OCTOBER 20, 1938
PIONEERS PART WITH JONES
For the second year in a row the St Louis Pioneers dealt away one of their veteran leaders in a move designed to improve their pitching depth and add youth. A year ago it was Fred McCormick going to Toronto and all the 29 year old did was win the Continental Association batting title, lead the Wolves on a near successful pennant push after finishing 6th the previous season and be considered the favourite to claim the CA Whitney Award when it is announced next week. This time around it was another star Pioneer being dealt following his age 28 season as 4-time all-star and 1935 Whitney Award winner Freddie Jones has been traded to the Chicago Cougars.
Jones, who has been the face of the franchise pretty much ever since he stepped off the campus of Central Ohio University and right into the starting second base role in 1932, ends a 7 year run with the Pioneers by playing a full season for the first time in 3 years. Jones saw his production dip a little this season (.284,7,75) and well below his back to back Federal Association batting title seasons of 1934-35 but after a pair of injury plagued campaigns he appeared in all 154 games for the first time in his career. The risk to Chicago is Jones runs into continued health issues, as various nagging injuries have played havoc with him much of his career, but the upside is huge if he can stay healthy and produce anywhere close to what he did just a few seasons ago.
Jones is now a Chicago Cougar as that club, which had been linked to just about every premier second baseman to be moved in the past few seasons, finally acquires a player they have been interested in for years. The hope in Chicago is Jones can return to the form he showed in his big years but even if he just performs at the same level he did last season he will potentially be a top of the order bat and the Cougars now have stability at second base something they have lacked the last three seasons. Johnny McDowell (.270,1,40), who came over from the New York Gothams, and Ollie Page (.233,3,25), who was displaced at shortstop by Billy Hunter, shared the job at second base at North Side Park a year ago.
The price to add Jones was 5 prospects including a pair of top 100 guys in pitcher Danny Hern and shortstop Tommy Wilson. It is a cost the Cougars can easily absorb as, while they are no longer considered one of the top systems in the league, there is still plenty of young talent both on the big league club and still in the system. The other 3 prospects coming to St Louis are pitcher Preacher Pietsch, shortstop Ivan Cameron and outfielder Henry Cox.
One has to think Hern was the big drawing card for the Pioneers who appeared to have plenty of pitching depth a year ago until injuries to ace David Abalo and rookie sensation Buddy Long decimated the staff. The ideal situation for St Louis is Hern develops into next season's version of Long, as the then 23 year old was part of the McCormick trade and was off to a great 14-7, 3.99 start in his first pro season before an injury ended it in early August. The likelihood of that happening next spring is very slim though as Hern is just 21 and likely two years away from his St Louis debut. A 14th round pick out of high school in 1935, he split last season between Class A and B, going 11-9 with a 3.56 era and is ranked the 55th best prospect according to OSA. What might be more realistic as far as an appearance on the mound in St Louis next season is concerned, would be another prospect acquired in the deal making his St Louis debut. Preacher Pietsch is 23 and was the 5th overall pick out of Brooklyn Catholic in 1937. He is ranked #129th by OSA and posted a 12-9 record with a 2.95 era at A and AA this season. There is a good chance he appears in St Louis this season. Far from an ace, most experts see him as more of a dependable back half of the rotation arm.
Tommy Wilson is a natural shortstop but he played a lot of second base in AAA last season and there is a chance he may be the replacement for Jones in St Louis although he will have to compete with Artie D'Alessandro for the spot. D'Alessandro had a very strong year in AAA, batting .341 in Oakland and is considered a top 50 prospect. His development is likely a key reason why the Pioneers felt ready to move on from Jones.
22 year old Ivan Cameron is a very interesting prospect. A third round pick out of high school in 1934, he took a little time to develop but had a breakout season at AA this past season, hitting .301 and playing very solid defense at shortstop. He projects to be just an average hitter but his defense may greatly add to his value if he continues to develop like he did last season. Henry Cox is also 22 and spent last season in AAA where he tied for the Century League lead with 33 homers while hitting .278. He has shown plus power at every stop as he progressed through the Cougars system after being selected in the 5th round of the 1934 draft but despite the offensive production, OSA is not high on him, calling Cox a "below average right fielder."
JIGGS MCGREE'S TAKE ON THE JONES TRADE
My initial reaction is it is going to be very tough picturing Freddie Jones in a uniform other than that of the Pioneers. Other than missing a fair bit of time three of the last five seasons Jones has been a fixture at second base in St Louis and one of the franchise's most popular players. The fans in St Louis are certainly not going to like this one.
The deal has some risk to Chicago as it remains to be seen if Jones, who did appear in all 154 games for the first time in his career this past season, is able to stay healthy. If he does he is certainly an upgrade at the position for the Cougars and if he somehow can return to being close to the player he was in his dominant 1934-35 seasons it will be a huge steal. While there is some risk I do not believe it will really hurt the Cougars system at all making this move. They gave up a couple of middle infielders in Tommy Wilson and Ivan Cameron but neither really had a spot in Chicago anyway with Billy Hunter and Ducky Jordan already there (and now Freddie Jones). The two pitchers could be solid arms but neither look like top of the rotation guys and will not be missed by a Chicago staff that has plenty of young talent. The 5th prospect, perhaps just a throw-in in the deal, is the one who intrigues me most. OSA thinks very little of outfielder Henry Cox but he has put up some very strong power numbers in the minors and just might be the power bat that St Louis lacks, although their park is not well suited to the long ball.
On the St Louis side I am not sure I like this deal a lot. I am not overly enamored with any of the prospects but injuries in the past and a less than Jones-like 1938 season diminished their potential return. St Louis does have a nice player in D'Alesandro ready to take over at second base but this trade feels like the Pioneers pennant window - which was closing anyway and rapidly so after the dealing of McCormick - has now slammed shut and it is clear statement the Pioneers have conceded the Fed crown to the likes of the Chiefs and Dynamos for the next couple of seasons as St Louis is now in full rebuild mode.
The Week That Was
Current events from week of 10/20/1938
- Hungary may take armed action against the Czechs in the next 48 hours unless Prague makes an offer to resume negotiations over it's Hungarian populated territories. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Czech troops are ready for action along the Hungarian border.
- Japanese tanks rumbled into Canton scoring one of the most astounding victories of the Chinese-Japanese War.
- British troops aided by aircraft laid siege to the old city of Jerusalem today as Arab rebels are strongly entrenched behind the ancient walls and are in control of the city.
- Spanish loyalists have urged President Roosevelt to use his might to arrange a peace conference to end the Spanish Civil War.
- Guenther Rumrich, the confessed spy, testified the Reich was to pay him $2,000 to give them stolen plans from an American gyroscope factory. He also told of a plot to obtain plans of two American aircraft carriers by forging the signature of Roosevelt on spurious White House stationery.
- New England was subjected to the hottest October day on record after the temperature leaped 27 degrees in 10 hours and hit 86 at 3pm. In Newark, the Airport Weather Bureau reported a reading of 90 degrees. The Bureau does not have records of past highs available.