and finally John Moss of the Chicago Chiefs. All of the damage came off of Chicago Cougars reliever David Molina, who would be tagged with the loss. Veteran Fed pitchers Charlie Bingham of the Chiefs and the Gothams Lou Eaker shut the door over the final three innings, combining to allow just 1 hit and preserve the 6-4 victory. Jack Miller of Detroit was the winning pitcher while hometown star Charlie Rogers, despite being on the losing side, was named the player of the game.  
  NEW YORK FOOTBALL STARS REPEAT AS ANOTHER NEAR MISS FOR COWBOYS Football fans may well be witnessing the greatest run by a franchise that the sport will ever see as the Kansas City Cowboys competed in their fourth consecutive American Football Association title game and going back to the old Continental Conference the Cowboys have played in eight straight title games. Unfortunately, as special as that accomplishment might be, the excitement around Prairie Park is tempered by the fact that the Cowboys, after winning the 1950 title game, have come up short in each of the last three including a second straight loss to the New York Football Stars in the 1953 championship contest. The Stars were not as dominant this time around as they had to settle for an 8-4 record and second place in the AFA East Division behind the 10-2 Philadelphia Frigates but they beat the Frigates in the Eastern playoff 16-10 to secure a chance to defend their title. Philadelphia, led by second year quarterback Pat Capizzi and the stingiest run defense in the league anchored by veteran linebacker George Klavich who had 16 tackles for a loss, won its first eight games of the season before finally stumbling in Detroit. The Frigates beat New York in the Big Apple early in the season but perhaps foreshadowing what was to come they lost at home to the Stars in December. New York's strength was its running game les by the duo of Dennis Howard (1,114 yards) and Sid Daughery (804 yards) that simply wore down opposing defenses. It also made life much easier for second year quarterback Ricky Benson, who threw for 1,771 yards and 16 touchdowns. There was never much competition for the two playoff berths as the third place Washington Wasps hovered around .500 all season and the Pittsburgh Paladins, who were 10-2 a year ago, had a dreadful 1-5 start and never did get on track. The Kansas City Cowboys also struggled early and were in danger of missing the playoffs when they lost back to back November games in Detroit and San Francisco to fall to 3-4 but a late rally that saw them win four straight secured second place. Pat Chappell was terrific as usual, throwing for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns and found a new favourite target in rookie end Roy Camper, a fifth round pick out of Travis College. It was another rookie that really was the talk of the league. That would be Christian Trophy winner Mike Peel, the Cowboys top pick out of Spokane State. Peel ran for 1,439 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year and was named the offensive player of 1953. His totals would have set a new single season rushing record had not Jim Kellogg of the St Louis Ramblers gained 1,476 this season. Early losing streaks derailed playoff hopes for Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco while the St Louis Ramblers were just awful, finishing at 2-10. One note on Los Angeles: it appears the Charlie Barrell experiment might be over. After struggling last season but starting all 12 games, the three-sport star did not throw a single pass this season as third year pro John Stanphill took over the starting quarterback job with the Tigers. The big surprise in the West Division was the Chicago Wildcats who, after a dismal couple of seasons including a 3-9 showing a year ago, seemed to rediscover the magic they enjoyed much of the last decade with a 9-3 season and a first place finish. The Wildcats led the league in scoring, averaging over 28 points per game but unfortunately lost starting quarterback Fred Wilhelm with a late season injury that kept him out of the playoff game. Without Wilhelm the Wildcats offense looked overwhelmed and the defense could not contend with all of the Cowboys weapons in the semi-final game. Chappell threw for 166 yards while Peel and Pat Hill combined to rush for 266 with each topping the century mark in a 40-10 rout that sent Kansas City back to the title game.  The AFA title game featured the two second place teams but once more New York, with the better record, would host the Kansas City Cowboys in the championship contest. The Stars won the coin toss and received the opening kick-off and quickly used their diversified ground game to pick up a couple of first downs before the drive stalled near midfield. The Cowboys offense made its debut on their own 3-yard line but a pair of big plays gave them an early lead. The first was a 37-yard pass from Pat Chappell to rookie end Roy Camper and the second was a 50-yard touchdown run by Mike Peel three plays later. The extra point failed but the Cowboys had an early 6-0. A second Cowboys drive made good progress but ended abruptly when Chappell's pass was intercepted in the Stars end zone by Vic Morrell. It is early to calling anything occurring late in the opening quarter of a game the turning point but instead of trailing 13-0 the Stars followed up that interception with a long drive of there own, one that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown run by Sid Daugherty and after the extra point New York had a 7-6 lead. Big runs seemed the norm for the first half of the game as Peel got another one just a couple of minutes later. This time it was a 48-yard scamper and set up a Peel's second touchdown, which came a few plays later on a five yard run and the Cowboys were back in front by a 13-7 count. The lead would be extended to 20-7 in the final minute before the half after Chappell worked his magic. The veteran Kansas City quarterback connected with Camper for 31 yards, Allen Trussell for 14 and finally Jim Kovach for a three yard score. Even when the Stars hit a last second 44-yard field goal to cut the break to 20-10 at the break it must have been a confident group in the visitors locker room at the half. Coach Pete Walsh's crew had proven able to move the ball with impunity both on the ground and through the air but the Stars were a resolute bunch that still had some tricks up their sleeves. The adjustments the Stars defense made paid immediate dividends as the Cowboys would not earn another first down until their was less than two minutes remaining in the game. In the meantime the Stars offense had scored four times - touchdowns on a pair of one yard runs after solid drives and two more Benny Molitor field goals. Stymied and trailing 30-20, Chappell finally broke through for a first down with a 20-yard pass to Camper with 1:57 remaining. He would complete passes of 21 and 10 yards on the desperation drive before four straight incompletions ended the Cowboys title hopes and gave New York its second straight title and its fourth since the implementation of the AFA title game in 1933.   TRAVIS COLLEGE CLAIMS GRID CROWN For the fourth time in school history the Travis College Bucks are the best team in collegiate football. The Southwestern Alliance power finished 10-1 and laid claim to the national title after beating previously undefeated Deep South Conference champion Bayou State 17-9 in the Oilman Classic on New Year's Day. The 10-1 Bucks, whose lone loss was an early season stumble on the road against Baton Rouge State, were unbeaten in section play. Their 1953 title joins previous national championships for the Bucks in 1940, 1918 and 1915 although the 1915 crown was shared with Bluegrass State. The Bucks entered the title game ranked behind the top rated Cougars but did a terrific job containing Bayou State' star halfback Lou Wiggs, holding the junior who ran for over 1,300 yards this season to just 49 yards on 24 carries New Years Day. The loss dropped Bayou State, which had wins over ranked schools Darnell State and Georgia Baptist as part of its 10-game unbeaten string during the regular season, to number two in the polls. Redwood University finished third despite the fact the Mammoths were denied a trip to the East West Classic after losing to arch-rival Northern California 23-10 in the regular season finale. It would be the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record for Redwood, which completed its season with a 14-3 victory over Texas Panhandle in the Desert Classic. The East-West Classic featured two schools that have been regular visitors to Santa Ana in recent years but up until this New Years had never faced each other in the Classic game. The Detroit City College Knights were making their third appearance since 1945 and are a perfect 3-0 in the game following a 29-19 victory over Northern California. The Miners have participated in four of the last six East-West Classics and are 2-2. Christian Trophy winning halfback Walt Milner was the star of the show as the Detroit City College senior ran for 175 yards on the afternoon including a 40-yard touchdown score in the first half. The Knights finished 10th in the final polls with an 8-3 record overall that included losses to Rome State and CC Los Angeles. Lincoln went 9-1 despite losing out on the Great Lakes Alliance title and a trip to the East-West Classic so the Presidents, who finished fourth in the final rankings had to settle for a trip to Florida for the Bayside Classic where they shaded South Atlantic Conference champion Maryland State 13-10. The 9-2 Bengals ended up 8th. Noble Jones College, 9-2 after beating Colorado Poly in the San Joaquin Classic, was fifth while Rome State finished sixth despite the fact the Centurions were blasted 22-3 by Lawrence State in the Sunshine Classic. It marked the first time the military academy agreed to play a postseason game and there was a familiar name at quarterback for Rome State. That would be sophomore Mike Barrell, son of former FABL President and current Chicago Poly Athletic Director Dan Barrell. Mike, who also plays basketball and had a strong season on the court for the Centurions cage quintet as a freshman in the spring, started 8 games at quarterback including the Classic game for the Centurions. The school focus is primarily on a ground attack but Barrell gave a glimpse of what he could do in a midseason win over St Pancras when he threw for a career best 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The most important game for Rome State is always its annual meeting with Annapolis Maritime in December and that one went very well for the Centurions, who claimed a 19-3 victory that sent them into the showdown with Lawrence State a perfect 9-0. Rounding out the top ten where St Blane (9-2) at seventh and a winner over Daniel Boone College in the Volunteer Classic, followed by Maryland State, Southern Border Conference champion Canyon A&M and Detroit City College. Detroit City College also reportedly did very well on the recruiting trail, landing three of top ten recruits in #1 overall Ross Greenbaum, a halfback out of Wisconsin, Louisiana born linebacker Ernest Alger, who OSA has as the #4 recruit along with an end from Texas by the name of Fredrick Simmons that OSA calls the top high school pass catcher in the nation.   RAINIER COLLEGE WINS FOURTH AIAA CAGE CROWN The Rainier College Majestics lost just once in 34 games as they blazed a path to their fourth AIAA collegiate basketball tournament title. The Majestics, winners of back to back tournaments a decade ago, reached the semi-finals last season before falling just short but entered the current season on a mission. The senior laden club featured two-time All-American guard T.J. Grimm among four senior starters that also included Doc Daniels, Ed Kosanovich and Lee Maroney. It was Grimm, a guard from Salt Lake City who could both score -he led the Majestics averaging 13.0 ppg- and pass - his 5.1 assists per game were among the national leaders- who led the team.Right from the season opener when Grimm scored 17 points as the Majestics thumped a Henry Hudson University team that would prove to be a surprise final four participant four months later the Majestics appeared to be on a mission. Veteran coach Red Bennett, the man responsible for the Majestics rise to national prominence the past two decades and the orchestrator of all four of their national titles, had the team dialed in from day one. The Majestics had little trouble going unbeaten in their out of conference slate although a gritty effort from an improving Chicago Poly team gave Rainier College a scare in early January. They won 9 straight in section play including wins over ranked rivals CC Los Angeles, Coastal California and Lane State before finally getting tripped up on the road in Los Angeles when they fell in overtime to the CCLA Coyotes 64-62. It would prove to be the only loss the Majestics suffered as they went 15-1 and claimed their first West Coast Athletic Association section title in four years. Rainier College was 28-1 when it opened the tournament as the top seed in the West Region. The opening round can provide some surprises -just ask Carolina Poly after the 26-4 Cardinals were shocked 59-51 by 8th seed Boston State in the South Region or Coastal California which travelled to be the top seed in the East only to make an early exit as 8th seed Erie -which had not won a tournament game since 1925- upset the Dolphins 55-50. Rainier College did not fall into a similar trap of looking past their opening round foe as the Majestics, with Doc Daniels scoring 16 and Grim 12, had little trouble beating the Tigers 72-39. The next opponent was a little tougher but the Majestics rallied from a 29-22 first half deficit to down Liberty College 56-48 in the second round and followed that up with a narrow 54-52 win over defending national champion Whitney College. It may have been Grimm's best game of a very storied career as the senior guard scored 18 points and carried the Majestics for stretches of the game. The long trip east to Bigsby Garden for the national semi-finals is one the Majestics know well -they have made it seven times in the past fourteen years- and they looked very comfortable with the spotlight on them as Grimm, with 22 points this night, led the Majestics to a 65-53 victory over Detroit City College in the semi-final game. The finals would feature the Majestics third straight meeting with a Great Lakes Alliance team as Western Iowa (30-4 overall) had nosed out DCC and Whitney College for the section title and would be all that stands in the way of a fourth National Title for Rainier College. The Canaries thought they had scouted Rainier College well and doubled-teamed Grimm all game but that turned out to be a mistake as Harry Wall, a Brooklyn native thrilled to be playing close to home for a change and the only junior in the starting five, thrived with 22 points including 14 in the opening half when the Majestics built a 13 point lead. The final score would not be close as Rainier College cruised to a 67-47 victory and another national title.   BATS LEAD BATON ROUGE STATE TO DIAMOND TITLE On the strength of the most explosive offense in collegiate baseball the Baton Rouge State Red Devils won their first collegiate sports title in any of the big three school team sports after claiming victory in the 1953 Collegiate Baseball World Championship Series. The Red Devils finished second to Opelika State in Deep South section play but then rolled through the competition in the 16-team championship tournament, putting up 58 runs in their six tournament games.The big bat for the Red Devils belonged to freshman outfielder Bud Conover, who had five homers and 20 rbis in the six tournament games and was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after the Red Devils defeated four-time national champion Maryland State in the best of three final. The Christian Award, presented annually to the collegiate baseball player of the year, went to a freshman for just the fourth time in the awards history. The winner is Carolina Poly outfielder Johnny Campbell, who slashed .294/.360/.595 for the Cardinals.   99 REASONS DUKES ARE NAHC CHAMPS Record-Setting Point Total for Pollack It was a year to remember for Quinton Pollack and the Toronto Dukes as Toronto, after rumours of a coaching change and a disappointing fourth place finish a year ago went on to claim their record ninth Cup title. The Dukes finished second behind defending Cup champion Chicago in the regular season but edged the Packers in a thrilling championship series that required the full seven games. The big story all season was Quinton Pollack as the 30-year-old Toronto center chased a pair of records. He finished with 99 points, the most ever recorded in a single NAHC season and smashing the previous standard by 14. Pollack had two points in the final game of the season including his 47th goal but could not get the third to reach the century mark. His 47 goals tied the record established by Boston Bert Cordier in 1929-30 and equaled five years ago by Chicago's Tommy Burns. Speaking of Burns and the Packers, they followed up their franchises first ever Cup win with an 88 point season, six more than a year ago and a new high water mark for all NAHC clubs. The Packers benefited from another terrific season from Burns (36-44-80) as well as wingers Max Ducharme and Derek Gubb who each posted identical stat lines of 17 goals and 55 points. Goaltender Michael Cleghorn continued his emergence as one of the best netminders in the league with the 30-year-old playing in a career high 48 games and leading the NAHC in both goals against average and save percentage. He has clearly replaced Norm Hanson as the number one in Chicago and also equaled Hanson by winning his first career Juneau Trophy as the NAHC's top goalie. Toronto was an offensive powerhouse but finished four points back of the Packers in second place. The Dukes big three remained the top line in the league as wingers Lou Galbraith (26-41-67) and Les Carlson (16-46-62) continued to prosper playing alongside the great Pollack (47-52-99). Toronto's defense was also solid with Tim Brooks and Clyde Lumsen joining Pollack and Galbraith on the postseason first all-star team while a third Toronto rearguard, Charlie Brown, made the second team alongside Carlson. The big change in Toronto was between the pipes as Gordie Broadway finally retired, leaving Scott Renes and Charlie Dell in charge with Coach Jack Barrell opting to pretty much alternate the two all season. Speaking of Barrell, there was much speculation prior to the season that another poor year might cost the famous coach his job, but Pollack, who happens to be married to Barrell's daughter, ensured his father-in-law's future employment with a dominant campaign. Boston and Detroit battled all season for third place as the Packers and Dukes pulled away. In the end the Bees finished with 71 points -one more than the Motors- because they tied their final game of the season while Detroit lost to last place Montreal. Injuries cost Bees captain Wilbur Chandler much of the season, limiting the 35-year-old to 45 games and sidelining him for the playoffs. Chandler (19-22-41) still managed nearly a point a game but there was worry in Boston that he will not be back next season. Detroit finally gave the full-time goaltending duties to Henri Chasse as Millard Touhey was used in just five games all season. Chasse responded with a terrific season and was named to the second all-star team. The Detroit offense has plenty of balance but lacks a true elite scorer although both Adam Vanderbilt (23-31-54) and Lou Barber (20-30-50) reached the 20-goal plateau and in Barber's case he did so despite missing 18 games. Rookie Alex Monette (17-23-40) is just 20-years-old and straight out of the Halifax juniors but the 1952 second overall pick became the fourth Detroit player in the last six years to win the McLeod Trophy as top rookie. The New York Shamrocks finished fifth as the team had some troubles both scoring goals and keeping pucks out of their net. Alex Sorrell, who won a pair of Juneau Awards to start this decade, had his struggles and the offense lacked secondary scoring beyond Jocko Gregg (25-29-54), Simon Savard (23-24-47) and an gaining Orval Cabbell (19-34-53). Montreal was last for the second year in a row as the Valiants continued to crash after winning back-to-back Challenge Cups before the sudden collapse. Tom Brockers was gone, the legendary goalie retired, and while Nathan Bannister may have some potential, patience is clearly necessary with the 23-year-old. Montreal is on a youth movement of sorts as a number of rookies saw action including promising 20-year-old defenseman Jean Tremblay and his 21-year-old brother Yan -a left winger. There is some talent in the organization but it will need time to develop.  NAHC PLAYOFFS Neither Chicago nor Toronto had much trouble in the opening round of the NAHC playoffs. The Packers did need six games to dispose of Detroit but they won each of the first three before the Motors made it close. Stanley Royce, who had some big goals in the playoffs a year ago, was up to his old tricks with the game winner in the series opener coming with just over a minute remaining to give the Packers a 2-1 victory. After a convincing 5-2 win in the second game the series shifted to Detroit and the Packers went up three games with an overtime goal from Jarrett McGlynn on the powerplay to secure a 4-3 victory. Detroit stayed alive with 5-2 and 4-2 victories before the Packers ended the series with another overtime victory in game six. This one came courtesy of a Marty Mahoney shot just shy of 10 minutes into the extra period and the Motors had Thompson Palladium buzzing when they scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation to prolong the game. Toronto needed just five games to oust Boston in the other semi-final. Maurice Charette, overshadowed by the Dukes big guns, had a coming out party in the series as the 28-year-old who scored just eight times in 65 regular season games, who score five times in the first two games against Boston. Charette had two in a 5-1 Dukes win in the opener and then scored all three in the second game as Toronto claimed the contest by a 3-2 margin. Boston's lone victory in the series came by a 3-2 score in game three before Toronto wrapped it up with a 5-2 win in the fourth game followed by a series clinching 5-3 victory at Dominion Gardens in game five. *** Challenge Cup Finals *** Toronto and Chicago had never met before with the Challenge Cup on the line. The Packers have made just three trips to the finals prior to this year including their lone title which came last season after beating Boston in six games. The Dukes, on the other hand, have won more Cups than any other organization and for fans in Toronto, not playing in the finals since their eighth cup win in the spring of 1949, feels like an unbearably long absence. The two teams were clearly the best in the league during the regular season and each had a dominant offensive star in Quinton Pollack for Toronto and Tommy Burns of Chicago. This promised to be an exciting series and it certainly lived up to the billing. Chicago, by virtue of finishing 4 points ahead of Toronto during the regular season, had home ice advantage and they got off to a great start at Lakeside Auditorium in the series opener as Burns, who tallied just 3 points in the six games against Detroit in the semis, scored once and added an assist as Chicago built a quick 3-0 lead in the opening ten minutes and then relied on netminder Michael Cleghorn to preserve the victory. Cleghorn did just that, making 28 saves in a 3-1 Chicago win. Game two also ended in a 3-1 score but it was the visitors on top with Toronto dominating the play. The Dukes outshot their hosts 53-17 as rookie Jerry Belanger, Tim Brooks and Trevor Parker, with one scoring each period, staked Toronto to a lead. Only Marty Mahoney's goal midway through the final frame denied Scott Renes his first career playoff shutout. The series shifted to Toronto for games three and four and again the two clubs split with Burns scoring once and adding an assist in 2-1 Chicago victory in game three before the Dukes responded with a 3-1 win in game four to knot the series at two wins apiece. Cleghorn was terrific in the Chicago net once more while Burns, with his fifth of the playoffs score the lone Packers goal after Lou Galbraith and Les Carlson gave the Dukes a 2-0 lead. Maurice Charette, the goal scoring star early in the semi-final series, sealed the victory with an empty net marker in the dying seconds. Cleghorn was the story of game five as the Chicago netminder stopped all 30 Toronto shots he faced for his first career playoff shutout. Marty Mahoney scored twice in the opening period and Max Lavigne got one in the middle frame for the winners. Trailing 3 games to two it was a must win situation for the Dukes at Dominion Gardens in game six. The Packers took a quick lead when Max Ducharme beat Renes just over two minutes into the game but Toronto evened things ten minutes later thanks to a Rob Painchaud power play marker. After a scoreless second period Charette decided it was time for another goal as the Dukes winger picked up his seventh of the post season early in the third period. It would hold up and Toronto would force a seventh game with a 2-1 victory in game six. The deciding game was one for the ages as both goaltenders - Chicago's Michael Cleghorn and Scott Renes of Toronto shut the door for the opening forty minutes. The lone goal of the game would come a minute and a half into the third period when 21-year-old Toronto winger Kenny Wooley would notch his only point of the post-season point, jamming in the rebound off a Jerry Belanger shot past Cleghorn. It would be the Cup winner as 18 minutes later the Dukes players were streaming on the ice to celebrate with goaltender Renes, who had stopped all 29 shots in a 1-0 Toronto victory.  NAHC ALL-STAR GAME   The Philadelphia Phantoms had made the postseason only three previous times in the six seasons prior to the 1952-53 season and only surpassed the first round in 1947-48, where the Phantoms bowed to the eventual FBL champion Baltimore Barons. The Boston Centurions debuted at the start of professional basketball in 1937 and first qualified for the postseason nine years later. The Centurions made the divisional final in three of the past four years, so they were a team on the rise. Both teams looked down on the rest of the Eastern Division in 1952-53. Philadelphia won the division and earned the top seed with the best record in the FBL at 48-22 by a single game over the Western Division champion, the Chicago Panthers (47-23). The Phantoms reeled off six straight wins to start the year 8-2 and a nine-game streak midseason to balloon their record to 37-15. A five-game losing streak in early-to-mid April gave Phantoms fans some pause, but Boston (42-28) never really challenged for the division. Boston’s high-water mark was 15 games above .500 in the next-to-last game of the expanded 70-game schedule and finished six games behind Philadelphia. The two biggest daily stories throughout the regular season were how last season’s division winners and Finals entrants sunk out of playoff contention. The Washington Statesmen had been a model of consistency. Since their debut in 1937-38, the only season in which the Statesmen had missed the playoffs was their first season. It was also the only season where Washington had more losses than wins. One of those streaks would be broken while another barely hung on. Washington went 32-38 around a revamped lineup. Blake Brooks was released before Opening Night and the team proceeded to lose to the Centurions, 70-49. Washington never spent a day over .500 all season, but a late 6-5 run allowed Washington to finish in third place, 16 games behind Philadelphia, but two games ahead of Baltimore (30-40) and four in front of New York (28-42). After winning the FBL title last year, Detroit climbed the mountain, chasing Rochester for the first half of the season, reached the plateau by winning the division running away, and arrived at the summit when the Mustangs defeated Washington to win it all. This season, however, they rolled down the other side of the mountain, seemingly hitting every tree on the way down. Detroit (27-43) finished dead last in the West, three games out of a playoff spot, as just as the Eastern Division, the race for the top was a two-team race. Chicago has spent the last three years at or near the bottom of the division standings, looking up at teams like Detroit. Chicago won its division in the first two years of the Panthers existence, winning a title in its rookie campaign. Despite one of the best players in the league, Luther Gordon, Chicago could not put a team around him that befit his talent in his first two seasons. Gordon was flanked by multi-sport superstar rookie Charlie Barrell, while Joe Hampton had his best shooting season of his illustrious career. This year, Gordon edged Cleveland’s Ziggy Rickard, in the scoring race by the closest margin in memory. Gordon averaged 22.2063 points per game in 63 contests and Rickard fell just shy with 22.2059 points per game in his 68 games played. However, Rickard walked away with the league’s Most Valuable Player in a controversial vote over Gordon. Chicago walked into the playoffs on the wings of the best home record (29-6) in the league and an 11-game lead on Toronto (36-34). The Falcons made it back to the playoffs after missing out last season, but they had made it out of the Western Division in their previous two playoff appearances. Cleveland and Rochester tied for third place at 30-40, 17 games behind the leader, and their head-to-head season series was a season onto itself. The Crushers and Rockets played 15 games against each other and the season series was tied at seven games apiece. Cleveland hosted Rochester on April 18th with only four games left in the season and won, 91-66, which put both teams at a flat-footed tie at 29-38. Each team had its chance, but both teams dropped two of three to give Cleveland the entrance into the playoffs, ten games under .500, where they were promptly crushed by the Falcons, three games to none in the Western Division Semifinals. Toronto was just getting warmed up after sweeping Cleveland. The big story for the Falcons before the playoffs was the play of their man in the middle, Kenny Roberts. Roberts led the team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (15.5 rpg). Toronto moved to a younger lineup, pushing veteran forward Max Lucia to the end of the bench and employing a rookie in the starting lineup in All-Rookie guard Denny Thomas (55 GP, 6.4 apg). Toronto surprised Chicago in the Western Division Final, four games to two. After dropping Game One in Chicago, Toronto earned a split on the road, taking Game Two, 68-54. Toronto did it with defense, setting the tone with Defender of the Year, Jumbo Hinman, as the Falcons kept the Panthers to 21.5% shooting. Toronto game home court right back when Chicago won Game Three, but the Falcons would not drop another game in the series behind forward Stretch Williams, who averaged 22.0 points in Games Four through Six and a 28-point, 19-rebound performance in Game Five by Roberts. In the Eastern Division playoffs, Washington was the third seed and there was still hope in the Nation’s Capital that the Statesmen would be able to get it together in time to make a run. The series opened in Boston as the second-seeded Centurions and Morgan Melcher took charge. Boston won both of their games at home. Melcher was a terror throughout the series, pouring in 21.4 points in the best-of-five Semifinal that went the distance. The matchup went the full five games because Washington made a series out of it by taking care of business at home as well. It came down to a fifth game in Boston and Melcher was the player of the game with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while center Ernie Fischer only shot 3-for-22 from the field and contributed eight points. Boston was on a roll and carried momentum into Philadelphia for the Eastern Division Final, earning a win on the road in Game One with a strong fourth quarter, turning a two-point deficit entering the last period into a 92-87 victory. The Phantoms, perhaps rusty from the semifinal bye, received the slap in the face they needed. Philadelphia won the next four games to send Boston home. The Phantoms added a couple of blowouts to take the heart out of the Centurions, winning by 20 in Game Two and 22 points in Game Four. J.C. Mitchell and Mel Turcotte were pivotal in the series victory. Mitchell and Turcotte combined for 35 points in Game Two’s 95-75 win, Mitchell added 21 points in Game Three’s win before Turcotte led all scorers with 30 points in Game Four. A little-known player was the star in the deciding Game Five for Philadelphia. Richard Brawner, a 29-year-old six-year pro out of Mobile Maritime, only started five games and averaged 5.3 points a game in the regular season. But he is a playoff performer. In last year’s postseason, Brawner averaged 15 points in four games, but he started for a banged-up Mike Rupp and scored 23 points, helping to pick up the slack in the front court when Mel Turcotte ran into foul trouble. Philadelphia won Game Five, 80-69 and was ready for Toronto. Toronto lost in the FBL Finals in 1950 and 1951, and Falcons fans were hoping the third time was the charm. The dream was so close, Toronto could almost touch it, especially after a Game One win on the road, 73-72, where the Falcons built a 42-34 halftime lead and the Phantoms crept closer all second half. Philadelphia took the lead halfway through the fourth quarter, 64-63, and let 72-69, but the Falcons scored the last four points on a couple of Stretch Williams, the last on a jumper with seven seconds remaining, secured the 1-0 series lead for Toronto. Philadelphia recovered in Game Two, but it was a late a dramatic recovery, coming back from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit behind 30 points and 13 rebounds from Danny Hendon. Toronto had the Game Three edge in the final stanza, nursing a small lead heading into the fourth, but an 18-12 edge in the quarter allowed Philadelphia to take a two games to one series lead. Stretch Williams was the hero again for the Falcons, as he led Toronto with 19 points. The fourth quarter loomed large again in Game Four, but this time the momentum was enough for Philadelphia to take control of the series, outscoring Toronto, 29-6, as J.C. Mitchell scored 22 points and made all 14 of his free throws, in the 81-63 Phantoms win. Mel Turcotte dropped in 31 points in Game Five and Game Six and Philadelphia was crowned the Federal Basketball League Champions at last. J.C. Mitchell averaged 13 points a game and his 22 points in Game Four were enough to garner Playoff MVP honors. The 25-year-old sharpshooter found a new level during the season and yet another level in the playoffs. The hunters will now be the hunted, for the first time.  MAJOR SURPRISE TO END YEAR IN BOXING For eleven and a half months, 1953 was a very predictable year in boxing. The three champions each continued to rule their respective divisions and it seemed like all three - heavyweight Joey Tierney, middleweight Mark McCoy and welterweight Danny Rutledge- might rule for a while. All that changed on December 18 when Tierney, who had looked dominant enough to evoke some comparisons to the great Hector Sawyer in easily disposing of Brad Harris, Bill Sloan and Max Bradley earlier in the year, suddenly found his hands full with a lightly regarded Englishman by the name of Ben Shotton. Shotton, a 30-year-old from Liverpool, who is not even considered the top fighter in England, got the nod to come across the Atlantic and fight for the title only when his countryman Joe Brinkworth hurt himself in training 3 weeks before the fight. Shotton was hastily flown across the Atlantic as fill in on the Philadelphia fight card and seven rounds into the bout Tierney was in complete control and seemingly headed for another early stoppage. It changed on a moments notice when the champ, perhaps just a little too overconfident, did not see a thundering combination from Shotton until it was too late, and Tierney was on the canvas looking up at referee Jimmy Duncan trying to figure out what had just occurred. He did regain his feet to beat the count and the fight would go the distance but the champ was clearly hurt and Shotton carried the bout from that point on. Only a spirited finish where Tierney won each of the final two rounds allowed the champ to retain his belt, but just barely as the fight was declared a draw. One judge scored it a 1-point victory for Tierney, another a one point win for the challenger and the third had them dead even. A rematch is clearly in order and is expected to take place in March. Earlier in the year Tierney was looking unstoppable. He demolished the talented Brad Harris, forcing the referee to stop that February fight in the 7th round and before a sold-out Thompson Field in the summertime with Tierney facing his old Detroit rival Bill Sloan, it was another early win for the champ. Even Max Bradley, who many felt would have succeeded Hector Sawyer as the champ a year ago, was no match for Tierney's power as Bradley spent more time laying on the ground than on his feet in their September meeting at Bigsby Garden. In all Tierney knocked Bradley down seven times in their fight including twice in the 12th round, the second of which Bradley may still be trying to recover from. Middleweight champ Mark McCoy fought three times in 1953 and emerged from each of them with unanimous decision victories. Fight veteran Davis Owens was the first victim and he did keep the proceedings close but lost a clear decision in Chicago in late January. McCoy then waited until the end of July before returning to the ring. There were no signs of rust as Bill Sanderson was lucky just to survive the full 15 rounds in a bout dominated from pillar to post by the champ. McCoy finished his trio of victories with a trip to St Louis in October where he beat up on John Edmonds for 11 rounds before the fight was ultimately stopped due to blood in the right eye severely impairing Edmonds vision. Danny Rutledge continues to bring stability to the once very volatile welterweight division. The Louisville native has now made 8 successful title defenses since he took the title away from Ira Mitchell nearly three years ago. Rutledge beat Mitchell once again in a rematch that was one of his three wins in 1953. The others were by a knockout of Al Sullivan in March and stoppage win over an injured Willis May in August.  In fact, no championship belts changed hands in 1953, but all three champions have a story to tell of how it almost went sideways. Danny Rutledge was facing journeyman Willis May in August in search of his seventh successful title defense in a row. The bout was even in the fourth round, as May was holding his own. Rutledge was just admonished for using the shoulder, so the fighting was in tight. After a wild right from Rutledge missed the mark, May landed a hook and in the follow-through, butted heads with the champion. A nasty cut opened from the accidental head-butt and as the bout progressed, Rutledge had difficulty seeing. Tentative action followed and Rutledge could not take advantage until the ninth round and dominated the 11th round to take a lead in the bout. Early in the next round, May led off with an uppercut that reopened Rutledge’s previous wound. Referee Zeb Barley stopped the fight. In his estimation, the wound was originally opened by the accidental head butt. The ringside physician decided to stop the fight, so the judges’ cards through 11 rounds were used to determine the winner. All three judges had the fight, 105-104 in favor of Rutledge and it was his strong showing in the last round or two that made the difference. In eight years of covering boxing for the Inquisitor, I have never seen the fight prematurely go to the judges’ cards. However, only two months later, it happened again. Mark McCoy was facing former two-time champion John Edmonds. Edmonds had defeated Frank Melanson twice, but lost to Millard Shelton, who McCoy defeated in the next middleweight title fight, so their paths never crossed in the ring. McCoy was having a very easy time with Edmonds with only a second-round uppercut and a fifth-round combination that seemed to put McCoy on alert. Knockdowns by McCoy in the eighth and tenth rounds firmly put a future decision in the champion’s favor. There was a moment in the eighth round where McCoy grabbed Edmonds’s head and pull it towards his chest and when told to let go, the two fighters clinched in close quarters, causing an accidental head-butt to Edmonds. Edmonds did not respond well to the move, as he was getting desperate in the next round, using his shoulder and leaning on McCoy’s neck. Both maneuvers were picked up by referee Weston Meyer. The cut reopened in Round 10, shortly before McCoy knocked him down a second time. An efficient hook late in Round 11 pushed the referee to halt the fight while the doctor took a closer look. Some said the doctor put Edmonds out of his misery and did what Meyer should have already done, but the fight was stopped for good. McCoy only lost one round according to one judge, while the other two judges scored McCoy the winner in each of the first ten rounds. To close a strange and interesting year in boxing, on December 18th, we had our first draw in a title fight since “Tank” Melanson fought Todd Gill to a majority draw in October 1945 for the Middleweight Championship. Joey Tierney’s opponent in this bout set for the week before Christmas was initially Joe Brinkworth, but a training injury caused lesser-known fellow Englishman Ben Shotton to step in, which allowed the fight card to proceed. Shotton proved he could be a handful late in the third round, when a couple of thunderous crosses that caused Tierney’s eyes to glaze and water. Tierney quickly developed some swelling under his right eye, which began to worsen in the middle rounds. Tierney was back on top after a dominating sixth round that had Shotton reaching for the ropes in the closing seconds to stay on his feet. However, Shotton chipped away, briefly knocked the champion down in the eighth round, and showed well as the fight was hitting its latter stages, earning a couple of 10-10 rounds in the process. Tierney tried to close the deal, causing some swelling of his own under Shotton’s left eye in the 14th round. The three judges were split, as one narrowly gave Tierney a one-point edge, another favored Shotton by one point, and the third judge had it dead even. The draw allowed Tierney to keep the belt over the holidays, but a rematch to the unlikely pairing must be coming up soon. Meanwhile, the unfortunate Joe Brinkworth might have missed a golden opportunity and may have to sit and wait while Tierney-Shotton II works itself out. My pick for the Bologna Boxer of the Year for 1953 was Mark McCoy, who dominated two of his three fights during the year and won them all. Prior to his win against Edmonds in October, McCoy led throughout in a July victory against Bill Sanderson.  FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS A LOOK AT 1953 IN TORONTO SPORTS Tales From The Den -Toronto baseball fans saw their team struggle to their fifth straight losing season although they did not finish 8th in 1953. They were tied for 7th with Montreal at 64-90, a bad year for baseball in Canada, but did allow the Wolves to end a streak of three straight seasons o losing 100 or more games. Some of the biggest news for the Wolves happened before Spring Training began when on Feb 12th Fred McCormick, a sure fire future member of the HOF. announced his retirement rather than return for a 22nd season in the FABL. McCormick finished his career with the following stats: Games- 2247 (2288 starts) PA- 10582 AB- 9002 a slash line of .329/.420/.520 (OPS+ 155) HR- 260 RBI- 1525. He decided at 43 his body would not stand up to another season of the rigors of an FABL season. Last season he was exclusively a pinch-hitter only gong to the plate 30 times. When the season began with a 3-11 April, fans began to avoid Dominion Stadium choosing to spend their entertainment dollars at other venues. The attendance at 756,758 was the lowest since 1939, a fact that has Bernie Millard reassessing whether or not at age 69 he wants to stay as team owner. Brett is learning that quietly Millard is letting it be known that he would sell the team, for the right the price. How many of the current owners would miss Millard is questionable; as one owner put it "There is a never a dull moment with Millard around, he is inventive, combative, with a meteoric temper. But he always knows what he wants along with who, what he dislikes in FABL. He would not be missed by all but his ideas for the future would leave the FABL a little poorer." Brett will watch for signs of an ownership change in the near future. After a disastrous opening month the team played a little better in the following months with the exception of a 6-20 July coming on the heels of their only winning month of '53, a 16-12 June. Gone are the days of a strong pitching, backed by slick fielding Wolves club. The 1953 Wolves' staff was by far the worst in the CA and backed by a porous defense, not a good combination. Fans long for the days of a rotation led by George Garrison who went led the FA with a 23-7, 3.23 record, or Joe Hancock, who helped Detroit to a second FA pennant with a 15-10, 3.45 record. On the hill this year's Wolves were led by a pitcher released by Cleveland, who won the FABL title, in 37-year-old Danny Hern (12-13,4.27) along with another 37 year old in Jimmy Gibbs (11-11, 3.68). The fans are still shaking their heads on the trade that sent Garrison to the Gothams along with other questionable moves made by the new brain trust in Wolves offices. Former first overall pick, Les Ledbetter, was banished to the bullpen full time in June after failing as starter, a move that started in the late Forties in the Cuban Winter League. Ledbetter appeared in 75 games, 70 in relief, posting a 8-9. 4.19 with 18 saves in a poor bullpen. At the plate outfielder Jim Allen, 25, led with a line of .306/.407/.446 in punchless offense. The team leader in long balls was Cal Cark with 11 on a club that hit a league low of 68 into the seats. Newly acquired Gordie Perkins provided sound defense at short but not much help at the plate. Perkins at short allowed the other first overall pick, John Wells, to be moved to third when the team finally gave up on his glove at short. Manning the hot corner Wells was not nearly the defensive liability he was at short although he led the league in being set down on strikes at 141. Still only 23 with over 300 games at the top level of baseball management still thinks Wells has a chance to flourish in FABL. New management constantly tells Brett that Wells was pushed too fast through the organization by their predecessors. Wally Boyer is coming off his second straight substandard season at the plate but his defense in CF covers for a .227/.321/.312 line. In the system the Wolves may have help coming led by the first overall selection this year Whitey Stewart, a pitcher who split the season between Vancouver and Davenport. Stewart may be a couple of years away, he is touted as front line starter with great control. Jim Montgomery from Chattanooga may also be on the way to ease a beleaguered pitching staff. At the plate Tom Reed is the top prospect. He had a down year in A ball needs to bounce back in 1954. Larry Curtis, 25, should be in the outfield during 1954 as a line of .341/.448/.659 36 HR, 132 RBI at Buffalo appears to indicate. Brett thinks the team is finally moving forward but needs a serious pitching staff makeover in order to make the next step. The defense has to get to at least league standard for team progression, hopefully Curtis' bat will provide some sock to an anemic offense. Brett sees at least one more season in the lower levels of the CA. The biggest news in 1954 may center around the ownership of the team. Tales From the Nest -The basketball Falcons were beaten in the league final for the third time in four years, this time by the Philadelphia Phantoms in six games. Toronto made it into the playoffs with a 36-34 record under Irwin Lewis, The team then took out the West Division leaders Chicago Panthers (47-23), led by Luther Gordon, Charlie Orlando with baseball star Charlie Barrell, in a six game upset. Falcons were led by smallish C Kenny Roberts who average 17.3 PPG along with 17.5 RPG. Major Belk bounced back from a down year to average 13.1 PPG along with 5.7 Assists. Falcons were a quick strike offense along with tenacious defense to find their back into the playoffs. With the Wolves possibly turning a corner in baseball, the Falcons returning to being competitive the Toronto sport scene may be returning to life after recent down years. Tales from the Manor :The Toronto Dukes returned to the top of the NAHC during the 1952-53 season reclaiming the Challenge Cup with a 1-0 win in Game 7 of the final over defending champions Chicago Packers. Much like the Wolves the Dukes lost a major cog in the off-season when Gordie Broadway stepped away from the game at age 38 leaving the crease to Scott Renes, 27, and 24-year-old Charlie Dell. The big question going into training camp in Northern Ontario was how would Jack Barrell implement a system to take the pressure off his goaltenders with relatively little NAHC experience? Prior to the start of this year Renes had 73 games in the NAHC, not a rookie but not use to carrying the full load. Dell was the big unknown with only 3 games in the NAHC two seasons ago. Barrell's solutions was unique in two ways, he opened up the offense along with going to a tandem between the pipes. In a league where the starting goaltender usually starts 50+ games, Barrell rotated his netminders with Renes starting 39 games, to Dell's 31. It seemed to work as Renes had a record of 21-14-4, 2.52 with Dell posting 15-8-8, 2.59 with both stopping over 90% of shot they faced over the regular season. Scoring, led by Quinton Pollack, was the highest in the league with the Dukes scoring 231 goals in the 70 game regular season while allowing only 178, second lowest surrendered in the loop. The result was Toronto enjoyed a league best to give them a league high goal differential of +53. After the high octane start to 1951-52 Toronto started winless in the first five this season losing their first two then tying the next three. After getting their first win on October 25th, 7-1 over Boston, the current Dukes team was one thing the '51-52 squad was not: consistent. The two losses to open the campaign was tied for the longest losing streak of the year, it was only equaled twice more during the regular season and the Dukes cruised to second place with a record of 36-22-12 for 84 points, 4 behind Chicago. The story of the year in hockey was Toronto center Quinton Pollack. The 30-year-old team captain led the league in both goals with 47, and assists, 52, for a new NAHC record of 99 points. Pollack's goal total tied a record first set in 1930 by Boston's Bert Cordier then equalled by Tommy Burns five seasons ago. The line of Pollack, Les Carlson and Lou Galbraith dominated other teams giving puck stoppers nightmares for the entire year with the threesome totaling 92 goals, 139 assist for 231 points including 35 markers while on the man advantage. The power play capitalized at almost a 23% rate for the season. On to the playoffs where the Dukes started against the third place Boston Bees (29-28-13, 71 points). After taking the first two games of the series at home Boston took a game at Denny Arena before the Dukes closed out the series with a 5-2 win in Boston then 5-3 before 15180 in the Gardens. Chicago dispatched Detroit in 6 to setup a Chicago/Toronto final in a playoff year where there no semi-final upsets. The Packers had eliminated the Dukes last year in six games with three of the wins in overtime. The final opened in Lakeside Aud on April 13th with the Packers scoring a goal 16 seconds into the game. Chicago was up by 3 before the game was 10 minutes old then cruised to a 3-1 win with Lou Galbraith spoiling Michael Cleghorn's shutout bid in the third. The Dukes rebounded two nights later to down the Packers by the same score, 3-1. Jerry Belanger, a callup from Cleveland, gave the Dukes their first lead of the series in the first before goals by Brooks and Parker made it 3-0 in the third. Renes blanked the Packers until Marty Mahoney found the twine at 12:36 of the third. Chicago regained the series lead with 2 goals in 55 seconds in the second period in 2-1 victory at the Gardens in the third game but the Dukes made the series a best of three with a home ice victory 3-1 in Game Four. The Packers came within a game of back to back Challenge Cup wins with a 3-0 whitewash at home. Chicago scored early on the road in the sixth game before the Dukes tied the game at 1 in the first on Rob Painchaud's power play goal. The game remained deadlock until the third when Carlson found Charette unmarked with 4 minutes gone in the third who fired home the eventual game winner in a 2-1 Dukes win setting up Game Seven. A surprising early goal by Kenny Wooley, who had only 5 goals in 67 regular season games, before the game was 90 seconds old turned out to be the only scoring play in the deciding game. Both Renes and Cleghorn were tested often during the next 58 minutes but they were both equal to the task as Wooley's marker stood up before 17239, most hoarse at game's end, Chicago fans. The Dukes skated the Challenge Cup around the Lakeside ice before the rapidly emptying stands. Coach Barrell- "That was a pleasing season, to make it with two relatively inexperienced men in net is a tribute to the entire team. Dell, Renes were both excellent given the fact we gave up the most shots on goal in the entire league. I am most satisfied with the fact we never lost more than two straight all season. That speaks to the buy-in to the system by the players. What more can be said about Pollack's season? In our last regular season game in Boston I was double shifting him, the guys were looking for him every time we had the puck to get him his 48th goal, 100th point. He couldn't understand why he was on the that much, he was only one the team that did not know the records he was chasing which is typical for him. We have to continue to move forward, stand still in this league you get run over. Defensively there are things we can improve especially on the penalty kill." SECOND FLAG FOR DYNAMOS HIGHLIGHTS UP AND DOWN 1953 The pressure off from finally ending the longest flagless stretch in the Federal Association with a pennant in 1952 meant the Dynamos and their long-suffering fans could just relax and enjoy the 1953 season. The result was a second straight pennant but not without some ups and downs along the way. Dick York's crew nursed a World Championship Series winning hangover in the early going as the local ballclub started slowly. As May gave way to June the Dynamos were below .500 and struggling just to escape the second division but as the weather heated up so did the club's fortunes. A 41-18 stretch of play in June and July lifted Detroit to the top of the heap once more and while the New York Gothams kept things interesting a September surge took the final bite out of the Big Apple's hopes and invited October baseball back to Thompson Field. The series did not go well as the Cleveland Foresters beat up the best pitching staff in the Federal Association, smashing 12 homers and scoring 41 runs to knock off the defending champs in seven games. It did not end at Thompson Stadium how any of us wanted but we can certainly get used to hanging banners at the old ballyard. There were plenty of surprises, both good and bad, from the Dynamos. Jack Miller proved his breakout 1952 campaign was for real with an Allen Award winning season. Joe Hancock, the '52 Allen winner, proved he still had a little something left in the tank at age 41 but Carl Potter, who won 92 games and an Allen Award before his 25th birthday, struggled and clearly looks like he will never again be the dominant force he was on the mound prior to the devastating arm injury that cost him all of the 1951 season. The Detroit offense was merely ordinary in 1953, which further illustrates just how good the pitching staff was -at least prior to October. It will be interesting what manager Dick York, or should we say three-time Theobald Award winning manager Dick York, coaxes out of the bats in 1954. There are far more questions on the hardwood and the ice. The basketball Mustangs won their first Federal cage loop title in the spring of 1952 but last year was a write-off as the club finished dead last in the West Division. It may be easy to simply chalk it up to injuries as the Mustangs were not the same club when veteran center Jack Kurtz was out of action - the Mustangs went 5-15 during Kurtz time on the injured list between December and February- but there are other worries. Ward Messer, league MVP in the title season, had the least productive year of his career and Peter Collett, who was so good off the bench in the championship season, never seemed to get on track. The Motors did get back into the NAHC playoffs with a fourth place finish and another quick exit from the post season. While they have some talent, it is becoming more and more clear that unless Detroit somehow lands an elite talent to lift the club the team will be doomed to struggling to simply crack the top four in the six team league each season. The grid Maroons are another local outfit that continues to struggle to be anything more than merely average. They finished 6-6 this season with the high point being a pair of victories over the Chicago Wildcats -always welcome news- and a thrilling come from behind win at Thompson Field over Pat Chappell and the Kansas City Cowboys in early November. There are some signs the future may shine on the Maroons as the offense, with newcomers Sam Burson, Art Heel and Ben Heid perhaps ready to usher in a new era in Detroit football helping the Maroons offense be the most productive in the league in 1953. Burson, a 23-year-old rookie selected second in the draft after leading Georgia Baptist to a national title, made autumn Sundays at Thompson Field fun again, throwing for a club record 2,703 yards and giving the locals a quarterback with the talent that has not been seen around these parts since Dewey Burnett was chucking the pigskin to Stan Vaught a decade ago. While only the Dynamos won a pennant or provided fans with a product that finished above .500 in 1953 among the pro entries, we did witness another title in the past year. The Detroit City College Knights were a far cry from the undefeated National Champions the 1946 edition of their football team, the Knights did win the Great Lakes Alliance title and followed it up with their recent victory over Northern California in the East-West Classic. DCC was led on the football field by Walt Milner, the incomparable senior back, who joined 1940 winner Ed Watson as Knights to be win the Christian Trophy. The Knights also enjoyed success in the gym, finishing second in the GLA and making it to New York for the first time since the spring of 1942 when the club advanced to the Final Four in basketball. They fell 65-53 to eventual champion Rainier College in the semi-finals but with four starters returning including team scoring leader Ron Jakel, there could be another long run coming this spring. The Dynamos should also contend and if the Maroons can take another step forward and the Mustangs bounce back 1954 just might be another year with plenty to cheer about on the local sports scene. The Year That Was Current events from 1953
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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. Last edited by Tiger Fan; 08-29-2024 at 05:53 PM. |
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09-04-2024, 02:30 PM
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#1014 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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1954 End of Year Report
1954 IN FIGMENT SPORTS Sure, football got there first with the movement of the Cincinnati Tigers franchise to Los Angeles several years back and the establishment of the San Francisco Wings as part of the short-lived Continental Football Conference but football was a sport that played just a dozen games and rarely more than one contest a week. Baseball, with its 154 game slate, would see every team in the Continental Association now make numerous cross-country treks, a feat made possible by advances during and after the war in air travel. The Continental Association's reach stretched across the country after testing western expansion with the Brooklyn Kings shift to Kansas City prior to the 1952 season. The Federal Association, meanwhile, remained a cozy little loop with no team west of the Mississippi, unless you count the St. Louis Pioneers ballpark which was minutes from the western shore of the great river. One has to think that will change and likely soon as, with the Fed and CA are partners in many ways, they are also competitors in some aspects and you have to think the Federal magnates will want a presence in the untapped markets to the west. It seems unlikely a Federal club will move in the near future so that apparently indicates an even greater change for the loop is on the horizon. That would be expansion and the end of the 16 team format that FABL has embraced since its inception in 1892. For the moment at least, no expansion plans have been announced by baseball, now headed by new FABL President John Decker. Much is changing in baseball, just as in the rest of the world, but there was at least a little bit of familiarity for ball fans as the Detroit Dynamos represented the Federal Association in the World Championship Series for the third consecutive year. The Dynamos thus became the first Federal loop team to win three straight pennants since the 1902-06 Boston Minutemen won five in a row. Detroit made it two WCS wins in three years as they downed the Kansas City Kings in six games to take the series. The Kings were back in the WCS for the first time since winning three consecutive Continental flags between 1936-38. The series loss drops the Kings WCS record to just 1 title (1937) in seven trips. For the second time in three years the city of Detroit celebrated two titles as the hockey Motors were crowned Challenge Cup champions for the first time in fifteen years. Football belonged to the Philadelphia Frigates this season while the New York Knights won their first Federal Basketball League title. One team that is no stranger to winning is the Rainier College basketball team with the Majestics beating Western Iowa in the AIAA cage title game for the second year in a row. It also makes Rainier College the first team to claim five AIAA basketball titles and with wins in 1943 and 1944, the only school to go back-to-back twice. Cumberland was the class of collegiate football while Brunswick won its first AIAA baseball title in thirty years.   Most of the other deals were minor, but two contenders made a swap in February. Attempting to fill each other's needs, the defending champion Foresters sent righty Dick Lamb (13-11, 4.19, 85) to the Gothams for second basemen Tom Jeffries (.281, 6, 51). Both players had only spent time in the organizations that drafted them, as Lamb was a 3rd Round pick of Cleveland's and the Gothams got Jeffries two rounds later, in what has been one of the best value picks of the 1942 draft. Among all position players, just Roger Cleaves (33.6) has produced more WAR then the 20.3 from Jeffries. A few weeks later the Chiefs added another almost 40-year-old pitcher in longtime Minutemen righty Duke Hendricks (7-11, 4.66, 88) to compliment elders Charlie Bingham (11-10, 3.31, 89) and Al Miller (14-9, 4.56, 65) on a veteran Chiefs pitching staff. When Opening Day rolled around, it seemed like we would be in line for another Dynamos vs Foresters World Championship Series. Plenty of other teams could disrupt that, but an interesting story to follow is the fate of the evolving Continental Association. It's already been getting used to the "Kansas City" in front of the Kings, but now the Sailors play in San Francisco and the Stars in Los Angeles. The Westward shift in the younger association has led to longer travel times for teams used to short road trips. This new dynamic can impact the pennant races, as for the first times players can play one series in the eastern time zone, followed by a pacific game right after. The trade market cooled once the regular season started, but through July no one could quite take command of either association. The experts say whoever leads the way at the midpoint has the best chance of taking home the pennant, which would look good for the Dynamos (50-36) and Foresters (52-35), who have both lived up to expectations. The only issue is both teams have leads of just a half game. The Miners (50-37) were breathing down Detroit's neck, as was Kansas City (51-35) to Cleveland, with both the Chiefs (47-37) and newly located Sailors (52-38) within two of the lead. You would think that would mean action on the trade front as the deadline neared, but all sixteen teams preferred rest and relaxation instead of working the trade phones the executives took advantage of the extra days off. In fact, the deadline came and went without a single deal between the FABL teams. You can blame the Dynamos (63-40) for part of it, by the end of July they pulled away from everyone except the Miners (60-44), who at three and a half back were the only team within eight of the dynasty building Dynamos. The Conti was a mess too, just three teams above .500, but those three were all within a game of first place. The Sailors (59-49) at four out were falling fast, but with a big move in their inaugural season out west they could have leapfrogged the Kings (59-43) and Foresters (61-43) who held the same number of losses. Despite the neck-and-neck fight, both teams were confident with what they had, and decided to stay put. It worked for them, both teams remained within a game when rosters expanded at the beginning of September, but I'm sure the Miners wish they pushed the chips in, as after a 13-13 August they could not keep pace with Detroit, who added a 19-win month to their previous 20-win months in May (20-9) and July (21-8). Not that the Miners had much of a chance to erase their eight game deficit, the last thing they needed was saving their worst month for last, as they won just 10 of their last 24 games, even falling out of second to third, the same spot they finished last year. Paul Williams wasn't the problem, as he had a WRC+ above 130 in each month of the season, and he raised it to 196 and 172 in August and September when the rest of the roster crumbled. In the aggregate, the now 4-Time All-Star hit .321/.438/.577 (159 OPS+), pounding 36 doubles and 33 homers with 110 runs, 113 RBIs, and 119 walks in what could have been a Whitney Winning campaign. He still needs some help, as not only did the Miners lineup finish just 4th in runs (728), the staff allowed the most (736), leading to a stunning -6 run differential. Ted Coffin (6-3, 3.34, 59) was brilliant atop the rotation, but the surprising decision to give him 13 Century League starts (4-6, 3.51, 43) first cost them wins early in the season they could have used. Les Bradshaw (16-12, 3.98, 86) was the only other starter to have an ERA+ above 100, and his 108 in 224 innings was not what you want from a number two, let alone the defacto ace in terms of starts and production. The lineup has nice pieces with Irv Clifford (.313, 42, 17), Ernie Campbell (.286, 62, 9), and Bill Newhall (.310, 11, 71), but Newhall owns all 11 of the trios homers in almost 2,000 PAs (1,922). They'll need a big thumper and some arms to surpass the Dynamos, and even the Gothams surpassed them because New York has both a lineup and a rotation. New York may have finished 11 behind Detroit, but at 86-68 they still had a really strong season. Along with scoring the most runs (814), they allowed the third fewest (727), but they were just stuck behind a dominant Dynamos team that was built to win. Despite another runner up finish, Gothams fans have to be thrilled with the arrival of Earl Howe, who as a rookie that turned 22 in June hit an elite .333/.432/.581 (162 OPS+) with 37 doubles, 120 runs, and 124 RBIs. He drew 96 walks and was worth 9.8 wins above replacement, easily securing an All-Star selection and Kellogg Award in his first big league season. He now bats ahead of Walt Messer (.309, 35, 129) and Red Johnson (.289, 25, 106), who at 36 can still mash. Hank Estill (.259, 28, 85) isn't quite the breakout superstar from 1952 (.278, 41, 109), but he's the most overqualified sixth hitter in baseball. Chief Lewis (.285, 8, 50, 21) has emerged as a legitimate center fielder, Billy Woytek (.290, 9, 51, 7) continued to excel in his new home, and Cecil LaBonte (.275, 10, 58, 13) remains one of the most consistent shortstops in the league. If Hal Hackney (9-11, 3, 5.15, 95) can rebound or once top prospect Jorge Arellano (11-10, 4.03, 87) can take a step forward in year two, the Gothams should be the Dynamos biggest threat next season. A rotation of Ed Bowman (21-12, 3.17, 127), George Garrison (15-10, 3.63, 99), and Ed Cornett (10-3, 3, 3.42, 39) is already expected to keep runs off the board, and with one of Hackney or Arellano performing to expectations they could dethrone Detroit as the Fed's top staff. That will be a tough ask, as even at 41 Joe Hancock (15-5, 3.67, 81) was amazing, and the former Allen Winner may actually be the fourth or best pitcher on the Dynamos staff. Jack Miller (21-13, 3.69, 154) had yet another excellent season atop the rotation, leading the Fed in both wins and strikeotus in his fourth consecutive season with over 285 innings pitched. Bob Arman (15-12, 3.43, 99) was excellent once again, but the star of the staff was second year starter Jim Norris, who took home the Allen award in his first year as a full-time starter. This writer thinks there was a more deserving candidate, but Norris was truly spectacular, going 20-10 with a 2.80 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP in 33 starts. He struck out 134 in 283 innings, walking just 96 after surrendering more walks (77) then strikeouts (66) in his first 155.2 innings of his career. Part of the reason Norris and Miller were able to win so many games, is the lineup continued to be potent, with the Dynamos trailing only the Gothams in runs scored. The Dynamos have an enviable amount of talent, with Dan Smith (.260, 14, 76), Edwin Hackberry (.289, 22, 91, 10), Pat Petty (.305, 20, 77), Bill Morrison (.344, 9, 56), Ralph Johnson (.321, 16, 74, 13), Stan Kleminski (.295, 7, 72, 9), and Del Johnson (.259, 2, 55, 15) all performing in their individual roles. They have so many guys who can hurt you, even on their bench, and if they aren't satisfied with their postseason they can tap into that depth to win another title. Detroit's World Championship Series opponent was unknown until the final day of the regular season. For what seemed like forever, the Kings, Sailors, and Foresters were all on top of each other, in an epic all-out-brawl for the crown. The Foresters, after sweeping three games in Kansas City entered the final weekend in the lead. The only issue is Cleveland ran into the rival Cannons (69-85) in the Queen City, and couldn't win either of the two road games they needed to secure the crown. The Sailors on the other hand, had no trouble with the Cougars (73-81), scoring 31 runs in the sweep to finish even with Cleveland at 87-67. All eyes were on the Kings, who were 87-66 and won the first two against the Wolves. The definition of a must-win game, the Kings went to last offseason's blockbuster acquisition Tony Britten (18-7, 3.66, 111), who had to take on former #1 pick Les Ledbetter (13-14, 4.26, 134), who in his last start beat the Kings to improve to 13-14. KC seemed ready for Ledbetter this time, as after holding them scoreless until the 9th last time they pounced on him for one in the first and three more in the second. The killshot may have came in the sixth, however, when Ken Newman (.310, 23, 99) took Ledbetter deep with two outs, and eventual Kellogg winner Dutch Miller (.289, 26, 113) followed it up with a solo shot of his own. That made it 7-1, putting any hopes of a comeback to rest. Britten was dominant, just 6 hits and 3 runs with 5 strikeouts in a complete game win, as his Kings cruised to a 9-1 win to claim their first pennant representing Kansas City. Their last came in 1938, which was the last of three straight including a championship in 1937. That team could hit just like the current one, as they featured Hall-of-Famers in Al Wheeler (.303, 30, 122) and Frank Vance (.315, 21, 86, 8), as well as eventual FABL commissioner Dan Barrell (.305, 11, 71) and his future Hall-of-Fame brother Harry Barrell (.288, 2, 52). Harry, who at 40 retired this season, was just 23 at the time. Tom (12-6, 3.42, 95) and Fred (.211, 4, 50) were there too, and with how much talent there was on this team you could spend paragraphs diving into the dominant '37 squad. This set up what has to be considered the Ralph Johnson series, as the postseason rosters contained six of the players involved in that blockbuster deal. Along with Johnson, Dan Smith and Bob Arman are still playing together in Detroit, while Fred Washington (28-8, 3.13, 182) and Walt Staton (9-11, 3.98, 112) have developed into key members of the rotation. Washington also proved that in the CA you can't win the Allen just once, as after dethroning Adrian Czerwinski (14-16, 3.36, 182) last year he defended his title with another spectacular season. His 28 wins were the most since former King Tom Barrell won 29 in 1934 (29-3, 2.96, 189). Washington led his association with a 3.13 ERA (135 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP, all while making a FABL high 37 starts with 319.1 innings. The last member of the trade, Beau McClellan (7-16, 5, 5.02, 93), is a 22-year-old lefty with upside who has a tendency to have an ERA+ (84) that does not match his FIP- (94). Along with this season, he did it in all three of his Kansas City seasons, and his 3.68 FIP (87 FIP-) in 447.1 innings would argue that the 4.55 ERA (87 ERA+) is higher then it should be. He won't start in the WCS, as #2 Tony Britten is the only pitcher expected to start for the Kings in the series that didn't come from the Johnson deal. The Kings offense is all homegrown, as no one is missing catcher Smith with Dutch Miller's breakout campaign. When he was selected int he 8th Round, some assume it was because of the Kings connection to catchers from Georgia Baptist, but Miller seems likely to supersede the former champ in production. The 25-year-old slashed an excellent .289/.381/.527 (135 OPS+) in 538 trips to the plate, producing a 147 WRC+ with 26 doubles, 26 homers, and 113 RBIs in a 5.6 WAR season. He's one of many Kings to win a Kellogg, and they have plenty of young talent in 25-year-old Charlie Rogers (.312, 14, 84, 16), the previously mentioned Ken Newman, who doesn't turn 26 until November, and the "veteran" of the lineup Red Hinton (.295, 14, 61, 10) had a 5 WAR breakout at 28. The Dynamos may be the better team, but the Kings have so much upside, and the young stars will get a perfect chance to test just how good they are now. And how good they can be. The Foresters have already proven themselves, but after coming up short on a repeat attempt they may have to look outside the organization to make the jump. Their once elite outfield has taking some serious hits, as an underperforming Joe Wood (.257, 2, 16) was moved to the bench, Frenchy Sonntag (.279, 36, 116) was brutal in center (-14.6 ZR, .940 EFF), and Sherry Doyal (.292, 17, 90) was more All-Star then superstar. Aside from dependable shortstop John Low (.280, 7, 52), only Lloyd Coulter (.246, 28, 85) stepped up, as the surprising leader in runs allowed (617) excelled the one season the offense wasn't crushing the ball. They scored just 681 runs, more then just the Stars (647) and Cannons (613), as Cleveland boasted a rotation with five members with above average ERA+. The Mad Professor himself took a step back, 14-16 with a 3.36 ERA (128 ERA+), but those of us who can look beyond the sub .500 record to the 3.12 FIP and CA leading 72 FIP-, they can truly appreciate yet another dominant season for the surefire Hall-of-Famer. 30 in January, he added a career high 8.8 WAR to his 230 game totals, worth an outstanding 46 wins above replacement that's already 4th in team history. He'll pass teammate Ducky Davis (48.0) in no time, though his 1954 season (9-11, 3.15, 109) was good enough for his third 5 WAR season in a row. Those two have turned into a strong 1-2 punch, with Larry Beebe (17-6, 3.59, 111), Rufus Barrell (16-6, 3.96, 75), and Hugh Blumenthal (11-14, 1, 3.89, 122) all pitching good enough to win. Especially for the Forester offenses we grew accustom to. It was nice seeing the inconsistent Sailors fly high in their first year in San Francisco, a stark contrast to their new rivals down in LA. Former 4th Rounder Bill Harbin (.295, 26, 98) has surpassed both Billy Forbes (.294, 9, 97, 22) and Al Farmer (.297, 15, 103), creating a lethal 1-2-3 that led to a CA high 859 runs scored. There may be a fourth member of this group, as Bill Guthrie (.335, 12, 50) became a starter in August and erupted in September. The 25-year-old hit an insane .400/.531/.580 (187 OPS+) in 64 trips to the plate, something no one would have expected when he lasted all the way until the 386th pick of the 1950 draft. That came in the 25th Round, one that no longer exists, but after two seasons as a Sailor he owns a .296/.396/.558 (151 OPS+) line in 384 PAs. A more expected entrant to the mix was 25-year-old outfielder Jim Johnston, who graduated as the 26th ranked prospect and hit .281/.417/.489 (133 OPS+) with a 146 WRC+ as a rookie. An extra base machine, he gathered 28 doubles, 11 triples, and 22 homers, but the most impressive metrics he brought were the 139 runs and 125 walks. In fact, even the 6-7-8 hitters had WRC+ and OPS+ above 100, giving the Sailors a historically good lineup that should have won 96 games based on run differential. As good as the Kings and Foresters were, it was the Sailors who should have faced the Dynamos in the WCS. Led by 26-year-old ace George Reynolds (20-9, 3.44, 155), they finished second to the Foresters in runs allowed. The rotation is so good now that Win Lewis (12-11, 3.75, 94) is in the five spot, and if it wasn't for a CA high 28 homers he probably would have had a much lower ERA. He was 4th among the five rotation members with ERA+ above 100, joined by offseason pickup Dan Atwater (18-11, 10, 3.34, 82), Davey Chamberlain (9-3, 4, 3.16, 74), and Jackie James (14-8, 3.77, 104). Atwater and Chamberlain spent some time in the pen, replacing vets Danny Hern (2-12, 4, 5.28, 45) and Lloyd Stevens (8-5, 5.17, 36) once the calendar turned to June. One can only wonder what would have happened had they started the season with the same five they finished with, but the now San Francisco Sailors will be on a shortlist for the 1955 pennant. As mentioned, the now Los Angeles Stars were not nearly as lucky, as their 68-86 record was a game behind the two way tie between Toronto (69-85) and Cincinnati (69-85). A lot can be blamed on Charlie Barrell (.384, 8, 30), as their potential star was limited to just 36 games due to a playoff run with the Chicago Panthers and a bicep strain with the Stars that cost him almost two months. His lengthy absence left the lineup greatly shorthanded, scoring fewer runs (647) then all but the Cannons (613). There's talent there, as along with Barrell they boast Moe Holt (.283, 14, 63), Jack Welch (.284, 18, 50), Paul Watson (.286, 8, 65), and Gene Curtis (.306, 4, 69, 6), but none of them can come close to providing the offense Charlie does. An acquisition of a big bat may have to come outside the organization, and they'll hope to acquire it without weakening the pitching. Paul Anderson (15-13, 3.30, 196) continues to be one of the top pitchers in the Conti, as well as the leader in walks and strikeouts, and even if the 4.13 ERA next to Juan Tostado's (10-18, 4.13, 105) name looks bad, it came with a 102 ERA+ and excellent 3.66 FIP (86 FIP-). Unfortunately, Hub Armstrong (15-9, 4.54, 127) hasn't regained the form he showed in a limited sample in 1951 and his rookie season in 1952, leaving LA without a reliable #3. They have a pair of impressive young pitchers in Pepper Swanson (26th) and Hal Miller (29th), both of which could contribute as early as next year. It's easy to forget this team just won it all in 1952, and with a few more bounces going their way they could be right back in the race. Despite Barrell not playing for the Stars, the Cannons didn't get much from Ralph Hanson (.273, 6, 61, 15), and Bill Barrett (.278, 267, 69) doesn't walk or hit homers like he used to. They do have a young building block in 23-year-old Dallas Berry (.258, 27, 89, 10), though him, Barrett, and Buzz McIlwain (.297, 15, 51, 19) had to provide most of the offense. Hope could be on the horizon soon with 32nd ranked prospect Fred Lainhart, who was added to the 40-man roster and could secure an outfield spot for 1955. The rotation needs some work too, but 23-year-old lefty Jake Pearson (13-12, 3.73, 113) was excellent in his first season as a starter, and Paul Williams (7-8, 9, 3.30, 76) was effective as a starter and stopper. 25-year-old Rule-5 pick Chuck Murphy (6-4, 3, 3.82, 52) earned the roster spot he was given, and there are rumblings that former top 50 prospect Simon Terry (2-4, 5, 2.72, 12) will move from the pen to the rotation. The roster needs a lot of work, but they still have a top-5 farm system, and have a good job bringing young talent to the big league team. That doesn't describe the Chicago Cougars, who have finished with a losing record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1935 and 1936. In the time between 1937 and 1952, the Cougars had just one losing season, as the perennial favorites are now a has been with nothing but a single pennant to show for. Not a lot went right for the Cougars, including Jerry Smith's (.266, 29, 80, 12) return to earth, but Chicago did get excellent showings from two of their pitchers. No, I'm not talking Donnie Jones (9-14, 1, 4.20, 113), who did three things he has never done since returning from the war: pitch games out of the pen (6 of 31), post an ERA+ below 100 (99), and post a FIP- above 100 (106). The two bright spots were instead likely Hall-of-Fame stopper David Molina (5-6, 23, 2.32, 61), who for the seventh time led the CA in games (72) and saves, and last year's deadline pickup Tom Buchanan, who went 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA (153 ERA+) in 112.1 innings between the pen and rotation. Despite throwing a no-hitter in April, Bob Allen (10-7, 4.17, 62) still can't hold down a rotation spot, and their other highly rated former prospect Pug White (3-3, 3.22, 53) was limited to just 13 starts due to injury. Despite the poor results now, they still have a lot of talented young pitchers on hand, while Smith is joined in the lineup with the once 10th ranked prospect Buddy Byrd (.279, 2, 46, 23), center fielder Frank Reece (.272, 13, 81, 9), and the always talented defender Skipper Schneider (.244, 2, 59, 20). Even Leo Mitchell (.295, 15, 68, 7) will be back for year twenty, looking to add to his team high 205 homers in what will be his aged 42 season. Both of the Canadian teams finished below .500, but Montreal was 4th and the closest to .500. Still, at 75-79 they were closer to last (7 GA) then first (13 GB), as they usher in a new era of Saints baseball. Gone are a lot of regular figures, with players like John Fast (.289, 15, 80), Tom Fisher (17-12, 3.41, 146), and George Scott (.291, 11, 83) playing key roles throughout the season. Though one old friend did return to form, as a 31-year-old Big Moe Carter slashed .249/.359/.483 (121 OPS+) with 35 homers and 128 RBIs. Those 35 longballs are now a Saints high, as Carter currently owns the first, third (28th, 1949), and two of the three sixth (24, 1948 and 1950) place finishes for homers in a season as a Saint. His old teammate Gordie Perkins (.268, 2, 53) was again solid in year two with the Wolves, as former 2nd Rounder Larry Curtis (.340, 15, 70) emerged as a middle-of-the-order option for Toronto. Curtis vastly outperformed Jim Allen (.298, 6, 33), who along with rookie Ed Hester (.317, 7, 79) offered the only other production in the lineup. Hester has an interesting connection to Montreal as well, as he was actually a member of their organization prior to the Rule-5 draft before the season. A 4th Round selection by the Saints in 1948, his .317 batting average was good enough for the batting title, and he finished 3rd in the Kellogg race after starting 141 of his 145 games at third. The rotation is still a mess, but Les Ledbetter (13-14, 4.39, 138) is starting to figure things out and second year righty Lynn Horn (17-13, 4.01, 138) was a sturdy #2 behind 38-year-old Jimmy Gibbs (10-13, 4.00, 99). It's been rough lately for Canadian baseball, but both of these teams could use their offseason to bring competition back to the great north. It's hard to think anyone in the Fed can dethrone the Dynamos, but the winds of fortune shift often in baseball. The Gothams and the Miners seem like the two best candidates, but if the Chicago Chiefs keep getting results from guys who belong in a retirement home, we could see the somehow still not a Whitney Winner Rod Shearer (.325, 46, 133, 6) will the franchise to their 6th Federal pennant. Charlie Bingham (15-13, 4.33, 75) continued to win games, now 225 in 673 FABL games (424 starts), and yes, he's back for his aged 45 season, but just like the good ol' days Al Miller is back to being an ace. I alluded to it earlier, but there was a pitcher robbed of the Federal Association Allen, and that pitcher is "The California Kid" who might have been reinvigorated by the influx in west coast viewers the moves of the Sailors and Stars brought along. Sure, he didn't play either team, but Miller looked like the 1941 Allen or 21-game winner at age 20, going 18-9 with a CA low 2.59 ERA (163 ERA+). Most impressive, however, was his 2.89 FIP (68 FIP-), but because he didn't win 20 games for the Dynamos, he was overlooked. Along with the beautiful run prevention numbers, his 1.09 WHIP was best in the game, and his 0.3 HR/9 was the lowest in the association. He struck out 116 and walked just 65, leading to a 1.8 K/BB that was the second best mark of his career. Miller was a big reason why the Chiefs were 2nd in runs allowed (685), as aside from relievers Mel Haynes (3-4, 3, 3.34, 21) and Ernie Espanoza (13-9, 17, 3.67, 36), most guys had ERAs above 4. That's not all bad, as Jim Carter (9-12, 4.16, 101) was quite effective despite 112 walks, he had a solid 101 ERA and 94 FIP- (3.96 FIP-) in 240.1 innings pitched. They could use another solid starter, but with the lineup they have it doesn't have to be an ace. Earl Leckie (.294, 18, 108) corrected his sophomore slump while veterans Ed Bloom (.283, 8, 58, 14), Pete Casstevens (.255, 23, 84), and John Moss (.263, 12, 69) were valuable supplemental pieces for the Hot Rod. As long as Shearer stays on the team, they could compete, and I would not count this team out now that they have a top-5 farm with a nice collection of top-50 prospects. I'd say no team has it worse then the St. Louis Pioneers, though they seem quite comfortable flipping the standings. At 62-92, they were 7 games out of seventh and 35 shy of first, never really in consideration for the postseason at any point. Once known for their pitching, they now have one of the worst staffs in the league, as Joe Potts (15-11, 4.19, 109) was the only starter who made significant starts and posted an above average ERA+, and his 103 was a bit below his 116 last year and his 112 for his career. Even worse, Hiram Steinberg (9-15, 4.99, 122) decided that his dreadful 1953 (4-18, 5.81, 74) wasn't that much of a fluke. Him, Potts, and Bill Kline (8-19, 4.72, 116) each started 33 or more games, and the three guys who started double digits all had ERA's that matched or were higher then Kline's 4.72. They cycled between Coaker Vecchio (5-9, 4.72, 80), former Forester Ollie White (6-10, 1, 4.94, 60), and former King Clarence Barton (2-11, 5.52, 43) once John Thomas Johnson (3-2, 2.55, 20) underwent elbow surgery in May. That cast of misfits couldn't keep runs off the board, and since Red Pilcher (.313, 25, 104) had little support in the lineup, they lost a lot more often then they won. Pilcher was the only guy with more then 15 homers, and just Otis Ballard (.290, 13, 82, 6) and Claude Kate (.272, 14, 50) even had double digits. It was tough for Pioneers fans seeing Ballard's OPS+ plummet from 150 to 109, but I think he's the key to the teams success. Even a return to his career marks of 138 and 139 for OPS+ and WRC+ respectively, there's a path for another worst-to-first. Without outside help, expect a second division finish. That is, unless Pilcher puts together a Whitney worthy campaign. He doesn't turn 25 until March. A team that has everything to look forward to is the Philadelphia Keystones (69-85), who may be required to have an elite right fielder, as Buddy Miller has somehow managed to fill Bobby Barrell's shoes. A controversial back-to-back Whitney Winner, there is a contingent that believes this award was stolen as well, and I'm inclined to agree with it. Don't get me wrong, the 24-year-old superstar is more then worthy, but it seems the voters just saw his .351 batting title and decided that was enough to overcome all the leads the Chief's Rod Shearer had. The obvious choice last year (.397, 46, 130), this year Miller hit "just" .351/.408/.608 (167 OPS+), which lowered his FABL career line to .365/.415/.634 (180 OPS+). The former 5th pick hit 35 doubles, 7 triples, and 36 homers, with 110 runs and 95 RBIs. The issue is, Miller didn't lead in anything but average and hits (214), so it's hard to see him taking it over the guy that led the Fed in runs (129), homers (46), RBIs (133), slugging (.663), OPS (1.072), WRC+ (186), wOBA (.466), and WAR (10.2). Even moreso that Miller didn't lead his team anywhere, as the potential first ballot Hall-of-Famer does not have a worthy supporting cast. The only thing he does have is a top catcher in Roger Cleaves (.254, 27, 94), but he just tore his hamstring a game of hide-and-seek, and the almost 31-year-old is hoping that his birthday gift is a bill of clean health. Cleaves also missed the last three weeks of the season with a sprained knee, and injuries to catchers are scary. The lineup is sparse as is, and any decline from Cleaves would be crippling. Right now the Keystones have to hope Al Coulter's (.330, 5, 36) 53 game audition was legit and that 21st ranked prospect Armando Estrada can form a dangerous outfield with Miller and left fielder Bill Heim (.259, 11, 35). On top of that, the pitching saw young arms Sam Ivey (12-16, 4.58, 95) and Nelson Galletta (8-18, 4.70, 136) stall out. Still, the result of poor finishes and teardown trades have netted them a top ranked system, and they have the luxury of patience with a talented core ready tow be expanded. After back-to-back sub-70 win seasons for the first time since a rough five year stretch from 1938 to 1942, it was a relief for the Eagles to win 70 this season, as they also snapped consecutive 7th place finishes with one in 6th. Tom Perkins (.254, 2, 24, 4) and Tom Miller (.226, 7, 30) not panning out caught everyone by surprise, as the supposedly star-studded middle infield duo have yet to solve FABL pitching. They couldn't keep up what the 1945 to 1950 Eagles core built, winning 82 or more games with a pennant in 1946. Rats McGonigle (.277, 10, 55) and Jesse Alvarado (.266, 22, 101, 10) are still around, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and could be used to refuel the system. In the meantime, Bill Wise (.307, 4, 62, 7) has attempted to get on base for the vets, and his 121 WRC+ is a career best in seasons with more then 450 PAs. Ike Perry (.290, 12, 69) continues to be a solid and reliable catcher, working well with the pieced together rotation that is now led by John "Montezuma's Revenge" Herron, who was 10-13 with a 3.61 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP in 231.2 innings across his 33 starts. Herron was the best among fulltime starters, but stopper and starter Jose Waggoner (10-9, 15, 3.05, 79) was outstanding late in games, going 4-0 with 15 saves and a 0.38 ERA (1,115 ERA+) and 0.80 WHIP in relief. He owes his success to his groundball tendencies and the infield defense, as his 53 GB% and .235 BABIP were best in the Fed. Beyond that, maybe another stopper and starter Jim Heitzman (16-11, 10, 3.64, 129) is solid, but he walked 127 batters in 192.2 innings and had a 4.60 ERA (91 ERA+) as a starter. The staff needs a lot of redoing, but with this year's second overall Pick Jack Thompson now being ranked as the second overall prospect, they can plan to have a core ready for the 18-year-old "Cool Daddy" that may rock the nation's capital. It was a disappointing season for Boston, who after years of rebuilding finally seemed to be turning the corner with a 78-76 finish last season. Despite an offense led by a talented young 2-3-4 of Joe Kleman (.324, 12, 73), Marshall Thomas (.336, 13, 75), and Rick Masters (.280, 20, 86), the Boston Minutemen couldn't score many runs. With expected top prospects Danny (.263, 1, 5) and Yank Taylor (.275, 1, 11) not quite turning out, the lineup has a lot of holes, and those two could still actually earn spots themselves. Aside from the 2-3-4, I see just All-Star catcher Sam Walker (.291, 16, 79) safe, as effective outfielders Ray Rogan (.279, 7, 62) and Joe Burns (.297, 5, 57, 8) could be a slow start to the season away from the bench. It's a similar story in the rotation, though the Minutemen are hoping they found their ace in former Chiefs 10th Rounder Johnny Duncan. Acquired from Chicago two seasons ago for former 1st Rounder and the Chiefs current 11th ranked prospect (161st overall) Ed Wise, Duncan was brilliant in 30 starts at 29. So long as you could look past the 12-11 record. His 2.80 ERA (151 ERA+), 12 wins, and 104 strikeouts won him a team triple crown, and his 1.25 WHIP is best among anyone who threw an inning in a Minutemen uniform this year. A lot of their offseason pickups didn't work out, as Wally Reif (8-15, 5.65, 95) and Jim Whitely (8-7, 8, 4.13, 49) didn't provide the stability they were hoping for. Worst of all, last year's Johnny Douglas (14-13, 3.19, 107) Max Edwards (12-14, 5.10, 92) saw his ERA jump nearly two points, going from walking (73) fewer guys then he struck out (107) to the reverse (108, 92). On the plus side, Ben McCarty (.280, 16, 69) regained a regular job, and while his 123 WRC+ isn't quite what he did in 1949 (169), 1950 (130), and 1951 (145). With production from him, the core trio, and a Rick Masters that resembles the longtime top ranked prospect, they could score their way to a surprise pennant. That's the best part about the end of a season, as each runner up as the chance to plot out their return to relevance. After frantically trading in 1952 and 1953, the action has decreased in recent years, which I'm hoping leads to a spike next summer. Instead of flashy trades, however, waiver claims and free agent signings have become more common, as teams are holding their prospects tight. All sixteen teams have a top 50 prospect and at least one more top 100 prospect, and with teams holding tighter to their top players, most of focus has been shifted to developing the young talent you scout in the draft.  1954 World Championship Series DYNAMOS WIN SECOND WCS IN THREE YEARS The Detroit Dynamos cruised to their third straight Federal Association title, finishing a whooping 11 games ahead of the second place New York Gothams and then went on to defeat the Kansas City Kings for their second World Championship Series title in three years. The Kings just snuck into the playoffs, needing a win at home over Toronto and a Cleveland loss in Cincinnati to dethrone the defending champion Foresters. Both happened as the Kings blasted the Wolves 9-1 while the Cannons scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to nip Cleveland 5-4 and send the Kings to the WCS for the first time since 1938. Despite having never faced each other before, the two organizations do share a link. The connection is the blockbuster 1951 trade that clearly helped both teams advance to this series meeting. The Kings, based in Brooklyn at the time, sent Whitney Award winning outfielder Ralph Johnson, catcher Dan Smith and pitcher Bob Arman to the Motor City in exchange for a boatload of prospects. Johnson, Smith and Arman would all play a role in the Detroit series win but so did Fred Washington, Walt Staton and Beau McClellan -three of the prospects the Kings received in return. Washington has won back to back Allen Awards and may well end up being the best player in this deal, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider Ralph Johnson owns 4 Whitney Awards and was the Most Valuable Player of Detroit's WCS win over the New York (now Los Angeles) Stars two years ago. GAME ONE: Kansas City 5 Detroit 3 The series opened at Prairie Park and Detroit opted to go with young Jim Norris on the mound against Staton. Norris would win the Federal Association Allen Award a week after the series concluded, making him the third different Detroit hurler to capture the honour in the past three years, but on this night he had his struggles.Norris needed just three pitches to retire the Kings in order in the opening frame but the second inning became a nightmare for the 24-year-old. He issued four straight walks to load the bases and plate the opening run. Chuck Lewis decided he did not want a walk and took a swing at the first pitch. Fortunately for him the move paid off with a single to plate two more runs. When the dust settled the Kings scored five times on just 2 hits. Dick York, the 4-time Federal Association manager of the year elected to leave Norris on the mound and the confidence paid off as the hurler did not allow another run. The problem for Detroit is they could not solve Staton, who allowed just 2 hits through the opening seven innings. The Dynamos finally got to him in the top of the eighth when they managed 4 hits and a walk, with the big blow being a 2-run double off the bat of Edwin Hackberry, to cut the Kansas City lead to 5-3. Mike Thorpe pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the win and Kansas City led the series 1-0. GAME TWO: Detroit 5 Kansas City 2 Jack Miller had started the opening game of each of the past two WCS for Detroit and took the loss in each. This time around Dick York elected to hold Miller for the second game and it seemed to work as the Detroit hurler went the distance, scatting six hits in 5-2 Detroit victory to even the series. Fred Washington, the former Detroit prospect, was solid for the Kings but a Kansas City error would prove costly.Ralph Johnson welcomed Washington to the postseason with a lead-off double in the top of the first inning and would score on Hackberry's rbi single. The damage could have been much worse than a single run as Detroit had 2-men on and just one out before Washington fanned Mack Sutton and induced an inning ending infield pop-up from Del Johnson to get out of the jam. A Red Hinton error in the top f the third led to a pair of unearned runs as the Dynamos score three times in that inning to increase their lead to 4-0. Hackberry continued his solid play with another rbi single in the frame. The Kings would get one back in the bottom of the third after Al Clement, who had led off with a triple, was plated on a Chuck Lewis groundout. In the bottom of the eighth the lead was cut to 4-2 when Bob Schmelz singled in Lewis, who had hit a 1-out double but that was as close as the Kings would get. Tommy Griffin's sacrifice fly in the 8th inning accounted for the final run of the game, sending the series to Detroit knotted at one win apiece. GAME THREE: Detroit 4 Kansas City - Joe Hancock was 38 years old when the Dynamos acquired him from Toronto for the stretch run of the 1951 pennant race. Detroit would fall just short, dropping a tie-breaker playoff game to St Louis that year, but few expected Hancock would still be pitching effectively (he was 15-5 this year) as he neared his 42nd birthday. The 8-time all-star improved his WCS record to 5-1 with a gem against the Kings in game three. Hancock tossed a complete game 3-hit shutout in a 4-0 Dynamos win at Thompson Field.Del Johnson led the offense with 3 hits and two-rbi's while Pat Petty, another former King, had two hits for the winners. GAME FOUR: Detroit 4 Kansas City 3 Two pitchers who were a part of the big Ralph Johnson trade faced each other in the fourth game. Bob Arman allowed a 2-out double to Charlie Rogers in the first inning but the Dynamos starter retired Ken Newman - a week prior to winning his second straight Whitney Award- to survive the inning unscathed. The same could not be said for young Beau McClellan as the 22-year-old Kansas City pitcher allowed two runs. Stan Kleminski started things with a 1-out single and then, with two out, moved to third on Hackberry's base hit. Hackberry alertly scampered to second when the Kings tried to make a play on Kleminski and it paid off as Mack Sutton delivered a single to score both of them.The Kings answered quickly, and evened things up with 2 runs of their own in the top of the second. Dutch Miller drew a lead-off walk and Al Clement plated him with a 1-out triple. A Chuck Lewis ground out brought Clement home with the tying run. The score would remain knotted at two until the bottom of the 7th when Tommy Griffin led off the a single, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on Ralph Johnson's double. The next hitter, Kleminski, also ripped a double to make it 4-2 Detroit. The Kings got one back in the top of the 8th when Dutch Miller singled in Newman, who had doubled, but that would be as close as Kansas City could come. Jack Halbur took over for Arman and pitched an uneventful ninth to close out the win and put the Dynamos up 3 games to one. GAME FIVE: Kansas City 7 Detroit 5 The Kings would not go quietly and raced out to a 4-0 lead after four innings in their bid to deny Detroit a chance to celebrate at home. Jim Norris was back on the mound for Detroit and he allowed Charlie Rogers to single in Elmer Grace, who had hit the first pitch of the game for a double, and give the visitors a quick 1-0 lead. Rogers smacked a 2-run homer in the third to make it 3-0 and an inning later Red Hinton would lead off with a triple and score on Al Clement's ground out.Meanwhile Walt Staton was doing marvelous work on the hill for the Kings, keeping Detroit off the scoresheet until the sixth inning when a throwing error by Red Hinton, his second of the series, led to an unearned run to cut the Kings lead to 4-1. The roof caved in on Kansas City in the bottom of the 8th when Mike Thorpe, who had just taken over for Staton, was shelled for four runs on four hits and another Kings miscue. Suddenly the Dynamos were up 5-4, and the crowd at Thompson Field, silenced by Staton most of the game, was electric sensing another title was about to be theirs. Until it wasn't. Kansas City got a lead-off single from Elmer Grace, who was sacrificed to second as the tying run. Charlie Rogers, who had a whale of a game with 3 hits and 4-rbis's double in Grace to tie the game and silence the crowd. Ken Newman was intentionally walked but pinch-hitter Bob Burge would deliver a 2-run double, ending Norris' night and putting the Kings up 7-5. Alex Vaughan retired the Dynamos in order to send the series back to Kansas City. GAME SIX: Detroit 9 Kansas City 4 Kansas City fans knew all about close calls at Prairie Park as the American Football Association Cowboys had come up short in each of the previous three AFA title games. The Kings had their work cut out for them but after the drama of game five there was hope. That hope was further stoked when the Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning courtesy of a 2-run homer from Red Hinton.Fred Washington was pitching well but the Kings ace ran into trouble in the sixth inning when Ralph Johnson hit a one-out double and scored on a Stan Kleminski single to cut the Kansas City lead to 2-1. Before the inning was over the Kings were trailing as Washington walked Pat Petty and then could only watch in despair when Edwin Hackberry ripped a 389 foot homerun to put Detroit up 4-2. Resilience had been the Kings theme all year and game six was no different as they tied the game in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a out out single by Washington, followed by an Elmer Grace rbi triple and with two out an rbi double off the bat of who else but Charlie Rogers. Detroit had no plans of surrendering and the Dynamos broke the tie with two more runs in the eighth inning coming on a pinch-hit single off the bat of Andy Conklin with the bases loaded. Three more Detroit runs in the top of the ninth proved too much for the Kings and the Dynamos would take the series with a 9-4 victory. Stan Kleminski, with 10 hits and flawless defense at shortstop, was named the series MVP.  BIG INNING LIFTS FED TO WIN IN ALL STAR GAME The Federal Association had runners on base in each of the first two innings but did not open the scoring until the top of the third when Hank Estill of the New York Gothams delivered a bases loaded single with two out to score a pair of runs. The Continental stars quickly got one of those runs back in the home half when John Low of Cleveland doubled in Kansas City's Charlie Rogers. The score would stay 2-1 until the top of the sixth when Gothams rookie Earl Howe led off with a double and scored on a single by Boston's Joe Kleman. The Continental stars loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth but failed to score a run. They would load the bases again in the bottom of the seventh and this time would get one run, when the Chiefs Al Miller walked Kirby Copeland of Toronto to allow Montreal's John Fast to trot home. Miller settled down and retired the next two batters to keep the Fed stars in the lead, but now by only a 3-2 count. The Fed broke the game open with a wild eighth inning. Joe Kleman started the hit parade with a 1-out double and after Bill Wise was issued an intentional walk, Detroit's Stan Kleminski worked Cougars reliever David Molina for a free pass to load the bases. Next up was the Chiefs Rod Shearer and he smacked a bases clearing double to make the score 6-2. Before the frame was over the lead was up to 8-2 and the Feds would add an insurance run in the ninth inning when Gothams veteran Red Johnson, playing in his 12th all-star game, drew a bases loaded walk from Molina to make the final score 9-2.  BASEBALL OFF-SEASON All eyes were on the Detroit Dynamos after capturing their second title in their third straight pennant, leaving just one question: "can anyone stop them?"My guess is no, at least not during a 154-game season, but the Pittsburgh Miners are confident that they can learn from their mistakes this year. They kicked off the offseason by adding some catching depth, acquiring 32-year-old Bob Newcomer from the Eagles for the then 226th ranked prospect Ralph Hughes (.287, 3, 11), who's nickname "The Rose of Tulepo" works quite well with "The Ringer from Stringer" (.277, 10, 55) and "The Hidalgo Kid" (.266, 22, 101, 10). In a potential win-win, Newcomer was stuck behind Ike Perry (.290, 12, 69) and the former 2nd Overall pick earned a starting spot after the best offensive season of his career. It may have came in a career low 138 trips to the plate, but the veteran catcher hit a robust .348/.449/.609 (174 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers, and 23 RBIs, all while maintaining an impressive 21-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Since debuting in 1946, Newcomer has made 250 trips to the plates just twice, coming in 1948 and 1949. Those were the only two seasons he was a full-time starter, and he'll now battle with incumbent starter Joe Loyd (.270, 1, 53) and the optionable Bob Gaines (.333, 4) for the two catching jobs. Newcomer may have the best resume, as the Maine native has hit .251/.353/.363 (96 OPS+) with a 101 WRC+ in 667 FABL games. All came with the Eagles, and his next walk will give him 300. Through 2,249 plate appearances, he has just 204 strikeouts, as he always gives tough at bats at the bottom of the order. Pittsburgh's other move was picking up Tony Dixon (20-9, 14, 3.79, 47), winning 20 games for the Keystones despite not making a single start. The Miners are hoping Dixon can replicate that at the back of their pen, as they acquired a guy who led the Fed with 51 games finished last season and 61 this season. Dixon won exactly 1/4th of his Fed high 80 appearances, but I can't imagine that he would have gotten any down ballot Allen votes,. Regardless, he held a respectable 3.79 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.46 WHIP in 114 innings pitched, and always had an impact in the results of the game. Despite the 61 games finished, he was just 14-for-25 in save opportunities. That accounts for some of his wins, as seven of his eleven blown saves ended with wins. On the other hand, six of his blown saves saw him finish the appearance with an ERA of 3.00 or lower, as there were times he tried to bail out another pitcher who couldn't get it to the finish line. Whether the 20-win campaign was a fluke or not, Dixon could solidify a bullpen that went through Rex Dziuk (15-8, 10, 4.14, 67) and Joe Quade (9-8, 13, 4.52, 77) in high leverage innings in games they didn't start. Jim Baker (4-5, 5, 4.21, 34) pitched strictly out of the pen, including some ninth inning work, but this group has plenty of room for improvement. Especially at the cost of two Class B bats, who reside outside the Keystones top 40 prospects. I can't imagine Dixon winning 15 games, let alone 20, ever again, but with a rotation that lacks top arms, he's exactly the type who can secure close games. The Miners seem confident in their chances for 1955, putting faith in Bryan Jeffress (.289, 3, 22) and Roy Schaub (2-2, 4.55, 15) instead of looking for replacements in the outfield or rotation. They still have a few months before Opening Day, but any team led by Paul Williams (.321, 33, 113) is one to be taken seriously. The Chiefs made a few additions to their lineup as well, as they look to provide their star Rod Shearer (.325, 46, 133, 6) with some additional help. Neither are exactly game changers, but they added a solid defensive shortstop in Elmer Walters (.226, 5, 23, 3) and a useful lefty bat in Bob Coon (.254, 2, 21) to give them a capable replacement outfielder in case someone gets hurt. Coon might have cost more to acquire when you consider the names going to Washington in return include former 12th overall pick and top 25 prospect Hugh Ferebee. Ferebee has had a huge decline since his blue chip prospect status, as he leaves outside the top 250 but Walters netted the Cannons a pair of ranked prospects. At the time of the trade, Jim Upchurch ranked 194th and Charlie Craighead 206th, while Chicago also gave up 1951 4th Rounder Jimmie Burrell to land their new shortstop. The trio currently ranks 17th, 20th, and 31st in the Cannons system, while Crotzer would rank 30th and Ferebee is no longer considered one of the game's top 500 prospects. On the Continental side, the Saints were the most active, adding three regulars to the roster as they look to finish above .500 for the first time since 1951. The major move was adding former Minutemen starter Max Edwards (12-14, 5.10, 92), who saw his production do a complete 180 in 1954. He followed up his breakout 1953 (14-13, 3.19, 107) with a 5.10 ERA (83 ERA+) and 1.48 WHIP in 35 starts. The durability was a plus considering the injury troubles the Saints have had with their rotation, and a 30-year-old with a career 4.01 ERA (104 ERA+) and 3.96 FIP (96 FIP-) in 614.1 innings in the Fed is a useful add. He'll now lead a rotation with George Polk (10-11, 4.22, 78), Tom Fisher (17-12, 3.41, 146), and Skinny Green (13-19, 4.46, 112). Edwards wasn't the only pitcher they picked up either, as they got a veteran depth arm Bill Sohl (4-13, 5.96, 53) from the Philadelphia Keystones in exchange for 20-year-old righty William Davis. Sohl struggled in a starting role for Philly, but he's another durable arm who can give them innings out of the rotation or the pen. Montreal's last major addition also came from the Minutemen, as they acquired former Minutemen and Dynamo Steve Dunagan to function as their starting right fielder. Dunagan started over 110 games in 1952 and 1953, but the 33-year-old started just 83 this year, making 395 trips to the plate. 34 next July, he's more of a short-term replacement, but he's coming off seasons with WRC+ of 93 and 94. While not flashy, he's a solid option to start at any three outfield spots, and the team may hope his work ethic rubs off on the rest. It was a surprise to see Kansas City, Cleveland, and San Francisco all stay put, but neither of the three teams that were still alive prior to the last day of the season decided to make that big move. There's still time for plenty to change, as the Kings could use a right fielder, the Foresters could use an infield bat, and the Sailors may want a stopper to compliment starter turned reliever Duke Bybee (3-3, 1, 2.96, 24) in the back of their bullpen. For now, the association seems wide open, and a shrewd GM still has a chance to tip the scales in their favor. 
COWBOYS RAPID DEMISE BIG STORY IN AFA Led by a rapidly maturing young quarterback the Philadelphia Frigates finally got over the hump and won their first American Football Association title in a decade but the big story in the AFA this season was the swift collapse of the Kansas City Cowboys. The Cowboys, who had played in 8 straight championship games going back to the old Continental Football Conference, crashed hard as their defense fell apart, surrendering 403 points on the season, more than any other team in the past decade with the exception of the one and down New Orleans Crescents in 1950. The Cowboys won just 2 games this season and hit rock bottom in mid November when the Chicago Wildcats mauled them by a 51-3 score. Quarterback Pat Chappell was still around, and still lead the AFA in passing yardage, although by the end of the season he had probably been wishing he stuck with his plans to retire before finally deciding to return for the 1954 season. The San Francisco Wings finished first in the West Division for the second time in three years, led by their high-flying offense guided by veteran signal caller Vince Gallegos who threw 22 touchdown strikes and meshed well with a pair of second year ends in Bob Bosco and Will Mains. For the first time in franchise history the St Louis Ramblers reached the playoffs, sneaking into second place over the Detroit Maroons with a 7-5 record thanks to a late four game winning streak that included a 24-3 win in the Motor City. The Ramblers had the stingiest defense in the West led by ballhawking defensive back Tom McMaster, who led the loop with seven interceptions. The Ramblers offense revolved around AFA rushing leader Jim Kellogg, who would be named both the league's top offensive player and its MVP. The Philadelphia Frigates won each of their first seven games to start the season and for the second year in a row finished atop the East Division with a 10-2 record. Pete Capizzi, who just four seasons ago led Cumberland to an unbeaten season and a National Collegiate Championship, found his stride as an AFA quarterback. Capizzi relied heavily on the best running game in the AFA, led by Sam Reiter and Dixie Mask, but also mixed in a perfect assortment of passes to keeping opposing defenses on their heels. The New York Stars finished second in the East, making the playoffs for the third straight year and a late season 31-10 victory at Gothams Stadium over the Frigates offered some indications the Stars may well have a chance to win a third straight AFA title.  1954 AFA PLAYOFFS For the second year in a row the Philadelphia Frigates would host the New York Stars in the East Division playoff game. A year ago the Stars held off the their hosts to claim a 16-10 victory before beating Kansas City the following week for their second straight AFA title. This time around the Frigates were seeking revenge but, much like last season, the game proved to be a defensive struggle. For 55 minutes the contest was just that and a battle of the kickers as the Frigates Ken Fryar and New York's Benny Molitor had taken care of all the scoring in a 6-6 tie. That changed with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when the Frigates got a big play in the form or a 47 yard punt return from Randy Hicks. Hicks was brought down at the Stars 1-yard line and two plays later Dave Prather went over the pile and into the end zone for the game's first major. The 13-6 lead did not last as the Stars responded with their best drive of the game, one that was capped with a 10 yard touchdown pass from New York quarterback Ricky Benson to Bert Panos and the game was tied with a minute and a half remaining. For the first time in its history, the American Football Association would see a postseason game go into overtime. Fans certainly got their money's worth as the game needed 23 minutes of extra play before a winner could be declared. The Frigates had a chance to end it after 14 minutes but Fryar missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt. He would get a second chance 9 minutes later and made no mistake, splitting the uprights from 33 yards out to secure the Frigates return to the championship game after a five year absence with a 16-13 victory. The West playoff game was not as close as the 15-0 score would indicate. The San Francisco Wings dominated the play but could not get into the end zone and were forced to settle for 5 field goals from Earl Neese, which proved more than enough for the Wings to reach the AFA title game for the first time, although they had gone 1-1 in two trips to the Continental Conference championship game in the late 1940s. *** Capizzi Pilots Frigates to Title Win *** The AFA championship game was a quarterbacking showcase as veteran Vince Gallegos of the San Francisco Wings and young Pete Capizzi of the Philadelphia Frigates each threw for well over 200 yards on the afternoon. The Frigates would prevail, holding off a late San Francisco charge to claim a 24-22 victory and their first AFA title in a decade. Capizzi had mixed results on his first series as two plays after a nice completion to end Frank Longacre he threw an interception stalling what had looked like a promising opening drive by the Frigates. San Francisco also made an early mistake as back Sam Gerst fumbled away the ball on the Philadelphia four yard line as the Wings appeared poised to score the opening points. The only score of the first quarter was a 21-yard chip shot field goal from Ken Fryar to give Philadelphia the early lead. On the opening play of the second period the Frigates lead was increased to 10-0 when Capizzi completed a pair of passes to Bill Casteel including an 8-yard scoring strike that capped an 8-play, 61-yard drive. San Francisco quickly answered as Gallegos threw a 38-yard pass to Bob Bosco and two plays later Gerst, securing the ball with both hands this time, plunged from two yards out into the endzone to cut the Frigates lead to 10-7. A 45-yard Earl Neese field goal would leave the two clubs deadlocked 10-10 at the half. After a three and out by the Wings to start the second half, Capizzi went to work. The Frigates quarterback found Randy Hicks for 12 yards, Dave Prather for 13 and then a 33-yard scoring pass to Casteel had put Philadelphia ahead 17-10. San Francisco would cut the lead to 17-13 when Neese was successful on his second field goal attempt of the game and he would make a third one as the third quarter came to an end to cut the Frigates lead to a single point at 17-16. A big break came the Wings way when Capizzi was intercepted on the Wings 13 yard line prior to the second Neese field goal, denying the Frigates another score. Philadelphia would get that additional touchdown early in the fourth period on a drive that at one point had the Frigates facing a second and twenty on their own 1-yard line. Aided by a pair of costly Wings penalties, Capizzi completed two passes to Hicks for big gains and finally handed the ball to Dave Prather for a 3-yard touchdown run that put the Frigates ahead 24-16 with just over 11 minutes remaining. Gallegos, using all of the veteran savvy he has accumulated in nearly a decade of pro ball, guided the Wings 75 yards culminating in an 18-yard touchdown pass to Bob Bosco to make the score 24-22 with 4:37 remaining in the game. The Wings elected to give the ball to fullback Howie Roberts to try and bull his way through the Frigates line for a game tying 2-point conversion but Roberts was stopped cold and the Frigates were still ahead by two points. The Wings had two more possessions but one was stopped cold by an interception near midfield and the other simply ran out time with Wings unable to get into field goal range and the game ended 24-22 for Philadelphia.  PERFECT SEASON GIVES CUMBERLAND NATIONAL TITLE A second perfect season in four years has given the Cumberland Explorers their second national collegiate football title in that same time frame. The 11-0 Explorers followed up their Deep South Conference title with a 16-3 victory over Red River State in the Oilman Classic on New Years Day. Cumberland had some close calls on its way to a perfect season. The Explorers narrowly survived an early non-conference game at Carolina Poly, holding on for a 7-6 victory and in section play they needed a last second field goal to nip Georgia Baptist 16-13. One loss Northern California finished second in the final polls. The Miners were denied a trip to the East-West Classic because of a section loss to CC Los Angeles, but won each of their other ten games including a 24-13 victory over Midwestern Alliance champion Eastern Kansas in the Sunshine Classic. They struggled early against the 6-5 Warriors on New Years Day but rallied with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns for a 24-13 victory. The Great Lakes Alliance champion Lincoln Presidents finished third in the rankings after rolling over CC Los Angeles 37-16 in the East-West Classic. Sophomore Lincoln back Bart Clear had the game of his career in the win at Santa Ana as the Attica, IN., native ran for 170 yards in the victory. It marked the fourth year in a row the midwestern representative has prevailed over the West Coast Athletic Association champ on New Years Day. The Presidents claimed a section title despite starting the season with two losses in their first three games. St Blane was upset by Texas Gulf Coast 13-6 in their season opener but the Fighting Saints never lost again and finished fourth in the polls at 10-1. They ended their season in New Orleans on New Years Day with a 36-13 win over Noble Jones College, which finished at 9-2 and ranked sixth with Detroit City College sandwiched between the two at #5 in the final rankings. The Knights watched their East-West Classic hopes go up in smoke early with section losses to Minnesota Tech and Lincoln College, but they rallied with wins over Rome State, Central Ohio and finally Liberty College in the Volunteer Classic. The victory over arch-rival Central Ohio was one for the ages as the Knights tied the game with a late field goal and then won it in the third overtime on a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore halfback Jack Moffit.   RAINIER COLLEGE WINS 2ND STRAIGHT AIAA CAGE TITLE In what felt like a carbon copy of the previous year the Rainier College Majestics easily defeated the Western Iowa Canaries in the 1954 AIAA tournament championship game to win their second straight title. The final score this time around was 66-36, an even bigger rout than the 67-47 win the Majestics claimed a year ago over the Canaries. The title makes Rainier College the first school to win back-to-back titles twice and the first school to win the AIAA tournament five times. For Western Iowa, still in search of the schools first-ever AIA title, it marks the third time the school has reached the championship game and they join the 1913-14 Brunswick Knights and 1946-47 Liberty College Bells as the only schools to be on the losing end of the title game score in back to back years. This was not supposed to be the year the Majestics made history but the school, which also won back-to-back AIAA titles a decade ago, got hot at the right time. The Majestics graduated four starters from their 1953 title club including guards Ed Kosanovich and T.J. Grimm, who were both first round Federal Basketball League draft picks and center Lee Maroney who was selected in the second round. With the exodus of all that talent it came as little surprise that the Majestics lost 9 games during the regular season and finished third in the highly competitive West Coast Athletic Association. The Majestics were inexperienced but far from young as they once more started four seniors with long-time backups Snuffy Chandler, Hap Collins and Dick Raley finally earning their chance to start alongside the only returning stater in forward Harry Wall. Earning as a third seed in the West Region, Rainier College needed a strong second half to outlast Southwestern Alliance entry Texas Gulf Coast 50-41 in the opening round. The only non-senior starter, sophomore guard Sam Petrucci led the way with 14 points while Collins and Raley also reach double figures in scoring. Next up was the 7th seeded Wyoming A&I, the Rocky Mountain Alliance champs who had surprised #2 Mississippi A&M in the opening round. This one was not even close as the Majestics, led by Wall's 15 points and 12 from Collins, built a 15 point lead at the half and won 61-36. That brought the Majestics their toughest challenge of the tournament - a rematch with the Detroit City College Knights team that the Majestics beat in the national semi-finals a year ago. The top seeded Knights had finished second in the Great Lakes Alliance, just a game back of the Western Iowa Canaries and were ranked third in the nation entering the tournament, trailing only the top seeded Carolina Poly Cardinals and the Canaries. The West Region final was a thriller and really two different games. The first half was all Detroit City College as the Knights, seeking revenge for last year's elimination at Bigsby Garden in the national semi-finals, dominated and built a 23-13 lead at the break. Rainier College was a different team to start the second half and battled back to tie the contest with a little over seven minutes remaining. Those closing minutes were nail biters, with the two schools trading the lead several times. It would be Rainier College which would once again prevail as Harry Wall, calmly sank at 12-foot shot from the right wing with 4 seconds on the clock to give the Majestics a 47-46 victory and their ninth appearance in the Final Four. The semi-final game for the Majestics was against top ranked Carolina Poly, a school that entered the contest with a 30-2 record and was the champions of the revamped South Atlantic Conference. The SAC, a prominent but large conference since the dawn of the sport, lost a number of teams in the early 1920s when many jumped to the newly formed Deep South Conference. It would have a similar splinter this time around as the eight top schools in the SAC decided to go it alone and follow the change the conference had made in football just two years prior. The result was much improved competition in the SAC and that only made the Cardinals, who were 3-time winners of the AIAA tournament, 30-2 showing all the more impressive. Bigsby Garden, the sporting mecca in New York, is as always the host of the semi-final games on a Saturday night. It was the hottest ticket in town that evening as three of the top four college basketball teams in the country would be on display as well as the defending national champions. The Majestics put on a show, building a 9 point lead at the half and winning 56-50 despite an 18-point game from Cardinals All-American guard Charlie Glidewell. Western Iowa would prove to be too much for Noble Jones College in the other semi-final as highly touted FBL prospect Leo Beck led the way with 11 points in a 56-42 win for the Canaries. The finals were a rematch of the previous season and ended up being the Harry Wall show. The senior forward scored 22 points as the Majestics, who led by 18 at the half, cruised to a 66-36 victory and became the first five-time AIAA champion and the first school to win back-to-back national titles twice.     BRUNSWICK WINS COLLEGIATE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES The Brunswick Knights qualified for the 16-team tournament Collegiate World Championship Series for the first time and ended up going all the way to the National Title. The Knights had not made the tournament since the new format was established in 1946 but did win an AIAA baseball title back in 1924 under the old feeder league system and this victory allows them to join Henry Hudson (1931, 1932) and Dickson (1916, 1918) as the only Academia Alliance schools to win two college baseball titles. The 1924 title team was led by future major leaguers in Bobby Allen, Henry McFall, Bennie Rendon and Bill Scott along with pitcher Jim Morales, who made two big league starts for Washington in 1933 and was the winningest pitcher in college ball that season with a 10-1 record. This seasons edition of the Knights likely does not contain a player who will ever be drafted by a FABL club but they certainly came together at the right time. The Knights went 47-15 in the regular season and finished with the best record in the Academia Alliance. A ten seed in the 16 team tournament field, they upset 7th ranked Eastern State in the opener 3-2 before blasting second ranked Charleston Tech 7-1 in the second round with outfielder Jamie Passano leading the way with a pair of homeruns. Next up was a 2-0 shutout victory over Southwestern Alliance champ Texas Gulf Coast to propel the Knights into the finals against Southern Border Conference winners College of Waco. Both schools were considered underdogs to reach the finals as the Cowboys had knocked off mighty Central Kentucky in the opening round and defeated defending champion Baton Rouge State in the semi-finals. The first three rounds were single game elimination while the championship series was a best of three affair. In the opener College of Waco scored all four of its runs in the top of the sixth, three of them courtesy of a Bill Krause homerun while Cowboys senior pitcher Casey Good went the distance, scattering 7 hits for the 4-3 win. Brunswick evened the series the next day, taking game two in a rout by a 9-1 score. Jimmie Passano, who had homered twice in a game earlier in the tournament, did it again as the senior outfielder from New York City drove in five runs with his two longballs. In all, Brunswick would hit 4 homeruns in that game. The deciding game saw each team score twice in the opening inning and it would stay that way until the Cowboys scratched out a run in the top of the 7th. Brunswick was still trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth inning but they rallied for a 4-3 victory. The Knights rapped out three singles including Jimmy Passano's game-tying rbi hit. Then with two out College of Waco shortstop Chris Coombs misplayed what looked like a routing groundball that could have prolonged the game but instead allowed freshman Brunswick catcher Ben Thrall to score the walk-off series ending run. Passano, who batted .440 with 4 homers and 11 rbi's in the tournament, was named the Most Valuable Player  LONG TIME COMING The Detroit Motors entered the season with fairly low expectations after another early exit from the playoffs in the semi-finals last year. The Motors had not won a playoff series since the spring of 1942 and had only lifted the Challenge Cup once before - back in 1939- but that was about to change as Detroit was a surprise winner of the 1953-54 Challenge Cup. The Motors usually had to struggle just to earn a playoff spot and had not finished higher than third in over a decade. That did not change this year as while the Motors easily claimed third place, finishing 13 points ahead of the fourth place New York Shamrocks, they still had to settle for third falling in line behind Toronto and Chicago -winners of each of the past two Challenge Cups. The first place Dukes were, as usual, led by the big line of Quinton Pollack (35-43-78), Les Carlson (36-35-71) and Lou Galbraith although the 26-year-old Galbraith (11-32-43) struggled through the least productive season of his seven-year career. Trevor Parker (15-32-47) and a rising star in Ken Jamieson (19-29-48) helped the Dukes score 201 goals this season, trailing only the 208 recorded by the second place Chicago Packers. Pollack had a drop off from his record 99 point season a year ago but still led the NAHC in scoring and won his third McDaniels Trophy as league MVP. Neither Scott Renes nor Charlie Dell established himself as the Dukes new number one but both were solid as the club continues to adjust to life without Gordie Broadway. The solid Toronto defense, led by Clyde Lumsen and Tim Brooks, made that transistion easier as the Dukes allowed the fewest goals against in the league. Chicago goes as far as Tommy Burns (27-45-72) can carry the team and despite missing 11 games with injuries, Burns still trailed only Toronto's Pollack in the scoring race. The Packers battled Toronto all season but in the end fell just short, despite a second straight Juneau Trophy winning season from goaltender Michael Cleghorn. A starter in Detroit while in his early twenties Henri Chasse then spent a number of years serving as Millard Touhey's caddy before regaining the starting job a year ago. Chasse had the best season of his career this time around and beat out Cleghorn for first time all-star status but narrowly lost out on the Juneau Trophy. Nick Tardif (29-32-61) and a rising start in sophomore Alex Monette (23-36-59) gave Detroit two of the top five point producers in the league, something that had not been seen at Thompson Palladium in over a decade. Monette, a 21-year-old who was named the top rookie a year ago, was the second overall pick by the Motors in the 1952 draft after leading the CAHA in scoring his final year of junior hockey and is showing signs of perhaps becoming the elite star the franchise has lacked since Miles Barfield's early days. The New York Shamrocks finished fourth and returned to the playoffs after missing them a year ago. Simon Savard (20-34-54) and Orval Cabbell (19-32-51) continue to lead the offense and the goalending of Alex Sorrell - a two-time Juneau Trophy winner- seems solid but New York just could not score enough to challenge for the top spot. Boston missed the playoffs for the first time in four years while the last place Montreal Valiants have not returned to the postseason since winning their second of back-to-back Challenge Cups in 1951.   The Toronto Dukes had not faced the New York Shamrocks in a playoff series since the Dukes beat New York to win the 1948 Challenge Cup. Toronto had finished 19 points ahead of fourth place New York this time around and was a clear favourite to win their semi-final series. The Dukes took the opener thanks to a third period Rob Painchaud goal to claim a 4-3 victory but New York, with 3 first period goals, stole the second game by the same 4-3 score thanks to Robert Sharpley's game winner fifteen minutes into overtime. Toronto then took command of the series with a pair of road wins: 4-1 keyed by a goal and an assist from both Quinton Pollack and Lou Galbraith in the third game and 6-5 in game four when young defenseman Bobby Fuhrman notched the game winner with less than three minutes remaining in the third period. New York stayed alive with their second overtime win of the series, and once more Sharpley was the hero in a 2-1 win but the Dukes closed things out with a 3-2 victory in game six keyed by a pair of Les Carlson second period goals. The other series also saw the first two games split as Chicago scored three times in the opening period and went on to double Detroit 4-2 in game one but the Motors evened things with a 4-1 victory in game two despite being outshot. Lou Barber had four points and Nick Tardif three as the Motors waltzed to a 5-2 victory in game three and then took a commanding series lead with a 4-3 win in the fourth game despite Tommy Burns assisting on all three Chicago goals. The game winner came with just 1:42 remaining in regulation courtesy of rising Detroit star Alex Monette, who had missed the previous three games with an injury. Two nights later the Motors would wrap up the series with a 3-2 road win, coming back from a 2-1 deficit thanks to third period goals from Tardif and veteran forward Graham Comeau. That set up a Toronto-Detroit final and a rematch of the 1938 Challenge Cup finals, which was the only year the Motors had ever won the chalice. The series opened in Toronto and the hosts claimed a 3-1 victory but like both semi-final series the visiting team was level after two games. In this case it was a three goal outburst from the Motors in the final 13 minutes to claim a 3-1 victory. Adam Vanderbilt score twice and Ben Witt added an empty net marker in the dying seconds of game two. The series shifted to Detroit for the first Cup final game at Thompson Palladium since 1942 when the Motors lost to Boston for the second consecutive season. It was not a happy ending for the hosts, who led 1-0 on a Tyson Beddoes first period goal but Dan Russell tied it for Toronto in the middle stanza and Lou Galbraith, with his fourth of the playoffs, scored the game winner on the power play early in the third period. Game four was all Detroit, or at least all Henri Chasse as the Motors netminder made 38 saves for the shutout. Detroit lead 2-0 after forty minutes and added three more in the third as Toronto, desperate to put a puck past Chasse, opened things up and were exposed. The series was tied at two and the Dukes looked like they were going to win the pivotal fifth game when Kenny Wooley put Toronto up 3-2 just under seven minutes into the third period. Detroit pressed and were rewarded with the equalizer from Lou Barber with less than four minutes to play. Overtime was not in the cards as Quinton Pollack took a roughing penalty late in the game and Graham Comeau made Toronto pay, scoring the winner with just over 2 minutes showing on the clock. *** Monette's Coming Our Party *** Game Six will long be remembered in Detroit as the day Alex Monette stole the show. The second year Motors forward had the game of his life on the biggest stage imaginable. Monette score all four goals for Detroit including the series winner in the third period to give the hosts a 4-3 victory and their first Challenge Cup title in fifteen years. Monette will likely never have to pay for a drink in Detroit again after the 21-year-old Montreal native's heroics in the deciding game. He had plenty of success throughout the post-season, collecting 11 points despite playing just 7 games due to a wrist injury sustained in the Chicago series. Only teammate Nick Tardif, with 12, had more points this playoff. A natural leader who was captain of his junior team in Halifax for three years and twice scored over 100 points in a CAHA season, this may be just the first of many great moments for the center iceman with Detroit.   NAHC ALL-STAR GAME The Toronto Dukes became the first Challenge Cup winner to beat the best players in the league in the fourth annual NAHC all-star game. The Dukes rallied with three goals in the final 16 minutes of the game to down the All-Stars 5-4.The Stars led the Dukes 2-0 after one period after goals by a pair of defensemen in Detroit's Tyson Beddoes and Phil Stukas of the Chicago Packers. Toronto, which outshot the all-stars 48-35 on the night, rallied with a pair of early second period goals by Frank Featherstone and Lou Galbraith but before the middle period ended the stars were once more ahead by two goals. A pair of Chicago Packers were the marksman in Pete Moreau and Max Ducharme. The third period was all Toronto as the hosts turned up the heat by firing 26 shots at Detroit's Henri Chasse in the period and beat him three times. Paul Coulter, Lou Galbraith with his second of the game, and finally Les Carlson with the game winner coming with less than 4 minutes remaining in the contest. Toronto blueliner Clyde Lumsen, who had four assists, was named the player of the game. The Baltimore Barons had to close operations, which is a sad chapter in professional basketball. The Barons were a championship-caliber team in the mid-1940s, culminating in a championship in 1947-48. Since that season, though, the team did not finish better than fourth place in a five- or six-team division. A five-year string of missing the playoffs was too much to take and while the team improved from 17 wins to 23 to 30 last season, there was not enough interest and possibility of profit to keep the team afloat. The Eastern Division only consisted of four teams: Philadelphia, Washington, New York, and Boston. The Western Division was unchanged, as teams in smaller cities (Rochester, Cleveland) and an international city in Toronto, had committed ownership and interested fan bases. Ironically, Rochester and Cleveland both finished with the same record as Baltimore (30-40) last season. The Phantoms found a different life as the hunted. Teams saved their best for Philadelphia and while Mel Turcotte continued to be a force (19.0 ppg, 12.5 rpg), the Phantoms could not get over the hump and get to .500. Philadelphia was within a couple of games of the break-even mark late in the season and finished in a tie for third place at 33-39, nine games out of first place. Boston tied Philadelphia for third place and the tiebreaker was effectively won by Boston in their last regular season meeting. The two teams met 21 times in 1953-54 with each team winning 10 leading into their April 16th meeting in Philadelphia. In fact, through three quarters, the game was deadlocked at 58 points apiece. Boston opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run and carried that lead to an 84-74 victory. Morgan Melcher led the way with 20 points and Brian Threadgill posted 20 rebounds. The teams spun off in different directions after the game. With the win, Boston went on to beat New York and sweep a home-and-home with Washington to end its season on a four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Philadelphia did not win again, losing to Chicago and two road contests in New York to finish the year on a four-game losing streak. This made the April 16th game matter even more, with Boston earning a playoff berth because of the win. The New York Knights had a run of four playoff appearances in five years, but had not qualified since the 1951 postseason and even then, New York never made it out of the divisional playoff. New York was able to sign former Buffalo great Larry Yim last season, which formed a great front court with Scott Lagasse heading into this year, but the new wrinkle was the addition of point guard Rod Bookman, which came over from Baltimore in the dispersal draft. Bookman was third in the league in assists (8.2 apg), feeding the ball down low to Yim (18.6 ppg, 16.8 rpg) and Lagasse (18.2 ppg, 15.2 rpg), who both finished in the top ten in scoring and rebounding. This trio helped New York (42-30) to win its first division since winning the Northern Division in the ABC in 1939-40. New York won the division by eight games over second place Washington (34-38), as the Statesmen narrowly avoided missing the playoffs altogether as they were only one game ahead of Boston and Philadelphia. Washington lost its last two games against Boston to help elevate Boston and both teams met in the Eastern Division Semifinal. The Western Division race was a spirited one between a resurgent Rochester Rockets team and last year’s class of the division, the Chicago Panthers. Rochester won the season series between the two squads, 10 games to 6, which was more than enough to give the Rockets (50-22) the division. Rochester finished two games ahead of Chicago (48-24), with an unbelievable start. The Rockets were blazing hot and left last season’s poor showing behind with a six-game winning streak to start the year that became a 13-1 run. On the morning of December 11th, Chicago was at its low point at 5-9 and already eight games behind the Rockets. Chicago caught fire in January, embarking on a 15-game winning streak to propel the Panthers into contention. At that point, the Panthers were 29-13, only a game and a half behind the Rockets, and Chicago crawled to within a half-game a week later. Rochester put on its rockets into orbit, setting off a 12-game winning streak that left the Panthers in the dust. Billy Bob McCright (21.0 ppg, 16.8 rpg) had a career year for Rochester, surpassing 20 points per game for the first time in his six-year career to win Most Valuable Player honors. Marlin Patterson, usually the top man on the totem pole, was a virtuoso as a second fiddle, averaging 19.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.4 blocks per contest. The big-town Panthers challenged the small-town Rockets on the court, but both on the court and off the court, the Panthers had a lot of star power. Rochester may have had the MVP, but Chicago had the league’s leading scorer, Luther Gordon, who averaged 23.9 points a game and won his third scoring title. Charlie Barrell landed in Chicago last season and impressed as a rookie on the 47-win Panthers team a year ago. This year, Barrell did not suffer a sophomore jinx, ticking his scoring from 14.2 to 14.6 points per game, but his abilities on the defensive end won plaudits. Barrell was first time All-League at the shooting guard position, but also made All-Defensive first team as well, thanks to his 2.3 steals per game, which was third in the league. While the rest of the Western Division was well off the pace with Toronto (38-34) earning the final berth in the divisional playoffs over Cleveland (31-41) and Detroit (15-57). Detroit was a league champion just two seasons ago and had its worst season in its eight-year franchise history. Toronto was led by its accidental star from last season, Kenny Roberts (15.7 ppg, 16.6 rpg), who led the team in scoring and rebounding. Toronto gave Chicago everything the Panthers could handle in the Western Division Semifinal, losing in five games. The home team won each game in the series with the only game decided by more than 10 points being Game Five. Cinderella turned into a pumpkin, as the Falcons shot 25% from the field. In Game Two’s 85-75 win, Chicago received 27 points from Gordon and 26 from Barrell to stand one game away from the Divisional Finals. Roberts saved the season, twice. In Game Three, Roberts had 32 points and 26 rebounds to get the game to overtime and Major Belk had four of the Falcons eight points in the extra period for the 94-91 win. In Game Four, Roberts upped the ante with 36 points and 28 rebounds and Toronto survived, 85-80. Game Five was not much of a match, as the star power won out, with Gordon scoring 27 points and Barrell chipping in 14 points with four steals to help Chicago advance to face Rochester in the series that felt like the league final. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Division, New York awaited the winner of the Washington-Boston series. The home court was reversed from a year ago, when Boston put its stamp on a budding rivalry by winning the best-of-five series in the last game. This time, it was Washington’s turn to return the favor. Boston won the opener in Washington, but Game Two was a classic, with Washington winning in triple overtime, 104-93. Washington had the chance to win the game in regulation, but two jumpers in the final seconds by Hank Adkins missed the mark. Washington’s Willie Wright scored with a layup with seconds left, but Boston had the chance to win it, with Larry Carter missing a jumpshot. Washington almost won it in double overtime, but the Centurions executed a set play with five seconds left that freed Brian Threadgill for a baseline jumper to tie the game at 89. Washington pulled away in the third overtime period, but Boston earned the split on the road. Washington used the momentum to win home-court back with another overtime win in Game Three, 86-83, though it was only one overtime this time. Boston extended the series, forcing a Game Five in Washington. The Statesmen held Boston to 23% shooting, but Boston beat themselves with their shot selection. Brian Threadgill, who scored 30 points in the triple-overtime Game Two, only managed five points on 2-for-10 shooting. Gerald Carter, who led Boston with 22 points in Game Three, was 7-for-32 from the floor. Washington had a balanced scoring attack, as Ernie Fischer led four starters in double figures with his 19 points. The Eastern Final showed how superior the New York Knights were inside the division. Game One set the tone, as Rod Bookman scored 29 points with 15 assists, and Larry Yim added 18 points, 19 rebounds, and nine blocks. New York only allowed 62 points in Game Two and 57 in Game Three. Washington’s poor shooting was paused in Game Four for the Statesmen’s lone win of the series, winning 82-66 at home to push the series to a fifth game, but New York earned a trip to the Finals with a 96-84 victory behind 30 points and 22 rebounds from Yim. While the Western Final had more anticipation and fanfare, the play was just as lopsided as the Eastern Final. After a season where Rochester played from ahead and Chicago was just a step behind, Rochester only let Chicago win a single game in the best-of-seven. Billy Bob McCright scored 41 points in Game One’s 86-66 Rocket victory. McCright and Marlin Patterson had eight blocks apiece in Game Two’s 89-79 win to give Rochester a 2-0 series lead. Despite 29 more points from McCright, Chicago was able to hit its free throws to survive, 67-64, and hold serve at home. But the series was won in the second half of Game Four, where Rochester came back from a ten-point halftime deficit to pull even after three quarters and edging Chicago the rest of the way for a 77-74 win. Chicago was not ready for Game Five, only mustering a single point in the first quarter and shooting an anemic 22% from the floor in a 68-50 loss that kept Luther Gordon to 15 points. For the series, Gordon underperformed, averaging only 16.8 points in the five games, more than seven points below his season average. Rochester had a head of steam and had another big-city team in its sights. New York had an easier time of it during the season and the playoffs up to that point, so the Knights were ready for the challenge. Rochester was trying to be a first-time champion, just like Philadelphia was last year, while New York had not won in 14 years. New York drew first blood in the closest game of the series, winning Game One in Rochester, 67-65, in front of 6,000 hostile screaming fans in Western New York. Larry Yim, who had more than his share of supporters from his days in Buffalo, led New York with 17 points, 26 rebounds, and an amazing 12 blocked shots. New York trailed 20-10 after one quarter but clawed its way back in the defensive battle. While New York wrestled home court from Rochester, the Rockets wrestled it back in Game Three in a 73-60 win. Yim was 5-for-23 and only blocked one shot, which allowed the talented Rochester to take over. Marlin Patterson had a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks, while Solly Morris came off the bench with 16 points. With the series tied at two, Rochester took another game on the road as the Rockets were one game away from its first title behind Patterson’s 31 points as he was threatening to take over the series from Yim and the Knights. The Knights were down, 3-2, with the series going back to Rochester having to win both games to win the trophy. Rochester’s hot front court won their head-to-head matchups, but the difference was New York’s Rod Bookman, who was the star in Game Six with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Bookman continued his championship play in Game Seven, which went to overtime. The point guard easily outplayed his opposite number with Rochester, young second-year player Verle Schoonmaker, in scoring 21 points, bringing down 14 board, distributing eight assists, and forcing three steals in 49 minutes. Rochester had its chances in Game Seven but could not close the deal. The Rockets led 28-21 after one quarter and 43-34 at the half. The Knights trailed 56-51 entering the fourth and the Rockets went ice cold in the fourth quarter, only scoring six points and allowing the Knights to force the extra session. Rochester had major foul trouble, with McCright, Patterson, and Danny Rachor all fouling out in overtime. The Knights won the overtime, 12-2, the game, 74-64, and their first championship since the Great Depression. Larry Yim had a low-scoring Finals with his lowest score of the playoffs in Game Seven (9 points). However, for Yim, scoring is a very small part of the story. Yim had 24 rebounds and nine blocks. For the series, Yim averaged 16.3 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game and was named the Playoff MVP.  MUSTANGS AGAIN LEAD OFF FBL DRAFT For the second year in a row the Detroit Mustangs had the first pick in the 1954 Federal Basketball League draft as the Mustangs finished dead last in the loop for the second year in a row. It is a long tumble down for the 1951-52 FBL Champions led by Coach Haywood St. Clair, who also won their American Basketball Conference titles while with Brooklyn, and an MVP season out of Ward Messer. Both St. Clair and Messer remain, as does most of the supporting cast, but the Mustangs bottomed out with a dismal 15-57 record this season. A year ago Detroit selected forward Ed Kosanovich from the AIAA champion Rainier College Majestics and the Kansas native had his ups and downs as a rookie. This time they went with Erv Corwin, a guard out of Bayou State who was the top ranked senior according to OSA despite missing half of the season with an injury. The Valdosta, GA., native will be counted on to give the Mustangs some offensive punch - they were last in points scored in the FBL this year. Corwin's 15.3 ppg in half a season nearly duplicated his output a year ago as a junior when he was named the Deep South Conference Player of the year. It was a draft that focused heavily on the backcourt with four of the top five selections being guards. The lone exception was Harry Wall, a forward who starred for the back to back AIAA champions from Rainier College. Wall was selected fourth by the Boston Centurions, a team that may well have had the best draft when you also consider the Centurions landed center Lee Crisp in round two. The Annapolis Maritime star was the Barrette Trophy winner as College Player of the Year and was ranked 7th overall on the OSA pre-draft list.  TITLES BACK TO CHANGING HANDS After a couple of years of stability, 1954 provided more of what boxing fans were used to as far as titles changing hands. The middleweight division saw three different main lay claim to the title of ABF World Champion over the course of the year while at the welterweight level Danny Rutledge lost the belt early in the year due to his temper but regained it in December. Rutledge was disqualified for a variety of fouls he seemed intent on committing at every opportunity. His opponent, the talkative Lonnie Griffin, a Newark youngster who likes to lead with his mouth in the ring, got under Rutledge's skin early and barked at the champ at every opportunity. Referee Zeb Barley, a newcomer to title fights, gave Rutledge the benefit of the doubt as much as he could before finally calling a halt to the proceedings and ending Rutledge's string of 8 successful title defenses after the champ earned his fifth warning of the night. Immediately following the bout, Rutledge was quick to admit he messed up, a lesson was learned and he vowed to get his title back. It would take some time, and Rutledge passed it with a rematch against his old military foe Mac Erickson, who he knocked out in the 10th and final round, and also scoring a decision over highly regarded Al Sullivan, another name Rutledge knew quite well as Sullivan was one of Rutledge's earlier victims while he was champ. The opportunity finally came when Griffin, after earning a nice payday with a unanimous decision win over Cal Kotterman in a July title defense, gave Rutledge his rematch in December. Rutledge was a man on a mission that night in Baltimore, and gave Griffin no time to start throwing verbal barbs in the ring. It took less than two minutes of the opening round for Rutledge to send Griffin sprawling to the canvas. The bout would last 12 of the scheduled fifteen rounds before Griffin was knocked out by a wicked cross to the head that returned the championship belt to Danny Rutledge. The middleweight division also saw plenty of change as Mark McCoy, the young Kansas City fighter who had held the title since the summer of 1951, lost the title to a lightly tested 35-year-old from the west coast by the name of Joe Moore in a surprising upset in July. Moore's reign at the top would be short as he would lose to ring veteran Jim Ward in his first defense. It was a majority decision that in all fairness could have gone either way but the New York native Ward, with a partisan Bigsby Gardens crowd cheering his every move, did just enough to sway the judges. It is expected that Ward, who came up short in a title shot against McCoy when the latter was champ, will likely face McCoy -who is listed as the top contender in the middleweight division- sometime this spring. Only the heavyweight division remained consistent as Joey Tierney continues his impressive run. At the tail end of 1953 you might recall Tierney was caught off guard by the late addition of Brit Ben Shotton after the English fighter the champ was preparing for - Joe Brinkworth- suffered a training injury. Tierney was surprised by Shotton and was lucky to escape that fight with a draw, persevering his title. A rematch with Shotton was granted in February and the champ was back to his old self, scoring a TKO win over Shotton in the 8th round. Tierney would add two more victories before the year was over, a unanimous decision in his second meeting with Tommy Cline followed by a third round knockout of John Jones in October. Tierney is running into the same issue that plagued the great Hector Sawyer in his prime - there are simply no top level fighters in the division that Tierney, who is 33-1-1 overall, has not defeated. Next up for the champ, who will make his 10th appearance with the belt up for grabs in February, is a meeting with 35-year-old Gil Hilliard. They have never fought but Hilliard, who was never a serious contender in his younger days, looks to be on his last legs and it may be a very short night for Tierney. Beyond that he may look to face British champion Brinkworth, but the gods seem to be conspiring against that happening as Brinkworth was injured the first time they planned to meet and a second bout had been close to be finalized until Brinkworth lost to Tommy Cline in September and Tierney's manager Chester Conley turned to Hilliard as perhaps a better draw for a February bout in New York City.  McCoy tried to make up for lost time, landing a right cross that caused a gash to open under Moore’s right eye. But McCoy could not capitalize on that punch. Instead, Moore went back to work. In the middle rounds, both fighters looked the worse for wear, with swelling turning into significant puffiness late in the bout. Any hope of McCoy retaining his belt was lost when McCoy fell to the canvas three times in the final few rounds. A knockdown on a Moore combination in the 12th round was only outdone by a pair of knockdowns in the 14th round. Moore earned an eight-count on McCoy after landing a hard right hand flush on McCoy’s chin, followed by another right at the closing bell of the round that knocked McCoy down again. Joe Moore became the first new Middleweight Champion in three years, but could he retain the belt? Moore took on Jim Ward in November and Moore tried too hard to look the part in the early rounds. Just as McCoy did in July, Ward left his game in the champion’s corner until the middle rounds. Ward almost knocked Moore out in the fifth round, but a glazed-eyed Moore managed to get to his feet. Moore recovered to nearly score a knockout of his own on a body shot in the seventh and floored Ward in the ninth on a combination. While Moore came on in the second half of the bout, Ward managed to hang on for the upset on a majority decision, as one judge scored the fight a draw. The year ended with Joe Ward (39-4-1) as the holder of a belt that was a hot potato in the second half of 1954. Speaking of a belt changing hands, the welterweight division also had a new champion, but only for a while. Danny Rutledge, like Mark McCoy, earned his title in 1951 and kept defending his belt over the next two years, entering 1954 as the champion. Rutledge had eight title defenses where he kept the belt. Rutledge’s opponent was a brash, up-and-coming fighter from New Jersey, Lonnie Griffin. Griffin was 18-1-1 coming into the fight while Rutledge had lost one and had one draw in 33 fights prior to this bout. Rutledge was clearly affected by Griffin in the days leading up to the fight. Griffin was quoted as saying he was going to show the people what a real champion was. Griffin was seen as being disrespectful to a long-time champion and a fine veteran of World War II. Rutledge was not about to be upstaged. Almost from the opening bell, Rutledge was intent on fighting dirty. In the first round, Rutledge leaned on Griffin’s neck and hit Griffin on a low blow and had a point deducted for a 9-9 round despite Rutledge’s dominance in the round. In all, there were five fouls called against Rutledge and while each fighter scored a knockdown, Rutledge in the second and Griffin in the ninth, Rutledge was carrying the play. Rutledge managed to get up after a nine-count from veteran official Zeb Barley. Barley held Rutledge to account all night long and, remember, Barley was the referee in the Rutledge-May fight last year that was stopped in the 12th and went to the cards due to an accidental head-butt. This time, also in the 12th round, Rutledge leaned on Griffin’s neck again after Griffin continued to chirp at him and held Rutledge around the waist, trying to restrict the champion’s movement. Barley ruled the leaning on Griffin’s neck was blatant and disqualified Rutledge, which made Lonnie Griffin the Welterweight Champion. After a unanimous decision in July, where Griffin dispatched journeyman Cal Kotterman, Griffin granted a rematch to Rutledge in December. Named the “Brawl in Baltimore”, boxing fans were expecting a knock-down, drag-out affair with no holds barred. Rutledge was relatively reserved, only being called for two fouls – leading with his head in the fifth and holding and hitting in the tenth – but Rutledge also scored the only knockdowns of the fight and there were three of them. In another fateful 12th round, a dominant Rutledge was trying to end it, going all out for a win. A swollen left eye for Griffin was hampering his ability to see the punches coming by this time in the fight. After a hook tenderized Griffin, a combination dropped him for a quick knockdown. However, that was the appetizer for the main course to come. Rutledge geared up for a big right cross to Griffin’s head and he felt to the canvas with a thud. Referee Denny Nelson counted Griffin out and Rutledge (34-2-1) was once again the Welterweight Champion. Following the fight, Griffin said he did not see the last punch from Rutledge. It was most entertaining story of the year and boxing fans are looking forward to a rubber match. The quietest division was once again the heavyweight division, where Joey Tierney handled his business. Tierney started the year trying to fight off the result of his last fight of 1953, where Tierney had to settle for a draw against Ben Shotton. In this edition of Tierney-Shotton, Shotton proved he was not a flash in the pan, dishing out the punishment as well as he took Tierney’s punches. Tierney experienced some swelling under his right eye in the third round and Shotton landed a big cross that knocked Tierney to the ground in the seventh round. The eighth round might have saved Tierney’s career. For two minutes, Tierney put on a clinic. He was a monster and Shotton could not mount any kind of defense. A knockdown or worse was seconds away when referee Jay Nady decided to end the fight 2:04 into the round. Some felt the fight was called too quickly, but Tierney was very close to causing Shotton significant injury. Shotton was starting to go limp and his hands started to rest at his side as Tierney was continuing his onslaught. It was the right move. Tierney got stronger as the year went on. He won a unanimous decision against Tommy Cline before cruising in a third-round TKO against John Jones. Tierney (33-1-1) started the year on uncertain footing but ended it as the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. His 3-0 record earned him the Bologna Boxer of the Year.  FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Was 1954 A Year of Transition? -Toronto Wolves fans, although the diehards may be all that are left, may have witnessed a year in 1954 that started the transition from bottom dwellers to factors in the Continental Association after far too many years of poor baseball. The team finished with a record of 69-85 technically in 6th place in what was a highly competitive CA at the top of the standings. Kansas City Kings who recently migrated from Brooklyn won the CA by a single game over both Cleveland, the defending champions, and the new situated, from Philadelphia, San Francisco Sailors. A third team relocated in 1954, The former New York Stars became the Los Angeles Stars giving a whole new meaning to a western swing in the CA. Travel became much more arduous in the loop. Instead of an easy trip to play the Kings, Stars, Sailors which meant going to NYC for a week then a short trip to Philadelphia now involved 3 time zones with long flights to Kansas City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Welcome to the jet age in the FABL. The Wolves improved substantially at the plate during the season. The lineup included the leading hitter in the CA. Ed Hester lead all CA batters with a .317 average. Not bad for a rookie who the Wolves plucked from the Saints roster in December during the Rule 5 draft. In most hitting categories the Wolves were middle of the CA pack with the exception of HR where they were dead last with 75 long balls in 154 games. Larry Curtis had a fine year posting .340/.441/571 15HR 70 RBI with not enough plate appearances to qualify for the league batting title. The offensive stats were middle of the road but the problems were on the mound and in the field. While the starting rotation led by Lynn Horn's 17-13, 4.01 was nothing to write home about the relief corps was again an absolute disaster with an overall ERA of 6.77. In an interesting move Les Ledbetter was put back in the rotation after being groomed for bullpen last season. Ledbetter responded with a record of 13-15, 4.39 with 24 of the 139 runs he allowed being unearned. The five regular starters allowed 601 runs, 79 of them being unearned due to the leaky defense behind them in the field. Oddly enough the 150 errors charged to the Wolves were not the most in the CA, Montreal made 163. Overall the team was the worst fielding team in the CA by a large margin. If the team is to move forward they must get help on the mound, in the field to convert batted balls into outs. Gordie Perkins did supply some defense at short, Boyer was good in the LF the rest of the play in the field was a mess. There might be help on the way. For the first time in anyone's memory every team in the system was .500 or better so the future in Toronto will be with players used to winning. Toronto now has the top rank minor league system just inches ahead of San Francisco and the Wolves have four of the top twenty prospects in the FABL. Top is P Whitey Stewart at #4 who went 17-8, 3.47 at AAA Buffalo despite walking 136, the same number that retired on strikes. He appears to be ready for the big time next season if his control improves. Second is #5 overall CF Tom Reed who spent the year in Vancouver, Davenport showing power with 48 HR 117 RBI 587 PA between the two levels while displaying above average OF defense. Reed probably needs at least one more year in the system against better pitching. The third is P Jim Montgomery at #11 who in two seasons at AA is 26-10, 3.09 leaving fans wondering why he was not in Buffalo this summer to partner with Stewart. At #18 is P Phil Colantuono who was the Wolves first selection this summer. The 18 year old went 7-2. 2.78 in rookie ball, he is still a few years away. Tales From The Manor- Dukes 1954 Recap - The men of the ice in Toronto came tantalizingly close to repeating as NAHC champions. The team finished the 70 game regular season atop the standings dethroning the Chicago Packers who had finished in first the two previous seasons. During the regular season the Dukes got off to a uneven start until they went on an eight game undefeated streak, 7-0-1, from November 28th to December 17th. Fans may have been a little wary as the team followed that streak with their longest losing streak in two seasons of 3 games. Beginning with a Boxing Day 4-2 win at home over the Detroit Motors the team settled into winning ways going 21-11-6 for the balance of the season to finish 35-22-13 for 83 points 4 more than Chicago. The team was again led by the triumvirate of Pollack, Carlson and Galbraith although Coach Jack Barrell did split the line up from time to time to balance the attack. Carlson led the league in goals with 36, half of which came on the power play, with Pollack one behind him. The Dukes had the only two thirty goal scorers in the league during a lower scoring 1953-54 season. Pollack added 43 assists to capture the scoring title with 78 points six more than the Packers Tommy Burns who missed twelve games due to injury. Pollack also took 68 shots more, 345 in total, than anyone else in the NAHC. Barrell continued his new innovation of rotating Scott Renes and Charlie Dell in net with both seemingly responding well to the rotation. Renes started 39 games going 18-13-8, 2.28 while Dell began the other 31 posting a record of 17-9-5, 2.42. The Dukes gave up the least goals against with 166 while finishing second in goals scored at 201, seven less than Chicago. Onto the playoffs in which the Dukes took on the New York Shamrocks who finished fourth with a 24-30-16, 64 points record. New York split the first two at the Gardens thanks to a 4-3 OT winner by Robert Sharpley at 15:37 in Game Two. Toronto seemed to have the series in hand by taking both games at Bigsby Gardens before the Shamrocks staved off elimination with another OT win less than a minute into extra time, 2-1 in Toronto. Duke finished off the Shamrocks with a third victory in Bigsby Gardens 3-2 in Game Six. The big news in the series was an injury to Quinton Pollack that would have him missed the last game of this series plus the first three of the final. If fans and sportswriters took for granted another Toronto versus Chicago final the Detroit Motors showed they had other plans. The Motors had snuck into the playoffs last season only to eliminated by the Packers proved they were not to be denied in the semis this year. Led by netminder Henri Chasse and winger Nick Tardif they lost the first game at Lakeside Aud 4-2 before reeling off 4 straight to take the series in five games. In the final Toronto, backed by Scott Renes' fine effort, took the first game 3-1 before a strong Motors third period in which they tallied three times including two by Adam Vanderbilt to even the series at one by the same 3-1 score. The Dukes seemed to take control of the series with a tight 2-1 win at Thompson Palladium when Galbraith beat Chasse in the third with Arsenault in the penalty box. Chasse shutout the Dukes making 38 saves in 5-0 whitewash before 16148 screaming supporters. Pollack returned for the fourth game but was noticeably not at full strength. Detroit was down 3-2 with less than four minutes to play when Barber beat Renes to tie the game at 16:47. After the ensuing face-off Pollack was sent off for roughing. Comeau scored 51 seconds into the penalty to give the Motors a 4-3 win along with 3-2 series lead. Pollack looked a little better in the sixth game, opening the scoring seven minutes into the first before Detroit took a 3-1 lead just past the ten minute mark of the second on a natural hattrick by Alex Monette. Dukes tied the game with two goals in the last five minutes of the second. Monette was not to be stopped as he scored his fourth of the game at 5:01 of the third. This proved to the game, series, Challenge Cup winner as Toronto could not beat Chasse to tie the game. Detroit paraded the Cup around the ice to the joy of the fans while the Dukes exited the ice quickly after the traditional handshakes. Coach Barrell- "Close but not close enough, give Detroit credit they shut us down after the third game. Quinton's injury in the New York series did not help, he suited up in the last two games even though he was a long way from 100%. Had it not be the final he would not have been dressed, he wanted to try, I probably should have kept him out. His penalty in the fifth game after taking a slash to the injured foot turned that game. Overall it was a good season when we finally got rolling in November. My unorthodox goaltender usage seems to working, we have another keeper in Cleveland, Mike Connelly, that might give these two a run for their money in camp during the fall. I want to get a good at couple of others up north, we have to keep moving forward. There is no resting on your laurels in the NAHC." Tales From The Nest- Falcons 1954 Summary - The Falcons made it to an expanded playoffs with 38-34 record good enough for a third place finish in a strong Western Division of the Federal Basketball League. The Falcons were 10 games above even though they surrendered more points than they scored in the season. In division semi the Falcons met the Chicago Panthers, 48-24, led by Luther Gordon and Charlie Barrell for the right to take on the Rochester Rockets in the Western Final. After losing the opening two games in Chicago the Falcons won two at home to force a deciding fifth game in Chicago. Luther Gordon proved to be far too much for the Falcons in that contest. His 27 points led the Panthers to an easy 81-59 win, Kenny Roberts, Major Belk had no answer this night as the season ended for Toronto. PF Jumbo Hinman was 1st Team All-Defense along with being Defender of the Year, C George Laliberte was 1st Team All- Rookie, F Terry Delgarno made the All-Rookie 2nd Team. TWO MORE TITLES FOR MOTOR CITY Well, we certainly could get used to this! The city of Detroit, one that suffered through the entire 1940s and many years before with no chance to hold a parade, celebrated two more in 1954 as the Dynamos dynasty continued to roll and the Motors ended a 15 year Challenge Cup drought. That makes 3 Federal Association pennants, 2 World Championship Series wins, a Challenge Cup and a Federal Basketball League title in the last three years for Detroit. Add in some nice runs from the Detroit City College basketball team and things get even better. The Dynamos made history in 1954 becoming the first team in the Federal Association since the 1906 Boston Minutemen to win three consecutive flags. With the best pitching staff in baseball anchored by 28-year-old Jack Miller and 24-year-old Jim Norris -winners of the past two Allen Awards- and a two-time Allen winner in Joe Hancock who says he is returning for his age 42 season after a 15-5, 3.67 campaign this time around there is plenty of optimism the Dynamos may just make it four in a row. The team is still very much in its prime and there are options in place to take over for Hancock, who is the only key contributor on the mound over 35. Those options include Jack Halbur, who looked very good in a brief stint with the club last year and 22-year-old Heinie Massey, a 1954 second round pick out of Lane State who may just be the next Jim Norris. Stan Kleminski, Edwin Hackberry, Ralph Johnson, Del Johnson, Tommy Griffin, Dan Smith and Bill Morrison are all between 27 and 31 and should be productive for many more seasons. Only first baseman Mack Sutton, 37, is approaching the end of the line and Sutton rebounded with 31 homers last season after two years spent mostly on the bench. Yes, there is plenty to celebrate at Thompson Field but also plenty of reason to believe more victory parades may be on the way. *** Motors Major Surprise *** You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would have suggested the Detroit Motors would hoist the Challenge Cup in 1954. The Motors who their only Cup back in 1939 and have rarely been competitive since. Detroit has not won a playoff series in well over a decade but the 1954 edition surprised Chicago and then knocked off Toronto to claim the title. We also may have witnessed the early stages of development for the next star player in the NAHC as Alex Monette almost singlehandedly was responsible for the victory in the deciding game when he scored all four Detroit goals in a 4-3 Cup clinching win over the Dukes. Monette was the rookie of the year the previous season and finished fifth in league scoring during his sophomore season, combining with Nick Tardif to give the Motors a pair of elite offensive performers. The news was not all good as both of Rollie Barrell's clubs struggled. The Detroit Mustangs, champions of the FBL just two years ago, were dreadful and won just 15 of 72 games to finish last in the West Division for the second straight season. Jack Kurtz and David Reed, long-time leaders, both struggled and appear near the end of the road but draft picks selected the past few years have not stepped up and the Mustangs look to be in a world of trouble. Fortunately, in basketball one good draft pick can turn a team around as Ward Messer did for Detroit when he arrived in 1948. Messer needs a supporting cast and Detroit will pick first again in the FBL draft so the opportunity to add a key piece is there. Rollie's other club, the grid Maroons, have not had the success that was hoped for when his brother-in-law Tom Bowens was named head coach several years. The former star pass catcher for the Boston Americans has worked wonders with second year quarterback Sam Burson and the Maroons offense is rapidly improving, a major change from the last days of Frank Yurik. The Maroons did post their second straight 6-6 season but the weak spot for a club that has not won the AFA title since 1936 and has made the playoffs just once in the post-war era is now its defense. There are some pieces to build on such as All-Pros linebacker Scott Cross and back Pete Schinkle but while the team gave us some hope with a playoff game in 1951, contention for a title still seems a little ways away as the Maroons look to join the other three local entries as league champions in the 1950s. The Year That Was Current events from 1954
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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. Last edited by Tiger Fan; 09-04-2024 at 02:41 PM. |
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09-09-2024, 01:33 PM
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#1015 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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Some Figment Sports History
While we wait for the 1955 year in review, which will be a little while as we are on a weeklong pause while our commissioner is on vacation, here is a look at some of the history from our universe.
First up, here is a list of champions from each professional season and the total number of titles won by teams in each sport.  It comes as little surprise that New York City leads the way as they have benefitted for much of FABL's existence by having both the Gothams and Stars and have always been represented in each of the other three major sports leagues. Including the basketball title won in the long since defunct American Basketball Conference, New York City has celebrated 25 tiles broken down as follows (for baseball I only count WCS wins) Code:
Stars 9 Gothams 5 Football Stars 5 Shamrocks 3 Knights 2 (1 in FBL, 1 in ABC) Eagles 1 (defunct hockey team) The only cities with active teams that have never won a title are Los Angeles (football Tigers and as of 1954 the baseball Stars) and Rochester (only the basketball Rockets).  Some Random Notes as we anticipate the arrival of 1955 The Detroit Dynamos will likely be the preseason favourite in the Federal Association again this season and if they win their the flag, it would be their fourth in a row. Three CA teams have won three straight flags: Code:
1924-26 New York Stars 1936-38 Brooklyn Kings 1943-45 Cincinnati Cannons It is interesting to note that while five teams have won at least three straight pennants, only four times in FABL history has a team finished in second place for three consecutive seasons. The New York Gothams, who finished second to Detroit in the Federal Association each of the past three years are the fourth to do so and in 1955 will have a chance to become the first FABL club in history to finish in second place four years in a row. Code:
TEAMS TO FINISH 2ND IN THREE STRAIGHT YEARS YEARS TEAM 1952-54 New York Gothams 1943-45 Toronto Wolves 1938-40 Detroit Dynamos 1903-05 Pittsburgh Miners Two of the previous three (1906 Pittsburgh and 1946 Toronto) fell to the second division the year after the straight second place finishes. The 1941 Dynamos again were the exception as they finished third. Turning to hockey, the NAHC has seen four different teams win the Challenge Cup in the past four years. That is the first time there have been four different Cup winners in four years since 1937-40. The Detroit Motors won their second ever Cup last spring, two years after the Chicago Packers hoisted the mug for the first time. In between Toronto won its record 9th Cup while Montreal, which is the last repeat winner, won in both 1950 and 1951. Boston, which is second to Toronto with 7 Cups, has not won since 1947 while the New York Shamrocks, owners of three titles, last sipped from the Cup in 1932 when they beat the now-defunct crosstown rival New York Eagles. In the eight seasons since the Federal Basketball League was revived, the league has seen seven different teams win the championship. Last year it was the New York Knights. The only two-time winner is the Washington Statesmen, who won back to back titles in 1950 and 1951. The Chicago Wildcats are the most successful American Football Association team, at least when measured by titles, with seven but the Wildcats have not won since 1949. The New York Football Stars (although I guess with the baseball team gone to Los Angeles we can just call them the New York Stars now) are closing fast with five titles after winning in both 1952 and 1953. Last year's title team -the Philadelphia Frigates- won its second AFA title in 1954, exactly a decade after claiming its first. Finally, here is a look at the number of national titles won by each school in the three major AIAA collegiate sports. 
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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. |
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09-16-2024, 02:55 PM
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#1016 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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1955 End of Year Report
1955 IN FIGMENT SPORTS ANOTHER MEMORABLE YEAR FOR THE CITY OF DETROIT After suffering through most of the 1930s and forties, the city of Detroit has been a home for champions in the first half of the 1950s. In the last five years the Motor City has seen its hockey team win a Challenge Cup for just the second time, its basketball team claim its first Federal Basketball League title and its college football team claim its second National Title. All of that pales in comparison to what the Detroit Dynamos baseball team has accomplished so far this decade. The Dynamos, who had not won a pennant since 1929 when the decade began, just completed their fourth consecutive flag winning season and are now just one more pennant away from tying the 1902-06 Boston Minutemen, who are the only team in any of the four major professional sports to win five consecutive titles. Were it not for one game the Dynamos could be celebrating their fifth title already, as in 1951 Detroit and St Louis finished the regular season tied for top spot but Pioneers claimed the Federal Association pennant with a victory in the one game tiebreaker. Since then Detroit has put together a run unseen in modern sports. The Dynamos of the past couple of years may well be the best baseball team ever assembled with their dominant pitching staff led by Jim Norris, Jack Miller and Joe Hancock -who have combined to win each of the last four Federal Association Allen Awards- and a deep lineup that led the Federal Association in runs scored in 1955. The Dynamos have won three World Championship Series in the past four years, including back to back wins over the Kansas City Kings in 1954 and again this year. The Dynamos are not the only repeat winner this time around. The American Football Association's Philadelphia Frigates won their second straight league title behind the arm of star quarterback Pete Capizzi. A proven winner, Capizzi also has a national collegiate title from his days at Central Kentucky to go with his back to back AFA championship game wins. This year's collegiate grid title went to Detroit City College which capped a perfect 10-0 season with a victory over Northern California in the East-West Classic. On the ice the Toronto Dukes won their record 10th Challenge Cup as the champions of the North American Hockey Confederation while Carolina Poly became the fifth school to win at least four collegiate cage titles after they downed another four-time winner in City College of Los Angeles in the championship game. In pro basketball, the Rochester Rockets won their first Federal Basketball League title, knocking off the Boston Centurions in five games in the championship series. The other newcomer to winning in 1955 was the Sunnyvale Pioneers baseball team. It marked the first national title of any kind for the California school after the Pioneers won their Collegiate Baseball World Championship Series last summer.  For reasons unknown to mankind, the brilliant mind of Frank York (spoiler: he did not make it to 1956) thought that not only was he going to make the rich richer, but his last place team with zero pitching depth had no need for 26-year-old staff ace Paul Anderson, who was not only coming off a solid season where he was 15-13 with a 3.30 ERA (126 ERA+) and FABL high 196 strikeouts, but also owns a career 67-36 record with a 2.91 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, and 687 strikeouts in four excellent seasons. Now you may be thinking, "well, what if York got an offer he couldn't refuse?" Well then I'd ask you: "would you trade a young ace for three teens, only one of which is a top 100 prospect (85th) and a 23-year-old with 64 PAs in A ball? Because that's what they got!" In an absolute coup for the Dynamos, the only player they may miss out on is Cal Wells, the 85th ranked prospect and former 5th Round pick who may make it to FABL in four years. Maybe. And then maybe he'll also be a solid power hitter with a good eye. But that's the third piece or a throw in for an ace. Not the headliner. Sure, Charlie Sax was a former 1st Rounder and could be a back-end top 100 prospect at year's end, and I guess Floyd Warner can throw strikes, but I just can't understand the motivation in trading your second most valuable player and only guy close to Charlie Barrell's (.384, 8, 30) value before he's anywhere close to 30. I mean, do the Stars not imagine competing in the next five years?!?!? That was the most exciting deal before the season, but a few other teams made some less impactful trades. The Kings and Miners swapped one FABL player and one prospect each, with Kansas City acquiring right fielder Bryan Jeffress (.289, 3, 22), who was in-line for a bigger role in the Miners offense, and former 4th Rounder Paul Castelli for utility man Al Clement (.265, 9, 44) and teenaged lefty Bill Scott. The other equal swap involved the two Chicago teams, as the Cougars sent corner-bat Jimmy Hairston (.259, 2, 15) to the Chiefs for recent 2nd Rounder Jim Barton. Jeffress, Clement, and Hairston are all depth pieces, but could be useful additions for their respective clubs. The only other two deals of note were trades involving a team selling one of their pitchers for two prospects. The first involved the New York Gothams, who acquired 1947 CA ERA leader Ollie White (6-10, 1, 4.94, 60) from the Pioneers for a pair of young first basemen. White has had plenty of experience pitching as a starter and reliever, and can give the Gothams an extra arm to supplement their vets. The other move saw the Montreal Saints receive veteran Bob Haverhill (12-14, 5.33, 90) from the Eagles after just one season in Washington. They added him from Detroit in the Rule-5 draft before the '54 season, and he went on to make a career high 30 starts and throw an also career high 194.1 innings. They got a pair of corner bats for their short-term investment, led by former 15th Rounder Del Murray who quickly worked his way among the game's top 250 prospects. That was all the movement prior to the season, and if it wasn't clear already, the Detroit Dynamos firmly cemented themselves as the best team in FABL. Considering Anderson would be an ace for most teams, the fact that he lines up behind Jack Miller (21-13, 3.69, 154) and Jim Norris (20-10, 2.80, 134) shows you how deep their rotation is, and they're also able to get starts from Joe Hancock (15-6, 3.81, 60), Jack Halbur (6-1, 16, 1.49, 15) and Bob Arman (15-12, 3.43, 99). No Fed team did anything close to enough to catch this dominant squad, and even the extremely talented Kansas City Kings group isn't at the same level. I'd be surprised if there's anything standing in the way of the Dynamos title hopes. Well, except maybe a few (a lot) untimely injuries. We still have to play the games out! Who cares how awesome they look on paper?!?!?! The Dynamos wasted no time early on, winning 14 of their first 17 games to open up a 4 game lead over the Gothams (10-7) in the Federal Association while the Kings slept walked their way through the first month of their Continental Association pennant defense. Luckily for Kings fans, they got hot in May, and began June with a 29-17 record, just a half game ahead of the surging Saints (30-19). Still, neither were as dominant as the Dynamos, who were 31-13 and playing over .700 ball. Even the 27-18 Pioneers were seemingly falling out of it, already 4.5 games back. Then came June, and if you still had some sort of delusion that a non-Dynamo team was going to win the Fed pennant, you pretty much had to keep that opinion close to the chest to avoid being picked on by your friends. After going 22-8in June, Detroit opened up a 12.5 game lead on St. Louis (41-34) and New York (41-34), and with a 52-21 record they had 15 fewer losses then the CA leaders. And while the Fed flag clearly looked settled, the CA was anything but, as on July first more teams were within three games of first (5) then not (3), and even the last place Cannons (7.5 GB) were closer to the leading Sailors (43-36) then the Pioneers and Gothams were to the Dynamos. With so many clubs in contention in the CA, you'd think that teams would put their trading caps on, but again, no midseason trades were completed. Part of that could be that the Kings were 4.5 games above the Sailors on the deadline, and the 3rd place Foresters (53-52) were a game over .500, so the teams that waited to make a move ended up falling too far out. Because of that, we had no real pennant races for the first time in seemingly forever, as while the Dynamos cruised to an almost 20-game lead, the Kings entered September with a 6.5 game lead and finished the year up 8, setting up a rematch of the 1955 series. What makes the Dynamos so good is the overall abundance of talent that they've been able to put together, as well as the cunning decisions of the now 5-Time Manager of the Year winner Dick York. The longtime Dynamo catcher has rewarded the front office with their patience in him, as York was close to being fired in 1949 but instead led the team on a dominant stretch since then including a 1955 campaign that was decided on day 60 of the season. That was the last day any of the seven Fed teams were within ten games of the dynasty builders, who cruised to their fourth consecutive pennant by scoring the most runs (872) and allowing the fewest (601). If there is one thing Detroit did better, its pitch, as there was not a weak link in that lineup. Led by Jim Norris (23-7, 2.97, 129), who won his second consecutive Allen Award after leading both associations in wins. It was a well deserved honor for Norris, who also finished top five in the Fed in ERA (3rd, 2.97), WAR (2nd, 7.2), innings (2nd, 278.2), WHIP (2nd, 1.17), FIP (2nd, 3.41), ERA+ (3rd, 147), quality starts (t-1st, 25), and strikeouts (4th, 129), while leading in complete games (21) and shutouts (5). That's enough to drive a sane lineup crazy, but Norris is backed by a former Allen Winner in Jack Miller (18-10, 3.75, 118), 3-Time All-Star and January acquisition Paul Anderson (11-7, 2, 3.81, 151), and a third Allen Winner in Joe Hancock (15-6, 3.81, 60) who even at 42 can still dominate the best the game has to offer. The cherry on the top is stopper-turned-starter in Jack Halbur (17-3, 9, 2.77, 86), who won the Fed ERA crown with 19 starts and 22 relief outings in 185.1 innings pitched. There's not an easy guy to pile runs onto early, and with all the run support they get, good luck trying to beat them. Edwin Hackberry may not have been in contention for the Whitney, but hitting .305/.404/.566 (147 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 30 homers, and 128 RBIs in 138 games. He dealt with injuries early in the season, but there were clearly no ill-effects once he stayed healthy. They were able to win without him, as guys like Del Johnson (.323, 14, 90, 18), Bill Morrison (.311, 22, 112), and even Tommy Griffin (.309, 11, 69) stepped up. Detroit also used plenty of rotation, with plenty of players with sub-500 PAs playing important roles. That includes a no-longer-elite Ralph Johnson (.302, 11, 73, 5), another former King Pat Petty (.252, 9, 43), tenth year vet Dick Estes (.305, 12, 41), and waiver claim Billy Brown (.261, 11, 38), who almost made more trips to the plate (281) this year then in the last five seasons (324). With so many tough at bats, they're a nightmare for pitching staffs, and it's no surprise they managed to lead almost every other Fed team by 20 games. Despite such a large lead for Detroit, there were plenty of impressive performances elsewhere, most notably young Whitney Winner Earl Howe, who followed up his Kellogg season (.333, 37, 124) with a season that can be described as nothing short of elite. The former #1 pick hit .312/.405/.652 (166 OPS+), leading the Fed in runs (127), RBIs (153), slugging, OPS (1.056), WRC+ (173), wOBA (.452), WAR (8.9), and most importantly, home runs. Howe, who made an appearance in every game for the Gothams for the second consecutive season, hit 55 longballs to set the team record. He became the 6th player to hit 50 home runs in a season, and his 55 is good enough for sixth most in a season. Interesting enough teammate Hank Estil (.310, 47, 125) entered a tie for 15th this year, as the duo ranked #1 and #2 among FABL hitters. That's why it's no surprise the 3rd place Gothams (80-74, 21 GB) led the Fed in that category, despite Walt Messer (.315, 28, 100) being the only other member of the team with more then new starting catcher Lew Mercer's (.271, 11, 48) eleven. Like Detroit, they surpassed the 800 run mark (802), but they just didn't have the lineup depth of the Dynamos. The rotation couldn't quite match either, as Ed Bowman (14-14, 4.35, 121) posted his first career season with an ERA above 4. That's impressive for someone who turns 36 in November, and since that ERA was still slightly above average (101 ERA+), he's now gone fourteen seasons without a below average ERA. And since George Garrison (17-9, 3.08, 104) was really the only guy to outperform him, it's no shock the Gothams posed little threat despite a historical season from their new star. The individual performances of the Chiefs Al Miller (20-9, 2.77, 111) and Rod Shearer (.309, 45, 136) deserve highlighting, as both put together award worthy seasons. Miller put together the most convincing case, leading the Fed in many categories including WHIP (1.06), K/BB (1.9), FIP- (73), and WAR (7.9). He could have had ERA too, but since his 2.77 came in a league high 279.1 innings and Halbur's came in 185.1, so his rounded 2.77 was just a little bit higher. Most impressively, Miller put together an elite season in the year he turned 40, twice finishing runner up to Jim Norris to keep him at one Allen. The Chiefs magic with aging pitchers seems to work, even if Charlie Bingham (15-13, 4.06, 74) finally hung it up at 45, meaning "The California Kid" could have a few more goes at his 2nd Allen or 10th All Star selection. Winning 20 games is easier with someone like Shearer, who somehow still doesn't have a Whitney, as this time it was a 53 homer season keeping him in trophyless. Shearer hit "just" 45 homers with "just" 136 RBIs, slashing "only" .309/.391/.622 (157 OPS+). One of these years he's bound to get lucky, as it's absurd that a career .300/.378/.582 (158 OPS+) hitter with 194 homers and 653 RBIs in five full seasons hasn't got anything more then a Kellogg and 3-All Star selections. You would think voters could at least give Shearer a share of the vote, as they did to the two stars that led the Kansas City Kings to the playoffs once again. Both Charlie Rogers (.331, 16, 99, 19) and Ken Newman (.308, 26, 85) finished the season as 26-year-olds, securing the first co-MVP in Continental history. For Newman, it's his third in a row, and with a full season he could have won the award outright. He appeared in just 137 games due to a fractured foot, though that didn't stop him from leading the CA in walks (122), OBP (.461), OPS (1.012), WRC+ (163), and wOBA (.436). Newman also knocked 25 doubles, 26 homers, and 85 RBIs, cementing himself as the undisputed King of the Conti. Rogers got to share the crown with him this time, as the talented center fielder led the association in PAs (640), hits (212), and triples (36). Rogers owned a solid .331/.361/.525 (124 OPS+) triple slash and 134 WRC+, tallying 76 extra base hits, 92 runs, 99 RBIs, and a 7.2 wins above replacement that matched his co-MVP. The duo has grown and will continue to grow together, and with the core in place they could manage to shock the favorites in Detroit. Though I'm not sure what's more surprising about the Kings season, the fact that Mike Thorpe (13-2, 8, 1.44, 56) had a 1.44 ERA (306 ERA+) in 119 innings, or that the reigning two-time Allen Winner Fred Washington (18-11, 4.00, 182) saw his ERA balloon to 4.00 (110 ERA+) in no small part due to surrendering an association high 32 homers after never allowing more then 20 in three seasons of over 285 innings. That's probably the only reason there were teams within ten games of the Kings, as they still managed to lead the association in fewest runs allowed (604). Allen Winner Tony Britten (20-11, 2.64, 159) led the staff as well as the association in ERA and WHIP (1.13), while 23-year-old Beau McClellan (13-16, 3.67, 158) had a breakout in year five. Even a potent lineup like Detroit's will have trouble with a staff like this, as second year catcher Dutch Miller (.261, 23, 109) does a great job supporting his team behind and at the plate. It's going to be tough for this group to handle such a talented and experienced team, but they survived an association with no dead weight as the other seven teams finished between 70 and 80 wins. My nomination for biggest surprise goes to former 25th Rounder Bill Guthrie of the San Francisco Sailors, who was the only continental hitter to blast more then 35 home runs. The completely unheralded first basemen hit an excellent .265/.341/.552 (126 OPS+), driving in 108 runs with a 135 WRC+ and association high 166 strikeouts in 574 trips to the plate. His 43 homers trailed just Tom Taylor's 44 as a rookie Whitney Winner in 1928, and with 64 FABL homers he's now just 12 homers away from having more then all other 25th Rounders combined. Whether the 26-year-old is a legit slugger or not is yet to be determined, but he stepped up with both Al Farmer (.272, 12, 68) and Billy Forbes (.263, 14, 59, 23) showing steep declines. The only real threat to the Kings this season was the Foresters, who settled for second although you can't blame their two superstars. Both Adrian Czerwinski (20-13, 3.48, 183) and Sherry Doyal (.306, 34, 120) continued to perform at an elite level. Czerwinski in particular excelled, as for the 7th consecutive year he led the Conti in wins above replacement. This time it was a career high, as he recorded 10.4 WAR in an association high 297.2 innings. That's the sixth time he's led and fifth time above 295, as it's not even close to his fault that the rest of the staff couldn't get it going. They were average, but with the top lineup they really let Doyal and the offense down. The 27-year-old hit a robust .306/.406/.580 (146 OPS+) with 102 runs, 23 doubles, 11 triples, 34 homers, 120 RBIs, and 88 walks. He had plenty of support from Frenchy Sonntag (.299, 23, 84), Lloyd Coulter (.279, 34, 110), and Lorenzo Samuels (.254, 29, 88), as John Low (.332, 9, 62) and Larry McClure (.292, 7, 65) excelled on both sides of the game. If I'm Henry Rowland, I'm going to spend my offseason looking for pitching, as there is just too much talent on this team to not push all the chips in and try to dethrone the Kings. Despite failing to win 80 games (79-75) for the first time since 1948 (60-94), they were far better then they showed. Their run differential led to an expected 88-66 record that would have given them a one game lead in the association. The six teams behind them are far behind, but all six can win any given series, and all six may think they have the young core to start bringing in pieces to support them.  [size="6"1955 World Championship Series[size] The Detroit Dynamos became the first team since 1906 to win four straight pennants and followed it up with their third World Championship Series title in four years after a thrilling extra-innings victory in Game Seven of their series with the Kansas City Kings. It marked Detroit's second straight series triumph over the Kings as the Dynamos won in six games a year ago.DYNAMOS BEAT KANSAS CITY FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE WCS WIN Detroit was dominant during the regular season, becoming the first Federal Association club to win at least 100 games since the 1938 Chicago Chiefs and finished 19 games ahead of the second place Pittsburgh Miners. This Week in Figment Sports baseball writer Archie Irwin does not believe there has ever been a team more dominant than the '55 Dynamos. "They scored 872 runs and allowed just 601," noted Irwin, adding that "On the 11th of June, they already opened up a double digit lead. On July 1st they were 52-21 and 12.5 games ahead of the Pioneers and Gothams. By August 1st it was up to 16. When September started it was over 20. In this entire period no one was able to get within single digits of them. In fact, there were only 60 days during the entire season where a non-Dynamo team was within 9.5 games of first place." There was very little turnover from the team that won each of the three previous pennants and World titles in 1952 and 1954. The only newcomer to appear in a WCS game for Detroit was pitcher Paul Anderson, who was acquired over the winter from the Los Angeles Stars. Kansas City also sent very much the same lineup out on the field this October as they did the previous year with outfielder Bryan Jeffress and waiver wire pickup Ed Whitney being the only exceptions. GAME ONE: KANSAS CITY 9 DETROIT 2 Kings ace Fred Washington gave up a pair of runs early but was outstanding the rest of the way, allowing just 6 Detroit hits as the Kings won the opener on the road by a 9-2 score. Detroit could have had a run in the first inning when Edwin Hackberry hit a two-out double but Stan Kleminski, trying to score from first base was gunned down on a relay throw from Kings shortstop Chuck Lewis.Detroit did open the scoring in the second when Dick Estes hit a one-out double and scored on Tommy Griffin's base hit and the lead increased to 2-0 on an rbi double off the bat of Kleminski in the fifth inning. Young Detroit ace Jim Norris, who won his second straight Allen Award this season, kept the Kings bats in check for five innings and had little trouble retiring the first two Kansas City hitters in the sixth. That's when things fell apart as four consecutive Kings singles, aided by a passed ball, led to 3 Kansas City runs. Elmer Grace would double in another run off Norris in the 7th to put Kansas City up 4-2 and a tight game was busted open in the ninth when the Kings tacked on 5 more funs, a bases-loaded 3-run double off the bat of Charlie Rogers being the big blow. GAME TWO: DETROIT 6 KANSAS CITY 2 The Dynamos used a big inning of their own to even the series with a 6-2 victory in game two. It came in the third when the Dynamos, trailing 2-0 at the time, exploded for five runs on five hits and a Kings error to take the lead for good. Dick Estes and Dan Smith each drove in two runs for the winners while Jack Miller went the distance for his fourth career WCS win.GAME THREE: DETROIT 9 KANSAS CITY 2 Pat Petty had three hits, including a 2-run double, and drove in 4 runs as the Dynamos took the series lead with a dominant 9-2 victory on the road. Jack Halbur surrendered just 4 hits in earning the complete game victory while Continental Association Allen Award winner Tony Britten took the loss. Detroit used the big inning to win once more as the Dynamos scored three times in each of the third, fifth and eighth innings.GAME FOUR: DETROIT 7 KANSAS CITY 4 The Dynamos moved to within one victory of clinching the series after they rallied for a 7-4 win in game four. The Kings led 4-1 after five innings thanks in no small part to a 2-run homer off the bat of Charlie Rogers. Detroit cut the deficit to a single run in the 7th inning when Billy Brown ripped a 2-run homer to chase Kansas City starter Walt Staton. Dan Smith would hit another two-run shot for Detroit in the eighth inning to give the visitors the lead and Edwin Hackberry would make it a trifecta with a 2-run homer of his own in the ninth inning, making a winner out of Paul Anderson, who had relieved Detroit starter Joe Hancock in the seventh inning.GAME FIVE: KANSAS CITY 5 DETROIT 4 Game one starters Jim Norris and Fred Washington were back at it and the Dynamos drew first blood with a pair of runs off Washington in the top of the fourth inning. Kansas City pulled even with two in the fifth thanks to a lead off double by Ed Whitney and singles off the bats of Chuck Lewis and Kings pitcher Washington. An inning later the Kings added three more runs, aided by a Del Johnson error, a lead-off double by Charlie Rogers and timely hits from Bob Schmelz and Lewis to allow the hosts to go up by a 5-2 score.Detroit made it close with two runs in the top of the eighth but a strikeout of Billy Brown by Washington with two-out and runners on second and third allowed the Kings to cling to a 1-run lead. Beau McClellan took over on the Kansas City mound for the bottom of the ninth and he did allow singles to Del Johnson and Edwin Hackberry but was aided by a twin killing before striking out former Kings superstar Ralph Johnson to end the game. GAME SIX: KANSAS CITY 7 DETROIT 5 The King succumbed to Detroit in game six a year ago but not this time as homers from Joe Cahill and Dutch Miller propelled Kansas City to a 7-5 victory, spoing a 3-hit, 2 rbi game from Detroit first baseman Pat Petty. Mike Thorpe went 8 innings for the victory and Beau McClellan earned the save for the second straight game as the Kings forced a deciding seventh contest.GAME SEVEN: DETROIT 7 KANSAS CITY 6 (10 innings) A wild game seven that saw Tony Britten square off against Jack Halbur. The Kings got to work quickly with Red Hinton leading off the game with a two-bagger and scoring the opening run on a 1-out double from Charlie Rogers. However, Detroit answered just as quickly as Britten surrendered singles to the first two batters he faced in Stan Kleminski and Del Johnson before the third hitter, Pat Petty, blasted a 3-run homer.The Dynamos led increased to 4-1 in the second on an rbi single from Del Johnson after Tommy Griffin had led off with a walk but the Kings cut the deficit to 4-3 when Billy Bryant smacked a two-run homer in the third inning. The score remained 4-3 until the Kings took the lead in the sixth inning. Joe Cahill tripled in Charlie Rogers, who had led off the frame with a single, to tie the game and then a passed ball allowed Cahill to race home with the go-ahead run to make the score 5-4 Kings. In the bottom of the 7th Detroit regained the lead when Kleminski delivered a one-out single and score on a two-run homer from Del Johnson that ended Britten's day and turned the ball over to Beau McClellan for the third game in a row. Paul Anderson took over for Halbur in the 8th and immediately walked Ken Newman on four pitches to start the inning. Anderson strikes out a ton of hitters- he led his league in K's each of the past four seasons- but also walks a lot and this one would prove costly. Dutch Miller sacrificed Newman to second and then with two out Ed Whitney - a waiver wire pickup during the season- delivered the biggest hit of his career, slapping an rbi single to plate Newman with the tying run. The drama was just beginning as the Kings had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth when Charlie Rogers belted a two-out doble with Bob Schmelz on first base. Schmelz got the green light around third and raced for home only to be gunned down by a perfect Hackberry-Kleminski-Smith rely and the game remained tied. Wally Graves took over on the mound for Kansas City in the bottom of the ninth and retired the first two Detroit hitters but then walked the bases loaded. Pinch-hitter Bill Grove had a chance to be the hero but he hit an infield fly to end the threat and send the game into extra innings. Wally Hunter, pitching for Detroit, retired the Kings in order in the top of the tenth. Graves did not have the same success, surrendering a lead-off double to Dick Estes. After Dan Smith grounded out, Tommy Griffin hit the series winning single as Estes beat the throw home and Detroit had its second straight WCS title. Detroit's extra inning victory marked just the second time in World Championship Series history that a game seven has gone into extra innings. The previous one was in 1942 when the New York Gothams scored twice in the top of the 10th inning to beat the New York Stars 3-1.  LONGBALL GIVES CA ALL-STAR GAME WIN IN ROUT Homeruns from Dutch Miller, Larry McClure and Bob Burge led the Continental Association to an 8-1 victory in the 23rd annual All-Star Game. The contest, held at Detroit's Thompson Field, was witnessed by a capacity crowd of 34,350 who saw the Continental stars take a 12-11 lead in the series with the victory.Los Angeles Stars pitcher Harry Trinity was the winning pitcher despite allowing the only Fed run in the game while veteran Gothams hurler Ed Bowman was tagged with the loss. For Bowman, it was his 11th appearance in the mid-season classic, a total only surpassed by George Cleaves, Bobby Barrell and Red Johnson. The Feds struck first when Trinity, after retiring the first two batters in the second inning, issued back to back walks to Marshall Thomas of Boston and the Gothams Hank Estill. Local star Dan Smith of the host Dynamos made Trinity pay for his lack of control with an rbi single but that would be the only run the Federal Association could muster off seven Continental Association hurlers. Bowman got into trouble when he took the hill in the top of the third inning as he walked Kansas City catcher Dutch Miller. A one-out single by Miller's Kings teammate Charlie Rogers put runners on the corners and a passed ball brought in the tying run before another King, Ken Newman, singled in Rogers for what would turn out to be the game winning run. Miller socked a three-run homer off of Chiefs reliever Vern Osborne in the sixth inning to make it 5-1 and an inning later both Larry McClure of Cleveland -with a two-run shot- and the Kings Bob Burge -with a solo blast- took Pittsburgh's Rex Dzuik deep to round out the scoring.  BASEBALL OFF-SEASON With the Dynamos once again champions, they sat back and relaxed for the rest of the offseason, letting the other 15 teams do what they could to stop them. The most active team was the Cincinnati Cannons, who finished above .500 (78-76) for the first time since 1950 (81-73). Just like that season, they finished in third place, but four games back opposed to the nine between them and the Kings this year. With a pair of 30 home run hitters in Dallas Berry (.273, 31, 103, 7) and Bill Barrett (.324, 33, 91) they have the backbone of a top lineup, and their hoping new acquisition Ike Perry (.274, 10, 64) can give them a tough 3-4-5. The longtime Eagles catcher was a regular in each of the last six seasons, and he's hit .282/.320/.402 (95 OPS+) in 852 career games. Cincinnati gave up a talented 24-year-old first basemen in Johnny Taylor (.235, 15, 44), the obvious center piece of the exchange. The switch hitter graduated as the 56th ranked prospect, and hit an adjusted league average .235/.336/.460 (100 OPS+) with 15 homers and 44 RBIs. He's got plus power and can play either corner position too, but with Jesse Alvarado (.274, 33, 115) and Rats McGonigle (.281, 15, 66) their now he's expected to man first and hit between them.With a system that enters 1956 ranked 3rd (155) behind just San Francisco (205) and Philadelphia (188), Perry was one of many upgrades the Cannons were able to make without depleting themselves of assets when players they desire become available. He wasn't even the only Eagle, as a month later they added veteran righty Dick Greenhalgh (6-3, 13, 4.33, 38) for a former top-100 prospect in Paul Repp. Greenhalgh was a starter from 1950 to 1953, and after a rough season last year he seems to have adjusted to bullpen work. He's not in the rotation now, but aside from 24-year-old ace Jake Pearson (18-13, 3.60, 179) there aren't any locks in the rotation. I'd like to see 25-year-old Simon Terry (13-9, 4.42, 95) improve his walks (124, 14.8 BB%) and develop into a #2, but if they are serious about competing they may need to move an impact prospect for a top arm to compliment Pearson. So far, the response has been two separate trades with the Pioneers, adding Hoppy Johnson (2-7, 1, 4.42, 43) and Coaker Vecchio (9-4, 4, 4.96, 62) to their pitching options. Cincinnati has done well resurrecting veteran pitchers, just ask Jim Anderson, and with so many rotation spots up for grabs they're hoping to grab lighting in a bottle. Cincinnati's biggest deal was moving on from former 3rd Round Pick Buzz McIlwain (.246, 14, 47, 9), who has spent parts of the last six seasons in the Cannons' outfield. His best season came last year, where he hit .297/.366/.482 (132 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 15 homers, 19 steals, and 51 RBIs, but that's proved to be an outlier season. Lucky for him, he'll join the pennant winning Kings, who will acquire Buzz and a prospect for Joe Cahill (.241, 15, 63) and a prospect. A 13th Round Pick, he actually got plenty of time in the Kings outfield the past three seasons, and owns a .271/.386/.405 (115 OPS+) batting line in 410 games in KC. He has a chance to play a bigger role in a Cannons lineup that's waiting for someone to step up, and he could allow them to shift former #1 prospect Ralph Hanson (.278, 9, 62, 16) back to the infield full time. The biggest strike of the offseason goes to the Pittsburgh Miners, who have a now 29-year-old Paul Williams (.281, 19, 91) that showed his first signs of mortality this season. His 136 WRC+ was his lowest since he became a full-time starter at 23, and after seasons of 29, 32, and, 33 homers he failed to hit 20. They're hoping with a talented hitter like Bill Wise (.300, 4, 44) ahead of him, he might find the power stroke with more runners on base. Acquired from Washington with a prospect in a six-player deal, "Slick Willie" will leave the organization for the first time since he was selected 11th overall in the 1946 draft. The three-time All-Star quickly made his debut at 18, hitting .313/.339/.430 (111 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 26 RBIs. This came in 74 games just a year after his draft year, and he's been a consistent top of the lineup player ever since. The one knock on Wise is his power, but in a park like Fitzpatrick Park that's almost a good thing. It's one of the toughest parks to hit a homer in, as the Miners consistently rank at the bottom in homers hit (8th, 108). There's plenty of room for Wise to put the ball in play, and for a guy who strikes out in under 5% of his PAs and has just 19 homers in 1,083 games, this looks to be a match made in heaven. A career .306/.375/.407 (112 OPS+) hitter, he's almost the perfect counterpart to shortstop Irv Clifford (.326, 59, 14), a contact oriented hitter with little power, and both should be on plenty for Williams and Bill Newhall (.333, 15, 87). They added swingman Sid Moulton (7-5, 3, 5.48, 49) in a minor deal with the Cougars, but the staff could be in need of a new leader. Ted Coffin (13-11, 4.43, 85) took a huge step back, not even able to reach 200 innings in his 33 starts. And aside from stopper Rex Dziuk (5-3, 19, 3.87, 62), Coffin was the best they had to offer. To beat the Dynamos, you have to hit and pitch, and until they can get guys who can keep runs off the board, they'll have plenty of trouble overtaking the champs. Another active Fed team was the Minutemen, who are looking to build around their talented young corner outfielder and former number one prospect Rex Masters (.345, 33, 114) broke out in the biggest of ways, producing an offensive explosion as a 24-year-old. The switch hitter hit a robust .345/.510/.546 (143 OPS+) with 33 homers, 107 runs, and 114 RBIs. He was selected to the first of likely many All-Star games, and surpassed the 200 hit mark (206) for the first time in his five year career. He also snapped Buddy Miller's (.326, 31, 104) batting title streak, showing everyone exactly why all the prospect people thought he was the best. Along with the double play duo of Marshall Thomas (.340, 24, 112) and Joe Kleman (.333, 16, 107), they have no shortage of offensive talent. Catcher Sam Walker (.299, 21, 83) has emerged as one of the top offensive catchers, opening the year ranked 3rd among FABL backstops. Though they did made a swap in their lineup, acquiring former CA RBI leader George Rutter (.302, 7, 32), who hit 20 homers in 106 games in 1954. They got a pitching prospect too, but had to part ways with 1953 Kellogg Winner Ray Rogan (.337, 15, 50) to get him. A natural second basemen, Rogan was stuck behind Marshall Strickland, so he was instead splitting time between left and center. The now just manager Harry Barrell did all he could to get him in the lineup, as it's impossible to keep a 152 WRC+ hitter on the bench. Finishing third in the batting race, he hit .337/.430/.497 (137 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 15 homers, 50 RBIs, and an impressive 81-to-26 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This team can hit homers with the best of them, but they need more stability in the rotation then just Johnny Duncan (10-8, 4.02, 101). You may be wondering why a player like that who's just 25 would be on the move, but there are rumor surrounding the team that Rogan's personality led to his teammates wanting him out. Call him grouchy, or maybe uncooperative, but the talent is undeniable. A career .309/.400/.443 (125 OPS+) hitter, Rogan has struck out in just 3.8% of his 1,836 FABL plate appearances, a skillset that the Sailors are known best for. He also walks at an above average rate (13.%), drawing 241 in his career and more then 80 in each of the last two seasons. With Al Farmer (.272, 12, 68) at second, Rogan will be staying on the grass, but with San Francisco he will have left all to himself. Projected as the three hitter in front of Farmer and Billy Forbes (.263, 14, 59, 23), Rogan is now in a position to excel, and his personality may not get on the nerves of his new teammates as much. On the sell side, no teams was more active then the cellar dwelling Eagles (60-94), who gathered nine prospects in deals for major league players. These deals helped strengthen a system ranked 4th (141), though their top three prospects are their three most recent first round picks. Each rank inside the top 15th, and while catcher Brad Keylon (14th) could be ready soon, they'll have to wait a while for 19-year-olds Jack Thompson (6th) and Bibb Martin (12th). "Cool Daddy" could be among the top outfielders in the game and "Bob Junior" is son of the most recent Hall-of-Famer Bob Martin. The expectations for this group will be sky high, and this offseason sell-off gave them plenty of talented young players to compete for supplemental roles. The best player acquired was probably new first basemen Johnny Taylor, but the best prospects were acquired from the Wise deal. The now 19-year-old Marty Hanna ranks just outside the top 100 at 102, and 23-year-old Sam Fitchett is a former 1st Rounder who could earn one of their five wide open rotation spots. Hanna is a 1st Rounder too, taken 11th in the most recent draft, and absolutely crushed pitchers in Class C (192 WRC+) before posting respectable numbers in Class B (115 WRC+). A ball was a bit rough, he was just 8-for-51, but the New York native projects to be an elite hitter and potential regular. Fitchett is the opposite, high floor, low ceiling, as the walks are preventing him from taking the next step. Pittsburgh took it slow with him, and I think he'll at least start the season in AA, but they did not have many starts from guys where you could be confident in them getting the job done. Other notable prospects include Enos Bailey, who like Hanna and Fitchett rank among the Eagles top 15 prospects. Bailey is the bottom one at 13 and 138, and came with Taylor and outfielder Charlie Brown from the Cannons in the Ike Perry deal. Bailey may compete with second basemen Tom Perkins (.268, 3, 38, 10) for the starting job, as Bailey hits for a high average and draws a lot of walks. I think it would take a major spring for him to even crack the 40-man roster, but if he performs in the minors he could earn a midseason callup to replace a traded or struggling player. Lefty Paul Repp, who was involved in the other trade with the Cannons, will also be in camp, and his excellent command could make him a useful back-end guy. He hasn't pitched above A ball, so he may have to wait a bit before he gets his shot, but the Eagles had no pitchers in the top 150 when the offseason started, and they now have Fitchett and Repp. The other last place team was down in LA, as the Stars finished 71-83 despite Charlie Barrell (.347, 22, 86) winning a batting title in his third season with the Stars. The two-sport star might not be the easiest player to build around, but when he's playing games he's a game changer, and LA may be the perfect location for a star like him to thrive. With such a deep lineup already, they felt comfortable dealing away the versatile Moe Holt (.299, 8, 76, 8), restocking the farm with a few useful prospects. Some may have expected more of a sell-off after that, but their new GM hung on to Jack Welch (.211, 17, 56), Paul Watson (.278, 21, 106), and Juan Tostado (11-11, 3.76, 89). They even ended the trading season with a big move, capitalizing on the Keystones outfield surplus to add Don Berry (.327, 11, 51) for the affordable price of Ed Holmes (.280, 5, 40, 7). It's what could be a big win-win as the Keystones had no one to play second and the Stars middle infield is occupied by Barrell and Watson. The pitching was poor last season, so there's plenty of work left in LA. They allowed the most runs in the CA, but saw promising results from former 2nd Rounder Pepper Swanson (15-12, 4.05, 155) in his rookie season. Tostado still looks good at 37, but they'll need to find 1952 Hub Armstrong (14-7, 3.19, 116) as he posted a consecutive (10-14, 4.56, 120) middling season. The Stars still have some work to do, but the acquisition of Berry could signal to the rest of the league that they'll keep buying if they can find a young arm to add to their staff. Some might have thought that the Cleveland Foresters would try to do something in the early offseason, but their only transaction was sending high leverage reliever Arch Wilson (5-4, 6, 2.35, 29) to the Cougars for a prospect. Sure, that prospect is former 1st Rounder Biff Tiner and he at least has some big league experience (1-5, BB, R), but their rotation needs some work. Obviously, Czerwinski is one of the top pitchers, so they can't upgrade the top of the rotation, but aside from Larry Beebe (11-11, 3.81, 116), there's no one worth guaranteeing starts to. Each internal option has their own merits, especially former 20-game winner Ducky Davis (9-11, 5.25, 78), but at 35 he's probably someone you don't want higher than 4th. At this point in his career, Rufus Barrell (16-11, 4.55, 109) might be in the same position, as he no longer resembles the superstar that dominated with the Cannons for many years. The last guy who made significant starts was Hugh Blumenthal (11-10, 4.11, 123) a reliable lefty who gives you solid, if unspectacular, starts when there's not enough off days to led the "Mad Professor" take over. These five pitchers made all 154 starts for Cleveland, something you cannot count on They still have a few months to add to their starting depth, as for now 4th ranked prospect Frank Young (106th Overall) is the first line of defense should someone get hurt. Winning 76 games may not seem like much, but that's the most the Toronto Wolves have won since finishing 82-72 in 1948. That's really the last time they were competitive, finishing last from 1950 to 1952, but their 5th place finish is best since 1948 when they were 3rd and just five games behind the pennant winning Sailors. Toronto has started to build a core, as soon-to-be 25-year-old Tom Reed (.324, 25, 80) emerged as a legit threat at Dominion Stadium. Taken 3rd Overall in 1952, Reed graduated as the 4th ranked prospect in all of baseball, and took home the Continental Kellogg after hitting .324/.383/.564 (136 OPS+) with 25 homers and 80 runs scored and driven in. Him and Larry Curtis (.256, 24, 78) now rank 4th and 5th in Wolves history for homers in a season, though Curtis saw his WRC+ drop from 166 to 102 as his BB% (12.3 to 5.0) and K% (15.3 to 20.4) went in opposite directions. Less walks and more strikeouts meant a drop from .340/.441/.571 to .256/.316/.457, and had he split the difference between them Toronto could have reached 80 wins. That's the goal for next season, as they saw progress from John Wells (.275, 10, 66, 9), Lynn Horn (15-10, 3.40, 187), and Zane Kelley (11-5, 3, 3.70, 80). This team isn't quite ready for contention, but that could change if former 1st Rounder Jim Montgomery (5-9, 17, 5.06, 59) is unleashed as a starter. Ranked 8th on the Opening Day prospect list, he spent his rookie season as the stopper, picking up 5 wins and 17 sabes in 85.1 innings pitched. The raw numbers weren't great, but "Three-Pitch Monte" had a far more encouraging 4.06 FIP (91 FIP-). The stuff is ace level, and the 23-year-old could be the new Garrison or Hancock. Canada's other team finished two games behind, but they may have found their own ace in Skinny Green (18-9, 3.13, 207). Now 27, Green led the CA with 19 losses last season, and as a former 14th Rounder came with absolutely zero expectations attached to him. Despite middling results, Montreal stuck with him over the years due to his team oriented approached. The fans love him, as it's clear how much heart and effort he puts into his baseball, and that's who he credits for his success. The skinny right hander finally got his arsenal refined and was the only pitcher in either association to surpass the 200 strikeout mark. He struck out 30 more batters then the next closest pitcher (Lynn Horn, 187), he also finished 2nd in ERA (3.13) and 3rd in wins (18). You can find his name on the leaderboard for most of the important categories, and the Saints organization is really excited for him to give it another go. Aside from offseason pickup Max Edwards (12-12, 3.87, 136), slugger Maurice Carter (.242, 31, 105), and surprise All-Star John Fast (.288, 13, 42), not much went well for Montreal. Failing to finish above .500 for the fourth straight season, they've hit a rough patch, but their next competitive window could be right around the corner. KINGS TEAMMATES SHARE WHITNEY AWARD For the first time in Continental Association history the Whitney Award will be shared by two players as teammates Ken Newman and Charlie Rogers finished tied for both total points and first place votes in the end of year balloting. It marks the third year in a row for Newman being recognized while Rogers wins a share of his first Whitney Award. The Kings also laid claim to the Allen Award for the third year in a row but this time it was Tony Britten being recognized after a 20-11, 2.76 season. The previous two seasons his teammate Fred Washington had been the winner. KC skipper Glenn Carney won his second straight Theobald Award as the top manager in the CA. Only Tom Reed, the 24-year-old Toronto outfielder, avoided a clean sweep by the Kings as Reed won the Kellogg Award as top rookie. Detroit manager Dick York won his fifth consecutive Federal Association Theobald Award while a Dynamos pitcher was the Allen Award winner for the fourth year in a row. This time it was Jim Norris (23-7, 2.97) winning his second Allen in as many years after Jack Miller and Joe Hancock had won ahead of him. Earl Howe of the Gothams, rookie of the year last season, won the Whitney Award after a 55 homerun season. Only Bobby Barrell, Max Morris and Joe Masters have ever hit more round-trippers in a campaign. Washington shortstop Willie Watson won the Kellogg Award. 
FRIGATES WIN SECOND STRAIGHT AFA TITLE Parity was the name of the game in the American Football Association's East Division in 1955, but when the dust settled it was the Philadelphia Frigates left standing, as their star-studded offense led by quarterback Pete Capizzi carried the Frigates to a second straight AFA championship game victory. The Frigates were lucky just to make the playoffs as four of the six East Division teams finished the season with identical 8-4 records. Only the top two would qualify for the post season. The Boston Americans, thanks to an impressive 7-3 divisional record clinched the top spot despite the fact that the Yanks surrendered more points than they scored on the season. Boston, which finished 10th in the twelve team league in total offense, scored 285 points but allowed 288 against the ninth highest total surrendered in the league. It is hard to imagine a division winner ever finishing with a negative point differential in the AFA again, at least not while there are 6 teams in a division. Things just seemed to break Boston's way all season as the Americans had a number of last minute rallies to pull out victories with rookie quarterback Jimmy Forester time and again engineering late drives for winning scores. The Americans were 6-4 with two weeks remaining but claimed top spot with back to back wins over Washington and New York to end the season. The Frigates had a slow start but rebounded to win five of their final six games, allowing them to edge out Washington and Cleveland on tiebreakers after the three clubs all finished 8-4 overall and 6-4 in the division while splitting each of their head to head matchups. The Frigates offense was the most productive in the division with the dual threat of Pete Capizzi's (2039 yds, 13 TD) arm and the running of third year backs Don Lucy, who rushed for over 1,000 yards, and Sam Reiter, who gained 851 on the ground. Cleveland won its final four games in a last-ditch effort by the Finches to make the playoffs for the first time since 1947. It fell just short as they needed both Boston and Philadelphia to lose on the final week in order to qualify. The future looks bright as the Finches appear to have found a star in quarterback Jim Rizzi. The first overall pick in the spring draft out of Darnell State, Rizzi did not miss a beat stepping up to the pros and threw for 1,990 yards and 13 touchdowns: numbers good enough to earn him a berth in the end of season All-Pro Classic game. The team that was left shaking its head in disappointment was the Washington Wasps. The Wasps were 8-2 and seemingly on their way to the playoffs for the first time in four years before losing to Boston and Cleveland on the final two Sundays of the season. They were awful against the Americans in week 11, falling behind 24-0 in the second quarter and ending up losing by a 31-21 count. Washington was a little better in Cleveland the following week but a 17-6 defeat ended their playoff hopes. New York finished fifth in the East Division with a 5-7 record despite possessing one of the better defenses in the AFA. The offense struggled down the stretch as the Stars dropped four in a row and five of their final six games. Things were much worse in Pittsburgh where the once proud Paladins endured an embarrassing 0-12 season. Wally Dotson retired prior to the season and the Pittsburgh running game was the least productive in the league, which allowed opposing defenses to key on veteran quarterback Dusty Sinclair and the Pittsburgh passing game. *** Wildcats Back On Top In West *** The Chicago Wildcats are the most successful franchise in AFA history but the past decade has not been kind to Coach Carl Boon and his Windy City club. They did make the playoffs two years ago, but since winning back to back AFA titles in 1948 and 1949 the Wildcats entered the season with a 26-34-1 record including hitting rock bottom in 1952 when they went 2-10. 1955 may have marked a turning of the corner for the Wildcats, who scored 323 points -second behind only Los Angeles- while allowing just 235, third fewest in the league. Fred Wilhelm may be the second best quarterback to come out of Central Kentucky in the past twenty years - Frigates star Pete Capizzi would be number one- but the 27-year-old had another outstanding season in his fourth year as a pro, throwing for 1,915 yards and 17 touchdowns. His performance prompted Wildcats management to make Wilhelm one of the highest paid players in the game, signing the signal caller to a four-year deal worth $50,000. Wilhelm found a perfect pass partner in third year receiver Jack Amodeo, who finished second in the league in both receiving yardage (1,110) and touchdown catches (8). Both Wilhelm and Amodeo were selected for the All-Pro game along with four Wildcats defenders headlined by linebacker Lance Nero, who was named the defensive player of the year. Chicago's division crown was in doubt until the final day of the season as they had to close out the year in Los Angeles against the Tigers, who -like Chicago- entered the season finale with an 8-3 record. The Los Angeles defense could not quite match the Wildcats, especially against the pass, but the Tigers offense was every bit as deadly as that of Chicago. Rookie quarterback Jamie Pritchett, a second round pick out of Alabama Baptist, won the starting job in camp and looked like a seasoned veteran while halfbacks Dick Drum and Bill Comeau each gained more than 900 yards on the ground. Los Angeles led the league in scoring and the regular season finale was one of the wildest games the league had ever seen. There was plenty on the line for both teams with Chicago in town and each club opted to go on an all-out offensive. The Tigers led 35-14 late in the second quarter but Chicago rallied for 5 unanswered touchdowns to take a 49-35 lead early in the fourth period but then the Wildcats offense came alive again. When the final gun sounded it was 56-49 for Chicago, giving the Wildcats first place and homefield advantage for a rematch between the two in the semi-finals. Fred Wilhelm led the way in the season finale, throwing for 416 yards and 5 touchdowns while Pritchett, who passed for 'just' 209 yards had four scoring tosses. San Francisco and St Louis tied for third place in the West as each finished with a 6-6 record. The Wings, despite another strong season from veteran quarterback Vince Gallegos, could not keep pace with the leaders dropping three of their final four games to fall out of contention. A slow start doomed the Ramblers to missing the playoffs despite halfback Jim Kellogg, who ran for 1,324 yards and 14 touchdowns, winning his second straight offensive MVP award. Fifth place Detroit finished with a 4-8 record as the Maroons season was over nearly before it began following a 1-5 start. Quarterback Sam Burnson was one of the few bright spots for the Maroons, who struggled with the defensive game failed to place a single defender on the West All-Pro Classic team. Things are looking pretty rough in Kansas City as the Cowboys endured their second straight 2-10 season. Those 20 losses in two seasons are just six less than the franchise accumulated in its first eight years combined. Pat Chappell is gone, the legendary quarterback announced his retirement before the season began. The hope is that Scott Greenwell, selected second overall in the spring draft out of Mississippi A&M, can be a suitable replacement. Greenwell looked very solid despite the terrible record, throwing for an AFA best 2,231 yards and being named the top offensive rookie in the league. The Cowboys also have a powerful running back Mike Peel. The 1952 Christian Trophy winner from Spokane State had his third straight season rushing for more than 1,000 yards. The defense remains a concern as the Cowboys were dead last in points surrendered as well as both rushing yards and passing yards allowed.  A year ago the Philadelphia Frigates and New York Stars played the first overtime playoff game in AFA history. The Frigates won that one by a 16-13 score and went on to beat San Francisco a week later in the championship game. The Frigates perhaps had the advantage of experience when this year's Eastern Semi-final game also needed extra time to declare a winner. Aside from the fact both games went into overtime, there was very little similar between the two. This time around it was a shootout as the two clubs combined for 74 points in a 40-34 Philadelphia victory. The hometown Boston Americans probably thought they had the game wrapped up when Byron McDonagh ran for a 3-yard touchdown with just 57 seconds left in regulation to put the Yanks up 34-31 but you can never count out a Pete Capizzi led team. The Frigates quarterback quickly completed passes of 39 yards and 29 yards to setup a 14-yard field goal attempt with 8 seconds remaining. Ken Fryar made no mistake and the game was tied at 34. Boston never had an opportunity in the extra frame as it took just three plays after the overtime kick-off for Capizzi to connect with Jim Siefert for a 61-yard game ending scoring pass to make the final 40-34 and send the Frigates back to the title game. There was far less suspense in the West Division playoff. Most expected a wild one after the crazy 56-49 win by Chicago over Los Angeles in the regular season finale the previous week. A pair of long second quarter touchdown passes from Chicago quarterback Fred Wilhelm put the game away as the Wildcats rolled to a 34-9 victory over the Tigers. The title game also lacked drama as Capizzi threw a pair of first quarter touchdown passes to help the Frigates build a 17-0 lead in the opening period. Chicago did get as close as 24-13 early in the fourth quarter before the Frigates put the game away on Capizzi's third scoring pass of the game - this one a 10-yarder to Dave Grix and the Frigates, with a 34-13 victory, had won their second straight American Football Association championship game. Capizzi was named the title game most valuable player for the second consecutive year.   PEFECT SEASON GIVES DETROIT CITY COLLEGE A SECOND GRID TITLE The Detroit City College Knights completed a perfect 10-0 season with a 16-3 victory over Northern California in the East-West Classic, giving the Knights their second-ever national collegiate football title. A pair of sophomore halfbacks led one of the best running attacks in the nation as both Ross Greenbaum (1,257) and Evan Burroughs (1,031) surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark.The Knights opened and closed the season the same way - with victories over West Coast Athletic Association schools. The opener was a 20-10 doubling of CC Los Angeles and it tied wins over St Ignatius (27-17) and Rome State (17-7) for the closest contests the Knights had to contend with. DCC had little trouble running the table in the Great Lakes Alliance including a 31-10 drubbing of arch-rival Central Ohio in Columbus, marking the third time the Knights had beaten the Aviators in the past four years. The New Years Day game in Santa Ana perfectly illustrated the mighty ground game of the Knights. Both Burroughs and Greenbaum carried the ball for over 100 yards and Burroughs' 29-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter was the only time either team found the endzone in a 16-3 Detroit City College victory. The Knights record is now a perfect 4-0 in the biggest Classic game of them all while the Miners have been on the losing end in three of the past five years and are 4-4 all-time in the East-West Classic. The Miners were the class of the West Coast Athletic Association this season, posting a perfect 7-0 section record. Their lone regular season loss came on the road in Illinois against Lincoln College. Northern California, which finished second in the final rankings behind Cumberland a year ago, ended up settling for 6th this time around. The Cumberland Explorers, unbeaten last season, had their hopes of a second straight perfect season dashed in early November when they fell 17-9 on the road against Georgia Baptist. That would prove to be the only blemish on their season as Cumberland, led by Christian Trophy winning halfback Jean Nathanson, finished 10-1 following a 36-14 victory over Valley State in the Desert Classic on New Years Day. Nathanson, a junior, ran for 196 yards in that win, giving him a nation best 1,600 yards rushing on the season. Due to an unbalanced schedule the Explorers, despite their 5-1 section record, were forced to settle for a third place tie in the highly competitive Deep South Conference. Top spot went to Georgia Baptist at 7-1, and the Gators did hand both Cumberland and Bayou State their only losses on the campaign but the Gators were beaten by in state rival Noble Jones College. The Colonels scored all of their points in the second quarter highlighted by a 94 yard Bruce Meeks to Jack Doolittle touchdown pass in a 20-3 win over the visiting Gators in the season finale for both schools. Noble Jones College finished 6-1 in Deep South play as they were shutout by Alabama Baptist earlier in the season but even with a win over the Gators the Colonels ended up a half game back of Georgia Baptist for the section crown. Each of the top four schools in the Deep South ended up playing on New Year's Day and the conference went 2-2 in Classic games. Bayou State went to Florida to play in the Bayside Classic against a Rome State squad led by quarterback Mike Barrell. The Cougars trailed 10-3 at the break but rallied for a 13-10 victory which left them 10-2 on the season and ranked fourth in the final polls. Cumberland, as mentioned above, also won but the two Georgia schools each fell short in meetings with Southwestern Alliance opponents. The Colonels were thumped 27-6 by Texas Gulf Coast in the Cajun Classic while the Gators surrendered 27 second half points to Amarillo Methodist and were shellacked 40-13 in the Oilman Classic. If there is a more competitive conference than the Deep South it would be the Southwestern Alliance. Three SWA schools finished ranked in the top ten led by the Amarillo Methodist Grizzles at #3. The league title was split three ways as the Grizzlies, Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes and Lubbock State Hawks all finished with 5-1 section records. Amarillo Methodist secured it's share of top spot with a thrilling 21-20 victory over the Hurricanes in the season finale for each school. Texas Gulf Coast led 20-7 midway through the third quarter but Grizzlies quarterback Dave Dykstra engineered two late scoring drives to secure the comeback victory. All three would finish the season with wins on New Years Day. The Grizzlies in the Oilman Classic, the Hurricanes in the Cajun Classic and the Hawks nipped Miami State 13-10 in overtime in the Lone Star Classic. Among the surprise schools this season, it is hard to find a more unlikely top ten team than South Valley State. The Roadrunners were just two seasons removed from a 2-8 campaign and after an opening week loss to El Paso Methodist it seemed another rough year might be ahead. The Roadrunners did not play an overly competitive schedule but they did go undefeated the rest of the way, winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance title and capping their season with a 16-14 victory over Sadler in the San Joaquin Classic, which was their first ever New Years appearance.   LATE TOUCHDOWN GIVES NORTH VICTORY IN SENIOR CLASSIC A late turnover led to the game winning touchdown as the North prevailed 13-12 in the annual showcase of top college football seniors. It was a low scoring affair for the first 55 minutes as the North led the South by a 7-6 score before each squad rallied for a touchdown in the final five minutes of the contest.The North struck first with a 75-yard scoring drive on the opening series of the game was finished off by a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Tommy Boes of the University of Cleveland. The South cut the lead to 7-6 with a pair of second quarter field goals from Noble Jones College kicker Mike LaBarbera and it remained that way until Bill Mattice put the South ahead with a 32-yard fourth quarter touchdown run. It was the longest play from scrimmage all day and part of a 104 yard rushing afternoon for Mattice, earning the Central Carolina back player of the game honours. The two-point conversion failed leaving the score 12-7 in favour of the South seniors and it appeared victory was imminent until with 2:28 left in the contest, Ellery College linebacker Fred Rolfe forced the south's Jeff Poe to fumble and Mike Bancroft of St. Patrick's fell on the ball for the North team, setting up a first down for the North stars on the South's 21 yard line. Eight plays later, with just 30 seconds left in the game, Central Ohio fullback Roger Merlin bulled his way for a five-yard touchdown run to provide the margin of victory. Of note is the fact that Mike Barrell, Rome State quarterback, started the game for the South. Barrell had a nice opening completion, connecting with end Dave Luck of South Valley State for a 23-yard pass play but it would be his only successful throw as Barrell went 1-for-6 before giving way to Bruce Meeks of Noble Jones College. CAROLINA POLY WINS COLLEGE CAGE CROWN Led by senior forwards Merritt Norcross and Ron Davies, the Carolina Poly Cardinals completed a dominant season that saw them lose just once enroute to the fourth National Collegiate Basketball Tournament title in school history. Norcross, a Charlotte native, led the team in scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounds (7.4) while Davies, who hails from Bronx, NY, and is considered a likely first round selection in the upcoming Federal Basketball League draft, scored at an 11.7 points per game clip. The Cardinals started strong, winning the preseason Tournament of Champions and each of their first five games before stumbling against Grafton. The loss to the Scholars would be the only time all year the Cardinals were on the wrong end of the score and they finished the regular season ranked #1 in the nation after posting a perfect 14-0 mark in South Atlantic Conference play.The top seed in the South Region for the AIAA tournament, the Cardinals nearly suffered a disastrous outcome in their tournament opener, needing a last second bucket from Norcross, who scored 20 points in the game, to nip Flagstaff State 43-41 and advance to the second round. There was far less tension in the round of 16 as the Cardinals built a 15 point first half lead on St. Ignatius and cruised to a 60-41 victory over the Lancers. Davies was the big shooter in that game as he matched Norcross' opening contest total with 20 points of his own. The quarterfinals brought a date with Chesapeake State and the Cardinals downed the 12th ranked Clippers 70-61 to advance to Bigsby Garden and the semi-finals for the second year in a row and the ninth time in school history. Carolina Poly would be joined in the semi-finals by a trio of powerhouse schools in CC Los Angeles, Whitney College and Noble Jones College. Between them the four schools had 34 trips to the national semi-finals and eleven national titles. CC Los Angeles had eliminated Western Iowa, which had lost to Rainier College in the national title game each of the past two years, in the regional final. The Coyotes had finished tied for first in the West Coast Athletic Association and featured a high scoring offense led by underclassmen Bill Spangler and Jack English along with senior forward Allan Clark. A 4-time AIAA champion, CCLA last won the tournament in the spring of 1946. Whitney College was 26-6 entering the semi-finals and had tied with Detroit City College for the best record in the Great Lakes Alliance. The Engineers, three time AIAA champions including a title three years ago, were led by their high scoring backcourt duo of junior Gus Jones and senior Lew Bayne. Noble Jones College, which had the only undefeated collegiate season ever record in 1949-50 when the Charlie Barrell led Colonels won their first and only national title, entered the semi-finals with a 23-9 record and were crowned champions of the Deep South Conference a few weeks earlier. Noble Jones College was coming off one of the most exciting games of the tournament, having just defeated Mobile Maritime 89-87 in overtime in the quarterfinals, needing an Eddie Burkholder bucket at the buzzer to down the Middies. Noble Jones was no match for the Cardinals in the opening semi-final as Carolina Poly built a 37-16 lead at the half and breezed to a 55-38 victory. Merritt Norcross, with 14 points, and Ron Davies, with 12, led the way for the winners. The other game proved to be just as one-sided with CCLA blasting Whitney College 76-54 but at least the Engineers kept it close for 20 minutes, trailing by just 3 at the break. In the end the Coyotes offensive depth proved just too much as for CC Los Angeles players scored in double figures led by forward Allan Clark's 19. The title game merely proved the Cardinals were the best team in college basketball as they routed CC Los Angeles 70-42 behind 15 points from junior center George Stevens and 12 from Davies.  SUNNYVALE SURPRISE WINNER OF COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES The surprise winner of the collegiate baseball World Championship Series was a small school from Santa Clara, CA. known as the Sunnyvale Pioneers. The Pioneers, who had only qualified for the CWCS once before - in 1952 when they upset mighty Bluegrass State, led by All-American first baseman Jerry Christensen, in the opening round before being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 16 team field- earned a wildcard berth following a 42-20 season which saw them crowned as champions of the California League.The tournament would be one filled with upsets as a number of traditional powers were knocked out in the opening round including Grange College, Maryland State and Baton Rouge State which was led by Christian Trophy winning outfielder Bud Conover. The Pioneers, as the 11th seed, opened against Brunswick College- the defending national champions and repeat winners of the Academia Alliance conference. It proved to be a great pitching matchup as Brunswick's Joe Goetz allowed just 2 runs on 7 hits but Frank Fernandez of Sunnyvale was even better. The junior from Los Angeles fanned a College World Series game record 13 and allowed just a single run on eight hits. The Pioneers prevailed 2-1 scoring both of their runs in the second inning and each was unearned due to a Brunswick error. That set up a showdown with Coastal California, one of the powerhouse schools of the west coast and once more the underdog Pioneers won by a single run. This one ended 3-2 with Johnny Edinger's two-run homer in the 6th inning being the big blow for Sunnyvale. The string of 1-run victories continued as the Pioneers held off Commonwealth Catholic 6-5 to advance to the finals. Outfielder Conn Russell led the way the 2 hits and three rbi's for the winners while Marty Carroll, who would be an 11th round pick of the Cleveland Foresters a week later, homered twice for the losing side. The finals would pit Sunnyvale against Southwestern Alliance champion Texas Gulf Coast. The opener of the best of three final series would be the longest game in CWCS history as the Pioneers won 2-1 on a walk-off solo homerun off the bat of Ashton Mason. Mason had also homered in the bottom of the 13th to tie the game at 1 after the Hurricanes snapped a scoreless tie in the top half of the inning. The second game was rather anti-climatic as the Pioneers built a 5-0 lead after four innings and won their first AIAA championship in any sport with a 7-2 victory. Mason, a junior third baseman from Philadelphia, was named the CWCS most valuable player after hitting .348 with three homers in the five games.   TORONTO DUKES WIN RECORD 10TH CHALLENGE CUP Led by another McDaniels Trophy winning season from Quinton Pollack the Toronto Dukes won their second Challenge Cup in three years and record tenth North American Hockey Confederation title after outlasting Boston in the finals. Pollack finished second in league scoring with 73 points, two behind Chicago's Tommy Burns, but was the choice for league Most Valuable Player, marking the fourth time the Toronto center has been awarded the McDaniels Trophy. The Dukes, behind tremendous team defense anchored by a career best season out of 29-year-old Scott Renes (32-19-8, 2.05) in net, finished with the best regular season record, six points ahead of defending Cup champion Detroit. Renes won his first Juneau Trophy as the top goaltender in the league as the Dukes surrendered just 149 goals in 70 games - 22 less than third place Boston which allowed the second fewest goals against. Defenseman Charlie Brown (6-26-32) joined Renes on the post-season first all-star team while another Toronto rearguard, Tim Brooks (11-9-20), earned the nod for the second team along with Pollack and Les Carlson. Offensively Pollack's 73 points were his lowest total in four seasons, but was still very impressive when you consider that longtime linemate Lou Galbraith (9-13-22) missed half the season with an injury and the third member of that trio, Les Carlson (21-29-50) had a big drop off in his production but was still good enough to be named to the second all-star team. Trevor Parker (21-29-50), a 31-year-old forward, picked up much of the slack with a career high in points while veterans Doug Zimmerman (18-21-39) and Ken Jamieson (18-18-36) added secondary scoring. Detroit would go as far as young star Alex Monette (34-37-71) would carry the Motors. After a breakout season a year ago that was capped by scoring all four Detroit goals in the Cup clinching game, Monette was challenging for the league scoring title this year until he blew out his knee in mid-March. That ended his season and while Detroit still managed to hold on to second place, their playoff hopes were dealt a deadly blow. Henri Chasse (26-19-8, 2.46) had another strong season in net and a pair of offensive minded Motors blueliners in veterans Tyson Beddoes (13-32-45) and Spencer Larocque (13-30-43) finished second and third in team scoring. Captain Nick Tardif (15-22-37) and 23-year-old Robert Kennedy (10-31-41) also played key roles. A late season loss to Detroit left the Boston Bees in third place, just a single point back of the Motors. The Bees have long been known for their defense and that was very much the case again this season as Boston continues to search for a replacement for Tommy Hart and Wilbur Chandler as the club's offensive catalysts. Hart is now 38 years old and a variety of injuries limited him to just 38 games and he scored only 6 points. Chandler is 37 but still led the Bees in scoring (22-31-53) while young Jim Rucks (18-34-52) and a pair of thirty year old's in Mike Brunell (18-30-48) and Robert Walker (18-27-45) also contributed offensively. The Bees continue to rely heavily on Oscar James (22-19-10, 2.51) and the 31-year-old goaltender did not disappoint. A four game losing streak in early March ended the Chicago Packers hopes of catching Boston or Detroit and the Windy City club had to settle for fourth place. Tommy Burns (35-40-75) led the NAHC in scoring for the fourth time in his career and was named to the First All-Star team but narrowly lost the race for the McDaniels Trophy to Toronto's Pollack. Max Ducharme (21-30-51) finish second in team scoring and was named a first team All-Star for the first time in his career while Packers defenseman Phil Stukas (10-24-34) made the all-star team for the second consecutive season. Michael Cleghorn (16-19-7, 2.99) and Norm Hanson (14-12-2, 2.65) continued to split the work between the pipes but both struggled at times. New York and Montreal were left on the outside looking in come playoff time. For the Shamrocks it was the second time in three years their season ended early while Montreal has finished in last place each of the past four seasons. Jocko Gregg (28-31-59) led the New York offense with veterans Orval Cabbell (14-37-51) and Simon Savard (19-23-42) also contributing. Savard won his second straight Yeadon Trophy for gentlemanly play. Montreal scored the fewest goals and allowed the most against but there is some hope, at least in their own end as Nathan Bannister (16-26-6, 2.85) is starting to show some signs of improvement at the age of 25. Netminding has been the Valiants biggest problem ever since the demise of Tom Brockers after winning back to back Cups to start this decade.   NAHC PLAYOFFS A playoff series between Toronto and Chicago is always highly anticipated as it gives arguably the two best players in the league in the Dukes Quinton Pollack and Packers Tommy Burns a chance to face off against each other. The Dukes finished with the best record in the loop and would meet the fourth place Packers for the first time since the roles were reversed in the spring of 1952 when the first place Packers disposed of Toronto in five games before going on to beat New York in the finals for Chicago's first Challenge Cup win.Pollack scored once in the series opener at Dominion Gardens, helping the Dukes to a 3-1 victory. He would add a goal and an assist two nights later to go along with a pair of Rob Painchaud goals in a 6-2 Dukes victory. Burns did not register a point in the opening two games in Toronto but did set up a Jeremy MacLean marker in a third game that saw the clubs tied at two after sixty minutes. Toronto would get the winner, courtesy of a career minor leaguer by the name of Dan Russell. The 30-year-old had just 12 NAHC games under his belt before the playoffs and picked a perfect time for his first-ever NAHC goal. Russell scored just over 16 minutes into the extra frame to give the Dukes a 3-2 victory and a commanding 3 games to none series lead. Burns got his first goal of the playoffs two nights later, as the Packers stayed alive with a 4-2 victory at Lakeside Auditorium but the series would not return to Chicago as the Dukes wrapped things up with a 4-1 win at home in the fifth game. Pollack opened the scoring with his third of the series while all-star defenseman Charlie Brown had a goal and an assist to help send Toronto through to the finals. Detroit and Boston met in the other semi-final after being separated by just a single point following 70 regular season games. The Motors were forced to play without their rising star Alex Monette, who suffered a late season knee injury. That did not hurt Detroit in the opener as veteran Adam Vanderbilt set up three goals in a 4-1 Detroit win but Boston evened the series with a 4-2 victory in game two spurred on by a goal and an assist from the Bees young star Jimmy Rucks. Oscar James had a 20-save shutout and Mike Brunell scored twice as Boston took the third game 3-0 and then won game four by a 4-1 count after James had another big night between the pipes. Detroit stayed alive with a 6-4 win on home ice in game five but the Bees clinched their fourth trip to the finals in the past seven years with a 4-2 victory in game six. For the fifth time in Challenge Cup history Toronto and Boston met in the finals. The two clubs entered the series having combined for 16 Cup wins (9 for Toronto, 7 for Boston) but the Bees had endured some struggles in recent years. Boston, which last won a Cup in 1947-48, had lost in each of its three trips to the finals since then while the Dukes had won the Cup in six of their last seven trips to the finals. The lone exception for Jack Barrell's club was last year when Toronto fell to Detroit. If the opening game was any indication, this series was going to be a dandy. The Dukes took a 2-1 lead early in the third period on a Ken Jamieson goal but Boston's Mike Brunell forced overtime when he scored with 2:10 remaining in regulation to knot the game at 2. It took just over two minutes of overtime for the Bees to notch the winner, courtesy of a point shot from defenseman Conn Cundiff that gave the Bees game one by a 3-2 score. Both Scott Renes and Oscar James were terrific in game two and the only goal was a shorthanded marker from the Dukes Trevor Parker in the second period as Renes and Toronto hung on for a 1-0 victory to send the series to Boston tied at one win apiece. Cundiff, Brunell and Craig Simpson each scored for Boston in a 3-1 Bees win in game three and the Bees followed that up with a 2-0 win in the fourth game. Oscar James stopped all 32 shots he faced in game four while Craig Simpson and Alex Gagnon each managed to beat Renes to give the Bees a commanding 3 games to one series lead. Toronto would not go quietly as Pat Coulter scored twice in the first period to pace the Dukes to a 5-2 victory on home ice in game five and then Quinton Pollack -who had been held pointless in the series since game one- broke out with two goals in a 4-2 road win for Toronto in game six. It was all down to one game and Toronto, winners of the last two, had home ice and the momentum. The Dukes did everything but score in the opening period, peppering James with 16 shots while Boston managed just 4 of their own, but the game was scoreless after twenty minutes. The Dukes outshot Boston 15-5 in the second period but it was the Bees who scored first when defenseman Mathieu Harnois beat Renes just shy of the 8 minute mark. Toronto answered on an Alex Lavalliere tally five minutes later and before the period was over Doug Zimmerman have put the Dukes ahead 2-1. The shots were much closer in the third period as the Bees pressed for the equalizer but that led to an odd-man rush for Toronto with just under five minutes left and Trevor Parker finished off a nice pass from Pat Coulter to make the score 3-1. It would end that way and the Dukes would celebrate becoming the first NAHC organization to win the Challenge Cup ten times.  NAHC ALL-STAR GAME The sixth annual NAHC all-star game marked the fifth time the defending Challenge Cup champions would face a team of stars from the other five clubs. That meant the Detroit Motors would face the best the league has to offer and Detroit was looking to duplicate what Toronto had done the previous year when the Dukes became the first team to beat the All-Stars.Montreal defenseman Mike Driscoll, one of the Valiants collection of promising young rearguards, opened the scoring in the first period with Jeremy MacLean of Chicago drawing the assist. Detroit evened things with the only goal of the second period as veteran Graham Comeau scored with Francis McKenzie and Robert Kennedy drawing the assists. Detroit went up 2-1 midway through the third period when Vincent Arsenault set up defenseman Dixon Butler but with just over three minutes remaining the all-stars pulled even on a Quinton Pollack goal with his Toronto teammate Bobby Fuhrman and Max Ducharme of Chicago drawing the assists. The game would end in a 2-2 draw with Comeau being named the fist star, Driscoll second and McKenzie third. NAHC NOTES
 It was the six points Rochester scored in that final quarter that was tattooed on their collective brain and led to a summer of re-examination and a healthy dose of soul searching. Larry Yim haunted their dreams, swatting every attempted shot into the stands. When Rochester reported to training camp for the 1954-55 season, the team leaders, Marlin Patterson and Billy Bob McCright, addressed the team. The long-time head coach Al Kahler also provided a steady hand in guiding the team. The goal for training camp was not only to prepare physically for the season, but to make sure the Rockets were ready to mentally take the court again. The result was beyond dispute. Rochester won its third regular season division title in its ten-year franchise history and took that next step to become the World’s Champions of basketball for the first time. Rochester (48-24) was challenged throughout the season by a good Chicago (47-25) team, holding off the Panthers by a single game and Toronto (44-28) by four games. It was Rochester’s leaders that not only led them in the locker room, but they also led them on the court. McCright led the team in scoring at 17.5 points per game and rebounding at 14.4 boards per contest. Patterson was second in both categories (15 ppg, 11.2 rpg). McCright and Patterson were also formidable altering shots, combining for 5.5 blocks per game. Chicago was bitten by the injury bug that made a difference in the divisional race. Charlie Barrell missed seven weeks in the middle of the season with patella tendinitis in his knee. The injury held Barrell to 52 games in the 1954-55 season where he scored a career-low 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Luther Gordon had another solid season, averaging 21.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, but the 28-year-old sprained an ankle the day after Christmas that kept Gordon out for over three weeks. The top three in the West was never in doubt, as the also-rans in the division was Cleveland (29-43) and Detroit (14-58). Detroit suffered its third-straight last-place finish, but the franchise is on relatively solid footing. Cleveland, however, was not, and the Crushers fourth-place finish was too much for their fans or their owner could handle. Cleveland folded after the 1954-55 season and the big prize was Ziggy Rickard, who owns 17 of the Crushers top 20 single-game scoring records. The five-time 20-point scorer had his worst season of his seven-year career, only reaching 18.6 points and 11.1 rebounds a game, matching his scoring average from his rookie season. Detroit had the first pick in the dispersal draft following the season and quickly gobbled Rickard up to boost the sagging franchise in hopes are climbing the ladder in 1955-56. The Eastern Division is only a quartet, but it was competitive all season long. The last two champions reside in the division in Philadelphia and New York, but it was a return to form for the Washington Statesmen (39-33), who look to be back from basketball wilderness, winning the division by three games over Philadelphia. All the while, however, the Statesmen still managed to make the playoffs in the two years between division titles. The first place showing was its 11th division title in Washington’s combined 18-year franchise history in the ABC and FBL. The connective tissue between the championship-caliber Statesmen teams and the new breed is Ernie Fischer, who has matured into a team leader, pacing the Statesmen with 13.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. The Phantoms (36-36) survived challenges by Boston and New York for home-court advantage in the Divisional Semifinals, but it was not decided until the final couple of weeks that Philadelphia would even qualify. The team is firmly built around fourth-year pro Mel Turcotte, who led the team with 15.1 points and added 11.5 rebounds per contest. The torch was officially passed, as celebrated point guard Jerry Hubbard lost his starting spot to T.J. Grimm (11.2 ppg). Boston (34-38) edged New York (33-39) in a fight that went down to the wire with the Centurions making the playoffs, leaving the defending champion Knights out in the cold. Perhaps it was the grueling physical nature of his game or the extra playoff games from the season before, but 32-year-old Larry Yim had a down year by his standards. Yim dropped his output by three points, two rebounds and two-and-a-half blocked shots per game, which was enough for New York to lose its edge. While the Rockets repeated as champions in the Western and rested up, Washington went back to its normal perch in the Eastern draw, happy to let the Centurions and Phantoms elbow and muscle each other about and Boston survived a hard-fought victory that went the entire five games. Boston was not too tired to give Washington everything the Cents had to give. The memories of the end of Washington’s court dominance were still fresh in fans’ minds. It was Boston that put an end to Washington’s Eastern dominance in the 1952 Eastern Division Semifinal. The rival Statesmen were the only thing separating the Centurions from their first berth in the FBL Finals. Adding to the trio of Morgan Melcher, Gerald Carter, and Thomas Abbott, who all averaged in double figures during the regular season for Boston, Brian Threadgill had a solid playoff, salvaging a poor season by averaging 10.7 points and 16.3 rebounds per game. Boston, a team that was one game from missing the playoffs, earned its way into the Finals by defeating Washington, four games to two. If the Centurions thought of themselves as a viable underdog, Rochester was “The Little Engine That Could”. Rochester was by far the smallest city in the loop, but the Rockets were every bit as formidable as most other teams in professional basketball. Boston, for instance, had never won a division title, but Rochester had three of them. Rochester had big men to deal with the bruising style of the East game and the Rockets were well-rested and well-tested. After Chicago breezed past Toronto, three games to one, in the Western Divisional Semifinal, the Panthers were healthy and at their best, but Rochester managed to survive in seven games. It was Rochester’s first playoff series since the seventh game meltdown in the fourth quarter of last year’s Finals, but Rochester exorcised some of their demons, earning the right to exorcise the rest of them in the next series. Rochester seemed to get stronger as the postseason went on. The Rockets hit their mark against a Centurions team that was under .500 for the regular season and dispatched Boston in five games to hoist the championship trophy for the first time. This marked the third straight year a team ended the season taking its first drink of champagne from the championship cup. Patterson and McCright were the coal that fired the Little Engine, combining for 32.1 points between the two of them. However, the little-known guard Verle Schoonmaker surprised everyone in the Finals by walking away with the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Schoonmaker, the 25-year-old in his third year out of Travis College, a school known more for their elite player on the gridiron. Schoonmaker had a lackluster regular season, averaging only 5.4 points on 24% shooting, but he pitched in 5.8 assists a game. Schoonmaker made marginal improvements in both categories in the postseason (7.5 ppg, 5.6 apg), but the 6-foot-2 point guard was active on the boards, as he came away with a 9.8 rebounding average in 12 postseason games.  A EUROPEAN INVASION AND NEAR TRAGEDY IN THE RING For the first time since Herm Murphy's brief reign in 1932 an ABF World Heavyweight championship bout will be contested in Europe and not involve an American boxer. Joe Brinkworth, a rising star on the British fight scene, finally got his chance at Joey Tierney after circumstances prevented them meeting in the previous couple of years. Given the opportunity, Brinkworth did what no American boxer could do, steal the title away from Tierney. The 28 year old Detroit fighter had been the heavyweight champion since replacing the retired Hector Sawyer in 1952 and made 10 successful title defenses before running into a Brinkworth brutal cross in the 10th round of their September bout. Up until that point Tierney, who had knocked out a clearly overmatched Gil Hilliard in January and won a clean decision over Even Rives in April, looked in control of the bout with the Englishman. One punch turned a fight around that Tierney was well ahead on the scorecards. Tierney did find his legs after that knockdown but was clearly on wobbly pegs and was floored two more times in that fateful 10th round with the last knockdown being one he could not recover from. It made Brinkworth the first European born heavyweight champ since Jochen Schrotter's four year run before the war was halted in 1940 by Hector Sawyer. Schrotter defended his title exclusively in the United States but Brinkworth has returned to England with the belt and plans to face fellow countryman Steve Leivers in January. It will mark the first time a European born champion defended the title on the continent since Murphy lost to American Roscoe McGrath in 1932. The belt has been to Europe as recently as 1949 when Hector Sawyer made a tour but it was always in the hands of an American.  The British invasion was not limited to the heavyweights as a 26-year-old welterweight from Scotland by the name of Lewis Kernuish also spent a brief stint as champion. The welterweight title changed hands three times this year with Danny Rutledge falling to Kernuish in August after he had knocked out veteran Colorado fighter George "Mr. Sandman" Gibbs in the third round of their April bout. Kernuish spent less than four months as the world champion before he suffered a technical knock loss in his first defense. Lonnie Griffin, the Newark Nightmare, took care of business against Kernuish to regain the title he had briefly held last year after Rutledge was disqualified in their bout but he later lost a rematch with Rutledge. Near tragedy in the middleweight division in September when George Hatchell, who took the title away from Jim Ward in March, faced Ward in a rematch in Los Angeles. The rematch was halted in the sixth round after three rounds after they has collided due to what was deemed an accidental head butt. Hatchell appeared to be the more seriously injured of the duo and three rounds later, with blood flowing into his eye the bout was stopped and, because the injury was accidental, it went to the scorecards. Hatchell would retain the title with a narrow one point victory on each of the three judges' cards. After the fight, it was Ward not Hatchell, who found himself in distress in his locker room. The challenger would collapse in his and be rushed to hospital with bleeding on the brain. He did survive but was left with some permanent damage and his ring career was over. The 33-year-old New York native finishes his career with a 40-6-1 record and a very brief stint as the ABF world middleweight champion. After no fighter born in the Pacific northwest had ever won a world title there have now been two middleweight champs in just over a year hailing from the state of Washington. Seattle fight veteran Joe Moore had a very brief run with the title before losing to Ward and Hatchell, who was born in Puyallup, WA. is now the title holder. Hatchell also staged his first defense in Seattle, beating California native Eric Lynch in May marking the first time a world title fight was held in the state. NOTES: Jim Ward was not the only former middleweight champion to retire this year. The end of the line came for Millard Shelton and John Edmonds as well. The two were connected as Shelton upset Edmonds in a 1951 bout to claim the title. Edmonds had two stints as champion, beating Frank Melanson in 1947 before losing a rematch to The Tank five months later and then a long from in 1950-51 when he made a pair of successful defenses including a third meeting with Melanson.  The 28-year-old champion had been set to fight Brinkworth in 1953, but a training injury forced him to bow out in favor of Ben Shotton. Shotton gave Tierney possibly his toughest test as champion, as Shotton fought Tierney to a draw before losing in the rematch. Brinkworth bided his time, waited for his moment, and he finally received his chance. Tierney was fresh off two wins earlier this year, a pummeling of Gil Hilliard that culminated in a sixth-round knockout, and a unanimous decision against Evan Rivers. The Tierney-Brinkworth bout was in Detroit at the Thompson Palladium. Tierney was off to a good start in the first round when the Englishman caught the champion with a stiff right in the closing seconds that gave fans in attendance an idea of the type of fight it would become. Brinkworth had a better second round with a similar ending to the round with his lethal right hand making it tough for Tierney. The two pugilists traded rounds with Brinkworth matching Tierney, punch for punch and round for round. Brinkworth plainly dominated Tierney in the seventh and eighth rounds after experiencing some swelling since the fifth round. Brinkworth knew it was now or never and he decided to punch his way out of trouble. Tierney’s footwork minimized the damage. Through nine rounds, the fight was even. The tenth round sent shockwaves across the Atlantic. Just as Tierney started the year by knocking Gil Hilliard three times in the deciding sixth round, it was Brinkworth who knocked the champion down three times, ending the proceedings with a knockout 2:38 into the tenth round. Brinkworth may have waited two extra years for his title shot, but he did not miss it. In the December rankings, Tierney has fallen all the way to the fifth-ranked heavyweight despite only suffering his second loss in his professional career. For Brinkworth (36-4-0), he became the first European-based heavyweight champion since Jochen Schrotter lost to Sawyer in 1940. Tierney was last year’s Bologna Boxer of the Year, so this year’s winner may not want the honor. George Hatchell was as surprised by his 1955 as I was. Hatchell, who hails from Puyallup, Washington, is only 23, but proved to be wise beyond his years, as he rose to receive a title shot in March, defeating Jim Ward, who seemed to keep the throne warm for a more suitable middleweight king as the year ended. Ward did acquit himself well, knocking Hatchell down in the fifth that caused an eight-count on Hatchell that almost changed the narrative. Hatchell won in a split decision and moved on to prove the win was not a fluke. Hatchell’s first title defense was against Eric Lynch. The bout went into the 15th and final round, with Hatchell owning a slight edge in the judges’ minds. With the fight hanging in the balance, Lynch was called for his second low blow – and fifth foul – in the fight. The referee, Dean Stone, had seen enough and just nine seconds into the final round, disqualified Lynch, which gave Hatchell the win. A rematch was in the offing, but it was Hatchell’s camp granting Jim Ward, and it was the most peculiar bout of the year. While both fighters had a round to their credit, the third round is where the fight started to unravel. Ward was warned for kidney punches early in the round, Hatchell gave Ward a headlock later in the round, but at 2:20 of the third round, a wayward attempt at an uppercut from Ward missed Hatchell, but in the follow-through, both fighters’ heads knocked together, which opened a gash above Hatchell’s right eyebrow. While the fight continued, veteran referee Dunk McGuire finally stopped the fight in the sixth round because the cut had reopened, and the blood was dripping into Hatchell’s eye and impairing his vision. McGuire called the fight to protect Hatchell from a potential injury, but it was Ward that benefited the most from the forced stoppage. The fight went to the cards through five rounds and Hatchell was ahead, 48-47, on each of the three scorecards. However, the decision was quickly put on the back burner when news surfaced a few minutes later of Ward needing emergency assistance. Ward collapsed in his dressing room shortly after returning from the ring, which was later diagnosed as bleeding on the brain. If McGuire did not stop the fight, there could have been a terrible tragedy in full view of the fighting public. Ward would immediately retire, as he looks to recover and lead a normal life. Hatchell (26-3-1) adventurous year has earned him the Bologna Boxer of the Year. In the welterweight division, Lonnie Griffin pestered and annoyed his way to winning the championship by disqualification against long-time belt-holder Danny Rutledge. By the end of last year, Rutledge won the title back in a subdued affair that surprised onlookers. Griffin would get the belt back in 1955, but not from Rutledge, who survived one successful title defense in a dominant showing against George Gibbs before bowing to Scot Lewis Kernuish in August. Kernuish took on Griffin near the challenger’s hometown of Newark, N.J.. The fight took place at the hallowed boxing mecca, Bigsby Garden. Griffin had the upper hand early and earned a big knockdown in the sixth round, where the champion Kernuish got to his feet at the count of six, but did not look steady at all. Kernuish found his form in the late rounds, knocking Griffin down in the ninth and 11th round. Kernuish was on his way to holding on to his belt, but a cut eyelid that was reopened at the most inopportune time, caused referee Tommy Kimmons to put a stop to the fight in the 12th round and hand the belt back to Griffin. As Griffin looks over his shoulder, the top-ranked contender in the welterweight division is none other than Danny Rutledge, who must be licking his chops at the prospects of getting another shot at the title and running over Griffin to get that title back. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Tales From The Den- Does 1955 Signal a Return to Relevance for Toronto? The Toronto Wolves appeared to have turned a corner in the Continental Association after the 1955 season in which they almost, but not quite, made it .500 finishing 76-78. This is the most wins for the team since 1948 which is the only winning season Toronto fans have seen in the last decade after being near the top of the CA through the war years.The team remained at .500 through the end of May but then stumbled in June at 12-16. Fans were not be blamed when they woke up on Dominion Day thinking "Here we go again." Just as in previous seasons July and August have been two months of horror for fans as the team sunk steadily in the standings. This year the team had winning months in both: going 16-14 in July and 16-13 in August which allowed the Wolves to enter September one game over the breakeven mark. A lackluster 10-13 final month quashed any hopes of a first division finish in the standings. The team may not have reached the level of the two frontrunners- Kansas City and Cleveland- but they are moving forward as opposed to being mired in the CA basement. The Wolves had a winning at home at 40-37 for the first time in recent memory along with playing the top two teams almost to a standstill with a 10-12 record against KC and 11-11 when the Foresters were the opposition in 1955. The Kings eventually won the CA outdistancing Cleveland by 8 games for the right to face a powerhouse Detroit Dynamos team in the Series. KC pushed the final to the full seven games before losing a heartbreaker 7-6 in 10 before over 35000 packed into Thompson Field on cool early October afternoon in Detroit. The 1955 edition of the Wolves team was not stellar in any facet of the game. The turnaround came from consistency in most areas rather than dominance in any one area. Offensively the team was led again by a rookie, Tom Reed, who at 24 made the jump from A-ball in Davenport to the FABL. He finished 4th in the batting average in the CA putting together a .324/.383/.564 season in 129 games with 25 HR 80 RBI while providing above average defense in left. At the plate the rest of team was nothing to write home about most being below league average in the hitting department. One ray of hope may be the performance of John Wells, as in his 5th year in the FABL the former first overall draft pick finally started to contribute with his bat posting a .275/.357/.759 in a 144 games. Wells will never be known for his glove work but seems to have found a home in the everyday lineup either at second or third. His bat may makeup for his defensive lapses, though at only 25 he has time to raise all levels of his game. Gone are the glory days of Wolves leading the CA in pitching. George Garrison, Joe Hancock are still putting up impressive numbers from the mound. The problem is they are know plying their trade in the Federal Association. In 1955 the Toronto staff went from being awful to just bad. The starting staff was led by Lynn Horn (15-10 3.40), who made the All-Star team at 28 and Zane Kelly, 30, who put together a 11-5 3.70 season in 17 starts after being summoned from the bullpen which remained a disaster area. After showing some promise in 1954 Les Ledbetter had another tough year leading to him being removed from the rotation in June after going 1-8 5.97 as a starter . Touted as a generational talent when he was selected first overall in 1947, Ledbetter finished the year at 2-9 4.80. Time is beginning to run short for Ledbetter to salvage a career. For the team to make the next step there must be a major improvement in the field. The Wolves again were the again near the bottom of the CA fielding the ball turning less than 70% of balls put into play into outs while making 128 miscues, 5 more than the number of double plays turned, which was also the least in the CA. Run prevention must be Manager Jim Whitehead's focus in 1956. The team will not move forward unless they can turn batted balls into outs at a higher rate. Wells is already suspect in the field, you may be able to hide one substandard glove but no more than one. The Wolves minor league system took a big drop from 1st to 8th in 1955. Whitey Stewart spent the year in Toronto going 15-14, 4.13 and showing promise for the future. Tom Reed was already mentioned, Jim Montgomery was used exclusively in relief at the top level in 1955. He struggled with 5.06 ERA in 68 games winning 5 losing 9 while notching 17 saves. Montgomery should be used in a starting role next season. The Wolves top prospect is now 1B Joe Parker, 20, who struggled all year in both Tuscaloosa and Vancouver. Skinny Bennett, a first round pick in '50, may be behind the plate next season after strong .283/.375/374 season in Buffalo though the team did just move Joe Cook to the 40-man protected roster while Bennett remains in Buffalo Tales From The Manor: Renes Leads Dukes To Challenge Cup -In a season in which goal scoring was marginally down Toronto managed to claim first place for the second year in a row with a 36-23-11 record for 83 points, six more than runners up Detroit. The story during the 1954-55 season was the netminding of Scott Renes who led the NAHC in GAA (2.05), Save % (.933) and Wins (32), a goaltender's triple crown. The Dukes again started the season unevenly, by the beginning of December the team had a record under .500 at 9-10-3 before catching fire. For the balance of the campaign Toronto put together a record of 27-13-8 including a 10 game undefeated streak from January 23- February 13. After a 3-2 loss to Boston at home on February 13th the team won 9 straight to give them a record of 17-1-2 from the end of January to the middle of March. During the regular season Chicago's ageless wonder, Tommy Burns at 35, led the NAHC in points with 75 and goals with 35 while Dukes star Quinton Pollack registered the most assists with 46. Over half of Burns' goals, 18, were on the power play. Detroit, who led the league in goals with 203 also had the leader in plus/minus, Vincent Arsenault was +29. The next 4 in that category were all Dukes along with Pollack at 7. Dukes had 6 of the top 10 in +/- which led the their success both in the regular and post season. The big line in Toronto, Carlson-Pollack- Galbraith, did not have as dominant a year as in past season mainly due to Galbraith being limited to only 36 games due to injury the major one being a torn triceps suffered early in the New Year. in the playoffs the Dukes met the Packers in semis. Packers fell to fourth place with a 30-31-9 record a decrease of 10 points from '53-54. Toronto took the first games at home 3-1, 6-2 then took a stranglehold on series with a 3-2 win at Lakeside Aud on a goal by 1953 off season trade acquisition Dan Russell with 62 seconds left in the first extra period, Russell has been splitting his time between Toronto, Cleveland the last two seasons as an injury replacement for the Dukes. The Packers won a game at home 4-2 on April 4th before the Dukes closed out the series at home with a 4-1 win before 14,235 happy fans in the Gardens. Onto the final to meet the Bees from Boston who took out the injury riddled Motors in 6 games. Boston only finished two points behind Detroit during the regular schedule. In a tight checking first game of the Challenge Cup Boston quickly erased the Dukes' home ice advantage with a 3-2 win on Conn Cundiff's goal 2:11 into OT after Mark Brunell has tied the game for Boston with only 2:10 remaining in the third. Three nights later with a crowd of 14235 in Garden's seats sensing that this was a must win for the Dukes were treated to a goaltending battle between Oscar James of Boston and Renes. In a highly spirited contest the Dukes tested James 37 times, while the visitors fired 29 between the pipes at Renes. The only time the lamp was lit came when Trevor Parker who had 22 goals on the season managed a short handed marker at 13:24 of the middle frame. The turning point came at the end of the second when Maurice Charette received a major plus a game with 42 seconds remaining in the period. Renes along the Toronto defenders stood tall killing off the 4:18 remaining in the major at the start of the third allowing Toronto to escape with a 1-0 victory. Boston returned home to win both games three, four by 3-1, 2-0 scores where both James, Renes were solid in net with James just a little better: James made 69 saves on 70 shots while Renes turned aside 68 of 73 in the two games. With their backs against the wall the Dukes finally solved James in Game 5 after opening the scoring early in the first skated to a 5-2 win to bring some hope back to their fans. After an off-day just over 1600 packed Denny Arena with hopes of seeing the Bs circling the ice with Challenge Cup at the end of the game. The Dukes had other ideas, Quinton Pollack staked the visitors to 1-0 lead about halfway through the first only to have Jacob Godin tie the score at 14:29 of the second with Painchaud off for roughing. Alex Lavalliere restored Toronto's lead with 30 seconds remaining in the second. Painchaud redeemed himself to put the Dukes up 3-1 with 6:23 left in the game only to have Craig Simpson cut the lead back to one 76 seconds later, Pollack's second of the night into an empty net setup Game Seven for all the marbles. With the stage set for the winner take all seventh game ticket scalpers were said to have made a fortune hawking tickets outside the Gardens with tickets going for up 50 times their face value. The Dukes laid siege to James' net in the first outshooting Boston 16-4 in a scoreless first. A hush fell over the crowd at when at 7:47 of the second Mathieu Harnois capitalized on a rebound to open the scoring in another period the Bs were outshot 15-6. Dukes continued to buzz the Boston goal, they finally rewarded when Lavalliere converted from Parker, Featherstone at 12:50. Less than two minutes later the roof almost came off the building when Doug Zimmerman tipped the puck past James on passes from Galbraith, Pollack to give the home side a 2-1 lead. Both teams pressed in the third forcing the keepers into a number of difficult saves. Trevor Parker put the game and Cup out of reach for Boston with just under 5 minutes left in regulation. After the final siren the party began in Toronto as the Dukes secured the Cup with a 3-1 victory to complete the comeback from a 3-1 deficit in games. Coach Barrell- To say I am pleased with the season would be vastly understated, after a slow start we fought through injuries, line shuffling to bring home another title. That may have been the most complete team I have had the pleasure to coach. With Lou in and out of the lineup we knew we probably were not going to out score teams so we concentrated on eliminating mistakes in our end that led to goals by the opponent. Scott was incredible in net all year. The original idea to split the games in net between him, Charlie Dell each making 30 to 40 starts until Renes got so hot I had to keep him between the pipes. Give Dell credit, he continued to work on his game without any complaints. I am most proud of the team when everyone who played more than 50 games was on the proper side of the +/-, Renes was good but also got a lot of support. Going forward I have to start giving the younger guys more prominent roles to take some of the weight off the veterans. The Year That Was Current events from 1955
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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. Last edited by Tiger Fan; 09-18-2024 at 12:15 AM. |
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09-20-2024, 03:47 PM
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#1017 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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1956 End of Year Report
1956 IN FIGMENT SPORTS A year of change in pro sports as none of the teams in the big four sports managed to repeat and two on the verge of making history each fell short. The New York Gothams ended the Detroit Dynamos reign of four consecutive pennants in baseball's Federal Association and the Gothams would go on to beat the Cleveland Foresters in the World Championship Series. A terrible August cost the Dynamos the flag and may have contributed to the decision by long-time manager Dick York to retire at the end of the season. Meanwhile the Philadelphia Frigates were looking to become the first American Football Association club to win three straight titles. The Frigates finished first in the East Division but lost to the New York Stars in overtime in the eastern playoff game. On the ice, the Toronto Dukes came up short in their bid to win a record 11th Challenge Cup. The Dukes did make the finals for the fourth consecutive season but are 2-2 in that span as the Detroit Motors topped Toronto for the second time in four years. Turning to basketball the Rochester Rockets also failed to defend their Federal cage loop title, getting swept by the Washington Statesmen in the finals. The only repeat champion came from college basketball as the Carolina Poly Cardinals won their second straight AIAA tournament and pulled into a tie with Rainier College for the most basketball titles all time, with 5 each. Boston must have liked adding a trio of outfielders to their system, including former 1st Rounder Elmer Hoffman. A former top 100 prospect, Hoffman displayed serious power in high school, but his work ethic scared some teams off in the draft. The 21-year-old has since hit well in the minors, and has shown raw power potential that scouts drool over. The issue is the swing, there's a lot of big hacks that get nothing but air, and he still hasn't quite realized he's not the greatest hitter of all time. If he uses his smarts to improve his swing, this will be a clear win for the Minutemen, as the 6'5" slugger has power that makes up for his shortcomings elsewhere. He'll be joined by top 200 prospect William Roberts (194th), who Chicago took 10th in 1953, and Canadian outfielder Ike Soeur who once ranked as high as the 83rd best prospect. He's on the cusp of the big leagues, and could enter the picture for 1957, while Roberts is just 20 and has power that isn't too far from Hoffman. With October acquisition George Rutter (.302, 7, 32) in line for first base duties, Taylor was expendable, and if they have a hot start the influx of new prospects could allow them to comfortably make more midseason upgrades. Betting money would be on the Detroit Dynamos winning again, that's how it's been lately, but Rick Masters (.345,33,114) could just as easily bash the Minutemen to a pennant or the star studded Gothams could make a big move in what could be Walt Messer's (.315,28,100) last professional season. The Conti seems much more open, as along with the defending pennant winning Kings, Cleveland, San Francisco, and maybe even Cincinnati could make a claim on the crown. With that in mind, there were some acquisitions made on the eve of Opening Day, as teams decided to help each other make tough roster decisions. Pittsburgh made two moves, but the most interesting one was a first basemen swap, as they sent the lefty swinging Dick Steel (.258,17,64) to the Foresters for their lefty first basemen Lorenzo Samuels (.289,24,85). Steel is more valuable in terms of age, but "The Cuyahoga Crusher" is a two-time champ and WCS MVP, tallying 143 homers and 487 RBIs in 1,068 games in Cleveland. The former 3rd Rounder hit .266/.369/.453 (127 OPS+) with the only organization he ever knew, and will potentially prosper within the smaller parks that Fed teams call home. Another Forester had to change his jersey last minute, as the Philadelphia Keystones made a huge acquisition in 3-Time All-Star Lloyd Coulter. 28 in two days, the former 2nd Rounder is coming off a season where he hit .279/.382/.508 (142 OPS+) with 34 homers, 110 RBIs, and one more walk (82) then strike out (81). It's an unexcepted acquisition, but one that gives the talented Buddy Miller (.326,31,104) a lot more protection in the lineup. Philly also received cash and a filler prospect, parting with 65th ranked prospect Parson Allen to acquire their new star at the hot corner. The former 9th Overall Pick has ranked as high as 27th, and is coming off a nice season in A ball where he hit .301/.413/.431 (127 OPS+) with 9 homers and 64 RBIs. With the trade of Samuels, the Foresters may now have their eye on Allen as the first basemen of the future. Cleveland is also willing to give 24-year-old Gus Melvin (.233, 18, 52) a chance at a full-time job, as the son of Hall-of-Famer George Melvin had a 121 WRC+ and 28 extra base hits in 346 PAs last year. Once the games got going, there were no major trades, but about halfway through May both association leaders had someone within three games of them. As you'd expect, the Dynamos (17-8, 2 GA) led the Fed, but the New York Gothams (17-12, 2 GB) and WashingtonEagles (17-13, 2.5 GB) are right there while the Chicago Chiefs (15-13, 3.5 GB) and Boston Minutemen (16-16, 4.5 GB) were still within five games. The surprise came in the Conti, where the Kansas City Kings (16-10, 2.5 GB) and San Francisco Sailors (16-12, 3.5) were looking up on the surprising Montreal Saints (18-7, 2.5 GA) who got off to an 11-1 and saw massive April's from Otis O'Keefe (.273,3,12), George Scott (.244,3,8), and the front four of Skinny Green (3-0, 1.42, 13), Tom Fisher (3-0, 1.67, 9), Max Edwards (1-0, 1.23, 7), and Phil Murry (2-0, 1.00, 4). Whether they can keep up this start or not is yet to be decided, but it's a long season ahead of them. When May ended, the Saints stayed on top (26-14, 2 GA), as did Detroit (28-12), who was five up on the second place Eagles (25-19). Most surprising was the fall of the Pittsburgh Miners, who were only 18-27 (12.5 GB) and just a game out of the cellar. Big acquisition Bill Wise followed up a dreadful April (.227, 4) with a more middling May (.265, 8, 1), but the talented second basemen could never quite get it going. Even Paul Williams (.267,2,14) wasn't getting things done in May, with one of the few bright spots his improvement from his first (.277, 5) to second (.260, 3, 13) month, with the most impressive part his improvement in walk-to-strikeout ratio from 3-to-7 to 18-to-5. They weren't getting enough runs for their staff, as the season seemed to be quickly slipping away from them. The 1956 Draft was one of the strangest ones yet, as not only were just two pitchers taken in the first round, but the first three selections were first basemen. Joe Holland kicked things off, finishing his high school career with 31 homers, 75 steals, and 157 RBIs, and the Eagles new top talent was quickly ranked 5th on the league's prospect list. Right below him is #2 pick Harry Dellinger, who the Keystones have been working out in center field instead. Holland is the better hitter, with monster power and an already plus-plus eye that should lead to some association leads in walk, but the athleticism of Dellinger and his ability to play the outfield (even if not great yet) may give him the longer leash. The power is there in both of them, but as high schoolers there's a lot of risk. Same goes for the one that will head to the Continental, as the Los Angeles Stars saw Frank Kirouac check in at 10th and make a more seamless transition to the outfield. He doesn't quite have the power as his counterparts, but he's got the best hit tool of the trio, giving this class three #1 overall quality picks atop the class. 14 of the 16 first rounders ranked in the top 100, with the early steal looking like 15th Pick Pat Davis. The new Kings outfielder of the future, Davis may not knock Charlie Rogers out of center anytime soon, but his hit tool is already starting to draw comparisons to the 1955 co-MVP. He could be an extraordinary contact hitter, and he stole 125 bases in 115 games in high school. He may be better suited for a corner, and he has the bat to make it worth it. Unlike Rogers, he projects to hit a lot of home runs, giving him an extra dimension to his game. Many may have expected the Dynamos to then run away with it, but just when they started to distance themselves, they would lose a few series to keep their hungry Fed counterparts in it. On June 17th, the Gothams got back to within three games, and after matching results with the Dynamos for a few days they decided to throw their first chip in the center. Looking to upgrade a weakness at second base, the Gothams went to Toronto to acquire their longtime middle infielder Joe DeMott (.249, 12, 3), who's 98 WRC+ was just slightly below average. While not a star, incumbent Harry Murray was hitting just .173/.320/.319 as the every day second basemen, and DeMott was a strong hitter in 1953 (407 PA, 129 WRC+) and 1954 (539, 121) and hit .281/.367/.385 (108 OPS+) in 764 games with Toronto. He doesn't have much power, just 20 home runs, but DeMott walks (354) a lot more then he strikes out (197) and before the trade gathered 127 doubles, 39 triples, 43 steals, 376 runs, and 354 RBIs. In exchange for DeMott, many were surprised that the Wolves were able to acquire 13th ranked prospect Earl Goodman, who has ascended from 10th Round Pick to top-15 prospect since his selection in 1953. The Class C season was getting ready to start, so Goodman had yet to make an appearance, but the then 19-year-old hit .213/.296/.449 (96 OPS+) with 9 homers and 25 RBIs in 40 games with Rock Island of the UMVA last year. One of the stronger guys in the minors, Goodman has an enticing power ceiling and an approach to make the most of it, as he works the counts and draws walks when pitchers pitch around him. With such raw tools and not much defensive ability at second, he's a somewhat controversial prospect, with one of the largest gaps between ceiling and floor. No one made an immediate answer, but you could tell that league was sort of on edge as the All-Star break approached. New teams led the associations, with both the Gothams (47-32) and Kings (46-32) up by two and a half games. Only five teams were within first of their respective associations, but with how streaky teams have been early on, everything seemed wide open.  As the July 31 trade deadline approached, teams started to get busy, with the first salvo coming from the Pittsburgh Miners. After three consecutive 80-win seasons, everything went wrong in 1956, and they decided they were open for business. I'm sure plenty of teams inquired on Paul Williams, who was surprisingly pushed into a more limited role, but they decided to consider offers on supplemental pieces in an effort to return to contention in 1957. The Sailors, in need of a new rutter, picked up the unrelated Roy Rutter (both are 30), who was a regular in 1954 and started 52 of his 54 appearances with the Miners this year. Unfortunately for him, he was hitting just .177/.307/.257 (52 OPS+), on track for a career worst 15.1 K%. He was still drawing walks at a healthy clip (29, 13.7%), and gives the Sailors some depth at their weakest position. The price they paid was minimal, an unheralded 19-year-old and 24-year-old with a combined 12 at bats, though the 19-year-old is second basemen Walter Schmeltzer, a former 2nd Round pick who is expected to get a longer look in a weaker Pittsburgh system. Pittsburgh's other move was sending veteran swingman Jim Kenny (5-10, 2, 4.63, 31) to the Eagles, picking up a pair of 23-year-old position player prospects. The 35-year-old Kenny started 8 of his 30 appearances, working to an elevated 4.63 ERA (86 ERA+) and 1.54 WHIP. Those numbers are somewhat deceptive, as in 54.2 innings as a starter, he was 0-7 with a 5.76 ERA (69 ERA+) and 1.63 WHIP. Expected to pitch out of the Eagles pen, they are expecting his success their to continue, as Washington is surprisingly just three games out of first and looking for their first season above .500 since 1950. Neither prospect they had to part with ranked near the top 250, but Weaver is a fringe top 500 prospect with a nice eye and solid swing and could be a decent pinch hitter. The next move the Eagles made was much bigger, as they are betting on veteran Eli Panneton regaining his pre-injury preform. With a near spotless injury record before he tore his elbow ligament last September, LA has kept Panneton in a reliever role once he returned, pitching 20 innings with 23 hits, 11 runs, 6 walks, and 12 strikeouts. The hope here is he can solidify their 5th spot, while LA gets to pick up an interesting young outfielder in Russ May. A 3rd Rounder back in 1951, he was hitting an impressive .308/.355/.487 (121 OPS+) with 8 homers and 27 RBIs in AA, and he'd have to be added to the 40-man roster in the offseason to avoid a potential selection in the Rule-5 Draft. 24 in September, he's still yet to put it all together, but the Stars are in the midst of a rebuild, and just saw current right fielder Don Berry (.268, 11, 37) tore his labrum. This is a major loss in outfield depth, and his status for 1957 Opening Day is in question, and May can join the competition to replace him. There were plenty of other trades, but none were more impactful then the two the Gothams made. Already upgrading second earlier in the season, Joe DeMott wasn't doing much better, so they enticed the Keystones to move away from offseason pickup Ed Holmes (.272, 5, 29, 3) after just 60 games. He hit about as he did with the Stars, slashing .272/.342/.397 (103 OPS+) with a 112 WRC+ and passable defense at second (-1.5 ZR, 1.003 EFF). He interestingly tallied five doubles, triples, and homers, scoring 37 times and drawing 21 walks with 29 RBIs in his 266 plate appearances. The two prospects they gave up weren't too painful, though the 21-year-old switch hitter Walt Denny is at least a bench quality prospect, and he was hitting a productive .287/.348/.475 (115 OPS+) for the Gothams Class C team. But the big move they made came a few hours before the deadline, acquiring 4-Time Whitney Winner Bill Barrett from the Cannons for 31st ranked prospect Art McKinney and 100th ranked prospect Sam Sheppard (no relation to the longtime Pioneer and former Allen Winner). It may be a surprise to see a team just two games under .500 to give up on their most productive player, but Barrett was in his aged 36 season and his value may never be higher then it is now, as the Gothams were desperate to dethrone the Dynamos. Through exactly 400 trips to the plate, Barrett was on pace for his 5th Whitney, slashing an elite .350/.455/.593 (178 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 19 homers, and 75 RBIs. He walked (65) just barely more then twice as much as he struck out (32), and was showing that his .324/.468/.640 (201 OPS+) line in 138 games last season was no mirage. Joining a lineup with Walt Messer, Earl Howe, and Hank Estill and the top pitching staff in the association should allow the future Hall-of-Famer to keep up his torrid pace, and with the timing of the trade, the Dynamos had no chance to answer. It was a quiet deadline for the team looking to win their fifth consecutive pennant, with the big acquisition taking a chance on former top pitching prospect Bob Allen, but that could be expected as they were 7 up on the second place Eagles and seemed poised to win it all again. Now 28, he was starting to show the promise he did as a youngster, excelling in 116 innings with the Cougars. Allen appeared in 24 games, going a near-perfect 9-1 with a save, a 2.02 ERA (191 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts. Never given a chance to just start games, Allen's 13 starts were two off his career high from 1954 (10-7, 4.17, 62), and seems unlikely to surpass any of Jim Norris, Jack Miller, Paul Anderson, Jack Halbur, or Joe Hancock in the Dynamos rotation. Instead, he's expected to take over as the stopper role and offer depth if one of their front five gets hurt. The price was minimal too, parting with the 155th ranked prospect Monty Brown, who at 21 was hitting just .313/.355/.391 (92 OPS+) on the Dynamos' AA team. He's got a nice eye and bat, but he's years away from contributing to the big league club and Detroit has no shortage of talent. The deals came before the Gothams started doing business, but it initially looked like the Minutemen were going to be the team to win the deadline. No, it wasn't for picking up the struggling former Allen Winner Carl Potter (3-11, 6.64, 33) from the Cougars, but because they picked up 31-year-old outfielder Billy Forbes from the Sailors. Last year's CA steal leader with 23, he was on track for yet another impressive season, batting .268/.333/.455 (112 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 8 triples, 9 homers, 40 runs, 62 RBIs, 37 walks, and 6 steals with an outstanding 10.7 zone rating and 1.056 efficiency in center. Still among one of the top center fielders in the league, he was named to his third All-Star game this season, and will leave his first organization with a .280/.346/.431 (116 OPS+) triple slash. Forbes accumulated 42.9 WAR in 1,277 games, adding 299 doubles, 84 triples, 95 homers, 626 RBIs, 744 runs, 516 walks, and 155 steals. The former 15th Overall Pick was a big part of the 1951 champion team, and he'll exit top-10 in team history in WAR (7th), games (10th, 1,277), at-bats (9th, 4,967), runs (7th), hits (10th, 1,391), doubles (7th), triples (6th), runs (6th), RBIs (9th), and walks (7th). In return, the Sailors asked for former 10th Overall Pick Mike Quigley, who they think they can fixed. Ranked as the 143rd prospect in FABL, "Q" was a consistent top-50 prospect who threw a minor league no-hitter, but spent the past year and a half pitching for Boston's AA team. A pitcher with a deep five pitch arsenal and solid control, there's a lot to like about the young righty, but he's never been able to dominate minor league pitchers like many may have thought. Just before trading the long-time stalwart Forbes, they sent his counterpart Al Farmer to Cincinnati, picking up the 171st ranked prospect Tom Wood. Wood split time between A and AA, hitting a more productive .319/.477/.437 (140 OPS+) at the higher level, producing a 160 WRC+ fueled by an elite 40-to-18 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Wood is a disciplined player, but his value is limited as a first basemen only, and he doesn't have much power. Farmer, on the other hand, was hitting a productive .263/.351/.432 (112 OPS+) and was the World Championship MVP back in 1951. The former 9th Overall Pick hit .278/.361/.435 (121 OPS+) in 1,106 FABL games, and like his former teammate spent his entire career in the Sailors organization. Farmer was worth a bit lower 30.3 WAR, providing the Sailors with 213 doubles, 77 triples, 90 homers, 480 RBIs, 514 walks, and 642 runs scored. Both will be missed enormously, but this is an organization that does an excellent job identifying talent, and they're not afraid to move away from their quality players when they have an internal replacement ready. There were two more deals of note in July, starting with the third deadline deal (Barrett and Allen) that saw longtime Saint Otis O'Keefe (.297, 16, 66) head to Cleveland for 160th ranked prospect Ed Holt. Holt, a 20-year-old catcher, was Cleveland's 3rd Round Pick in 1953, and while talented may not be a fair return for a talented hitter like O'Keefe. A 3rd Rounder himself, "Double Aught" hit was off to a .297/.363/.481 (129 OPS+) start to the season, and owns a .276/.356/.414 (114 OPS+) triple slash in 1,137 games with Montreal. His 109 homers are good for 6th in team history, and he'll form a potent outfield with Tom Carr and Sherry Doyal while 1952 Whitney Winner Frenchy Sonntag is beginning to get ready for a rehab assignment following a ruptured Achilles tendon. 9.5 games behind the Kings, they have plenty of work to do, but their is talent on the mound and in the lineup, and adding O'Keefe could give them the spark they need. Rounding things out was the Minutemen acquisition of Tom Buchannan (10-5, 4.74, 45), hoping to see him regain the form he had as recently as 1954 when he was 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.40 WHIP in 112.1 innings pitched. Despite the 10-wins, Buchanan's 4.74 ERA (82 ERA+) is his highest since the Cougars acquired him in 1953, where he held a 5.53 (76 ERA+) mark between St. Louis and Chicago. If it stands, 4.74 would be the second worst in his 11-year career, but for the small price of a 19-year-old in Class C who ranks just inside the top 250, it could be a very useful deal. Just 33, the former 2nd Pick has matching 101 ERA+ with both the Pioneers and Cougars, and his durability means he's always available and could eat plenty of innings for a staff that ranks towards the bottom in most categories. *** Stretch Run in the Federal Association *** After the dust settled at the deadline, the Gothams got out to a great start in August, as after dropping the first game of the month 8-6 to the Pioneers, they rolled off wins in 13 of their next 14 games, the only loss a 3-2 defeat to the Chiefs in the first game of the double header. Their hot stretch included a two-game sweep in Detroit, winning a pair of one-run games to halve the seven game lead the Dynamos held at the deadline. By the 12th that lead was cut to just half a game, and after matching games for awhile the Dynamos managed to add an extra game to their lead. The Federal pennant race seemed to change on the 19th of August, as both New York and Detroit had double headers. The Dynamos (68-48) were hosting the Keystones (56-59), who they already beat in the previous two games, while the Gothams were doing the same thing to the Miners (51-66). Pittsburgh cooperated, going down 9-1 and 6-4, but Philly snuck out a 3-2 and 6-4 win as the Dynamos continued to struggle in low scoring games. This dropped them out of first for the first time since mid-July. Both teams were given days off to recover, and then proceeded to lose each of their next four games. This allowed the Washington Eagles (67-55) to make it a three-team race, and four of their last five August games were to against the two teams above them. They split with both, walking off the Gothams in 10 on the 27th and shutting out the Dynamos (3-0) two days later. After winning the first of three against St. Louis, the Eagles finished 16-10 for August, and entered the final month of the season in second place (71-57, 1.5 GB). That's because the Dynamos were so bad in August that they reversed (9-21) their dominant 21-9 August. Now 69-59 and 3.5 behind the upgraded Gothams, Detroit was in a real predicament as their rotation just could not get outs. Despite all five of their starting entering the month with above average numbers, they all produced subpar numbers on the month. Paul Anderson was the only one to win more the one of his starts, going 2-3 with a respectable 3.99 ERA (98 ERA+) in his 5 starts. The only problem was more walks (29) than strikeouts (25) and an inflated 1.70 WHIP. Two time Allen winner Jim Norris looked mortal, dropping four of his six starts (one win, one no decision) while also walking (24) more guys then he struck out (18). For Anderson, that's not too uncommon, he tends to hold extreme walk rates, but Norris hasn't walked more guys then he struck out since his rookie season (70, 61), and his 11.8 BB% that year has been his only above 8.5. In August it was an even 11, and it was an even higher 11.2 in a July, where he went 2-3 with a 5.36 ERA, 20 walks, and 22 strikeouts. It's hard to win when your ace isn't performing to his standards, and with everyone else choosing to slump they labored through a month they'd like to forget. First year Gothams GM Tom Beaver must have been proud of how his first deadline went, as both Bill Barrett and Ed Holmes were critical to the 21-9 month that revived the team's season. Barrett didn't match his .350/.455/.593 (178 OPS+) line in month one, but the slugger hit 6 homers and drove in 18 runs with a .250/.406/.470 (136 OPS+) triple slash. The most impressive part was his discipline, as he struck out just 8 times in 128 plate appearances to an impressive 27 walks. That 21.1 BB% is almost a replica of his 1955 mark (21.2) and reminiscent of his Whitney winning years on what was at the time the other New York team. Another former Star, Holmes hit .282/.371/.447 (120 OPS+), contributing 3 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 10 walks, 17 runs, and 21 RBIs. As good as Barrett is, the offensive upgrade Holmes gave the Gothams at second cannot be understated, and he's done a good job setting up the big 3-for-5 of Barrett, Earl Howe (.234, 8, 15), and Hank Estill (.204, 9, 22). The acquisitions also helped lessen the blow of Walt Messer's (.250, 2, 17) struggles, as his 81 WRC+ was his first below 100 in a month this season. They were able to score plenty of runs without him, and unlike the struggling Dynamos, all five of their starters had ERA+ above 100. New York and Detroit opened the final month in the Motor City, and the two contenders split their second to last series of the season. The last one was a critical four game series in New York, capped off with a Sunday double header. Before the series started, New York (75-59) held a half game lead over the Eagles (75-60), while Detroit (72-61) was now in a tie for third with the Minutemen. Boston got back over .500 with an excellent 18-9 August, as the clear cut Kellogg Winner Jack Denis somehow surpassed Rick Masters as the best hitter in the lineup. 25 in August, he had monthly WRC+ of 234, 224, and 204 in June, July, and August (it was even 274 in 14 April games), winning Rookie of the Month in all three. Star level production was expected from Denis, and with Billy Forbes now leading an extra deep lineup that boasts Marshall Thomas and George Rutter as well. In what would prove to be the series that decided the season, the Gothams showed their dominance, metaphorically assassinating the king by winning all four games of a series with Detroit where New York was in control for maybe all but four innings. They did not trail for a single inning, winning by scores of 6-1, 13-8, 6-3, and 2-0 to banish the Dynamos 6.5 games back. The four clutch wins also allowed New York to separate from the other late entrants, with just Washington (77-61) less then five games out of first. They took two of three from the Pioneers, but did their pennant hopes in by losing eight straight, including a double header sweep in Detroit and a one-gamer out in New York. You do have to give the Dynamos some credit, as most teams would have folded after getting embarrassed by a first place team like they did. They regrouped on an off day, and after a tough 6-1 loss against the Chiefs in Detroit, they won 9 of their next 10 and finished September with a strong 15-11 record. They got back to second, finishing just four games behind the pennant winning Gothams (88-66), but following up 101 wins with an 84-70 record is a major letdown, even before considering the attempt to three-peat as WCS champs and win five straight pennants. You could place blame on the Dynamos getting complacent, but at the same time this Gothams team was truly talented. You can't win it every season, and a second place finish after four pennant's is about as minor of a setback as it is. There's still plenty of talent on Detroit's roster, and most importantly, Jim Norris got his mediocre year out of the way. Unable to win a third consecutive Allen, which would have likely cemented him as a Hall-of-Famer, "No-No" Norris was just 14-14 with a 3.81 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 100 walks, and 134 strikeouts. For some, say teammate Bill Gifford (4-4, 8, 4.46, 46), that's a career year, and aside from 43-year-old Joe Hancock (12-12, 4.97, 55), who by the way, should hang up the cleats and not play at 44, this rotation will likely improve just because the four guys in it are so talented. Jack Miller (17-12, 2.92, 196) and Paul Anderson (18-10, 3.08, 171) had typically impressive seasons, and even a regressed version of Jack Halbur (9-13, 6, 3.94, 91) was useful both as a starter and stopper. The lineup even outscored New York 769 to 735 (Boston was 2nd with 764), as Bill Morrison (.290, 22, 117), Edwin Hackberry (.253, 23, 96, 19), Stan Kleminski (.284, 5, 49, 6), Pat Petty (.270, 8, 43), Dick Estes (.263, 17, 75), and even Tommy Griffin (.287, 10, 75) were all productive regulars. Don't think this window is even the least bit closed, as regardless of how the WCS goes I'd put Detroit on a shortlist for top contenders of 1956. What absolutely needs to be discussed before getting to the Fed pennant and who they'd end up facing, one must be informed on former 5th ranked prospect Jack Denis, who not only won a unanimous Kellogg Award, but also the Whitney, in a rookie season that rivals what Tom Taylor (.342, 44, 126, 26) did in 1928. The 24-year-old Denis hit an absurd .371/.464/.645 (197 OPS+) with 45 home runs, 127 RBIs, and a whopping 10.8 wins above replacement despite playing almost all of his 152 games as a left fielder. As you might expect, Denis led the Fed in nearly every category, as along with his entire batting line, his home runs, RBIs, and WAR, he led in runs (126), wOBA (.487), WRC+ (211), and so much more. Currently considered the best player in baseball by OSA, his .464 OBP this year was his highest since 1942, and his .371 average is second to just Buddy Miller's .397 (1953) since 1940. The Minutemen lineup was already lethal when it just had Marshall Thomas (.320, 25, 81) and Rick Masters (.288, 43, 117), and they managed to win 82 games despite star shortstop Joe Kleman (.271, 1, 6) playing just 14 games. The addition of George Rutter proved wise, as the former Sailor hit an impressive .326/.364/.518 (136 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 10 triples, 17 homers, and 109 RBIs. Backstop Sam Walker (.274, 17, 59) had another productive season at the plate, former Saint 2nd Rounder Leon Wallace (.301, 10, 40) impressed in his first FABL season with more then 400 PAs, and third basemen Hilly Westbrook (.246, 12, 60) proved to be a shrewd selection in the Rule-5 draft. Even better, they'll get a full season of Billy Forbes in center, who despite continued excellent defense in center (4.9, 1.048) he saw his batting line slip from .268/.333/.455 (112 OPS+) to an uncharacteristic .215/.257/.368 (67 OPS+), which would easily be the worst of his career had it come in a full season. Denis, Masters, and Thomas deserve to be built around, and an active offseason could be of benefit. The pitching could use some help, I don't trust waiver claim extraordinaire Foster Sherman's (12-5, 2.69, 100) breakout, and no one was anywhere near as effective as him. Among pitchers with double digit starts, John Grimes (11-13, 4.28, 94) was the only guy even close to average, and he had a 91 ERA+ and 120 FIP- and turned 34 in July. One wild card to the staff is former top-50 prospect Don Griffin, who at 19 led the Fed with 69 games and a fitting 19 saves. The former 7th Pick started all 55 of his high school appearances, but was fast-tracked to the majors in his draft year. After just 16.2 minor league innings, all but two in AAA, the then 18-year-old threw 32 innings, allowing 39 hits, 18 runs, and 8 walks with 17 strikeouts. This equated to a 5.06 ERA (90 ERA+), 3.80 FIP (83 FIP-), and 1.47 WHIP, as the 6'4'' teen went 4-2 with 7 saves as a rookie. This season was a massive step forward, as in 98.2 innings he had a pristine 2.74 ERA (143 ERA+) to go with 36 walks, 54 strikeouts, a 1.31 WHIP, and 3.17 FIP (81 FIP-). With a deep five pitch mix and plenty of stamina, he's got the tools to start, and it's not like they have a shortage of talented young stoppers. In fact, just six months older is Dick Wilson, who in year two was 9-6 with 7 saves, a 2.37 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts. And unlike Griffin, Wilson is a converted first basemen who just started pitching as a 17-year-old in A ball. I'd love to see "Doc" Griffin deployed in the rotation on Opening Day, but with his age and inexperience I can understand Boston leaving him in the pen until he corrects his simple mental mistakes. Another player that deserves a shoutout is the recently turned 41-year-old Al Miller, who finally won a second well deserved Allen Award. Ironically, he was better in his two previous seasons, but even with the grey hairs coming in "The California Kid" continues to best the top hitters on the planet. Finishing 19-10 with a 2.83 ERA (138 ERA+) and 3.07 FIP (78 FIP-) in 277 stellar innings, Miller led the Fed in WHIP for the third consecutive season, though the 1.10 this season was the highest of them. The ERA crown was taken from him by his teammate Vern Osborne, as the Chiefs are starting to reap some of the benefits of the John Stallings trade. The former 6th Overall Pick got a cup of coffee in 1954 and a stint as a reliever last season, but broke out in a starting role this season. Osborne was an unlucky 11-10, as his 2.65 ERA (147 ERA+) was best in the association. Projected to be a dependable #2, Osborne seems to be the heir-apparent ace, though the now 35-year-old Mel Haynes (14-14, 3.62, 119) may get the secret stuff that Charlie Bingham passed down to Miller. Aside from the previously mentioned Stallings, the Chiefs haven't had many young pitchers come out of their rotation, and Osborne was a big reason the team finished 2nd in runs against. In a down year from Rod Shearer (.266, 39, 126), down being used loosely of course, the lineup slumped to second worst, but him and Ed Bloom (.292, 10, 49, 15) can't be blamed. The lineup could use a big addition, and a few acquisitions could allow the Chiefs to make a legitimate run at the crown in 1957. Washington tried to do one of those, but a 10-16 September that was sunk by a nice game losing streak knocked them to fourth. They still finished with 81 wins, their most since they were 83-71 in 1950, as they seemed to rehabilitate Eli Panneton (5-3, 3.34, 30) and get good, dependable innings from what on the surface is an uninspiring rotation. While none of the guys are great, there's no weakness, and they got good consistency from Jim Heitzman (13-12, 3.47, 144), Jose Waggoner (14-9, 3.81, 118), Jackson Scott (15-9, 3.56, 110), and John Herron (14-9, 3.95, 94). The lineup saw some restructuring, with Jesse Alvarado (.247, 15, 48, 5) transitioning to a part-time role and Rats McGonigle (.249, 16, 58) moving down in the lineup, allowing guys like Rule-5 Pick Pat Todd (.276, 7, 50), 1954 2nd Overall Pick Jack Thompson (.335, 10, 72), and switch hitting outfielder Pete Sipe (.287, 13, 61) to take larger roles. They're also expecting former 4th Overall Pick and 17th ranked prospect Brad Keylon take over the catching position next season, and they might want to support the young centerpiece with more protection. The on field result was a little on schedule, and it will be interesting to see what direction the Eagles front office decides to go. Among the teams that never really go into it, the Keystones had some standout performances and it wasn't just Buddy Miller, Sure, Miller hit .349/.381/.581 (161 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 36 homers, and 113 RBIs, but production like that is expected. I'm sure the Keystones were much happier with ace Sam Ivey's 20-win season, as he broke his three year stretch of subpar performance. The 28-year-old went 20-10 with a 3.41 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, and 135 strikeouts, and was the only Keystone with more then 100 innings pitched that produced an ERA below 4.75. In smaller samples, Jimmy Maness (4-5, 3.57, 49) and deadline pickup Tom Buchanan (6-5, 3.64, 25) looked good, but both have their concerns. Philly was also pleased with April pickup Lloyd Coulter (.270, 39, 96), who set a new career high for homers and WAR (6.4), while his corner infield counterpart Sal Nigro (.307, 19, 75) produced his second consecutive season with a WRC+ (156) above 135. It's a shame Buddy doesn't have more talent on his team, but if the Coulter and Buchanan trades are any indication, they'll look to acquire more pieces to please their new face. A lot of Pittsburgh's struggles can be blamed on Paul Williams, who they held to just 395 plate appearances despite a .280/.408/.441 (126 OPS+) batting line. Sure, 2nd ranked prospect Bill Tutwiler (.324, 8, 53) drew 105 walks in 116 games and showed everyone why he's called "Amazing." And sure, Lorenzo Samuels (.289, 24, 85) had a ton of fun in the smaller Fed parks. But there had to have been a way to work their still productive star into the lineup more. If not, they should move Williams for pitching, as Ted Coffin (9-13, 4.87, 118) had a brutal second half (he even had a 3.74 ERA on August 7th) and Les Bradshaw (7-14, 5.00, 84) is starting to struggle to disguise himself as a major league pitcher. 25-year-old Dick Champ (12-12, 9, 3.77, 67) did well in the pen, and even made a few starts, so they could have some internal help for next season. But beyond that, the current group is thin, and if the Miners want to return to the team that was consistently winning 80 some games, they'll need to add some better pitchers to the staff. The only team worse off was the Pioneers, who for the third time in four seasons finished last in the Fed. They couldn't score any runs, as aside from Rex Pilcher (.252, 29, 103) and Sam Ruggles (.283, 18, 79), they didn't offer much resistance at the plate. The pitching wasn't much better either, as Hiram Steinberg completely imploded. The 33-year-old was a pitiful 4-16 with a 6.35 ERA (63 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP, striking out 75 and walking 56 in just 136 innings pitched. Prior to this season, he failed to reach 200 innings just twice, his debut season in 1945 (59.1) and when he threw "only" 196.2 innings in 1930. While not as poor, 32-year-old Joe Potts (9-16, 4.60, 104) wasn't any good either, leaving just back-to-back loss leader Bill Kline (17-7, 3.82, 117) as the most effective pitcher. John Thomas Johnson (15-17, 4.10, 119) wasn't too bad either, as the 35-year-old led the Fed in losses despite a respectable 4.10 ERA (97 ERA+) and 3.92 FIP (98 FIP-), but he'll be 36 next year isn't really the pitcher you want as your ace. Still, he rebounded well from a poor start to the season, and could help stabilize the team next year when they try to avoid another finish at the bottom. Representing this association is the New York Gothams, who 88-66 are looking to capture their first title since 1942. You can pretty much thank Bill Barrett, as the superstar took over in September, shining brightest when the lights were on him. "William the Conqueror" hit an elite .349/.518/.602, hitting 6 more homers with 15 runs, 3 doubles, and 22 walks. He matched his 29 hits with 29 walks, and struck out just 6 times in 112 trips to the plate. Between Cincy and New York, he hit an astronomical .327/.453/.565 (171 OPS+) in 152 games, but couldn't win a Whitney (would have been deserved in the Conti) since he switched associations. Barrett's 121 walks were his most since he led the CA with 130 en route to his 4th Whitney in 1948, and he recorded over 100 RBIs (115) for the first time since 1949. Without Barrett, they may not give the Dynamos the beatdown that knocked them out of it, and proved to be the difference in an association won by eight games. Even without Barrett, the Gothams are an excellent team, as they brought back last year's Whitney Winner Earl Howe, who followed up a 55 homer campaign with 42 more. He scored 110 runs and drove in 101, hitting .272/.366/.531 (139 OPS+) with 20 doubles and 86 walks. Walt Messer (.290, 22, 79) could still swing it at 37, and New York supplemented the top pitching staff in the Fed with these two, Hank Estill (.262, 29, 88), Lew Mercer (.261, 7, 69), Chief Lewis (.294, 9, 67, 25), and deadline pickup Ed Holmes (.293, 5, 31). In the rotation, only George Garrison (8-14, 1, 4.29, 86) really had any issues, as John Stallings (12-11, 3.47, 140) came back out of nowhere to be a useful FABL starter, Jorge Arellano (15-7, 3.17, 171) hit his stride in year three, and even at 36 Ed Bowman (16-14, 3.28, 172) shook off his "down" 1955 with a vintage campaign that saw him finish second in the Allen running to Al Miller. Though the most critical piece might have been Eddie Martin (14-10, 3.20, 99), who worked around baserunners all season to put together a strong 30-start campaign as a 29-year-old. Top to bottom, it's hard to find a weakness, and their Continental counterpart will definitely have their hands full. *** Continental Stretch Run *** So who then is that counterpart you might ask? Well just like in the Fed, a large lead was blown, as the Kansas City Kings did not follow up their 24-7 July with an above .500 August. Sure, they didn't lose single digit games, but 13-18 isn't much better, and with just a few days left in the month they too gave up their hold on first place. The only team within eight of them was Cleveland, who followed their 20-10 July up with an even better 23-7 August. The Continental's top lineup entered September a game above the Kings, 76-54 to their 75-56. It wasn't because of Otis O'Keefe, he hit just .274/.373/.358 (95 OPS+), but it was the veterans of the staff Rufus Barrell (4-1, 3.04, 16) and Adrian Czerwinski (4-3, 3.08, 41) with help from outfield stars Sherry Doyal and Tom Carr. The duo did what they did best, as Doyal hit .346/.448/.606 (177 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 19 walks, and 25 RBIs while Carr hit a similar .378/.457/.595 (177 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 24 RBIs, 13 walks, and 3 steals. Larry McClure (.389, 1, 25) and Gus Melvin (.275, 6, 15) were great too, as Cleveland looked set to add their third pennant of the 1950s. Of course, with a full month left and a loaded Kings squad to compete with, things wouldn't be easy, and the two head honchos met five more times before the season's end. The first four came early, as like the Dynamos and Gothams the teams had a four game set in three days. Thier's was a little earlier, the 3rd to the 5th, and Cleveland entered 77-55 with a one game lead. With the games played in Kansas City, you'd think the Kings would have the advantage, but Cleveland swept the double header and won three of four, leaving KC three back with 18 to play. Even with two days to recover, the Kings could not right the ship, as after reigning Allen Award winner Tony Britten (9 IP, 3 H, 3 K) bailed out the offense with a commanding 1-0 against his former team, they dropped each of their next six games. This dropped them to 5.5 games out, almost completely eliminating them from contention. After blowing a 3-0 lead, and seeing the game go to extras, things were looking dire. Thankfully, some of the supporting cast decided to do the heavy lifting, with Bob Burge and Bryan Jeffries going back-to-back, putting the Kings in front 5-3 in the 11th. Walt Staton then came on to deliver a third shutout inning, snapping the losing streak and giving the Kings their 79th win of the season. KC stayed hot, winning games against the Stars (2), Sailors (1), and Cannons (3) before the critical final game with Cleveland. At 85-65, they were a full three and a half games behind, meaning they had to win out and the Foresters lose out, just for a game 155. With the odds completely against them, they refused to give up. Down 2-1 in the 5th, the Kings got to rallying, as Elmer Grace, George Harnett, and Charlie Rogers pieced together singles to quickly load the bases on Hugh Blumenthal. Clearly rattled, Blumenthal walked Ken Newman to tie it and Dutch Miller to give the Kings the lead, all on consecutive balls. He then walked Chuck Lewis, again on four pitches, before a first pitch ball to Fred McHenry. Unlike the three guys before him, the former 20th Round pick pounced on a pitch, scoring another with a single. Two more scored on a Jeffries single, making it 8-2, and Blumenthal finally got an out by striking out opposing starter Beau McClellan. One more run scored on Elmer Grace's second single of the inning, and while reliever Mort Martin was able to bounce back and get the next two guys, the damage was done. McClellan (9 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) took things to the finish, even if it wasn't always solid, and the sliver of hope remained. Granted, it was stomped out quickly, as eventual Allen winner Tony Britten couldn't handle the Wolves (7 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K). In the end, it didn't matter, the Foresters beat the Cannons twice in Cincinnati, and it would be absolutely foolish to blame Britten for any of this. His second consecutive Allen Award, Britten was an impressive 21-10, capturing the ERA crown with a 2.09 (187 ERA+) mark in 288.2 innings. His 2.66 FIP (67 FIP-) supported the dominance, and his 1.01 WHIP was best in the association. Britten added 175 strikeouts to just 78 walks, continuing to be exactly the type of pitcher they wanted in what has proved to be a major steal for the Continental runner ups. Besides, it was the pitching that kept the Kings in it, as the CA's top staff scored just the 5th most runs. Britten wasn't even the only 20-game winner, Beau McClellan (20-10, 3.23, 163) reached the mark in his breakout year, and trade mate Fred Washington (18-12, 3.34, 178) was right back to being the pitcher that won consecutive Allen Awards before Britten got his go. That front three is as good as any, but Charlie Rogers (.284, 10, 69, 17) and Ken Newman (.280, 14, 74) took huge step backs. While still above average, neither surpassed a 130 WRC+, something Newman hasn't done since he was 21 in 1950. The lineup was more average then good, but guys like Elmer Grace (.288, 9, 50) and Dutch Miller (.267, 8, 62) continued to be effective role players. The one bright spot was the emergence of Bryan Jeffries, who followed up a poor first season in KC with a ton of pop. In just 372 trips to the plate, the then 27-year-old hit 21 homers and drove in 59 RBIs with a .290/.349/.540 (137 OPS+) line. His 147 WRC+ was best among Kings with 200 PAs, and he managed to lead the team in home runs. With most of their core still under 30, KC should be right back in it this year, but just like the Dynamos, it was brutal seeing them blow such a large lead. And teams know all too well that you can't let opportunities like that slip. Windows have a funny way of closing on teams... Representing the CA will be the Foresters (91-63), who finally reclaimed the spot as best of the association. Led by the talented duo of Tom Carr and Sherry Doyal, two completely different outfielders, Cleveland scored the most runs (735) in the Continental and led plenty of categories such as average (.262), OPS (.739), and WAR (26). Carr, who calls center home, is a contact-oriented lefty who hit .341/.430/.559 (161 OPS+) with 49 doubles, 22 triples, 9 homers, 88 RBIs, 101 runs, 12 steals, and an elite 77-to-27 walk-to-strikeout ratio. His 4.2 K% was second to only Gene Curtis (.296, 2, 44) of the Stars, and he provided the Foresters with solid center field play (7.8 ZR, 1.016) in his breakout campaign. His 8.9 wins above replacement was the most in the CA, and he led in triples, on-base, slugging, OPS (.990), WRC+ (174), and wOBA (.435). With how different he is from Doyal, the classic righty slugger with a good eye but some swing and miss, it's so hard to compare the Foresters star outfielders. Doyal hit an also impressive .308/.393/.546 (147 OPS+), thwacking 33 homers with 24 doubles, 8 triples, 113 RBIs, 82 walks, and a 155 WRC+. As you might expect, these two were the top candidates for the Whitney, but the voters clearly favored the player who hadn't already won a Whitney. That of course, is the center fielder Carr, who nabbed 13 of the 16 first place votes. From the outside, his breakout season would have been a surprise, but he was steadily solid in a part time role. In three seasons with 400+ plate appearances he produced WRC+ of 124, 131, and 132, and when Frenchy Sonntag (.192, 5, 14) got hurt early he took full advantage of the new starting spot. Sonntag is healthy and available off the bench, with deadline pickup Otis O'Keefe (.290, 19, 87, 9) taking the third outfield spot. Cleveland is without their normal shortstop, as John Low (.329, 6, 49) ruptured his MCL in July, and the lineup looks a lot thinner without him. The top five is still solid, with Jim Urquhart (.277, 5, 48, 14) and Larry McClure (.284, 8, 76) sandwiching the All-Star outfield. Having Low in the mix would make it even tougher to get through. His glove also benefits the pitching, as while Tom Jeffries (.287, 5, 52) can hit he's not much of a defender at short. With a healthy Low, Jeffries could replace the struggling Gus Melvin (.217, 15, 64), who never really got going. There's always stability atop Cleveland's rotation, has longstanding Continental WAR-Lord Adrian Czerwinski was worth a career high 10.3 WAR in his sixth 20-win campaign. 22-13 in his 36 starts, "The Mad Professor" recorded a 2.73 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in a career high 310 innings pitched. Czerwinski also did something he never did before, lead the association in strikeouts, as the 31-year-old set down 189 batters. The eight year run he's on has cemented his name along the All-Time greats, and he's already won 175 games in his first nine seasons. He has a chance to become part of a third championship team, and each of Cleveland's last four pennants can be in some ways attributed to him. He doesn't always have support in the staff, but his friendship with teammate Rufus Barrell may be contributing to the vets resurgence in 1956. A fellow 4-Time Allen Winner, Barrell turned 39 in June, and from July on saw his ERA drop in each month. The big lefty finished 16-13 with a 3.50 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts, producing his clear best season in Cleveland. He sits behind Czerwinski and Hugh Blumenthal (9-11, 3.48, 169), forming a solid front three that was ready for the Gothams. Aside from the Kings, no one else was within ten games of first, meaning all six teams have a lot of work to do if they want to be competitive. Each team had something encouraging go on, but the team to keep an eye on is the Cincinnati Cannons. They may have fallen back to the bottom three (7th, 68-86) after finishing two games above .500 last season, but they have a top five farm system and two top ten prospects. Both outfielders, one of Martin Perry (C, .289, 13, 48, 12) and Bonnie Chapin (B, .252, 5. 41, 4) could be a major trade piece. Despite finishing last in runs scored, the outfield is a strength, as former 7th Overall Pick Dallas Berry (.246, 26, 82, 13) drew 100 walks and slugged a team high 26 homers, making him the only Cannon with double digit home runs. The guy that came closest is the real reason to be excited, as Fred Lainhart was named co-Kellogg Winner after leading the Conti in hits (214) and doubles (52). 24 in August, the young outfielder hit an impressive .355/.365/.490 (127 OPS+) with 10 triples, 9 homers, 21 steals, 71 RBIs, and 88 runs scored. Lainhart started all 149 of his appearances in right, where he posted an impressive 12.0 zone rating and 1.026 efficiency. You could even say their third best hitter is an outfielder too, as that's where Ralph Hanson (.296, 3, 58, 14) has been playing, but the versatile righty has plenty of experience in the infield. The advantage Cincinnati has over some of the other pretenders is that they have the pitching figured out, finishing 2nd in runs against (583) as their defense did a great job preventing runs. Having a legitimate ace helps too, as 25-year-old Jake Pearson had his best season in year four. The southpaw finished 17-14 with a 2.74 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts in 296 innings. He started 35 games for the second straight season, and now owns a career 3.36 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.31 FIP (80 FIP-) in 873.1 FABL innings. As a former 4th Overall selection, production like this was expected, and he's already shown he belongs next to some of the top pitchers in the game. This year he got a co-ace too, as fellow fourth year pitcher Paul Williams posted his best season since he was an All-Star in his rookie season. His 12-12 record made it impossible to get elected this year, but he recorded a career low 2.82 ERA (140 ERA+) in 245.1 innings spread across 35 starts. That was the first time he surpassed the 200 inning total, and it came with a career low 6.5 BB%. With a solid infield defense behind him, Williams can provide more then middle-of-rotation production, if he can replicate this next season all Cincy might need is to bulk of the lineup. Montreal was the best of the worst, recording 80 wins for the first time since 1951. The Saints have a solid foundation in place, and they were comfortable trading Otis O'Keefe to the eventual pennant winners because they had former Dynamo 3rd Rounder Harry Swain hanging out on the bench. Graduated as the 30th prospect, he spent all season on the active roster, but most of his starts came after their July trade. Making 338 trips to the plate, Swain hit an impressive .301/.423/.470 (143 OPS+), actually outperforming O'Keefe on the aggregate. Swain hit 14 homers and drove in 48 runs, drawing more walks (57) then strikeouts (43). He shows impressive command of the strike zone and makes plenty of contact, fitting right in to a lineup that saw solid years form Bill Elkins (.288, 4, 55, 3), Maurice Carter (.240, 21, 74), and George Scott (.250, 17, 67). But the real kicker for Montreal was what proved to be a cunning offseason pickup, as 26-year-old Phil Murry was this year's Skinny Green (13-12, 3.89, 176). Never considered much of a prospect, Murry did have a solid 1955, as in his first season in the Minutemen's rotation he went 18-10 with a 4.65 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.44 WHIP. He did walk 104 to just 78 strikeouts, so what really made him serviceable was the 230.1 decent innings. One of the rare knuckleballers, it was finally wielded well, as Murry twirled 23 quality starts and 21 complete games for his new team. A team best 17-9, his 2.51 ERA (155 ERA+) was second only to the Allen winner Tony Britten, and he posted a strong 3.40 FIP (87 FIP-) and 1.19 WHIP with 80 walks and 103 strikeouts. With a volatile pitch like the knuckleball, Murry may be a one-year wonder, but the Saints have plenty of solid pitchers to make up for a return to form. Max Edwards (14-14, 3.65, 133) was dependable once again, and Tom Fisher (17-12, 3.04, 155) posted a career best 7.4 BB% and shook off a middling 1955 with an excellent year that matched his '64 season. The fifth spot saw some movement, but veteran Jackie James (7-5, 4, 3.07, 55) looked alright, and while it's an area to upgrade, that could instead come from Skinny Green pitching like he did last season (18-9, 3.13, 207). Bill Guthrie only made 403 trips to the plate, but the Sailors 25th Rounder hit more then the 12 home runs needed to game more career FABL home runs then all other 25th Round picks combined. The 27-year-old first basemen led San Francisco with 29 home runs, slashing .309/.390/.615 (169 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 73 runs, and 78 RBIs. He was the best hitter, even if he didn't start nearly enough games, but the new face of the Sailors with Forbes and Farmer gone may be Ray Rogan. Acquired in the trade that sent George Rutter to Boston, Rogan hit an impressive .312/.396/.465 (133 OPS+) with a 146 WRC+ in his first season out west. The talented 26-year-old played in 151 of the team's 154 games, accumulating 34 doubles, 12 triples, 10 homers, 68 RBIs, 86 runs, and 80 walks. Aside from Guthrie, he doesn't have much production, but San Fran finished 79-75 and had who probably should have been Kellogg Winner. 22 until the 26th of September, Bud Henderson produced a dominant 9 WAR season, going 17-12 with a 2.79 ERA (140 ERA) and 1.27 WHIP. The former 3rd Rounder struck out an association high 189 batters in 290.2 innings pitched, finishing third in both the Kellogg and Allen despite putting together one of the best pitching seasons for the team. Most impressive may be his 2.68 FIP (68 FIP-), which in most years would be the best. Bud had the poor luck of being stuck in a deep class of pitchers, though if this writer had a choice he would have gotten the Kellogg over Lainhart. This kid is legit, and could be the next great Sailors pitcher behind names like Doc Newell, Win Lewis, and William Jones. The Wolves came close to .500 again, but can be encouraged by 20 home run seasons from John Wells (.247, 20, 68, 6) and Larry Curtis (.261, 25, 77), while Tom Read finished 2nd in the CA with 31. Along with his 93 RBIs, it was an improvement on his Kellogg winning season last year, but the 25-year-old outfielder saw his overall batting line drop from .324/.383/.564 (156 OPS+) to .267/.324/.483 (112 OPS+). Unfortunately for the Wolves, he was still their most productive hitter, as the offense still has plenty of weak spots that quality pitchers can exploit. On the mound, they got a breakout year from sophomore Whitey Stewart, who went 12-10 with a 3.44 ERA (115 ERA+), 3.26 FIP (82 FIP-), and 141 strikeouts. An extreme groundballer, his 0.3 HR/9 was the lowest rate in the CA, allowing just 9 balls to leave the yard in 243 innings pitched. The now 25-year-old doesn't have the best command, walking 122 hitters this year and 129 last, but hit stuff is good enough that it's almost an advantage. His change is almost impossible to make solid contact with, and if you hit his sinker you're going to roll it to one of their defenders. He's got the stuff to front a rotation, and Toronto may have a Hancock to his Garrison in Jim Montgomery. The 1956 All-Star worked his way from the pen to the rotation, throwing 210.2 innings across 49 appearances (19 starts) in his second FABL season. Montgomery led the association in K/BB (2.8) and FIP- (63 FIP-) as he worked to a 14-8 record with 11 saves. Montgomery's 2.65 ERA (150 ERA+) was third in the CA, his 1.10 WHIP second, and he walked just 52 hitters with 148 strikeouts. He was a bit better out of the pen then the rotation, so as a full-time starter the numbers may dip a bit, but he appears to be a legitimate building block for a team in need of a pennant run. A team without much direction, the Chicago Cougars floundered to their fourth consecutive losing season, with the 72-82 record their worst since 1947. Team legend Skipper Schneider ended up calling it quits right after his 36th birthday, as the once elite shortstop lost a step last season. The 10-Time All-Star finished his career with 88.4 WAR in 2,386 games, helped along by his otherworldly 407.5 zone rating and 1.100 efficiency in 2,363 games at shortstop. Exactly twice as good as the average defensive shortstop, there was a period of time where he ranked either 1st or 2nd in zone rating, as the former 7th Overall Pick and baseball triplet was the gold standard for defense at short. A decent hitter too, he finished his career with a just below average .277/.330/.367 (98 OPS+) batting line. The defense alone makes it worth it, but Skipper struck out in just 4.6% of his FABL plate appearances, and gathered 989 runs, 2,325 hits, 390 doubles, 81 triples, 69 homers, 955 RBIs, 685 walks, and 149 steals in an outstanding 17 season career. His customary short was filled by George Sutterfield (.263, 6, 43, 27), who would have been a long time shortstop for a team that didn't have a Skipper Schneider, who even at 34 continued to be a reliable regular in the Windy City. He was a useful mentor for the young team that was led by the now 28-year-old Jerry Smith (.280, 26, 105, 16). He only had a share for the team lead in homers this year, as rookie outfielder Doc Zimmerman (.277, 26, 82) matched his 26 in eight fewer at bats. Chicago's third outfielder Frank Reece (.266, 11, 54) settled into the center field job, and Buddy Byrd (.325, 7, 78, 30) once again led the association in steals. The 25-year-old was worth an impressive 5.4 WAR in 149 games, recording 33 doubles, 17 triples, and 88 runs. His 127 WRC+ was impressive despite his 2.8 BB%, and the first-time All-Star could be a fixture in the lineup for years to come. It's now the pitching that needs work, as new ace Pug White (10-18, 3.90, 157) led the CA in losses and third year righty Ollie Norris (7-12, 3.88, 116) surrendered the most home runs. Those were the only two guys that gave the Cougars reliable starts, as they struggled to find pitchers who could win games. The deadline sell-off thinned the depth a bit, but they got an early look at what 1950 2nd Rounder Ernie Tisdale (2-3, 5.94) and former 16th ranked prospect Harry Rollins (3-4, 4.50, 22) can do in the rotation. There are plenty of spots up for grabs, and without major improvement they're going to continue to finish near the bottom of the standings. For now, that's what LA comes home, as the recently relocated Stars have finished 8th for the third time in three seasons. They only got 100 games from Charlie Barrell, who hit .333/.376/.535 (144 OPS+), knocking in 60 runs with 25 doubles, 5 triples, and 16 home runs. He's not likely to get full seasons, and with no support in the lineup it's going to be tough for Hollywood's team to put up Oscar winning performances. On the bright side, 25-year-old rookie Johnny Elliot was Fred Lainhart's co-Kellogg Winner, as the Stars first basemen hit a robust .356/.418/.528 (155 OPS+) in 493 trips to the plate. The former 2nd Rounder hit 15 doubles and 19 homers with 71 runs, 66 RBIs, and 47 walks. This comes on the heels of a major breakout in AAA last year, when Elliot hit an astronomical .381/.431/.665 (189 OPS+) with 46 homers and 135 RBIs. This suggests the potential for 30+ home run seasons, as a full 154 games of Elliot could remind some of former first basemen Bill Barnett. They may be destined for second division finishes in the near future, but scouts are very high on their recent 1st Rounders, ranking their last two in the top 10. Another former 1st Rounder, Eddie Webb (0-1, 1, 5.19, 10) struck out 10 and walked just 1 in a 17.1 inning cup of coffee, but on multiple occasions was let down by his defense. Currently ranked as the 18th best prospect, his three pitch mix excites, and he'll be given every opportunity to join fellow 1st Rounder Doc Clay (6-8, 1, 2.92, 60) in the patched together rotation. If these highly touted first rounders can hit, the Stars may have a new golden generation, making up for the early missteps on the west coast.  [size="6"1956 World Championship Series[/size] The Detroit Dynamos and Kansas City Kings did not get a chance to meet for the third consecutive season in the World Championship Series as each had to settle for second place this time around. In their place were a couple of organizations in the New York Gothams and Cleveland Foresters that had some history together as well. The Gothams and Foresters would be hooking up for the fourth time in WCS play. They met in back to back years in 1934 and 1935 with each coming out on top once and followed that up with a showdown in 1950 that the Foresters won in seven games. The 1934 and 1950 meetings, both won by Cleveland, eah went the full seven games with the '34 fall classic being famous not only for it being the Foresters first ever WCS win but also for how they won as Cleveland overcame a three games to one deficit with three straight victories including an 18-3 thumping of New York in the finale.GAME ONE: NEW YORK 4 CLEVELAND 3 (13 innings) The Series opened in Cleveland and if game one was any indication it was going to be a dramatic one. The Foresters, with Hugh Blumenthal on the mound against Gothams legend Ed Bowman, jumped out to a 3-0 lead after six innings. Larry McClure followed up a lead-off single by Tom Carr in the second with an rbi double off Bowman to account for the opening run and a pair of extra base hits in the form of a Carr triple and a Tom Jeffries double drove in two more in the bottom of the sixth.New York got one of those runs back with a solo homer off the bat of Hank Estill in the seventh and it stayed 3-1 entering the top of the ninth inning. The Gothams put the first two runners on base but a double-play groundout by Tom Jovin put a damper on the rally. Estill worked a tiring Blumenthal for a free pass to put runners on the corners and Ed Holmes delivered an rbi single to cut the lead to 3-2. Larry Beebe came on to relieve Blumethal but was promptly greeted by a Joe DeMott single to score Estill with the tying run. Bowman set down the Foresters in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. George Garrison took over for Bowman in the bottom of the 10th and was in immediate trouble after Sherry Doyal led off with a double and Tom Carr was given an intentional walk. A sac fly put Doyal just 90 feet away from ending the game but Garrison fanned both Frenchy Sontag and Gus Melvin to prolong the game. The next scoring opportunity came in the top of the 13th when Chief Lewis drew a one-out walk from the latest Cleveland hurler John Jackson. Billy Woytek followed with a single that was mishandled by Cleveland centerfielder Tom Carr and allowed Lewis to race home with what would prove to be the winning run and the Gothams 4-3 victory gave them the early series lead. GAME TWO: NEW YORK 5 CLEVELAND 1 The Foresters again scored first with Sherry Doyal hitting a solo homerun off of New York starter John Stallings in the bottom of the first but from there on it was all New York as Stallings went the distance, allowing just 5 hits and the Gothams won 5-1. Chief Lewis had 3 hits and score a pair of runs while Hank Estill and Bill Barrett each had two hits, including a double for each of them, and a pair of rbi's.GAME THREE: NEW YORK 5 CLEVELAND 3 The Gothams returned home with a commanding 2 games to none lead in the series and added to it with a 5-3 win in game three. A pair of lefthanders were on the mound in 25-year-old Jorge Arellano, who was making his WCS debut for New York, and veteran Deuce Barrell who was playing in his fourth WCS.Singles by Harry Murray and Bill Barrett followed by a 2-run double off the bat of Earl Howe staked the hosts to a 2-0 lead in the first inning but after a 1-2-3 opening inning, Arellano found himself in trouble in the second frame when Tom Carr doubled and scored on a Larry McClure base hit. Gus Melvin would drive in Carr to knot the game at 2 before Arellano struck out opposing pitcher Barrell to get out of the inning. Chief Lewis singled in Cecil LaBonte in the bottom of the second to put New York up 3-2 but again the Foresters responded immediately, tying the game on sacrifice fly off the bat of Carr in the third inning. It would stay 3-3 until the fifth inning when once more an error would hurt the Foresters. With two out and a runner on first, Bill Barrett grounded into what should have been an inning ending play for shortstop Tom Jeffries, but the former Gothams infielder was wild with his peg to first base allowing runners to advance to second and third. Earl Howe made the Foresters pay with a double to score both runners and the Gothams led once more, this time by a 5-3 margin. The Foresters managed just two harmless singles the rest of the way as Arellano went the distance for his first career WCS victory. GAME FOUR: CLEVELAND 9 NEW YORK 5 Hugh Blumenthal did not survive the first inning as New York scored four times in the opening frame thanks to an Earl Howe grand slam and appeared well on their way to a series sweep with Ed Bowman on the mound. It was 5-2 for the Gothams after two innings but the Foresters fought back, scoring a run in the fourth and another in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4.Jim Urquhart was one of three Foresters to have 4 hits in the game, joining Otis O'Keefe and Gus Melvin, and his eighth inning single gave the visitors the lead after Frenchy Sontag had driven in Parson Allen with the tying run. Cleveland would score three more times in the top of the ninth to put the game away, claiming their first win of the series by a 9-5 score. GAME FIVE: CLEVELAND 3 NEW YORK 2 Two of the best college pitchers of all-time hooked up in game six with former Whitney College star Adrian Czerwinski facing Piedmont University alum John Stallings. The game was scoreless for three innings before the Foresters plated a pair of runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a Tom Carr double and a Larry McClure single. Sherry Doyal would double in Jim Urquhart in the top of the 8th to make the score 3-0. Meanwhile through 8 innings Czerwinski had kept the Gothams off the scoresheet while allowing just four New York hits, all singles.That changed in the bottom of the ninth as Bill Barrett worked the Mad Professor for a leadoff walk and advanced to second on an Earl Howe single. A fielders choice put runners on the corners and then once more an error cost the Foresters. This time it was by third baseman Gus Melvin that allowed Barrett to score and left runners on first and second. Cecil LaBonte singled to load the bases and Walt Messer delivered a sacrifice fly to score the second New York run and put the tying run on third base. The Foresters would live to fight another day after Czerwinski got Gothams pinch-hitter Tom Jovin to fly out and end the game. GAME SIX: NEW YORK 3 CLEVELAND 0 Despite the Foresters losing both of their games at home to start the series, back to back wins in New York to cut the Gothams lead to 3-2 led to an air of excitement at Forester Stadium for the sixth game. It would be a rematch of game three with Deuce Barrell going for Cleveland against Jorge Arellano.The game would be a terrific pitching duel and stayed scoreless through seven innings. New York's best chance to score came in the third inning when yet another Cleveland error left Gothams hurler Arellano perched on second base with two out. Chief Lewis delivered a single and Arellano was waived home only to be thrown out at the plate on a perfect strike from Tom Carr. Meanwhile the Foresters managed just three hits, all singles, of Arellano. The goose eggs persisted until the top of the 8th and when Arellano slapped a lead-off single off Barrell. With one out Harry Murray, a reserve infielder with New York who was called on by veteran manager Ad Doria to play first base and had just 14 homers in 275 big league games, delivered the biggest hit of his a career, a two-run blast that barely cleared the leftfield wall and gave New York the lead. The Gothams added another run before the inning was over to make the score 3-0 and Arellano finished the complete game shutout off without allowing another hit, giving the Gothams a 3-0 victory and their first World Championship Series victory since 1942 and sixth overall. New York lead-off man Chief Lewis, who hit .370 (10-for-27) in the series, was named the Most Valuable Player. The win marked the end of the line for long-time Gothams great Walt Messer, who announced his retirement after the series, as did fellow veteran big leaguers George Garrison and Billy Woytek. Ad Doria, the 60-year-old who won his third WCS as a manager, also left the club and was undecided about his future.  BASEBALL OFF-SEASON After a fresh WCS matchup and a brand new champion, the FABL have-nots likely came in with more confidence this year then last, as the both the Detroit Dynamos and Kansas City Kings showed signs of weakness. Those juggernauts likely think they'll have no issues making up for their poor collapses this season, and should open 1957 as a common pick for first, but the door is open for someone else in the league to push their chips to the center.The end of the 1956 season had one main seller, as after being stuck in mediocrity, the Chicago Cougars embarked on their first fire sale since the 1930s. No player was safe, and the first guy to go was breakout rookie Doc Zimmerman, who appeared in 142 games as a 25-year-old rookie. The former 5th Rounder hit an impressive .277/.350/.468 (122 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 26 homers, 82 RBIs, 91 runs, and 60 walks in 632 trips to the plate. The regular left fielder was in line for a larger role next season, but instead, he'll switch uniforms and keep his address as Doc moved from the Cougars to the Chiefs for a five piece quantity-over-quality package that involved a former #1 pick. In 1954, when he opened the season as the 2nd ranked prospect, it would have been absurd to see Stan Czerwinski on the move, but the former #1 pick had absolutely no luck hitting low minors pitching before this season. Splitting time between Class A, B, and C this year, he finally had his first 50 PA sample with a WRC+ above 75 (138), hitting .287/.306/.500 (123 OPS+) with 18 homers and 45 RBIs in 294 PAs with the Chief's Class B affiliate. As good as it looks, it came with just 5 walks, and "Stosh" struck out 41 times with just 3 doubles and 2 triples. In small samples in Class C (46 PA, 162 WRC+) and Class A (48 PA, 77 WRC+) he had mixed results, but the once top prospect ranks as just the 126th best prospect in FABL, and checks in at 13th to open 1957. Scouts still love his defense, and think he can become one of the best receivers behind the plate, but they've cooled on his offensive game. Never a top contact hitter, he was at least projected to be above average, but now a healthy dose of whiffs is expected. Potentially so healthy it will completely overpower his above average pop, making it tough for teams to designate a lineup spot to him. 23 in March, he's still expected to crack a big league roster, and was forced on the 40 to avoid Rule-5 selection. With just 19 career games in A ball, don't expect him in Chicago Cougar gear any time soon, but his new organization may be counting on him to finish the back end of the 50s as the everyday catcher. Czerwinski was one of five players received for Zimmerman, and the clear headliner from the large return. Among the other four, only Norm McBride has any FABL experience, as the now 25-year-old made 25 appearances (8 starts) for the Chiefs in 1956. The young lefty was just 3-7 with a 4.46 ERA (87 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 46 walks, and 31 strikeouts, but he'll now join a staff in need of a makeover. With plenty of spots available, McBride gives them a decent upside lefty who can help now, though his flyball tendencies may limit his effectiveness at Cougars Park. He allowed 10 homers in 84.2 innings as a rookie, and when paired with poor command (12.3 BB%), he's got a few things to work on before becoming a reliable FABL hurler. Fellow pitcher Hank Walker could impact the Cougars this season as well, as the 24-year-old righty was also added to the 40, and ranks 180th in the league. Taken 15th in 1950, Walker got to an excellent start in 1956, pitching 12 starts in AA before a much deserved promotion. An unlucky 3-3, Walker held an excellent 2.77 ERA (167 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP, though he did walk (40) three more guys then he struck out (37). AAA batters hit him harder, raising his ERA to 4.00 (101 ERA+), but his 3.62 FIP (90 FIP-) was dependable and he managed to strike out (49) one more guy then he walked (48). Unlike McBride, his groundball tendencies will play well at Cougars Park, and like McBride he'll be in camp this spring with an opportunity to earn a spot on the staff. Rounding out the package is a pair of middling position prospects in Virgil McLaughlin and Hank Williams. The 24-year-old McLaughlin has some prospect pedigree, as the towering 6'4'' slugger once ranked as the #33 prospect, but like Czerwinski, he struggled at solving minor league pitchers. This year the slugger had some success, putting up impressive numbers in AA before a late season cameo in the Century League. In 123 games with the Oklahoma City Chiefs, McLaughlin hit 19 doubles, 15 homers, and 62 RBIs with a .321/.419/.474 (124 OPS+) batting line. He'll strike out some and take his walks, but the .321 average is the biggest surprise. Not expected to be anything more then average as a contact hitter, he's the classic bat first corner prospect, and if you hadn't noticed the theme already, he's a new add to the 40 who could factor into the Cougars plans next season. That's not the case for Williams, however, who turned 22 in August and has yet to pass C ball. A former 14th Round selection of Cleveland, he came to the Chiefs organization in the offseason following his draft year, and made a career high 135 PAs in 1956. It didn't go well, hitting just .280/.333/.352 (77 OPS+) at the lowest level, and in a trade full of lottery tickets, he's the one who has the least chance of hitting. In total, the Cougars sent out eight major leaguers in eight days, though none got as much buzz as a deal that the one that saw star center fielder Jerry Smith go from the Windy City to the last place Pioneers. An anchor of the Cougars lineup for the past five seasons, the now 28-year-old Smith hit an arguably career worst .280/.360/.476 (127 OPS+) in 1956 with a career low 26 homers in his fifth consecutive season with 150 or more games played. The 5-Time All-Star and 1952 Kellogg Winner added 95 runs, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 106 RBIs, 73 walks, and 16 steals while playing excellent defense out in right (7.6, 1.033). Thought to be untouchable, Smith led the CA with 47 homers in 1953, which set the single season record for a Chicago Cougar. Despite just five seasons with the club, his 168 homers were second in team history, and he was easily on pace to surpass the 205 hit by Hall-of-Fame hopeful Leo Mitchell, who has almost tripled Smith in plate appearances per date. In 780 career games, Smith owns an outstanding .278/.373/.476 (147 OPS+) batting line, and was the brightest star developed by what use to be a talent factory in the Windy City. His addition to the Pioneers gives the consistent last place team major credibility, and he'll form an enviable duo with former 2nd Pick Rex Pilcher (.252, 29, 103) at Pioneer Field. Trading Smith was already bad enough, but when you look at the return, you really wonder what former Cannon outfielder and Dynamo scout Al Horton was thinking. Generally, when you trade elite talent, you want something elite coming back, but instead he took the quantity over quality approach again. Horton received five prospects, four of which rank inside the league's top 250, but none that rank inside the top 100. And it's not like St. Louis didn't have anything to offer, the Pioneers boasted five top 50 prospects led by 20-year-old potential ace Carl Bristol (16th), and to make matters worse the top guy they acquired plays the same position as the recently acquired Czerwinski. That would be then 20-year-old catcher Milt Payne, who ranks two spots ahead of Czerwinski on the Cougars prospect list, and 112th in FABL. Taken in the 8th Round in 1953, Payne has a keen eye and outstanding power, but he looked overmatched in Class C (212 PA, 88 WRC+) and completely unprepared in Class B (135, 25 WRC+). A project pick with talent like this is okay as a supplemental piece, but when it's the headliner for your most talented player since a Hall-of-Famer like John Dibble or John Lawson, it's a real head scratcher. At least with the quantity approach, they could get multiple future big leaguers, and that's how you could describe both George Chism and Joe Barwick. Even Luke Bush if you squint enough. Chism was the lone pitcher, and the now 20-year-old was a 4th Rounder selection of St. Louis in 1954. A ruptured tendon in his finger cost him four months this season, but the 19-year-old made 3 starts in A ball and 6 in AA. They weren't great, he was 2-5 with ERA+ of 79 and 73, but that's to be expected from someone as young as he his. The Cougars are expected to take his development slower, starting him back in the low minors, as the organization known for developing solid pitching prospects will look to maximize his repertoire. Leaning heavily on a quality sinker that hovers in the 92-94 range, he has great stuff and solid command, but troubles with the longball saw him give up 7 homers in just 34 AA innings. Despite that, he's an effective pitcher and battle tested competitor, who was outstanding in a more age-appropriate Class B league last year. Despite being 9-12, he had an excellent 3.59 ERA (115 ERA+) and FIP (86 FIP-) in 173 innings, striking out 152 with 90 walks. While a raw prospect, he's got legitimate rotation potential, and could fill the back of one quite well. Barwick, who turned 21 in September, was relegated to a bench role in Class C, so despite his decent prospect ranking (152nd) his inclusion was a surprise. The former 6th Rounder started just 5 of his 15 appearances in Class C, hitting just .312/.389/.312 (80 OPS+) in a tiny 18 PA sample. He had WRC+ of 80 and 78 in 200+ PA samples the two previous years, so more playing time might not have helped, but scouts do expect him to hit for a decent average while drawing walks. There isn't much power and the glove isn't anything to write home about, but he hit 14 homers in 120 games across the past two years, so perhaps his new organization sees something in him. 21-year-old first basemen Luke Bush also spent too much time on the bench, starting just 6 of his 20 games this year, and his .304/.360/.348 (81 OPS+) line isn't much better. He's got good speed and can play left and second too, but the former 18th Rounder doesn't really have too much going for him. Lastly, Chicago added unranked first basemen Chief Brady, who turned 23 in November and hit .260/.311/.380 (74 OPS+) in A ball, where 100 of his 136 appearances came this year. With such an underwhelming package, it's tough to understand why the Cougars parted with Smith, but perhaps once their GM got trading, he just couldn't stop. Between the Zimmerman and Smith trades, he sent Gordon McDonald (5-5, 3.32, 71) to the Kings and Charlie Enslow (.107, 1, 5) to the Eagles, picking up a pair of prospects to refill the system. The McDonald trade brought home a legit piece, as 20-year-old Byron Bennett checks in at 121st on the prospect list and was KC's 3rd Rounder in 1954. Spending most of the season as a 19-year-old, he hit an elite .348/.434/.542 (155 OPS+) early on in Class B Tampa, before a callup to Class A Springfield. There Bennett appeared in 95 games, hitting .242/.353/.337 (82 OPS+). Between the stops he totaled 28 doubles, 6 triples, 8 homers, 64 RBIs, 78 runs, and 81 walks. Bennett showcased an excellent eye and quick bat, but he's still a work in progress defensively. Whether he sticks in center is yet to be decided, but his athleticism should allow him to transition seamlessly to a corner. For Enslow, they brought back familiar face Mike Peter, who was a former 11th Round pick of the organization in 1951. Sent to the Stars in the deal that brought Moe Holt (.247, 14, 58) to Chicago last winter, Peter was later released by LA and signed a minor league deal with Washington. The now 24-year-old spent most of his time with the Eagles' Class A affiliate, going 8-14 with a 4.17 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, and 115 strikeouts. The trade that brought back the best prospect was one that saw the Cougars move a bench bat, as 28-year-old outfielder Harley Dollar (.337, 4, 18) was sent to the Kings for a pair of young prospects. In just 105 PAs he had a healthy 169 WRC+, as Dollar walked in 9.5% of his PAs and cracked 11 extra base hits. The former 9th Rounder may not even start for the Kings, which makes it surprising they were willing to part with young second basemen Dave Rathbone. Stuck behind former Cougar draftee Elmer Grace (.288, 9, 50), the organization may have found the 55th ranked prospect expendable, as he was already 24 and would need to be protected from the Rule-5 draft. Potentially ready for big league pitching, the switch hitter excelled in AA Knoxville, hitting a robust .365/.410/.627 (142 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 33 homers, 100 runs, and 113 RBIs. If the Cougars are confident in his abilities now, they could shift current second basemen Buddy Byrd (.325, 7, 78, 30) over to third, adding some excitement to what may now be baseball's worst lineup. Rathbone should hit for a high average while knocking plenty of home runs, and he's exactly the type of prospect you'd expect in a deal for Jerry Smith or Doc Zimmerman. Getting now 20-year-old righty Jud Hess too is just icing on the cake, as the 1954 2nd Rounder is a solid three pitch pitcher who ranks 31st in the Cougars system and 261st overall. The soft tosser projects as a spot starter, but has drawn comparisons to former King draftee turned Cougar Zane Kelley, and has the foundation of a big league starter in place. Another high octane prospect was added in a second inter-city trade, as the Cougars sent longtime infielder George Sutterfield and cash to the Chiefs for 104th ranked prospect Paul Bailey. Sutterfield, who turns 35 in March, debuted for the Cougars in 1945, and has hit .261/.327/.369 (94 OPS+) in 1,270 FABL games. An excellent defender at second, third, and short, the 1953 All-Star hit .263/.326/.358 (87 OPS+) and was worth a career high 3.2 WAR in 150 games. A solid all-around contributor, he stole a career high 27 bases, supplying the Cougars with 15 doubles, 9 triples, 6 homers, 43 RBIs, 51 walks, and 74 runs atop the order. The price for the Chiefs to add a new middle infielder (he may end up at second or short) was a big league ready outfielder, as they're now set with former Cougars Doc Zimmerman (.277, 26, 82) and John Moss (.263, 10, 69) supplementing young star Rod Shearer (.266, 39, 126). Bailey, who will be 25 in May, didn't have a spot this season, as despite hitting .311/.401/.628 (175 OPS+) in AAA, he made just one appearance in Chicago as a defensive replacement in an extra innings game. The slugging outfielder hit 24 doubles and 36 homers in just 114 games, adding 7 triples, 91 runs, 97 RBIs, and 69 walks. Like Rathbone, he's a legit slugger who could spice up a weak FABL lineup, and I'd be surprised if he didn't get at least a few weeks as an everyday outfielder at Cougars Park next year. Chicago's last major trade of note involved catcher Garland Phelps, who after seeing his organization add two top catching prospects, probably realized his time was done. Never really given a fair shake, "Einstein" made a career high 286 PAs this season, hitting an impressive .269/.374/.446 (124 OPS+) behind longtime starter Eddie Howard (.200, 27), who couldn't provide the offense or defense Phelps can. Now joining the Saints, where he may be stuck behind Jess Garman (.225, 14, 48), Phelps brought the Cougs four prospects, headlined by their new #3 prospect Henry Watson, who was just taken 5th overall in the most recent draft. A versatile 18-year-old, he's a natural center fielder, but has played games at catcher, first, third, left, and right as well, fitting the mold of player the old regime loved targeting. An overall team player and quick riser, Watson finished his year in Class A, and some in the organization think he should begin the 1957 season in AA or even AAA. 19 in May, Watson hit an impressive .306/.431/.406 (120 OPS+), producing a 137 WRC+ with 10 doubles, 2 homers, 19 RBIs, and 33 walks in 197 PAs. With the potential to display plus-plus power to all fields and the eye to keep him from chasing, he's got the tools to be an elite hitter. Add in speed and versatility you get a potential star, and again it's shocking that Chicago got a prospect like this for a lesser piece like Phelps when they got so little for Smith. Montreal's price was even larger then just Watson, who they may really miss, as they parted with young righty Sammy Whipps, catcher Ed Blevins, and outfielder Jack Miller as well. All middle of the road prospects, Whipps is the one they miss most, as you can never have too much pitching. The 21-year-old groundballer has a somewhat plain profile, but he's the type of pitcher who does everything fine and nothing poor, even if he lacks a standout skill. He's your typical give me innings type guy who comes at you from a 3/4s angle, but considering they added the former 9th Rounder as a minor league free agent, their investment in him has already paid off. Montreal is on the cusp of contention, also adding outfielders Jim Johnston (.262, 6, 28) and Bill Heim (.243, 5, 17, 13), but I think they would have been better off using their collection of eight assets on legit starters instead of depth to a team that's missing a true star. Of course, the Cougars aren't the only team in FABL, and while they did dominate the trade market, they were far from the only active team. The last place Stars had a sell-off of their own, starting with shipping extreme ball-in-play hitter Gene Curtis to the Foresters for a pair of 24-year-olds. Curtis, just 26 at the time of trade himself, was a consistent top 20-prospect since being selected 6th in 1948, debuting in the '51 season as a 21-year-old. Since his debut, he's made 2,825 plate appearances -- all but 257 of which ended with a ball in play. He has just 17 homers, 96 walks, and 144 strikeouts in parts of six FABL seasons, and he took the extreme contact approach to the next level in 1956. Curtis walked in just 1.3 BB% of his PAs, struck out in just 2.6% (both FABL lows), and homered in just 2 of his 612 trips to the plate. This led to almost 96% of his PAs ending with a ball in play, and since he'll now join the Conti's top lineup, that approach could work wonders for the team's in-game success. Curtis' acquisition allows young slugger Gus Melvin (.217, 15, 64) to take a step back, as they're hoping he can match his 1955 production (346 PAs, 121 WRC+) by spelling him, Jim Urquhart (.277, 5 48), and John Low (.329, 6, 49), who should be healthy by Opening Day. The cost was a little high, headlined by former 52nd ranked prospect Parson Allen, who made his debut for Cleveland as a semi-regular first basemen. A natural second basemen, Allen also has experience at third, left, and right, and hit .280/.348/.362 (89 OPS+) with a 102 WRC+ in 270 trips to the plate. The former 9th Pick of the 1950 draft, Allen ranked as high as 27th on the prospect list, though it came with his original organization, the Philadelphia Keystones. The highly touted righty was the headliner of the deal that sent Lloyd Coulter (.270, 39, 96) to the city of brotherly love, and he'll join his third organization in just over a year. He'll be joined by former 5th Rounder Hooks Bloomquist, who's now with his fourth organization. 24 this October, 20 of his 25 starts came in A ball, where he was 9-8 with a 3.44 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 72 walks, and 79 strikeouts. A solid depth arm, Bloomquist is a well respected pitcher who's great for organizational depth, but his future does not appear to be in a big league rotation. A week later the Stars finally moved on from former #1 pick Bob Riggins, who's been with the organization since they selected him and Ralph Hanson in 1945. Traded shortly before his 33rd birthday, the oft-injured Riggins will make his way to the nation's capital, carrying with him a career .237/.351/.333 (93 OPS+) batting line and an exactly league average 100 WRC+. Still capable in center, he spent a fair amount of time in leftfield for LA, hitting a middling .213/.348/.338 (87 OPS+) with 12 homers, 29 RBIs, and 64 walks. Known for his elite eye, he's walked 741 times and struck out 469 times in nearly 5,000 FABL plate appearances, and will get his first taste of Federal pitching since his Stars came up short in the 1952 World Championship Series. Washington parted with a pair of AA outfielders, neither of which enter their top 30 prospect list. Bud Conover comes close, 33rd in the system and 322nd overall, a spot ahead Hooks in the team rank and two in the league rank. He struggled in A and AA this season, but is known for a strong baseball IQ and he was recently a 2nd Round pick after a Christian Trophy winning season in college. The other new addition, Bucky Moore, was added to Washington's 40 last offseason, but has yet to debut. The former 4th Rounder spent most of his year in A ball, but his .273/.354/.414 (102 OPS+) line in AA was much better. More of a bench bat, he could get some time in LA next season, but he's likely destined for a career in the minors. Finishing things off, the Stars once again parted with Bill Gifford (4-4, 8, 4.46, 46), who way back in 1943 was their 4th Round Pick. Gifford returned to the organization a few times since, most recently after being selected by Boston in the Rule-5 draft and returned with two months left this year. A 31-year-old reliever with 84.2 FABL innings under his belt, he was the "major" addition for the Dynamos, who stayed pretty quiet despite blowing what should have been a fifth consecutive pennant. They gave up a decent prospect too, sending young catcher Javier Delgado as the headliner of a two piece package. Detroit took the Cuban backstop 16th overall this year, but will part with the 173rd ranked prospect before he spent a full season with the organization. A very raw prospect, he's got a great stroke and could hit for a high average, and his patience should work in his favor. His swing still needs plenty of work, but he walked in 20.1% of his 244 PAs after the draft, slashing a productive .299/.443/.397 (128 OPS+) with a 142 WRC+, 3 homers, and 21 RBIs in C ball. Detroit also parted with fringe pitching prospect Jim Sherwood, who made just one minor league start this season and spent a lot of his year auditioning for independent and FABL organizations. The final major seller was the San Francisco Sailors, who kicked off their offseason by trading rotation stalwart Win Lewis to the Pioneers, which kickstarted their efforts to return to contention. Since debuting in 1944, Lewis made 360 appearances, all starts, recording a 128-123 record with a 3.36 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 622 walks, and 1,060 strikeouts. Consistently among the league's top pitchers, it's a surprise he's only been to two All-Star games, as he's had an ERA+ above 100 in all but one of his 13 seasons. Coming off a productive season where he was 9-10 with a 3.45 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 86 strikeouts, Lewis will leave the only organization he knew as their 6th most winningest pitcher. Lewis also ranks top-10 in WAR (4th, 43.8), starts (3rd), innings (6th, 2,326.1), strikeouts (4th), and WHIP (9th), and aside from his two seasons that were effected by elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, he's made 29 or more starts in ten consecutive seasons. A reliable arm like this is huge for St. Louis, who saw Hiram Steinberg's (4-16, 6.35, 75) production fall off a cliff and Joe Potts (9-16, 4.60, 104) endure his first season with a sub-100 ERA+ (86). With Lewis and Smith, the Pioneers seem poised to advance from the cellar, and could be a piece or big breakout away from becoming a legitimate contender. San Francisco was able to add a new second basemen in the deal too, grabbing 30-year-old Chet Harris from the Pioneers. Used in a reserve role, he hit .234/.322/.360 (81 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 30 RBIs in what was his first taste of big league action since he spent parts of 1951-1953 with the Kings. A former 6th Rounder of the Dynamos, he's penciled in as the starting second basemen, and owns an exactly league average 100 WRC+ in 502 FABL PAs. While far from a star, he's a decent enough stopgap, and they were also able to upgrade their pitching depth with 24-year-old Oscar Edwards. A torn back muscle held him to 11 starts with AAA Oakland, but he was an effective 5-2 with a 4.24 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts. An option for the rotation or pen this year, he projects as a useful back-end starter, featuring good stuff and average command. A day later, 1954 run leader Jim Johnson (.262, 6, 28) went to Montreal for a trio of prospects, most notably righty Jim Dunlap and third basemen William Merriman. Both ranked inside the top 150, Dunlap has the higher upside but Merriman could head right to San Francisco. Third base is wide open, as Luke Weaver (.215, 11, 48) will be 35 on Opening Day and didn't do much hitting this season, and the now 24-year-old Merriman was protected from the Rule-5 draft with his addition to the 40 post-trade. The former 4th Rounder struggled in AA, hitting just .294/.335/.378 (72 OPS+), but he's the high walk bat the Sailors like to target, and he's got legitimate big league power. Right now it's overshadowed by above average contact, but he's at most a season away from deserving a callup, and he could provide the Sailors with another big bopper to pair with Bill Guthrie (.309, 29, 87). Dunlap, on the other hand, will be lucky to reach Class B this season, but the 20-year-old has really exciting stuff. The former 2nd Rounder features a knee-buckling curve, and despite some early walk issues, projects to have solid command. Plenty of polish is needed, and he may need to work on his listening strategies, but he's got the tools to be a useful FABL starter, and their are few organizations better then this one if you want to get the most out of a non-top pitcher. Their last move saw them clear some first base depth, sending 25-year-old Bob Dean and 24-year-old Ace Miller to the Cannons for 21-year-old Ed Neal. An interesting trade of only prospects, Dean did debut for the Sailors in '56, 1-for-3 in three pinch hit opportunities. Stuck behind Guthrie at first, the top-150 prospect is a similar slugger with a good eye, but relatively redundant given his age and ability. Still a useful option for big league at bats, he was key in allowing the Sailors to upgrade their system, as the second basemen Neal ranks 67th in the league and could later fill their weak second base hold. It's likely at least three seasons away, he made just 9 at bats (0-for-9) in Class B this year, and his .229/.316/.325 (66 OPS+) line in C ball was not impressive. What is, however, is his offensive potential, as he makes hard contact and draws a lot of walks. The power isn't there yet, and may never be, but he's looked good at second, third, and right, and has the tools to force his way into a lineup. There were plenty of other minor moves, but the last two notable ones involved the Philadelphia Keystones. With Sal Nigro (.307, 19, 75) entrenched at first and the outfield wide open aside from All-World star Buddy Miller (.349, 36, 113), the Keystones made a clever acquisition, sending slugger Rudy Minton (.273, 4, 20) to the Foresters for a prospect and 1952 Whitney Winner Frenchy Sonntag (.192, 5, 14). Passed up by this year's Whitney Winner Tom Carr (.341, 9, 88, 12) and deadline acquisition Otis O'Keefe (.290, 19, 87), Sonntag endured an awful and injury-plagued 1956 season that saw him hit just .192/.230/.313 (43 OPS+) with 5 homers and 14 RBIs. A far-cry from the .287/.355/.527 (145 OPS+) hitter Forester fans got used to, the now 28-year-old is just a season removed from hitting .299/.368/.524 (141 OPS+), and he's led the CA in homers three times since his debut in 1950. In total, he has 168 through 758 big league games, and the move to the Broad Street Grounds could resurrect his career. Now getting to bat behind former teammate Lloyd Coulter and the two-time Whitney Winner Miller, Sonntag could give the Keystones a third 30+ home run hitter, all for a relatively cheap cost. Sure, the Sonntag we once knew may be a hitter of the past, but even something like his "worst" previous year in 1953 (.268, 29, 89) would represent a major upgrade to the Keystone lineup. A lot of their '57 success is dependent on Sonntag's production, but I'd bet on the New Jersey native returning to a top slugger if he stays healthy. Their other move likely didn't go over as well with fans as the Keystones they shipped away breakout starter Jimmy Maness for 23-year-old first basemen Buck True. Perhaps Philly sees smoke and mirrors in the 32-year-old's season, as the journeyman impressed in 17 starts with a 3.47 ERA (108 ERA+). His 4.42 FIP (114 FIP-) was over a point higher, expecting regression to hit, as Maness had a high 1.54 WHIP with 51 walks and 49 strikeouts. Still, it's a surprise to see a team with a deep lineup part with one of their top pitchers, as behind Sam Ivey (20-10, 3.14, 135) and deadline pickup Tom Buchanan (16-10, 4.28, 70), there's a complete lack of certainty. The staff finished last in runs allowed, and aside from 80th ranked prospect Jim Cooper they don't have many internal options. Like the rest of the league, they still have four months to get their rotation in better shape, but the general thought around the league is that most of the major shopping has already finished. 
WINGS FLY TO TOP OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Like baseball's Detroit Dynamos, the Philadelphia Frigates of the American Football Association had an opportunity to accomplish something truly historic on the gridiron in 1956. The Frigates, winners of each of the past two AFA championships, were looking to become the first team in the 37 year history of the league to win three consecutive league crowns. The Frigates did make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row but, like FABL's Dynamos, they fell short of their title goals. It was the San Francisco Wings, survivors along with the Kansas City Cowboys of the old Continental Football Conference, that rose to the top and emerged with their first title since joining the AFA in 1950. The Wings had one of the finest collections off offensive talent seen since the days of the powerhouse Cowboys, with nine members of the San Francisco offense selected to play in the post-season All-Pro Classic game including quarterback Vince Gallegos, halfback Scott Belt and ends Herk Loveall and Will Mains. Their offensive line, anchored by tackle Al Hamilton, was the key to their success as Belt, who would be named the league's Most Valuable Player, rushed for a league best 1,282 yards while Gallegos threw for 1,998. The Wings jumped out to a quick 4-0 start to the season and looked like they might run away with the West Division, but a stumble in October when they lost three straight, opened the door for Chicago and St Louis to make it a three team race. San Francisco got back on track with four victories in its final five games but a collapse in week eleven at home to Chicago, when the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points in the final eleven minutes of the game to clip the Wings 24-17, doomed the San Francisco eleven to second place. The Wildcats made the playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons, finishing in a three-way tie for top spot in the West at 8-4 along with San Francisco and St Louis, but Chicago earned the division crown and homefield for the West Division playoff game thanks to that late comeback win at Golden Gate Stadium in week eleven. Like the Wings, the Wildcats endured a 3-game losing streak but rallied to win their final three games, all on the road, to make the playoffs. Chicago led the West in total offense with dependable veteran quarterback once more leading the way. The St Louis Ramblers have been around since 1945 but have only made the playoffs once in their history. It really should have been a second time but the Ramblers, despite scoring more points and surrendering fewer than any West Division opponent, were the odd team out when the music ended as their two divisional losses to Detroit cost them a playoff berth based on having a poorer section record than both San Francisco and Chicago. The strength of the Ramblers was their defense which included All-Pro lineman Herm Bauer, linebacker Galen Cossey and defensive backs Tom McMaster and Bill Boyd. For much of the season the St Louis offense was forced to contend without rushing star Jim Kellogg, who still gained 871 yards despite missing five games with an injury thanks to the unheralded work of veteran linemen Jim Foaker and Lee Sennett. The duo each made the all-star game after clearing holes for backup Tom Nicoletti to gain 920 yards as a fill-in for Kellogg. The Detroit Maroons finished fourth at 6-6 as once more the pieces would not fit together for a team that has some talent but has not seen a winning season since 1951. By all accounts Sam Burson is as talented as any quarterback in the game but the Maroons are 22-26 since drafting him second overall from Georgia Baptist in 1953. This time around the Maroons season really felt over before September came to a close as the Maroons dropped each of their first three games, two in heartbreaking fashion. The opener was a 15-9 overtime loss to a Kansas City team that would win only once more all year and it was followed up by a demoralizing 14-9 defeat at Thompson Stadium to New York in a game the Stars would drive 54 yards in the final two minutes for the game winning touchdown after the Detroit defense had held New York in check all afternoon up to that point. With Burson, and talented halfback Art Heal, who has rushed for at least 1,100 yards each of his four seasons including 1,162 this year, the feeling is Detroit should be much better than their results have shown. The Los Angeles Tigers made the playoffs for the first time in 1955 but collapsed this year with four game losing streaks to both start and finish the season. Their offense was the least productive in the league and the defense was not much better. The only good news out of Los Angeles is the fact that they did manage to beat Kansas City twice and avoided finishing last with a 3-9 record. The Cowboys have crashed hard, following up appearances in the AFA title game each of their first four seasons in the league with now three consecutive 2-10 campaigns. Former Christian Trophy winning halfback Mike Peel may be one of the best players in the sport but his talents are being wasted in Kansas City. Peel has rushed for over 1,000 yards each of his four seasons and one has to wonder what he could accomplish behind a talented line such as the one in San Francisco. The Cowboys do have what looks like a solid successor to the great Pat Chappell at quarterback in second year pro Scott Greenwell who led the AFA in passing yardage each of his two seasons. That only makes the Cowboys decision to draft Noble Jones College passing star Bruce Meeks second overall in the most recent AFA draft all the more perplexing. There is no doubting Meeks' talent but the Cowboys had plenty of other holes that needed addressing and with Greenwell under center, Meeks did not play a down of football in 1956. *** TWO TEAM RACE IN EAST *** Unlike a year ago when four teams in the East Division finished the regular season with 8-4 records, this year quickly became a two-team race between the Philadelphia Frigates and New York Stars. The Frigates, looking for their third straight title, started slow with just four wins in their first seven games while they watched a red-hot New York team began the season with seven straight victories including a dominating 44-14 win at Gothams Stadium that left New York three games ahead of Philadelphia. That week seven loss served as a wake-up call for the Frigates, who would hammer lowly Pittsburgh 52-10 the next week as the start of a five game winning streak to close out the year. Pete Capizzi threw a league best 23 touchdown passes and halfback Doug Lucy had his second straight 1,000 yard rushing season to lead the highest scoring offense in the league as Philadelphia's 9-3 record tied the Stars for top spot and a 42-7 Frigates win over New York in their rematch helped secure homefield advantage for the East playoff game. The Stars started 7-0 but won just two of their final five games including a season ending 22-21 loss on the road in Cleveland that doomed New York to second place. The Stars were built around their defense and led the AFA with 13 interceptions. That is not to say the New York offense was not good, as quarterback Steve Cottrill, halfback Bryan Mire and end Mike Eickhoff all made the season ending All-Pro Classic. Boston, which finished first a year ago on a tiebreaker despite having a negative point differential, struggled out of the game this time around with four losses in their first six games and could never catch up, settling for third place at 7-5. Washington had a strong start, winning five of its first seven games, but the Wasps dropped four of their last five and had to settle for a .500 season and fourth place. The Wasps offense was still strong with veteran Tommy Norwood, who threw for 1,799 yards and 16 touchdowns leading the way but Washington surrendered too many points, including a combined 82 to Boston and Philadelphia in the final two games of the season. Obviously an 8-4 season a year ago was a mirage for the woeful Cleveland Finches who had won just 4 games in the previous two seasons combined. The Finches won four this time around and finished in fifth place in the East with a 4-8 mark. The Cleveland offense averaged just 14.9 points per game, better than only Los Angeles, but the Finches can point to a season ending 22-21 victory over New York a week after being narrowly edged 19-17 by Philadelphia as building blocks for the future. That leaves the Pittsburgh Paladins and the only positive one can say about them is they did not go 0-12 for the second straight season. Pittsburgh actually started the season with consecutive victories over Cleveland and Kansas City before losing their final ten contests. To make matters worse the Paladins may have whiffed badly on the first overall pick in the 1956 draft, choosing tight end Tim Thomsen out of Redwood when it was clear that there were several better options, most notably quarterback Bruce Meeks who went second to Kansas City. The Paladins cut ties with long-time signal caller Dusty Sinclair over the summer and Meeks would have been an ideal replacement. Pittsburgh is hoping their second round pick, Bob Braunstein out of Tempe College, can enjoy some of the success Sinclair had in his prime. Braunstein started all 12 games for the Paladins as a rookie, passing for over 1,700 yards and throwing 11 touchdown passes.  AFA PLAYOFF RECAP After the AFA went its first twenty seasons without a playoff game needing overtime the East Division playoff has required an extra period each of the past three years including this season. The Philadelphia Frigates have been involved in all three of the overtime contests, beating New York in 1954 and Boston last year but this time it was the New York Stars who prevailed.A defensive struggle, New York led 13-3 entering the third quarter but the Frigates, with hopes of becoming the first AFA squad to win three consecutive championships, battled back with 10 points in the final seven minutes to force overtime. The Frigates won the toss and started with the ball but on the first play from scrimmage, Frigates back Sam Reiter fumbled and ex-Frigate George Klavich pounced on the ball giving New York a first down on the Philadelphia twenty yard line. Four plays later New York kicker Benny Molitor, who had made two of three field goal attempts in regulation, split the uprights from 25 yards out and the Stars were off to their third title game appearance in the last five years. San Francisco had not played in a postseason contest since the final year of the Continental Football Conference in 1949, but the Wings made the most of their first AFA playoff game, outscoring the Chicago Wildcats 30-24 in the West playoff. Halfback Scott Belt ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns to pilot the Wings flight to the finals. The championship game went back and forth for three quarters and was tied at 16 after forty-five minutes. The Wings pulled out the 22-16 victory with a pair of fourth period field goals in a game that the San Francisco offense never did make it to the endzone. Five Earl Neese field goals along with a 53-yard second quarter interception return for a touchdown by Wings defensive back Wayne Nicolai accounted for all of the San Francisco scoring. The Stars defense held San Francisco back Scott Belt, the league's top rusher to just 47 yards but quarterback Vince Gallegos -who threw for 170- played mistake free football and that was enough to give the Wings their first ever AFA title.  The San Francisco trio of Vince Gallegos, Scott Belt and Will Mains stole the show in the annual American Football Association All-Pro Classic featuring the top players from each division. The West won in a rout by a 41-17 margin with the three Wings playing major roles. Gallegos threw for 50 yards in the first half but they included a pair of first quarter touchdown passes to Mains to stake the West to an early 14-0 lead. Belt carried the ball 15 times, gaining just 43 yards but two of his carries were for touchdowns. Pete Capizzi of the Philadelphia Frigates was the star of the second half for the East, throwing for 145 yards and a touchdown but the veteran was also intercepted by Tom McMaster in the fourth quarter and the St Louis defender returned the ball 28 yards for the final West Division touchdown.  COLLEGE FOOTBALL It was a 23 year wait but the Bayou State Cougars finally have their second AIAA college football title. The Cougars, who ran the table with a perfect 11-0 season including a New Years Day 28-13 win over Texas Gulf Coast in the Oilman Classic, won their second Deep South Conference title in four years and were crowned the best in college football for the first time since the 1933 squad won their only previous national title.PERFECT SEASON GIVES BAYOU STATE NATIONAL GRID CROWN Led by the formidable passing duo of sophomore quarterback George Girard, who led the nation with 1,885 yards through the air and senior All-American end Mark Swafford, who caught 12 touchdown passes and led the nation with 812 receiving yards, the Cougars got off to a quick start and never slowed. Girard and Swafford combined on three touchdown passes in the first quarter of the opening game as Bayou State hammered Oklahoma City State 37-7 on the road and followed that up with a 35-0 win over Lambert College. Wins over Alabama Baptist and Cumberland, by a 14-11 score thanks to a late interception return for a touchdown, started the section slate and the Cougars outscored their final five conference opponents- Central Kentucky, Bluegrass State, Northern Mississippi, Mississippi A&M and rival Baton Rouge State- by a margin of 177-16 leaving little doubt that Bayou State was the class of the south. The Cougars finished off by having little difficulty with Southwest Alliance co-champion Texas Gulf Coast, taking a 21-3 lead in the first 12 and a half minutes of the Oilman Classic and coasting to a 28-13 victory securing the perfect season. Deep South schools finished one-two in the final rankings as Alabama Baptist, which endured a pair of 6-4 seasons the past two years, claimed the second spot in the polls after their 10-1 season with the only blemish being the early season loss to the Cougars. The Panthers capped their season with a 24-13 victory over Plains Athletic Association champ College of Omaha in the Sunshine Classic, marking the first New Years win for Alabama Baptist since 1950. Junior halfback Lew Headley led the way in the holiday win, scoring a pair of touchdowns and rushing for 109 yards. Payne State was in contention for its first-ever national title in any sport after the Mavericks entered New Years Day with a 9-1 mark and the Midwestern Association champs provided the most drama on January 1 in rallying for 23 fourth quarter points to nip Cumberland 30-29 in the Cajun Classic. With both Bayou State and Alabama Baptist also winning classic games, the Mavericks were forced to settle for third, but that is the school's first top ten finish in football since 1944. Rome State has had some up and down seasons of late and the Centurions are a far cry from the dominant team they were in the mid-1940s when they won back to back titles but they did go 10-1, losing only to St. Blane, and finished fourth in the final polls following a win over Valley State in the Desert Classic. The Fighting Saints, who finished 9-2 with losses to Detroit City College and Miami State, finished fifth in the polls.   GLA CONTINUES EAST-WEST CLASSIC DOMINANCE WITH WIN The Great Lakes Alliance continued its superiority over the West Coast Athletic Association as the Lincoln Presidents trimmed the CC Los Angeles Coyotes 23-20 to make it six straight New Years wins for the GLA representative. Lincoln is responsible for three of those victories with wins over Northern Cal to snap a three year WCAA win streak in 1951 and three years later in a 37-16 drubbing of the same Coyotes team they beat this time around.The Presidents finished just 7-4 overall and 19th in the final rankings but they won six of their seven section games to claim the GLA title for the third time in six years. The lone conference loss was the St. Ignatius, but the Lancers stumbled twice, falling to both Whitney College and Central Ohio, and had to settle for a three way tie for second in the conference at 5-2 with the Engineers and Detroit City College. The Knights, who were unbeaten a year ago and won the National title, finished 9-2 but both losses were in conference play with St. Ignatius and Minnesota Tech each claiming superiority over DCC. The Coyotes had some lean years in the 1940s but CC Los Angeles has won at least seven games each of the past four seasons including a 9-2 finish this time around that was good enough for the Coyotes to crack the top ten for the first time in well over a decade. Only a conference loss in early November to Northern California prevented CCLA from being in the national title conversation entering the classic week and they wrapped up their regular season with a convincing 35-17 win over rival Coastal California with a trip to Santa Ana on the line. CCLA, which relied on a strong running game keyed by junior back Bert Kaelin (1213 yards) and senior Steve Hickson (992 yards) nearly pulled off the win over Lincoln even with Hickson sidelined due to a late season injury. The Coyotes led 20-16 in the closing minutes until the Presidents marched 69 yards for the game winning score on a 1-yard Gilly Llewellyn run with just over a minute to play.  COLLEGE BASKETBALL The Carolina Poly Cardinals became the second team in the past four years to win back to back National Collegiate Basketball Tournament titles. The Cardinals followed in the footsteps of 1953 and 1954 winner Rainier College by successfully defending their national crown. It marked a second straight 33-1 season for the South Atlantic Conference champions who flew past Cinderella Travis College, a 7th seed, with a 40-32 victory in the title game.CAROLINA POLY REPEATS AS NATIONAL CHAMPION The Cardinals, led by three returning starters from last years title team in guards Don Farrar and George Maness along with center George Stevens, received a big boost thanks to an outstanding season from freshman forward Calvin Brown. The Richmond, Va. native was considered the fourth best player in his recruiting class and would go on to earn Freshman All-American status after starting all 34 games and averaging 8.4 points per game. Carolina Poly coach Andrew Conley was named Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons. The Cardinals won their first 16 games and were ranked number one in the nation all season with their lone loss coming to rival North Carolina Tech by a 67-65 score in January. The Cardinals, who won their 16th South Atlantic Conference title, got their revenge on the Techsters with a 67-55 road win in late February. The top seed in the South Region, Carolina Poly opened the tournament with a 49-42 win over Brooklyn State and then went on to beat Noble Jones College 60-50 behind 21 points from Farrar in the second round. Next up was a 66-47 win over Redwood with Farrar once again scoring 21. In the national semi-finals they hammered Coastal California 58-29 as Farrar, who is a junior and has one more year of eligibility remaining, led the way with 20 points. That set up a defensive struggle with Southwestern Alliance champion Travis College in the title game and the Cardinals prevailed by a 40-32 margin. The title game loss put a damper on what was a Cinderella tournament run for the Bucks, who ended up being one of two seventh seeds in the 32 team field to reach the semi-finals in New York. The Bucks came out of the Midwest Region after beating second seed Indiana A&M, third seed Bluegrass State and top seed Lane State. They faced Boulder State in the semi-final as the Grizzlies, champions of the Plains Athletic Association, also pulled off some upsets along the way, defeating second seed Whitney College, #6 Ellery and finally 4th seeded Chesapeake State after the Clippers had knocked off top seed Central Ohio in the second round of the East Region.   COLLEGE BASEBALL Coastal California is one of the original schools in collegiate baseball, tracing their beginnings all the way back to 1910 and the dawn of the feeder league era. Despite that rich history the Dolphins had never won a national collegiate baseball title but that changed with the 1956 season as the West Coast Athletic Association runners-up earned a wildcard entry to the 16 team championship tournament and got hot at just the right time.DOLPHINS WIN FIRST NATIONAL BASEBALL TITLE The Dolphins lack a true star and this year's edition of the team is unlikely to see anyone turn pro but a balanced attack and some pretty strong pitching allowed the Dolphins to win five consecutive games at the tournament being held in Dallas, Tx. including a sweep of the Carolina Poly Cardinals in the finals. Carolina Poly sophomore pitcher Joe Driscoll will be a FABL draft pick and pitched a great game in a 2-1 win over Western Florida in the semi-finals but it was a little known Los Angeles native by the name of Logan Flint that stole the show. The Coastal California senior tossed a 2-0 shutout over North Carolina Tech to open the tournament and the blanked the Cardinals over 7 innings in a 5-0 victory to open the final series. That performance earned the senior the nod as Most Valuable Player in the tournament. After Flint's efforts in the first game of the finals the Dolphins scored in the top of the ninth inning to tie game two at 3 and then won it in the 10th when junior infielder Dusty Wallace smacked a 3-run homer to help clinch the series with a 6-3 victory in the second game.  RECORD BREAKING REGULAR SEASON FOR DUKES, BUT STUMBLE IN CUP FINALS The Toronto Dukes put together what has to be considered the best season in modern NAHC history after establishing a new single season points record with 92 following a 39-17-14 season. The previous high water mark for points had been the 88 accumulated by the 1952-53 Chicago Packers. Everywhere you turned it seemed there were all-stars on the Toronto lineup. A total of 7 of the twelve slots on the NAHC post-season all-star teams were occupied by Dukes including, for the first time in NAHC history, all four defense spots. Charlie Brown (9-25-34) was named to the first team for the second consecutive year and was joined by Rob Painchaud (16-30-46). The second team blueline pairing was Tim Brooks (6-16-22), making his third straight appearance, along with Bobby Fuhrman (10-32-42). The Dukes also had goaltender Scott Renes (28-11-11, 2.32), a first team selection a year ago, named to the second team. As dominant as the Toronto defense was, it was the Dukes offense that really led the way. Toronto scored an NAHC best 233 goals, with none of the other clubs even reaching the 200 mark. As usual it was the duo of Quinton Pollack (35-60-95) and Lou Galbraith (20-52-72) leading the way. Pollack finished 4 points shy of his single season scoring record of 99 established three years ago but did set a new high-water mark for assists with a record 60 helpers. Pollack led the league in goals with 35 and won his fourth consecutive McDaniels Trophy as NAHC Most Valuable Player and fifth McDaniels overall. This was the fourth time the 33-year-old center had led the league in scoring and he surpassed the 300 career goal and 700 career points marks this season. While Les Carlson (10-15-25) had a down year at the age of 33, others quickly stepped up including career best years from 26-year-old Ken Jamieson (27-25-52) and 31-year-old Pat Coulter (25-19-44). Veterans Trevor Parker (15-33-48) and Doug Zimmerman (18-18-36) added to the scoring depth. Toronto finished 13 points ahead of the second place Boston Bees, who allowed just 159 goals against -five less than Toronto conceded. Pierre Melancon (18-8-7, 1.94) had a terrific season in net for the Bees, recording 7 shutouts despite playing in less than half the games as Oscar James (15-16-6, 2.50) was used more often by the Bees despite Melancon's spectacular .934 save percentage. Mike Brunell (27-24-41) led the Bees in scoring with help from veteran Garrett Kauffeldt (16-31-47) and rising star Jimmy Rucks (10-37-47) as Wilbur Chandler (18-18-36) looks to be slowing down at the age of 38. Just as the did a year ago the Bees and Detroit Motors battled it out for second place and home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. A year ago the Motors finished on top by a single point while this time the roles were reversed as the Bees claimed the spot by the same one point margin after Boston blanked Chicago on the final day of the regular season while the Motors came up short against Toronto. The Motors were led by 23-year-old Alex Monette (31-28-59) along with vets Lou Barber (20-32-52) and Nick Tardif (13-39-52) while Henri Chasse (30-23-10, 2.29) had an outstanding season between the pipes. The Chicago Packers finished fourth, barely edging out Montreal for the final playoff berth by a single point. There was a scary start to the Packers season when superstar center Tommy Burns was cut in the neck in a preseason game. The cut was deep enough that the 36-year-old was forced to miss nearly two months of the campaign and the Packers won just 3 of the 21 games without Burns to start the season. He did make up for lost time scoring 32 goals and 61 points in the 49 games he suited up for. Michael Cleghorn (23-28-9, 2.74) had the net to himself with the retirement of Norm Hanson but it is clear the Packers will need an upgrade in goal. It is hard to call fifth place a good season for any NAHC team but the Montreal Valiants, who missed out on the playoffs by just one point, have to be at least somewhat satisfied their four year stay in the league cellar came to an end. The Valiants and sixth place New York Shamrocks, who missed the playoffs for the third time in four years, tried to change their fortunes with a summer trade that saw 24-year-old defenseman Mike Driscoll (3-15-18) dealt to the Big Apple in exchange for 29-year-old winger Jocko Gregg (18-21-39). Both players saw a drop off in production from the previous season. No team surrendered more than the 215 goals conceded by the Valiants as 26-year-old Montreal goaltender Nathan Bannister (14-24-9, 3.41) appeared to take a step back in his fourth NAHC season. Goaltending was less of a concern in New York but Alex Sorrell (18-32-12, 2.81) did not exhibit the form he had displayed in his prime.  The semi-final playoff matchups were a repeat of the previous season with Toronto meeting Chicago while Boston faced Detroit. The only change was it would be the Bees, and not the Motors, who enjoyed home ice advantage in their series after Boston finished a point ahead of Detroit in the battle for second place. On paper fourth place Chicago looked to be no match for the first place Toronto Dukes, who finished 33 points ahead of the Packers, scored 67 more goals and allowed 39 fewer. In addition Toronto thumped the Packers 8-1 on the second last day of the regular season. So it came as a huge surprise when Chicago, using rookie goaltender Allen Hocking in net, upset Toronto 5-3 in the series opener despite the fact that Quinton Pollack had 3 points for the Dukes. All the Chicago win did was wake up the Dukes as Trevor Parker scored twice in a 3-1 Dukes win in game two and Scott Renes made 35 saves for a 2-0 victory in the third game. Game three was much closer than anticipated as Hocking kept the Dukes off the scoresheet until midway through the third period when Trevor Parker finally solved the young Chicago netminder. Pollack assisted on both Parker's goal and the empty net marker in the closing seconds from Charlie Brown. Pollack had a 3-point night as the Dukes claimed the fourth game by a 4-2 score and then took game five when -who else- Quinton Pollack scored for the fifth time in the series, notching the game winner with 1:27 left in regulation to give the Dukes a 2-1 victory and their fourth straight trip to the Challenge Cup finals. Detroit and Boston played a tough six game series a year ago with the Bees coming out on top. This time Boston had home ice advantage but that disappeared quickly as the Motors won a tight-checking series opener by a 2-0 score. Nick Tardif scored in the second period for the winners while Francis McKenzie added an empty-netter in a game that featured a combined total of just 36 shots and Motors goaltender Henri Chasse was called on top make only 14 saves for his shutout. Game two featured more shots but only three goals as the Bees evened the series with a 2-1 victory. Vincent Arsenault got Detroit on the board first with a second period marker but late in the middle frame Jacob Goden tied the contest and Gabriel Vignault, a 21-year-old rookie who scored just three times in the regular season, notched the game winner midway through the third period. Henri Chasse made 23 saves for his second shutout of the series as the Motors took game three by a 3-0 score but Boston evened the series with a 3-2 victory in the fourth game. Boston defenseman Mickey Bedard was the hero in game five as he scored the winner in overtime to give Boston a 3-2 victory and a three games to two lead in the series but Detroit staved off elimination with a 3-2 win of their own on home ice in the sixth game. Game Seven was one the Bees would like to forget as Detroit beat Oscar James six times to take the series with a 6-2 win in the deciding game despite the fact the Bees outshot the Motors 40-30. Henri Chasse had another fine game in the Detroit net while Motors defenseman Tyson Beddoes scored twice and added an assist in the win. That set up a rematch of the finals from two years ago when Detroit beat Toronto to win just its second Challenge Cup. The Motors have played in the Cup finals four times prior to this season, winning twice with both series victories coming against Toronto while also losing twice with both defeats at the hands of the Boston Bees. The Motors, riding on emotion after a game seven win Boston, drew first blood in the finals with a 4-3 victory thanks to Francis McKenzie scoring the only goal of the third period. Toronto outshot the Motors 45-30 but Henri Chasse continued to shine in the Detroit net. Game Two also went Detroit's way as the Motors stole both games at the Dominion Gardens including a double-overtime 3-2 win in game two. After a scoreless first period Toronto took a 2-0 lead early in the second on goals by Bobby Fuhrman and Alex Lavalliere but before the frame came to an end Lou Barber and Nick Tardif tied things up for the Motors. Toronto outshot Detroit 12-5 in a scoreless third period and Chasse, along with Toronto's Scott Renes, kept the game knotted at two until Lou Barber scored his second of the game after 39:34 of overtime to put Detroit up 2-0 in the series. The series shifted to Detroit and the Motors went up three games to none with another 3-2 victory, but this one was in regulation time as Detroit led 2-0 after twenty minutes but the Dukes tied it with two of their own in the second stanza. Nick Tardif's second of the game and fifth of the playoffs was the game winner, coming off a Jimmy Pappin set up early in the third period. Game Four was a disaster for the Motors as Toronto thumped Detroit 7-1 behind a Charlie Brown hat trick. Toronto cut the Motors lead to three games to two with an overtime 3-2 victory in game six at Dominion Gardens. Quinton Pollack had a goal and an assist for the second straight game including the overtime winner. The series would come to an end in Detroit as the Motors would win game six by a 2-1 score and hoist the Challenge Cup for the second time in three years. Louis Rocheleau opened the scoring with a goal late in the second period but Toronto evened things in the opening minute of the third thanks to Lou Galbraith's power play tally. Nick Tardif tied Toronto's Quinton Pollack for the playoff goal scoring lead with his seventh of the post-season just past the ten minute mark of the third period putting the Motors up 2-1. Toronto outshot Detroit 37-16 on the evening but could not get a second puck past Detroit goalie Henri Chasse and the Motors hung on for the 2-1 win.  HOCKEY NOTES
Washington qualified for the playoffs, sneaking in as third place in 1952-53, losing in the first round for the first time since 1944-45. The Statesmen finished in second and won a series before losing to New York in 1953-54. Last season, Washington won the division for the 11th time but fell in the Divisional Finals for the third time after winning the regular season division title. Gone are the heroes of seasons past, Ivan Sisco, Blake Brooks, and Charles Hooper. The stars in Our Nation’s Capital are Ernie Fischer, Barry McCall, and Hank Adkins and they combined to lead the FBL in scoring with the Statesmen averaging over 78 points per game. Adkins, a 25-year-old guard drafted out of Redwood University three years ago, led the way, starting all 72 games and averaging a career best 16.7 ppg. Fischer, in his sixth year with the club scored at a 15.9 ppg clip and McCall, a second year pro, contributed 10.9 ppg and was second in the FBL in helpers with 8.4 assists per game. His efforts earned the 24-year-old McCall a berth on the All League First team while both Fischer and Adkins claimed second team honours. The Statesmen finished with a 45-27 record, good enough for an 8 game lead on the second place Philadelphia Phantoms, who were led by Mel Turcotte (20.1 ppg), Darren Fuhrman (17.1) and T.J. Grimm (15.1 ppg, 6.9 apg) but lacked the depth of the division leaders. New York missed the playoffs a year ago but the Knights rebounded to edge out Boston for third place this time around with a 31-41 record. Veteran center Larry Yim (15.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg) was again the leader in New York while the Centurions were doomed by the least productive offense in the eight team loop, caused in no small part by an FBL worst .358 shooting percentage. Defending league champion Rochester followed up its first FBL title a year ago by finishing with the best record in the West Division for the third year in a row. The Rockets 48-24 record was best in the league and left them a full 7 games ahead of second place Chicago. Center Marlin Patterson (17.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and guard Verle Schoonmaker (7.9 ppg, 7.8 apg) each were named to the All-League second team and both took on a much more important role for the Rockets after star center Billy Bob McCright was limited to just 18 regular season games due to injury. The Chicago Panthers have Luther Gordon (22.5 ppg, 14.0 rpg) who topped the loop in scoring average and boards while winning his third MVP award but even he and veteran guard Joe Hampton (9.0 apg), who led the loop in assists were not enough to help the Panthers catch Rochester. There is supplemental scoring as well in the forms of the "Charlies", Orlando and Barrell, each of who average 14.7 points per game. Charlie Barrell's decision to leave the team in February to report to spring training with baseball's Los Angeles Stars certainly slowed the Panthers, who played just .500 ball after Barrell's departure and was a big reason why the club would fall to Detroit in the opening round of the playoffs. The third place Mustangs returned to the playoffs after three consecutive last place finishes. Ward Messer was relegated to the bench as Ziggy Rickard (21.9 ppg), who came over in the dispersal draft after Cleveland folded, took over as the offensive leader and was named to the All-League First Team for the fifth time in his career. A maturing Slim Barner (13.4 ppg, 12.2 rpg) took over at center and recent first overall draft picks Erv Corwin (13.4 ppg) and Ed Kosanovich (9.5. ppg, 10.0 rpg) are maturing. The Mustangs defense needs work as only West Division cellar dweller Toronto surrendered more points. The Falcons won a league low 20 games and finished with the worst record the franchise has seen since 1948-49. The opening round of the playoffs saw Ziggy Rickard take control for Detroit, averaging more than 29 points a game as the Mustangs won the best of five series with the second place Panthers 3 games to one. Rickard slowed down only slightly in the second round but the defending champion Rochester Rockets were simply far too much for the Mustangs, sweeping the series in four games. Philadelphia and New York needed the full five games in the opening round on the East playoff bracket. The Phantoms prevailed with an 87-80 victory in the deciding game as Darren Fuhrman scored 26 while Mel Turcotte added 23 points. The East final went the distance as well with the two clubs alternating victories. The first place Washington Statesmen took the deciding game by an 86-79 margin with 26 successful free throws, compared to just 11 for the visiting Phantoms, making all the difference in the world. The finals would then be a meeting between the two best teams in the regular season as the Rochester Rockets looked for the second straight title while the Washington Statesmen -already the only team in the decade old Federal League with more than one championship, looked to add a third title. None of the games were blowouts but the Statesmen, who had never played the Rockets in the FBL playoffs but defeated them twice in the old American Basketball Conference, swept the series in four games. The series opener saw the visitors from the Nations capital score a 78-69 victory despite 10 points from Billy Bob McCright, who had rejoined the Rockets earlier in the playoffs after missing most of the regular season with an injury. Washington's underrated center Joey Rose led the Statesmen with 19 points while Ernie Fischer contributed 18. Game Two saw some dreadful shooting by both clubs with Washington going just .309 from the field while Rochester was even worse, converting barely 28% of their 85 shot attempts. Rose again outplayed Rockets center Marlin Patterson, scoring 19 points to Patterson's 16 and collecting 16 boards while the Rockets star was held to 11 in a 64-61 Statesmen victory. Returning home with a 2-0 series lead the Statesman rallied from a 10 point deficit at the half to claim a 78-71 victory in the third game setting up an 85-82 win the following night to complete the sweep. Rose had a game high 27 points and likely should have been named the playoff MVP but instead it went to his teammate Barry McCall, who had 15 assists in the final game and averaged double digits in helpers during the post-season.  It was another close fight, with little to separate the pair but on this night, it was the Leivers who prevailed with a narrow but unanimous decision. Joey Tierney arrived in England in May with the goal of bringing the title back to the United States. Leivers had other plans and boosted by a capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium in London, the British champion dominated Tierney and ended the fight quickly, needing just three rounds before it was called as a technical knockout. A large wad of cash convinced Leivers to bring the belt back the New World and he faced rising young contender John Colbert at New York's Bigsby Gardens in November. Leivers looked even better than he did in the summer and demolished Colbert with a second round TKO. As of this writing the champ remains in New York and appears to be finalizing plans for another title defense in the coming months. Mark McCoy is once more the middleweight champ as he ended George Hatchell's run in what was the Washington state fighter's sixth attempt at a successful title defense. It was more a case of a loss on Hatchell's part than anything McCoy did to win as Hatchell was ahead on the scorecards when he was disqualified in the 7th round for repeated low blows. McCoy, the 27-year-old from Kansas City who held the title previously from 1951 until late 1954, has said he is willing to grant Hatchell a rematch. Lonnie Griffin has been welterweight champion on two different occasions and may bid for a third after he was defeated by Eugene Ellis in Cleveland in October. Griffin had a strong start to that fight, but Ellis took over in the fifth round, flooring Griffin with a strong hook and was all over the champ in round six until referee Barry Yeats put a stop to things before Griffin was seriously injured. Ellis is a 27-year-old from Seattle with a solid 30-3-1 record but Griffin was the first real quality fighter he had ever defeated.  The European interest in the sweet science has taken on a new passion, especially in the United Kingdom. The epicenter of the heavyweight division shifted 3,500 miles to the east across the Atlantic. In January, Brinkworth looked to defend his title against Steve Leivers, a fellow countryman at the London Arena. In fifteen bruising rounds, Brinkworth scored best with crosses, while Leivers was keen on uppercuts. There were swollen eyes on both sides, puffiness that showed the effects of so many hard punches during the full length of the heavyweight bout. Neither fighter was knocked to the ground and the judges saw the fight as evenly as everyone else did, with two of the three judges scoring it a draw. The flow of the fight was also similarly witnessed. Leivers got off to the better start and Brinkworth got even in the middle rounds with the final rounds just a fight for survival. Three months later in Liverpool, both combatants tried once again at Anfield to find a victor. Another fifteen rounds were fought and while Brinkworth executed more effectively early in the match, though Leivers had a dominant Round 3 that saw the challenger rain blows upon Brinkworth in the last half of the round that almost caused the belt to change hands. Brinkworth was able to own Round 4 and put a few rounds together to stake him to a lead. But Leivers started to take control in the eighth round and did not let go. Leivers was dominant in a role reversal in Round 9, almost as dominant in Round 10, and outside of Brinkworth’s last gasp Round 12, Leivers owned the last half of the fight. The margins were thin, but the judges each called the bout for Leivers and he stayed undefeated at 30-0-1. Both fights were instant classics, but Leivers was off and running. Former champion Joey Tierney came calling and Leivers welcomed him at London’s Wembley Stadium in early July, billed as a peace offering 180 years removed from the United States’s Declaration of Independence. If this was a peace offering, Britain may have regretted not upping the stakes. Leivers won the first round convincingly and Tierney fought back very well in Round 2. However, Leivers connected on a vicious uppercut about 40 seconds into the third round that signaled a short evening. Tierney was knocked to the canvas and though he returned to his feet after a four-count, his eyes were glazed over, and the end was near. Leivers capitalized on a stunned Tierney by going to work with his weapon of choice: the uppercut. Just before the bell rung to end the round, referee John Coyle waved his arms vehemently and stopped the fight. Tierney’s corner protested with the end of the round only three seconds away, but Coyle did not entertain any discussion. Leivers plied his trade stateside in November, going up against John Colbert at Bigsby Garden in New York. It was another title defense that did not last long for Leivers, as the champion opened a gash on the eyelid of Colbert and the bout was called for Leivers in the second round on a TKO. After the rabid fight fans finally got a chance to witness a heavyweight title fight in 1956, it ended far too quickly for some, who pelted the referee and combatants with garbage when the decision was made, only four minutes and 41 seconds into the fight. Bigsby Garden, the well-respected mecca of boxing, was disrespected by the quantity and quality of fights during the year, as this was only the second title fight in any weight class with the first ending even sooner. Lonnie Griffin, the local champ and head of the welterweight division, dispatched journeyman Al Sullivan in only 100 seconds in March. In that fight, few fans were able to make it to the Garden, as it was the start of the great Nor’Easter of 1956 which dumped over a foot of snow in New York City and even more in the surrounding areas. Speaking of the welterweight division, Griffin was the champion heading into the year and with his dominant March performance under his belt, there was another date with Danny Rutledge, completing the trilogy in July. There was no love lost between the two. While Rutledge was unhinged in the first fight and composed in the second fight, a weathered Rutledge was clearly past his prime as Griffin pummeled him and showed him the canvas repeatedly, knocking his nemesis down an astounding seven times. Griffin waited until the final round to declare victory and Rutledge could not take the hint. After two knockdowns earlier in the 15th round, a powerful cross with 27 seconds left caused Rutledge to rock, list, and finally pitch forward. It was a knockout, but the referee could have stopped the fight any number of times at earlier junctures in the bout. Griffin did not so much as wait around for Rutledge to regain his faculties to offer a post-match handshake. Controversy seems to follow Griffin. Maybe it is because of his big mouth. Griffin protested wildly after his final fight of the year, one in which he lost his belt. At Lake Erie Arena in Cleveland, Eugene Ellis put a hurting on Griffin in the fifth round that was consequential. All three judges scored the fifth round a dominating 10-8 in favor of the challenger, who scored the only knockdown of the fight. After a respite in his corner, Griffin’s situation did not improve. The onslaught continued and there was a serious concern for Griffin’s health. Griffin was still in the fight, which was dead even through five rounds on all three cards, as we later found out, but referee Barry Yeats saw something ominous in how open Griffin left himself to power punches on a regular basis. Yeats called the fight late in the sixth round and while 1957 might bring a rematch, Griffin openly wondered to the press if Yates was in the bag for Ellis (30-3-1) and the two were in cahoots to rob him of his title. In the middleweight division, George Hatchell was among the hardest working athletes of the year, setting off for four fights during the year in varied locals: Vancouver, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Hatchell is from Washington State, as is current Welterweight Champion Eugene Ellis, who hails from Seattle. Both men held their respective belts at the same time for almost three months, but Hatchell lost his belt in his final fight of the year to Mark McCoy the week before Christmas. Hatchell lost his cool during the December fight against McCoy. McCoy is a talented fighter, winning the title at the young age of 22, and with 45 fights under his belt, he has won every kind of fight: the tactical, the defensive, the clean and the dirty. Hatchell was hit with an accidental head butt in the third round. Was it accidental? Veteran referee Zeb Barley deemed it to be accidental, but Hatchell and his trainer were up in arms and steaming mad. The head butt almost immediately caused swelling under Hatchell’s left eye. The fourth round began and Hatchell came out like a shot. With his eyesight suffering, Hatchell tried to connect on anything and everything that moved. The problem was that he walked right into a good gut punch from McCoy. Whether it was the effects of the head butt or the intention of the head butt, Hatchell repeated began punching low. Hatchell would say later it was the swollen eye that threw off his targets, but Barley deducted a point because of the fouls and kept close watch the rest of the night. McCoy’s fleet footwork was too quick for a laboring Hatchell, who fought a combined 36 rounds in 1956. As the seventh round started, Hatchell started punching McCoy down low in a dangerous area and, already being warned, Barley called the fight for McCoy. The 1953 Bologna Boxer of the Year won the middleweight belt back to end 1956. McCoy (39-6-1) is only 27 and he is still in his prime, ready for second reign as Middleweight Champion. The Boxer of the Year is Steve Leivers (32-0-1) in a landslide. He was 3-0-1, fought two entertaining matches against Joe Brinkworth resulting in a draw and a win to capture the heavyweight title, and in the second half of the year, won convincingly to keep the title. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Tales From The Den- Wolves Recovery Stalls in '56 -Fan hopes that 1956 would be the year that their Wolves again became a factor in the CA were quickly quashed in the early season. After a mediocre start, 7-5, in April the team fell into their all too common tailspin earlier than normal. During the Fifties the team has generally crashed in the summer with terrible records in July, August. This year the Wolves fell out of the race earlier with a combined record of 25-34 (.424) in May, June so the fans thoughts of "wait 'till next year" began in the late spring rather than summer. The team showed some fight during the dog days going 35-23 (.603) to enter September with a record of 67-62 giving the faithful some hope of a first division finish in the a CA that was again dominated by Cleveland and Kansas City. The Wolves collapsed as the leaves began to change, going 9-16 in September including 3-7 in their last ten to finish with the same record as 1955, 76-78 good enough for 5th in the league 15 games behind the Foresters. The problem were the same ones that have haunted the team for the past number of years: pitching and defense. Last year's leader, Lynn Horn, struggled early in the year eventually being sent down to Buffalo in July where he seemed to regain his form before being recalled in August. Jim Montgomery, 24, began the year in the 'pen before moving to the rotation in June. He finished the year at 14-8, 2.65 in 19 starts along with 11 saves early in the season. Whitey Stewart, 25, the first overall pick in 1953 led the team is starts with 34 posting a 12-10, 3.44 record. The rest of the staff was the all too common to Wolves supporters cast of misfits where if the starter did not get shelled early the bullpen could not close out the game with 16 leads surrendered after the bullpen was called into the game. Not every lead surrendered was entirely the fault of the bullpen. The defensive woes continued in Toronto. Porous, shoddy defense cost the Wolves many wins with by far the worst fielding in the FABL. Any ball put into play was almost even money as to whether or not it could be turned into an out. Flyballs to the outfield were a constant adventure with more often than not the ball hitting the grass sometimes after being misplayed, misjudged by the fielder. The Wolves will go nowhere fast if they do not improve in the field. At the dish the team was improved, leading the CA in homeruns for the first time in many seasons. The team was led by Tom Reed's .267/.324/.483 31 HR 93 RBI who was the only outfielder who fielded his position in left with something close to big league standards. Larry Curtis contributed 25 HR 77 RBI, Jim Allen's .282/.340/.426 was helpful although their defense was almost non-existent. John Wells has become an average FABL player. He had a line of .247/308/.406 20 HR 68 RBI with acceptable defense at second. Gordie Perkins, 34, has been hampered by injuries the last two seasons appearing in only 105 games this year. The five time All-Star may be heading to the twilight of his career. At end of the World Championship Series in which the New York Gothams, who dethroned Detroit in FA, took out Cleveland in 6 games Wolves owner Bernie Millard, 73, cleaned house. None of Scouting Director Art Willis, Manager Jim Whitehead, Hitting Coach Verlin Alexander, 1B Coach Eddie Mosqueda and Pitching Coach Joe Short had their contracts renewed so are no longer members of the Wolves organization. Millard did not stop in Toronto. Wolves go into 1957 with 11 staff roles to fill in the entire organization. The Wolves will be different in '57. The system improved to 6th in FABL with 4 prospects in the top 26. P Hank Lacey, 24, is 14th, CF Sid Cullen, 20, is 21st, 2B Eddie Goodman, 21, ranks 23rd, with P George Hoxworth, 18, coming in at 26th. With all but Lacey probably needing more seasoning there is hope on the horizon for the long suffering fans. It will be interesting to see who fills the five open jobs in Toronto. Tales From The Manor: Duke Dominant But Fail to Close the Deal -The Toronto Dukes were definitely a force in the NAHC from October to mid-April. The team ran away from the other five teams in the regular season with a record of 39-17-14 good for 92 points to finish 13 points ahead of the second Boston Bees who edged out Detroit by one point in a battle for home ice advantage in the playoffs. Toronto led the NAHC in goals with 233 no other team scored 200 times. Only Detroit allowed less goals, 159, than the Dukes tandem of Scott Renes and Charlie Dell who were beaten 164 times. Quinton Pollack again led the NAHC in scoring with league leading totals in goals, 35, and assists, 60, for 95 points which left Pollack 23 points ahead of linemate Lou Galbraith who returned to have an impressive season after an injury riddled 1954-55. Tommy Burns has another high scoring season for Chicago at age 36 with 32 goals 29 helpers despite being limited to only 49 games due to injury. Between the pipes Scott Renes was not quite the force of last season, 28-11-11 2.32 with a save percentage of .919 was good enough for second most wins behind the Motors Henri Chasse. Renes finished third in GAA and 4th in save percentage. He again was able backed up by Charlie Dell's 11-6-0 2.30, stopping 91.8% of shots on goal. The team only lost 3 in a row once all season and with just two other two game losing streaks during the 70 game schedule the Dukes were not really challenged being in first place basically the entire season. In the playoffs for the Challenge Cup Toronto's first opponent was the 4th place finishers the Chicago Packers, 25-36-9 good for 59 points. The semi-final began in the Gardens on Thursday March 24th in what the 14,235 on hand would be the start of mere formality on the Dukes road to retaining the Cup. Chicago had other plans when Jeremy MacLean opened the scoring at 25 seconds before everyone had found their seats. Pollack evened the scoring 36 seconds later then put the Dukes ahead before the period was seven minutes old. Chicago was not done, Tommy Burns led the charge with the visitors scoring twice in both the second and third to take the series lead before a shocked crowd with a 5-3 win. That proved to a wake up call for Toronto who would take the next 4 games, albeit close games, 3-1, 2-0, 4-2, 2-1 to advance to the final. In the other series Detroit, Boston went the distance with the Motors advancing in seven after winning the sixth game 3-2 at home before dismantling Boston in Denny Arena 6-2 in the deciding game. The Dukes had been off for 8 days when Detroit invaded the Gardens on April 12th to skate away with a 4-3 win thanks to Henri Chasse's 42 save performance. Fans' concern turned to outright panic when three nights later the Motors went up in the series 2-0 when Lou Barber found the twine behind Renes with 26 seconds left in first overtime period. Detroit continued to roll at the Thompson Palladium taking a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game Three. The Dukes rallied back to tie the game at 2 before Nick Tardif's goal in the third was the eventual winner, leaving the Dukes one loss away from an end to the season. In this game Toronto went 1 for 7 on the man advantage. With their backs against the wall Dukes came out guns a blazing, after falling behind 1-0 the Dukes put 7 in a row behind Chasse to extend the series. Back home for Game 5 the teams played a surprisingly wide open game testing both Chasse, Renes close to 40 times. The teams entered the third period tied at 1 and Galbraith sent the crowd into a frenzy when he gave the home a 2-1 lead at 6:22. Nick Tardif sent the game to overtime by scoring on an end to end rush with 5:11 left on the clock. Pollack sent the fans home happy when he scored 8:02 into overtime sending the series back the Motor City. In Game 6 with Toronto hoping to continue their comeback after dropping the first three games of the season, Detroit's Henri Chasse showed why he is one of, if not the, best netminder in the NAHC. After a scoreless first Louis Rocheleau gave the Motors the lead with less than 4 minutes left in the second period. Chasse blanked the Dukes despite facing 28 shot in the first 40 minutes. Galbraith brought both team's fans to edge of their seat whether in the Palladium or listening on the radio in Toronto when he tied the game 14 second into the third with Walsh off for hooking. Try as they might this was the only puck that would elude Chasse on this night. Nick Tardif's 7th of the playoffs put an end to the Dukes storied season just past the halfway point of the third allowing the Motors to reclaim the Challenge Cup. Coach Barrell- "The loss to Detroit in final will haunt me to the grave. This team had a chance to go down as the best team ever but will not because Detroit won the Cup - close is not good enough in pro sports. This may sound stupid but I think the Dukes can be better next season. As the line of Carlson, who was hampered by nagging injuries all year, Pollack, Galbraith begin to age we have some guys improving by leaps and bounds. Ken Jamieson, 27-25-52, was given a more prominent role this season. He responded to the challenge along with Pat Coulter who stepped up at age 31. We have to find a little more young talent in the draft so I can start the slow process of turning this lineup over to the next generation. Expected to see Wooley, Quinn, Fuhrman, Morrison to given more ice time next season as we try to return the Cup to its proper home in Toronto." The Year That Was Current events from 1956
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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. |
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09-24-2024, 01:16 PM
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#1018 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,654
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1957 End of Year Report
1957 IN FIGMENT SPORTS Both made such a major contribution to the sport over the past few decades and each had some challenges to overcome. For Barrell, it was the terrible gun shot wound he suffered in his mid-twenties that for a spell threatened to derail an incredibly promising career. He overcame the wound and went on to be the greatest homerun hitter not named Max Morris that the sport has ever seen. Barrell is baseball's all-time leader in games played at bats and rbis; is third behind only Powell Slocum and John Dibblee with 3,815 hits and trails only Max Morris with his 639 career round-trippers. He won two triple crowns, made the all-star game a record 13 times, won 5 Whitney Awards and captured the attention of the nation in 1947 when he broke Morris' single season homerun record of 60 by belting 64 homers of his own. McCormick managed to collect 2,958 hits in just 2,447 games but fans will always be left wondering just what kind of numbers "The Reticent Reaper" could have accumulated had he not been one of the first to join the war effort in 1941 and missed nearly four full seasons of his prime serving in the Army during WWII. He won a pair of Whitney Awards, made 8 all-star games and was one of the best pure hitters the game has seen, finishing with a career .329 batting average. There was plenty of excitement elsewhere, especially in Washington where the football Wasps ended 20 years without a playoff victory by giving their fans not one, but two, as Washington won the East Division final over Philadelphia before beating San Francisco the following week for the Wasps first American Football Association title. In Boston too there was a mixture of excitement and relief, where the Bees, after a 10 year drought that saw them lose in the finals four times over that span, finally won their 8th Challenge Cup. Detroit may have not won the World Championship Series - the Dynamos fell for the second time in five years to Cleveland- but the Motor City baseball club rebounded from a disappointing second place finish a year ago to win its fifth pennant in the past six years. Were it not for the dreadful August swoon a year ago where a disastrous 9-21 August cost them a flag and a 1-game playoff loss to St Louis in 1951, we could be looking back at a Dynamos team that won seven consecutive pennants. Fight fans in Detroit could also rejoice as local heavyweight hero Joey Tierney regained the ABF world title after losing the crown two years ago. Chicago had plenty to celebrate as well. In May the cage Wildcats won the Federal Basketball League title for the second time and a months later veteran hurler Al Miller picked up his 300th career victory. Miller may be known as 'The California Kid' but he is Chicago through and through after spending his entire 23 year big league career, save for two years in the Navy during the war, with the Chiefs. And he may not be done as Miller, who won 17 games in 1957 at the age of 41 says he will be back next season. In the college ranks, Central Ohio won the AIAA baseball World Championship Series, marking the first national title in any sport for the Columbus school while Noble Jones College claimed its fourth grid title after a perfect 11-0 season and Chesapeake State was the surprise winner on the hardwood.   Returning to Cincinnati is a nice two player package headlined by co-Kellogg Winner Johnny Elliot, who hit .356/.418/.528 (169 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 19 homers, and 66 RBIs in an impressive rookie campaign. Elliot also won the Continental batting title, and is expected to fit comfortably between his co-Kellogg winner Fred Lainhart (.335, 9, 71, 21) and Dallas Berry (.246, 26, 82, 13) in a young and improving lineup. Elliot may not have the upside of Allen, but at 25 he's already succeeded against FABL pitching, and he has a dependable mix of contact and power. First base has been a position of weakness for Cincy, as after Chuck Adams held the position for a full decade, Elliot will make six different starters in six seasons. Elliot has a chance to solidify that position for years to come, and they'll also get to add a potential catching option in the twice traded Fred Becvar. A former 12th Rounder of the Sailors, Becvar is one of the top young defensive catchers, and his addition to the system should help the Cannons' low minors pitchers get the most out of their stuff. Just shy of a month later, the Stars made another major move to bolster the farm, sending long-time shortstop Paul Watson to the St. Louis Pioneers. Taken 15th Overall in 1947, "Mr. Contact" made his debut the next season, and hit a strong .298/.371/.436 (122 OPS+) in an excellent 66 game debut sample. For the next eight seasons, he appeared in 100 or more games for the Stars, ending his career with the organization after 1,164 games. The 30-year-old is an average hitter and shortstop, entering the season with an adjusted league average .266/.306/.411 (100 OPS+) line with 227 doubles, 30 triples, 101 homers, 584 RBIs, and 243 walks. As you'd expect with someone nicknamed Mr. Contact, he almost never strikes out, set down in just 4.8% of his FABL plate appearances. It was down to 4.3 in 1956, but he hit a career worst .241/.280/.352 (80 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 11 homers, and 54 RBIs. It was just his third season with a below average OPS+ and WRC+ (76), but he was an excellent shortstop (9.2, 1.043) and offers a lot more at the plate then Win Hambry (.204, 2, 36) can. Already acquiring Jerry Smith (.280, 26, 105, 16) from the Cougars and Win Lewis (9-10, 3.45, 86) from the Sailors, St. Louis is looking to get out of the cellar, and they were willing to part with two exciting prospects to add a third quality veteran to the squad. The guy they'll miss most is Carl Bristol, a 20-year-old righty who ranked as the 41st best prospect at the time of the trade. The #1 pick in the 1954 draft, Bristol ranked as high as 9th overall, but dropped a bit in the offseason as his command wasn't as sharp as it could be. 210 of his 229.1 innings came in A ball, where Bristol walked 116 batters (12.2 BB%) and allowed 23 home runs. He's got big strikeout potential, even striking out one more guy then he walked, as the six pitch groundballer has a deep arsenal that he mixes well. The headliner is his change, but his mid 90s fastball is a useful pitch to get ahead of guys, and his hard sinker can erase some of the walks if he has a good defense behind him. A potential mid-rotation starter who's likely to pitch at least some of the season in AA, he could quickly work into the Stars rotation mix, as the current group is a middling group of vets and rookies that have plenty of individual concerns. It's also why there's no surprise they added a second, more closer to FABL ready pitcher with Jack F. Davis, who reached AAA last season. Just inside the top 250, Davis had an excellent season in the Pioneers farm, going 12-5 in Dallas with a 3.32 ERA (140 ERA+), 3.77 FIP (81 FIP-), 43 walks, and 89 strikeouts before a late season callup to Oakland. The 2-3 record is deceptive, as he had an even better 2.96 ERA (154 ERA+), 3.56 FIP (77 FIP-), and 1.22 WHIP in 51.2 innings. The walks (23) and strikeouts (22) came closer, but Davis limited hard contact, and drew the attention of outside organizations. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get a look in a weak Stars staff, as he could eat some innings and provide passable results. That was all until Opening Day, where this time around we didn't get any exciting trades right before the season started. Despite their brutal collapse, the Detroit Dynamos still opened the season as the favorites, but three other teams were expected to give them a run for their money. Obviously, one includes the champion New York Gothams, but the upstart Boston Minutemen and veteran Chicago Chiefs rosters both have the pieces in place to make some noise. Smart money in the Conti is supposedly on the Sailors, but I don't see anyone coming close to the Foresters. The Cannons are a team to watch, as the addition of Johnny Elliot is huge, and before that they were already looking to turn the corner. And of course, you can't count out the KC Kings, who won 87 or more games four years in a row, and were leading the CA for most of last season. Early on it was Boston who took the lead, winning 11 of their 14 April games to open the early lead in the Fed. Reigning Whitney Winner Jack Denis launched 5 homers in 14 games and hit .310/.369/.603 (157 OPS+), but he was overshadowed by Rick Masters. The former #1 prospect slashed .331/.419/.679 (191 OPS+) with 6 homers, 16 runs, and 12 RBIs. Marshall Thomas (.367, 4, 21) was outstanding too while Joe Kleman (.393, 2, 12) and Billy Forbes (.383, 2, 5) were both ready to put 1956 behind them. The offense was scoring plenty of runs, and with good starts from John Grimes (1-0, 1.93, 11), Johnny Duncan (2-0, 2.38, 15), and Bill Parkhurst (2-0, 3.21, 14). Foster Sherman (3-0, 3.81, 15) realized all he had to do was give up less runs then the other team, as two of his three starts were games he gave up five runs. Though it was the best start where he didn't get a decision, as Sherman held the Dynamos scoreless on 2 hits, 10 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Through 8, he outdueled two-time Allen Winner Jim Norris (9 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K), and was on to start the 9th up 3-1. A leadoff single to Dick Estes is all he got, as after 122 pitches future Hall-of-Famer Harry Barrell went to Doc Griffin to get the last three outs. Instant relief was not was the skipper received, as Dan Smith (1-2, 2 BB) welcomed the reliever with a single and pinch hitter Pat Petty drew a walk to load the bases. The pitcher spot was next, and Detroit turned to lefty Ivey Henley. Griffin got him to chase on a 3-1 pitch, flying out easily to right, not deep enough to try it. With just one out, the lineup flipped over for Del Johnson (0-3, BB), who got a somewhat painful RBI by being plunked with the bases loaded. With the zero finally off the board, Ralph Johnson had a chance to make things happen, as the new first basemen kept things going with an RBI single. Everyone moved up a base, sending the game tying run to third base. Clearly rattled from the results, Griffin threw four wide to Bill Morrison, allowing Detroit to tie the game without swinging the bat. Edwin Hackberry, who drew walks in all four of his prior plate appearances. He took one pitch for a strike, saving all the action for one last swing. The 7-Time All-Star laced one to center, sending most of the 16,065 happy with an exhilarating 4-run 9th inning walk-off win. This win might have been what sparked the Dynamos, as they had just got embarrassed on the road by the Miners when the pen fell apart for seven in the 8th. Either that or a 5-1 win in Washington, as the Dynamos were making their approach back to .500 after dropping five of six against the Chiefs (home, 0-3) and Keystones (away, 1-3). The win brought them back to a game below .500, and started an 18-game win streak that turned a .480 win percentage into a ..690 win percentage that led all of FABL on May 30th. This did put them in first place, but the Chicago Chiefs (28-15, 1.5 GB) made it tough for them to pull away from the pack. Both teams ran right by the Gothams (24-18, 5 GB), who dropped all seven head-to-head matchups against the Detroit Dynamos. Breakout starter Eddie Martin (3,1 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) was the starter that got hit the hardest, but most of all the talented Gothams offense just could not solve Dynamo pitchers. Hank Estill, who had two, was the only member of the Barrett-Howe-Estill trio to homer, as New York's stars couldn't come up when it mattered most. In the Conti it was a weird two-team race early on, as the Chicago Cougars (26-14, 0,5 GB) were just a game back of the reigning pennant winning Cleveland Foresters (27-14). who were watching a soon-to-be 40-year-old Rufus Barrell pitching like he was 24 again. Cleveland was scoring runs and preventing them, and with the surprise start from the Cougars one could only wonder what might have been had they not traded most of their better players. The Cougs went 20-9 in May, as the almost 27-year-old Pug White was 5-2 in his 7 starts with a 2.02 ERA (193 ERA+) and 1.05 WHIP. Most impressive might be the 42-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, as the former top-5 prospect was starting to look like the elite top-of-the-rotation arm the team was once used to having. Offseason pickup Norm McBride (4-1, 1.65, 33) was looking like a potential Kellogg Winner and Carl Potter (2-1, 2.93, 16) showed signs of his pre-injury form, and when anyone had to turn the game to the bullpen, the lead was usually safe. The pen was not anchored by the now retired David Molina (63-41, 144, 3.42, 413 with CHC), but Arch Wilson (1-0, 7, 1.80, 19) did his best to provide Molina-level service. It was classic Cougar baseball, solid pitching and good enough hitting, and for once their was hope at Cougars Park. Hope did not last, the Cougars crashed to earth with a 12-20 June, and the Foresters left them in their dust. What Cleveland might not have expected was that the Cincinnati Cannons would get hot, and after starting a home set with the Sailors with a hard-earned 1-0 victory, they passed the Foresters for first place on June 25th. By the end of the month the Cannons were 49-27 and two games clear of Cleveland, as they pitched and hit well in a 24-7 June. Simon Terry (4-0, 1.40, 27) and Jimmy Block (5-2, 2.52, 29) asserted themselves as legitimate rotation candidates while Jake Pearson (4-1, 3.42, 26) continued to deliver at the top of the rotation. At the plate, the 1-2-3 of Fred Lainhart (.320, 1, 13, 3), Johnny Elliot (.360, 9, 24), and Dallas Berry (.284, 8, 22) was causing headaches for pitching staffs everywhere, and there were rumblings that the club was looking to upgrade the infield. As good as their pitching was, the lineup as constructed could not compete with Cleveland's, and a sustained pennant race always comes with unexpected slumps and injuries. Detroit opened a 3.5 game lead over the Chiefs, and it dropped ever-so-slightly to 3 when the All-Star break rolled around. Them and the Cannons both held the same lead, but Detroit had the better record, 54-27 to 55-29. Most of the league was out of it, just the Chiefs (50-29) and Foresters (51-31) within nine games of first. As large as that lead seems, last year shows us that's far from safe, and with two teams taking wins from each other there's always room for a third in a playoff run. The Gothams (44-35) and Minutemen (44-35) can both pitch and hit, and I don't envision the Kansas City Kings (39-40) staying below .500 all season. Both races are wide open, and with the deadline at the end of the month there's still plenty of time for someone to make a big move. *** All Star Game *** The 25th annual edition of FABL's All-Star Game was held on July 9 and for the third year in a row the Continental Association prevailed. The final score was 6-3 as the CA stars rallied to erase an early 3-1 lead for the Feds and with the victory the CA takes a 14-11 lead in the series.Rick Masters of the Boston Minutemen led the hit parade with three, but it was Cleveland's Sherry Doyal claiming the Most Valuable Player award for the second straight season allowing him to join former St Louis and Toronto great, and new Hall of Famer, Fred McCormick as players to win the award twice. Doyal had two hits, including a home run and scored twice. The CA took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Federal Association starter Al Miller allowed two hits and a walk. Cincinnati's Johnny Elliott had the rbi, singling home Doyal with the first run. Bill Barrett of the New York Gothams evened things up for the Federal Association when he launched a solo homerun off of Cleveland's Adrian Czerwinski, the CA starter on the mound, in the bottom of the first. Barrett made history as it was his 13th all-star game, tying him with Bobby Barrell and George Cleaves for the most appearances. Jim Norris of Detroit tossed a 1-2-3 second inning and in the home half the Feds got to Cincinnati's Simon Terry for two runs to go up by a 3-1 margin. The scoring came courtesy of three singles of the bats of Joe Reed, Lew Mercer and Jim Norris followed by a sacrifice fly delivered by Edwin Hackberrry. That would be all the runs the Federal Association would push across the plate but the CA was just getting started. Doyal cut the deficit to 3-2 with a solo homerun off of Jack Miller in the third inning. Montreal's Jim Johnston would deliver a pinch-hit single to tie the game at three in the fifth frame. In the 7th Kansas City Kings infielder Ken Newman smacked a solo homerun off of Pittsburgh's Dick Champ to put the Continental stars up 4-3 and they would round out the scoring in the 8th inning when John Wells of Toronto and Cincinnati's Dallas Berry each delivered rbi singles off of Detroit's Paul Anderson to make the final 6-3.  **** Quiet Time At Trade Deadline *** This made it a quiet deadline, as while there were a few trades in July, there weren't many impactful moves made. Cincinnati made the first semi-significant move, adding veteran righty Joe Quade (2-2, 2.94, 35) to their rotation. He pitched mostly out of the pen for the Miners, but the Cannons are trying to take advantage of their great start and the young rotation now has a battle tested veteran in the five spot they can all learn from. The cost wasn't too much either, but the Miners will receive a useful right handed pitcher and a low minors third basemen. The pitcher, Rex Conner, ranked as the #131 prospect in FABL and was effective for the Cannon's A ball team. Making 17 of his 19 starts their, Conner was 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 61 walks, and 78 strikeouts. He has good control and a nice change, and could factor into the Miners rotation in the next few years. Pittsburgh is line for a second straight finish towards the bottom, and they were already happy giving innings to someone else. Despite being 11 out at the time, the Gothams made headlines as they do, sending a five prospect package to the Pioneers for former 2nd Overall Pick Rex Pilcher and a minor league outfielder. Pilcher, 27, is in the midst of a down season by his standards, hitting just .235/.346/.443 (110 OPS+) in 93 games. He already has 20 home runs, something he's done five seasons in a row, and Pilcher drew 60 walks with 50 runs, and 51 RBIs. Almost seen as a preemptive move to get some insurance in case Bill Barrett starts feeling his age. Pilcher gives the Gothams another big pat to support him, Howe, and Estill, this season and next. Diving into the prospect return, the two gems are the 21-year-olds Dixie Amodei and Doc Carver, who were teammates on the Gothams Class B team. Amodei spent most of his time in center, and hit a respectable .291/.293/.397 (97 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 21 RBIs. The only problem is he doesn't walk, just one of those in 181 PAs, but the former 3rd Rounder is a quick runner who does best when he puts the ball in play. The defense is good too, and he's even got some experience at second, making him a useful and versatile piece who could supplement a contending team. Ranked as the 159th prospect, Amodei was second in the return to Carver, who checked in three spots outside the top 100. Taken a round earlier in 1953, Carver didn't get going until July, and struggled for four seasons in Class C. Still, the prospect pickers are a big fan of his stuff, and believe he'll eventually tighten up his control issues. He was on the right track, as his 7.8 BB% in 23.2 innings was the first time he was below 10%, but the Pioneers will have to push him up a few levels. Of the other three prospects, none were highly ranked, but outfielder Bill Bather reached AAA, and hit .284/.408/.422 (124 OPS+) with 25 runs, 20 RBIs, and 25 walks. A bubble player and team leader, the change of scenery could do him well, and he'll have some semblance of a chance to get regular at bats here as opposed to New York. Two other Fed teams made moves the day before the deadline, starting with the Minutemen acquiring Pat Todd to replace Ned Adams at third. The 30-year-old Todd was doing a solid job as the Eagles third basemen, hitting .300/.329/.398 (96 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 homers, 30 RBIs, and 41 runs. That's much better then the .257/.324/.354 Adams was hitting, so Boston was willing to part with young lefty Eddie Frank to acquire him. Ranked as the 112th prospect, Frank split his time between A and AA, wit his best work coming at the higher level. In 8 starts he was 3-2 with a 1.80 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 16 walks, and 32 strikeouts. "Lippy" has an excellent curve, but the level of mastery in his command will determine if he pitches for the Eagles in the future. More surprisingly, the Stars dealt young catcher Mickey Tucker, who followed a solid rookie season (.233, 15, 42) by hitting .291/.354/.451 (116 OPS+) with 13 homers, 34 runs, and 35 RBIs in his first 84 games. He upped his WRC+ from 99 to 127, and perhaps the Stars wanted to sell high on their former 3rd Rounder. Chicago was willing to part with the 78th ranked prospect Ed Moore for him, sending away the player they took 10th last season. Just 19, he made his way all the way up to AA, where he was 6-for-23 with 2 homers in his first 6 games. A talented hitter who can play decent defense in center, Moore has excellent pitch recognition skills and will hit for a high average, all while threatening pitchers with his above average power. He's a talented 6'6'' slugger who could be a game changing player, but his game is still a major work in progress. No one made a move on the actual day of the deadline, and Detroit started August up 10.5 games in what was expected to be an easy waltz to the finish. On the other hand, the Ohio teams were battling for first, with the Cannons (65-41) and Foresters (62-40) far ahead of the rest of the association that was more then double digit games out of first. The battle between the two teams became the only excitement in baseball, as aside from individual performances, the battle for the Continental Association was all that provided intrigue. Through August, the Foresters and Cannons kept going back and forth, setting up the stage for a big series at Tice Memorial Stadium on the 4th and 5th of September. The two teams only had one other game on the 24th, and with Cleveland up a game and a half this was the Cannons chance to take back first. Instead, the Foresters got a big 5-run 6th as they got to Jimmy Block (5.2, 8 H, 6 ER, 6 BB, 1 K) in the opener. Hugh Blumenthal (9 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) finished off the 6-4 victory, and then Cleveland put up seven runs in the first four innings of game two. That was more then enough for July acquisition Lynn Horn, who threw a complete game win with 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts in his first start for Cleveland. The loss proved to be the final nail in the coffin, as Cincinnati just couldn't get wins strung together. The Foresters meanwhile, had two four game win streaks, the second of which involved the final game against the Cannons. This time it was Adrian Czerwinski (9 IP, 10 H, ER, 3 BB, 11 K) doing the dismantling, but the Foresters already had everything wrapped up. Rufus Barrell was the star of the show, as Cleveland's 40-year-old co-ace took home his 4th Allen Award after going 22-11 with a 2.55 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, and 168 strikeouts. Most impressive was his 5.4 K/BB and 2.6 BB%, with the BB% the lowest of a qualified pitcher since the 1944 season. His 10.6 WAR was best among Continental hurlers, and him Czerwinski (19-11, 3.58, 211), and Blumenthal (16-12, 3.10, 168) effectively led the #1 pitching staff. Though it was probably the offense that was the strength, as the 3-4-5 of Sherry Doyal (.318, 20, 102, 8), John Low (.326, 18, 128), and Otis O'Keefe (.291, 19, 103) produced runs all season. Rookie catcher Hal Kennedy (.252, 20, 75) ended up taking the starting job from Larry McClure (.273, 5, 18), although it was McClure who ended up having the better offensive numbers. The surprising part, however, was the dropoff of Tom Carr, as the reigning Whitney Winner hit just .297/.383/.455 (121 OPS+) after his astronomical .341/.430/.559 (181 OPS+) triple slash last year. Still an excellent leadoff hitter, Carr provided Cleveland with 42 doubles, 13 triples, 9 homers, 51 RBIs, 16 steals, 70 walks, and 125 runs. Along with runs, and triples, Carr had the most plate appearances (689), and will look to do the same against the Federal champion Dynamos. Detroit finished an outstanding 104-50, passing the 100 win mark for the second time in three seasons. Once again, it was on the backs of their tremendous pitching. After taking a year off, Jim Norris seized the Allen Award for a third time, leading the Fed in two of the three triple crown categories. His 175 strikeouts was good enough for third, as Norris finished 22-7 with a 2.50 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 7.5 WAR. He led the Fed in WHIP and innings (288.1) too, and is ready and rested to take on Rufus Barrell in game one. They won't need everyone, but all five of their starters had above average ERAs. Paul Anderson (19-8, 2.57, 156) and Jack Miller (19-11, 3.25, 162) are expected to get the starts, but both Jack Halbur (17-8, 3.88, 138) and Bob Allen (12-6, 3.45, 96) could give quality starts if called upon. Most impressive, however, may be that three members of the lineups finished with exactly 32 homeruns. Edwin Hackberry (.264, 32, 97, 16) is the expected one, but Bill Morrison (.284, 32, 87, 13) set a career high in longballs and the third guy was a complete surprise. That would be 24-year-old Joe Reed, who played just a little too much last year to be considered a rookie. The first time All-Star hit an amazing .325/.384/.555 (150 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 86 runs, 91 RBIs, and of course, 32 home runs. Excellent defense at short (11.4 ZR, 1.057 EFF) helped him record an a team high 8.3 AWR in 135 games. His emergence shifted Stan Kleminski (.304, 5, 56, 15) to second, and he's batting third in the deep lineup. Ralph Johnson (.301, 20, 67, 11) has hit well as the new first basemen, and Dick Estes (.289, 21, 74) might have had his best season at 33. They're going to be a tough test for Cleveland, and likely head into the series as the favorite. The only team close to either of the division winners was the Cincinnati Cannons, who finished 7 back of Cleveland, as while their offense and pitching was pretty impressive, it just wasn't good enough to slow the Foresters down. Cincy was led by Whitney Winner Dallas Berry, who hit an outstanding .315/.426/.658 (184 OPS+) with 109 runs, 45 homers, 89 walks, and 111 RBIs in 585 trips to the plate. Along with his home runs, Berry led the CA in OBP, slugging, OPS (1.084), WRC+ (195), wOBA (.459), and WAR (10.4), making him the easy choice for the circuit's top hitter. A bit of a three man show, Berry hit behind last year's Kellogg winner Fred Lainhart (.320, 8, 62, 17) and offseason pickup Johnny Elliot (.320, 29, 92), as most rallies were made responsible by this trio. Backstop Art McKinney (.270, 22, 62) impressed as a rookie, earning the Kellogg this year for the Cannons, but he struck out in almost a quarter of his at bats and relies heavily on his home run power. Ralph Hanson (.317, 5, 67, 21) had another good season, splitting his time between left and short, but the bottom of the order needs some reworking if the Cannons want to compete. They have the pitching to do it, as ace Jake Pearson (16-13, 3.83, 136) put together his 4th consecutive 4.5+ WAR season in what was a "down" year by his standards. Veteran Jimmy Block (18-13, 3.15, 141) had the classic late breakout the Cannons have become known for, while Simon Terry (15-8, 3.15, 137) got to the All-Star game at 27.Joe Quade (6-6, 1, 3.39, 69) did a great job stabilizing the back of the rotation, as just veteran Dick Greenhalgh (7-13, 5.33, 93) was easy to get runs off of. With their first 80+ win season since 1950, the Cannons definitely turned heads with their performance this year, and with a few quality offseason moves they could make themselves one of the favorites for 1958. In the Fed, the Whitney race wasn't as straight forward, as this writer believes a mistake was made. Somehow, Rod Shearer still doesn't have a Whitney, as even a Fed high 10 wins above replacement, a .343/.407/.628 (175 OPS+) batting line, and leading the league in runs scored (120) and driven in (135) still isn't enough. Even after adding his 41 doubles, 37 homers, and 185 WRC+ in an elite 150 game season. Through 7+ seasons, Shearer owns a Hall-of-Fame caliber .301/.379/.583 (160 OPS+) batting line with 270 homers and 914 RBIs, but will have to wait another year as he finished 2nd in voting for the third time. Instead, the award went to Bill Barrett, his 5th, but Barrett made over 100 less PAs then Shearer. Sure, his .389/.479/.727 (220 OPS+) line is something you don't see all that often, and yes he had 39 homers and 124 RBIs himself, but he was awful defensively at both first and left and played so much less then Shearer did. That's not to say Barrett didn't have a Whitney level performance, he certainly did, but the last Fed Whitney winner to play less then 150 games was George Cleaves in 1950, and the catcher's 142 games still topped Barrett's 132. You have to go all the way back to Red Johnson in 1941 to find a non-catcher winner with fewer then 145 games, but I guess this year the voters decided that either games played don't matter any more, or that Barrett was just so dominant in his smaller sample that an exception could be made. Both the Gothams and Chiefs tried to keep it interesting in the Fed, finishing 91-63, which most years doesn't find you 13 games out of first. Coming off a title, the Gothams may have felt let down, but this team was more then good enough to win a pennant. Along with Barrett, the lineup boasted stars like Earl Howe (.300, 33, 133, 6) and Hank Estill (.286, 39, 111), and supplemental pieces like Joe DeMott (.364, 4, 33, 6), Ed Holmes (.251, 10, 69, 7), and deadline pickup Rex Pilcher (.239, 25, 68) provided the three-headed monster with support. The staff impressed too, led by 21-game winner Jorge Arellano (21-8, 3.13, 202), the ageless wonder Ed Bowman (15-13, 3.50, 136), and the tough to beat Eddie Martin (14-4, 3.17, 107). A front of the rotation that can stack up with any, the back half needed more then Jerry Decker (8-13, 4.90, 103) and John Stallings (11-4, 3, 4.88, 47), but even another ace level pitcher probably wouldn't have been enough to cut the gap. Lucky for them, Detroit won't be able to win 100 games every season, and maybe next year is the Gothams who decide to leave everyone in the dust. Speaking of ace level pitching, that's what Al Miller gave the Chiefs, as the now 42-year-old put together another Allen worthy season by going 17-14 with a 2.82 ERA (139 ERA+), 2.87 FIP (73 FIP-), and 1.12 WHIP. Miller led the Fed in FIP-, WAR (7.6), and K/BB (2.8), setting down 130 in 271.1 innings. His last four seasons have been nothing short of elite, and the 11-Time All-Star seems poised for a 12th selection in 1958. He got plenty of help in the rotation this year, as even though 1956 ERA champ Vern Osborne (15-7, 4.00, 137) saw his ERA jump, Mel Haynes (18-11, 3.18, 112) had his best season to date at 35, and the Chiefs had a surprise 20-game winner in 20-year-old sophomore Joe Cipolla (20-8, 3.61, 168). The lineup was carried by Shearer, but the top five of George Sutterfield (.279, 7, 64, 22), John Moss (.260, 14, 62), Shearer, Ed Bloom (.250, 13, 68, 13), and Doc Zimmerman (.264, 16, 91) had a knack for producing runs. Like the Gothams, the Chiefs could be next in line to upend Detroit, and are much happier going into next season then most teams that finish double digit out can be. Most of FABL was under .500 this year, making Boston (83-71) and Kansas City (82-72) the 6th and 7th teams to finish above the mark. Two teams that were expected to compete and finish at least ten games over, they do things a bit differently. Neither team is bad at pitching or hitting, but Boston has the better bats and Kansas City the more reliable pitching. Boston's Rick Masters (.300, 49, 116) came a homer away from 50, breaking the single season home run record of 46 that Jack Denis (.339, 36, 112) set for the team last year. Denis himself hit "just" 36, but between the two there is plenty of power to go around. With protection from George Rutter (.280, 29, 77), Joe Kleman (.300, 12, 67), and Marshall Thomas (.315, 21, 99), there is no shortage of scoring, and they got a nice boost from deadline pickup Pat Todd (..306, 10, 47), who had a 144 WRC+ in 196 post-trade PAs. Billy Forbes (.269, 16, 65, 9) may be the best eight hitter in baseball, and it's hard to get outs on this team. The pitching saw a huge decline from Foster Sherman (14-13, 4.51, 146), who might have just gotten lucky last year, but the now 21-year-old Don Griffin (12-6, 7, 2.73, 95) pitched his way into the rotation at the end of the year, and through most of the season they had solid, if unspectacular, outings from their starting pitching. Boston would be set with an arm like Beau McClellan, who followed up his breakout 1956 with a better 1947. The 25-year-old ace went 21-9 with a 2.45 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, and 175 strikeouts, pitching well enough to capture the Allen in most years. With an elite 2.67 FIP (67 FIP-) and just 12 homers and 63 walks, it looked like his ERA was as legit as it gets, but unfortunately Rufus Barrell remembered that earlier in his career he was the game's best pitcher by a longshot. More surprising was Mike Thorpe's (14-12, 2.84, 125) dominance at 35, as Tony Britten (14-12, 3.92, 157) and Fred Washington (12-14, 3.84, 144) were more average then their dominant selves. At the plate, the same could be said for Charlie Rogers (.288, 13, 70, 13) and Ken Newman (.303, 16, 88), though in Newman's case he was still a top-3 third basemen. The Thorpe of the lineup was Bryan Jeffress (.302, 28, 83, 6), who after posting a 155 WRC+ in 372 PAs posted a similar 140 in over 600, forming a tough to get out 1-2 punch with Charlie Rogers. KC is hoping rookie Hank Williams (.275, 3, 20) is more comfortable in a full season, as the lineup will get even longer with him producing at a high level. Like Boston, they should be taken seriously in 1958, as the franchise needs to make up for blowing their huge lead last year. Looking at the rest of the league, much work is to be done, but there seems to be a clear divide between the good and bad in the Fed. None of the four sub .500 teams won even 70 games, but at some point the Keystones are going to do enough to supplement Buddy Miller (.339, 33, 99). Most of the talent in the Conti is concentrated to the top, but 19-year-old star pitcher George Hoxworth is one of the few top performers on one of the cellar dwellers. The new ace of the Wolves, Hoxworth struck out a league high 262 hitters, finishing 16-16 with a 3.34 ERA (120 ERA+), 2.83 FIP (70 FIP-), and 1.11 WHIP. Unlike most high octane strikeout pitchers, he walked just 7.6% of the batters he faced, and could pitch his way into a historic career.. With a champion still to be crowned, we can't get too far ahead of ourselves, but the fans of the other 14 teams are hoping that the big move they make this offseason is the one that restores their favorite club to baseball relevance.  1957 World Championship Series Seeing the Cleveland Foresters or Detroit Dynamos in the World Championship Series lately has become an October tradition as predictable as waiting for the leaves to change colour. Only one WCS has been contested since 1949 that did not involve at least one of the pair participating. That would be the 1951 series when the St Louis Pioneers, after eliminating Detroit in a one game tiebreaker playoff for the Federal Association pennant took on the Sailors who were still based in Philadelphia at the time. The Dynamos had won three and played in five series since then while the Foresters had won two and played in four over that nine year stretch. This would be Detroit's fifth appearance in the past six years and Foresters second straight but the only time previously the two had faced each other was in 1953 when the series went the distance and Cleveland emerged victorious. Most of the core on both teams was unchanged from the club's that battled four years ago. GAME ONE: DETROIT 2 CLEVELAND 1 The opener would be a meeting of the Allen Award winners from each league as Deuce Barrell, after a resurgence at age 39 that saw him go 22-11 for the Foresters, would face Jim Norris, who was 22-7 this season for Detroit. Both pitchers had terrific games but Norris was just a bit better, pitching a masterful complete game in which he allowed just four Cleveland hits and came away with a 2-1 victory. The Dynamos managed just 5 hits off of Barrell, who was replaced for a pinch-hitter in the 8th and one more off of reliever Lynn Horn but the difference was Detroit strung a pair of extra base hits together in the fourth inning. Ralph Johnson hit a 2-out double and Dick Estes followed with a homerun that accounted for all of the Dynamos offense. Cleveland finally broke Norris' shutout bid with two out in the top of the ninth when Sherry Doyal hit a solo homerun but Norris induced a John Low popup to end the game. GAME TWO:CLEVELAND 5 DETROIT 3 Adrian Czerwinski, who went 3-0 against Detroit in the 1953 series, got the call for game two and once more seemed to have the Dynamos number. The Mad Professor went the distance, allowing 5 hits and fanning 9 as Cleveland evened the series with a 5-3 victory. The Foresters managed just 6 hits but Detroit starter Paul Anderson, prone to wildness his entire career, issued 8 free passes.Two of those walks came in the second inning and were followed by an rbi single off the bat of John Low to plate the Foresters first run and two innings later the lead was doubled to 2-0 when Otis O'Keefe led off the frame with a homerun. Anderson's sixth inning was a mess as a combination of four walks, a wild pitch and just one base hit, a Low single, gifted the Foresters two more runs and 4-0 lead. Jim Urquhart rounded out the Cleveland scoring with an rbi single in the top of the 8th inning after O'Keefe had led off with a double. Meanwhile, Czerwinski carried a 2-hitter into the ninth inning before Detroit, trailing 5-0, made the score respectable with singles from Bill Morrison and Stan Kleminski before Edwin Hackberry walloped a 3-run homer over the leftfield fence. Czerwinski would settle quickly and finish off the game with fly outs from Ralph Johnson and pinch-hitter Ivey Henley, a former Forester. The victory would be the 9th WCS win of Czerwinski' career, and that would set a new WCS record. GAME THREE: DETROIT 9 CLEVELAND 6 The opening two games gave us for the most part some stellar pitching but the third game saw the two teams combine for 15 runs and 29 hits in a 9-6 Dynamos victory. Jack Miller and Hugh Blumenthal were the starting pitchers and despite each surrendering five runs they both lasted into the 8th inning.Detroit scored first with three second inning singles including a rbi knock off the bat of Tommy Griffin and then added another run in the third when Blumenthal walked Dan Smith with the bases loaded in an inning that saw Detroit score without getting a hit due to four walks and a hit batsman by the Foresters hurler. Miller, after allowing two hits in the third inning, gifted Cleveland's first run when he uncorked a wild pitch of his own and a second Miller wild pitch, along with three singles allowed the Foresters to score twice in the fourth inning and go up 3-2. The damage could have been worse but Detroit centerfielder Edwin Hackberry prevented a third Foresters run in the inning by throwing out Rudy Minton at the plate. The score remained 3-2 until the 7th inning when Detroit regained the lead on a two-run Dan Smith homer after Blumenthal had walked Joe Reed to start the inning. After a 1-out single from Bill Morrison in the top of the 8th Blumenthal gave way to reliver Lynn Horn but things just got worse for the Foresters. Joe Reed would single, rookie Dick Tucker would drive in two runs with a double- his first WCS hit- and Bill Swindler would single in another run to make the score 8-3 for the Dynamos. Cleveland chased Miller in the 8th when the Foresters scored twice on 3 hits and a Hackberry error to cut the Detroit lead to 8-5 but that would be as close as they would get with the teams each adding a run in the ninth inning. GAME FOUR: CLEVELAND 5 DETROIT 0 The Foresters went back to Deuce Barrell for his second start of the season and the 39-year-old pitched a gem, tossing a complete game 4-hit shutout in a 5-0 victory. Bob Allen was perhaps a surprise as the game four starter for Detroit and Allen had his struggles early, allowing Cleveland to score a run in each of the first two innings.Allen plunked Cleveland lead-off man Tom Carr and then walked Rudy Minton to start the game. A fielders choice and a groundout accounted for the first Cleveland run while a walk followed by a Gene Curtis double made it 2-0. A lead-off walk to Hal Kennedy caused more trouble for Allen in the fourth inning as back to back singles from Jim Urquhart and Curtis tacked on another Cleveland run and the Foresters picked up two more in the bottom of the fifth. A walk again factored in but this time it was intentional after John Low had delivered a one-out triple but the move backfired when Urquhart followed with a 2-run double. Meanwhile the closest Detroit came to scoring was in the top of the third when Dan Smith hit a lead-off double but advanced no further as Barrell fanned two that inning. Detroit did not get its second hit of the game until Pat Petty singled with one out in the sixth and the Dynamos never did get another runner into scoring position. GAME FIVE: CLEVELAND 2 DETROIT 0 As good as Barrell was in game four, Adrian Czerwinski might have been even better on the mound for Cleveland in the fifth game as the Foresters took a 3-2 series lead with a 2-0 victory. Czerwinski limited Detroit to just 3 hits, all singles. He struck out six and did not issue a free pass. Jim Norris was nearly as good for Detroit, allowing just 5 Cleveland hits but the Foresters pushed across a run in each of the third and sixth innings.The third inning run came from a Sherry Doyal two out double after Tom Carr had drawn a lead-off walk and the run in the sixth was courtesy of Otis O'Keefe's second homerun of the series. GAME SIX: DETROIT 10 CLEVELAND 9 After two great pitching performance fans were due for another slugfest and they were treated to a wild one in game six as the Dynamos forced a seventh game with a 10-9 victory. Paul Anderson was not was wild on this day, he walked just 2, but he was roughed up for six runs on 9 hits over 6 innings while Hugh Blumenthal again had his troubles, not surviving the sixth inning while also allowing six runs on 9 hits.Sherry Doyal's rbi double in the first gave Cleveland a quick lead but Detroit responded with a pair of runs of their own in the home half of the opening frame thanks to a pair of walks and a singles off the bats of Joe Reed and Dick Estes. Estes delivered another rbi hit as Detroit scored two more in the third inning to go up 4-1 but the Foresters answered with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth thanks to a Jim Urquhart homer after John Low had single. Detroit scratched out another run in the fifth inning but Cleveland exploded for 3 runs on 4 hits in the sixth, including doubles from Sherry Doyal and Gene Curtis, to put Cleveland ahead 6-5. A walk, a Stan Kleminski single and a fielders choice allowed Detroit to pull even in the bottom of the sixth and a Del Johnson single, coupled with a Cleveland error put the Dynamos up 7-6 in the seventh. Cleveland answered with a run of their own in the 8th on a Hal Kennedy rbi double and the game was again tied. Detroit scored three in the bottom of the eighth as the Dynamos benefited from a 2-run double off the bat of Joe Reed and an rbi single from Dick Estes to make the score 10-7 but the Foresters did not go quietly, scoring twice in the ninth thanks to a pinch-hit homer off the bat of Mike Spear and a triple from Tom Carr, who came home on a ground out. Finally Detroit reliever Jack Halbur fanned Low and Otis O'Keefe to end the game and give Detroit the one run victory. GAME SEVEN: CLEVELAND 3 DETROIT 1 Unlike when Hugh Blumenthal pitched, runs did not come easy for Detroit against Deuce Barrell and Barrell was called on to make his third start of the series. He would face Jack Miller, who won his game three start but looked shaky at times.Each survived the first inning without any damage although Miller did issue a lead-off walk to Tom Carr. The second inning was not as forgiving for Miller after he once more allowed the lead-off man to reach base. Otis O'Keefe singled and after Hal Kennedy was fanned O'Keefe advance to second on a Jim Urquhart ground out. Gene Curtis was given an intentional walk so Miller could face Deuce Barrell and the veteran pitcher delivered with the bat, slapping a single to left that plated O'Keefe with the all import opening running of the contest. The lead was doubled to 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Urquhart hit a solo homerun off of Miller and the score would remain 2-0 as the innings stretched on despite some solid opportunities for the Dynamos to get to Barrell. In the fifth Ralph Johnson worked Deuce for a lead-off walk but was promptly caught attempting to pilfer second base and an inning later Tommy Griffin, who had led off with a double was retired trying to score from third on a Bill Morrison grounder. The Dynamos loaded the bases with two out that inning but Barrell struck out Joe Reed end the threat and keep the score 2-0 for Cleveland. Detroit finally got a run in the 8th inning when Bill Morrison hit a solo homerun but the Foresters restored their 2-run lead in the top of the ninth when Dynamos reliever Bob Arman dished up a longball to Otis O'Keefe, giving the Cleveland slugger his third homerun of the series. Leading 3-1, Barrell did allow a 2-out single to Dick Estes but Dan Smith hit a flyball out to end the game and give the Foresters a game seven victory in Thompson Field for the second time in four years. Jim Urquhart, who hit .458 (11-24) with five extra base hits and six rbi's, was named the Most Valuable Player of the series.  FABL OFF-SEASON The offseason kicked off with a change of scene type trade, as the team with the worst catching group decided to add a 4-Time All-Star to the mix. That would be the Philadelphia Keystones, who are going to attempt to get 1952 to 1956 Tom Cooprider, and not the 1957 Cooprider. In the first five year period, Cooprider had at least a 110 WRC+ while worth at least 3 WAR in four of the five seasons, positioning himself as one of the more reliable all-around catchers in FABL. 1957 couldn't have gone any worse, as the 30-year-old Sailor hit just .195/.263/.278 (47 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 9 homers, and 40 RBIs. It was such a poor performance that is brought his career line down to a just below average .255/.324/.384 (99 OPS+) in 889 FABL games. Even that version of Cooprider would be a welcomed addition over a quickly aged Roger Cleaves (.212, 4, 16) and the continuously below average Artie Smith (.202, 3, 26). Cleaves himself ended up part of the last trade of 1957, as at the beginning of December he was sent to the Chicago Cougars to back up Stan Czerwinski (.215, 20, 69), who might have been pushed to Chicago a year early. Cleaves and a prospect netted Sparky Williams (.262, 3, 33, 2), who the Keystones will add to their bench.With Cooprider, the Keystones also received cash and a young third basemen from San Francisco, parting with their usual center fielder Herbert Crawford Jr. A former infielder who was part of the Jim Adams Jr. trade back in 1951, Crawford came to the Keystones in '56, and hit a solid .272/.342/.446 (118 OPS+) in 83 games. That total went up to 145 this year, and his .261/.334/.400 (101 OPS+) led to a 110 WRC+. In his two years with the Keystones, he totaled 30 doubles, 30 homers, and 104 RBIs, and he's expected to join Ray Rogan (.301, 10, 62) and Bill Harbin (.235, 15, 49) in the San Francisco outfield. Crawford was the big add, and the Sailors willbe hoping the Bill Guthrie (.261, 28, 85) led offense can do better then a tie for the fewest runs scored next season. Without a star, that could be tough, but they are hoping for a step forward from their 20-year-old rookie Carlos Jaramillo. Now 21, "El Guante" hit just .233/.287/.328 (67 OPS+) as a rookie, but he was a superb defender (15.1 ZR, 1.075 EFF) and projects to be at least a plus contact hitter. He may not end up hitting for much power, but 9 homers isn't too shabby, and he was a strong base stealer in the minors. His defense is huge for the pitching, which aside from defense might be the team's strength, and the front two of Bud Henderson (14-16, 3.19, 194) and George Reynolds (18-10, 3.22, 173) really impressed despite the team's 74-80 finish. After finishing in second in the Continental Association, once of the most active teams of the winter was the Cincinnati Cannons, who have a young core in place that's battle tested and ready for more then just an 87 win season. The rotation wasn't a weakness by any means, but it got even better with the big acquisition of Doc Clay from Los Angeles. Now 25, Clay is a former 7th overall pick who ranked as high as the 11th best prospect in FABL. He was solid as a rookie in 1956, starting half of his 30 appearances and finishing 6-8 with a save, 2.92 ERA (127 ERA+), and 1.34 WHIP. This year, he started all 33 of his appearances, and was the best pitcher on a last place team. An unlucky 10-13, Clay had an excellent 3.11 ERA (126 ERA+) and 1.18 WHIP with 130 strikeouts in 225.2 innings pitched. The four pitch righty may not have elite stuff or command, but he has an excellent feel for his pitches, and excels at generating weak contact on the ground. The 6'5'' righty may not put in the effort that's desired, something that may prevent him from being a true ace, but he's an overqualified #3 in a deep rotation. In a sperate trade with LA, they picked up a second pitcher in Hal Miller (8-10, 19, 3.91, 85), who can help setup All-Star stopper John Gibson (11-7, 21, 1.97, 63) and starter-turned-reliever Paul Williams (5-3, 6, 1.88, 38). It may be very tough to score on trips to Tice Memorial Stadium, and they did the made some of the more significant adds, including a shortstop in Willie Watson (.244, 8, 50), among teams who missed the postseason. As evidenced by the two trades with the Cannons, the Stars were continuing to sell, with reliable swingman Lou Walker (11-11, 2, 3.44, 77) going to the Gothams in a deal for two prospects. Along with those two guys, they picked up three for Clay and two for Miller, with the most notable prospect surprisingly coming in the Miller trade. Despite being the worst of the three guys traded, the Stars stopper brought in 32nd ranked prospect Cal Johnston, who was taken in the 2nd Round of the 1957 draft. A four pitch starter who just turned 19 in November, some inside the organization think he could crack a poor Stars rotation, as his top notch work ethic has allowed him to make continued improvements in his short time with the Cannons organization. A potential ace, he's got an elite change and nice slider, and with his advanced control and raw stuff he'll rack up the strikeouts. The intimidating 6'4'' lefty has been sitting comfortable in the low 90s, but he's still got time to push higher with his height, build, and age. LA also picked up the 79th ranked prospect Johnny Robarge in the Clay deal, giving them a switch hitting first basemen who has great pop and a solid eye. Clearly still a few years away, the Stars decided to add to their top ranked system, entering the new year with 13 of the game's top 84 prospects. Pittsburgh made one of the more surprising moves, as after a second consecutive sub-.500 finish, they decided to send their best pitcher Dick Champ, to the Chiefs in a two-for-two trade. Champ, 26, has pitched in parts of four seasons for the Miners, and led the Fed with 69 appearances last season. This year he was strictly a starter, owning a share of the Fed lead with 35 starts. A first-time All-Star, the former 2nd Rounder finished an impressive 21-10 with a 3.37 ERA (119 ERA+), 3.15 FIP (78 FIP-), and 1.34 WHIP. Champ struck out 196 with just 88 walks in 270 innings, functioning as Pittsburgh's only above average starter. A talented five pitch pitcher, he has great stuff and command, and gives an infusion of youth to a rotation led by Al Miller (17-14, 2.82, 130) and Mel Haynes (18-11, 3.18, 112), joining fellow 26-year-old Vern Osborne (15-7, 4.00, 137) in the middle of the rotation, and Champ joins Joe Cipolla (20-8, 3.61, 168) as recent 20-game winners on the staff. It's hard to say anyone is the favorite over the Dynamos, and the Gothams and Minutemen are loaded with talent as well, but the Chiefs have greatly improved their club over the past few seasons and have their best chance of the decade to secure a 6th pennant. Leading the return for Champ is a 24-year-old outfielder in Frank Selander, who has hit well in parts of three seasons for the Chiefs. Functioning primarily off the bench, he started just 48 of his 187 FABL games, hitting an above average .290/.385/.452 (128 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 11 homers, and 50 RBIs. A former 7th Overall Pick, Selander is an imposing 6'4'' slugger who launched 25 homers in his last minor league season. The lefty does a good job squaring up the ball, connecting with line drive after line drive. As good as Selander is, it's an interesting acquisition for Pittsburgh, as their outfield already features Bill Newhall (.280, 15, 79), Ernie Campbell (.249, 49), and Bill Tutwiler (.339, 5, 41, 6). Selander does have three options left, so he can be relied on as depth, but perhaps he was the best Pittsburgh could do as the Chiefs held firmly to their four top 100 prospects. Without a major blockbuster, the landscape in 1958 may be similar to 1957, with just a few teams in line for a postseason berth. The Fed seems to be the most competitive, with four top teams, and the Keystones and Pioneers may try to poke their way into the race too. The Foresters seem to have it easier on the Conti, with the Cannons and Kings likely the only road block to their repeat quests, but baseball has a funny way of throwing the unexpected at the unsuspecting. Maybe 1958 is finally the year for the Chicago Cougars? Haven't heard that one in a while now, have you!
[size="6"WASPS WIN FIRST AFA TITLE[/size] The Wasps, who last made the playoffs in 1951, would get off to a slow start with two losses in their first three games but a string of three straight weeks when Norwood engineered late scoring drives to give them narrow wins over Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia put the club back on track. Norwood threw for 17 touchdowns, second most in the league, and for the first time in his 10-year career topped the 2,000 yard mark in passing. His favourite target was Jim Edmonds, a gangly 6'6" end in his fifth season who hauled in a league best 57 catches for 1,348. For the former Provo Tech star that yardage total was the second highest single-season total ever recorded with only former Wasp Monte Harriman's 1949 total of 1,404 topping it. The Washington defense, which led the league in sacks and was keyed by lineman Ollie Strauch and linebacker Chris Criswell, placed seven of its starters on the East Division roster for the year end All-Pro Classic. The Philadelphia Frigates lost twice to Washington early in the season but ended the campaign with a 4 game winning streak which allowed them to join the Wasps in the East Division playoff game. It has been quite a run for the Frigates, who now have made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and won back to back titles in 1954 and 1955. Little has changed over that time as offense remains the Frigates key to success with quarterback Pete Capizzi (2,054 yds passing, 16 TDs) and halfback Doug Lucy (966 yds rushing) still leading the way. The key newcomer was veteran end Joe Rabon who was signed away from Washington after four productive seasons with the Wasps and promptly became Capizzi's favourite target. The ex-Rome State star had a career best 52 catches and paired nicely with Ed Tunstall (30 catches, 10 TD) as twin receiving targets. Pittsburgh made a turnaround and finished third with a 7-5 record. It was the Paladins first winning season since making the playoffs in 1952 and helped the memories of going a combined 6-30 over the past three seasons start the fade. The Paladins were in contention for a playoff spot until they suffered back to back losses to Philadelphia and Boston late in the season. The Pittsburgh offense continues to struggle and was the least productive in the AFA this season but the defense led by linebacker Herb Lipe, which had been the league's worst a year ago and dreadful against the run in recent seasons, was much improved. Rookie lineman Darryl Borger, selected first overall out of Wisconsin State, helped in that regard as a big body to clog up the middle. The New York Stars and Boston Americans tied for fourth with 6-6 records. For the Stars it was just the second time in the past six years that they failed to make the playoffs and was really a tale of two different seasons. New York was dominant early as the Stars got off to a 6-2 start but then proceeded to drop their last four games to fall out of the playoff hunt. The big story in the Big Apple all year was halfback Bryan Mire who rushed for an AFA record 1,649 yards. The fifth year pro was a bit of a surprise last year when he topped the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career and he was practically unstoppable this time around. The Americans have now had four straight seasons of finishing with at least a .500 record but it was a struggle to get there this season as, after beating Philadelphia in the opener, the Yanks dropped each of their next five games to end hopes of making the playoffs very early. They finished strong with five wins in their final six contests but placing just 3 players on the All-Pro Classic roster (tackle Don Peltz, end Bob Bosco and defender Dick Breland) indicates there is much work to be done. The Cleveland Finches have only played two playoff games since winning the 1932 AFA title and have not seen the post-season since 1947 so there is even more work required on the shores of Lake Erie. The Finches did go 8-4 two years ago but missed out on the playoffs due to a tie-breaker but this years 3-9 record is more indicative of the trend in Cleveland - a team that went 4-8 a year ago and had back to back 2-10 seasons prior to their near playoff experience in 1955. They have had a lot of high draft picks but most have not panned out quite as well as had been hoped. 1955 first overall selection Jim Rizzi is one who has struggled and the Finches continue to be second guessed for taking the former Darnell State quarterback ahead of Scott Greenwell, who went second that year to Kansas City. *** Wings Fly High in West *** The San Francisco Wings were once again the class of the West Division as the defending AFA champions finished with the best record in football this season at 9-3. They did so despite making a major change as long-time quarterback Vince Gallegos left the team prior to the season and while not officially retired, Gallegos is not expected to play again. In his place stepped 1955 first rounder Ben Wilmes, and the former Coastal California signal caller had himself a very good first season as a starter, throwing for 1,956 yards and 16 touchdowns. Wilmes was not technically a rookie but he might as well have been, throwing just 6 passes in the previous two seaons combined. Having a dependable running back like Scott Belt takes much of the pressure off a young quarterback as Belt carried for a career best 1,320 yards and for the second consecutive season found the end zone 9 times. The Wings defense was among the best in the league and was the best against the pass thanks to a secondary that featured All-Pros Tommy Hodges and Cecil Brinerkoff.The St. Louis Ramblers withstood a mid-season three game losing streak to claim the second playoff berth in the West and finish 8-4. St Louis could have had home field advantage for the postseason had they not lost at home to Kansas City in the regular season finale. Jim Kellogg, the fifth year halfback who ran for more than 1,300 yards each of his first three season but missed nearly half the season a year ago, had to contend with injuries once more. This time Kellogg dressed for 9 games but did manage to cross the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the fourth time in his career. Linebacker Galen Cossey, was named AFA Defensive MVP for the second time in his career and was the key piece for the best defense in the West Division. Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit finished in a three way for third place as each had their troubles during the season. Five wins represented a marked improvement for a Cowboys team that had endured three straight 2-10 campaigns but so much more was hoped for after Kansas City won three of its first four games. Scott Greenwell well never be the equal of Pat Chappell, but then few will. Despite the obvious need to measure Greenwell against the man he replaced as the Cowboys quarterback, the 1955 second overall draft pick is putting together the beginnings of a very solid career. He threw for a career low 1,814 yards this season but was much more accurate and cut down on his interceptions. The Cowboys improved despite the fact that workhorse running back Mike Peel may be slowing down in his fifth AFA season. The former Christian Trophy winner out of Spokane State missed two games and ran for just 864 yards, the first time he has failed to top the 1,000 yard mark. Chicago, which made the playoffs three of the last four seasons, had a dreadful start. The Wildcats nipped Los Angeles 23-21 in their opener but the allowed Kansas City to score two late field goals and beat they 34-31 in week 2, starting a string of six straight losses from which the Wildcats could not recover. The story was much the same in Detroit as the Maroons also began the season 1-6 and have not finished above .500 since their last sojourn into the playoffs in 1951. The Detroit offense, led by controversial quarterback Sam Burson who threw for a league best 2,344 yards and dependable halfback Art Heal, who rushed for 1,212 and his fifth straight season topping the 1,000 yard mark, is strong but as has been the case for a few years now the Detroit defense remains a big problem. That left the Los Angeles Tigers in last place at 2-10 a year after winning just 3 games. It is quite a collapse for the club that finished .500 or better each of the four previous seasons but there may be some signs of hope as quarterback Charlie Kittredge, drafted third overall out of Tempe College, threw for 1,837 yards and was named the AFA offensive rookie of the year.  [size="5"AFA PLAYOFFS[/size] The playoffs were pretty much uncharted territory for the Washington Wasps, who had last played a postseason game six years ago and had never won one. Philadelphia, on the other hand, was playing in its fifth straight postseason and had won back to back AFA titles in 1954 and 1955. The game was a meeting of two of the top three offenses in the league but it was the Washington defense that set the tone early. The Wasps pressured Philadelphia quarterback Pete Capizzi, sacked him twice in the early going and forced a pair of Frigates fumbles that helped Washington race out to a 17-0 lead before the Frigates finally got on the scoreboard with a touchdown just before the half.The second half saw Washington dominate the time of possession, holding a wide advantage in that category as backs Jerry Walsh and Rodger Donohue each carried the ball 22 times on the afternoon for a combined 261 yards. The Frigates got to within five points when Sam Reiter ran for his second touchdown of the day but a late Charlie Cooney field goal sealed the 29-21 victory for the Wasps and finally gave the franchise- which had been around since 1938- its first playoff win. San Francisco was the defending AFA champion and despite the fact they had little success in the red zone as the Wings had to settle for four Earl Neese field goals and scored just one touchdown, it was enough to claim a 19-10 victory over the visiting St Louis Ramblers. The championship game saw Washington get on the scoreboard first as their opening drive led to a 24-yard field goal from Charlie Cooney. Aided by a pair of Wasps penalties and a couple of Ben Wilmes pass completions, the Wings took the lead late in the first period when Scott Belt capped a 7-play, 55 yard drive with a 13 yard scoring run. Wings young quarterback Wilmes, who replaced veteran Vince Gallegos at the start of the season, made a mistake early in the second quarter when he had a pass intercepted by Wasps linebacker Chris Criswell, who had gone five years without picking off a pass. Criswell's timely pick set up a 6 yard scoring run by Jerry Walsh to put the Wasps ahead 10-7. The two clubs would trade field goals and the visitors led 13-10 at the break. The key moment of the game came in the third quarter when the Wasps strung together three successive plays with big ground gains to take a 20-10 lead. The Wings created their own mess as an unnecessary roughing penalty on defensive lineman Doug Bailey gave the Wasps life and nullified what would have been a punt out of their own endzone. Instead they had a fresh set of downs at their own 20 yard line and the Wasps backs took over. First Rodger Donohue gained 30 yards when he broke a run up the middle. Jerry Walsh, who ran for a game high 92 yards on the day, took over from there, powering his way for 11 yards on the next play and then immediately followed that up with a 38-yard touchdown run. San Francisco could not recover, and the Wasps tacked on a pair of fourth quarter field goals to make the final score 26-10 and give Washington its first football title.   [size="6"FRESHMAN BACK LEADS NOBLE JONES TO PERFECT SEASON[/size] The Colonels went 7-0 in Deep South play including a 27-20 win over reigning national champion Bayou State in November. The Colonels completed the regular season with dominant performances against Mississippi A&M (41-13) and Northern Mississippi (45-3) with Zwiefel rushing for 186 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns against the Mavericks. On New Years Day the Colonels went to Dallas to face Southwestern Alliance champion Travis College in the Oilman Classic. Zwiefel was held to 83 yards and Snyder only passed for 28 but he did throw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Lewis Schutt in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter to clinch the 23-9 victory. Noble Jones College was not the only team to finish with a perfect record. East coast independent Liberty College also went undefeated winning all 11 of its games culminating in a 29-21 win over Plains Athletic Association champion Lawrence State (8-3) in the Sunshine Classic. The Bells had trailed 21-17 entering the fourth quarter but rallied with 13 unanswered points in the final seven minutes to secure their 11th victory of the season. The Bells, who own three college football national titles with their most recent one coming in 1952, felt they should have had a fourth but in truth their schedule was not as grueling as that of the Colonels and the voters agreed, leaving the Bells second. Interestingly enough the Bells, like Noble Jones College, were led by a terrific young back as well. Jacob Tallent ran for 954 yards after winning the Christian Trophy a year ago as a freshman. Tallent was slowed by an injury this season but senior Ike Southard stepped up, rushing for more than 1,200 yards, and combined with Tallent to give the Bells one of the most productive backfields in the game. The real strength of the Bells was their defense led by senior linemen Don Biermann and Johnny Rolf, which held its opposition to just 12.8 points per game, 9th lowest in the nation. West Coast Athletic Association champion Northern California finished third in the final polls as the Miners went 9-2 including a win over Minnesota Tech in the East-West Classic, snapping a 6-year losing skid at Santa Ana for the WCAA. Northern Cal lost their season opener by a 38-31 count at home to Noble Jones College. It was Zwiefel's college debut and the Colonels back gained 165 yards in a wild game that saw each team surpass 300 yards in rushing offense. The other loss came in the season finale when they fell 30-9 to rival Redwood but Miners bounced back with a hard fought 28-21 win over Minnesota Tech on New Years Day. The Lakers and Detroit City College each finished 6-1 in Great Lakes Alliance play and both ended up 8-3 overall. Minnesota Tech and the Knights did not face each other this year and the Lakers were given the East-West Classic berth for just the second time. Detroit City College did get an invitation to play on New Years Day for the fifth year in a row but it would be in Texas instead of California as the Knights faced a Dickson team that was a perfect 7-0 in Academia Alliance play just two years after they struggled through a three-win season. The Maroons moved up to 6th in the final rankings after a dominant win that saw them blast Detroit City College 37-7 behind a five touchdown day from Dickson halfback Ham Creighton. Eastern Oklahoma finished 10-1 and ranked fourth in the final poll after the Pioneers, who won the Midwestern Association title, dumped Southern Border Association champion Canyon A&M 45-17 in the Desert Classic. Coastal California, runners up in the West Coast Athletic Association moved up to fifth in the final poll with a 37-24 win over Mobile Maritime in the Bayside Classic. Dan Orr returned a kickoff 98 yards for one Dolphins touchdown in the game and a punt 59 yards for another score. Things may finally be looking up for Coastal California as their 10 wins equals the total the team accumulated in the previous two years combined and gave them back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1948-49.    [size="6"CHARLESTON TECH WINS COLLEGE CAGE TOURNEY[/size] The spring of 1957 gave us a surprise champion in college basketball as the Chesapeake State Clippers claimed their second ever AIAA cage tournament title. The Clippers, who won it all for the first time back in 1930-31, became the first school from the recently formed Middle Atlantic Conference to win a championship when they nipped heavily favoured West Coast Athletic Association champs Redwood 50-49 in the title game.The Clippers lacked a dominant star player and had low expectations after losing their two best players to graduation following a surprise run to the regional final in last year's tournament. Those expectations were lowered further when North Carolina Tech easily beat the Clippers in their preseason tournament opening game leading to a dreadful 1-3 start for Chesapeake State. They did bounce back with 8 wins in a 9 game span heading into their conference schedule, where their 13-3 record gave the Clippers their first title in the now 4 year old conference. The Mid-Atlantic, as the section was dubbed, was really just a collection of cast-offs as the bulky South Atlantic Conference slimmed down in 1953 with the top 8 schools deciding to jettison the bottom eight just as the section had down in football three years earlier. Chesapeake State was one of the better basketball schools of the cast-offs but had won just a single tournament game in the previous eight seasons. The Clippers finished the regular season ranked 19th in the nation at 22-7 but pulled off an amazing comeback to rally past Charleston Tech -one of the 8 SAC schools that spurned the Clippers- in the opening round of the East Region. The Admirals led by 23 at the half but Chesapeake State exploded for 51 points in the final twenty minutes and rallied for a 68-67 victory led by senior forward Tom Connors 20 points and 10 rebounds. Charleston Tech lost despite the fact that Barrette Trophy winning All-American guard John Bruecker, who led the nation in scoring, had 21 points for the Admirals in the game. Next up for the Clippers was Deep South Conference champion Alabama Baptist, the top seed in the region. Connors again had a big game, scoring 18 points, while fellow senior Abe Stanley added 17 as Chesapeake State upset the Panthers 57-50. Academia Alliance champion Brunswick, which had knocked off the #2 seed in the region in Central Ohio in the opening round, was up next and this game needed overtime to determine a winner. The Clippers outscored the Knights 13-5 in the extra period to claim a berth in the national semi-finals with a 67-59 victory behind 22 points from Connors and 18 from Stanley. The other three schools to advance to Bigsby Garden in New York for the final weekend were all ones you would expect including two-time defending national champion Carolina Poly. The Cardinals would face West Coast Athletic Association winner Redwood in the semi-finals and the Mammoths had a mammoth game, building a 21-9 first half lead on the Cardinals and rolling to a 58-32 victory. The Clippers would play the WCAA runners-up in Coastal California in the second semi-final. The Dolphins, may have won just 1 AIAA title but were participating in their record 17th trip to Bigsby Garden for the national semi-finals. As so often has happened, Coastal California left New York disappointed once more with the Clippers building a 9 point lead at the break and extending it to claim a 59-37 victory. Stanley and Connors once more led the way as the pair combined for 34 points. Redwood, which entered the finals with a 31-5 record, and had beaten both North Carolina Tech and Whitney College during early round games in the tournament, was the clear favourite at tip-off. The Mammoths looked like they might run away with the game when they took an early 15-5 lead but the Clippers battled back and trailed by just 3, 26-23, at the half. Redwood led by 5 points with four minutes later but Chesapeake State again fought back and took a 50-49 lead with 13 seconds left after Bob Balinger, who shot just 1-for-7 from the field, was fouled and made good on his only two free throw attempts of the contest. The Mammoths did get a chance to win the game but a last second shot by Albert Haberman failed to drop and the Clippers hung on for the one-point victory.   [center][size="6"[B]CENTRAL OHIO WINS COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES/B][/size] The Central Ohio Aviators won their first ever national championship in any team sport after the Aviators baseball team rallied to beat North Carolina Tech two games to one in the College World Championship Series finals. An original baseball entry dating back to the feeder leagues and 1909, the Aviators had qualified for the tournament three times previously since the 16-team elimination tournament format was adopted in 1947 but they had been eliminated in the opening round each time. They opened this year's event with a dominant 8-1 thrashing of Lubbock State behind a 3-run homer off the bat of sophomore outfielder Johnny Pitts. They followed that up with a 4-3 win over Charleston Tech in the second round as Aviators junior hurler Ben Williams outpitched the Admirals All-American freshman Dan Ferguson. Round Three saw the Aviators down Wisconsin Catholic 5-1 as second baseman Joey Morgan, who would be named the tournament's most valuable player, had 4 hits and drove in three of the Central Ohio runs. That set up the best-of-three final with North Carolina Tech after the Techsters, champions in 1935, upended CC Los Angeles 6-2 in the other semi-final. Tech took the opener by a 3-2 score thanks to an 8th inning two-run double off the bat of shortstop Danny Campbell but Central Ohio evened the series with a 7-2 victory as Williams won for the second time in the tournament. The third game saw Morgan drive in both Central Ohio runs with a third inning sacrifice fly and an 8th inning rbi single that snapped a 1-1 tie and proved the margin of victory as the Aviators prevailed 2-1 in the deciding game.   MAJOR TRADE AT END OF SEASON HIGHTLIGHT OF HOCKEY YEAR No matter what might have transpired during the 1956-57 North American Hockey Confederation season, the biggest story of the year was saved for after the campaign was concluded as news broke in late June that the Chicago Packers had traded legendary center Tommy Burns to the Toronto Dukes. Sure, Burns is 37-years-old and clearly nearing the end of a brilliant career, but he was healthy enough to play in all 70 games for the first time in five years and his 84 points were good enough to rank second in the NAHC, behind only his new teammate Quinton Pollack.Opposing teams around the league must be shaking in fear at the thought of the two best players in the league being teammates next season and Toronto is the early favourite to hoist what would be its record 11th Challenge Cup victory come next April. Burns had a 20 game point scoring streak this season and became the first player in NAHC history to reach the 1,000 career point plateau, but he refused to extend his contract with the Packers before being dealt to the Dukes in exchange for Toronto's first round pick in the July entry draft, veteran minor league center Luke Brisebois and 20-year-old forward Jean-Pascal Morissette, who played junior hockey in Halifax this past season after being selected by Toronto in the third round of last year's draft.  BEES WIN CHALLENGE CUP AFTER TIGHT REGULAR SEASON BATTLE The Motors were led by Alex Monette (33-42-75) who, at the age of 23, firmly established himself as the best young forward in the game and was a finalist for the McDaniels Trophy while winning the Yeadon Trophy for gentlemanly play. Between Monette's offensive exploits and the work of veteran goaltender Henri Chasse (36-21-8, 2.25) the Motors seemed well positioned going forward. Chasse, 34, won his second straight Juneau Trophy as the top goaltender in the NAHC and set a new league record for victories in a season with 36. The supporting cast in Detroit once more featured forwards Lou Barber (17-30-47), Adam Vanderbilt (25-22-47), Nick Tardif (14-29-43) and rearguard Tyson Beddoes (9-16-25). Toronto has had its troubles with Detroit in the playoffs the last couple of seasons so the Dukes desperately wanted home ice advantage in case they met the Motors in the finals once again. Toronto did fall a point short but perhaps made a statement with back to back wins over Detroit in a season ending home and home series the final weekend. There was no Tommy Burns just yet - that would not happen until the summer- but Quinton Pollack (46-47-93) was more than enough to help the Dukes once more finish tops in the league in goals. Pollack's 46 led the loop and were just one shy of the NAHC record that he co-holds with Burns and early Boston star Bert Cordier. Pollack's 93 points were the third highest of all-time, trailing only himself as in 1952-53 the Toronto star scored 99 points and a year ago he had 95. Those numbers made selecting Pollack for his fifth straight McDaniels Trophy -and sixth overall- as league MVP a rather straightforward process. No other Dukes player managed even half of Pollack's point total as Lou Galbraith was second with 46 points while Trevor Park added 45. Scott Renes (34-17-13, 2.39) was two wins shy of Detroit netminder Chasse but Renes total was also good enough to surpass the previous record. The Boston Bees finished third, tying Chicago on the final day of the regular season to ensure they finished a point ahead of the fourth place Packers. Boston had the stingiest team defense in the NAHC, surrendering a league low 163 goals during the season as Oscar James (32-20-14, 2.28) reestablished himself as the clear number one between the pipes in Beantown. James started 66 of the 70 games as Pierre Melancon spent most of the season watching from the bench. Youngsters Jimmy Ricks (26-35-61) and Jean Lebel (17-35-52) established themselves as the offensive leaders but 39-year-old Wilbur Chandler (17-27-44) played all 70 games for the first time in his career and proved he could still contribute. Veteran defenseman Mickey Bedard (14-25-39) joined Rucks on the first all-star team. Few realized this would be the end of Tommy Burns (34-50-84) 17 year career in the Windy City and he certainly made his final year a memorable one, trailing only Quinton Pollack in the scoring race and his 84 points were just one shy of his career high set five years ago. It will be interesting to see how the Packers supporting cast fares next season without their lead actor but Max Lavigne (24-29-53), Max Ducharme (22-28-50) and 24-year-old defenseman Guy Bernier (14-34-48) were all very impressive this year. Bernier was named a first team all-star while Ducharme, Burns and defenseman Phil Stukas (9-28-37) all made the second team. The Packers still have questions in net as longtime number one Michael Cleghorn was sent down to Pittsburgh early in the season and 22-year-old Allen Hocking (24-19-10, 2.54) was given a vote of confidence as the new starter. It was another lost season for both Montreal and New York as each finished more than 40 points behind first place Detroit and the Vals were 36 points out of a playoff spot with their fifth place finish. There is some talent in the Montreal lineup, most notably 24-year-old defenseman Jean Tremblay (12-25-37) and his brother Yan Tremblay (7-22-29), who is a year older, but there just is not enough talent to go around. Big things were expected out of goaltender Nathan Bannister (9-29-10, 3.01) when he was selected second overall by the Valiants in the 1949 NAHC draft but he is now 27 and has yet to live up to the billing after five seasons in Montreal. To make matters worse for the Vals, 21-year-old Charlie Oliphant Jr., considered the top prospect in the league by OSA, missed the second half of the season with minor league affiliate Syracuse after suffering an arm injury. New York finished last for the second straight year and their 41 points was the lowest total seen since the league expanded to a 70-game schedule eight years ago. Jim Macek (20-32-52) led the Greenshirts in scoring and was one of the few bright spots this season. The team also parted ways with long-time captain Orval Cabbell, who announced his retirement before the season after scoring a career worst 16 points a year ago.  PAIR OF SEMI-FINAL UPSETS IN PLAYOFFS Unlike each of the previous two years when Boston met Detroit and Toronto faced Chicago, they mixed things up this time around with the Motors claiming top spot and meeting with the Packers in one semi-final while the second place Dukes squared off with the third place Boston Bees.Both series were full of excitement and each went the distance, both with the lower seed prevailing. Detroit struggled down the stretch, going winless in its last five regular season games, but the Motors got back on track in the playoff opener as Alex Monette scored 18 minutes into overtime to lift the hosts to a 4-3 victory. Chicago would even things up in game two as Max Ducharme scored twice to help the Packers double Detroit 4-2. Games Three and Four at Chicago's Lakeside Auditorium were also split with the Packers winning game three 5-2 behind a pair of Bill LaChance goals but Detroit drew even with a 2-1 win the next night after Lou Barber and Emmett Hargreaves scored in the first period for the Motors. Barber had a goal and an assist as Detroit dumped Chicago 4-1 in game five and moved to within one victory of a chance to defend their Challenge Cup win of a year ago. The Packers stayed alive with a 2-1 victory on home ice in game six and then dominated game seven in a 4-1 win. Defenseman Guy Bernier was the her with three goals and an assist to lift the Packers to the finals for the first time in four years. In the other series the Toronto Dukes found themselves in a lot of trouble early, dropping each of the first two games at home with both ending in a score of 2-1. The opener saw Joe Martin, who was acquired from the Shamrocks before the season began, score both Boston goals and in game two it was Mike Brunell and John Bentley handling the Bees offense. Quinton Pollack scored the lone Toronto goal in each of the two games. Toronto bounced back in game three with Quinton Pollack scoring twice in the fist period to put the Dukes ahead but John Meger, another former Shamrock who was rookie of the year in 1954-55, scored twice for the Bees to send the game into overtime. Ken Jamieson won it for the Dukes, beating Oscar James a little under five minutes into the extra period. Game Four finished just 1-0 as Charles Brochu's first period goal for Toronto stood up and goaltender Scott Renes stood on his head as the Dukes evened the series. It was Oscar James turn to shine in game five as the Dukes lost for the third time on home ice, falling 3-0 with Jmes stopping all 28 shots he faced and Meger, Martin and Jimmy Rucks handling the Boston scoring. Toronto kept the trend of the road team winning every game alive with a 3-2 victory in game six that needed double overtime to decide. Veteran winger Lou Galbraith notched the winner with his first goal of the series coming 45 seconds into the second overtime. Game Seven would see Boston score three times in a five minute span in the second period to win for the fourth time on Dominion Gardens ice in the series. The final score was 5-2 as Brett Lanceleve had a pair of goals and Neil Wilson had a goal and two assists to propel the Bees back to the finals for the fourth time this decade. *** Challenge Cup Finals *** Boston had not won the Cup since 1947 despite reaching the finals four times since then. This would be the Bees fifth crack at it and they had come up short against Chicago in the spring of 1952 when the Packers won their first, and so far only Challenge Cup.Chicago dominated puck possession in the opener, firing 41 shots on Boston netminder Oscar James but the only one of those shots to elude him was Jeremy MacLean's first period tally. Boston managed just 20 shots on the Chicago net but scored three times with Jimmy Rucks and John Bentley lighting the lamp in the second period and David Scarpone adding an insurance marker late in the third to mark the first time the Bees won at Denny Arena in this playoff year. Game Two also ended 3-1 in Boston's favour as Joe Martin and Neil Wilson scored just 40 seconds apart early in the second period to open the scoring. Derek Gubb got one back for Chicago late in the middle frame but that was as close as the Packers would get before Mickey Bedard finished off the scoring for Boston in the third period. The third game was a classic as it stretched more than 115 minutes before the host Chicago Packers finally pulled out a 2-1 victory when Tommy Burns set up Max Lavigne with the winner at the 15 minute mark of the third overtime. Guy Bernier, with his fifth of the playoffs, scored early in the second period for Chicago and Jimmy Rucks evened things up four minutes later before both goaltenders shut the door for the next three periods. Oscar James faced 62 Chicago shots while Allan Hocking stopped 56 of the 57 he faced from Boston. Fortunately for both teams they had a couple of days off after the marathon game three. The fourth game also finished 2-1 but in Boston's favour and did not require overtime. Rucks scored on the power play a little under six minutes into the game to give Boston an early lead but Mike Homfray tied the score for the Packers before the opening stanza concluded. Six seconds into the second period Wilbur Chandler scored his second goal of the playoffs and that would stand up as the winner in a 2-1 Boston lead that put the Bees up three games to one in the series. The Packers stayed alive with a 3-2 win in game five despite the fact Boston took a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. Max Lavigne and Pete Moreau each had a goal and an assist for the visiting Packers to allow the series to return to the Windy City. Tommy Burns gave the Packers fans some hope early in game six when he scored but few suspected it would be Burns final goal in a Chicago uniform as he would be dealt to Toronto just a couple of months later. Veterans Wilbur Chandler and Garrett Kauffeldt had put the visiting Bees up 2-1 before the period would end. It would also end the scoring for the night as the Bees held on for a 2-1 Cup clinching victory despite the fact Chicago outshot Boston 27-18 over the final forty minutes. The Cup win was the first for Boston in decade but also the 8th time the organization has captured the oldest and most prestigious trophy in sports. Only Toronto, with 10, has won more often.  HOCKEY NOTES
Gordon has led the league in scoring six times, including this year, when his 25.2 points were his highest total since he burst onto the scene as a rookie averaging 25.7 points in 1950-51. Gordon has been named an MVP twice, the All-League First Team five times – the Second Team in his other two seasons – and has made the All-Star Team every year. In fact, on a game-by-game basis, no one has been more dominant. Gordon has been named Player of the Game in 201 out of his 473 combined games in the regular season and postseason. However, one summit has eluded him: a championship. Gordon’s Chicago Panthers have never been able to put it all together. First, Gordon did not have a supporting cast. When the roster had talent, the injury bug bit down hard. This season, Chicago had the supporting cast and stayed relatively healthy. The “Two Charlies” continued to impress, with Charlie Orlando (16.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg) having his best year since his first year in Chicago four years ago and Charlie Barrell (14.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg) finished third on the team in scoring and rebounding behind Gordon and Orlando. Chicago had their challenges, as in past seasons, but this year, the Panthers were able to rise above the adversity. Gordon missed seven weeks with a torn ligament in his foot he suffered in a loss to Detroit in late November. Orlando was injured in early April with a knee injury later diagnosed as patellar tendinitis and missed the entire playoffs. Barrell’s absence was his own decision, as the two-sport star’s first love of baseball won out over basketball and he left for Los Angeles Stars training camp in early March, also missing out on the playoffs. The Panthers suffered more early in the season without Gordon than late in the season without the Two Charlies. Without Gordon, the Panthers sputtered with a 10-10 record, but after Barrell decamped for Los Angeles, Chicago won 18 of 22 games, while Chicago lost only once in the last six regular season games. Chicago (46-26) firmly entrenched itself in second place after a 17-2 run in February and March took them from a .500 start to a team with championship aspirations. Chicago could not overtake the Rochester Rockets (48-24), who won their fourth straight division title and won 48 games for the third consecutive year, but the Panthers did get to within a single game of the Rockets on April 9th. Rochester had a changing of the guard with long-time Rocket Marlin Patterson, who after 540 starts in 540 appearances entering this season, took on a sixth-man role, only starting two of 72 games and averaging less than half of his career 16.0 points-per-game average. Patterson’s scoring per 36 minutes were comparable, but the physical toll of nine seasons throwing elbows made Patterson more effective off the bench. Taking Patterson’s place was Wayne Wyrick, who broke out in his fourth professional season. Wyrick started the other 70 games that Patterson did not, and finished second in scoring at 17.9 points per game behind Billy Bob McCright (18.6 ppg, 12.1 rpg), who stayed healthy all year and played in all 72 games. Detroit (36-36) finished 12 games off the pace, but since three of four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs, the Mustangs were comfortably in the playoff field by 24 games over last place Toronto (22-50). In the Eastern Division, the Washington Statesmen (45-27) were the defending league champions and won their division for the third straight year, the 12th time in their history, and the seventh time since moving to the Federal Basketball League in 1948-49. Joey Rose (17.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg), who came to prominence last season at the age of 28, led the team in scoring and tied veteran Ernie Fischer for the team lead in rebounding. Hank Adkins, who has provided a steadying presence in the backcourt, has not missed a game in three seasons while averaging 16.5 points. However, 1956 Playoff MVP Barry McCall fell out of favor, only appearing in 39 games and starting in seven of them. George Sommer (9.4 apg, 1.5 stl/g) and Ed Jordan got the bulk of the playing time. The New York Knights (40-32) finished five games off the pace, but it was close until early March when Washington pulled away on a nine-game winning streak to start the month. Larry Yim had another solid season, as his time with the Knights has now surpassed his time with the Buffalo Brawlers. Yim is not the scorer, the rebounder, or the shot blocker he once was in Western New York, but he still ranked in the top ten in rebounding (7th at 11.1 rpg) and blocks (3rd at 2.5 blk/g), while scoring 14.7 points a game, which was 15th in the league. Philadelphia (29-43) had an awful regular season, but managed to qualify for the playoffs, as Boston (22-50) was worse. For the Phantoms, they were hit with injuries to their two best players. Mel Turcotte missed two months with a broken arm and Darren Fuhrman was out for two months with a concussion. Fuhrman returned by the end of January, while Turcotte returned with a few games remaining in the regular season. Both were healthy for the playoffs and the Phantoms were ready for the uphill battle. The Phantoms made quick work of the Knights, winning the first two on the road, 86-68 and 81-76, before completing the sweep at home, 84-79. In Game One, Larry Yim had an uncharacteristically absent performance with eight points and five rebounds. Yim gradually improved each game, but it was not enough. Meanwhile, Darren Fuhrman had a great series, going for 27 in the opener and 23 in the clincher. In between, guard T.J. Grimm registered a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Washington was well-rested and won the first two games in the Eastern Semifinal, but Philadelphia took care of business at home for the next two games. The pivotal Game Five in Washington was tight, but Philadelphia opened up a lead in the third quarter and held on behind Mel Turcotte’s 25 points. Philadelphia was able to close out the series at home, holding Washington to 29% shooting and only six fourth quarter points. The Statesmen ended their hopes for a repeat in meek fashion as Philadelphia punched its ticket to the Finals in the hopes of a second title in five years. The Western Division playoffs started off with Chicago facing Detroit and it was over almost before the series began. Ward Messer was back in a starting role this season for the Mustangs, but just seven minutes into Game One, Messer sprained his knee and left the game without scoring a point. Messer came back to play 21 minutes off the bench in Game Three, but he was compromised and victimized defensively. But, the story was the unexpected play of Chris Rogerson. Rogerson was an undrafted free agent, originally signed by Rochester in 1953-54 and spent a month with the Rockets, but he was cut before he appeared in a game. Chicago signed Rogerson the next year and he appeared in seven games, averaging a little over five minutes a game. He graduated to a regular bench role last season, appearing in all 72 games, but he was pressed into the starting lineup this year when Gordon went down and scored 20 points in a game four times in his absence. When Orlando was lost for the season, Rogerson entered the starting lineup with confidence. His best games were against Rochester, where he scored 24 in a win and 27 in a loss. Against Detroit in the three-game sweep, Rogerson scored 21, 23, and 27 points. In the Western Final, Gordon took control, as Rochester tried to contain both big men. In his prime, Patterson would have been up for the assignment, but Wyrick plays more of a finesse game than that of a bull in a China shop. Chicago shot poorly from the floor in the two games in Rochester, resulting in low-scoring Rochester wins where Chicago was unable to surpass 60 points. Billy Bob McCright led the Rockets with 20 and 19 points in Games One and Two. Gordon was determined to turn the tide of the series in Game Three at Lakeside Auditorium, as he scored 27 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the 67-55 win. Gordon deposited another 27 points in the 75-67 victory that evened the series. In Game Five, Rogerson was in foul trouble, leading Larry Jurgielewicz to make a difference, scoring 11 points and hauling in nine rebounds in 27 minutes, but Gordon still owned the headlines with 34 points in the 80-65 win to go up in the series, three games to two. Rochester had a 45-44 lead to start the fourth quarter of Game Six in Chicago, trying to force a seventh game. McCright had a game-high 24 points, but Rogerson had the biggest game of his career, scoring 20 points and blocking five shots as Chicago came from behind in the game and clinched a berth in the FBL Finals to send the Lakeside crowd into a frenzy. Philadelphia entered the FBL Finals with a mediocre 18-18 home record and a rough 11-25 record on the road, but the Phantoms were a different team than the one fans saw during the regular season. The Phantoms frontcourt was healthy, which included Turcotte and Fuhrman, but Gordon was a scoring machine that was just warming up. Gordon scored 38 points on 18-for-26 shooting, adding 12 rebounds for good measure, in Chicago’s 85-74 Game One victory. Gordon poured in 34 points, leading the way again for the Panthers, whose hot shooting was contagious. Chicago shot 44% from the field in Game One and 42% in Game Two’s 83-69 Panthers win. When Gordon only managed 20 points in Game Three in Philadelphia, the rest of the team picked him up to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, 86-75. The team shot 47.5% from the floor and there were four Panthers in double figures, with point guard Doug Burford falling a point shy of a triple-double (11 assists, 10 rebounds). The Phantoms won Game Four, 74-66, and it was not the front court, but point guard T.J. Grimm’s 20 points helped extend the series, if only for another game. Game Five became a coronation, both for the Luther Gordon’s personal resume and the Panthers first title since the inaugural FBL season in 1946-47. It was the highest scoring game of the series with 172 points scored, but it was a tight game. The game was still in the balance entering the fourth quarter, which Chicago holding a tenuous 65-63 lead, but the Panthers hung on. Gordon dropped 35 points and Rogerson chimed in with 22 points. Turcotte countered with 27 points to lead the Phantoms, but Fuhrman struggled, scoring only 14 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Gordon was officially named the Playoff MVP, though he was unofficially named the Most Valuable Player after Game Three, when the series victory was all but assured. Gordon (23.6 ppg) had a five-point edge on anyone else in playoff scoring, with Mel Turcotte (18.6 ppg) finishing in second place.   TIERNEY BACK ON TOP, ELLIS CONTINUES TO RULE WELTERWEIGHTS It was a long and winding road back, one that spanned nearly two years, but Joey Tierney is once more the heavyweight champion of the world. Tierney had taken the crown in the spring of 1952 after Hector Sawyer retired and held the belt until September of 1955 when he was upset in his hometown of Detroit by Englishman Joe Brinkworth. Tierney would travel to Europe to get another chance at the title a year later, but was badly beaten by another British fighter in Steve Leivers, who had defeated Brinkworth a few months earlier. That seemed like it might have been the last chance for the now 30-year-old Detroit boxing star, especially when he lost a non-title bout to Brad Harris shortly after falling to Leivers. However, Tierney would soon get another opportunity after Harris, his longtime rival from Akron, OH, had upset Leivers to win the title. Harris would make his first defense against Tierney in June. The June bout, held at the Lake Erie Arena in Cleveland, was classic encounter between two old foes who knew each other well. It went back and forth and when the dust settled there was no winner. One judge scored the bout dead even while the other two each had it as a one point victory, but one called if for the champ and the other for Tierney. The duo had already met three times before, with each winning once to go with the recent draw, and it was quickly decided to stage a fourth fight. This one was held in Pittsburgh in September and once more the title was on the line. There was no doubt of the outcome on this night as Tierney floored his old foe four times. There was no quit in Harris as he went the distance but it was a decisive victory for Tierney, who hoisted the championship belt for the first time in two years. A familiar name is finally the middleweight champ of the world. Yohan Revel followed in the footsteps of his idol, the late former champ Edouard Desmarais and became the second French fighter to win the middleweight title. He did so by knocking out Mark McCoy in the fifth round of an October fight in Boston. McCoy, who held the title for a spell early in this decade, had claimed the crown in December of 1956 when champion George Hatchell was disqualified in their title fight. Hatchell would get a rematch but it turned quickly into a brawl and for the second fight in a row McCoy was declared the victor after Hatchell was disqualified. McCoy would also score a TKO victory over veteran Italian fighter Hugo Canio on July before losing the crown to Revel. Only the welterweight division had consistency as Seattle fighter Eugene Ellis made four successful defenses of the title he claimed by beating Lonnie Griffin in the autumn of 1956.  We start in the middleweight division, where two-time champion Mark McCoy won his belt back in December, 1956 against George Hatchell after Hatchell was disqualified for low blows. The rematch in March was in McCoy’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, and it was a foul-filled brawl with a similar outcome. Hatchell was up to his old tricks when he was caught leaning on McCoy’s neck just 30 seconds into the bout, earning a warning from referee Johnny Galloway. In the third round, McCoy was admonished for his rabbit punches. The sixth round found both fighters trying to bend the rules, as Hatchell was hitting below the belt and McCoy was firing away at Hatchell’s kidneys. Oh, there was legal boxing, too. McCoy caught Hatchell on a fine uppercut that sent the challenger sprawling to the canvas in the 14th round. The partisan crowd was behind McCoy all night and he looked to have a slim lead going into the final round. As the round began, McCoy was holding Hatchell, who proceeded to lean in with his shoulder. Even though the offense was not the worst defense of the evening, Hatchell already had two warnings against him, so Referee Galloway had seen enough as Hatchell had broken the rules one too many times. Galloway disqualified Hatchell and declared McCoy the winner. McCoy moved to face Hugo Canio, the Italian who had his title shot over seven years earlier at Bigsby Garden against John Edmonds. Canio had lost 7 of 30 bouts since that night and it did not go much better for him against McCoy, falling in the 10th round by technical knockout. McCoy’s next opponent was an old one. Yohan Revel, the Frenchman who took McCoy the distance in December 1951, was up next. Revel and McCoy’s previous opponent, Canio, both fought for the middleweight belt in 1951, both lost. But, since their losses, Canio had struggled, while Revel had success, winning 26 of 27 fights since bowing to McCoy, so earned another title shot. Revel cashed in that chance and showed a wily caginess throughout the bout, taking the fight to McCoy, culminating in a fateful fifth round that made you sure that somewhere, Edouard Desmarais was smiling. Revel made his hero proud, knocking McCoy down twice in the round, the second time for good, to win and end the year taking the middleweight title belt back to France with him, an entire country by his side. In the heavyweight division, Steve Leivers ended 1956 with a head of steam and Boxer of the Year honors. Leivers looked set to spend some time with the championship belt in his possession. In February, the reign of Leivers was over and it all happened in less than three minutes. Leivers entered his fight with Brad Harris with a 32-0-1 record and 26 of his 32 wins were by knockout. Less than two minutes into the first round, Leivers issued a combination that floored Harris. Leivers came close to ending the fight in the first round, but Harris survived until the bell sounded. In the fifth round, Leivers was dominant again. Taking the action to Harris from pillar to post, Leivers delivered an uppercut that landed on Harris’s chin for a second knockdown in the fight. The first time, Harris was up after an eight count from referee Mickey Vann, but this time, Vann counted to nine before Harris signaled he could continue. Coming off a 10-8 round, Leivers did not expect Harris to go for broke, but perhaps he should have. Harris met Leivers at ring center and quickly landed a devastating uppercut that put the champion back on his heels. Harris sidestepped each of Leivers attempts while making him pay when he left himself open on his follow-through. Harris used great ring management, pinning Leivers into a corner and not letting him out. Harris looked like a completely different fighter, and so did Leivers. Harris was going for it all late in the round, but before he could connect for a crowning shot, Referee Vann waved his arms and called the fight. Fans at Keystone Arena in Philadelphia were up in arms, especially since Leivers had controlled the fight and the end of the round was only 20 seconds away, but the decision stood. Harris, the Akron, Ohio, native, brought the Heavyweight Championship home. Waiting for him was Joey Tierney, the previous long-time champion who could not get past Leivers but wanted another shot. Tierney and Harris faced off in June in Cleveland at Lake Erie Arena. Tierney hails from Detroit, so there was a divided grandstand. The two combatants engaged in one of the best matches you would ever want to see. The bout featured two heavyweights, with their stinging power punches, knocking each other down twice, and Tierney needed to rally in the late rounds to close the lead Harris built in the middle rounds. In the end, the decision went to the judges and one had the fight for Harris, one had it for Tierney, and the other scored it a draw, which was the final determination. A rematch was almost guaranteed, and one was granted in September at Pittsburgh Arena a couple of hours southeast of Cleveland. Tierney was perhaps a little better conditioned for the fight, as the fans saw Tierney take control about halfway through the bout. Tierney owned all four knockdowns on the night and his early ones in the second and fourth rounds set the tone, but his two-knockdown 14th round helped cement the unanimous decision. Tierney (42-5-2) was once again the Heavyweight Champion. The only division that provided any stability was the welterweight division. Eugene Ellis selected fighters that averaged six losses entering bouts with Ellis in 1957. While the public was ready for another battle with Lonnie Griffin, Ellis seemed to dodge Griffin throughout the year. Griffin was very talkative to the press and Ellis brushed off any questions that came his way about the former champion. Ellis is the youngest champion as the calendar turns to 1958, as the 25-year-old is the best of the young guns in the welterweight ranks. Griffin is only 24, which is hard to believe after the commotion he has generated makes one think he has been around for years. Ted Emerson and Chris Thomas, both victims of Ellis this year, are only 24. The one-time dominance of 33-year-old Danny Rutledge, who is still working at his craft, is over. The two most impressive victories for Ellis this year were his first of the year against Emerson and his last of the year against Brian Pierce. The Emerson bout was nip and tuck through the first seven rounds and Emerson had scored a knockdown in that seventh round. But Ellis did not look back. He began to dominate the fight and ended with a flourish: a three-knockdown 11th round that featured a cross, a combo, and a body shot that in different ways knocked the will and the wind out of the challenger. Emerson was seemingly lifeless, even as referee Vic Green reached his ten-count. Ellis ended the year strong with a 13th round TKO against Brian Pierce. Ellis was in control throughout, knocking Pierce down in the opening round to set the tone. In the last round, Ellis was about to knock Pierce down a fourth time, but referee Gary Rosato caught a limp Pierce before he reached the canvas and called the fight. The other wins for Ellis were a little less than impressive, but they were wins, nonetheless. Ellis had little trouble with Thomas, but Thomas took Ellis the distance and lost for the seventh time, so Thomas is hardly an elite fighter. The other win was against Danny Julian, who briefly entered the national consciousness when he was pummeled by Danny Rutledge in 1951, was knocked out in the 12th round by Ellis. In a year of transition, Ellis stands alone as the only wire-to-wire champion and his 4-0 record gives him the 1957 Bologna Boxer of the Year.  FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS This Dukes team exploded from the gate, going 8-0-2 to start the season before slumping in November. From November 10th to 25 the team was winless in 6, 0-4-2 to bring everyone back into the race for first. The playoff qualifiers were not in doubt from December on, as it was clear that Detroit, Toronto, Boston and Chicago would be in the race for the Challenge Cup with Montreal, New York on the outside looking in. Each of the four playoff teams finished over .500 on the season leaving Montreal (16-41-13, 45 points) and New York (15-44-11, 41 points) languishing well behind. Quinton Pollack again led the league in goals with 46 and points with 93, finishing 9 points ahead of Tommy Burns' (34-50-84) atop the scoring race There will be more on Burns later. Three teams scored more than 200 goals -Detroit, Boston and Toronto- in what was a much higher scoring season. Detroit's Henri Chasse was again the top netminder with a record of 36-21-8, 2.25 although he was hotly pursued by Boston's Oscar James 32-20-14, 2.28 and Scott Renes 34-17-13, 2.39. Jack Barrell went back to riding the Number One goaltender with Renes starting 64 games giving Charlie Dell the nod on only six occasions from October to March. James led the NAHC in goaltender games with 66, followed closely by Chasse with 65 and Renes' 64. This was a throwback to postwar years where the #1 keeper played the vast majority of a team's games. The playoff began in what most fans thought was just a preview to a rematch between the Motors and Dukes in the final. However both Chicago and Boston had other ideas. The Bees invaded the Gardens on the last day of March to begin their semi-final series flying taking the opener 2-1 thanks to two goals by Joe Martin with the first coming before a half minute has been played in the series. Boston held Toronto to only 4 shots in the third period when the Dukes were trying to send the game to an extra period. Three nights later the thoughts in the crowd turned from "James stoned us in the first game." to "We're in big trouble." when the visitors took the second game again by the same 2-1 margin checking the Dukes' scorers at every turn then applying pressure on Renes in the Toronto goal. Boston held a 36-20 advantage in shots on goal to head home up two games. Quinton Pollack was not about to let the Dukes go meekly into the off-season when he scored twice in the first seven minutes of the third game on April 6th sandwiched between John Meger's tally for Boston. Meger leveled the score in the second sending the game to overtime after a scoreless third thanks in large part to the efforts of both James and Renes. Ken Jamieson, who had a disappointing regular campaign, vaulted his team back into the series when he beat James at 4:37 into overtime on passes from Les Galbraith and Trevor Parker. With Denny Arena packed to the rafters on April 6th the fans saw a superior display of puck stopping at both ends. Claude Brouchu, who joined the Dukes in December from Cleveland, scored in last two minutes of the opening period. This was to be the only time the red goal light was lit in the game with Renes turning aside all 27 shots he faced in 1-0 series tying win before almost 16,000. This game was not without injuries as Pollack strained his foot in the second period. He continued in the game, the full extent of the of the injury was not known until he took his skate off after the game. The foot swelled up so much that Pollack would not return to ice during the series. Barrell was forced to juggle his lineup with Pollack out for Game 5 at home. In the game the Dukes new lines seemed just a little off and Meger again scored to put the Bees up one on the power play at 16:29 of the first. That would be all that Oscar James would need to give his team the series lead 3-2. Boston added two late goals, one into an empty net, to win 3-0. Game Six continued the trend of the visiting team winning. Toronto veteran Lou Galbraith scored 45 seconds into extra time to tie the series at 3 on a night in which Renes made 48 stops in 3-2 victory. In Game Seven Tim Amesbury, a first round pick in 1954 who made the team out of camp, seemed to give the Dukes a needed left when he put Toronto up 2-0 with his second goal of the game at 5:40 of the second. Boston suddenly found their legs beating Renes thrice, twice off Brett Lanceleve's stick, in the final 6 minutes of the period. Boston was not done, finding the twine behind Renes twice in the third to skate to an easy 5-2 win along with the series 4-3 ending the Dukes' season. In the other series the revitalized Packers, led by 37 year old Tommy Burns, took games 6 and 7 to defeat the defending champs from Detroit 4 games to 3. With the two top seeds knocked out the semis Boston won the Challenge Cup first day of May with a 2-1 victory in Game Six. There was big news just before the draft when Toronto acquired Tommy Burns from Chicago sending center Luke Brisebois, the rights to center Jean-Pascal Morissette, along their first round pick to the Packers. Many fans do not see the logic in acquiring a soon to be 38 year old center who may have two seasons remaining in his storied career. Coach Barrell- "We had an up and down season with an unsatisfactory end when the Bees took us out in seven. The news now is, of course, all about the Burns trade. When we looked at our organization we agreed that we had enough players on their way up to make the move. Burns will big asset both on and off the ice, he is a pro's pro. We got older which is not always a good thing except if you got older with Tommy Burns. I would not want to be a coach trying to figure out how to stop a line centered by Pollack followed by a Burns line let alone the power play. I think the Dukes fans are in for a treat in the fall." Tales from The Den: Under New On-Field Management Wolves Regress in '57 - Toronto changed the on-field management over the winter thinking the team would make a move forward under new daily direction. It did not work and after the team fell to 66-88, barely avoiding the CA basement finishing 7th only a game ahead of the LA Stars, the next to go was General Bill Terry as his six year run in Toronto came to an end in October. The team, under newly minted manager Jake Beck who was hired in April, had only one winning month during the season going 8-5 in April, What followed was frustration for the fans: 8-21 in May, 13-16 in June, 14-17 July, 11-15 August and 12-14 September totaling 66-88 for the year. That finish is 10 games worse than the Wolves performance each of the previous two years. It was a far cry from the improvement to first division the fans were looking for in 1957. It is now 10 years since the Wolves finished over .500 and the fans displeasure was shown with attendance dropping by over 140,000, falling far short of Owner Bernie Millard's dreams of returning to over a million passing through the turnstiles at Dominion Stadium. The problems with the team were numerous in all areas. Hitters, with a few very exceptions, did not hit. Pitchers, especially the starters could not get anyone out and fielders could not catch a cold. At the plate Tom Reed, 26, again led the club in most hitting categories posting a line of .280/.346/.470 25 HR 82 RBI. Five time All-Star Gordie Perkins was limited to 67 games due to injuries, and the knee injury he suffered in August is expected to cost him at least the first two months of the 1958 season. Perhaps for Perkins it may be time for him to retire as it seems clear that his 35 year-old body cannot any longer stand the rigors of the FABL season. No one else in an anemic attack was even at league average in offensive ability. The starting staff is young with exception of Augie Hayes Jr., 37, who was the only starter with a winning record 9-6. George Foxworth made his big league debut at 19 went 16-16, 3.34 in 283 1/3 innings. There are concerns that may have been too many innings for a pitcher not yet 20. There is hope for the future with a staff of Jim Montgomery, 25, Whitey Stewart, 26, Hank Lacey, 25 if all live up to their expectations from the scouts. Long an area of concern, the bullpen, improved ranking second in CA with a cumulative ERA of 3.61 but it was often too late when Beck took ball from the starter. Defensively the only thing the Wolves were good at was turning outs into hits or baserunners. Only two fielders, Reed and John Wells, fielded their position with anything approaching big league competence. New GM George Thomas, who has had success in the GWL, certainly has his hands full with a midrange minor league system. The road to bringing the Wolves back to being relevant in the CA looks to be a very bumpy one, full of twists and turns. The fans, a shrinking number, may have their patience tested again in 1958. Many fans are now openly hoping that Bernie Millard divests himself of the team. They think it is time for a new owner, time to be rid of the controversial Millard, who may not be hurting the situation but he certainly is not helping the Wolves turnaround. This year's HOF voting brought back memories of past glory in Toronto when Fred McCormick was elected joining Bobby Barrell and following Mel Carrol's induction a year ago. The only thing that fans did not understand is that neither McCormick nor Barrell were unanimous selections, begging the question "What do you have to do to be named on all ballots?" The Year That Was Current events from 1957
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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. |
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10-02-2024, 05:47 PM
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#1019 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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1958 End of Year Report
1958 IN FIGMENT SPORTS It can easily be argued that the 1950s have given us the greatest sports decade one city could ever dream of. The decade has been magic ride for the Motor City highlighted by four World Championship Series wins and six pennants in the past seven years for a Detroit Dynamos club that had so often fallen just short in the 1940s and early fifties. Six titles might be plenty for any city but Detroiters also have celebrated three Challenge Cup wins, a Federal Basketball League title and two college national titles since 1952.DECADE OF DOMINANCE PEAKS IN 1958 FOR DETROIT As if the start of the decade wasn't enough, the year just completed may well have been the greatest in terms of success any one city could ever hope for. The Dynamos won 95 games during the regular season to claim the Federal Association pennant and then continued their mastery of the Kansas City Kings with another World Championship victory- their third over the Kings and fourth overall in the past seven years. The ice Motors won the Challenge Cup in the spring, their third in five years, with a budding superstar in a Alex Monette and a record-setting performance by goaltender Henri Chasse, who had three shutouts in a six game triumph over the resurgent Montreal Valiants in the Cup finals. A few weeks before the Motors hoisted the Cup, Detroit City College cut down the nets at Bigsby Garden as the cage Knights won their first national collegiate basketball title. A few days after the Motors Cup win, the pro cage Detroit Mustangs advanced to the finals of the Federal Basketball League. The Mustangs, who won it all in 1952, tempered the excitement in Detroit just a little as they fell short as they ran into a red-hot Howie Farrell and fell to the New York Knights in five games in the finals. In the fall, while the celebration of another Dynamos title was still going strong in some local watering holes, the Detroit Maroons football club won the AFA West Division for the first time since 1945. Unfortunately the Maroons came up short in their playoff game with Los Angeles, and Detroit has still not won a postseason grid contest since 1936 but there was suddenly hope that the Maroons may just finally join on the other three pro sports teams and win a title next year, before the decade, dominated by Detroit, comes to an end. The Detroit City College football team, just three years removed from a national title of its own, had a very forgettable season after the Knights stumbled through a 5-5 campaign, but even that had a silver lining for the locals as the Knights finished their season off with a 31-16 pounding of their arch-rivals from Columbus, derailing any hopes Central Ohio might have had for its own grid glory. Now before you go and think 1958 success was the exclusive domain of the Motor City, let's not forget the good old boys in Georgia as Noble Jones College won its second consecutive national collegiate football tittle and is now rivaling the great Rome State teams of the war years with the Colonels riding a 24 game winning streak. Washington also has a mini-dynasty going as the pro grid Wasps beat Los Angeles in the AFA finals for their second straight league title. And even New York, a city that lives and dies with the Gothams and was forced to suffer through the teams first losing season since 1945, still had something to cheer about. The Big Apple could not get its revenge on Detroit on the diamond, but the cage Knights did down the Mustangs to win their second Federal Basketball League title in five years. Detroit may own the decade but New York still owns the most pro titles as the Knights cage win was the 27th professional sports championship won by a New York City team. Detroit, with two more this year, is climbing fast as the Motor City is tied with Chicago for second with 19 titles, two more than fourth place Boston.  About a week later, the Keystones made an attempt to surround Buddy Miller (.366, 29, 105), as they added longtime Eagle starter Jim Heitzman for a two prospect package. A former 2nd Round Pick, Heitzman debuted in 1952, going 5-7 with a 3.31 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.55 WHIP in 29 appearances (12 starts). Solid as it was, he did walk 89 with just 57 strikeouts in 119.2 innings, but it was a decent way to establish himself. From that season on, he surpassed the 120 inning mark, and was very valuable from 1954 to 1956. 29 in May, Heitzman is coming off the worst season of his career, leading the Fed in losses for the second time. Finishing 12-18, he had a rough 4.76 ERA (86 ERA+) with a 1.52 WHIP and 119 strikeouts. His 144 walks were also a Fed high, as Heitzman led two categories you'd prefer not to, but in 242 innings he did eat a lot of innings for a really bad team. Walks are always a concern for him, but he has a really good splitter and can be a durable, back-end starter. Philly can hope for a change of scenery bump, but even if it doesn't happen, the cost to acquire Heitzman won't break the bank. Ted Cummings was the more promising prospect parted with, ranked as the league's 156th best prospect at the time of the trade. Taken 3rd in 1953, his prospect value has plummeted in recent years, as he was ranked as high as 16th and remained in the top 100 as recently as last year. A second basemen who was already on the 40 in order to protect him from the Rule-5 Draft, Cummings is a near big league ready hitter with a nice swing and high contact tool. He spent his '57 season between Class A and B, with almost equal time between both. Much better in A ball, he hit an outstanding .336/.352/.502 (148 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs, though his .288/.341/.411 (105 OPS+) line in A ball is pretty solid too. He's probably at least a year out of Washington, but their once promising middle infield of Tom Perkins (.234, 2, 29, 7) and Miller (.210, 9, 41) is getting old, and has yet to live up to their potential. Anything they can get from Joe Flanagan is then gravy, as the 24-year-old third basemen doesn't provide much more then a decently versatile bench piece. LA and Detroit followed that up with a minor deal, as for some reason the Dynamos were willing to part with an intriguing young switch hitting shortstop in Mike Frost for a 28-year-old journeyman reliever in Bill Mason, but the big shot came a week and a half into February. Never one to shy from a big deal, the New York Gothams looked to add to their veteran rotation, picking up longtime Keystone ace Sam Ivey for 18-year-old first basemen Johnny Nelson. Ivey, who just turned 30, is coming off arguably the worst year of his career, going 11-12 with a 4.69 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, and 114 walks, but he did strike out a career high 142 hitters in 240 innings pitched. A two-time All-Star, Ivey had a great debut season in 1951, where he went 13-5 with a 3.47 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts in 24 starts. He then made 34 or more starts in each of the next six seasons, and is just a year removed from his best season. He wasn't an All-Star, those nods came as a rookie and in 1953 (15-14, 4.37, 116), but he led the Fed with wins, an impressive 20-10 with a 3.41 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 120 walks, and 135 strikeouts. Walks have been what's stopped him from becoming the ace he was meant to be, but Ivey was a solid 99-80 with a 4.14 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, and 793 strikeouts in 228 starts and 1,603.2 innings in a Keystone uniform. Trading Ivey made it seem like the Heitzman trade was less supporting Miller and more finding a replacement for Ivey, as the Keystones pitching staff now is back to being a bottom three rotation in the association. The return is somewhat puzzling too, as they're taking a chance on an 18-year-old catcher/first basemen who may not catch much more as he ruptured his Achilles last summer. Just 17 games after being a 2nd Round selection, Nelson at least had a beautiful .370/.431/.674 (173 OPS+) batting line, but he's not much of a prospect. He does have great power and a solid eye, but he's extremely raw, poor defensively, and has an exploitable hole in his swing that may lead to a lot of whiffs. It's not the type of deal Keystones fans would like to see, but perhaps they believe Ivey's best days our now in the rear view mirror. As spring approached, just one more notable deal was completed, as the Eagles picked up 176th ranked prospect Sammy Whipps in a two-for-two deal with the Dynamos. The most exciting player involved, Whipps was once a 9th Round Pick, and has since been with the Saints, Cougars, and Dynamos organizations. Most notably, he was involved in the trade that brought Garland Phelps (.240, 1, 11), but he was just traded less then two months ago from the Cougars in a five player deal with Ted Beaven (1-4, 3, 5.87, 21). The 22-year-old Whipps is a 6'3'' righty with solid stuff, and he'll give the Eagles a useful pitching prospect they can develop into a future rotation piece. When Opening Day came again, all eyes were again on the Dynamos, who were the clear favorite int he Fed, even if some in OSA thought the Gothams could match them pound-for-pound. As good as the Gothams are, I don't think they match up, as Detroit has the better lineup and pitching. Boston and Chicago should make some noise too, but assuming a major injury, crazy breakout, or big deadline move, they'll continue their dynasty with another Fed pennant. I'd expect their opponent to be a common one, with both the Foresters and Kings the class of the Conti. Don't leave out the Cannons, who have an excellent 1-2-3 and added Doc Clay (10-13, 3.11, 120) to a strong rotation. All this writer is asking for, however, is a pair of exciting pennant races! Us baseball fans deserve excitement! Instead of excitement, it was surprise in the early goings, as the world class Dynamos were 5-10 and tied for the worst record when April ended. The Gothams (12-4) and Chiefs (11-4) were red hot, and Detroit even lost 10 of their first 13 before taking the first two of a three game set with fellow cellar dwellers Boston in Beantown. By now, however, we all know better then to doubt Detroit, as the Dynamos finished the Minutemen off with a sweep and used that momentum to propel them to a 22-8 May. As you'd expect, that brought them back to first, two above the surprising Pioneers (25-20), while the Gothams plummeted to 7th with a 10-22 month that pretty much sank their season. It even sparked a trade of veterans, as towards the end of the month, New York sent out both John Stallings (0-3, 1, 5.40, 15) and Chief Lewis (.210, 1, 9, 8) to the active Eagles, picking up a 27-in-July switch hitter Johnny Taylor. A former Cannon who came in the Ike Perry deal, New York was hoping his bat would spark the floundering club, as Taylor hit .312/.427/.656 (179 OPS+) in 117 PAs in the nation's capital. The corner bat can handle first, left, and right, expected to spell Joe DeMott, Rex Pilcher, and Bill Barrett when they need rest. Despite Detroit's excellent record, three teams were within five games of them, while no one in the Conti was less then the five out of the Saints (25-21). At 29-15, Brooklyn was firing on all cylinders, and benefited from elite May's from Hank Williams (.405, 4, 23), Ken Newman (.390, 8, 34), Charlie Rogers (.336, 4, 13, 4), Beau McClellan (6-0, 2.17, 28), Walt Staton (2-0, 1.96, 8), Mike Thorpe (4-2, 2.85, 23), Del Lamb (1-0, 4, 0.79, 8), and Wally Graves (1-0, 1.54, 8). If this could be maintained, or at least them continuing to score the most runs and allow the fewest, Kansas City will have a legit chance for their third pennant in five season. Still looking for that first WCS title after the move, this was starting to shape up as the Kings year, as their high powered squad could keep up with any and everyone. In June, however, the Montreal Saints made a run at the Kings, going 19-9 before pulling into a tie on the 29th. The Kings reclaimed the lead on the final day of the month because they played (and won) while Montreal was recovering from a tight double header sweep, but they started to really get going on the back of their new star. Third year outfielder Harry Swain hit an excellent .347/.434/.510 (146 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 12 RBIs before hitting the IL with forearm inflammation after leaving a 7-3 loss when trying to throw out Cougar third basemen Jim Chaplin at home. Losing him will be tough, even if he should be back in mid July, forcing them to hope that Joe Austin (.295, 1, 20, 6), Jim Johnston (.297, 2, 7), and Swain replacement Hippo Wallace (.293, 6) can build off strong Junes. At times the starts were shaky, but the Saints won a lot of close games with excellent pen work from Skinny Green (2-0, 4, 1.50, 8). He finished off strong starts for Tom Fisher (4-2, 2.93, 14) and Phil Murry (3-3, 3.38, 29), while Andy Logue (2-0, 1, 2.08, 13) branched the gap well when the back three couldn't get it to the late innings. The rotation is a spot they can look to improve in, as Montreal has made it known they'd part with some of their top prospects for a top of the rotation arm. Even without Swain, Montreal finished the first half hot, sweeping the Cannons to take first before a crucial series with the Kings in Kansas City. The Saints offense jumped on Fred Washington, tagging the 2-Time Allen Winner for 10 hits and 6 runs in 4.2 innings pitched. Bill Heim (2-5, 2 RBI) hit his 7th homer of the season off Washington in the 4th, and starting pitcher John Fisher was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Those two runs driven in matched the runs he allowed, as the 31-year-old improved to 9-5 after going 7.2 innings with 5 hits and 2 runs, walks, and strikeouts. Eight guys contributed hits to the 9-2 victory, and they extended their division lead to a game and a half. They added another the next afternoon, as Joe Austin (2-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, HR, SB) and Bill Elkins (3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, SB) helped pile on in the commanding 10-4 win. The score looks a bit closer then it was too, as Kansas City added two off mop-up man Dick Garcia (0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) in the ninth. The Kings lineup had far less success with Max Edwards, who held them to two in seven with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. No hits from the Montreal starter today, but Bill Heim (2-4, 2 RBI, BB) continued to provide support for his pitching staff. Montreal's 49-30 record was the best at the break, with Detroit (48-33) and Kansas City (47-32) not too far behind. Detroit's five game lead was nicer then the one Montreal had, as they were getting absurd production from 25-year-old infielder Dick Tucker. A natural middle infielder, he didn't have a spot with Stan Kleminski and Joe Reed occupying second and short, but his bat forced his way into a spot at first base. In April he hit .390/.500/.683 (206 OPS+) and just did not look back. With 11 homers, 10 doubles, and 29 RBIs in June, he ensured his name on the lineup card at a position he's almost never played before this season: First Base. Tucker certainly hit like a first basemen, as June Player of the Month hit .430/.513/.880 (256 OPS+) and appeared in all 30 games for the team that just never seems to run out of talent. The first time All-Star was hitting .376/.474/.698 at the break, and seemed like a surefire lock for the Whitney Award in first season as a FABL start. A former 4th Round Pick, the son of one-year Keystone Mike Tucker (.256, 1, 4) was always a highly ranked prospect, but with Detroit's depth his playing time was limited by his youth and the number's game. His breakout could end with a pennant, as he lengthens a lineup that already had Edwin Hackberry, Bill Morrison, Dan Smith, Dick Estes, Stan Kleminski, and Joe Reed. It's the always unfair instance of the rich getting richer, and the Pioneers (42-37), Miners (41-38), Chiefs (40-39), Minutemen (41-41), and Gothams (39-43) all have their work cut out for them. *** All Star Game *** The 26th annual all-star game was held at Boston's Minutemen Stadium and the big news was veteran outfielder Bill Barrett became the first player to be selected for 14 of the midseason classics. Barrett, was a reserve on the Federal Association squad and went 0-for-3 in the game. He had entered the contest tied with retired stars Bobby Barrell and George Cleaves for most appearances with 13. The only other active player with double-digit selections under his belt named to this year's team was Deuce Barrell of Cleveland, who was part of the Continental Association squad for the 11th time.The CA stars won for the fourth year in a row, claiming an 8-5 victory and now lead the all-time series by a 15-11 margin. Kansas City Kings infielder Ken Newman delivered the key blow, a 3-run homer in the 8th inning to pace the CA to victory but the player of the game award went to Washington Eagles second year catcher Brad Keylon, who had a double and a homerun in the contest.  TRADING HEATED UP RIGHT AFTER ALL-STAR BREAK Teams barely had a chance to welcome their players back from the al-star game before the trading began with the first place Saints making a big move to acquire Ralph Hanson (.281, 2, 32, 11) from the Cincinnati Cannons. Along with Hanson, Montreal got young catcher Fred Rogers and former top-100 prospect Les Sasson, sending away 14th ranked prospect Babe Booth and longtime catcher Jess Garman (.167, 6, 25). Garman, who turns 32 in August, was as recently as last season (.256, 10, 43) an above average starting catcher. This year, however, he was hitting just .167/.269/.268 (41 OPS+) and is an underrated addition by subtraction. Garland Phelps has emerged as the starter behind the plate after hitting .360/.484/.560 (172 OPS+) in June, and Hanson's versatility allows the Saints the ability to cast a wider net on later upgrades. Hitting .281/.351/.401 (94 OPS+) in 74 games with the Cannons, Hanson was playing primarily left field, and is expected to spend about two-thirds of his time there and one-third at third. The speedy Hanson picked up 20 extra base hits, 11 steals, and 31 runs, posting a positive 30-to-17 walk-to-strikeout ratio.The trade capped off a five and a half season tenure in the Queen City, as Hanson gathered more then twice as many plate appearances with the Cannons (3,230) as he did with the Stars (1,489). Interestingly, he hit a similar .292/.336/.423 (111 OPS+) with the Cannons, not far off from the .293/.334/.416 (113 OPS+) he hit in parts of four seasons in New York. Cincinnati did well in bringing in Babe Booth, who has grown along way since being selected in the 7th Round of the 1953 draft. Just 17, he held his own against much older competition in the UMVA, and he opened the 1958 season as the #7 prospect in baseball. Now 22, he was hitting .292/.361/.421 (107 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 19 RBIs in 43 games for the Saints' Class A affiliate. A 6'3'' middle infielder, Booth is projected to maintain averages over .300, with the potential to provide above average power as well. Right now the Cannons have Al Farmer at second, but with how bad they played in June (11-21) he could be on the way out too. Even if he survives the season, he's going to be 33 in September, and he'll offer little resistance once Booth hits his way up to the big leagues. Things were quiet for a bit on the trade front, but there was plenty of drama on the field. The first place Dynamos got swept to start the second half, dropping all three in Chicago against the Chiefs. Detroit then lost two of three in St. Louis, and after two more losses to the Minutemen the Dynamos five game lead was completely erased. St. Louis technically had the edge as 48-39 (.552) is better then 49-40 (.551), and Boston (48-41) was a game back of both. These two teams were able to take down Detroit with head-to-head wins, allowing the pennant race to heat up. Another sell-off from the Cannons to heat the stove back up, as on the 23rd they made what would be the second of many deadline moves. Shipping out someone they just picked up last deadline, the struggling Joe Quade (3-6, 5.44, 44) was sent to the Sailors for a pair of prospects. The Sailors have a nice 1-2- with Bud Henderson and George Reynolds, but the rest of the staff has trouble keeping runs off the board. Quade is the type of veteran the Sailors like attempting to fix, and he gives them a durable arm out of the pen or rotation as they search for better pitching. He was at little cost too, but 1956 5th Rounder Whitey Young could be a guy that fills some sort of role on a big league staff. A four pitch pitcher, Young functioned as a swingman for the Sailors A-ball team, going 4-2 with 3 saves and 2 holds in 21 appearances (7 starts). Young worked to a 2.28 ERA (171 ERA+), 3.19 FIP (81 FIP-), and 1.32 WHIP in 71 impressive innings. His stuff isn't great, but he generates a lot of ground balls, and a new organization may be able to improve the quality of his pitches. Cincinnati continued to sell, sending veteran starter Jimmy Block (8-9, 3.97, 82) to Detroit, reliever Denny Cecil (4-3, 1, 5.04, 44) to the Kansas City, young stopper John Gibson (3-6, 13, 2.76, 17) to St. Louis, and finally veteran outfielder Max Conrad (.347, 4, 18, 1) to Montreal. None of the prospects received come close to Babe Booth, but the Gibson trade brought in a pair of exciting top-200 prospects. I prefer John Power, who ranked 128th at the time of the trade and was traded a year and a day ago in the huge Rex Pilcher blockbuster. Power has gone from throw-in to co-headliner, as the switch hitting second basemen has displayed excellent plate discipline for his age. The 21-year-old drew walks in 13.6% of his plate appearances after joining the Pioneers, and was at a similar 11.9% in 88 PAs this year. The issue with Power, however, is a lot of his other offensive talents are speculative, as he's not yet hitting for a high average or a lot of power. With patience, both could come, but right now he has a long journey ahead of him. Dale Arter, a 22-year-old lefty hitter was one of Power's teammates in Moline, and seems likely to join his trademate in Burlington. A former 2nd Round Pick, he once ranked as high as 68th in the league's prospect list, but he's all the way down to 163rd at the time of the trade. He's a big kid with an above average hit tool, but injuries have already started to see him shift from the outfield to first. Both are high ceiling, low floor players, and it's an interesting approach for the team to take. And then there was Pete Rivera, who despite being part of the trade for arguably the worst of the players moved, he could be the best of the prospects received. The 24-year-old made 16 starts for the Saints AA team, going 6-8 with a 2.71 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 51 walks, and 69 strikeouts. A former 2nd Round Pick, he had a few brief appearances on the back-half of the top 100. More of a back-end starter, Rivera has FABL quality stuff, he just doesn't always locate it well. As a groundballer, he doesn't make many home run mistakes, but he did have some issues (24 HR, 1.0 HR/9) in AA last season. With the young righties deep six pitch mix, he can give hitters fits, and if the Cannons continue to deal from their FABL talent, he could quickly pitch his way into their rotation picture. On the buy side, Kansas City was one of the more active teams, as the reigning Continental pennant winners made a considered effort to upgrade their roster and support their repeat attempt. Before picking up Cecil from the Cannons, they added shortstop Red Ellis (.233, 10, 32, 7), who has been one of the least valuable position players the past few seasons. The 31-year-old is a career .234/.300/.314 (68 OPS+) hitter and has been a sub-replacement player in what could be four consecutive seasons. It's a somewhat puzzling acquisition considering the poor performance, but the Kings haven't got much from their middle infield and a change of scenery could do him well. He's already matched his career high for homers in 91 games, and considering the depth in the Kings lineup they just need him to not be worse at the plate then their pitchers. They were even willing to part with Larry McLaren, a 21-year-old catcher in Class B, they took 15th in 1955. Ranked outside the top 200 prospect list, he has hit a solid .321/.434/.580 (156 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 13 homers, and 56 RBIs in 332 trips to the plate. He has good power and a good eye, and the Kings seem confident with Dutch Miller as catcher now and in the future. Completing their deadline with a blockbuster on the 30th, the first place Kings (57-41) managed to pry Eddie Web from the Stars, sending five prospects to LA for their 25-year-old ace. Taken 6th Overall in 1950, Webb was in the midst of a breakout season, working to a 2.95 ERA (156 ERA+) and 3.20 FIP (76 FIP-) in 23 starts as a Star. An unlucky 6-9, he had an excellent 1.27 WHIP with 48 walks and 101 strikeouts in 155.2 innings pitched. Named to the All-Star game for the first time in his career, Webb appeared to be a longterm piece for the rebuilding Stars, instead thrust into a rotation with multiple Allen winners and pennant aspirations. By adding this sinkerballer, KC made a huge statement with this acquisition, as Webb has started to flash ace potential. The stuff isn't great, but he has excellent control, allowing him to try to get batters to chase early in the count knowing he can place a strike if he needs to. A groundballer like him could be better served we a better defensive middle infield, but with plenty of run support Webb has a chance to flip his record. Leading the prospect package was 74th ranked prospect John Essex, who was joined by LF Emil Grenier, 1B Ed Sharp, 3B Eddie Westfall, and RHP Earl Wright. Whether all the "Es" were on purpose or not is up for debate, but among the group Essex seems the most likely to develop into a FABL regular. Just 19, the versatile outfielder was taken 15th by the Kings last season, and he was playing well down in Class B for their Tampa affiliate. Spending most of his time at the hot corner, Essex hit a productive .297/.437/.418 (118 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, and 29 runs scored. A 40-to-19 walk-to-strikeout rate fueled his 130 WRC+, and he drew a walk in over 20% of his 199 trips to the plate. He hasn't shown much power so far, but scouts think he could hit 30 or more in a season, so it's clear why he was targeted. With a nice swing, good discipline, positional versatility, and a ton of power, he's even got some speed too, making him a well-rounded prospect who seems likely to contribute to their future plans. Essex wasn't the only first rounder involved, as LA also got Kansas City's 1st Round pick from 1953, Emil Greiner. A towering 6'4'' slugger, Greiner has yet to pass the low minors, and would need to be protected in the Rule-5 draft this coming offseason. Ranked inside the top 200, but outside the top 100, Greiner is a bat first prospect who still doesn't have the discipline portion of the game figured out yet. He's got the strength and power to hit a lot of home runs, but he just has not made enough contact yet to provide meaningful production. Despite his age, he hit just .319/.380/.410 (101 OPS+) in 85 games, not good enough for a guy who can only play left or first. And play is using the term loosely. But what does work in his favor is his makeup, as teammates love Greiner and he makes the players around him better. A good organizational pieces like that is huge, and the Stars can be patient with his development from here on out. Earl Wright was the only pitcher in the deal, and the well traveled righty will leave the Kings organization almost eight months after they signed him. The 23-year-old ranked 249th among FABL prospects at the time of the trade, and made 16 of his 19 starts with Class A Springfield. The former Miner 15th Round Pick was an even 6-6 with a 3.93 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 51 walks, and 84 strikeouts. He has solid pure stuff, mixing in four solid pitches, but his command isn't always good. He'll need to polish that up to fill a starting spot, but he's got a chance to break into a rotation. Sharp and Westfall don't rank highly as prospects, but they were 4th and 2nd Round picks. Sharp was taken back in 1953, and seems destined for minor league filler, but Westfall still projects to be a bench piece. Taken in last year's draft, he went through three levels last year, and hit .263/.377/.407 (110 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 7 homers, and 40 RBIs prior to the trade. The last major move of deadline season came on the day of, as the only trade involving FABL players was a big one. An immediate response to the Kings adding Webb, Montreal picked up 25-year-old Jim Montgomery from the Wolves for a pair of top 100 prospects. Montgomery, who led the Conti in losses last season, was outstanding in his 21 starts this year, going 13-8 with a 3.86 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 39 walks, and 97 strikeouts. That 2.5 K/BB was among tops in the league, and the only thing hurting "Three-Pitch Monte" this year was the longball. He surrendered 23 in 158.2 innings, but a move to the Parc Cartier should help keep those under control. A fan favorite who will be missed in Toronto, Montgomery solidifies a rotation that has been plagued with inconsistency. With 723 FABL innings under his belt, he's more established then your regular 25-year-old hurler, and his 3.80 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP are pretty impressive. Even better, he has a 3.43 FIP (85 FIP-) and 2.6 K/BB, starting 75 of his 173 appearances with Toronto. Montreal had to pay a pretty penny, parting with last year's 10th overall pick Phil Story, who jumped all the way up to #33 on the prospect list. Just 19, he was hitting a respectable .236/.425/.371 (85 OPS+) in 24 games, showcasing a patient approach and ability to draw a lot of walks. The power is decent now too, but when he fills out he'll hit for above average power. He's got star power potential, and with Gordie Perkins' age and John Wells never quite mastering defense, shortstop is wide open now and in the future. Story isn't the greatest defender, but the bat should be good enough to keep him in the lineup. Toronto also picked up 65th ranked prospect Wilson Pearson, who Montreal took 3rd in 1956. The 23-year-old was dominating in AAA for the Syracuse Excelsiors, 9-3 with a 2.65 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 42 walks, and 73 strikeouts. A three pitch pitcher, he profiles as a starter in the majors, but his stuff isn't quite good enough now. Toronto announced Pearson would take Montgomery's spot on the staff, as his new organization would like to see him pitch out of their pen. His slider and splitter should play well there, and if he can limit the need for his fastball, he could pitch really well for the Wolves down the stretch. *** Dynamos and Kings Step Up In Stretch Run *** When the trade deadline dust all settled, the fourth place teams in both associations were no more then five games out of first, setting up an exciting final two months of the season. In the Fed, Detroit (59-44) still led the pack, at least three and a half clear of the rest of the association. Boston (55-47), St. Louis (55-48), and the Chiefs (53-47) were all in reach, but those teams wouldn't get to face the Dynamos too much. Only the Pioneers get more then two games, a series in Detroit to start the month and one in St. Louis towards the end, so any misstep against lesser competition could prove costly. It was similar in the Conti, where Kansas City (58-41) trying to keep Montreal (57-43) in the rear view mirror. Cleveland (54-46) and San Francisco (54-47) are one bad series away from falling out, but there should be plenty of excitement as we look to crown the 1958 champion.Detroit took advantage of the easy schedule, as after taking two of three from the Pioneers to kick off August they won series with the Miners, Keystones, Miners again, and Gothams before their next contest with St. Louis. The only two series the Dynamos didn't win, they split, matching the Gothams in New York and the Chiefs in Chicago. When they got to St. Louis, they were nine clear of the Pioneers (63-57) and Minutemen (62-56), with the Chiefs (62-57) a half game behind them. It's a good thing too, as the Pioneers won two one-run games before Win Lewis (6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K) and Bill Kline (2.2 IP, 3 BB, K) combined for a 7-0 shutout. This allowed them and the Minutemen, who swept the Keystones, to come within six, as the Dynamos headed to Boston for two with the Minutemen. This time the Dynamos were on the right side of things, edging Boston 2-1 in 11 on Sunday before Jim Norris' (9 IP, 6 H, BB, 5 K) 6-hit shutout allowed the guests to escape with a mini two game sweep. Detroit went on to win five of their next six, finishing August a Fed best 19-8. St. Louis played well, 16-11 in August and 4-2 against Detroit, so it's unfair they opened the final month of the season seven games out of first. September will be a critical month, and starting out with winning their two home series is a month. After that it's thirteen on the road, with just three home games after an off-day on September 8th. This could be a legacy month for 6-Time All-Star Jerry Smith, who hit an impressive .368/.461/.653 (185 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 6 homers, 24 RBIs, 17 runs, and 18 walks in August. They'll have their work cut out for them, but with the association's top pitching staff thanks to their young breakout rookies Billy Hasson and Frenchy Mack. Boston (68-60) and Chicago (68-61) are both within ten, but it will be tough for any of these three teams to make a miracle run. Things looked dire in the Continental, as no team was within ten games of the first place Kansas City Kings (81-49). Montreal (71-60) finished below .500 for the month, allowing the red hot Foresters (71-59) to sneak past them, but it would take a lot for Rufus Barrell, Adrian Czerwinski, and Sherry Doyal to overtake a Kansas City club that could go on and lead the association in runs scored and allowed. The Eddie Webb trade paid instant dividends, as the deadline pickup was a perfect 5-0 with a 3.08 ERA (136 ERA+) and 41 strikeouts in his seven August starts. Hank Williams continues to be the star, hitting 13 doubles, 6 homers, 24 walks, and 28 runs scored and driven in to go with his .381/.486/.695 (204 OPS+) batting line. As expected, the Dynamos cruised to the finish, going 17-7 in September. The 796 runs they scored were most in the Fed, as surprise Whitney runner up Dick Tucker had a crazy breakout season that would have been good enough for the award had he been the starter all season. Tucker hit an excellent .355/.449/.615 (175 OPS+), with his .449 OBP the highest in the Fed. In 602 PAs he logged 90 runs, 30 doubles, 3 triples, 32 homers, 120 RBIs, 82 walks, and a 7.4 WAR, emerging as yet another star on an already loaded Dynamo team. He's joined by Joe Reed (.282, 28, 108, 6), Stan Kleminski (.290, 6, 76, 19), Dick Estes (.265, 18, 63), Edwin Hackberry (.272, 18, 62, 23), Dan Smith (.262, 15, 70), and Bill Morrison (.316, 15, 57, 5) in the deepest lineup out there. They were able to overcome multiple injuries during the season, and when they went to the bench guys like Pat Petty (.341, 6, 23) and Ralph Johnson (.295, 5, 18) did well when called upon. The staff had no injuries, with the top four in their rotation making 129 of the 154 (83.8%) of the team's starts. The rest went to either Bob Allen (12-6, 13, 4.19, 81) or deadline pickup Jimmy Block (4-4, 4.99, 30; 12-13, 4.26, 112), though the 1958 Federal Association pennant winners skip their five whenever they can. Jack Miller (10-10, 4.46, 110) endured a down year, posting an ERA above 3.75 for the first time since 1950, but the top three were as effective as ever. In the postseason, that's really all you need, as Detroit will turn to Jim Norris (20-10, 3.32, 144), Paul Anderson (21-9, 3.52, 123), and Jack Halbur (11-11, 3.58, 93) in their title quest. Aside from Allen and John Herron (7-6, 10, 4.99, 23), the Dynamos don't use their pen much, as second year manager Verlin Alexander is able to trust his workhorses to pitch good enough with the ample run support they receive from the dangerous lineup. Three other teams finished with more then 80 wins, all of which might think they're a shrewd offseason away from taking the pennant for themselves. Boston (82-72) finished a game ahead of the Chiefs (81-73) and Pioneers (81-73). A balanced attack, Boston has a solid lineup and rotation, with the rotation finally developing a star to match. A full season starter for the first time at 21, Don Griffin led the Fed with a 2.78 ERA (150 ERA+), 64 FIP- (2.69 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, and 8.3 WAR. An All-Star swingman last season, Griffin proved last season was no fluke, as he finished 16-13 in his 35 starts with 56 walks and 191 strikeouts in 246 innings pitched. Despite the records, Griffin, Foster Sherman (12-11, 3.65, 140), and Dick Wilson (11-10, 4.10, 105) all pitched well, and the Minutemen may just be one starter away from a pennant. They played well even with a relative down season from Marshall Thomas (.294, 18, 58), George Rutter (.276, 12, 42), and Leon Wallace (.263, 9, 32). Sam Walker (.303, 22, 86) had a huge season behind the plate as Rick Masters (.326, 33, 99) and Jack Denis (.346, 27, 96) continued to be among the most productive sluggers in the game. This team will be trouble next season, and if stopper Bob Hollister (6-5, 14, 2.55, 35) can live up to his prospect billing, they may have a Don Griffin type breakout on their hands again next season. Al Miller did not make it five consecutive elite seasons, and the now 43-year-old righty even led the Fed with 21 losses. His 4.21 ERA (99 ERA+) was below average for the first time since 1953, but his 3.68 FIP (88 FIP-) adds to the fact that Miller might have been the most unlucky pitcher in the league. He still struck out 112 and walked just 61, throwing 245.2 innings across 36 starts. The mentor of the staff has now been passed by Vern Osborne (19-8, 2.87, 150), who was selected to his 3rd All-Star game in a bounce-back campaign. Offseason pickup Dick Champ (19-9, 3.54, 128) and last year's 20-game winner Joe Cipolla (11-15, 3.53, 174) are ready to pass their master next season, as the Chiefs have a talented young rotation to lean on. Rod Shearer (.287, 26, 120, 9) may never get his Whitney, but he continues to be the best bat in the lineup. Doc Zimmerman (.323, 16, 67, 9) and Ed Bloom (.314, 7, 63, 23) were just as good, if not better, and with one more bat they could be the one to overtake the Dynamos next season. St. Louis will instead hope its them, as they finished above .500 for the first time since 1952. They did it on the backs of the best pitching in the association, as Billy Hasson went from 89th ranked prospect to Allen Award winner. A 5th Rounder back in 1955, Hasson got a cup of coffee out of the pen last season, and went on to stymie Federal hitters all season long. Finishing 15-11, Hasson threw an association high 282.1 innings, striking out 185 and walking 96 with a 3.03 ERA (139 ERA+), 3.30 FIP (78 FIP-), and 1.21 WHIP. Just 24, the five-pitch pitcher has emerged as a weapon on the mound, and OSA ranks him among the ten best pitchers in the game. He was the driving force, but all five members of the rotation had above average ERAs, and they got another young breakout arm in Frenchy Mack. Showing signs of Hal Hackney, Mack led the Fed with 253 strikeouts, though it came with 22 homers and 130 walks in 238.2 innings pitched. An even 13-13, the third-year lefty had a 3.70 ERA (114 ERA+), 3.59 FIP (85 FIP-), and 1.41 WHIP, and is already regarded as a leader in the Pioneer clubhouse. Former Sailor vets John Thomas Johnson (8-6, 3.21, 76) and Win Lewis (12-6, 3.86, 89) were reliable and now 22-year-old righty Butch Abrams (12-11, 4.09, 144) could be a season away from joining Hasson and Mack atop the rotation. What's holding back St. Louis is the offense, as only the Miners (679) scored less runs then the Pioneers (680) did this year. Outfielder Jerry Smith can be built around, as he had a 147 WRC+ and hit .292/.394/.536 (139 OPS+) on the season. The former fifth overall pick and prospect was a counting stat king, picking up 109 runs, 30 doubles, 33 homers, 104 RBNIs, 94 walks, and 14 steals in 150 games. This is exactly the type of hitter St. Louis wanted when they sent a five prospect package to the Cougars to acquire him. He doesn't have much protection in the lineup, but rookie center fielder Bill Bather (.272, 17, 90) was a unique leadoff hitter and Larry Gregory (.287, 12, 76, 6) keeps going at 35. Otis Ballard (.278, 9, 58, 8) and Sam Ruggles (.311, 11, 60) are nice supplemental pieces, but they are a big bopper away from really making some noise. Pittsburgh may have finished 76-78 this season, but Miners fans must have been thrilled with the vintage season turned in by Paul Williams. The then 31-year-old vet hit an elite .326/.433/.632 (170 OPS+), leading the Fed in runs (111), doubles (44), homers (40), RBIs (138), slugging, OPS (1.066), WRC+ (182), and wOBA (.454) in what should have been a Whitney Winning season. A major breakout, he set personal bests for doubles, homers, runs, hits (181), slugging, OPS, WRC+, wOBA, and WAR (7.2). Even more impressive, he did this on the lowest scoring offense, as no one could really do much to help him. Irv Clifford (.312, 1, 40, 20) was solid atop the lineup, while the Miners' outfielders did plenty of damage. Bill Tutwiler (.301, 7, 55, 10) showed no signs of injury, offseason pickup Frank Selander (.310, 6, 37, 2) was useful in a reserve role, and Bill Newhall (.282, 13, 79) continued to provide Pittsburgh with above average offense. That's not enough there, especially considering breakout 35-year-old Sid Moulton (20-10, 3.06, 146) was their only competent starter, but they may have another starter on the way in their young high leverage righty George Kollock (6-1, 5, 3.63, 49). Instead of Williams, the Whitney went to Buddy Miller, who won his third at 28. Leading the league in just average, WAR (7.8), and hits (215), Miller slashed .366/.421/.595 (166 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 11 triples, 29 homers, 105 RBIs, and 107 runs. While solid, it seems to pale in comparison to "The Spark Plug," and Miller played for a last place team that won just 62 games. Miller did help facilitate scoring, but top to bottom the lineup was actually pretty solid. Al Coulter (.274, 25, 80), Sal Nigro (.279, 13, 41), Lloyd Coulter (.244, 32, 96), Ed Thompson (.308, 13, 79), Armando Estrada (.288, 14, 59), and Tom Cooprider (.272, 10, 48) all had above average offensive seasons. This is a nice foundation for a lineup, and if the Keystones ever stop trading their pitchers, they could finally compete with their three-time winner. They'll need to hold on to 24-year-old William Davis (11-6, 3.71, 113), who was one of the few starters who game the Keystones good starts all season, but I wouldn't be overly surprised if they shipped out offseason pickup Jim Heitzman (8-16, 4.64, 102). He had a rough season at 29, and they have a 23-year-old in Charlie Rushing (7-17, 15, 5.98, 73) who could move from stopper to the rotation. With better seasons from him, Heitzman, and 19-year-old rookie Joe Kienle (8-13, 4.78, 114), perhaps the Keystones can be a surprise contender as Buddy Miller approaches 30. Despite making big additions and a roster full of stars, the New York Gothams were a disappointing 76-78, as Earl Howe (.249, 30, 103, 8) was merely above average and not his normal elite. Hank Estill (.291, 33, 110) and Bill Barrett (.359, 22, 55) kept slugging, as the trio still managed to lead the team to a second place finish in runs scored. Ed Holmes (.295, 11, 67, 13), Rex Pilcher (.253, 28, 86), and Lew Mercer (.287, 20, 80, 6) all impressed at the plate, but the pitching let the team down. Ace Jorge Arellano (12-12, 4.06, 129) was merely average, as was Eddie Martin (13-6, 3.99, 107), while offseason pickups Lou Walker (10-10, 4.96, 79) and Sam Ivey (7-8, 2, 4.87, 77) were total duds. Knowing the Gothams, they'll do something to improve their chances for 1959. That leaves just the Eagles, who improved on their 1957 record by 12 wins. Going from 51-103 to 63-91 got them out of last place, a game clear of the Keystones at the bottom. On the bright side, their young talent is starting to emerge, as 24-year-old outfielder Jim Baccari was named the Fed's Kellogg Winner. The 1952 2nd Rounder hit a respectable .298/.370/.468 (118 OPS+) with a 128 WRC+, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 20 homers, and 94 RBIs. He's not the only young player to play a key role, as last year's Kellogg winner Brad Keylon (.323, 7, 71) was selected to his second All-Star game, 22-year-old outfielder Jack Thompson (.320, 12, 75) provided above average offense and defense, and first year starter Enos Bailey (.317, 7, 59) might have earned himself the first base job long-term. The pitching staff is a complete mess, but help could soon be on the horizon with 19-year-old lefty Otto Caudill. Ranked as the 12th best prospect, he pitched a pair of September games for the Eagles, and has already flashed elite stuff at the big level. He's got ace potential and may already be the best starter on the team, but it's going to take a lot more then just one quality starter before the Eagles are taken seriously by the rest of the association. *** Kings Had Easy Path to Flag *** Montreal managed to get within five games of Kansas City, but it never really felt like the Kings were in any danger of losing the lead this time around. Finishing 91-63 and seven ahead of the next best, the Kings were clearly the best team in the association. Scoring the most runs (833) and allowing the fewest (652), it's no surprise they finished on top, and a lot of that can be attributed to Hank Williams. Despite playing just 138 games, Williams was named the Whitney Winner for 1958, but it's hard to argue with selecting a guy who hit .387/.471/.647 (188 OPS+) with 40 doubles, 29 homers, 109 RBIs, 117 runs, and a 85-to-32 walk-to-strikeout ratio. That alone is enough to make a grown pitcher cry, but he has Bryan Jeffries (..265, 19, 72, 6) and Charlie Rogers (.330, 17, 87, 18) ahead of him and Ken Newman (.334, 24, 129) and Dutch Miller (.262, 14, 84) behind him. Deadline pickup Red Ellis (.256, 2, 17; .239, 12, 49, 7) didn't do much, but their other add Eddie Webb is a huge reason they held on this time around.Webb ended up leading the CA with a 2.86 ERA in his 239.1 innings between the Kings and Stars, and he really turned things up after the trade. In those 11 starts the first-time All-Star was 7-2 with a 2.69 ERA (141 ERA+), 3.20 FIP (76 FIP-), 1.11 WHIP, 20 walks, and 54 strikeouts. The rotation was already filled with stars prior to Webb's arrival, as Beau McClellan (17-14, 3.48, 196), Mike Thorpe (14-12, 3.34, 110), Tony Britten (12-9, 3.76, 99), and Fred Washington (9-10, 4.21, 143) already occupied it. In the pen, Kansas City received surprisingly dominant production from offseason addition Gordon McDonald (7-2, 4, 2.92, 48), who outpitched stopper Larry Rush (3-6, 10, 4.14, 21) late in games. Detroit has had their number, already foiling the Kings championship dreams twice, but this team has a ton of talent and could finally best their boogeyman. The Saints gave it their all, even if they fell short, and should be excited for what could come next season. Deadline pickup Jim Montgomery (7-3, 3.40, 56; 20-11, 3.69, 153) went on to lead the CA in wins, and he and Phil Murry (15-16, 3.51, 129) are starting to form the foundation of a quality rotation. Veterans Jackie James (14-11, 4.00, 93) and Tom Fisher (12-12, 4.06, 99) provided quality back-end starts while swingman Bob Haverhill (7-8, 1, 3.67, 77) was useful out of the pen and rotation. The lineup could use some work, but they have a decent front four in John Fast (.268, 16, 43), Jim Johnston (.281, 12, 41), Harry Swain (.313, 25, 77) and Art Robbins (.266, 13, 92, 6), but aside from Swain it's more supplemental pieces then stars. Vets Joe Austin (.256, 5, 54, 17) and Bill Elkins (.265, 4, 68) are both useful even at 34, and in a full season they may be able to get more from Ralph Hanson (.286, 2, 31, 9; .284, 4, 63, 20). Montreal is still waiting for their first title since 1921, but they at least finished second for the first time in over 35 years. Cleveland had a slow finish, but they got another Allen winning season from Rufus Barrell. The 41-year-old legend followed up his 22 win campaign last season by going 19-11 with a 3.29 ERA (129 ERA+), 2.88 FIP (67 FIP-), and 1.14 WHIP with 189 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 287.1 innings pitched. Rufus led the Conti in WHIP, K/BB (5.1), FIP- and WAR (9.2), and he became the 15th pitcher to win 300 FABL games. With 312 he's 12th All-Time, and with another 20-win season he could enter the top-five. The 11-Time All-Star should be able to lead Cleveland on another playoff push, but he'll need a little more help from his friends. For the second straight season Adrian Czerwinski (16-14, 3.71, 193) has had a ERA+ of 115 or below despite a 75 FIP-, as the durable co-ace put together another quality FABL campaign. John Jackson (8-8, 3.58, 117) was a stabilizing force in the rotation, and after an excellent season as a high leverage guy Frank Young (16-8, 7, 2.68, 81) may get another chance in the rotation. The offense is never the issue, with Sherry Doyal (.310, 24, 108, 8) once again providing the Foresters with an impressive offensive season. John Low (.266, 14, 75) took a big step back, posting his first career sub-100 OPS+ (96), but Hal Kennedy (.303, 27, 95) and Rudy Minton (.311, 11, 54) picked up the slack. Tom Carr (.279, 6, 67, 8) and Otis O'Keefe (.263, 13, 65) supplemented Doyal well in the outfield. One more pitcher could do the trick, but a pitcher and hitter may do the trick if they want to stop this tough Kings team. A surprise finisher above .500, the Chicago Cougars used a solid August (17-12) to propel them to their first winning season since 1952. At 81-73, they were just a game behind the Foresters for third, as a very young team gave Cougars Park hope for the first time in many years. It all starts with top-20 prospect Jerry McMillan, who took home the Cougar's second Kellogg in team history. A former 6th Pick from Canada, the 21-year-old rookie hit a solid .311/.357/.471 (117 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 18 steals, 76 runs, and 78 RBIs. A talented defensive right fielder (9.3 ZR, 1.079 EFF), McMillan has the toolset to be a franchise cornerstone, and he's already shown natural leadership abilities in his first season. Another cornerstone could be fellow rookie Jack Gibson (.246, 27, 68), who at 23 hit 27 homers as the Cougars starting shortstop. Buddy Byrd (.291, 43, 45) led the Conti for the third time in five seasons, Dave Rathbone (.292, 14, 59) did decent in year one as a starter, and second year catcher Stan Czerwinski (.258, 22, 61) continued to supply the Cougars with excellent defense and power. Chicago's lineup has a lot of room to grow, and could use a big bat in the middle, but the rotation is starting to take form. Top-100 prospect Grant Davis had a breakout rookie season, as the 23-year-old finished 16-9 with a 3.06 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts in 32 starts. A former 2nd Round Pick, he has a nice slider and he locates all three of his pitches well. His 7.2 BB% in 208.2 innings was among the best in the league, and his sinker should keep the ball inside Cougars Park. His emergence countered ace Pug White's (16-14, 4.23, 160) regression. They got a quality season from Ollie Norris (14-13, 3.66, 121), 21-year-old John Mitchell (14-10, 4.34, 148) showed promise as a rookie out of the rotation, and Hank Walker (7-6, 3.37, 71) did well in the rotation and out of the pen. Consistent save leader David Molina's replacement Arch Wilson (5-8, 25, 3.82, 73) led the Conti in saves for the second consecutive season, and the staff almost looked like a Cougar staff of old. With a deep system and a lot of young talent, they are going to be an interesting team to watch as they look to snap their title-less streak before it reaches 30. The Continental's lesser half all finished below .500, with none of the finishes more surprising the Cincinnati Cannons. After finishing with 87 wins last season they went and made multiple offseason additions, acquiring talented young starter Doc Clay (8-10, 3.93, 104), outstanding defensive shortstop Willie Watson (.229, 6, 51), and Hal Miller (9-16, 4.46, 158) in an effort to return to the postseason. Of course, they never got going and even sold at the deadline, as the team couldn't prevent or score runs all season. The lone bright spot was reigning Whitney Winner Dallas Berry, who hit an excellent .302/.423/.542 (147 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 30 homers, 90 RBIs, 100 runs, and 113 walks. Obviously it wasn't quite as impressive as his absurd season last year (.315, 45, 111), but he was at least effective. His sidekicks Fred Lainhart (.262, 8, 41, 12) and Johnny Elliot (.259, 11, 58) saw their WRC+ drop below 90, and they just did not have the depth in the lineup to make up for it. Al Farmer (.275, 11, 64) was the only guy other then Berry to have a WRC+ above 100 in at least 100 games, and with their pitching that wasn't nearly enough. Clay had a nice first season in Cincinnati, working to a 3.93 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.38 WHIP in 33 starts, giving them a quality #2 behind Jake Pearson (7-11, 3.53, 87). Paul Williams (8-4, 13, 3.39, 56) stepped in expertly after John Gibson (3-6, 13, 2.76, 17; 6-9, 18, 2.69, 36) went to St Louis at the deadline. With how aggressive they were then, players could continue to leave in the offseason, as GM Henry Myles will have the choice of continuing to rebuild or look to win in 1959. LA is thinking more about if 1959 will finally be the season Charlie Barrell (.310, 20, 73) stops getting hurt, as "The Heartbreak Kid" fractured his thumb in June and miss a few weeks. The star of the worst lineup in the league, just Parson Allen (.286, 10, 49) and Joe Cook (.260, 23, 73) had WRC+ above 100, and neither were within ten of Charlie's 131. On the mound, veteran Pete Ford (14-7, 3.49, 111) provided a huge boost to his trade value, while 22-year-old Floyd Warner could quickly replicate the production Eddie Webb provided before he left (6-9, 2.95, 101). A former 3rd Round Pick of the Dynamos back in 1954, Warner came over in the trade that sent Fed win leader Paul Anderson (21-9, 3.52, 123) to Detroit in the '55 new year blockbuster. A first time All-Star, Warner made 24 starts and 16 relief appearances, finishing 12-14 with 2 saves, a 3.28 ERA (127 ERA+), and 1.27 WHIP. He struck out 112 and walked just 58 in 186.1 innings pitched, and has emerged as a quality middle rotation arm. Three of his five pitches are plus offerings, and he's shown solid command in his youth. Stuck for another second division next season, LA will look for growth from guys like him, former second pick Lou Allen (.222, 4, 14), and their top ranked system. A guy to watch is Ralph Barrell, who the Stars took 2nd in the most recent draft. Son of Hall-of-Famer Bobby Barrell and relative of Charlie, Ralph is already a top-10 prospect who hit .283/.443/.394 (105 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 homers, 24 RBIs, and 62 walks in his professional debut. His potential is off the charts, and could rival his dad and Bill Barrett out in right field. Toronto finished a respectable 75-79, but young ace George Hoxworth (13-18, 4.18, 206) led the Conti in losses, walks (114), and strikeouts as his command wasn't as strong as it was last season. His BB% jumped from 7.6 to 9.3, and with a poor defense behind him the ERA looks much worse then it was, still two percent above average, Hoxworth had an excellent 3.66 FIP (86 FIP-). Still 10 points higher then last year, there are areas for him to work on if he wants to lead his team to a pennant race. He has help, starting with former 1st Rounder Whitey Stewart (15-10, 3.56, 147), who pitched his third 4.5+ WAR season in the last four years. He's the guy pennant contenders want in the three or four, but he might be a little underqualified for the second spot. Still, he's the clear two without "Three Pitch Monte," and they could use someone to step up next season. That could be 24-year-old Wilson Pearson (3-3, 8, 1.95, 18), who came from Montreal in the Montgomery trade. He did a great job as the team's stopper, but pitched out of the rotation in AA and AAA for the Saints these past two seasons. His repertoire is still a work-in-progress, but he has the tools to develop into a solid starter. The lineup is thin, pretty much just Tom Reed (.318, 34, 106), so if Toronto wants to compete next year they may have to look outside their organization. 6th place housed the Sailors, who despite an excellent lineup, dominant top-two in the rotation, and +8 run differential, they finished ten games below .500. The issue wasn't the top of the rotation, Bud Henderson (20-16, 3.60, 183) and George Reynolds (16-14, 3.30, 149) were great, but the back three of Bob Wolf (3-10, 4.64, 55), Dan Atwater (6-16, 4.66, 98), and Duke Bybee (10-14, 4.71, 96) didn't get things done. It was a main reason they allowed the second most runs in the association, though aside from stopper Davey Chamberlain (8-7, 16, 3.77, 54) no one in the pen stood out. The lineup was much better, as catcher Dick Hunt came out of nowhere in year four. Generally a backup, the former Kings 4th Rounder came to the Sailors for two pitchers after a season in Montreal. It was looking like a win for Montreal, who have gotten good use out of Jackie James and just added Red Blanchard to their 40, but Hunt almost crushed his minor league home run totals with 32 in 543 trips to the plate. Hunt drove in 107 runs and hit .265/.343/.508 (120 OPS+), giving Bill Guthrie (.284, 29, 97) some pop in a talented lineup. All-Star Carlos Jaramillo (.332, 6, 44, 8) was in the midst of a major breakout before a broken bone in his elbow ended his season, as Jaramillo was worth 5.6 WAR in 101 games with a 131 WRC+ and 20.5 zone rating (1.132 EFF). Sailors fans will hope that the injury doesn't impact him long-term, as he has all the tools to be the best shortstop in the league. The lineup was deep enough to keep scoring without him, as San Fran got good seasons from Herbert Crawford Jr. (.286, 9, 51), Ray Rogan (.301, 7, 73), and Bill Harbin (.267, 12, 50, 6). With better luck, they could have been one of the 80 game winners, and there a team to watch in 1959.  1958 World Championship Series Just as the Cleveland Foresters seem to have Detroit's number, beating the Dynamos twice in recent WCS matchups, the Motor City club seems to have the same power over the Kansas City Kings. Detroit and Kansas City have now squared off three times in the past five Fall Classics and the Dynamos have came out on top in all three, including this year's thrilling seventh game victory.ANOTHER TITLE FOR THE DYNAMOS The series win allows Detroit to join the Los Angeles Stars as the only franchises with 9 WCS victories. Each of the Stars titles came while the club was based in New York, and the Dynamos -who have won six pennants in the past seven years- now hold the outright lead in flags with 13 to their credit. All those WCS appearances have allowed Detroit players to take the all-time lead in many WCS categories as well. Edwin Hackberry is number one in career WCS hits with 50, and also leads the way with 12 doubles and 31 rbi's. Stan Kleminski leads in singles and at bats and shares the lead for most career WCS games with Hackberry and Detroit teammate Tommy Griffin, as each have played in 40 post-season contests. GAME ONE: DETROIT 8 KANSAS CITY 2 The series opened in Kansas City and the hosts took an early 2-0 lead in a second inning keyed by a Charlie Rogers triple but Dynamos starter Jim Norris would allow just one more Kings hit the rest of the way. Meanwhile the Detroit bats heated up, scoring once in the fourth on a Norris single and twice in the fifth when they strung together four hits. The contest stayed close until the Dynamos broke it open with five runs in the eighth inning to chase Kansas City starter Beau McClellan. The big blows in the big inning came from a two-run triple off the bat of Edwin Hackberry followed by Stan Kleminski's rbi double. GAME TWO: KANSAS CITY 8 DETROIT 2 The second game also finished with an 8-2 score but this time the hosts were the victorious as the Kings belted out 14 hits and were treated to some terrific mound work from mid-season pickup Eddie Webb. The 26-year-old former Los Angeles Star went 8 innings and allowed just two runs on four Detroit hits. Meanwhile another former Star, Detroit's Paul Anderson, had all kinds of trouble and did not survive the fifth inning. Bryan Jeffress had 3-hits out of the lead-off spot for Kansas City but it was three homeruns that made the difference with Hank Williams, Dutch Miller and Red Ellis all going deep for the Kings. GAME THREE: DETROIT 11 KANSAS CITY 1 A third straight rout as the Dynamos returned to Thompson Field and took a two games to one series lead with an 11-1 victory. Jack Halbur went the distance for the Dynamos, scattering five hits. Meanwhile, Kansas City starter Tony Britten was out of the game in the second inning after allowing 5 Detroit runs including 3 homers. Edwin Hackberry and Bill Morrison went deep off Britten in the first and catcher Dan Smith homered in the second. GAME FOUR: KANSAS CITY 4 DETROIT 2 Early indications were that game four was going to be another high scoring affair as each club plated a run in the opening frame even with a pair of former Allan Award winners on the mound. Jack Miller retired the first two Kings hitters he faced but an error by shortstop Joe Reed allowed Hank Williams to reach base and Ken Newman followed with a triple to drive in the opening run of the game. Detroit answered quickly to tie the game in the home half after Fred Washington walked Stan Kleminski on a full count pitch that was followed by a Dick Tucker single and an rbi ground out from Reed.The Kings second triple in as many innings, this one off the bat of Chuck Lewis, gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the second inning. Both pitchers would settle down and the score remained 2-1 until the fourth inning when the Kings extended their lead on a Bryan Jeffress rbi hit that scored Chuck Lewis, who had drawn a 1-out walk. That put Kansas City ahead 3-1 and the damage could have been greater but Red Ellis was throw out at third trying to advance from first on the Jeffress single to end the inning. Edwin Hackberry smacked a solo homerun in the fifth inning to move Detroit back to within a single run but that would be as close as the Dynamos would get as Hank Williams rounded out the scoring with an rbi double, driving in Bob Burge who had been hit by a Miller offering, in the 7th to restore the Kings two run lead and round out the scoring. GAME FIVE: DETROIT 9 CLEVELAND 7 The series was now a best of three and the game one starters - Detroit's Jim Norris and Beau McClellan of Kansas City- squared off once again. McClellan's struggles against the team that drafted him in game one were nothing compared to his problems on this day. Detroit sent 11 men to the plate in the first inning and scored seven times, chasing McClellan after just 2/3 of an inning. The big blow was a 3-run homer by Detroit's breakout young star Dick Tucker. There was no quit in the Kings, who battled back to make the score respectable with Hank Williams hitting his third homer of the series and Charlie Rogers having a four-hit game but the outcome was never in doubt as Detroit claimed a 9-7 victory. GAME SIX: KANSAS CITY 11 DETROIT 7 For two teams that prided themselves on quality pitching this series was incredibly out of character, and the high scoring trend continued with a wild sixth game as the series shifted back to Kansas City. The Kings Eddie Webb did survive the first inning without surrendering a run but the same could not be said for Detroit's Paul Anderson. Anderson had his troubles in absorbing a game two loss and they continued on this day as Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to singles off the bat of Hank Williams, Ken Newman and Dutch Miller.Detroit answered quickly as Joe Reed and Dick Estes each singled in the top of the second before Dan Smith smacked a 3-run homer to give the Dynamos the lead. It did not last as by the end of the fourth inning Anderson was off to the showers and the Kings led 7-3. A lead-off walk issued to Bryan Jeffress to start the Kansas City third was followed by back to back doubles from Bob Burge and Hank Williams to put the Kings ahead 4-3 and an inning later Williams hit another two-bagger, this one driving in two runs and ending Anderson's evening. The two clubs traded runs in the sixth inning before Detroit made it interesting when pinch-hitter Ralph Johnson blasted a 2-run homer in the top of the eighth to cut the Kings lead to 8-6. It became less interesting when Detroit's third pitcher of the day -Larry Beebe- allowed three consecutive solo homeruns to Hank Williams, Ken Newman and Dutch Miller in the bottom of the eighth. Detroit would add a run in the ninth but Kings reliever Del Lamb would close out the contest and force a game seven with an 11-7 victory. GAME SEVEN: DETROIT 5 KANSAS CITY 2 We were in this exact same spot when the Kings and Dynamos last met in 1955. Kansas City won game six only to come up just short in the seventh game. That contest was tense all the way through with the Dynamos needing extra innings to beat Kansas City for the second consecutive year.This one was less so but the end result was the same as the Detroit Dynamos once more were World Champions. The game, just like game five, was over almost before it began. Detroit did not score seven runs in the opening inning as they did two games ago but they did get five as Tony Britten managed to retire just one batter in his second start of the series. The first one for the 32-year-old two-time Allen Award winners was nearly as rough (Britten did not survive the second inning in an 11-1 game three loss). The writing was on the wall for Britten when Dynamos leadoff man Edwin Hackberry took the second pitch of the game over the right field wall for a 1-0 Detroit lead. Walks to Stan Kleminski and Joe Reed sandwiched around a Dick Tucker fly out created more trouble when Bill Morrison lined a single to plate Kleminski and then Dick Estes ended Britten's day with a 3-run homer to make the score 5-0. Detroit would not score another run during the game but did not need anymore as Dynamos starter Jack Halbur kept the Kings off the scoresheet until the sixth inning when Ken Newman hit a solo homer and Charlie Rogers added an rbi double to cut the Dynamos lead to 5-2. Halbur, who allowed just those 2 runs on 7 hits, gave way to Larry Beebe to close things out in the 9th inning and preserve the 5-2 Detroit victory. There were several solid choices for Most Valuable Player of the series including Kings Ken Newman (.455,3,5) and Hank Williams (.400,4,11) as well as Detroit shortstop Joe Reed (.357,0,7) but the choice was Edwin Hackberry (.419,3,8) who had a series high 13 hits, just two shy of Carlos Cano's 1930 record for a series. Williams four homers was one shy of Bobby Barrell's single WCS record 5 hit in the 1945 series and his 11 rbi's was the second most ever in a single series, trailing just Charlie Berry's 13 rbi's in the 1934 series.  FABL OFF-SEASON Fresh off their fourth title in seven years, the Detroit Dynamos shocked the baseball world by trading away three major pieces of their core.Now you might be thinking, "why would a champion do something like this?" Especially once you consider the final player traded. But the thought process was clear: this is a deep team with a lot of talent, and by trading away some of their top talent, they are looking to keep that championship window opening by bringing in a ton of young talent. It worked out to be a trade a month, with the Dynamos sending away one of their home grown stars in October, November, and December. And the best part? They'd only have to deal with at most of one of the guys they traded away, since all three left the Fed for the Conti. Kicking things off was the blockbuster with the team they keep on beating in October, as the Dynamos sent 5-Time All-Star and 1953 Allen Winner Jack Miller (10-10, 4.46, 110) to the Kings for reserve first basemen George Harnett (.358, 2, 12) and son of longtime Gotham and Miner outfielder Mahlon Strong, Malcom, who ranks just inside the top 200 prospect list and was taken in the 3rd Round of the 1953 draft. Miller, 33 in March, is as durable and reliable as it got, with 1958 being the first of ten seasons where he had a below average ERA+ (93), and just the second season with a below average FIP- (102). A 2nd Rounder way back in 1948, Miller debuted quickly for the Dynamos in 1949, finding instant success as a rookie. The eventual Kellogg winner, Miller went 14-11 with a 3.56 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP, though he did walk (90) more guys then he struck out (75). That happened again in 1950, but that would be the last year to date. 1951 was a huge season, leading the Fed in wins (18), losses (17), and innings (294), working to a 3.49 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts in an association high 36 starts. Miller followed that with one of the most dominant seasons a pitcher could have, and yet not win an award for it, going 22-7 with a 1.86 ERA (189 ERA+), 2.47 FIP (70 FIP-), 1.05 WHIP, and 157 strikeouts in 289.2 innings pitched. Along with wins, Miller also led in FIP- and WAR (8.6). Miller then earned the elusive Allen in '53, going 19-13 with a 2.75 ERA (153 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 88 walks, and 151 strikeouts. No win crown for Miller, but he led in ERA, WHIP, innings (298.1), FIP- (78), and WAR (7.5), this time the clear best pitcher in his association. From '51 to 57, it was hard to find a pitcher better, as Miller won at least 17 games with an ERA of 3.75 or lower, an ERA+ of 115 or higher, and at least 115 strikeouts in at least 32 starts and 250 innings. The '58 season was the first time he failed to meet any of those metrics, but with his track record its hard to believe that this year was anything but a fluke. KC will be getting another excellent pitcher, as Miller joins a rotation with Beau McClellan (17-14, 3.48, 196), Eddie Webb (13-11, 2.86, 155), Tony Britten (12-9, 3.76, 99), and the injured Mike Thorpe (14-12, 3.34, 110). All five of these guys could lead a rotation, and it's hard to find a better rotation then the one that will pitch at Prairie Park. Focusing on the return, it appears to be a bit weak for a pitcher of Miller's caliber, especially considering George Harnett's only season with more then 40 starts came in 1956 where he hit a career worst .249/.304/.354 (88 OPS+) with 12 homers and 64 RBIs in 612 trips to the plate. This means the focus on Detroit's side must be on Malcom Strong, who they may take a look at out in center. A quality defender, Malcom is a far different player then Mahlon, as he's got blazing speed, plays excellent defense, and doesn't hit many home runs. Just like his dad, however, he'll spend more then his fair share of a time on the IL, and this season his season ended early with a strained Achilles. 24 in April, he's got the tools to be a decent center fielder, but not the level of player that most pennant contenders want in their lineup. That lineup quickly got weaker, but Detroit used their second trade to fill the spot in the rotation Jack Miller left. Even though he played first base, Dick Tucker (.355, 32, 120) is way too good of a defender to stay there, so the Dynamos decided to open up a middle infield spot by shipping the now 32-year-old veteran Stan Kleminski (.290, 6, 76, 19) to the Foresters for veteran hurler John Jackson (8-8, 3.58, 117) and young outfielder Andy Patterson. For all three players involved, it will be their second organization, though Kleminski was the one who spent the most time in the majors for his respective team. Debuting with a 15-game cup of coffee in 1946, Kleminski became a regular at 20 in 1947, and has started 1,693 games for the Dynamos, mostly at second or short. Through 7,563 plate appearances, Kleminski has hit an impressive .283/.370/.363 (101 OPS+) with 298 doubles, 45 triples, 47 homers, 666 RBIs, 887 walks, and 959 runs. A skilled top-of-the-order hitter, Kleminski is exactly the kind of table setter the Foresters were looking for, giving them a major upgrade over Jim Urquhart (.283, 1, 22, 7) and Kleminski's former double play partner Del Johnson (.263, 4, 41, 16), both of which struggled offensively this season. Detroit has the offense to survive the trade, and they'll get a reliable vet to stand behind their three aces. Jackson spent 11 seasons in Cleveland, making 152 starts in 322 appearances, going 88-70 with 23 saves, a 3.87 ERA (104 ERA+), and 3.55 (88 FIP-) in 1,403.2 innings. The 27 starts he made in 1958 were his most since 1950, and the second time All-Star went 8-8 with a 3.58 ERA (119 ERA+), 3.33 FIP (78 FIP-), 1.41 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts. Detroit also receives Patterson, a former 2nd Rounder, who ranked just inside the top 150 prospects. Added to the 40 to avoid selection in the Rule-5 draft, Patterson has yet to reach A ball, but he has a nice hit tool, great power, and a work ethic you hope all your young players show. Detroit then saved the biggest move for last, shipping away 8-Time All-Star and 1947 Kellogg Winner Edwin Hackberry (.272, 18, 62, 23) to the Sailors for former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner and and reliever Ed Patterson. Understood by many as untradeable, the 32-year-old Hackberry has anchored the Dynamo lineup since he became a regular in 1947 and led all Fed hitters with 710 trips to the plate. "Huck" hit .298/.390/.479 (139 OPS+) starting a run of twelve consecutive seasons with an OPS+ and WRC+ above 100. In that time, Hackberry twice led the Fed in WAR, and has totaled a .276/.380/.487 (135 OPS+) batting line with 327 doubles, 91 triples, 294 homers, 1,104 walks, 1,110 RBIs, 1,154 runs, and 164 steals. 1958 could be considered a "down" year for the Sailors new star outfielder, who hit "just" .272/.379/.463 (119 OPS+) with a Fed high 23 steals. Hackberry logged 21 doubles, 5 triples, 18 homers, 62 RBIs, 75 walks, and 86 runs, missing some time with a back injury that held him to 113 games. Perhaps the Dynamos saw some concern of his future viability, but it was a beyond shocking move that left a generally ecstatic Dynamo fanbase lost for words. On the bright side, Ray Waggoner is 22 and potentially ready for big league action as early as this season, and currently ranks 2nd to Harry Dellinger, the Keystones 2nd Overall Pick in 1956, in the league's prospect rankings. A former 1st Rounder himself, Waggoner spent most of his season in A ball, where he hit .255/.309/.401 (99 OPS+) with 11 homers and 27 RBIs. One of the top young hitters in the game, Waggoner has an excellent swing and should be able to hit considerably above .300 once he hits his peak. He's got middle-of-the-order power and can really put a jolt into mistake pitches, allowing him the chance to anchor lineups in the future. He may not be the defender Hackberry is, but his offensive potential is enormous, and he projects to be the superior hitter. With age on his side and solid core still in place, the Dynamos felt comfortable taking a minor step back in 1959 for what could be a huge leap forward in the 60s. Detroit wasn't the only team active, as trading for Stan Kleminski wasn't the biggest move the Cleveland Foresters made. That would be acquiring 27-year-old lefty Jake Pearson from the Cannons for a four prospect package headlined by top-50 prospect Jack Meeks. Pearson, who Cincinnati picked 4th in 1952, had his first injury of more then just a couple days this year, missing almost two months with a hamstring strain. He still managed to make 25 starts, going an unlucky 7-11 despite a 3.53 ERA (120 ERA+), 3.62 FIP (85 FIP-), and 1.30 WHIP. In 186 innings he walked 71 hitters and struck out 87, finishing a nice five year stint in the rotation. Combined with a year out of the pen, Pearson went 74-40 with a 3.48 ERA (116 ERA+) and FIP (86 FIP-) in a 1,339.1 innings pitched. The 2-Time All-Star struck out 684 and walked 567, allowing just 64 home runs in his 193 appearances (163 starts). An extreme groundball pitcher, having a middle infield of Kleminski and John Low (.266, 14, 75) is a dream come true, and Pearson will fit comfortably behind Rufus Barrell (19-11, 3.29, 189) and Adrian Czerwinski (16-14, 3.71, 193) in dangerous top half of the rotation. Considering their deadline sell-off, it shouldn't have been too surprising the Cannons made sell-off moves, but Pearson being the first of their moves was certainly a surprise. The headliner here was 6'4'' righty Jack Meeks, who was taken with the last pick in the first round of this year's draft. Entering 1959 as the 45th ranked prospect, Meeks had an impressive debut season, going 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA (118 ERA+) and 82 strikeouts in 13 starts on the Foresters Class C club. This is a solid start for any draftee, but Meeks didn't turn 18 until August and still managed to lead his club in ERA among pitchers with more then 25 innings pitched. A crafty seven pitch pitcher, he utilizes all of his pitches well, relying on the situation to make the best choices. In need of a double play, he'll go to the sinker. The curve comes in when he needs a big whiff, and he locates his fastball when he needs a strike. With excellent control he all of his pitches are weapons, and he's got the potential to front a rotation. Of course, he's got a lot of development ahead of him, but he's advanced for his age and could quickly make Cannons fans forget how excited they were to watch Jake Pearson pitch. Meeks was the only prospect in the top 100, but Ed Tilton (131st) and Charlie Walden (177th) were both in the second tier. Walden is closer to the majors, and Cincinnati added the first year starter to the 40 to prevent him from being selected in the Rule-5 draft. It's actually a return to the Cannons organization, as he was formerly a reliever in the low minors. This year was different, as after 106 relief outings as a professional Walden started all 31 of his games in AA. He was a respectable 8-10 with a 3.42 ERA (99 ERA+) in 155.1 innings. He had a nice 1.13 WHIP with 44 walks and 118 strikeouts, relying heavily on his cutter to get outs. He's an oddity, a three fastball guy, so he's going to have to really locate his pitches well to start. His leadership will allow him to stick around, and he could be a very useful arm to carry as a starter or reliever. Tilton, on the other hand, was a second rounder last year who again split time between the Foresters bottom two levels. 20 in October, the young shortstop was actually better against tough competition, but that's where only 14 of his 74 games took place. Down in C ball he had a solid 101 WRC+ with a .270/.409/.445 (92 OPS+) batting line. A disciplined hitter, he drew 60 walks in 318 trips to the plate, adding 14 doubles, 5 triples, and 7 homers to his ledger. The defense is still a work in progress, but he knows when to swing and hits a lot of line drives. He should hit enough if he has to move away from short, but that's where all 1,265.1 of his defensive innings have came. The Cannons last move of note was picking up the Minutemen's 3rd Round selection for a pair of pitchers. Ranked as the 123rd prospect at the time of the trade, Charlie Warren had an absurd run up the Minutemen system, pitching well at all three stops. He made 6 starts in Class C, 4 in B, and 6 in A, going 5-8 with ERA+ of 110, 135, and 131. Just 18, the 6'3'' righty sits comfortably in the 90s, commanding the zone with his five pitch mix. Able to get a lot of whiffs, Warren has huge stuff, but the command just isn't there yet. He walked at least 11% of the hitters he faced at all three spots, even up to 19.2% in his 30.1 innings in Class B. It was always paired with a higher K%, as he makes some guys look foolish. It's the stuff scouts dream about, making the Chicago native the ultimate high risk, high reward high school pitcher. Cincinnati is confident enough in him that they'd part with a pitching prospect of their own, sending former Pioneer 7th Rounder Gary Pike to Boston as part of the return. He turned 23 in October and reached AAA for the first time this season. Most of his year, however, was spent in AA, where he went 4-10 with a 3.54 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP in 17 starts. His 10 in A ball were better (8-2, 1.92, 64), as he really showcased his cutter well. Like Warren, he runs into issues with the walks, but with his ability to generate grounders he'll be able to erase some of the free passes with double plays. Or he can just overpower guys, flexing his 6'4'' frame as he punches mid 90s fastballs right by you. It's the sinker/cutter/fastball mix that's hard to excel with, but he definitely throws hard enough to give it a shot. Boston also brought back left handed pitcher Lee Woodward (2-4, 4.86, 17), who got into his first FABL action this year since his debut with Boston in 1954. A reliever his debut year in Boston, he made 8 starts for the Cannons, but doesn't seem likely to function in the Minutemen rotation. With all the major moves, there seemed to be fewer minor moves, but there were still some interesting trades made between the FABL clubs. Washington sent loss and walk leader Alex Vaughan (12-13, 5.00, 109) to the Miners for a middling prospect, the Kings gave up their 3rd Round pick this draft in Roy Rice (#190 prospect) for Sailors swingman Bob Wolf (3-10, 4.64, 55), and the Gothams sent middle infielder Harry Murray (.284, 5, 22) to the Chiefs for 23-year-old lefty Dan Charlton, who ranked as the 168th best prospect at the time of the trade. The last major move involved the active Pittsburgh Miners, who picked up a new center fielder in Bill Harbin from the Sailors. A 2-Time All-Star, Harbin will now complete a three-Bill outfield with Bill Newhall (.282, 13, 79) in left and Bill Tutwiler (.301, 7, 55, 10) in right. If you want to be funny, they have a Bill in Paul Williams (.326, 40, 138) at first, and those four seem likely to follow Irv Clifford (.312, 1, 40, 20) in a lengthened lineup. Recently 30, Harbin hit a respectable .267/.347/.383 (91 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 12 homers, 50 RBIs, 92 runs, and 6 steals. A career .263/.356/.421 (116 OPS+) hitter, Harbin was best in 1954, when a then 25-year-old hit an excellent .295/.416/.525 (158 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 26 homers, 98 RBIs, 107 runs, and 108 walks. Harbin led the Conti in WRC+ (155), wOBA (.416), and WAR (7.1), but he's yet to replicate that production. His last four years of been serviceable, more average then good, but he's a well respected team leader and a much needed left handed bat in a lineup filled with righties. Harbin's addition seems likely to end an 11-year run as the everyday center fielder for Ernie Campbell (.258, 1, 44, 6), who has been a sub-replacement player the last two seasons. He's likely to hang around as depth, and may have to wait for injury for another go as a starter. San Francisco picked up a top-100 prospect in Tony Martinez, who remained the 90th ranked prospect through the offseason. Recently 21, the Miners took him 14th in the 1956 draft, and he had a productive season between Class A and B this season. In 80 games at the lower level, he hit a solid .310/.338/.435 (114 OPS+), before it dipped to .234/.383/.380 (102 OPS+) in about 100 fewer PAs. Known for his excellent eye, he managed to draw a walk in 19.6% of his PAs in A ball, so even when the hits weren't falling he was finding his way on base. He has superior bat to ball skills, so it's only a matter of time before the starts finding holes, and the Sailors should be very happy with the type of hitter he develops into. He's the clear focus of the return, Leo Farmer is a former 16th Rounder who's outfield defense may earn him a 5th outfielder role, considering nine days later the Sailors pulled off the Edwin Hackberry trade, swapping Harbin for Martinez seemed like the right decision to make. Looking towards 1959, it's tough to see who the favorites in each association should be, as Detroit still looks scary and Cleveland and KC made huge additions to their already talented teams. Do the Saints have something in store? Are the Sailors going to add more to their rotation and make a run? Could the Gothams be cooking something behind the scenes? Are the Minutemen and Chiefs ready to take the next step? Is this finally the year the now 3-Time Whitney Winner Buddy Miller gets some support in Philly? Can anyone stop Detroit from getting their 5th title of the 1950s? As always, baseball poses us with so many exciting and thought provoking questions. All before doing something crazy and putting a shock on each of our faces. Baseball leaves us yearning for more, as we all await what should be another exciting season. 
WASPS REPEAT AS PRO GRID CHAMPS Washington's strength was their ground game both on offense and defense. Led by the backfield duo of veteran halfbacks Rodger Donohoe (1,003 yds) and Jerry Walsh (878 yds) the Wasps carried the ball for a league best 2,438 over the 12 game regular season. That means they relied far less on long-time quarterback Tommy Norwood as only East Division cellar dweller Pittsburgh threw for less than the 1,612 yards the Wasps accumulated through the air. The Washington defense, which had 5 All-Pros, was outstanding against the run and surrendered just 218 points, second only to the New York Stars. The Stars and Wasps both finished at 9-2-1 but New York was declared division champion because of a better head to head record with Washington. The Stars prevailed 20-9 in an early season matchup between the two in the nation's capital and later in the season they battled to a 14-14 tie. Fifteen minutes of overtime passed without any points making the draw the first tie in AFA has seen since the implementation of regular season overtime before the 1951 season. Second year quarterback Charlie Coons (1,925 yds, 11 TD's) blossomed but the big story in the Big Apple was halfback Bryan Mire, who rushed for a league high 1,410 yards and was named AFA MVP for the second consecutive season. Philadelphia threatened all season but the Frigates faded at the end thanks to back to back late season losses to Washington and Cleveland and had to settle for third place with an 8-4 mark. Pete Capizzi (2,090 yds, 18 TDs) had another big year with his arm but halfback Doug Lucy (960 yds) may be beginning to show signs of slowing down and the Frigates ground game struggled at times. The third place finish ends the Frigates streak of five straight playoff appearances including back to back titles in 1954 and 1955. After two straight losing seasons the fourth place Cleveland Finches bounced back and finished at .500 with a 6-6 record. Cleveland's long postseason drought continues as the Finches have not qualified for the playoffs since winning the AFA title game in 1947. Cleveland did perhaps find a late bloomer as veteran halfback Erskine Rizzuto, an undrafted free agent from Western Iowa who signed with the Finches in 1954 and had carried the ball just 44 times in his first four seasons, earned the starting job and responded with a terrific season, rushing for 1,367 yards - second behind only the Stars Mire. With second overall draft pick Bren Wechsler winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and making the All-Pro Classic after throwing for 1,802 yards and a league best 20 touchdowns there is some cause for optimism on the shores of Lake Erie. Optimism may be harder to come by in Boston and Pittsburgh. The Americans finished just 3-9, marking the third year in a row their record has declined while the Paladins hopes that a 7-5 campaign a year ago was the sign of a turnaround after the club went 2-22 over the previous two seasons appear unfounded as the Paladins finished with the worst record in the loop at 2-10. There were major changes in the Motor City as the Detroit Maroons, after an off-season of speculation, made good on the rumours by cutting ties with talented but troubled quarterback Sam Burson. Burson was dispatched to St Louis and a pair of rookies were drafted to fight it out for the starting job. Sled Hicks, selected third overall out of Valley State, started 9 games and passed for nearly 1900 yards to nose out fourth rounder Tom Griffin, out of Georgia Baptist, for the job. The duo worked well with veteran ends Ben Heid and Duane Kamp, giving Detroit the highest scoring offense in the West Division. The defense, long a source of trouble, was also much improved led by Defensive player of the year Scott Cross and fellow All-Pro linebacker Mark Anderson. Detroit and Los Angeles finished tied for first at 8-4 but the Maroons claimed homefield for the West playoff game on a point differential tie-breaker. Los Angeles, led by second year quarterback Charlie Kittredge (1711 yds, 10 TD) and dependable back Dick Drum (1,309 yds) who topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the fifth time in his six year career, made the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history, dating back to their days in Cincinnati in the 1940s. San Francisco's run of three straight playoff appearances came to an end as the Wings stumbled out of the gate, dropping three of their first five games and could not recover. The big three on offense in quarterback Ben Wilmes (2,234 yds,17 TD), end Will Mains (54 catches, 1075 yds) and halfback Scott Belt (1,097 yds, 12 rushing TD) were once more on top of their games but back to back narrow losses to Detroit in October sealed the Wings fate. It was a season the Chicago Wildcats would like to forget as the Wildcats, who had made the playoffs three of the previous five seasons, dropped six of their first eight games and even a late season winning streak that saw them beat Detroit twice and San Francisco on the road could not help them. St Louis added a new quarterback after Sam Burson wore out his welcome in Detroit. Burson threw for over 1,900 yards but struggled with his accuracy as the Ramblers lost their first four games and things never did get better. Perhaps it was just bad luck as a pair of one point losses early in the season hurt, and if those had both been victories maybe St Louis would have gained some momentum and returned to the playoffs for a second year in a row. Things never did work out and the Ramblers hit rock bottom in early November when Philadelphia hammered them by a 61-7 count. That leaves Kansas City in last once again as the Cowboys just can't seem to find the magic that made them the most dominant team in football for nearly a decade. They won three games this season and are 14-46 over the past five years after reaching the AFA or Continental Football Conference title game each of their first seven seasons. Their defense could not stop the run and surrendered more points (342) than any other AFA club. Former Christian Trophy winning halfback Mike Peel ran for 1,306 and stayed healthy this year, but the six year veteran is wasted on what has been a terrible ballclub the past half decade.  [size="5"AFA PLAYOFFS[/size] The first-ever playoff meeting between the Washington Wasps and New York Stars had plenty of anticipation after the two clubs tied in their second regular season meeting. New York had homefield advantage but it was the visitors who took the lead in to the half after Tommy Norwood connected with end Jim Edmonds on a 48 yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter to put the Wasps ahead 13-7 at the break. The two teams traded field goals before any hopes of a New York comeback came to an end when Washington defensive back Bob Rabon returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown to put Washington up 23-10 with less than a minute remaining. The game would finish by that 23-10 margin.The West playoff featured two playoff starved teams in Detroit and Los Angeles. The Maroons did make the playoffs two years ago but had not won a postseason game since beating Pittsburgh in the 1936 league championship game while the Tigers, who got their start in Cincinnati in 1944, had never won a playoff game and made their only postseason appearance three years ago. So one of those streaks of futility had to come to an end it was the visitors from Los Angeles who finally got their first playoff victory. The final score was 33-23 as halfback Dick Drum led the Tigers offense with 118 yards rushing but fullback Bill Comeau got all the glory with a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs to key the victory. Washington, which won on the road in San Francisco to claim their first title a year ago, was home this time around and the Wasps jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the championship game. The opening drive last just two plays, including a 30 yard Tommy Norwood to Jim Edmonds pass, before Washington halfback Rodger Donohoe galloped 39-yards for the game's first score. Six minutes later the Wasps doubled their lead with a six play drive that culminated in a 16-yard Norwood to Edmonds scoring pass. Los Angeles was playing catchup all day but did get some reason for hope late in the second period when Tigers quarterback Charlie Kittredge found end John Wilton for a 23 yard score that cut the Wasps lead to 17-10 and it further shrank when Bill Beaver kicked a 24-yard field in the closing seconds to make the score 17-13 Washington at the break. That would be as close as the Tigers would get as all the scoring in the second half was done by Washington with a pair of rushing touchdowns and the Wasps celebrated a second consecutive title with a 31-13 victory.  WEST CONTINUES ALL-PRO CLASSIC DOMINANCE For the third year in a row the West Division dominated the All-Pro Classic, blasting the stars of the East 29-3 in the annual year end showcase of the best in the American Football Association. The East had the first opportunity to score when playoff MVP Jim Edmonds of the Washington Wasps returned a punt 56 yards to set up excellent field position for the East but two plays later rookie Cleveland quarterback Bren Wechsler had a pass intercepted by Chicago defensive back Ben Kromer to end the threat.An interception would directly result in the first score of the game as midway through the opening period Pete Capizzi of Philadelphia, the other East Division quarterback, threw a pick-six that San Francisco Wings safety Tommy Hodges returned 24 yards for the contest's opening points. Three minutes later Hodges' Wings teammate Scott Belt had the longest play from scrimmage of the afternoon when he ran for a 50-yard touchdown that put the West ahead 13-0. They would extend the lead to 23-0 at the break and two second field goals by Los Angeles kicker Bill Beaver rounded out the scoring for the West. The only East points came on a Charlie Cooney 11 yard field goal in the third quarter.  [size="6"ANOTHER PERFECT SEASON FOR COLONELS[/size] The Colonels were led in their second consecutive 11-0 season by their trio of All-Deep South Conference skill players in quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel and end Don Bernard, who were protected by an dominant offensive line that included All-American guard John Calderone and all-conference center Brian Cody. The scary thing about Noble Jones College is Snyder, Zwiefel and Bernard are all just sophomores. Noble Jones College opened the season with a home game against Maryland State, a team expected to be one of their chief rivals for a successful defense of their national title. The Bengals did go 9-2 and finished third in the polls but the season opener was a display of a Noble Jones offense that would average more than 35 points a game. Snyder threw for 161 yards and two scores while Zwiefel, who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman a year ago ran for 153 in a hard fought 27-21 victory over the Bengals. The biggest section showdown for Noble Jones College came against Cumberland in early October and the Colonels passed the test with flying colours, winning 30-17 as Zwiefel had another big day, rushing for 158 yards and 2 scores. The perfect regular season was completed with a 21-14 victory over rival Georgia Baptist. The annual meeting of Deep South Conference and Southwestern Alliance champions in the Oilman Classic saw Lubbock State give the Colonels a scare by taking a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter. Noble Jones College rallied for a 26-20 victory as kicker Tony White booted a pair of field goals in the final five minutes to complete the perfect season and give Noble Jones College its second straight national title. As for Lubbock State, the Hawks had to settle for their first Southwestern Alliance title since going a perfect 11-0 but finishing second to Cumberland in the 1951 national rankings. Like Noble Jones College, Northern California was also perfect this season and the Miners, who won their only football national crown in 1923, needed the Colonels to be tripped up on New Years Day for a second championship. That did not happen and the voters stuck with Noble Jones College as number one and Northern California had to be content to finish second but the Miners did complete the first 11-0 season in school history capped by a second straight victory in the East-West Classic. A year ago the Miners, who have played in 5 Santa Ana new years games this decade, beat Minnesota Tech 28-21. This time around Central Ohio was the opponent and the game went right down to the wire with the Miners making a dramatic comeback. Central Ohio, which was a perfect 9-0 and had national title aspirations until falling to rival Detroit City College in their regular season finale, led the Miners 31-24 with 7 minutes left after Tom Perry found Henry Saxon for a 75 yard score. Northern Cal tied the game with just 57 second left when Gilly Hearne ran for a 14 yard touchdown. It looked like we would see overtime but with 27 seconds remaining the Aviators fumbled the ball and two plays later Northern California kicker Jake Wortman became an instant hero when he was successful on a game winning 44 yard field goal to give the Miners a 34-31 victory. No other classic game matched the Santa Ana contest for excitement but Maryland State came close with a 16-13 victory over Cumberland in the Cajun Classic that assured the Bengals of the third spot in the final rankings. Bayou State, which finished 10-1 after thumping Southern Border Association champion Valley State 30-3 in the Desert Classic finished 4th in the final rankings with 9-2 Lincoln College, 17-10 winners over Amarillo Methodist in Bayside Classic, claiming fifth. American Atlantic freshman halfback Jack Dobbins put together a season the likes of which have never been seen before. The Pelicans went 9-2 and finished ranked in the top twenty for the first time in school history but it was Dobbins that everyone was talking about. The 19-year-old from Harrisonville, MO., ran for a record 2,300 yards this season including 377 in one game, a 62-13 drubbing of 1-10 Wisconsin Catholic in which he scored five touchdowns. Sure, the competition was not elite, but voters could not overlook Dobbins and he won both the Christian Trophy and the Bryan Award. There were a pair of college quarterbacks with famous connections. The first was Travis College senior Roger Landry III. The grandson of the former St Louis Pioneers baseball star was a two year starter for the Bucks and helped lead the team to a 7-3 record this season. The other one with ties to FABL is Victor Crawford of Valley State. Under Crawford's leadership the Valley State Gunslingers went 9-2 and won the Southern Border Association crown before falling to Bayou State in the Desert Classic. Crawford is the son of former Montreal Saints outfielder Vic Crawford and seems a sure bet to be playing his football on Sundays next year, and Landry may have a chance at a pro career as well.  There were a number of very bad teams this year but by far the worst was Idaho A&M as the perennial West Coast Athletic Association doormats not only lost all ten of their games this season but were outscored 580-58 including a 77-0 loss to conference champion Northern California, a 76-3 loss to Rainier College and a 75-13 defeat at the hands of Coastal California.     [size="6"DETROIT CITY COLLEGE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN[/size] The Great Lakes Alliance has long been one of the most powerful conferences in collegiate basketball, but also one that appeared to be snakebit come tournament time. Despite numerous number one seeds in the tournament, no current GLA school aside from Whitney College had ever won the year end tournament. The line of thinking had always been one that felt the tough section schedule in January and February, with nearly always two, three and even four GLA member schools ranked in the national top ten, proved too grueling and wore the teams out once the tournament began.Detroit City College did not win the GLA this year as their 9-7 section record was four games worse than conference leading Lincoln and tied with Western Iowa and Minnesota Tech for second but the Knights did finally win the national title, nipping a Mississippi A&M team led by Barrette Award winning guard Mike Modafferi 57-56 in the championship game. What makes the title win, surprising to begin with, even more astounding is the fact the Knights missed the AIAA tournament entirely last year. That marked the first time Detroit City College was not a part of the 32-team field for the first time in 13 years and just the third time the Knights did not participate since 1921. In a year where no school lost less than 5 games, the Knights 20-9 regular season record was good enough for them to be awarded the second seed in the Midwest Division, right behind Lincoln College, which had beaten DCC twice during the regular season. This years edition of the Detroit City College was a veteran squad with three seniors including third team All-American Bill Hash (10.5 ppg) along with a pair of junior starters that featured scoring leader Sam Taylor (14.9 ppg), a guard. The Knights opened the tournament with a 56-35 victory over Western State in a game that saw four DCC starters record double figures in points, led by Taylor's 15. Next up was a meeting with West Coast Athletic Association champion Coastal California and it was Hash who took control, with the senior forward netting 17 points and the Knights riding a strong second half to a 52-45 triumph. The big upset in the region occurred on the other side of the bracket as North Carolina Tech thumped Lincoln 67-48 in the second round, sparring the Knights a third meeting with the Presidents. The Techsters proved a much easier opponent in the regional final and once more behind a strong second half Detroit City rode to a 62-54 victory. None of the number one seeds survived the regionals as Bluegrass State, top seed in the East, was blasted 72-49 by the Knights Great Lakes Alliance rival Western Iowa. The Canaries were the number two seed in their region and another #2, Mississippi A&M, which down Redwood 57-50 in the West Region also advanced. Rounding out the final four was Georgia Baptist, the fifth seed in a South region that saw both #1 Carolina Poly and #2 Bayou State fall in the second round. The Knights had split their two regular season games with conference rival Western Iowa, and won the rubber match 57-53 despite a 20-point evening from Canaries start Bob Christensen, to advance to the national title game. The other semi-final was also a conference affair as Deep South rivals Mississippi A&M and Georgia Baptist squared off. Mike Modaffrei, the national player of the year, led the way for the Generals, scoring 20 points in a 59-51 Mississippi A&M victory. For A&M it was the first time they had ever advanced past the second round of the tournament. Both schools were looking for their first national title as the Knights and Generals met at Bigsby Garden in the championship game. It was a back and forth battle with Detroit City College emerging on top by the narrowest of margins, claiming a 57-56 victory. The Knights did not score any points in the final three minutes of the game but held on for the win after the Generals missed three attempts for the game winning bucket in the final 56 seconds.   [size="6"AMARILLO METHODIST WINS AIAA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES[/size] The Amarillo Methodist Grizzlies became just the second school from the Southwestern Athletic Association to win the Collegiate Baseball World Championship Series after they prevailed over Charleston Tech in game three of the finals. Two-time winner Lubbock State (1922, 1928) was the only other SWAA school to win a college baseball championship. [size="5" CLIPPERS HURLER YORK WINS CHRISTIAN AWARD [/size] Chesapeake State may have just fell short in its bid to qualify for the College Baseball World Championship Series but it was not due to the efforts of Jim York. After two rather unproductive seasons the Clippers junior lefthander put it altogether as a junior, posting a 10-4 record and a 3.38 era, numbers good enough to earn York the 1958 Christian Award as the top college baseball player in the nation. York, who hails from Chicago, also caught the attention of FABL scouts and was a second round draft selection of the Cincinnati Cannons. Following his college season, York had some success in the pros working his way through three levels of the Cannons farm system and OSA feels he may be ready to make his big league debut next season.York was one of three All-Americans this season to be selected in the June FABL draft. Three time All-American Ben Jolla, a third baseman who lead CC Los Angeles to the CWCS quarterfinals this year after helping them to the semi-finals a year ago in his Christian Award winning season, was also selected in the second round of the FABL draft. The Toronto Wolves called Jolla's name with the 20th pick, ten slots ahead of York. The third member of the All-American team drafted was Springfield State catcher Chappy Sanders. A native of Burlington, IA., Sanders was the first pick of the second round, going to the Washington Eagles.  DETROIT WINS CHALLENGE CUP There was plenty of anticipation leading up to the start of the 1957-58 North American Hockey Confederation season and all anyone could talk about was just how powerful would the Toronto Dukes offense be following their off-season trade to acquire Tommy Burns from the Chicago Packers. With 35-year-old Quinton Pollack and a 38-year-old Burns age might have been a bit of a concern but the thinking was the two most prolific point producers in NAHC history would be an unstoppable force at least for this season.Surprisingly, the Dukes offense was not dominant as Toronto's 191 goals ranked third in the league behind both Boston and Detroit with Toronto trailing both of those two in the final standings. Pollack still led the NAHC with 69 points, but it was a far cry from the 95 and 93 he tallied in the previous two seasons. He did miss 6 games with an injury but the bottom line is the Dukes were just not as strong as they were in previous years. Burns missed 9 games and slumped to 50 points, a 34 point drop off from the previous season and his lowest total since the league expanded to a 70-game season. The secondary scoring also evaporated as only Ken Jamieson (17-18-35) notched as many as 15 goals. The Dukes defensive play was strong and they are still a good team, but Jack Barrell's club clearly accomplished much less than was expected of them. A season ending eye injury suffered by goaltender Scott Renes in early March did not help but backup Charlie Dell covered nicely in Renes absence. The defending Challenge Cup champion Boston Bees finished the season with an NAHC record 93 points, one more than the Toronto Dukes accumulated two years ago. Boston, as is usually the case, was led by its team defense highlighted by goaltender Oscar James (29-12-15, 2.12) and a defense anchored by postseason all-stars Mickey Bedard (8-19-27) and Ben Voyechek (11-22-33). The offense was not overwhelming but had depth with nine different Bees scoring at least ten goals led by winger John Bentley (19-16-35) and the club's top point producer in 32-year-old pivot Alex Gagnon (15-38-53). Wilbur Chandler (9-22-31) suited up for 56 games in what is likely the 40 year old's final season. Detroit, led by its big line of Alex Monette (29-36-65) between Nick Tardif (19-33-52) and Lou Barber (20-30-50) finished second with 84 points, two shy of the franchise record established a year ago when the Motors finished the regular season in first place for the first time in the modern era. The big trio were all named post-season all-stars with Tardif landing on the first team while Monette and Barber claimed second team honours. Workhouse goaltender Henri Chasse suited up for all 70 games, tying his own regular season victory record with 36 and recording 8 shutouts but Chasse would save his best efforts for the playoffs. Speaking of playoffs, the Montreal Valiants finished comfortably in fourth, ending a six year postseason drought. Montreal looks like a team on the rise with plenty of young talent but it was 31-year-old Jocko Gregg (35-31-66) who stole the show. The former New York Shamrock finished second to Toronto's Quinton Pollack in the scoring race, led the loop in goals and won the first McDaniels Trophy as league MVP of his career, snapping Pollack's five year old on the award. Montreal goaltender Nathan Bannister (25-26-10, 2.51) finally lived up to expectations as well as the former first round draft pick won the Juneau Trophy as the NAHC's top netminder. Valiants 26-year-old defenseman Gil Thibault (10-28-38) joined Bannister and Gregg as first team all-stars. Without Tommy Burns to lead the way the Chicago Packers slumped to fifth place and missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Goaltending remains a major issue as Allen Hocking (12-21-5, 3.09) struggled and long-time minor leaguer Mitch Henn (12-15-4, 2.35) was forced to take a lot of the workload. Max Lavigne (23-20-43) had a solid season as did 30-year-old Jack Gordon (10-30-40) and there is hope that Archer Cook (17-21-38), the Packers second straight rookie of the year award winner, continues to develop after a very impressive age 21 season. The New York Shamrocks continue to be a mess, finishing dead last for the third straight season and their 40 points is a new franchise low for a 70 game season, a futility mark only surpassed by the 1950-51 Chicago Packers who accumulated just 35 points. 32-year-old goaltender Alex Sorrell (11-27-13, 3.01) was once one of the league's best but perhaps is wearing down from seeing so much rubber behind a bad New York defense the past few seasons. There is not a lot of hope for the near future either as the Shamrocks have the weakest farm system in the league according to OSA.  CHASSE LEADS MOTORS TO CHALLENGE CUP WIN It is funny how some teams just seem to have others number. Take the Detroit Motors for example. The Motors, just like the Detroit Dynamos baseball team with the Kansas City Kings, just can't seem to lose a playoff series to the Toronto Dukes. The two clubs have met three times in the past five years and in each of those series the Motors prevailed including this season's semi-finals when Detroit won game seven by a 3-1 score to advance to its third Challenge Cup final in the past five years.The series opened with Toronto scoring a pair of dominant road victories. Doug Zimmerman had two goals and an assist in a 6-2 Dukes win in the opener before Quinton Pollack's hat trick in a 7-3 game two win gave every indication the series was going to be a rout. That is until Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse settled down and took over the series. Chasse allowed Detroit to get back on even footing in the series with a pair of 1-0 shutout victories at Dominion Gardens. In the opener Alex Monette's first period power play goal stood up as Chasse made 39 saves and two nights later he stopped all 32 Toronto shots and Monette once again scored the only goal, this one coming in the early stages of the third period. Monette's third goal of the series was the game winner in the fifth contest, a 3-2 Detroit victory at Thompson Palladium in which the Dukes outshot their hosts 35-24. Toronto did force a seventh game with a 3-2 win in game six with Ken Jamieson scoring twice and Bobby Fuhrman getting the game winner for the Dukes with less than 3 minutes remaining in regulation. Toronto would score just 8 seconds into game seven but that would be the only puck to elude Chasse as the Motors, with Monette setting up two goals, would advance to the Cup final with a 3-1 victory. The other semi-final series put first place Boston against fourth place Montreal. The Valiants, who finished 26 points behind the defending Cup Champions during the regular season, were making their first playoff appearance since the spring of 1951. A pair of late third period goals gave the Bees a 3-1 victory in the opener - a contest that saw Boston outshoot the visitors 50-19 but had all kinds of trouble solving Valiants goaltender Nathan Bannister. Montreal evened the series with a 3-1 victory in game two and then surprised the Bees with back to back wins on home ice to go up three games to one. The third game was 2-1 with Mike Driscoll scoring once and adding an assist for the Vals while in game four it was Donnie Scott leading the way with a goal and two assists as the Valiants prevailed 5-2. Boston stayed alive with a 3-2 win in double overtime in the fifth game. Neil Wilson was the hero as the 24-year-old Boston forward scored the winner but Montreal would complete the upset with a 4-3 victory in game six. Adam Sandford, who had been part of some great seasons early in his career with a pair of Montreal Cup wins but also through some very lean times, led the way with a goal and an assist for the Valiants to send them to the finals against Detroit. *** Challenge Cup Finals *** The finals marked the first time Detroit and Montreal had ever met with the Challenge Cup on the line and there first playoff meeting since the spring of 1951 when they met in the semi-finals. The Motors hosted the opening two games and took a quick 2-0 series lead. It was an unlikely star for Detroit in the series opener as Dilly Switzer, a 33-year-old depth forward who had just 3 points in 20 regular season games and dressed for only two of the seven games against Toronto, matched his regular season point total in one swoop with a goal and two helpers to key the Motors 5-2 win in game one. Game two saw Henri Chasse take over as the Detroit goaltender stopped all 31 Valiants shots for his third shutout of the playoffs in a 3-0 Motors victory. Rob Lundale opened the scoring with his first career playoff goal in the second period. It stayed that way until Detroit defenseman Anthony Beauchemin gave his squad some breathing room with a pair of goals in the final 17 minutes. Montreal staged a third period comeback to win game three as the Motors entered the third frame with a 3-1 lead but rookie Manny Coutu, with his first career playoff goal, and Matthew Muir, with his second of the game, forced overtime when each tallied in the third. Detroit would carry the play in the overtime, outshooting Montreal 12-6 but the Vals nabbed the victory when veteran Adam Sandford notched the game winner just shy of 15 minutes into the extra stanza. Montreal also won game four, outshooting the Motors 43-26 and claiming another overtime victory. This one finished 2-1 as the Motors took the lead on a second period goal off the stick of Alex Guindon but Ian Doyle's unassisted effort five minutes into the third period tied the contest. The winner came just six minutes into overtime when Gordie Thomas, who started his career with Detroit, notched the goal that evened the series for Montreal. Henri Chasse was first star in a losing effort in the fourth game and the Detroit goaltender was just as good in game five, stopping 24 Montreal shots for his fourth shutout of the playoffs and second of the series in a 2-0 win that moved the Motors to within a game of hoisting the Cup. All the scoring came in the opening period as Emmett Hargreaves gave Detroit the lead just over 2 minutes into the contest and defenseman Tyson Beddoes made it 2-0 when he scored on a point shot late in the first frame. Chasse would be at his peak the next night as well, with a 29 save effort for his third shutout of the series and fifth of the postseason. The league does not have official records but both three shutouts in the finals and five in a single playoff year are believed to be NAHC records. Detroit scored twice in the opening period on goals by Rob Lundale and rookie Zach Roy with veteran Vincent Arsenault adding insurance in the form of a late goal. The 3-0 victory gave the Motors the Challenge Cup in six games, marking the third Cup win in five years for a Detroit team that had won just one Cup (1938-39) in its history prior to the current run.  HOCKEY NOTES
New York was led by a player who has come into his own in his second season. Howie Farrell, a second-round pick by the Knights last year, averaged 8.5 points in just under 20 minutes a game during his rookie year. The forward’s minutes increased as he became a starter, increasing his average to 19.4 points per game, good for fourth in the league. Farrell is 25 years old and the oldest starters on the club are 28-year-olds: guard Merlin Holder (12.6 ppg, 6.0 apg), forward Rod Bookman (13.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.8 apg), and center Rankin Egbert (8.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.0 blk/g). They are a fast team that moves the ball quickly to find the open man, leading the league in assists (26.7/g) and when they shoot, they have the best accuracy in the league (41.5%). The season was also marked by a divisional race for the ages. Chicago (46-26) played from ahead for most of the regular season and survived a second-half charge from Rochester (45-27) and a final two-week run by Detroit (44-28) as the Mustangs almost stole the division from both the Panthers and the Rockets. Chicago spent 132 days in first place, compared to 58 days for Rochester and 13 days for Detroit. Detroit was 11 games out on February 10th and 8-1/2 games back as late as March 30th. From March 31st until the end of the regular season on April 17th, Rochester lost eight of nine, which opened the door for both Chicago and Detroit. The Mustangs made up all the ground on Rochester to end up tied with the Rockets, while Chicago went 6-4 and turned a 3-1/2-game deficit to a one-game lead at the end of the regular season. Detroit faced Rochester during that period six times and won all six games, which was a big reason for the Rockets collapse. Detroit had a chance to tie for first place on the final day of the season, but lost to Chicago, 75-67. Detroit would have lost the head-to-head season series tiebreaker anyway, but the comeback from a .500 team in the first 3-1/2 months of the season to coming within a whisker of winning the division. Charlie Barrell left the team on February 17th when Chicago was 32-11. The departure coincided with Rochester making its move to the top of the division. Barrell was third on the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game and was Chicago’s most talented defender. Joe Lieberman started after Barrell left to join Spring Training with the Los Angeles Stars and there was a noticeable difference. Lieberman managed 8.6 points per game in 29 games after taking over the starting role. Detroit’s Ziggy Rickard led the league in scoring at 22.7 per game, less than a point ahead of Chicago’s Luther Gordon. Rickard was the scoring star for the now-defunct Cleveland Crushers and will forever be remembered as the prominent player from that franchise. Rickard was as great as ever in his tenth season but lost out on the Most Valuable Player Award to Gordon, who led his team to the division title. The MVP was Gordon’s fourth, while Rickard already has two to his name. Rochester forward Wayne Wyrick stepped to the fore this year for the Rockets, as there may be a passing of the torch from Billy Bob McCright, who at the age of 32, may be starting to slow down. Wyrick led Rochester in scoring at 17.5 points and added 10.8 rebounds per game. Danny Rachor, the fifth-year guard, capitalized off a solid playoff last season (11.0 ppg in 8 games) and had his best regular season with a 14.6-point scoring average and his 2.9 steals per game led the league. However, Rachor suffered a major knee injury in mid-February and was lost for the year. In the Eastern Division, Philadelphia (44-28) won the division by eight games over New York (36-36). The Knights won the second-place tiebreaker with Washington (36-36) after winning 13 of 21 in their head-to-head series during the season. Neither New York nor Washington was worried about falling out of the playoff picture since three of the four teams in each division qualify for the postseason. Boston (25-47) finished 11 games behind New York and Washington, so it was all a matter of seeding. Washington lost four of its last six games while New York won three of its last four, so New York wrestled home court away from the Statesmen and were playing with some momentum heading into the playoffs. Both the Knights and Statesmen had identical 24-12 home records and 12-24 road records, so home court was very important. Philadelphia had a good regular season, but it was hardly dominant. Yes, the Phantoms finished eight games clear of the field and started the season 30-15, but coming down the stretch, Philadelphia finished 14-13 as the team started to coast. Mel Turcotte had another excellent season, averaging 19.2 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, which good for fifth and four in the league, respectively. Turcotte shot over 50% from the floor for the first time, as his 50.1% was the league’s best. Darren Fuhrman had a down season by his standards. After averaging 20 points a game last season, his number dropped to 15.3 points, but when he suffered a season-ending injury on March 28th with ten games left, Philadelphia had to scramble to try to replace that lost scoring. The FBL Playoffs did not have a single winner-take-all game in any round. You can chalk up the first round results to momentum. The New York Knights came into the playoffs winners of three of four and blitzed Washington in three straight. Howie Farrell scored 20 or more points in each game to lead the way. Detroit worked so hard to try for the division, there was some doubt if they did not have enough energy to continue their hot play in the playoffs. Detroit proved any doubters wrong, as Rickard averaged 28.3 points per game in the series sweep, including 32 points in the opener. Rochester’s Wyrick was hurt in Game Two and did not play in Game Three. In the Divisional Finals, Chicago faced Detroit and the Mustangs had the legs late in Game One, outscoring the Panthers in the fourth quarter, 26-11, to win, 83-76. Detroit came back late again in Game Two, losing 69-65 heading into the final period, but prevailed, 85-82. After Chicago held off Detroit in Game Three, Game Four went to overtime and Detroit survived, 98-96, behind 29 points for Rickard and 27 points for Erv Corwin. Rickard was hurt in the game and the Mustangs were able to roll on without him for the time being. Chicago and Luther Gordon tried to extend the series and despite 33 points from Gordon, another fourth quarter comeback by Detroit eliminated the Panthers, 76-72. However, there was concern about Rickard’s injury and whether he would be able to play in the Finals. Eastern Division champion Philadelphia was rested, and the Phantoms thought they were ready for the Knights. While Western champion Chicago managed to win one game in their series, Philadelphia could not even muster a single win. Howie Farrell continued his rise to becoming a household word, as he averaged 29.5 points in the series, including 35 in Game Three’s 95-74 win where Mel Turcotte only scored seven points. Farrell added 34 in the clincher, a 103-90 win at Bigsby Garden. The Finals pitted a Knights team, which had not dropped a single game in the Quarterfinal or Semifinal Rounds, against a Mustangs team that has only lost once in two rounds. Detroit was missing its star, Ziggy Rickard, and though he was day-to-day, he would not appear in the entire series. In Game One, Detroit tried to come back, but the Mustangs trailed by 16 heading into the fourth quarter and despite a 27-14 run, the Mustangs fell short, 99-96. The offense continued to flow for both teams in Game Two, a Knights win, 104-92, and shot an amazing 52.8% from the floor. Rankin Egbert, the starting center, was lost to injury during the game, which would normally cause some consternation, but his backup was the legendary Larry Yim. Detroit won Game Three, 89-80, with patented fourth-quarter dominance, blowing open a razor-thin margin to win by nine behind Ed Kosanovich’s 26 points and Erv Corwin’s 20 points. Yim scored 22 points in the loss, which would be the only loss New York would have in the postseason. New York shrugged off the loss and won the remaining two games of the series with relative ease with 16- and 17-point victories to win the championship. Howie Farrell was held to 14 points in the Game Three loss. But, Farrell cemented his Playoff MVP credentials with 37 points in Game Four and 29 points in Game Five, earning Player of the Game honors in both games. For the playoffs, Farrell averaged 27.3 points in 12 games.  PLENTY OF TURNOVER AT THE TOP 1958 was another year that failed to see any fighter exhibit dominance in a division. Some might have felt that British heavyweight Steve Leivers might have been the next great star in the sport, and for a brief stretch he looked unbeatable. However, after his surprising loss to Brad Harris in February of 1957 Leivers appeared to be frozen out in the division as fight promoters seemed to be conspiring to ensure the heavyweight title remained in American hands. Leivers remained in North America he had to settle for a string of bouts against B-class fighters as none of the contenders apparently to have time to fit him into their schedules. Joe Brinkworth, the man who originally brought the heavyweight title back to Europe before losing to Leivers, elected to stay overseas and never did seek another shot at the title. While Leivers continued to bide his time three different ring veterans spent time with the ABF heavyweight title in 1958. Joey Tierney, who beat Brad Harris in September of 1957, began the year with the belt. Now 31, Tierney was still a good fighter but not up to the form he showed in his twenties when he made ten consecutive title defenses. Tierney's reign this time was short as he was knocked out by Tommy Cline at Bigsby Garden in February while making his first title defense this time around. It was sweet revenge for Cline as the 34-year-old Tennessean had lost twice to Tierney with the title on the including the famous 1952 fight to fill the title vacated by the retirement nine months earlier of the great Hector Sawyer. For Cline the third time was the charm as after falling short twice against Tierney he finally claimed the elusive crown. Cline would not hold it long as his first defense was a July bout against Brad Harris. The Akron Assassin and Cline battled for 15 rounds only to end in a draw that night in Chicago but agreed to stage a rematch four months later. Ironically, it was in Tierney's hometown of Detroit, although Tierney did not make an appearance at the event. This time Harris was just a little too much for Cline and scored a unanimous decision to win the title for the second time in his career. The middleweight division began the year with a European champion as Yohan Revel, the veteran Frenchman, had taken the belt from Mark McCoy the previous October. His first title defense was in Montreal against a rising young star who hails from Toronto by the name of George Quisenberry. The result was not even close as the youngster schooled the more experienced Revel in a dominating performance. The Canadian would follow that up with close decision over Joe Clarke, the St. Louis born fighter who had a previous title two years earlier but came up short then as well. Next up for Quisenberry was the bad boy of the division as he agreed to face former champ George Hatchell, who had been ostracized by the boxing community in the States after back to back disqualifications in title fights with Mark McCoy. The pride of Puyallup, Washington may not be well liked but he certainly can box and he scored a dominant victory to regain the title he had previously held for two years beginning in 1955. It should be noted that little had changed with Hatchell as he was warned four times in the bout for various violations by referee Curtis Thrasher. Eugene Ellis began and ended the year as welterweight champion but he briefly turned it over to Lonnie Griffin. Ellis had made five successful title defenses including a 12th round knockout of Houston's Lenny Rodriguez in April, but he was narrowly defeated when Griffin claimed a split decision victory in New York in August. The duo, 1-1 head to head, agreed to a rematch in Philadelphia in early December. Ellis dominated that fight, scoring three knockdowns and winning the 15-rounder by at least ten points on each of the three cards from the adjudicators.   Joey Tierney won the heavyweight title last year, but he is on the downside of his storied career, and he was thought to be a placeholder for a more suitable up-and-comer to take the belt and wear it for a while. Tierney defeated Brad Harris last September to win the belt back, but in February of this year, he coughed it up to another late-stage boxer, Tommy Cline at Bigsby Garden. Both Tierney and Cline fought for the title in 1952, when Tierney won the vacant title in a dominating performance. Cline was just as dominant six years later. Cline knocked Tierney down six times and put him away in the ninth round with an eight-count that nearly did Tierney in and a full knockout to finish the job. Cline is known for getting an opponent down, but not closing well, as his exuberance leads to wild swings and allows for the other boxer to catch his breath. Tierney earned a knockdown of his own in the third round, the only round where Tierney could stake a claim. The seventh round was unanimously scored a 10-7 round for Cline, which included two knockdowns, including the only one of the six that did not at least reach an eight-count. Cline had a new lease on his boxing life after pummeling Tierney and decided to face the man Tierney last faced to win the title last year: Brad Harris. Cline and Harris tangled at Lakeside Auditorium in Chicago and Harris surprised Cline in the opening seconds of the bout by landing a body shot that crumpled the champion in a heap. Cline managed to get to his feet on the count of seven. Cline had the other two knockdowns in the fight, but while Cline often missed his mark, Harris was clinical in his precision, connecting on 65% of his punches compared to only 15% for Cline. The combatants took turns trying to string rounds together, but after 45 minutes of boxing, nothing was settled. One judge had the fight 143-140 for Cline, one had the same score, but for Harris, and the third judge scored it a 143-143 tie, so the boxers had to settle for a draw, a second in two years for Harris in a title fight. Harris was granted a rematch from Cline’s camp that was set for November at the Thompson Palladium in Detroit. Harris was ready and willing to strike first and strike hard. Just as in the first fight, Harris floored Cline less than a minute in, this time with a hook upstairs that sent Cline sprawling. Harris dominated Cline from pillar to post, only giving away two or three rounds in the unanimous decision. Harris was champion again and ended the year with the belt. Brad Harris’s domination in the title rematch with Tommy Cline gives Harris the 1958 Bologna Boxer of the Year, as he was 1-0-1 in title fights during the calendar year. Heading into his last fight of the year, George Quisenberry was all set to win the Boxer of the Year. Quisenberry was a strong contender. He was a fresh face on the scene, a young 23-year-old from Toronto, Canada, who surprised middleweight champion Yohan Revel in March and survived a split decision in June against Joe Clarke. In the Revel-Quisenberry fight, which was held in Montreal, Quisenberry had to deal with a cut inside his left eyebrow that Revel opened up in the sixth round. He was hardly hampered by this, but the fight was paused twice while the ringside physician inspected the open wound. Quisenberry scored two 10-8 rounds when he drilled Revel to the ground in Rounds 11 and 13 for the only two knockdowns in the fight. Those rounds were essentially the difference in the fight, and Quisenberry won the middleweight title. Quisenberry had a very close shave in his first title defense at home in Toronto against Joe Clarke. In another fight that went the distance at Dominion Gardens, Clarke scored the only knockdown, which occurred in the third round, but Quisenberry inflicted the physical punishment that was clearly visible to the judges at the end of the fight, or at least two of the three judges. Quisenberry won by split decision and kept the belt. George Hatchell was up next and tried to take back the middleweight title that was once his. Quisenberry had a good first few rounds, but against the former champion, Quisenberry did not have an answer to Hatchell’s hooks and uppercuts. Hatchell connected on almost half of his punches (48%), while Quisenberry was punching nothing but air most of the time, hitting his target only 15% of the time. Of course, Hatchell had his moments, with four fouls called against him, including a rabbit punch late in the ninth round when he had a lead. It was almost as if Hatchell could not help himself. All three Quisenberry fights went the full 15 rounds and in this last bout with Hatchell, it was the challenger that reclaimed his title, and 1958 ended with Hatchell on top. In the welterweight division, Eugene Ellis finally granted a rematch to Lonnie Griffin that was set for the only arena that could contain the hot air that Griffin would provide, Bigsby Garden in New York. Before Ellis-Griffin II, Ellis was strong in his 12th round technical knockout of Lenny Rodriguez in April, but Rodriguez was not even a top five contender in the division. Griffin noticed that and in the lead-up to his rematch, called Ellis and his camp out on dodging Griffin for almost two years. Griffin and Ellis fought a clean fight with similar accuracy and neither fighter was able to drop the other one to the canvas. While Ellis was falling in love with uppercuts, looking for the big punch, Griffin was content to live with the jab and scoring points with less devastating punches. Griffin was playing for a decision. Neither boxer was ahead by much, but late in the fight, you did get a feeling that Griffin was slightly ahead, if only because of some swelling under Ellis’s right eye first seen in the ninth round started to turn puffy. Griffin won the fight and in the post-bout interview, he did not mince words, barely giving Ellis any credit for the well-fought match and saying that Ellis can wait a while for his next chance. Ellis shouted back that he would not have to wait long until someone else offered him another title shot, insinuating Griffin’s reign at the top will not be long. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Tales From The Manor: Dukes Dynamic Duo Fail Capture Challenge Cup - The talk around Toronto in the fall as the 1957-58 Dukes headed north for training camp was the NAHC season was just a formality for five teams. The fans thought that with Quinton Pollack and Tom Burns leading the scoring, backstopped by Scott Renes along with a strong defense corps the team would cruise to a league title then a Challenge Cup. Unfortunately, Toronto fans were then shown why the teams play a 70 game schedule before 4 teams move into the playoffs. Many hockey writers thought the Dukes would run away with anything associated with goal scoring or point production with Burns and Pollack finishing head and shoulders above any challengers. Some thought that the Dukes many scoring 250 or more goals in regular season. None of those predictions were worth a grain of salt as it would turn out. Toronto did not even score 200. Only one team surpassed that mark and it was Boston with 205. Detroit got close at 195 with four more than the Dukes' 191. The Bees completed the double that is every coach's dream by leading the league in goals for and allowing the fewest goals against. Boston only allowed 145 in 70 games, 21 fewer than Detroit, 23 less than Toronto. After training camp and its 7 tune up games the Dukes got off to a slow start, going 0-3-2 before winning their first game on Oct 23rd 6-2 over New York. The team stumbled along winning a few, lose a few, with an occasional tie until the Dukes lost 5 straight and 9 of 11 when the calendar flipped from 1957 to 1958. Fans were dumbfounded, not only were their hockey heroes not running away with the NAHC they were in danger of missing the playoffs. Rumours abounded, which were quickly quelled by Jack Barrell, of dissension in the dressing room with players fighting amongst themselves, not the kind of cohesion Barrell always preaches leads to winning games. The team seemed to right the ship in mid-February going 12-1-5 down the stretch to finish the season in third 6 points behind Detroit and a whopping 15 in arrears of Boston. The fans thought the team had finally turned the corner going into the playoffs against their archrivals from Motor City. Pollack did again lead the league in scoring, 34-35-69 despite missing 6 games due to injury, but that was a far cry from what was going to be the NAHC's first triple digit points season. He finished 3 points ahead of Montreal's Jocko Gregg who led the league in goals with 35. Boston spread their scoring around with Alex Gagnon registering the most assists with 38. Tommy Burns had a good season for a normal player, though not to his high standards, with 22-28-50 in 61 games, which was Burns lowest point total in the decade. The Dukes went into the semis on a hot streak but with one major concern. On the night of March 15th in a game against the Motors Scott Renes suffered a shattered eye socket when hit by a deflected snap shot. He was immediately sent to Toronto General for surgery to repair the damage. The Dukes continued their winning ways by opening the playoffs with two wins on the road at Thompson Palladium. The opener was 6-2 with a strong third period after the Motors closed the gap to 3-2 early in the third. On April 2nd the Dukes, led by Pollack's hattrick, skated to a relatively easy 7-3 victory. With fans jumping on the Dukes' bandwagon in droves the team returned to the Gardens to have Henri Chasse show them why he is regarded as the best shot stopper in the game today. Over two games Chasse stopped all 71 shots fired on goal by the Dukes in back to back 1-0 Motors wins. Charlie Dell who led the league in GAA at 2.00 with a 11-6 record was no slouch himself allowing only 2 on 41 shots. Dell was given the net after Renes' horrific injury, he proved to be equal to the task. Detroit had stolen the momentum in the series returned home to have Chasse continue his show stealing work in goal. A goal with just over 6 minutes remaining by Alex Monette gave the Motors, who were outshot 35-24, a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 score. Going home Toronto extend the series to a seventh game when Dell starred in net. Ken Jamieson beat Chasse twice then Bobby Furhman notched the winner at 17:01 of the third. The faithful believed the Dukes were headed to their destiny in Game 7 when Tim Brooks opened the scoring after just 8 seconds had elapsed in the game. Dell has a tough second period, beaten 3 times on 8 shots, which proved to be enough as Chasse stoned the Dukes for the last 59:52 in a series clinching 3-1 win in front of almost 15,000 fans. Coach Barrell- "That was a disappointing season, we finally got untracked in February then had Chasse steal the series in the semis. Our forwards took far too long to get into their game with Tommy, Quinton by thinking those two would handle all the scoring instead of working to get open to complement those two centers. I thought about putting the two of them together often this season, I will do that in the fall, It will take some miles off Burns' legs by moving to the wing. My biggest concern now is Renes, doctors can do amazing things these days, years ago that shot would have ended a goaltenders career. I have talked to Scott, he is doing is hoping to be ready for camp. The test will be whether he has lost any peripheral vision. Without a wide field of vision you cannot play goal in this league. Time will tell. You will see different line combinations in the fall." *** Tales from The Den- 1958 Brings More of the Same *** The long suffering fans of the Wolves witnessed more of the same from the ballclub this past season, middle of the pack at the plate with absolutely no help from the mound or in the field. Fans continue to ask "When are we going to see a team that can pitch and catch a ball?" These fans who have not seen a winning season since 1948 continue to support Bernie Millard's team, attendance was up over 100,000 this year at Dominion Field. This puts more money in the owner's pocket. Fans are living on dreams put forward by the front office "We will turn the corner this year." This from a team that hasn't finished closer than 11 games behind the CA pennant winner in the fifties along with only having a staff ERA under 4 once since 1948, 3.99in 1957. Fielding has not even been close to major league standards in recent memory and any batted ball in play is a new adventure, resembling at times a scene from the Keystone Cops satires. This certainly does not help the pitching although the hurlers don't help themselves with free passes. Gordie Perkins, who was brought in by trade in 1952 to stabilize the infield, has spent more time injured than playing since 1955. This year he was in the Wolves lineup only 5 times before suffering a broken kneecap on July 5th that will keep him out until mid-1959. Taking the season in two month segments the Wolves were 22-21 April/May, 26-28 June/July, 27-30 August/September for a season total of 75-79 for fifth place, 16 games behind Kansas City who were defeated by Detroit in a 7 game World Series. It is not that the Wolves do not have good players. There certainly are some but the problem is they do not have enough even average FABL players. The Wolves seem destined to waste a potential HOF career from Tom Reed who posted another All-Star season at 27 with a slash line of .318/.384/.598 34 HR 106 RBI. Reed led the CA in HR. The problem is with little to no depth opposing pitchers can pitch around Reed in any tight situation. On the mound the Wolves have a good 1,2 punch with George Hoxworth, 20, 13-18, 4.18, Whitey Stewart, 27, 15-10, 3.56 but after that then the choices become very slim for Manager Jake Beck. Hoxworth led the CA in strikeouts with 206 though unfortunately he also led in BB, 114 and losses with 18 in 282 1/3 innings. Refining his trade at the highest level of baseball is proving to be at times challenging for Hoxworth. One Wolves move that incensed the faithful this season was the deadline dealing of RHP Jim Montgomery, 25, to Montreal for two minor leaguers SS Phil Story, 19, Wilson Pearson, 24. Story is the 19th ranked prospect, Pearson preformed well in relief in a Wolves uniform but has control issues. Trading a starter who was 13-8, 3.86 for the Wolves before the trade made little sense to the fanbase. Toronto has the 7th ranked system led by Story at 19 along with the 7th ranked RHP Arnie Smith who was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft. Supporters know the words to this tune when told help is on the way. May have bitter memories of how Les Ledbetter, John Wells were going to lead the Wolves to a new decade of glory in the Fifties. The attitude is now "Prove it!" when management touts the future that is currently refining their tools in the system. Unless the team can solve the ineptitude in the field by turning more than 70% balls put into play into outs, make more errors than turned double plays they are going nowhere in the CA before the Sixties. IS THIS THE END OF THE DYNAMO DYNASTY? Certainly it caught all fans by surprise and felt like repeated blasts to the midsection from a Joey Tierney haymaker as news broke first of Jack Miller's trade to Kansas City, then Stan Kleminski's departure for Cleveland of all places where he will join his old doubleplay partner Del Johnson and finally just a few days before Christmas the worst blow of all when word trickled out of the Dynamos office that Edwin Hackberry has been traded to San Francisco. On the surface the moves all seem to be the work of owner Powell Thompson Jr., who like his father, seems far more concerned about the bottom line than anything that might happen between the lines. Trading three did shave about $290,000 off what had grown to become the highest payroll in baseball and to be fair Thompson Field is one of the smallest parks. The Thompson family has been willing to spend money to acquire and retain the great talent we have seen, and they have been rewarded with plenty of post-season revenue. With salaries on the rise and perhaps age, and the rest of the Federal Association starting to catch up with the Dynamos the decision was made to retool the team. While most may feel this is a huge step back and an slap in the face to deal three players that have been such a major piece of our city for so long, perhaps the timing was right. Hackberry and Kleminski each just turned 32, and both have been playing for the Dynamos since the age of 19 and rank right up there with Frank Vance and Al Wheeler as fan favourites. Miller, also 32, came along a few years later and his 169 wins in a Detroit uniform are third highest in franchise history so each have been fixtures and will be greatly missed. But I contend this is not a time of doom and gloom. In fact, this may be just the difficult but necessary move to ensure the Dynamos continue to be one of the best franchises in baseball. The Hackberry trade brought 22-year-old super prospect Ray Waggoner in return. Waggoner has been considered by OSA to be the number one prospect in baseball since shortly after the Sailors selected him 9th overall in the 1953 draft. He is about ready for the big leagues and may be an everyday player in 1959. If not and the Dynamos need to wait a little longer for Waggoner's immense talent to arrive in the Detroit outfield, there is more than enough talent in place already with Bill Morrison shifting to centerfield to replace Hackberry and Ralph Johnson, who has almost been a forgotten man as the fourth outfielder, able to step back into a starting role. Kleminski was forced to second base a couple of years ago when Joe Reed arrived to take over the shortstop role. Reed, 25, has thrived and has a slash line of .299/.373/.502 for his two plus years in Detroit while playing above average defense. Now another 25-year-old in Dick Tucker is ready to wrestle second base away from Kleminski. Tucker, the fourth pick of the 1951 draft, hit .355 with 32 homers last season, his first full year in the majors. Miller may be missed on the mound but the 1953 Allen Award winner is coming off the first subpar season of his career and dealt with his first injury of any significance last summer. Perhaps the Dynamos brass is forecasting this might be the beginning of the end for the 32 year old. Detroit still has the trio of Jim Norris, Paul Anderson and Jack Halbur to front the rotation and the Kleminski trade with Cleveland brought John Jackson to the Motor City. The 34-year-old has spent a decade with the Foresters and always seemed to be overshadowed on a staff that rivaled Detroit's in its prime but he has been healthy and if everything breaks right he could be the best #4 starter in baseball. The team needs to find one more quality arm for the rotation but perhaps he is already in the organization in the form of Jimmy Block, who came over from the Cannons at the deadline last summer, or Bob Allen, a 30-year-old who never quite lived up to expectations with the Chicago Cougars but has been a decent swingman for the Dynamos in recent years. There is also another former Cleveland Forester in Larry Beebe, who was acquired in the Del Johnson deal over the summer. In an ideal world the Dynamos use the next three months before opening day to add another quality arm, making a move like the deal that brought Anderson from Los Angeles a few years ago. However, if that does not happen there are still plenty of internal options. Fans will miss Hackberry, Kleminski and Miller but signs seem to indicate this is not a rebuild, but rather a reload in an effort to carry the dominance Detroit has had over most of the 1950s well into the next decade. The Year That Was Current events from 1958
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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. |
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10-08-2024, 03:17 PM
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#1020 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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1959 Figment Sports Year in Review
1959 IN FIGMENT SPORTS DECADE BELONGED TO DYNAMOS DETROIT BASEBALL TEAM AND ICE STAR QUINTON POLLACK NAMED BEST OF FIFTIES Picking the team of the decade this time around is a no-brainer. Some in Toronto, where the hockey Dukes won three Challenge Cups and reached the finals on two other occasions in the 1950's might take exception, just as a few will trumpet the cause for the Washington Statesmen and their four Federal Basketball League titles to deserve consideration. Same for New York Stars football supporters after their club made the playoffs six times and won a pair of American Football Association titles or fans of Carolina Poly basketball after the Cardinals won three AIAA cage crowns in the past decade might argue but the clear team of the 1950s was FABL's Detroit Dynamos. The Dynamos were practically unstoppable for much of the decade, winning six Federal Association pennants and 4 World Championship Series in a seven year span. This after losing a one-game playoff to the St Louis Pioneers the season before their winning ways began. The Dynamos run can only really be compared to the turn of the century Boston Minutemen, who won five consecutive Federal Association flags beginning in 1902. The race for Athlete of the Decade was much tighter and almost a toss-up between Toronto Dukes captain Quinton Pollack and Cleveland Foresters ace pitcher Adrian Czerwinski. In the end, TWIFS went with Pollack, who led the Dukes to three Challenge Cups in the 1950s while winning 6 McDaniels Trophy's as MVP, four Yeadon Trophy's as Most Gentlemanly Player, led the league in scoring five times and made the first or second all-star team 9 of the 10 years. In the decade Pollack recorded the three highest single season point totals ever seen including a record 99 in 1952-53, one of three times he topped the 90 point mark, something no other player has ever accomplished. He also tied the goal scoring record with 47 in 52-53 and came within one of it four years later and owns the assist record for a season as well as the second and third highest totals for helpers ever recorded. Czerwinski was very good as well. The man known as The Mad Professor won four Allen Awards in the decade (1950,51,52 & 59), had six 20-win seasons, went 9-1 in WCS action during the decade and helped the Foresters win 5 pennants and 3 WCS titles in the 1950s. Others who briefly received consideration included basketball star Luther Gordon who started the decade with back to back Barrette Awards as college basketball player of the year and then won 4 MVP awards, 6 scoring titles, 1 playoff MVP and 1 Federal Basketball League title with the Chicago Panthers. Like Pollack in hockey, Gordon was a first or second team All-League selection 9 times in the past 10 years. The only viable candidate from the team of the decade is likely pitcher Jim Norris who won 3 Federal Association Allen Awards, went 127-71 since his debut in 1952 and was a part of all 6 Detroit pennant winners and 4 WCS teams although his post season record paled in comparison to Czerwinski.  .406 FOR WILLIAMS AND A RISING DYNASTY IN BOSTON The Liberal, KS., native ended up hitting .406 but only after a dramatic final two weeks of the season. His Kansas City Kings lost seven of their final ten games and had to settle for second place behind the Cleveland Foresters but it was through no fault of their star outfielder. Williams' batting average had been hovering just over .400 for most of the season but it dipped to .398 on September 14 and perhaps the pressure of trying to become the first .400 hitter since Washington's Mel Carrol in 1937 was taking its toll. However, Williams went 3-for-4 in a win over Cleveland on the 15th to get back to .400 and finished 21-for-41 (.512) down the stretch to ensure he would reach the magic number. The Kings came up short in their bid for a return to the pennant as it was once against the Foresters turn to represent the Continental Association. Either Cleveland or Kansas City has won the last 7 CA titles. It was the Federal Association that finally had new blood with it looking very much like the Detroit Dynamos dynasty -one that saw them win six pennants and four WCS titles in the past seven years- was finally over. The Boston Minutemen, who had last hoisted the Fed flag way back in 1943, finished on top of the Fed this season and look like a team that could challenge for multiple titles. They have two terrific young pitchers in Dick Wilson and Don Griffin and a pair of elite hitters in Rick Masters and Jack Denis who helped the Minutemen end an eighteen year WCS drought by dispatching Cleveland quite easily in five games. Boston was not the only team to return to glory this year. The grid Chicago Wildcats were the TWIFS Team of the Decade in the 1940s when they won four American Football Association titles and participated in seven championship games but the Wildcats had their struggles this decade. They finally snapped a ten year title drought by claiming their record 8th AFA crown following a narrow victory over the New York Stars in the December championship game. On the ice, it took a year longer than expected but the Toronto Dukes benefitted from the tandem of Quinton Pollack and Tommy Burns to lead the offense as Toronto won its record 11th Challenge Cup. Pollack and Burns -the two highest scorers in NAHC history- did not quite live up to past glory but both were sound. The story in Toronto instead focused on a 27-year-old rookie goaltender by the name of Mike Connelly who seemed to come out of nowhere to lead the Dukes to a perfect 8-0 playoff record. The hardwood also saw a familiar champion as the Washington Statesmen became the first team to win four Federal Basketball League titles. The college ranks gave us a mix of new and old. Georgia Baptist won its first national collegiate football title since 1919 while on the diamond it was Chicago Poly claiming its first Collegiate World Series crown in school history. College basketball presented us with a much more familiar champion as the Carolina Poly Cardinals became the first school to win the AIAA tournament six teams. For the Cardinals it was their third title in the past five years. Here are the champions and award winners from each of the major team sports.  Cleveland and Kansas City got off to excellent starts, both sitting atop the CA at 13-5, but no team got off to a better start then the New York Gothams. Winning 14 of their 16 contests in the opening month, everything was going right in the Big Apple, and their talented outfield was at the center of everything. Former Whitney winner Earl Howe hit an outstanding .391/.452/.719 (199 OPS+) with 6 homers, 18 RBIs, and 20 runs. Rex Pilcher (.302, 5, 17), Bill Barrett (.308, 2, 11), and Johnny Taylor (.410, 2, 8) all hit well, with Taylor playing some first base to keep his bat in the lineup. Aside from Ed Bowman (2-1, 4.65, 17), who is sure to pick things up quickly, their rotation did an excellent job keeping runs off the board. Eddie Martin (1-0, 2.45, 15), Jorge Arellano (3-1, 2.08, 23), and Lou Walker (3-0, 2.70, 13) were superb, and the 1956 Champions were ready to make a run at another crown. The Gothams good fortune didn't last for long, as after dropping the second half a double header to the defending champs they stumbled into a bigger double header after dropping three of their next four. A third of four Sunday double headers, New York was in Boston, who managed to tie the struggling Gothams. They're on a good run, 6-3 on the homestand, and at 22-12 they were even with the 20-10 visitors. It was a good matchup for the guests, as the red-hot Dick Wilson was ready to take on the rusty Ed Bowman. It didn't take long for the bats in the Minutemen lineup to provide their young pitcher a bunch of runs. They played two in the first, one in the second, and two more in the third, allowing the converted reliever to take a 5-1 lead in the third. Wilson is a new-aged type pitcher, not always taking his team deep into games, but when you carve through a talented lineup a good offense can make it easier to win games. Wilson rewarded his team with 3 hits, a run, 2 walks, and a strikeout in 6 innings, and they gave him 8 runs in return. In a tight game, Wilson could have pushed for a seventh inning, but with the lead it was the perfect time to pass the baton to mop up reliever. Today that meant John Grimes, not the kind of guy you'd want in a close game two, but he was able to scatter a pair of hits with two strikeouts in three scoreless innings. The win gave Boston the lead in the Fed, and they had the good fortune of missing another one of the Gothams top arms. Again, the Minutemen lineup got on the board quickly, with doubles from Jack Denis (3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B) and Marshall Thomas (1-2, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB) making it 3-0 early. The runs kept coming, starting with Ed Wise's two-run homer in the third, and two more runs in the 5th and 6th. The sixth was more fun, where Leon Wallace (4-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B) and Joe Kleman (1-5, R, RBI) went back-to-back of the newly inserted Ray Paulson. When Minutemen starter Foster Sherman (7 IP, 9 H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K) left the game in the 7th, he had a seemingly insurmountable 9-1 lead, and when the crowd roared you could see the dejection in everyone in the Gotham's dugout. The Gothams gave little resistance in the final two frames, setting up the potential for a sweep the following night. With the lights out at Minutemen Stadium, Don Griffin got Sam Ivey, allowing the Gothams to miss Martin, Arellano, and Walker. Upset after getting beat bad the day before, Ed Holmes started the game with a triple, and he quickly scored on a Joe DeMott single. But with the crowd at his back, Doc Griffin settled down, striking out Rex Pilcher on a nasty 3-2 pitch before blowing past Hank Estill and Earl Howe to stop the Gotham rally right in it's tracks. Leaving the mound fired up, his lineup tied the game right back up in the first, using the opening frame in all three games to get off to a quick start. The pitcher's traded zeros in the second and third, but Boston took the 2-1 lead in the fourth. Everything fell apart in the fifth, when Marshall Thomas came to bat with two outs and George Rutter on second with Rick Masters at first. Rutter doubled with one out and Masters was intentionally walked, and Ivey got the lefty Thomas into a 1-2 count. The next pitch is where the inning should have ended, but the outstanding defensive shortstop Harry Clay threw the ball into the stands, extending the inning and lead. Compounding the issues, he boots the next one to him, allowing a second run to score in the inning. Rattled, Pat Todd was able to single home a run, and third year manager Bert Carlton made the move to the pen. It took just one pitch to end the inning, but the damage was done and New York was again facing a large deficit. Griffin put another zero on in the sixth, and RBI singles from Rick Masters and Jack Denis gave the Minutemen a pair of insurance runs. Up 7-1, John Grimes again got the call, but he did not provide the same effective relief. Doubles to Joe DeMott and Hank Estill made it 7-2, with Estill's coming with two outs. Intentionally or not, he threw four of five balls to put the dangerous Earl Howe on at first, bringing up the less dangerous Johnny Taylor. He got a head 2-1 and singled, cutting Boston's lead to three and getting into scoring position on the throw. Lew Mercer singled to make it 7-5, prompting Bob Hollister's entrance into the game. He fell behind pinch hitter Art Becker, and got lucky when a hard grounder was speared by Ed Wise at short, going to second for the easy out to stop the scoring. Boston put some runners on in the 8th and 9th, but the 24-year-old Hollister was perfect, stringing together back-to-back 1-2-3 innings, capping off a dominant home sweep. Opening up a three game lead, Boston was starting to look unstoppable, and they won 11 of their next 13 games to finish May 21-9 for the month and 36-14 on the season. With a 7.5 game lead, the Fed looked to be already settled, but baseball fans were treated to a tight race in the Conti. Kansas City (32-17), Cleveland (31-18, 1 GB), and Montreal (30-21, 3 GB) were bunched together at the top, and all played excellent baseball in the season's first full month. Montreal's play stood out, winning 22 of 32. Star outfielder Harry Swain took home Player of the Month, slashing .423/.517/.642 (201 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 homers, 23 walks, 23 RBIs, and 28 runs. An impressive all-around performance, he got a lot of help from Ralph Hanson (.368, 23, 8) and Garland Phelps (.298, 4, 22). They swept the awards, as Phil Murry was a perfect 8-0 in his 8 starts. He pitched to a stellar 2.07 ERA (206 ERA+) and 0.99 WHIP with 15 walks and 39 strikeouts. That's about as good as a pitcher can do, and he really fueled this impressive run. This got this within three games, and with the first half of June at home they could really cement themselves in the Continental pennant race. Kansas City and Cleveland are directly in Montreal's way, and those two teams were expected to duke it out. Reigning Whitney winner Hank Williams (.379, 7, 29), Ken Newman (.327, 4, 24, 2), and Charlie Rogers (.325, 1, 14, 2) led the offense as usual, but the impressive part was the seven homers from Bryan Jeffress (.291, 7, 14). When everyone is producing, they're tough to beat, and aside from big offseason acquisition Jack Miller (3-1, 5.52, 24), their starters were delivering. Tony Britten (3-2, 3.41, 15), Eddie Webb (4-1, 3.52, 18), and Beau McClellan (3-2, 3.53, 37) all made quality starts in May. Cleveland was actually without Rufus Barrell, who tore his triceps three starts into his season. Frank Young (3-0, 3.32, 19) looked to fill the void with an undefeated month, but Jake Pearson (2-4, 3.33, 32) and Adrian Czerwinski (3-4, 3.76, 40) didn't have the same luck record wise. They were scoring runs when needed, and did a good job winning games early on. KC and Cleveland got hot to start the month, and despite having Cleveland take three of four in Montreal, the Saints were doing their best to keep up. Those three teams kept moving between the top three spots as the month went on, with the rest of the Conti more then ten games back come July. Boston had a nice 6.5 game lead, but the Chiefs cut that to 3.5 at the break after taking three of four from the Minutemen in Boston. Capped off by Joe Cipolla's (9 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 7 K) complete game win to split the double header, the Rod Shearer led team was right on the tail of the slugging duo of Jack Denis and Rick Masters, while in the Conti the Kings, Foresters, and Saints were all within three of the Continental lead. ALL-STAR GAME The 27th annual FABL all-star game was held in Montreal's new ballpark, dubbed Stade Montreal, on July 7. The Continental Association entered the contest riding a 4-game winning streak and had led the series 15-11 coming into the game. The Continental stars struck first with back-to-back doubles by Hank Williams of Kansas City and Cincinnati outfielder Dallas Berry off of Federal Association starting pitcher Don Griffin to take a 1-0 lead.It stayed that way until the fourth when a CA error put runners on first and second for Detroit infielder Dick Tucker. Tucker delivered an rbi single off of the Kings Gordon McDonald to tie the game. An inning later the Federal Association would take a 2-1 lead as Joe Reed of Detroit tripled and scored on a ground out by Boston's Jack Denis but the Continental stars quickly tied it after Ken Newman was hit by a Bill Howard pitch and scored on a double off the bat of Cleveland's Tom Carr. Jerry Smith of the St Louis Pioneers would deliver the game winning rbi in the form of a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the sixth and Lloyd Coulter of the Philadelphia Keystones would round out the scoring with a solo blast of his own an inning later to make the final 4-2 for the Federal Association.  JULY DEALS HELP BOSTON TAKE CHARGE IN FED Harry Barrell's club may have saw their comfortable slip away, dropping five of their last six before the break, but the Boston Minutemen came back rested and refreshed. Boston took three of four from the Eagles in Washington, before coming home to sweep the Pittsburgh Miners and take two of three from the Philadelphia Keystones. This stretched the lead back out to six and a half, but again the Minutemen couldn't pull away. They lost each of their next three series, watching their lead shrink to just three games in no time. In an attempt to create some separation, they made a huge move with the seventh place Miners. Upgrading their outfield defense, the Minutemen acquired soon-to-be 27-year-old outfielder Bill Tutwiler, who was in his fourth season in the Pittsburgh outfield. An All-Star in 1957, Tutwiler hit an excellent .338/.445/.519 (146 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 58 RBIs, 65 runs, and 71 walks.An All-Star snub, he continued to be one of the top hitters in the Fed, owning a .324/.448/.508 (157 OPS+) career batting line in 407 FABL games. Yet to play more then the 116 games he played in as a rookie, injuries cost him significant time in the last two seasons, but the former 4th ranked prospect has been able to stay in the lineup all year. A right fielder in Pittsburgh, he'll move into center for Boston as they don't really have a good defender out there. They can rotate between four quality corner bats for left, first, and right, keeping everyone rested in a long pennant race. Pittsburgh was able to pluck away a pair of top-100 prospects in the deal, adding lefty Leo Sherman (42th) and Harry Simpson (79th) in what could be a really good return for a talented young outfielder. Sherman, who Boston took 9th in 1958, could be close to the Miners rotation, as he's 5-5 with a 4.18 ERA (82 ERA+) and 2.76 FIP (80 FIP-) in 15 starts with Boston's AA affiliate. He struck out 88 in 90.1 innings, flashing excellent stuff. His sinker/curve mix is lethal, as he can get ground balls and swing and misses with a pair of outstanding pitches. As a sidearmer, he may have some issues with righties, but by sprinkling a fastball, change, and slider in he can keep hitters on their toes. To start in the majors he'll need one of the secondary offerings to compliment the current mix. His groundball tendencies will keep him in the park, and a solid defense can erase any guys that get on. Projected to be a middle rotation arm, the only roadblock in his way is control, as he still walks too many guys. He can succeed without it, but if he can locate his secondary offerings better he could be a huge addition to the Miners staffs of the 60s. Simpson, who will be 20 on the last day of August, was taken 12th in the draft the year before Sherman, but a high schooler he's still years away from playing on the big league team. An intimidating 6'7" slugger, the power potential is immense, and the lefty slashed a nice .291./.377/.460 (111 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 8 triples, 7 homers, 45 RBIs, 48 walks, and 56 runs in 88 games with the Minutemen's Class B affiliate. Right now what prevents Simpson from being a top slugger is that he hits the ball on the ground too much. With his size, he should be able to hit the ball a mile, but instead he has a tendency to swing on top of pitches. The problem is, he has a really nice swing, and with his speed enough of his grounders can find holes. When he gets a hold of balls, however, he can hit them high in the air, but there are still pitches he should punish that he's letting end up with unproductive outs. Among the other three prospects, 22-year-old outfielder Chuck Draper is really just a throw-in, but the Miners added a pair of intriguing young pitchers in Eddie Scarborough (#126) and Tink Hogan (#170). Hogan is a level higher and a year older and has had a crazy journey since being a 7th Round selection of the Cougars back in 1855. Released by them and four other teams, Hogan stuck with Pittsburgh and pitched well in the '57 and '58 season. Early this year, he was sent to Boston for minor league reliever George Polk and will now return to Pittsburgh after becoming an exciting pitching prospect. Armed with an outstanding change up, he strikes out a ton of hitters, but command may always be an issue. With six pitches and hard stuff that can hit 95, he's able to overwhelm lesser hitters, and as a plus he's comfortable playing all three outfield spots. He's still a project pitcher, but with his raw stuff he has the potential to a big league rotation, whether that be at the bottom or closer to the top. Scarborough is a more traditional pitching prospect, taken in the 1st the season before Harry Simpson, but he really struggled (5-8, 5.03, 88) in 105.2 innings with the Class A Springfield Rifles. A five pitch pitcher, he can match Hogan on the radar gun, and has similar ground ball tendencies. The command is average at best, but unlike Hogan he doesn't have a go-to pitch that leads his arsenal. If he can attack with his sinker, he'd be a useful groundball pitcher, but he has a tendency to hang his pitches when he's really itching for an out. Every so often it looks like he's found a real out pitch, but so far, a lot of his strikeouts are because he's able to fool batters that are sitting on the wrong pitch. His talent should be enough to earn a starting role, but whether he keeps it is what might be tougher. That was one of two big moves for Boston, who later picked up former All-Star Eddie Whitney from the Cannons for a pair of low minors prospects. Playing in FABL for the first time since he spent 1951 to 1955 with Boston, Whitney was having a revival at 32, 7-8 with a 3.86 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 55 walks, and 85 strikeouts. His 19 starts were almost half the amount he entered the season with (27), though he did have plenty of starts in AAA. A five pitch pitcher, he's not the worst option for a start, and when he's going to be filling in the five spot that's the perfect spot for him. He can get skipped plenty for Don Griffin, Dick Wilson, and Foster Sherman, but provide dependable innings when called upon. The cost was light too, parting with just Hank McDowell (#213) and Doc Martz, neither of who Boston is likely to miss. McDowell is a former 4th Rounder who can light up the radar gun, and his deep five pitch arsenal can get swings and misses. He's got decent control, but he's had big issues with the longball, and it could keep him from making it to the Cannons rotation. Martz is an even longer shot, a former 17th Round Pick, but it's still a decent return for a guy that teams passed on for years. Despite several teams in both associations being in reach of the respective pennants, none of the other would be contenders were as active as Boston. That's not to say no one made upgrades, as the Chiefs hoped that they could fix whatever was wrong with George Reynolds this year in San Francisco. A stable force in the rotation for six seasons, Reynolds, had a career high 4.70 ERA (91 ERA+) in 157 innings pitched. 19 homers has been the cause, as he led the Conti in homers last year (37) and hasn't allowed fewer then 23 since becoming a regular rotation member. Still, with 93 strikeouts to 63 walks, there's plenty to like, and changing associations and entering a pennant race could be helpful. A career 123-98 pitcher, Reynolds also picked up 21 saves, though he hasn't had any of those since his 19-save season in 1952. A veteran of 325 games (252 starts), Reynolds owns a 3.70 ERA (108 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP with 797 walks and 1,201 strikeouts. A 2-Time All-Star, he's just 31, and Chiefs pitchers tend to age like a fine wine. He may be a few seasons away from his new peak, but he gives them a quality five who could spend a long time in the their rotation. What makes this trade most interesting, however, is the involvement of two prospects, as the Sailors are parting with young righty Joe Lancaster (98th) as well to pry away 20-year-old righty Bill Moody (52nd) from the Chiefs. Taken in the 2nd Round of the 1957 draft, Moody got all the way up to 19th on the prospect rankings before bouncing out of the top-50 at the All-Star break. In the midst of a rough season for the Class A Cedar Rapids Chiefs, Moody was just 2-8 with a 5.23 ERA (79 ERA+), but he was playing against batters far older then he was. A fireballing righty, Moody has a deep four pitch mix, he just doesn't command the pitches well. They're good enough to trick a few FABL hitters too, but far too often he'll walk or hit a player, and then of course he's had some issues keeping the ball in the park. Still, the talent is immense, and he's got frontline potential ready to be awakened. The Sailors organization must be confident in harnessing Moody's command, as Lancaster is a 6'4" righty who mixes six different pitches. A funky looking sidearmer, he's a hard thrower too, with his cut and fastball hitting 97 at their best. Projected as a reliever only, his overall value is somewhat limited, but for the Chiefs it's a nice pickup that upgrades their pitching depth in the near future. They don't have a reliable stopper now, and Lancaster has shown he can handle the late innings. If he can learn how to pitch multiple innings, the Chiefs could transition him to the rotation, but for now they seem committed to continuing his development out of the bullpen. Sticking with the theme of pen improvement, they added Paul Magee from (3-3, 5, 4.42, 21) from the Sailors and Walt Staton (5-9, 4.63, 57) from the Dynamos. He pitched strictly out of the rotation this year, but has plenty of pen experience in the past, and since he turns 33 in a few days, the Chiefs may be excited for his aged 37 to 42 years where he regains his form as a two-time All-Star selection. The most surprising move of deadline season may have been the one involving the Gothams and Saints, as Montreal made a huge boost to their rotation with former All-Star Eddie Martin. Emerging as a quality arm back in 1955, Martin is in the middle of his fourth consecutive season as a full-time rotation member, going 4-8 with a 3.88 ERA (111 ERA+). New York may have been scared away by what would be a career high 1.63 WHIP, and his 67-to-55 walk-to-strikeout ratio was concerning. Still, this is a guy who lost just 26 games in his four previous seasons, and owns a career 3.47 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP in over 1,000 FABL innings. By no means an ace, he's a solid arm for a contender and as a sub .500 team the Gothams were focused on the future. They did nab a quality prospect too, top-100 prospect Red Blanchard who they sent straight to the major league pen. A former 4th Rounder of the Sailors, he's a talented 23-year-old lefty who has a nice four pitch arsenal. The change is the best offering, and right now it's about as good as any you'll see. Even better, he doesn't have any real weaknesses, and will continue to improve with more experience. As a sidewinding groundballer, he's far different from Martin, and New York was able to pitch up a new backup first basemen in Frank Landrum (.287, 7, 1) to sweeten the deal. It was their only deal of note, but knowing the franchise's past they could be embarking on a major sell-off in the offseason. FABL STRETCH RUN In early August the Minutemen and Chiefs kept pace with each other in the Fed while Cleveland and KC stayed within three games atop the Conti, but the Saints were ice cold. After a sweep at the hands of the Cougars, they fell to five out, and the Cougars snuck to a game and a half behind Montreal for third. They continued to drop games, but initially didn't fall too far since Cleveland couldn't string wins together either. KC was inconsistent, winning a bunch of games early in the month to pull ahead, but they dropped six of their last seven games on the month to cede first right back to the Foresters. When August ended, they had a game and a half lead over the Kings, 5 above the Cougars and 5.5 above the Saints.Meanwhile, the Minutemen couldn't lose, winning 10 of their last 14 in August to pull ahead with an 8.5 game lead. New outfielder Bill Tutwiler got off to a nice start, hitting .296/.397/.491 (129 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, 18 walks, and 24 runs. Just a supplemental piece of the scoring, Rick Masters (.353, 7, 19) and Rule-5 pick Ed Wise (.308, 6, 22) did most of the heavy lifting, and new 4th outfielder/first basemen Leon Wallace (.294, 4, 11) made the most of his limited play. Tutwiler's addition made up for a rare poor month from Jack Denis (.233, 3, 12), as Tutwiler was able to keep the Boston lineup on track and get on for the deep lineup. The pitching was decent, led in the rotation by a perfect month from Dick Wilson (4-0, 2.54, 10), and 31 strikeouts from Don Griffin (2-1, 3.79, 31) was pretty cool too, but it was the back two in the pen that kept winning games for the 1941 champs. Gary Pike (2-0, 2, 0.51, 9) and Bob Hollister (3-1, 4, 2.30, 7) were as good as it gets, and they had a chance to win their first pennant since 1943. With the pennant in sight, Boston took it up a notch in September, winning 7 of their first 8 and 12 of their 15. After that 15 game stretch, the lead was 14 on the second place Pioneers, as no one really gave the Minutemen any trouble in the final month. Even after losing two of three against the Pioneers to close out the season, Boston finished an impressive 96-58, stomping the competition and taking the crown by 14 games. They did everything right, scoring the most runs and allowing the fewest, featuring a pair of 30-homer hitters and 20-game winners. If you had to guess which Minutemen were which, I'd be confident in most fans getting 75% of the players right. Obviously, Rick Masters was one of the 30-home run hitters, he's surpassed that mark since his breakout season at 24, as Masters hit a strong .301/.388/.529 (136 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 34 homers, 97 runs, 108 RBIs, and 85 walks. With a 140 WRC+ and 5.2 WAR, he's now put together five consecutive seasons with a WRC+ above 135 and a WAR above 5, and a postseason berth is exactly what players as talented as Masters deserve. Then on the mound, it would seem obvious that Don Griffin and Dick Wilson were the 20-game winners, though you could be forgiven for going with the innings eater Foster Sherman (13-8, 3.72, 145). Griffin may be the ace, but Wilson put together the Allen-worthy season, going an outstanding 22-6 with a 2.51 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 83 walks, and 116 strikeouts. He won two thirds of the triple crown, leading in wins and ERA, but the small innings total (208) may have done him in on the award as he couldn't come close to the eventual winners strikeout total. Spoiler: he didn't even get halfway there. But that doesn't take away from the dominance the 23-year-old flexed, and the hard thrower was rewarded with his 2nd All-Star appearance and starts in games 2 and, if needed, 6 of the WCS. Griffin, who led the Fed in ERA last year, was selected to his third All-Star game, finishing 20-7 with a 3.09 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 34 walks, and 199 strikeouts. One of the many starters to lead with 36 starts, Wilson more impressively led in WHIP, K/BB (5.9), FIP- (51), and WAR (10.7), and made a serious case for the award himself. 23 on the off-day after game-5 in the WCS, the best versions of these two young pitchers may still be in the future, and the entire Fed is going to be stuck dealing with this devastating 1-2 punch for years to come. So what does that leave? The other 30-home run hitter? Well, if you guessed 7th hitter Ed Wise, then you might want to test your luck at the casinos! Originally taken 7th by Boston in the 1950 draft, Wise was a top-100 prospect who spent a year and a half with the Minutemen before being sent to Chicago in a deal for Johnny Duncan. Duncan, who was 28 at the time, was a solid third year pitcher on the Chiefs with 326 innings under his belt. Functioning as a starter and reliever, he was 14-20 with a 3.87 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 167 walks, and 131 strikeouts. Still with the Minutemen, he's made 193 appearances, all but six of which were starts, an almost exactly average 60-66 with a 4.31 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 561 walks, and 595 strikeouts. 1959 has been his worst, if not second worst, season yet, going 5-9 with a 5.49 ERA (78 ERA+) and 1,71 WHIP, walking 73 with just 59 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched. Wise, however, went to establish himself in the Chiefs system, but he never really got to much hitting in the minors. He got a small cup of coffee in 1956 and 1957, but he got DFA'd during the '58 season and was left unclaimed on waivers. With the offseason more defined, Boston realized they could use an extra piece on the bench, and they took a gamble on their former prospect who hit .224/.383/.458 (144 OPS+) with 22 homers, 51 RBIs, and 99 walks in 104 AAA games. Expected to back up Marshall Thomas (.290, 6, 48), Joe Kleman (.320, 12, 51, 3), and Pat Todd (.310, 2, 70, 5), a big injury to Kleman and a ton of small ones to Thomas allowed Wise to receive playing time. He hit .283/.353/.617 (147 OPS+) in April and .287/.441/.562 (159 OPS+) in May, securing playing time the rest of the way even if everyone was healthy. By season's end, Wise managed to play 144 games and hit 30 home runs, slashing .248/.372/.473 (118 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 81 runs, 90 RBIs, and 96 walks. Having depth available like Wise allowed the Minutemen to survive anything thrown at them, and with how easy they came away with the pennant they have to be the favorite going in the WCS. Despite finishing so far behind, the St. Louis Pioneers had both the Whitney winner and Allen winner, as while Boston had a more balanced approach, St. Louis was simply stars and studs. Winning the Allen for the second consecutive season, Billy Hasson struck out a career and Fed high 254 hitters, going 19-11 with a 2.95 ERA (146 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP in a Fed high 289.2 innings pitched. His 254 strikeouts were the fourth most in a single season in Pioneer history, one more then Frenchy Mack's total from last year and three more from the 251 he set down this year. As the reliable #2, Mack was 16-12 with a 3.46 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP, giving St. Louis a superb 1-2 punch that can rival the one in Boston. Both guys are young too, with Hasson 25 and Mack 22, allowing them to be a force in the 60s if the talented aces can stay healthy. Their Whitney winner was Jerry Smith, one of the only bright spots in a poor lineup. The recently turned 31-year-old was also selected to his 7th All-Star game, hitting an astronomical .329/.430/.667 (179 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 11 triples, 45 homers, 123 RBIs, 127 runs, 96 walks, and 11 steals. Smith led the Fed in runs, homers, RBIs, slugging, OPS (1.097), WRC+ (180), wOBA (.453), and WAR (9.3), completing one of the best All-Around seasons in Pioneer history. He needed a lot more help, getting some from Larry Gregory (.314, 6, 63, 7), but he was the only other Pioneer with an OPS above .775. Still a few pieces away, they are on the cusp of contention, and could be one of the top thorns in Boston's side next year. Even after a retool, Detroit still finished with 80 wins and a 3rd place finish, but it's a considerable let down considering how good they were for so long. The offense struggled, ranked 7th in runs scored, as Dick Tucker (.280, 18, 70) took a huge step back, and their best hitter Bill Morrison (.323, 18, 71, 5) missed a month with injury. Joe Reed (.303, 28, 106) and Dick Estes (.276, 22, 91) were solid, but they could not replace Edwin Hackberry in the lineup. Charlie Phillips (.270, 8, 45, 23) was okay at the plate and great on the bases, but his defense in center was poor, and the pitcher's didn't get the support they were used to. That could have contributed to them finishing in the bottom half for runs allowed, with uncharacteristic seasons from Jim Norris (20-12, 4.03, 157), Paul Anderson (13-16, 4.53, 100), and offseason acquisition John Jackson (8-13, 5.04, 100). On the bright side, Jack Halbur was great, 17-12 with a 3.27 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 159 strikeouts, putting together his fourth consecutive above average season in Detroit's rotation. They got good innings from Larry Beebe (9-8, 3.36, 88) too, but this season it was clear that this was not the Dynamos team we have all gotten used to. An awful 9-19 ruined the Chiefs season, and with a sub .500 September they failed to reach 80 games for the first time in three seasons. The big news this season was the retiring of Al Miller, who still appeared to have what it takes to be a FABL pitcher. 44 at the time of retirement, Miller had a respectable 4.00 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP with a nice 3.63 FIP (85 FIP-), 53 walks, and 86 strikeouts in 207 innings. With his retirement, Miller finishes his career with eleven consecutive 200+ inning seasons while carrying an above average ERA+ in nine of those eleven years. Miller will retire with 327 wins, good for 6th All-Time, and no pitcher has won more then 327 games with the same team, barely surpassing the 321 wins that Charlie Sis had as a Wolf. Appearing in 753 games and throwing 5,418.2 innings pitched, Miller was worth an elite 109.9 wins above replacement with a 3.49 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 1,685 walks, and 2,344 strikeouts. That 109.9 WAR is good for 7th All-Time, though Rufus Barrell (107.08) might pass him this year, and his name is all over Chicago's team record book. Along with wins, strikeouts, WAR, games, and innings, which he leads in, he leads in shutouts (51) and starts (701) and ranks 2nd in complete games 287). 1960 will be the first season since 1935 where Miller doesn't make at least one appearance in a Chief uniform, and they'll have plenty of work to re-establish as a contender, but they should have no issues in scoring runs. Rod Shearer (.286, 31, 116, 9) continues to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball, and Rule-5 pick Dave Price (.313, 14, 84, 7) had a huge breakout season with 61 extra base hits to capture the Kellogg award. Ed Bloom (.315, 12, 62, 19), Doc Zimmerman (.296, 9, 80, 8), and Mickey Tucker (.286, 21, 87) provided tough at bats. The pitching should continue to be solid too, with good seasons from Vern Osborne (16-12, 3.75, 150) and Dick Champ (17-7, 3.37, 130), while Joe Cipolla (15-11, 4.35, 186) continues to strike out a ton of hitters. They might have been closer to last then first this year, but with a better finish to the season they would have had a chance to finish 2nd with room to spare. The rest of the association finished below .500, with the Gothams in 5th with a matching 76-78 record from last year. Another disappointing season from the team that was the only one to interrupt the Dynamos run, they still had a lot of production from their sluggers. Rex Pilcher had his best year as a Gotham, slugging 32 homers and hitting .303/.402/.529 (140 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 93 runs, 97 RBIs, and 90 runs. He outperformed Bill Barrett (.319, 19, 74), Hank Estill (.279, 25, 107), and Earl Howe (.277, 32, 97, 8), but that trio was still extremely effective. Ed Holmes (.277, 7, 45, 16), Johnny Taylor (.249, 17, 60), and Lew Mercer (.256, 13, 65, 7) were tough outs too, they just couldn't keep enough runs off the board. Trading Martin at the deadline contributed to that, but Ed Bowman (11-18, 4.54, 115) having an ERA+ of 94 with a FIP- of 83 might have been the difference, but the Gotham's defense was solid so any poor run luck couldn't be attributed to that. Jorge Arellano (15-10, 3.99, 146) was just okay again, struggling to regain the form of the guy who was 21-8 with a 3.13 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and Fed high 202 strikeouts in 1957, and most of the innings they got from the rest of the pack were sub-standard. On the bright side, Bill Howard was elite in June, July, and August, finishing 15-7 with 2 saves, a 2.99 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts in 25 starts and 10 relief outings. The 28-year-old only had 3 FABL starts coming into the season, but if the Gothams want to compete next year, they'll need more from the former Miners 12th Rounder. Philly wasted another season of Buddy Miller's prime, as the now 29-year-old outfielder hit an outstanding .327/.389/.563 (149 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 31 homers, 100 runs, and 117 RBIs. Take him out of the lineup, and it's barely Century League quality, as even with the 3-Time Whitney winner they finished in a tie for the fewest runs scored in the association. Aside from the Coulter's, Lloyd (.268, 33, 93) and Al (.281, 13, 53), the lineup was very weak, and even Al was more average then good. The staff allowed 800 runs, good for second most in the Fed, but they might have found themselves a new ace. Despite turning 20 in July, Joe Kienle emerged as a top-of-the-rotation arm, going 15-10 with a 3.66 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts in his 34 starts. Their 2nd Rounder in 1957, he already has two full FABL seasons under his belt, overpowering guys with a 95-97 fastball and making guys look silly with his sweeping left handed slider. With him, William Davis (15-15, 4.15, 151) and Jim Cooper (8-11, 4.04, 65) they have the start of a solid rotation, but this Keystone team still has plenty to do before becoming a legitimate contender. The same can be said for Washington (67-87) and Pittsburgh (66-88), who finished a game apart at the bottom of the standings. The Eagles paired a decent lineup with the worst staff, as only a some-what resurgent John Stallings (11-10, 3.91, 114) wasn't allowing 4+ runs a start. Sometimes that was enough for the new-look offense, that has a nice core of players 27 and younger. The elder, Brad Keylon (.337, 10, 60), turns 28 in November, while Jim Baccari (.287, 22, 83), Jack Thompson (.316, 10, 67), and rookies Joe Holland (.308, 19, 92) and Al Marino (.305, 4, 44) will all be 25 or younger come Opening Day. Pittsburgh is an older team, so they may be further away from contention, with midseason callup Mike Whisman (.277, 7, 48) the only regular in the lineup to finish the year younger then 29. The rotation is old and not very good, with just Ed Power (3-7, 3.90, 81) and Roy Schaub (7-9, 3.92, 79) putting up solid numbers, though Power made just 18 starts and Schaub was moved to the pen in September. Trading Bill Tutwiler away was a big subtraction, and next on the list could be Paul Williams (.301, 19, 75), Irv Clifford (.281, 2, 58, 27), Bill Harbin (.240, 11, 83, 9), or Bill Newhall (.297, 12, 87, 6). Pittsburgh is my guess for top seller in the offseason, but most teams want good, young pitching, and they don't have anyone that comes close to meeting that description. *** Foresters Prevail in Tight CA Race *** Thankfully for baseball fans, the Continental had a pennant race to keep non-Minutemen fans interested in the end of the season. Early in September, it looked like a two-man race, as the Foresters and Kings started the month hot, but both ran into some troubles towards the middle. Cleveland lost 6 of 9 while KC dropped 6 of 8 from the 11th to the 19th, allowing the Cougars to hang around as we approached the final week. Still 4.5 out, they would need a miracle, but the top two clubs were still within two games of each other.Cleveland had the tougher path to travel, seven games on the road, but with a game and a half lead they could afford a minor misstep. Kansas City started on the road too, one more in LA before three in Montreal, and they then finished their season at Prairie Park with a nice three-game series with the eventual last place Stars. They beat the Stars on the 20th, but Montreal's pitching staff proved to be too much for the Kings' offense. Winning by scores of 4-2, 2-0, and 5-4, the Kings season slipped away, while Cleveland rolled with victories against the Sailors and Wolves. That final win in Toronto proved to be the difference maker, as Cleveland piled on 10 runs and 15 hits of rookie Jimmy Pepper, who was making his first FABL start after 15 outings as a reliever. Extending their lead to four, it became impossible for the Kings to catch them, and Cleveland would have a chance to capture their 4th championship of the 1950s. Winning his 5th Allen award at 34, Adrian Czerwinski once again put his team on his back, leading the Conti in wins (22), ERA (2.82), innings (300.1), and WHIP (1.06), while his 207 strikeouts were second in the CA. With an excellent 155 ERA+ and 8.7 WAR to go with a 3.18 FIP (72 FIP-) and 3.0 K/BB, it's easy to see why he came home with the award. His co-ace Rufus Barrell (5-2, 4.13, 40), injured much of the season, wasn't great in his 11 starts, but offseason pickup Jake Pearson (15-14, 3.81, 149) helped solidify their rotation, and Frank Young (17-6, 3.72, 147) was excellent in a career high 30 starts. That trio was enough, as with an excellent lineup, they were able to support the front three in their rotation well. Led by Sherry Doyal (.324, 35, 111, 18), who was elite at the plate again, but most interestingly matched his previous career total of 18 steals with 18 steals at 31. He made 676 trips to the plate, his 10th consecutive season with more then 625, and his 157 WRC+ was above 140 also for the 10th time. A mainstay in the lineup, the 9-Time All-Star anchored an excellent group that featured top hitters like Tom Carr (.270, 14, 79, 7), Hal Kennedy (.289, 29, 92), Otis O'Keefe (.272, 14, 67), and John Low (.302, 11, 72). Stan Kleminski (.288, 4, 77, 10) was his normally reliable self, and this talented Foresters club should give plenty of trouble to Boston. Kansas City couldn't hold on for their fourth pennant in six seasons, but it was a memorable year none-the-less. That's because repeat Whitney winner Hank Williams did something we never thought we'd see again: hit over .400 in a season. Appearing in 153 of the Kings' 154 games, the 26-year-old star hit an astronomical .406/.490/.694 (204 OPS+) with 60 doubles, 34 homers, 118 RBIs, 128 runs, and an excellent 94-to-48 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Along with all three triple slash categories, and of course, OPS (1.184), Williams let the CA in runs, hits (231), doubles, WRC+ (214), wOBA (.504), and WAR (10.4), putting together one of the best seasons in FABL history. Not only did he hit for the 18th highest average in a full season, he's the first to pass .400 since Mel Carrol in 1937 (.408) and his 1.184 OPS was the 6th highest in a season. He's now the Kings single season record holder for average, OBP (broke his record from last year), slugging, OPS (his too), total bases (395), and doubles while ranking top-5 in WAR (3rd), hits (4th), and homers (t-4th). It's a shame a historic season like that ended in September, but the Kings couldn't keep runs off the board. Finishing 5th in runs allowed, the generally solid Kansas City rotation struggled, most notably offseason pickup Jack Miller. The 5-Time All-Star was an even 12-12 with an elevated 4.89 ERA (88 ERA+) and 1.56 WHIP, both easily career worsts. He walked 100 hitters in 213.1 innings, leading to a career high 10.4 BB%, but he at least struck out 139 batters. He wasn't the only guy with issues, as Tony Britten (11-12, 4.94, 97) had larger struggles, last year's ERA leader Eddie Webb (15-6, 1, 4.48, 76) got demoted to the pen, and last season's injury kept Mike Thorpe (2-3, 5.07, 29) to just nine brutal starts. Beau McClellan (17-13, 3.55, 179) was the only guy to pitch to his talent level, but he alone was not enough to survive the season. The offense tried, as along with Williams, Bryan Jeffress (.296, 25, 66, 7), Ken Newman (.292, 29, 127, 6), and Dutch Miller (.282, 16, 103) had productive years at the plate. Still, Charlie Rogers (.286, 11, 71, 16) had his first below average offensive season as a big leaguer, joining his friends in the rotation with down years, and in a tight pennant race they didn't do enough right. The window is still wide open, and the Kings may focus on adding a pitcher and hitter to complete their talented roster. It was surprising enough that the Cougars won 81 games last year, but finishing 82-72 and in 3rd place was a nice mental win for the club. As crazy as it sounds, the once near-top-of-the-standings Cougars haven't finished in the top three since 1949, as the always decent, never great club stretched their 70+ win streak to 23 seasons. A young team on the rise, they also featured a pitching staff that would rival the forties crew of Papenfus, Bybee, and the Jones Brothers. Leading the CA with just 618 runs allowed, the Cougs discovered a new ace in Hank Walker. Going from AAA starter to passing Pug White (18-12, 3.12, 138) in the rotation, Walker earned himself an All-Star bid and finished 11-9 with a 2.99 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts in 25 starts. Most impressively, the groundballer led the CA with a 0.3 HR/9, something that is completely unheard of at Cougars Park. In 316.2 FABL innings he's allowed just 15 home runs, as he does amazing job keeping the ball on the ground. Acquired with catcher Stan Czerwinski (.279, 20, 75) and others for Doc Zimmerman back in 1956, Walker doesn't have many friends in the clubhouse, but they'll have to tolerate him if he keeps pitching like this. Though to be fair, almost everyone on the Cougars staff pitched well, as Arch Wilson (7-10, 25, 2.96, 70) again led the Continental in saves. Grant Davis (15-7, 3.75, 103) continued to provide a stable force at the back of the rotation, while John Mitchell (11-13, 4.17, 174) and Ollie Norris (7-12, 4.07, 130) pitched a bit better then their records would show. The pen got solid contributions from Dixie Gaines (6-2, 1, 3.76, 44), Bobby Crooks (2-3, 2, 2.87, 20), and Mike Peter (0-2, 2.60, 25), but as always they had their troubles (21-26) in one run games. The offense often couldn't get it done, but they got big seasons from their young stars Jerry McMillan (.311, 19, 90, 21) and Jack Gibson (.309, 38, 107). Soon to join them might be 23-year-old rookie Jim Barton, who hit .359/.429/.558 (158 OPS+) with 12 homers and 42 RBIs in the last three months of the season. They don't have the talent of the two teams ahead of them, but for the first time in a few years the other Chicago team is looking to be a threat. Montreal was a threat early in the season, but they went 29-39 after the break and finished almost ten games out of first place at 80-74. Deadline pickup Eddie Martin (6-5, 3.57, 39; 10-13, 3.77, 94) did do well, and they'll bring a solid rotation into 1960. Jim Montgomery (18-12, 3.84, 173), Phil Murry (17-11, 3.96, 127), and Andy Logue (11-5, 3.61, 86) did well behind him, and the Saints lineup quietly scored the most runs in baseball. They don't have a Sherry Doyal or Ken Newman, but they have the talented first-time All-Star Harry Swain (.318, 20, 96), who was completely snubbed in 1957. Just 26, Swain has hit .313/.414/.494 (151 OPS+) in 2,301 career plate appearances, logging 80 doubles, 85 homers, 326 RBIs, 348 runs, and 309 walks. He had his best supporting cast this year too, with good years from John Fast (.266, 11, 59), Jim Johnston (.282, 16, 58), Art Robbins (.271, 23, 106), Garland Phelps (.302, 12, 76), Ralph Hanson (.317, 6, 97, 28), and Bill Elkins (.277, 6, 72). Only the now 35-year-old vet Joe Austin (.236, 4, 63, 20) failed to produce a WRC+ above 100, and he was still an asset on the bases and in the field. The key now is for them to put everything together, and keeping playing at a top level for more then half a season. Like their Federal counterpart, the Conti was split equally with above and below .500 teams, with the Cannons even matching the Gothams 76-78 record. Better then their record would suggest, they scored 711 runs and allowed just 673, again getting a monster season from Dallas Berry (.316, 35, 111, 14). Johnny Elliot (.268, 14, 49) didn't do him much help, even losing his job to Charlie Ham (.309, 18, 48), ending what at one point was a great 1-2-3 with Berry and Fred Lainhart (.306, 8, 68, 30). Al Farmer (.290, 18, 86, 8) and Art McKinney (.252, 22, 81) were solid, but they need to add pop to the lineup if they want to compete next season. The pitching held up well without Jake Pearson, as Doc Clay (15-12, 3.22, 119) stepped up to top the rotation, so you have to imagine they'll be in the hunt again next season. After impressing in the pen, they graduated 22nd ranked prospect Jim York (13-10, 1, 3.01, 95) to the rotation and he at times flashed #1 starter potential. The Cannons did move away from a few starters at the deadline, so they could shop for an arm in the offseason, but Hal Miller (16-12, 1, 4.08, 139) is a capable three and Paul Williams (4-2, 19, 3.14, 56) has emerged as a reliable back of the pen arm, leaving them with a path forward towards contention. Toronto continues to find themselves just below .500, extending their streak of losing seasons to 11 years with a 74-80 finish. The pitching was solid, but not because of Whitey Stewart (6-15, 4.90, 118), who despite a 3.72 FIP (85 FIP-) lost a lot of games and gave up a ton of runs. Thankfully, the 21-year-old George Hoxworth (16-10, 3.06, 218) was back to pitching like an ace, and he led the CA in strikeouts for the third consecutive season. With Stewart struggling, 27-year-old Hank Lacey (31-11, 3.70, 144) stepped up, and 19-year-old Arnie Smith was in the running for the Kellogg. "Pretty Boy" Smith was taken 4th last season, and despite not pitching above A ball he cracked the Wolves Opening Day rotation. Graduating as the #7 prospect, Smith went 13-15 with a 4.01 ERA (109 ERA+), 3.74 FIP (84 FIP-), and 1.35 WHIP. The young righty walked 82 and struck out 180 in 240.1 innings pitched, and the seven pitch righty looks to be the Joe Hancock to George Hoxworth. A hard thrower with truly elite stuff. The Toronto lineup needs a lot of work, ,no team scored less runs then the Wolves, but it now has the 1959 Kellogg Winner Sid Cullen (.285, 21, 70) in it. Taken 3rd in the 1955 draft, Cullen ranked as high as 17th on the prospect rankings, as along with elite power he's an outstanding defender. The then 22-year-old had an excellent 12.3 zone rating and 1.067 efficiency in centerfield, and will now be a lock to make his first Opening Day lineup in 1960. Aside from Dixie Williams (.285, 22, 72), Tom Reed (.313, 28, 82, 7), and maybe John Wells (.269, 15, 48, 7), there isn't much to worry about. Without a big trade, it's likely another finish towards the bottom, but there is a chance top-15 prospect Phil Colantuono (0-0, 11.57, 2) completes a lethal trio atop a championship quality rotation. And since at 23 he's the oldest, the bats have plenty of time to come join them. Edwin Hackberry (.297, 16, 82, 16) never quite looked right in a Sailors jersey, and San Francisco's new star didn't help spark the rest of the team like the front office may have hoped. Bill Guthrie (.289, 24, 93) still hit a ton of home runs and the 22-year-old Carlos Jaramillo (.298, 10, 50, 14) is the most exciting shortstop in all of baseball, but the lineup struggled to score runs. Ray Rogan (.259, 9, 46), Dick Hunt (.251, 22, 97), and Herbert Crawford Jr. (.252, 9, 54) all had down seasons, so in hindsight it's really no surprise they finished so low in the standings. Ace Bud Henderson (12-15, 4.05, 136) suffered the same fate, as while he was still effective he just wasn't as good as he was in his first three seasons. Him and veteran southpaw Duke Bybee (4-10, 3.88, 94) both saw their season end in September with major injuries, casting a doubt on both of their effectiveness for 1960. It'd be tough to expect much from the 37-year-old Bybee, but if he was healthy he could have fetched a prospect in an offseason trade. As it stands, he's second behind Bud, with some ordering of fellow 37-year-old Joe Quade (7-11, 4.21, 74), 1959 Rule-5 pick and top 100 prospect Larry Kenz (9-7, 2, 4.81, 49), and Dan Atwater (12-12, 5.33, 80), who had the worst season of his ten year career, behind him. Atwater is 37 too, and if little changes this is going to be one of the worst staffs in the new decade. Their geographical rival will give them a run for their money, as the continually bad Los Angeles Stars seemed to have been cursed for leaving New York. At 60-94, they were ten back of the next closest team, and show no signs of improving in the near future. They did get a full season of Charlie Barrell (.316, 18, 86), but it was his worst season at the plate. Defensively, he was excellent, so his 6.3 WAR was second only to his breakout rookie season in 1953. 30 next July, time is running out to build around the guy they traded two stars for, and so far their best supporting piece is last year's first rounder Ralph Barrell (.305, 19, 72). Charlie's cousin came up for just 85 games, outperforming many of the guys who started the season in LA. Parson Allen (.325, 15, 77) was one of the only guys who at least kept pace, and with the worst pitching staff there wasn't much chance of them even sniffing .500. They probably didn't care, more interested in the number one draft pick, as they were willing to trot out 38-year-old Pete Ford (4-19, 7.49, 74) for 31 starts. 22-year-old Floyd Warner (12-14, 4.65, 191) gave a good effort, but the longball was his kryptonite. He allowed an association high 34 homers in 251.2 innings pitched, and until he can keep the ball in the part he'll be prevented from taking the next step. A low pressure environment could help him succeed, and aside from him and graduated 15th prospect Dewey Allcock (11-13, 3.89, 102), they didn't get many good starts. Those two could anchor the Stars rotations of the 60s, with 20-year-old stopper Cal Johnston (13-9, 11, 4.40, 63) a potential third. He should be an option for starts in 1960, as the hard throwing groundballer has great stuff and improving command. Good seasons are still a few years in the future, but at least the Stars have a chance of developing a new Eli Panneton and Vern Hubbard.  1959 World Championship Series Until they took the field for game one of the 1959 World Championship Series the Boston Minutemen and Cleveland Foresters had never met. Boston had not played in the WCS in 16 years and had not won one since 1941. In all the Minutemen entered the series with 10 pennants and 5 WCS titles but the majority (7 pennants and 4 WCS wins) had come in the first two decades of FABL. While Boston was a powerhouse in the early years of the Federal Association, the Cleveland Foresters won just three pennants prior to 1934 and had not claimed a single WCS title until their thrilling seven game win over the New York Gothams in the '34 Fall Classic. Unlike the Minutemen, who struggled for the most part in recent years, the Foresters have been a Continental Association powerhouse with the 1959 flag representing their sixth over the past eleven seasons. Cleveland also won three more WCS titles during that span to give them four as a franchise.That is all ancient history and does not matter at all to either club this time around but what does matter is the fact that the Minutemen had a dominant season and not only have terrific hitters like Rick Masters (.301,34,108) and Jack Denis (.309,21,90) in their prime put also a pair of the best young arms in the sport in 23-year-olds Dick Wilson (22-6, 2.51) and Don Griffin (20-7, 3.09). Cleveland has plenty of stars as well with Adrian Czerwinski (22-10, 2.82) anchoring the rotation to go along with the bats of Sherry Doyal (.324,35,111), Paul Williams (.301, 19,75) and newly acquired second baseman Stan Kleminski (.288,4,77). The Foresters also had a huge edge in postseason experience with nearly every player on their roster had previous WCS experience while Boston had one player who had played in a WCS game prior to this series. That would be backup outfielder George Rutter who had appeared in 5 games for the then Philadelphia Sailors in 1951. Adrian Czerwinski and Deuce Barrell entered the series with a combined 25 games started in WCS play. The entire Boston staff was appearing in the WCS for the first time. GAME ONE: BOSTON 4 CLEVELAND 0 The series opened in Boston and as it would turn out all that previous WCS experience meant nothing. Don Griffin was a week shy of his 23rd birthday and he pitched like a seasoned vet in his first exposure to WCS baseball. The 20-game winner was sensational, scattering five hits over eight innings while allowing just two Cleveland runners to advance as far as second base. 42-year-old Deuce Barrell was nearly as effective on the mound for the Foresters and he and Griffin were locked in a classic pitchers duel that was scoreless through six and a half innings.That changed suddenly in the bottom of the seventh when Boston lead-off man Bill Tutwiler ripped a triple off of Barrell. Deuce retired Pat Todd on an infield grounder and, after Rick Masters was issued an intentional walk, Deuce fanned Jack Denis for the second out. Boston second baseman Ed Wise broke the scoreless tie with a 2-strike single to plate Tutwiler and before the cheering at Minutemen Park had a chance to die down, Joe Kleman drilled Barrell's next offering over the rightfield wall for a 3-run homer and gave Boston a 4-0 lead. The game would end by that 4-0 score as Gary Pike took over for Griffin in the ninth inning and while he did allow a 2-out single to John Low, Pike fanned both Hal Kennedy and Jerry Hubbs in the frame to preserve the shutout victory. GAME TWO: BOSTON 2 CLEVELAND 1 Another pitchers duel as Allen Award winner Adrian Czerwinski faced off against Boston's second young twenty game winner Dick Wilson. The Foresters struck first, plating a run in the second inning when Mike Whisman smacked a 2-out double and scored on a single from Czerwinski, who aided his own cause with his bat. Further illustrating difference in WCS experience level Czerwinski entered the series with 9 career post-season hits- which was the same number that the entire Boston Minutemen playoff roster entered the series with.Boston had a chance to tie the game in the third inning with runners on first and second and just one out but Czerwinski worked his way out of the potential mess with a pair of groundball outs. The Mad Professor was not as fortunate in the sixth inning when Rick Masters hit doubles on consecutive pitches to tie the game at one. Czerwinski then hit Don Richmond with a full count pitch to put two runners on base but a Joe Kleman fly ball and a strikeout of Sam Walker kept the score knotted at 1. Wilson gave way for pinch-hitter Richmond in the sixth but first Chet Baker for an inning and then Bob Hollister kept the Foresters from adding the go-ahead run. Boston bats had little success against Czerwinski and after nine innings the game remained tied at one. In the top of the 10th Cleveland had runners on first and second with no one out but Hollister got a doubleplay ball and a pop out to escape the predicament. Lynn Horn took over for Czerwinski on the mound for Cleveland in the bottom of the 10th and he started nicely with a quick strikeout of lead-off man George Rutter but then, just as they did for their first run, the Minutemen delivered back-to-back doubles to win the game. Bill Tutwiler hit the first one and then raced home on Pat Todd's game winning two bagger. GAME THREE: BOSTON 4 CLEVELAND 3 Outpitched by the young Minutemen in each of the opening two games the Foresters returned home for game three and hoped for more success against Foster Sherman. Boston's game three starter went 13-8 this season and the 32-year-old was in his fourth season with the Minutemen after beginning his big league career with the Foresters in 1956.17 game winner Frank Young took the hill for the hosts and he immediately landed in hot water allowing a Boston run on a lead-off single by Bill Tutwiler, a stolen base and then a single off the bat of Pat Todd. Cleveland had a chance to tie the game in the third when Tom Carr hit a one-out triple and Sherman issued back to back walks to Stan Kleminski and Sherry Doyal to load the bases. The opportunity was wasted when Hal Kennedy grounded into an inning ending doubleplay. Cleveland did breakthrough in the fourth when Sherman had control problems and issued back to back free passes. Mike Whiseman doubled in one run and Frank Young put Cleveland ahead 2-1 with a sacrifice fly. Boston tied it up in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly of their own but Cleveland responded a half inning later as two more Sherman walks led to an rbi single off the bat of Tom Carr and the Foresters were ahead 3-2. Like Cleveland a half inning before, the Minutemen responded in the top of the seventh inning and once more it was back to back doubles that led to Boston runs. Sam Walker hit the first one with Ed Wise on first base and then Don Richmond delivered a 2-run pinch-hit double to make the score 4-3 Minutemen. Bob Hollister pitched the final three innings to close out his second victory in as many games and Boston, with the 4-3 victory in game three, was within one win of winning the series. GAME FOUR: CLEVELAND 6 BOSTON 3 The World Championship Series had not seen a sweep since St Louis took four in a row from the Philadelphia Sailors in 1948 and the Foresters showed quickly they were not willing to exit quietly. Cleveland scored four times on five hits in the bottom of the first inning with the big blow being a two-run double off the bat of John Low. Cleveland chased Boston starter Eddie Whitney when Otis O'Keefe drove in another run in the second inning to make the score 5-0. The Boston bullpen would settle things down but by then it was too late as Cleveland starter Jake Pearson, with an assist from Lynn Horn for the final out, held the Boston bats in check enough to claim a 6-3 victory and keep the series alive. GAME FIVE: BOSTON 8 CLEVELAND 3 Don Griffin and Deuce Barrell had hooked up in a pretty interesting series opener but this one was a day the veteran Cleveland hurler would love to forget. Bill Tutwiler greeted Barrell with a double on the first pitch of the game and one pitch later, after a Pat Todd single, the Minutemen were up 1-0. They would score four times off Barrell in the opening inning on six hits and add another run in the second to send Deuce to the showers.By the third inning the Boston lead was up to 6-0 and that was more than enough for Griffin, who went seven and two thirds before turning the ball over to Chet Baker to close out the series with an 8-3 Boston victory. Boston third baseman Pat Tood, who hit .409 in the series and drove in 5 runs and delivered two doubles and a triple, was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. The 32-year-old has found a home in Boston after previous stops in Toronto and Washington.  OFFSEASON RECAP FABL teams got their shopping done early this offseason, as from the 7th to the 15th of October, ten deals involving major league players were completed. The Cannons and Pioneers made a strange trade, as Cincinnati acquired 88th ranked prospect John Walker from St. Louis for the 85th ranked prospect Danny Daniels, as well as veteran reliever Joe Campbell (0-0, 1, 4.15, 2) who threw 4.1 innings in his first FABL action since 1953. If your first thought was a salary dump, that would have been a good guess, but for some reason the Cannons also decided to pay all of Campbell's contract. Walker and Daniels are both pitchers, but perhaps the Cannons wanted the younger, further away from the majors righty then a crafty seven pitch lefty who they just recently acquired from the Chiefs at the deadline. The 21-year-old pitched well, 6-3 with a 2.88 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts in 11 post-trade starts with the AA Erie Cannons. The upside might be limited, he's never going to be a top pitcher, but he's a clubhouse leader who could offer a stabilizing force at the back of the rotation. Walker has good stuff and keeps the ball on the ground like Daniels, but he's lazy and doesn't make good decision. He carries more risk as a 1958 high school 2nd rounder, and he's seen his prospect rank drop from the initial 40th he got on his first list. Head Scout Bob Simmons and GM Henry Myles may see something in Walker the scouting community doesn't, but it was quickly forgotten with the flurry of moves that followed.FORESTERS STOCK UP WHILE DYNAMOS SELL-OFF CONTINUES Myles' Cannons made the next move too, picking up veteran righty Wally Hunter (3-2, 6, 6.92, 31) and minor league outfielder Eli Bowen from the Washington Eales in exchange for the 128th ranked prospect Owen Lantz. An intimidating 6'4" righty, the now 19-year-old Lantz was the Cannons 4th Round pick in 1958, and he excelled in both Class B (5-1, 2.66, 41) and C (6-2, 4.04, 56) in his first full season as a professional. An extremely raw prospect, he did walk way too many batters, with 111 in a combined 126.1 innings pitched. He has a really nice cutter and a nasty curve, but his command doesn't improve his mistakes will get punished. That could be part of why the Cannons were willing to part with him, though Wally Hunter is 38 and coming off his worst season since a brief cameo in 1943 (2-2, 5.67, 11) with the Stars. They showed interest in making additional acquisitions, with a focus on rotation help and infield help. What came next was even more shocking, as despite having an outfield of Otis O'Keefe (.272, 14, 67), Tom Carr (.270, 14, 79, 7), and Sherry Doyal (.324, 35, 111), the Cleveland Foresters went out and added to that group. Perhaps it's because it only cost Jim Urquhart (.154, 1, 3, 2), who started just 2 of his 62 appearances, but Cleveland crowded the mix with 27-year-old Armando Estrada in a deal with Philadelphia. A former 2nd Round Pick and top-25 prospect, Estrada is in his fourth season, but it took three seasons for him to become a starter. He hit an average .296/.335/.427 (100 OPS+), adding 25 doubles, 4 triples, 13 homers, 67 runs, and 78 RBIs in year two, and he plays excellent defense in right field. He's passable in center too, and since his bat is limited by his tendency to strikeout, plus defense is a must. He's an awkward fit in Cleveland, but the Foresters are hungry for a title, and the addition of Estrada allows their season to survive a major injury or slump in the outfield. October 10th was all about the Dynamos, as the retool continued with trades of a starting pitcher and center fielder. Somewhat surprisingly, they traded one of their only useful starters this year to one of their direct competitors. Without Al Miller the Chiefs needed to add someone new to the mix, and they made a major strike. Going to the Chiefs is Jack Halbur, who turns 31 next March. The 2-Time All-Star went 17-12 with a 3.27 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 159 strikeouts, giving Detroit 35 impressive starts. That was a career high for the former 2nd Rounder, though he's past 30 in each of his last three seasons. Initially a stopper, only 146 of Halbur's 312 appearances have been starts, but no matter what role he's been in he's had success on the mound. Through 1,368.1 innings he's 90-56 with 66 saves, working to a 3.43 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP. The 4-Time Champion has 660 strikeouts to 478 walks, and his command allows him to pitch deep in games. He'll fit comfortably between Vern Osborne (16-12, 3.75, 150) and Dick Champ (17-7, 3.37, 130) in a capable front three. Detroit got some solid talent back, with the top-50 outfield prospect Cecil Gregg the headliner. Just 20, Gregg was taken by the Chiefs 7th in 1957, he projects to be an everyday player due to his outstanding offensive potential. The left swinger is a strong prospect who can makes consistent contact, and with his strength he's got 25+ home run potential. He's had no issues hitting homers in the minors, with 40 last season in AA. That dropped to 20 this year in a few more games, but he did hit 3 more in 15 AAA games. Despite his age, he could quite quickly crack the Dynamo lineup, and they've shown no issues calling up young players in the past. Ranked 2nd in the Dynamo system, he's got a leg up on most of the guys he'll be competing with. Detroit also got to add a projectable 18-year-old lefty in Preston Roberts, who stands at 6'4" and was taken in the 3rd Round by the Chiefs in the '59 draft. Roberts was a respectable 3-4 with a 5.97 ERA (91 ERA+), but he walked 81 batters in 69.1 innings. The control needs a lot of work, but he's got promising stuff. With a bump past 90 or some improvement in his secondary stuff, he could earn himself a spot start or mop up role. The center fielder traded this time by Detroit doesn't bring the same fanfare as Hackberry, as new Forester Charlie Phillips was the second of two surprising outfield additions for the Continental champ. Phillips is an interesting choice, as he debuted with 3 games at 28 in 1955, and 1959 was his first season where he appeared in more then 50 games or took more then 200 plate appearances. It went alright, as the former 12th Rounder hit .270/.358/.374 (91 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 23 steals, and 80 runs scored. For each of his 75 walks, he had a strikeout, but his center field defense (-20.9 zone rating, .919 efficiency) left a lot to be desired. Another awkward fit, Phillips has entered a situation with less available playing time, and he cost them a pair of useful prospects. The key for Detroit in the deal is 19-year-old lefty Dave Irwin, who Cleveland took 4th last year. Pitching most of the year at 18, he did well in Class C and held his own in Class B, getting a lot of whiffs with his change up. Standing 6'5", his pitches look even faster then the 90-92 they register at, and any boost in velocity could do his stuff wonders. He's far from a finished product, but he alone would be a nice pickup for someone like Phillips. Joining him is the versatile Heinie Pearce, who's played games at catcher, third, and all three outfield spots. A 12th Rounder like Phillips, he came from the draft before Irwin, and has spent each of the past three seasons bouncing between the Foresters' bottom two affiliates. A useful utility man, he has to improve his swing, as he relies too much on his discipline during at bats. He could function as a useful bench piece, and being a switch hitter only adds t o that value. Two days later in major move, the Kansas City Kings acquired FABL's most successful 25th Round Pick Bill Guthrie (.289, 24, 93) in a six player trade with the San Francisco Sailors. Named to his third All-Star game in 1959, Guthrie has hit 174 home runs since his debut in 1953, accounting for 70% of the 249 home runs hit by players selected in the 25th Round. Obviously, there aren't many other players in that group, making it that much more impressive that the 30-year-old first basemen has hit .281/.366/.527 (145 OPS+) in 823 FABL games. After hitting a league high 43 homers in 1955, Guthrie has hit 24 or more homers in the following four seasons, and makes an already dangerous Kings lineup even better. Sure, he may strike out a lot, but his power is massive, and he'll get to bat with Bryan Jeffress (.296, 25, 66), Charlie Rogers (.286, 11, 71, 16), Hank Williams (.406, 34, 118), and Ken Newman (.292, 29, 127) batting ahead of him. That's an opportunity for a ton of RBIs, and he chance to compete with Newman for the league lead. Kansas City also adds a young lefty in the deal, Curly Anderson, who ranks just inside the game's top 100 prospect list. A 2nd Rounder in 1957, Anderson made 26 of his 30 starts in Class A, where he was 11-8 with a 3.52 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts. A six pitch pitcher, Curly generates a ton of ground balls, flexing a wicked 92-94 mph sinker when guys get on base. His slider is lethal to lefties, but he has yet to develop an out pitch for righties. At 20 he has plenty of time to develop that, but for now he may not end up developing as anything much more then a spot starter. For San Francisco, they were able to move a veteran on the wrong side of 30 for a deep four prospect package, headlined by a pair of top 100 prospects in the middle of the list. The higher ranked was #50 Otis Haldeman, who despite being three years older then Ernie Carter (#53), was taken in a draft after Carter. The 15th overall pick in the 1959 draft, Haldeman stole a ton of bases at Commonwealth Catholic, and then swiped 12 more between Class C Marshalltown and Class B Tampa. An athletic outfielder, he's an above average contact hitter with intriguing raw power, flashing some of the tools needed to develop into a reliable hitter. The defense is a work in-progress, but with his speed he should have at least average range in the outfield. And like him Ernie Carter was a first round pick, 12th last season, but he of course was selected out of high school instead. 19 this November, he hit a useful .273/.376/.405 (96 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 7 triples, 7 homers, 9 steals, and 51 RBIs. He spent his first full pro season in Class B Tampa, making 591 rips to the plate. He has a smooth and rhythmic swing, also expected to hit for a high average, but what makes him so exciting is the defense. He looked great at second, where he spent most of his time, and he's got the ability to play anywhere but catcher and pitcher. Worst case, he's a top notch utility infielder, but somewhere inside him is the guy that hit .371/.482/.641 (167 OPS+) in 62 Class C games as a 17-year-old. Finishing up the return was righty Leo McDonald and outfielder Ralph Butler, with McDonald ranked just outside the top 200 prospects. A 20-year-old from Pennsylvania, McDonald was acquired two days earlier from the Cannons for minor league lefty Bill Chapman. A former 3rd Round pick of the Cannons, his stay in the Kings organization has to be one of the shortest. A seven pitch pitcher, McDonald spent all season with the Class B Charleston Seagulls, going 7-7 with a 3.07 ERA (146 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts. He's got a big fastball that can hit 95, and it really gets good life from his sidearmed motion. Butler, 24, was already on the Kings 40, and despite not playing above A ball has just one option left. He's not expected to factor into their plans this season, but he could earn a callup if he's able to keep his 40-man roster spot. It was the Wolves turn on the 14th, though they did make a trade the following day too, sending former Rule-5 Pick Ed Hester (.240, 2, 24, 4) to the Chiefs and Larry Curtis (.283, 28, 75) to, you guessed it, the Foresters. Yes... Cleveland acquired another outfielder... In return the Wolves got a pitcher and hitter, acquiring pitcher Sam Morgan (145th) from the Chiefs and outfielder Chick Reed (133th) from the Foresters. "Handsome Sam" Morgan was the Chiefs 5th Round Pick in 1956, and he impressed for the AA Oklahoma City Chiefs. 20 for most of the season, Morgan was 14-10 with a 3.04 ERA (122 ERA+), 2.85 FIP (76 FIP-), and 1.13 WHIP. He made 30 starts, throwing 230.2 innings with 64 walks and 170 strikeouts. A hardworking righty, he's gradually increased his velocity, hitting 95 in year four. He's got a nifty slider and good change up, and with a 6.7 BB% he's trying to silence any concerns about his command. As good as the top of Toronto's rotation is, they still have plenty of open spots, and the Buffalo native should have a chance to earn a start. For Chick Reed, the audition starts in the spring, as the 24-year-old outfielder went 0-for-3 in his cup of coffee with Cleveland this season. Taken 13th in 1953, he was once ranked among the top 50 prospects, but has gotten stuck behind all the options on his former team. Tom Reed (.313, 28, 82, 7) and Sid Cullen (.285, 21, 70) have locks on two of the outfield spots, but the third is completely up for grabs. There were a few minor trades on the 15th, completing the quick flurry, but towards the end of the month the Foresters made their big strike. Upgrading from trading for outfielders to trading for former outfielders, Cleveland made a major strike, acquiring 6-Time All-Star Paul Williams from the Miners in a seven player deal. Williams, recently 33, is a year removed from a Whitney worthy season where he hit .326/.433/.632 (181 OPS+) with 44 doubles, 40 homers, 138 RBIs, 111 runs, and 103 walks. Williams led the Fed in runs, homers, doubles, RBIs, slugging, OPS (1.066), WRC+ (174), and wOBA (.454), but only ended up third in Whitney voting. A veteran of 12 seasons, Williams debuted for Pittsburgh in 1948, but didn't crack the 450 PA mark until 1951. But since then, he's been one of the most feared hitters in baseball, logging 325 doubles, 240 homers, 911 runs, 1,013 RBIs, and 1,062 walks to go with a .303/.421/.513 (153 OPS+) batting line. Since 1950, Williams has recorded at least a 127 WRC+ in each season, including five seasons with a WRC+ above 150. The rich got richer here, as it's going to be impossible for almost inning pitching staff to keep a lineup of Williams, Sherry Doyal (.324, 35, 111, 18), Tom Carr (.270, 14, 79, 7), Stan Kleminski (.288, 4, 77, 10), Hal Kennedy (.289, 29, 92), Otis O'Keefe (.272, 14, 67), and John Low (.302, 11, 72). Cleveland parted with five young players to get the deal done, also picking up 140th ranked prospect Howie Taylor. A former top-100 prospect, the 1956 4th Rounder is fast and a defensive asset, but more of a fill in prospect then a game changer. It's a nice bonus considering how many prospects the Foresters have sent out of their system, and in his 62 games with Class B this season, he hit a strong .329/.360/.478 (127 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 homers, and 32 RBIs. Making the deal worth it for Pittsburgh is top-50 prospect Pat Simon, who Cleveland took with the last pick in the first round of the 1957 draft. A tall, 6'4" lefty, Simon has a deep seven pitch mix, and has all the tools to be a reliable #2 in a FABL rotation. In 1959, he spent most of his time in A ball, but his 7 starts in AA were significantly better. Going 5-1, he worked to a 2.00 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, 25 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 45 innings. Known for his curve, the headliner of his arsenal, he mixes his pitches well, and does a good job locating his offerings. The walks are high now, but he's expected to correct that with more experience, and he's excelled at limiting the longball so far. With such an exciting build, it's clear to see why a team in need of pitching was interested in him, even if it meant parting with a franchise icon. Another useful piece is the soon-to-be 22-year-old Mike Whisman, who after an early June callup to Cleveland, functioning as the eventual pennant winners starting center fielder. Taken 12th in 1956, it was a quick rise up the ladder for Whisman, who went on to hit .277/.335/.427 (93 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 48 RBIs. After trading Bill Tutwiler at the deadline, center field was open again in Pittsburgh, and they'll hope the young switch hitter can fill the spot for years to come. An advanced hitter for his age, his swing generates a ton of bat-speed, and when he reads a pitch well he can really square it up. He won't hit many home runs, but he has good speed and could produce a lot of doubles. That speed would play well with the defense too, and while still a developing piece, he could end up a reliable everyday player. The rest of the return involved a trio of prospects in Hank Cook (105th), Sam Peterson (165th), and Norm Smith (218th). Cook, like Whisman, debuted for the Foresters, but his experience comprised of just one four inning relief outing. The 23-year-old allowed 2 hits and 5 walks with 4 runs and 3 strikeouts. The former 2nd Rounder only started in the minors, including 23 starts in AA and 4 in AAA this season, going 14-7 with 90 strikeouts in 175.1 innings pitched. A soft-tossing righty, his stuff is still a work in progress, and his command escapes him at times. Still, he could fill the back of a rotation, even as soon as next season, and it gives a weak Miners staff another option to give them useful innings. Peterson and Smith both play the infield, with Peterson an 18-year-old middle infielder and Smith a 23-year-old first basemen. Peterson, who was taken 2nd in the '59 draft, is the more exciting prospect, and he hit an impressive .322/.457/.477 (115 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, 4 steals, 30 RBIs, and a stellar 58-to-28 walk-to-strikeout ratio. A talented hitter, he also plays solid defense at second and short, but it's the bat that really excites. He has a strong contact tool, leading to high averages and low strikeout rates, as he has a knack for putting the ball in play. He's not fast, but he runs the bases well, and he's got the strength to hit a few home runs. Very far from the majors, Peterson won't be in Pittsburgh any time soon, but he has a huge future and could develop into a reliable bat on a contending team. Smith, on the other hand, is a higher floor, lower ceiling prospect, who's entire value comes from his power. The lefty slugger hit 28 homers between Class B and A, but he strikes out more then once a game. His all-or-nothing approach can lead to lengthy streaks, but if he can learn how to put the ball in play more often, he could quickly make the Miners forget about their long-time spark plug. But of course, it's more likely he never goes past AAA, and spends most days waiting for a pinch hit opportunity. Capping off the big trade season was what now feels like a rare buy for the Cannons, who after shipping away many pieces brought in old friend Jimmy Block. Traded to the Dynamos at the '58 deadline, he went to the Gothams in the '59 offseason, and will now return to the organization that drafted him in the 3rd Round of the 1945 draft. Block debuted in '52 and spent his first two seasons rotating between the pen and rotation, but since his 35 start '54 season he's only pitched out of the rotation. Now 32, he actually spent most of the season as a free agent, as the Dynamos cut him in April and he didn't sign until August. His 9 starts must have went well enough for Cincy to part with two prospects, as the durable righty went 3-4 with a 4.22 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts. Ironically, he has 9 starts with both the Dynamos and Gothams, and will now look to improve his 61-93 record as a Cannon. In 1,370.2 innings with his new/old organization, Block has a below average 4.26 ERA (93 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP, walking 779 hitters with just 689 strikeouts. That may not look good, but Block had his best season in 1957, where he was 18-13 with a 3.15 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 141 strikeouts. Before that season, he only produced below average results, while after he's been above average. The Cannons will hope that trend continues, as he's ready to be the #3 behind their original Block replacement, Doc Clay (15-12, 3.22, 119), and breakout rookie swingman Jim York (13-10, 1, 3.01, 95). Of the two prospects parted with, Martin Perry will be missed more, as the 123rd ranked prospect was taken 4th by the Cannons in 1955, and ranked #5 on the 1956 Opening Day prospect list. Since then, however, he's gone from future star to big bat off the bench, and he has just 7 games above A ball. Those did go quite well, as he hit .280/.357/.480 (138 OPS+) for the Erie Cannons, with a productive .227/.380/.370 (120 OPS+) line in 128 games that saw a ton of walks (108), strikeouts (132), and home runs (12). The tall Canadian righty has a good eye and 20+ home run potential, but he'll be lucky to hit even .230 in a full FABL season. His defense isn't great, even if he can play first and all three outfield spots, and the Gothams will hope that they can tap into that untapped power potential. The outfield is full with Pilcher, Barrett, and Howe, but Barrett turned 40 in November and only has so many good seasons left. Power plays well at Gotham Stadium, and they added him to the 40 to protect him from the Rule-5 draft. New York also picked up 23-year-old first basemen Mel Everett in the deal. While he is a former 5th Rounder, he's no more then a throw in, as he didn't make a single start until his fifth pro season, and he got into just 55 games this year split between Class A and B. There were a few other deals sprinkled in the offseason, including a really strange deal with New York and Cincy I won't dive too deep into (read: nonsensical deal that largely favors the Cannons), but after the reigning CA champs made their big acquisition of Paul Williams, things got quiet. As good as the Minutemen are, getting Williams makes the Foresters the best team in baseball, and unless you're being overly picky, it's tough to find a weakness on this squad. They have stars, they have depth, and they have everything in between, and on paper, they have a great chance to open the 60s just like they started the 50s: With another World Championship.
WILDCATS END DECADE LONG TITLE DROUGHT Led by arguably the league's top defense which placed five starters on the West roster for the year end All-Pro Classic including Defensive Player of the Year Kent McGinnis, the Wildcats finished with a league best 10-2 record to claim top spot in the West Division, a full 3 games ahead of second place San Francisco. Seventh year halfback George Hornback ran for a career best 1,206 yards and 14 touchdowns to pace an offense that relied on a rookie quarterback selected in the seventh round of the draft. That would be Miller Bogert out of Bluegrass State, who threw 11 touchdown passes while being intercepted just once all season. One of the Wildcats losses came in the season opener in San Francisco, and it was the Wings, who finished 7-5 on the season, that claimed the second playoff berth in the West. Scott Belt, who led the AFA in rushing yardage with 1,492, was named the league's Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career. Like the Wildcats, the Wings relied on a rookie quarterback out of the Deep South Conference to lead them and second round pick Morton Gouge, from Mississippi A&M, had a strong season and led the AFA with 2,419 passing yards. It was on defense that the Wings had some issues with the opposition scoring at least 30 points in four of San Francisco's five losses. Continuing the trend of rookie quarterbacks was the Los Angeles Tigers, who finished tied with St Louis for third place in the West Division at 6-6. Garton Bird was a local product, refining his skills under the tutelage of former Detroit head coach Tom Bowens at CC Los Angeles and he went on to make the All-Pro Classic as a rookie. What the Tigers lacked was a dominant rushing game, something the Ramblers had in abundance with Offensive Player of the Year Jim Kellogg leading the way for St. Louis. The Ramblers offense needed a quarterback as after just one season in St Louis they had seen enough of the talented but moody Sam Burson and cut the former Detroit Maroons signal caller. No other team took a chance on Burson and the Ramblers also went with a rookie signal caller, giving the starting job to fourth overall pick Jim Driver who had enjoyed an impressive collegiate career with Liberty College that included a perfect 11-0 season his junior year. Driver had his ups and downs as a rookie pro but the future does hold some promise for a Ramblers team that has made the playoffs two of the past five years but has never won a post-season game. The Detroit Maroons finished first in the West at 8-4 a year ago but reversed their record with a disappointing 4-8 campaign this time around. A 2-6 start cost the General Manager his job and put head coach Sam Wiggins on thin ice with club owner Rollie Barrell reportedly incensed Wiggins opted to bench second year quarterback Sled Hicks after his strong rookie campaign and give the starting job to another youngster in Tom Griffin. Under Griffin the offense, that was number one in passing yardage a year ago, struggled and even halfback Art Heal's 6th season gaining more than 1,000 yards rushing could not turn things around. All that saved Detroit from last place was the fact that the Kansas City Cowboys still looked lost. The Cowboys, once the class of football, suffered through another 2-10 season and are 16-56 since the start of the 1954 season. The year actually started with a lot of promise for once for Kansas City with back to back wins over St Louis and Pittsburgh but they then proceeded to end the season on a 10-game losing streak. The New York Stars were once again the class of the East Division, finishing with a 9-3 record to make the playoffs for the sixth time in the past eight years. Running back Bryan Mire (1,271 yards) continues to be the heart of the offense but the Stars real strength is a defense that allowed the fewest points (14.7 per game) and surrendered the least amount of yardage both on the ground and through the air. Washington needed a week twelve 33-26 win over Philadelphia to allow the Wasps to finish 7-5 and nose out the 6-6 Frigates for the second playoff spot in the East Division. Injuries limited veteran Washington quarterback Tommy Norwood to just 9 games but the Wasps real strength on offense was the rushing duo of Rodger Donohoe ( 934 yds) and Jerry Walsh (810 yds). As usual, the Frigates offense revolved around quarterback Pete Capizzi, who threw for 2,125 yards and a league high 18 touchdowns but their undoing was a defense that was worst in the league against the run and not much better stopping the pass. The Pittsburgh Paladins made a spirited push to make the playoffs for the first time since 1952 but their five game winning streak to end the season could not overcome a dreadful 1-6 start to the campaign. Boston also had a terrible start with the fifth place Americans losing five of their first six games and ending the season with a 5-7 record while Cleveland stumbled through a 4-8 season in which they lost second year quarterback Bren Wechsler with a season ending injury in week 8.  AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Carl Boon's Chicago Wildcats are the winningest team in AFA history but they had not won a championship game since 1949. That changed as the Wildcats claimed the franchises 8th title.Chicago, which finished with the top regular season record, got off to a terrible start in the West Final when visiting San Francisco jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead. The Wildcats trailed 21-10 at the break and 28-20 entering the final 15 minutes before erupting for three fourth quarter scores including a pair of Don Hack touchdown passes to claim a 42-28 victory over the Wings. End Denny Haywood had a huge game with 5 catches for 107 yards including a pair of touchdown receptions. The East Final had two time defending AFA champion Washington heading to the Big Apple to face a battle-tested New York Stars club that has gone 5-3 in playoff play over the past eight seasons. The Stars built a 20-3 lead but Washington made it close with a pair of Stan Burson to Jim Edmonds touchdown passes in the final four minutes, but New York held on for the 20-17 victory. The title game was a defensive struggle with neither club mounting any sort of a drive in the opening 17 minutes of the game. The first break came for the Chicago Wildcats when a kick by Stars punter Hunky Tennant was blocked by Wildcats defender Frankie Bracey but three plays later Chicago quarterback Miller Bogert fumbled and the Stars were given their best field position of the game. A pair of Chicago penalties further shortened the field and Stars back Bryan Mire took care of the rest, running for an 11-yard touchdown to give New York a 7-0 lead. The two teams would trade field goals before the half making the score 10-3 for the Stars at the break after Chicago's Paul Chestnut missed a 12-yard chip shot field goal as time ran out that would have cut the New York lead to 4 points. After a scoreless third quarter Chestnut was successful on a 30-yard field goal attempt four minutes into the fourth period to cut the Chicago deficit to 10-6 and after a New York fumble Chestnut made a 26-yard three pointer with 4:26 remaining to make it a 1-point game. Three plays later New York quarterback Charlie Coons fumbled when he was sacked by Ken Golder and the Wildcats had the ball on the Stars 13-yard line. It took just one play for Chicago to finally find the endzone as Bogert hooked up with end Jim O'Hearn on a 13-yard pass play to make the score 15-10 for the Wildcats and it remained that way when their attempt for a 2-point conversion failed. New York turned the ball over on downs inside the two minute mark and the Wildcats Chestnut booted what would prove to be a very important 26-yard field goal to make the score 18-10 as New York's Coons connected with Conrad Macon on a 69-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game. Trailing 18-16 the Stars could force overtime with a successful 2-point conversion, but they were stopped short, and the Wildcats were the 1959 AFA champions.   GATORS MAKE GEORGIA KING OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN The Gators, who had not won a national football title since 1919, were coming off back to back 7-3 seasons and were realistically hoping for a top twenty finish. The prognosis did not get much better when Georgia Baptist came up short in their season opener -playing against the other major school from the state. That would the military academy of Rome State which won back to back titles during the war but had seen its ups and downs since them. The Centurions took advantage of three Gators turnovers and held off Georgia Baptist 31-28 in the opener. Rome State would go on to have a solid 9-2 season that included a third consecutive victory over Annapolis Maritime and the Centurions would finish 11th in the final rankings following a narrow 20-19 loss to Amarillo Methodist in the Bayside Classic. For Georgia Baptist it was a slow start, but the Gators would not lose again. Their season ending 21-13 win at home over Noble Jones College ended any hopes the Colonels had for a third straight national title and gave the Gators their first Deep South Conference crown in four years. It was the Baptist ground game that propelled them to the win over the Colonels, and with Ipswich Trophy winning tackle Don Lair opening huge holes, the backfield trio of Cal Seebacher, Roger Harris and Nelson Cruikshank combined for 233 rushing yards and all three touchdowns in the win over Noble Jones. Noble Jones College had entered the season as the favourite to win an unprecedented third straight national title and Colonels looked unstoppable in winning their first seven games by a combined score of 270-63 and extending a winning streak that stretched back to 1956 to 31 games. Everything came crashing down in mid-November when Western Florida caught the Colonels looking ahead to their final two games against Central Kentucky and the Gators. The Wolves had just come off a loss to Cumberland that evened their record at 3-3 and were huge underdogs but somehow tamed a Noble Jones College offense that had averaged well over 400 yards per game up to that point. The Wolves shut down both the Colonels aerial game led by Garrett Snyder and a rushing attack that featured former Christian Trophy winning back Jeff Zwiefel. Zwiefel, a junior, was in the midst of a third straight season rushing for over 1,300 yards and had gained 531 in the previous two games combined. On this night he was held to 68 yards and the entire Colonels offensive output amounted to just 171 yards in a 22-7 streak-snapping loss. Noble Jones did bounce back the following week with a 24-3 win over Central Kentucky and still had a chance at both the Deep South Conference crown and the national title until the loss to the Gators. The loss cost Noble Jones College a classic invite as well, as the 8-2 Colonels finished 14th in the final rankings and missed playing on New Years Day for just the second time since 1952. Entering their showdown with Georgia Baptist in the Oilman Classic -the annual meeting between champions of the Deep South Conference and Southwestern Alliance- Lubbock State was a perfect 10-0 and looking for its first national title since 1916 when it shared the crown with Liberty College. The Hawks were regulars in the top twenty in recent years but with a dominating defense and a star freshman by the name of Rich Gingerich, who ran for 1,446 yards, in the backfield it seemed this might be their year. It took exactly one play to prove that may not be the case as Georgia Baptist's first play from scrimmage in the Oilman Classic was a 75 yard Jim Henson to Carden Skelly touchdown pass and the Gators never trailed in the contest. The 26-16 victory left the 10-1 Gators at the top of the polls and the Hawks, now also 10-1, were forced to settle for second. There were three other 10-1 schools in Daniel Boone College, Eastern Oklahoma and Detroit City College but none could mount a realistic case to prove why they, and not the Gators, should be number one. The Frontiersmen perhaps had the best case as they handed the Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers their only loss on the season, with Daniel Boone College winning 26-23 in a thrilling Sunshine Classic that required overtime. However, the Frontiersmen competed in a fairly weak Plains Athletic Association and did not face any elite schools in the non-section portion of their schedule either. Detroit City College, the 1955 national champion, did finish with a victory but barely as they Knights edged Southern Border Conference champion Canyon A&M 31-28 in the Desert Classic but the DCC case for number one can be thrown out quickly with the mere mention they did not even win their conference. The Knights lone loss came to Great Lakes Alliance rival Minnesota Tech and the Lakers were a perfect 7-0 in section play. That earned Minnesota Tech a trip to the East-West Classic but they finished their season just as they started it: with a loss to a West Coast Athletic Association team. It was Coastal California in the opening weekend of the season for the Lakers, who dropped a 31-20 decision, and their second trip west for a New Years date also ended in disappointment with a 24-14 loss to Northern California. For the Miners, who finished 9-2 and fifth in the national poll, it was a third consecutive season they kicked off the new year with a victory in Santa Ana. Northern California is becoming a dynasty on the Pacific coast with six appearances in the East-West Classic over the past nine years. It was also the second time in three years the Miners beat Minnesota Tech.   RECORD 6th AIAA CAGE CROWN FOR CARDINALS The Carolina Poly Cardinals became the first school to win six AIAA collegiate basketball titles after they prevailed in the 1958-59 tournament, winning it all for the third time in the past five years. The Cardinals won their first national basketball tournament title in the spring of 1921 and followed that up with championships in 1930, 1945 and then back to back wins in the spring of 1955 and 1956.This year's Cardinals team finished the regular season with a 25-4 record and shared the South Atlantic Conference title with Maryland State, as both were 11-3 in section play. The leader of the Cardinals was All-American forward Calvin Brown, a senior who was named the South Atlantic Conference player of the year and also played a key role as a starter on the 1956 title team when he was a freshman. Now a senior, the Richmond, VA., native led the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and shared the rebounds lead at 7.4 per game with junior center Dan Holland. As the top seed in the South Region the Cardinals were not challenged much during their run to Bigsby Garden and the national semi-finals. Academia Alliance champion Dickson, led by a talented senior guard named Jim Meredith, posed little challenge in the opening round as the Cardinals, led by Brown's 17 points, built an 11 point lead at the break and cruised to a 70-61 victory over the 8th seeded Maroons. Round two presented a Whitney College team (20-11) that was having a down year by the Engineers high standards and the Cardinals broke open a tight game with a strong run early in the second half to go on to a 70-60 victory. Brown once more set the pace with a 22 point outing while sophomore guard Peter Nielsen added 14 points for the winners. The regional final saw the one and two seeds meeting, but it quickly became a lobsided affair as the Cardinals outscored the Noble Jones College Colonels by 17 points in the first half and eased their foot off the gas in the second half to complete a 61-55 victory. Nielsen had the hot hand, making 10 of 17 attempts from the field and scoring 23 points. The tournament stayed pretty well according to script as three of the four teams to qualify for the semi-finals were number one seeds with Western Iowa and Redwood joining the Cardinals. The lone exception came from the West Region where top seed and West Coast Athletic Association champions Lane State was surprised 41-39 in the regional semi-final by fourth seeded Central Ohio. The Aviators, whose only previous trip to the national semi-finals came a dozen years ago, beat sixth seed Provo Tech 44-41 in the west final after the Lions had knocked off #2 Indiana A&M in the other regional semi-final. Central Ohio's luck ran out against Carolina Poly in the semi-final as the Cardinals, led by Calvin Brown's 17 points, came out on top by a 51-43 score. The other semi went right down to the wire with Jerry Blake sinking a shot from the left corner in the closing seconds to lift the Western Iowa Canaries to a 56-54 triumph over Redwood. The All-bird final saw the Canaries hang with the Cardinals for nearly thirty minutes before Carolina Poly finally started to pull away. The Cardinals went on a 12-3 run and led by 13 points with just over 3 minutes remaining in the game. Western Iowa mounted a late charge but fell well short with the Cardinals claiming a 58-51 victory. Brown was once more the big scorer for Carolina Poly, notching a game high 16 points while junior center Dan Hollard, who will be counted on to lead the title defense next year, had 10 points and 9 rebounds in the victory.   DOMINANT SEASON NETS CHICAGO POLY FIRST AIAA WCS TITLE Chicago Poly lacked star quality but did have a hard working team well versed in fundamentals as Catamounts Athletic Director Dan Barrell, a former FABL world championship series winner with the old Brooklyn Kings, ensured his team played the game the right way. The won a school record 40 games during the regular season to claim one of the at large berths in the 16-team field and then thumped Southwestern Alliance champion Lubbock State 11-0 in the opening round and followed that up with an 8-3 triumph over heavily favoured North Carolina Tech, which was the class of the South Atlantic Conference. Next up was West Coast Athletic Association title holder Rainier College and the Catamounts won that game as well, with senior third baseman Michael Smith hitting a 2-run homer in the first inning and pitchers Johnny Scoot and Justin Miner combining on a 2-hitter in a 3-1 victory over the Majestics. The best of three finals had Chicago Poly face another team make its first appearance in the finals. That would be Tempe College, which scored in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat El Paso Methodist 1-0 in the other semi-final. Matt Adams, who would be named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, had three hits and drove in three runs in the series opener to pace the Catamounts to a 5-1 victory. Tempe College bounced back with a 4-2 win in the second game before a wild third game that saw the Catamounts score twice in the top of the ninth to go ahead 10-4 but then need both of those insurance runs as the Titans scored five times in the bottom of the ninth before falling just short, losing 10-9.  DUKES DOMINATE NAHC FOES The Toronto Dukes came up with the record setting season most expected out of the franchise a year ago when Tommy Bruns joined Quinton Pollack to form one of the deadliest pairs up the middle the league has ever seen. Toronto led the NAHC with 225 goals but neither of the veteran centers led the loop in scoring. That distinction went to 26-year-old Detroit Motors star Alex Monette, who topped the league with 44 goals and 82 points. The Toronto did accumulate plenty of points with Pollack (27-45-72) finished second and Burns (23-41-64) fourth in the scoring parade, but it was Toronto's work in the defensive zone which was key to a record 97 points and an 11 point bulge on second place Boston.The Dukes defense has been very good in recent years, and this was no exception as Tim Brooks and Bobby Fuhrman each were named to the first All-Star Team and Brooks won the inaugural Dewar Trophy, handed out to the player judged to be the top rearguard in the league. The big surprise was in net where the Dukes demoted long-time starter Scott Renes and gave the job to a 27-year-old rookie by the name of Mike Connelly. The British Columbia native was a third round pick of the Dukes way back in 1951 but had spent the past half dozen seasons with Cleveland of the Hockey Association of America. Promoted to the big club and given the starting job with just 1 NAHC game under his belt, Connelly played in 53 games, posting a 33-11-8 record with 8 shutouts and was named the winner of the McLeod Trophy as the NAHC's top rookie, an award no Dukes player had won since Laurel Albers in 1941. While Toronto placed just its top two defensemen on the first all-star team, four more Dukes made the second team. They included goaltender Connelly, Quinton Pollack who also won his record 7th McDaniels Trophy as league MVP despite serious objection from Alex Monette supporters in Detroit, along with wingers Ken Jamieson and Charles Brochu. Jamieson, 28, tied his career high with 52 points including 25 goals while the 25-year-old Brochu enjoyed a breakout season with 40 points. In all 7 Dukes players reached the forty point plateau including defenseman Fuhrman (10-34-44) and rising star Tim Amesbury (21-23-44), a 24-year-old who was the Dukes first round draft pick in 1954. The Dukes, after losing in the semi-finals each of the past two years, seemed on a mission right from the opening day of the season. Toronto won its first six games and did not allow a goal until their fifth game as Connelly record four straight shutouts to begin the campaign. The Dukes were unstoppable, losing back to back games just twice all season and finishing with a 43-16-11 record. No NAHC club had ever won as many as 40 games in a season prior to Toronto's dominance this campaign. Boston finished with an impressive 86 points and the Bees, with their goaltender duo of Oscar James and Pierre Melancon still sharing the net, actually allowed 6 fewer goals than the Dukes did all season. A pair of Boston defenders in Mickey Bedard and Ben Voyechek were named second team all-stars but Boston did not quite have the offense to keep up with the Dukes. Jimmy Rucks (23-41-64) led the way for the Bees in that department with Luc Fournier (17-32-49) having a career best season at age 28. Monette (44-38-82) was the star of the show for third place Detroit as the 26-year-old winger hit new heights by winning his first scoring title. Monette's 44 goals were three shy of the NAHC single season record held jointly by Pollack, Burns and 1930s Boston star Bert Cordier. Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse (27-28-15, 2.77) played all 70 games for the Motors but perhaps he should have had some days off as his performance was well off from previous years and perhaps, at 35, he is starting to show signs of age. If Chasse is near the end it could lead to tough times for the club that won two Challenge Cups in the past four years as the season ended with Chasse being the only goaltender under contract to the organization. Montreal finished four and made the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The main reason was goaltender Nathan Bannister (24-27-11, 2.69), who may not have the best stats but once more was named a first team All-Star. Jocko Gregg (14-26-40), who was MVP a year ago, saw his production slide but he still led the club in scoring. Offense was at a premium for the Valiants, with their leading goal scoring finishing with just 15 goals and he did not even finish the season in Montreal. That would be Wayne Lucien (15-16-31), who was waived in early March and signed by the New York Shamrocks. New York and the Chicago Packers again missed the playoffs. The Shamrocks have now gone five years without a postseason game and there is very little to be excited about in the Big Apple. It has just been two seasons without April hockey in the Windy City, a number that corresponds to how long ago they dispatched Tommy Burns to Toronto. Unlike in New York there are some bright spots in Chicago as 26-year-old Guy Bernier (7-16-23) and 24-year-old Mike Homfray (7-12-19) are showing promise as are forwards Ken York (11-8-19), 22, and 25-year-old Conn Maguire (17-25-42), who led the team in points.  DUKES CONTINUE REGULAR SEASON DOMINANCE IN PERFECT PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE The first place Toronto Dukes finished a whooping 34 points ahead of their opening round opponents as the Montreal Valiants won just 25 games this season to finish fourth. The other series also had a large discrepancy as second place Boston, with 86 points, ended up 17 points ahead of the defending Challenge Cup champion Detroit Motors.The Dukes would go on to make history and become the first team in recent memory to post a perfect 8-0 playoff record. Montreal scored first in two of the four games and kept the scores respectable, but it was clear the Valiants were no match for a team led by Quinton Pollack and Tommy Burns that also was home to the biggest story of the season in the emergence of career minor league goaltender Mike Connelly as the second-coming of Gordie Broadway in his prime. Unlike the regular season when Connelly started the campaign with 4 straight shutouts, he struggled a bit in the playoff opener but the Toronto offense picked him up in a 6-3 victory. Defenseman Mitch Moran scored twice while veteran forwards Tommy Burns and Lou Galbraith each had a goal and an assist in the opening win. Game two was Connelly at his best and turned out to be a marathon. It was tied 1-1 after regulation with Burns and Montreal's John Beaudoin trading second period goals. As good as Connelly was, Montreal's Nathan Bannister was even better and the game dragged on through three complete overtime periods and was still tied at 1. Finally in the fourth overtime, with Toronto's 80th shot on goal and after 128:06 the Dukes Tim Amesbury ended the game with the winner. The third game also ended 2-1 in Toronto's favour, but this one was decided in regulation as Bobby Fuhrman and Pollack each scored second period goals for the Dukes with Jamie Koebel's third period marker being the only one of 23 Montreal shots to eluded Connelly. Toronto completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory in game four thanks to third period goals off the sticks of Charlie Brown, Galbraith and Doug Zimmerman. Boston won the opener of the other semi-final by a 5-2 score as Jimmy Rucks and Luc Fourier each had three point evenings. Detroit earned a split in Beantown when Henri Chasse, who had 5 shutouts in the playoffs last season, stopped all 46 Bees shots in a 2-0 Detroit victory. Dixon Butler and Alex Guindon each scored in the first period for Detroit. The Motors took the next two games on home ice to go up 3 games to one in the series. The game three final was 5-2 with five different Motors lighting the lamp while game four finished 4-1 with Chasse making 36 saves in another stellar outing for the veteran netminder. Boston stayed alive with a 4-1 victory on home ice in game five as Rucks had a goal and an assist to pace the Bees, who outshot Detroit 37-23 but the series ended two nights later at Thompson Palladium when first period goals from Nick Tardif and Alex Monette helped the hosts wrap up the series with a 3-1 victory. *** Challenge Cup Finals *** Detroit had enjoyed success against Toronto in recent years, knocking off the Dukes twice in the finals and three times overall in the previous five seasons but 1958-59 proved to be very different. The first three games were all decided by just a single goal, including one in overtime, but all three went Toronto's way including the opener in which rookie Toronto defenseman Owen Green scored twice including the game winner with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to lift the Dukes to a 4-3 victory.Game two saw Toronto score twice in the second period as Lou Galbraith and Ken Jamieson each beat Detroit netminder Henri Chasse. Meanwhile Toronto rookie Mike Connelly stopped all 15 Motors shots in the opening forty minutes. Detroit did finally find the back of the net, scoring twice in just over a two minute span early in the third period but Toronto would get the victory as Jimmy Cooper's first career playoff goal was an overtime game winner and gave the Dukes a 3-2 victory. The series shifted to Detroit and the teams traded goals until Mitch Moran got the game winner for Toronto on a setup from Quinton Pollack with just over three minutes remaining in the third period. Game four was over early as the Dukes took a 3-0 lead on first period goals from Spencer Quinn, Sam Archibald and Bobby Fuhrman. Quinton Pollack added a power play goal in the middle frame to make it 4-0 and the 27-year-old rookie Connelly took care of the rest, stopping all 19 Detroit shots as the Dukes completed their second straight playoff sweep with a 4-0 victory. Moments later the Dukes hoisted the Challenge Cup for the record 11th time in franchise history and third time this decade.   HOCKEY NOTES
 1958-59 Season in Review As the 1950s draw to a close, when you think about a “team of the decade”, there are several factors. First and foremost, championships are king. The Washington Statesmen won three titles entering this season: 1949-50, 1950-51, and 1955-56. The Statesmen also won the Eastern Division playoff in 1951-52 before bowing in the league Finals.Next is regular season dominance, seen in division titles and won-lost record. No team has been better than Washington in the regular season, entering this year with a .593 winning percentage in nine seasons since 1949-50. Washington has won the Eastern Division in six of the last nine years, but last season was as bad as it has gotten for Washington: a third-place finish and a first-round playoff exit. The Statesmen were 374-256 over the decade and their 39-33 record was good enough to win their seventh division title of the 1950s, but the won-lost record this year actually brought down their winning percentage for the decade from .593 to .588 (413-289). Finally, a “team of the decade” needs to have the recognizable players associated with the wins, the division titles, and the championships. While Washington has not had the superstar of a Luther Gordon, a Ziggy Rickard, or a Mel Turcotte. Ernie Fischer has been the player that has seen almost all of it over the years. He was the last pick in the first round of the 1950 FBL Draft when there were 11 teams. Fischer was an every game starter almost right away and after 597 games (585 starts), Fischer has averaged 15.2 points and 10.8 rebounds a game. This year, the 31-year-old was sixth in the league with a 16.2-point scoring average. The difference between Fischer and the other superstars are the surrounding cast, between Ivan Sisco and Willie Wright early in the decade to Hank Adkins (15.9 ppg) and Jack English (14.7 ppg) this season. The coaching also made a difference, as head coach Daniel Carter has helmed the Statesmen since the 1941-42 season. In 18 years, Carter is now 635-353 (.643) with 13 division titles and five championships. This year, Carter won his 10th Coach of the Year honor and sixth since joining the FBL. Carter guided his troops to that fifth championship, a title that was not as easy as he had hoped. The battle in the Eastern Division was a close race all season. Washington held off Philadelphia (37-35) and New York (37-35) by two games. Washington and New York were in a two-horse race most of the way, but a late push by Philadelphia moved the Phantoms into the conversation. Washington finished the season only winning 14 of 31 games, but it was enough as New York also sagged to a 14-18 finish over that same span. Philadelphia won 11 of its last 16 games to jump into a tie with New York and the Knights won the season series, 11 games to 10. The deciding game was on April 11th, when Philadelphia won at home, 88-79, behind 20 points for T.J. Grimm, but it was a team effort. All five starters scored in double figures for Philadelphia, with Mel Turcotte adding 18 points and Darren Fuhrman chipping in with 16 points and 14 rebounds. The big news in the Western Division was the Rockets franchise relocating from Rochester to St. Louis. It was a move that was years in the making, with the small market of Rochester not able to handle the demands of big-league basketball. The move was likely staved off for a few years because of the unbridled success of the team and the passion of the fans, but that passion did not translate to the gate and the arena was much too small to house a team in such a league that has growth plans. Owner Jason Watson bought the team in 1955, and it was then that fans became resigned to the fact that the Rockets’ days in Rochester were numbered. As the Federal Basketball League turns to the next decade, the loop will likely also turn to vast swaths of unserved basketball fans that would jump at the chance to have their own team. St. Louis is just the first of those cities. Of course, St. Louis had a team before, the ill-fated Steamers whose seams fell apart before they were fully sewn together. The Steamers lasted one season before folding. The Rockets team kept on winning, engaging in a thrilling race with the Detroit Mustangs and the Rockets won the division with a 50-22 record, one game ahead of Detroit (49-23). The Rockets ripped off an 11-game winning streak to stand at 21-9 with a 4-1/2-game lead on Detroit after play on January 15th. The Mustangs won that night, beginning a 10-game winning streak and 22 wins in their next 24 games to jump into the lead by a game-and-a-half over the Rockets. It was neck and neck over the final month and while the Mustangs and Rockets split two late-season home-and-home series, St. Louis was just a bit better than Detroit elsewhere and won the division by a skinny game. The rest of the division was so far back, it was nearly invisible. Chicago (23-49) finished 27 games back, but still made the playoffs by finishing third, three games ahead of Toronto (20-52). Many basketball fans outside of Chicago were upset that a Boston Centurions team that was only six games off the pace in the Eastern Division and finished ten games better than Chicago at 33-39 did not get a playoff berth because of the divisional playoff format. Detroit easily beat Chicago in four games to advance for the series everyone wanted to see between the Mustangs and Rockets. The Mustangs were ready for this battle from the outset, taking Game One in St. Louis, 89-73. Ziggy Rickard, who finished third in league scoring at 20.3 per game, led all scorers with 28 points. After St. Louis got on the board in Game Two, 76-64, Detroit took control of the series. At the Thompson Palladium, Detroit stunned St. Louis with a fourth-quarter comeback, winning 79-78 to win Game 3 and took the final games of the series in anti-climactic fashion, winning the best-of-seven in five games. Meanwhile, the Washington Statesmen waited in the Eastern Division playoff while Philadelphia and New York duked it out and it was a battle. The Phantoms went up 2-0 and New York tied the series with each team winning its home games, setting up a winner-moves-on fifth game. Philadelphia came out hot and led 33-15 after one period, and while the Phantoms stumbled in the fourth quarter and only managed to score nine points, the Phantoms still hung on to win, 83-75. Philadelphia took its game to Washington and behind Mel Turcotte, the Phantoms were formidable. Turcotte scored 28 points as Philadelphia stole Game One in Washington, 80-72. Turcotte still scored 27 points in Game Two, but Washington’s supporting cast made the difference in its 96-82 win, as Hank Adkins poured in 25 points, Ernie Fischer had 24 points and point guard Ed Jordan had 22 points with 11 assists. Turcotte had his best game of the series in Game Three when he scored 30 points and held his opposite number, Fischer, to only nine points in a 102-77 thrashing of the Statesmen. Washington took back home-court advantage winning on the Phantoms floor in Game Four, 79-67 and asserted themselves to control the series after thumping Philadelphia in Our Nation’s Capital in Game Five, 114-95, after Fischer and Turcotte engaged in a spirited scoring battle. Turcotte won that battle, 30-28, but Fischer won the game. Philadelphia would not go quietly, pulling away in the fourth quarter of a 88-66 victory in Game Six to stave off elimination. Washington had the fuel to come out firing in Game Seven at home. The opening period saw the Statesmen run right through the Phantoms, opening a 20-point lead in the first stanza. The resulting carnage was a 93-59 Washington win that showed the Statesmen had enough to challenge for the league title. The Evening Star was starting to trumpet the Statemen as the “team of the decade”, even before the ball was tipped to start the FBL Finals. There was still work to do and the Mustangs had All-League First Teamers Rickard and guard Frank Black. The most heralded Statesmen where named to the Third Team: Fischer and forward Jim Stofer. Detroit had the better record and opened at home, but Washington stole that advantage right away, winning Game One, 101-89. Ernie Fischer scored his playoff-high of 33 points and blocked five shots and he willed the Statesmen to win in the fourth quarter. Washington was losing by five points heading into the last period and the Statesmen outscored the Mustangs, 29-12. Fischer did his Jekyll-and-Hyde impression in Game Two, only scoring four points as Detroit rolled, 99-64. Rickard led the way with 22 points, but Ed Corwin scored 21 and Ed Kosanovich added 20 points to give the Mustangs three players with 20 points each, while no one on Washington reached 15 points. Game Three was where Jim Stofer made his mark on the series, leading Washington with 20 points on offense, while he added 16 rebounds and three steals on defense in the Statesmen’s 74-66 win in their homecoming. Detroit was consistent from the field in Game Four, shooting 42% from the field and scoring 20, 22, 20, and 20 points each quarter in the 82-64 win. Washington struggled, missing two-thirds of its shots. Game Five was tough to watch, as both teams combined to turn the ball over 51 times in what did not resemble championship basketball but could be chalked up to exhaustion. Detroit tried to come from behind, which made for an entertaining final few minutes, but the scoring was paltry in Washington’s 65-64 win to take a 3-2 lead in the series. Detroit tried to stay alive with one more game at home in Game Six. Detroit had a good first half, pumping in 52 points to lead by seven at the half, but Washington had the staying power. Fischer rebounded with 30 points to bookend the series in grand fashion and earn Playoff MVP honors. Adkins added 20 points and added to his healthy playoff scoring average of 19.0 points per game, and Washington erased the deficit in the third period before streaking to the title in the fourth quarter. Washington won its fourth title of the decade. Coach Daniel Carter had his fifth ring. The players have changed, but the winning has not. The Statesmen are the 1950’s Basketball Team of the Decade.   ELLIS REMAINS CLASS OF WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION Ellis added to his reputation with three more successful title defenses in 1959 and none of three needed to go to the scorecards. In March in Newark, Ellis knocked out French champion Valentin Moreau in the 9th round of their scheduled 15 rounder and he followed that up with a dominant showing in Chicago in July when he floored Patrick Graham five times with the last knockdown ending the proceedings in the 7th round. Ellis completed the hat trick of knock out wins with a 7th round TKO victory over Michael McDowell in Atlanta at the beginning of November. Ellis has been the big name in the lightest division since claiming the title with a TKO win over former champ Lonnie Griffin in October of 1956. He would make six successful title defenses over the ensuing couple of years but briefly lost the title when Griffin edged him out in a controversial split decision. The duo immediately planned a rubber math and that one was all Ellis as, while he did have to go the distance, he dominated the fight to eliminate any concern of judges not seeing things his way. Ellis is now 39-4-1 for his career and the 28-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down. Canadian George Quisenberry is once more the middleweight champ. The Toronto native held the title briefly a year ago when he outpointed former champ Yohan Revel but lost to George Hatchell in his second defense. Hatchell, who is without a doubt one of the most controversial figures in boxing, lost the title to Mark McCoy in the spring. It was McCoy's third stint as the champ and also the third time McCoy had defeated Hatchell with the belt on the line but this one went to the scorecards, unlike the previous two in which Hatchell was twice disqualified. McCoy, who is 30-years-old and has seen some tough fights along the way to a 46-9-1 record, lost to Quisenberry in his first title defense. The 24-year-old Canadian is one of the rising stars in the fight game. Speaking of stars we said good bye to a top flight heavyweight fighter in 1959 and a second one is likely not that far behind him. Tommy Cline, the Tennessee Tornado who was a top contender throughout the past decade but only very briefly held the title, announced his retirement after losing to Ezra Frishman in October. Cline was 45-11-1 for his career and is probably best remember for his three title fights with Joey Tierney. Cline lost the first two but prevailed in their final meeting when he knocked Tierney out at Bigsby Garden in early 1958. Tierney, the Motor City legend who had a long run as champion after Hector Sawyer retired, is expected to retire in the next couple of months. He says he would like to step into the ring one or two more times but the 32-year-old with a 45-9-2 mark who twice held the world heavyweight title says the end is very near. He looked very good last February when he faced former champ Steve Leivers at Thompson Palladium and handed the Brit just his second career loss and followed that up with a win over an aging Max Bradley, but Tierney showed his age and the wear and tear he has absorbed over the years with a terrible outing in a fight with George Gallashaw in New Orleans in November, one in which the main focus of the evening was on honouring the great Hector Sawyer for his induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.  In the heavyweight division, Joey Tierney had two different stints with the title, as well as the reigning Boxer of the Year, Brad Harris. Tommy Cline was in the running for the vacant belt in 1952 and managed to win the title six years later. Harris opened the year with a couple of successful defenses of his heavyweight title but ran into trouble in late September in an all-Ohio Heavyweight Championship. Harris, from Akron, faced off against Cincinnati’s Dave Courtney, who is two years younger and has nine fewer fights to his name. The fight got off to a spirited start, as Courtney was called for a low blow, while Harris was hitting with an open glove, and that was all in the first 100 seconds of the fight. There was a knockdown in the first round, too, as Courtney dropped the champion with an overhand right to show that he meant business. In the fourth round, Courtney scored another knockdown. This one was early in the round and came by way of a crushing cross. Although Harris stood up at a three-count, he did not look one hundred percent. Courtney sensed his moment, and he aggressively began to offer more punches. Harris did not have the ability to swat, block, or sidestep any punches from Courtney, who started connecting with regularity. Referee Vic Green had seen enough seconds before the end of the fourth round and called the fight for Courtney, a technical knockout that ended the fight and made Dave Courtney the newest heavyweight champion. The middleweight division has had more individual champions than any other weight class with eight different champions, but the belt has been passed around to only four middleweights in the last five years. Mark McCoy won the belt three times: in 1951, 1957, and this year. George Hatchell, who started this year with the title in his hands, lost to McCoy in May for his third reign as champion. Hatchell has held the belt twice, once for five successful title defenses in 1955 through 1957 and won the belt back from George Quisenberry last year. Quisenberry received another title shot after defeating Yohan Revel in Montreal and losing his first title defense in Toronto against Hatchell. For the 24-year-old Quisenberry, that loss against Hatchell was his only loss heading into his September bout with McCoy in St. Louis. McCoy was six years Quisenberry’s senior and Quisenberry dominated the bout, visibly marking McCoy in the first round, as McCoy’s right eye started to swell. Quisenberry knocked McCoy down four times, the final time resulting in a knockout after a lethal uppercut. Quisenberry defended his belt successfully with a December decision over Harry Kimbro, who had a good record of 33-3 coming into the fight. Quisenberry was rarely challenged, earning a knockdown of Kimbro 1:48 into the bout among his three knockdowns throughout the fight. Kimbro did have one uppercut that connected with Quisenberry just right and he crumpled to the canvas, but Quisenberry was up relatively quickly. Quisenberry victimized Kimbro with quality of punches and quantity of punches, as he landed about twice as many as the challenger. The only fighter who did not relinquish his belt all year is Eugene Ellis. He also won the Bologna Boxer of the Year for the second time, the first such pugilist ever to claim that honor. Ellis fought three times in 1959 and earned three knockouts. Two of them were standard knockouts and one was a technical knockout. The lengths of Ellis’s fights were shorter and shorter as the year wore on. First was a ninth-round knockout of Valentin Moreau, when the challenger walked into a well-placed hook from Ellis and headed straight to the canvas. The fight was held at Newark Gardens in the city that is the home of Lonnie Griffin, who did not bother to show up to add his commentary to the proceedings. Ellis took on Patrick Graham in Chicago and Ellis dropped Graham just 45 seconds into the fight. In all, Ellis dropped Graham four times, including twice in the seventh and final round in this bout. Ellis was effective in his use of the uppercut throughout the match, but it was his winning hook that was responsible for three of the four knockdowns, including the last one that ended the fight. Ellis finished the year against a fighter not ranked among the top five in the weight class: Michael McDowell. McDowell had ten previous losses in his 41 professional bouts. The first five rounds were close, but Ellis showed his championship pedigree in the sixth round, culminating his barrage with a cross to the midsection that showed referee Paul Field that continuing the fight would endanger McDowell. The next decade holds the promise of a new era and time will tell if the current champions will be remembered with their faces chiseled on the side of a mountain or pebbles that barely make a ripple in the sport of boxing. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Tales From The Manor: Dukes Dominant During 1958-59 Return Challenge Cup To Toronto -After acquiring Tommy Burns in the summer of 1957 Toronto fans believed that another NAHC championship was secure for the Dukes. That edition of the Toronto hockey team never seemed to come together as a unit finishing in 3rd place before being dumped from the playoffs in the first round. It seems that the Dukes after a summer to ponder what went wrong applied the lessons learned in the 1958-59 season improving by 10 wins. The team had a 43-16-11 record good for an NAHC record 97 points - 11 more than Boston who finished in second place. The team led in the goals with 225 with four 20 goal scorers in Quinton Pollack, 27, Ken Jamieson, 25, Tommy Burns, 23 and Tim Amesbury with 21. Pollack finished second in the scoring race a full 10 points behind the leader Detroit's Alex Monette who posted a season with 44-38-82. Pollack missed 11 games due to a number injuries but still led the league in helpers with 45. Burns at 39 was second in assists with 41 tying for 3rd in the scoring race with 64 points. Burns suited up for all 70 regular season games, along with all the playoff games. The biggest story of the season was in goal for the Dukes. After Scott Renes eye injury towards the end of the '57-58 season he looked a little unsure of himself in training camp where he donned a mask to protect his face during practices. He was eventually sent to Cleveland for the year in an attempt to regain his confidence and form between the pipes. This opened the door for Mike Connelly, 27, who was picked in the third round of the 1951 draft to make the Dukes' goaltending tandem after 4 seasons in Cleveland. Connelly seized the opportunity with a hot start when Coach Barrell played a hunch to start him the season opener on October 11th against Chicago. Connelly responded with 3-0 shutout. The story was just beginning, with Mike in net the Dukes reeled off 3 more shutouts, before he finally gave up a goal in the team's 4-1 win in Detroit. Another win followed, 3-2 at home over the Motors before Connally finally was on the losing side of a game, a 5-2 loss in New York. Connelly then started two more games winning both before Charlie Dell got a start in net in which he blanked the New York Shamrocks 3-0. Connelly's started in the NAHC was 7-1-0 with 1.50 GAA. Connelly held the starters job all season long leading the league in goaltender wins with 33 with 11 losses, 8 ties in 53 games with 2.21 GAA stopping 91.8% of 1428 shots he faced in 3174 minutes. The team rode that hot start to easily outdistance the other five teams in the 70-game regular season. The Dukes never went more than two games with getting at least one point. Only three times did the team lose two in a row from October to March. On the road to the Challenge Cup Toronto's first hurdle was the Montreal Valiants who finished fourth with a record of 25-32-13 63 points edging out the Shamrocks for the final playoff spot by one point after Montreal beat New York 5-2 at Bigsby Gardens on the final day of the regular schedule. Toronto dispatched the Vals in 4 straight. After winning the opener easily by a 6-3 score, Montreal put up a fight in the second game. In a game that the 14,235 on hand thought would be another easy win for the Dukes instead turned into a long night. Each team scored in the second, Burns opened the scoring from Spencer Quinn only to have John Beaudoin tie the game at 13:43 of the period. At the time no one knew but that would be the last goal for 94:23 when Tim Amesbury scored at 8:06 of the fourth OT period in the wee hours of April Fools Day. In goal Nate Bannister turned away 78 of 80 shots while Connelly made 55 stops in 128:07 in goal. After that marathon Toronto went into the Montreal Arena winning 4-1 then 2-1 after Montreal came up short in a third period rally. Toronto went on to face the defending Cup champions, their archrivals, Detroit Motors in the final beginning at home on April 14th. Detroit had defeated Boston, who was the only other team to finish over .500 in the regular season, in 6 games. Detroit had a record of 27-28-15 were led by Monette, 26, along with veteran goaltender Henri Chasse in their title defense. Toronto won the first game 4-3 on a goal by Owen Green with 1:45 remaining in the third after Detroit had rallied to tie the game at 3 with 2 quick goals in the third. The second game went to OT after the Dukes squandered a 3-0 lead in the third. Jimmy Cooper put the Dukes up 2 games with a goal in dying minutes of the first overtime by deflecting a Burns pass past Chasse at 16:54. Going into the Palladium on April 20th the Dukes put a stranglehold on the series with another late goal by Mitch Moran with 3:05 left in the third after Vincent Arsenault had tied game at 3 for Detroit only 52 seconds earlier. That loss seemed to demoralize the Motors and Toronto ended the season three nights later, the way the had began the campaign, with 4-0 win in which Connelly only had to make 19 stops. The party then began for the team in Detroit along with their fans in Toronto. Coach Barrell- "That was a satisfying year after the disappointment of '57-58. The biggest surprise of the year had to be Connelly. We knew Mike was solid in net be no idea he was this good. We now have a good problem with 3 NAHC ready keepers in Connelly, Dell, Renes. Renes started to get his game back together late in the Cleveland season after that horrific eye injury in March of 1958. I was happy with balance we found in scoring with Jamieson, Amesbury and Spencer Quinn taking steps forward. With Tommy, going on 40, Quinton who will be 37 over the summer we have to have others contribute to the offense. That will be the job in camp, rebalance the team scoring with less load on Burns, Pollack." Tales From The Den: More Of The Same From The Wolves 74-80 Sixth Place - The Toronto Wolves continued their losing ways by finishing sixth in the Continental Association. With a record of 74-80 the team now has 11 straight losing seasons and it has now been 20 years since the Wolves last pennant. The best record the team has in the Fifties were back to back seasons of 76-78 in 1955 and 1956. During the past season the Wolves did get better pitching, ranking around middle of the CA pack in most pitching stats. The defense went from awful to just dreadful with big holes at shortstop along with right field. Inexplicably, John Wells started the majority of games at short nearly a decade after he had shown he could not play the position at an FABL level. He is far less a defensive liability at either second or first. Right Field was trouble all season with every ball hit to right turning into an adventure that more often than not ended in a poor outcome. Sid Cullen, 23, stabilized the defense in centerfield, which was a sore spot in 1958. As the pitching progressed, the fielding got a little better but the bats took a year off. With the exception of a little power, Wolves were second in HR, fourth in XBH, Toronto was generally seventh or eighth in all other hitting statistics. The team started with a record of 18-30 through May then had one of only two winning months for the year in June, 15-13. The only other winning month was a surprising 19-10 record in August. Another poor start pretty well insured a second division finish, which made the Wolves 10 for 10 bottom 3 finishes for the Fifties. Tom Reed again led the hitters at .313/.373/.556 28 HR 134 OPS+ garnering his third straight ASG appearance. Other than rookie CF Sid Cullen and catcher Dixie Williams the Wolves lineup was of little fear for opposing pitchers. On the mound George Hoxworth again led the CA in both strikeouts and walks with 16-10 3.06 record. Whitey Stewart took a major step back with a 6-15 4.90 record. Arnie Smith, the fourth overall selection in '58, made the team out of camp. He performed admirably as a rookie at 19 with 13-15 4.01 in just over 240 innings of work. Heading into the new decade Wolves fans, who continue to show up in surprisingly high numbers, seem to have at least a few more seasons on the outside looking up at the leaders. The fans deserve better but the future does not seem to be very bright at the moment. The only saving grace is that the pitching staff is the second youngest in the FABL at an average of 26 2/3 years old, about a year older than the Keystones. LEAN YEARS ON HORIZON FOR DYNAMOS Remember fondly that the Detroit Dynamos were the team of the decade in the 1950s, as hard times may be upon us as we step into a new decade. The past nine seasons have been like a dream as Detroit, which had not won a pennant since 1929, ended the drought in 1952 and reeled off an amusement park like collection of six flags and four World Championship Series victories. The Dynamos had not finished worse than second in the Federal Association since 1950 but all of that changed last year when, in a cost cutting measure, the team dealt away stars Edwin Hackberrry, Stan Kleminski and Jack Miller. The result was an 80-74 season, their lowest win total since 1950, and a third place finish. Instead of retooling by adding another veteran arm before the season began to ensure they remained competitive, the Dynamos further dismantled the dynasty as soon as the 1959 season concluded with the decision to deal 30-year-old Jack Halbur, who had been the most productive pitcher in 1959, to the Chicago Chiefs. There is still some elite talent in the organization, led by the doubleplay duo of Dick Tucker and Joe Reed but there are a lot more holes -both in the lineup and the rotation- than we have seen at Thompson Field since the 1940s. Boston looks like the new dynasty in the Fed while Chicago should be improved with the addition of Halbur and St Louis is also a talented ballclub. Detroit has finished in the second division just three times since 1944 and never in back to back seasons but last season's 80 win total -the lowest of the decade- may be a sign of hard times ahead for the organization that dominated the 1950s. The Year That Was Current events from 1959
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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. |
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