JULY 19, 1943
CONTINENTAL STARS SHINE IN ALL-STAR BATTLE
A 4-run outburst in the 8th inning carried the stars of the Continental Association to a 7-3 victory over their counterparts from the Federal Association in baseball's 11th annual mid-summer classic. The win, in the first all-star game ever started under the lights, pulled the Continental stars to within a game of the Feds in the series, one in which the Federal Association still leads six wins to five. The big winner was baseball's Wartime Fund, as all of the proceeds were earmarked for sporting equipment that is to be delivered to soldiers around the globe and a packed house of 33,400 took in the nighttime spectacle at Montreal's Parc Cartier.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning as starting pitchers Deuce Barrell of Cincinnati and Boston's Ed Wood did their jobs. Wood gave way to the Chiefs Al Miller in the third and the 27 year old righthander ran into a little trouble as Cleveland's Cal Howe hit a one-out single and moved to second when Cliff Moss reached on a Sam Orr error. Up to the plate strolled Dick Walker and the Cougars first baseman delivered a triple to plate both Howe and Moss, staking the Continental nine to a 2-0 lead in the process.
The Feds had a chance to do some damage of their own in the top of the fourth but with 2-out and the sacks drunk with Fed baserunners, veteran Cougars hurler Dick Lyons got out of the trouble he created unscathed by getting Orr to fly out and end the threat.
An error led to another run for the Continental side in the fifth when Henry Jones led off with a single off of the Pioneers Sam Sheppard and alertly scampered to second base when Boston's Pete Day bobbled the ball as he attempted to scoop it up. A balk by Sheppard advanced Jones to third and he scored to make it 3-0 on a Skipper Schneider sacrifice fly.
The Feds finally broke the goose-egg in the top of the seventh with back to back singles from Pete Day and Sam Orr off of the Cannons Butch Smith. Detroit's George Dawson was up next and although he hit into a double-play it did allow Day to score and cut the deficit to 3-1. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning for the Chiefs Luis Sandoval, the Feds went right back to work with Gail Gifford, who had 4 hits on the day, lacing a lead-off triple off Toronto's Joe Hancock. Walt Messer of the Gothams followed with a single to plate Gifford and cut the Conti lead to 3-2 but that would prove to be as close as the Fed side would get on this day.
The magic of the previous inning ran out quickly for Sandoval as Jim Hensley led off with a triple and scored when Marion Boismenu reached on a Frank Vance error -the 4th miscue of the game for the Feds. Fred Galloway ended Sandoval's evening with a single but the Gothams Ed Bowman, who came on in relief, had no better luck. Leo Mitchell laced a single to score Galloway and make the score 5-2 and the Continental side would add two more runs on a rbi single from Joe Hancock - the CA pitcher- and a run scoring double off the bat of Skipper Schneider.
Trailing 7-2, the Feds did get one run back in the ninth inning but that was all they could manage off rookie Johnnie Jones of the Cougars, who finished off the game.
Top player recognition went to Gail Gifford of the St Louis Pioneers, who had 4 hits in 5 trips to the plate while playing in his first all-star contest since 1937.
INJURY BUG BITES PAIR OF CONTENDERS
The task of catching the team in front of them for their respective Association leads just got a little tougher for both the Boston Minutemen and Cincinnati Cannons after each squad lost a key contributor this week. Cincinnati, whichtrails the front-running Chicago Cougars by a game in the Continental Association, will be without all-star centerfielder Fred Galloway (.268,2,25) for more than a month after the 27 year old hurt his elbow in the first inning of the Cannons 6-2 win over Cleveland on Sunday. Meanwhile, in Boston, the Minutemen-who trail the Chicago Chiefs by 2.5 games in the Federal Association- had little time to celebrate the return of pitcher Dean Astle. The 33 year old had missed the past month and a half with elbow troubles but made his return to the mound Saturday in Washington. Astle was outstanding, pitching shutout ball, until he felt something amiss in his shoulder and was pulled from the game in the fifth inning. Early medical reports say he is done for the season.
We head towards the stretch drive with the two Chicago teams, favoured by many at the seasons start, potentially headed on a collision course to giving us the first All-Windy City World Championship Series in FABL history. It's too early you say. Well, it is almost August and over the past 11 years all but two of the teams that held top spot in the Continental on August 1st went on to win the pennant. The only exceptions were 1935 and 1937 when Cleveland and Brooklyn, in the midst of a five-year battle for CA supremacy, flip-flopped both of those years. So based on the historical trends it appears that if the Chicago Cougars can hold on to their lead for another week and a half they appear likely to celebrate their second Continental Association crown in the past three season.
The Federal Association has had a little less certainty, as the August 1 leader won the pennant just 6 of the past 11 seasons and that clearly has very much to do with just how competitive that circuit has been the past decade. Here is a look at the leader in each Association on August 1 and at the end of the season.
Code:
CONTINENTAL FEDERAL
AUGUST 1 END OF SEASON AUGUST 1 END OF SEASON
1932 STARS STARS KEYSTONES KEYSTONES
1933 COUGARS COUGARS KEYSTONES KEYSTONES
1934 CLEVELAND CLEVELAND GOTHAMS GOTHAMS
1935 Brooklyn CLEVELAND St Louis GOTHAMS
1936 BROOKLYN BROOKLYN CHIEFS CHIEFS
1937 Cleveland BROOKLYN Chiefs PITTSBURGH
1938 BROOKLYN BROOKLYN Detroit CHIEFS
1939 STARS STARS Boston PITTSBURGH
1940 TORONTO TORONTO PITTSBURGH PITTSBURGH
1941 COUGARS COUGARS BOSTON BOSTON
1942 STARS STARS Keystones GOTHAMS
pennant winners in CAPS
- During meetings at the All-Star Game in Montreal FABL President Sam Belton announced that proceeds from all games played on July 28 - nine in total as all 16 clubs are in action including a doubleheader in Boston between the Minutemen and New York Gothams- will go to the American Red Cross to aid in war relief efforts.
- At the same meeting the league gave the go-ahead to Washington owner William Stockdale, granting permission for the Eagles to play all the night games they care to schedule over the remainder of the season.
- Al Wheeler had a good first week since his trade to the Chiefs but is now stuck in a 2-for-20 stretch.
- The Chiefs continue to be pleasantly surprised by John Douglas. Continuing his June surge, he has been our most valuable pitcher in July, posting a 3-1 record with a 0.88 ERA (392 ERA+) and a 0.88 WHIP. Having a breakout season at age 31.
- Percy Sutherland says "The surprising thing to me about Jim Watson is not that he is batting .352 and leading the FABL, but that he is also leading the FABL in slugging at .537, which is a substantial lead over 2nd place Tucker at .468."
- With Mel Hancock Jr back at 2B and some solid glove work by replacement level shortstops, the New York Stars infield is looking much better. Our only hole is old man Trowbridge. But his bat still swings so he'll keep playing. And 39 year old Hank Jones (.286,7,28) continues to mystify and draw into question why he hast been a starter for many many years.
WASPS WOULD HELP BALTIMORE JOIN PRO GRID LOOP
Washington Wasps team president Homer Bentley not only favors an American Football Association franchise for Baltimore, but is also prepared to help bring one to the city. Bentley indicated that in a meeting last week with Henry M. White and Edgar Poe, leading figures in a syndicate formed to get a franchise and return professional sports to Banner Field.
Bentley, who was born in Baltimore and now is a high powered D.C. attorney in addition to majority owner of the Wasps, has territorial rights that include Baltimore, said he believed a strong pro football team as a close neighbor would be fine. "It would make for a healthy rivalry and certainly help out with travel as well."
Bentley tentatively agreed to give his support to the group headed by White on the condition no conflicting dates would be listed for Baltimore and Washington without the consent of Wasps management and that the price scale of tickets in Baltimore would not be lower than that at Washington. It must be noted that the Baltimore group has not yet formally applied for membership in the league.
The Great Lakes Alliance is pleased with the college football turnout for many of it's schools. Conference heads report that Minnesota Tech had 60 players trying out when they opened their camp last week. Central Ohio had more than 50, Indiana A&M over 40, Wisconsin State nearly 60 and Detroit City College had at least 70.
The GLA President was giddy when receiving the news. "Turnout was outstanding. I asked one pessimistic college man if they wouldn't have as many candidates as when the game started at his school and he answered 'yes'. Well, the numbers were there and I didn't even have to remind him when they first introduced football at Western Iowa only 12 boys reported, yet the school played a collegiate schedule."
*** BROOKLYN STATE LIKELY OUT ***
Brooklyn State added it's name to the growing list of colleges that have abandoned intercollegiate football for the duration. The Bears athletic director explained that "the army has taken over Brooklyn State and unless it lifts the ban placed on soldier students participating in athletics, Brooklyn State will be unable to field a football team."
The Bears had scheduled 9 games but had already lost one when Cumberland cancelled because of abandonment of the sport and another when Golden Gate cancelled due to transportation concerns. The remaining seven opponents will be notified this week.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 7/18/1943
- The Allied invasion is a huge success, establishing a foothold immediately and by the end of the week the Allies were controlling much of the island.
- Roosevelt and Churchill sent a message to the Italian people calling on them to overthrow their leaders and make peace or suffer the consequences of invasion and total war at home- stating "Die for Mussolini and Hitler -or live for Italy, and for civilization."
- The Russians are aiding the invasion in Sicily, intensifying their fight with the Nazis and report they have broken through heavily fortified German lines on two wide fronts north and east of Orel in a section 200 miles south of Moscow.
- A large naval battle continues in the Kula Gulf in central Solomons.