SEPTEMBER 6, 1943
PIONEERS RIDING 13 GAME WINNING STREAK
The St Louis Pioneers have closed to within 3 games of first place in the Federal Association as the club, in the midst of a 13 game winning streak, makes a bid for it's first pennant since 1921. No one has illustrated the turnaround this season of the St Louis ballclub, which has lost at least 85 games each of the past three campaigns, better than 35 year old Sam Sheppard. Once considered among the best pitchers in the game -he won an Allan Award in 1935- Sheppard had fallen on hard times in recent years, making just 3 starts in the previous two seasons. But here he is 1943, suddenly relevant again -just like his ballclub- and the first 20-game winner in FABL this season. Sheppard (20-6, 3.23) has gone 6-1 since August 1 and is a big reason why the Pioneers are on a 25-9 run.
Boston, like most of the other Fed contenders, has cooled off late -the Minutemen are just 16-14 since the beginning of August- and with 4 weeks to play they are clinging to a 3-game lead on St Louis. Washington was the surprise team for much of the season, until being replaced in that category by the Pioneers lately, and the Eagles, despite dropping 4-straight to the Pioneers a week and a half ago and in the midst of an 11-20 slide, are still in the mix. The Eagles are 5.5 games back but play a doubleheader in Boston today and have two more games with the Minutemen next week. While Washington still has a chance at it's first pennant since 1925, the odds overwhelmingly favour the Boston nine.
Boston fans can also take comfort in the fact that 19 of their final 24 games -including 3 with St Louis in the final week of the season- are at their shiny new Minutemen Stadium, a venue at which Boston has been a very solid 39-19 on the year. Washington will also finish with 19 of their last 24 home while St Louis has the odds of completing it's comeback further stacked against the club due to the fact that just 7 of their final 26 contests are at Pioneers Field. However, it is important to note that at 34-24, the Pioneers own the best road record in the Fed this season and they get veteran centerfielder Gail Gifford (.314,4,61) back from the injured list this week after missing a month and a half. The odds may be against the Pioneers, but the way they are playing it would be foolish to count them out entirely.
*** CANNONS FIRING ATOP CA ***
Despite losing a pair of games to the Philadelphia Sailors over the weekend the Cincinnati Cannons have extended their lead atop the Continental Association to 8 games on Toronto and 9 on slumping Chicago. The best starting pitching in baseball, led by Deuce Barrell (16-9, 2.05), Butch Smith (18-6, 2.44) and Vic Carroll (11-4, 2.10) is a big reason why the Cannons own the best record in baseball at the moment, but the deadline trade pick-ups have also played a key role. Lefthander Chris Clarke is 4-4 with a 2.14 era since arriving from the New York Stars while the additions of Sam Brown (.326,0,34), Billy Dalton (.274,10,42) and even Jack Cleaves (.233,0,9) are all offensive upgrades on the players they replaced. Dalton was named the Continental Association player of the month for August.
As for what is ahead in the CA race, the Cannons have a twin bill with Cleveland -a team they shutout 3 straight games last week- before beginning a stretch where they play 8 consecutive games over a 10 day period against the Toronto Wolves. For the Wolves, who's pennant hopes were dealt a serious blow with 5 straight losses last week, it represents one last chance to win their second pennant since 1940 but it will take close to a sweep of those 8 contests for Toronto to have a chance. The 1940 pennant, by the way, came by finishing a single game ahead of the Cannons during that club's debut season in the Queen City. Will history repeat itself? It will require a very hot streak from Toronto for that to happen.
The Cougars also desperately need Toronto to come up big against Cincinnati over the next two weeks, but they also need a dramatic reversal of what has been some terrible luck of late. Since August 15, the Cougars are 6-13 despite outscoring their opponents over that time frame. 8 of those 13 Chicago losses were by a single run.
TWIFB DRAFT COVERAGE
TOP PROSPECTS FOR 1945 FABL DRAFT
It is very early and the tendency is the more OSA gets to look at a player the higher the likelihood his stock starts to drop, but based on current assessments the 1945 draft looks to have an awful lot of depth among position players, especially catchers, but be thin on elite pitchers.
There are four players that really standout at this point. OSA believes high schools Dan Finch, a third baseman from South Carolina, and Mickey McClure, an outfielder from Connecticut, could each make multiple appearances in all-star games if they reach their potential. Finch was a high school All-American last season as a sophomore. The other two that really impress are a pair of college outfielders who were each named first team AIAA All-Americans last season as college freshman. They are Johnny Peters out of Liberty College and Grange College's Bob Riggins.
Here is a very early look at our projected first round for the 1945 FABL amateur player draft.
Code:
WAY TO EARLY 1945 DRAFT MOCK RANKINGS OF COLLEGE PLAYERS
# NAME AGE POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN OSA ASSESSMENT
1 DAN FINCH 16 3B Bowman (SC) HS Darlington, SC could make multiple trips to All-Star Game
2 JOHNNY PETERS 19 CF Liberty College Lawrenceburg, TN potential elite CF on contending team
3 MICKEY McCLURE 16 RF Seymour (CT) HS Middlesex, NJ could make multiple trips to All-Star Game
4 BOB RIGGINS 19 CF Grange College Detroit, MI elite starting CF
5 HARRY FINNEY 19 SS Bluegrass State Tulsa, OK tools to profile as premier SS
6 LEO FRANKS 16 P Sandusky (OH) HS Sandusky, MI potential to be top of rotation starter
7 IVEY HENLEY 19 1B Jersey City Tech Brooklyn, NY impact big league 1B
8 IKE PERRY 16 C Navasota (TX) HS Hearne, TX high ceiling, projects well on field and at plate
9 AL DANIEL JR. 16 P Brownsville (TX) HS Brooklyn, NY tools needed to be mid-rotation starter
10 PAUL WILLIAMS 16 LF Clayton HS, St Louis St Louis, MO potential elite OF on contending team
11 VIC LEBLANC 19 3B St Blane College Cape Girardeau, MO talent to flourish as a 3B
12 HARRY McCUE 16 1B Branford (CT) HS New York, NY protected as an elite starting 1B
13 RUSS McLEAN 16 P Shady Side Acad, Pittsburgh Washington, DC solid #3 starter or better
14 CLAUDE CLEMONS 19 CF San Francisco Tech San Francisco, CA above average big league CF
15 JOHN MANSFIELD 20 C Maryland State Newark, NJ second division starter at C
16 BOB RUSSO 16 C Hatboro (PA) HS Wilkes-Barre, PA potential to unleash obvious talent
Code:
[b]
OTHERS TO WATCH
NAME POS SCHOOL OSA COMMENT
Elmer Abbott 1B Norfolk (VA) HS average big leaguer
Arnold Alderson RF Curtis HS, Staten Island potential regular in a key role
Johnny Anderson RF Amarillo Methodist talent to flourish
Ted Beaven P East HS, Buffalo NY back of rotation
Mickey Bednar CF Camden (NJ) HS productive regular on contending team
Phil Billman LF Dickson City (PA) HS high ceiling projects well on field and at plate
Jimmy Block P Dundee (MI) HS ceiling of 5th starter
Bobby Brown C Wisconsin State solid starter
George Brown 1B Bridgeport (CT) HS won't be a star, but solid contributor
Al Browner 3B Wharton (TX) HS future looks extremely promising
Howdy Calderone RF Union Bridge (MD) HS productive regular on contending team
Augue Cheshire 2B Bronx Science HS, Bronx second division starter
Hod Christen CF Calhoun HS, New York City all the skills scouts look for in CF
Carl Clark CF Springfield (MO) HS development as a future CF looks extremely promising
Max Conrad CF Monrovia (CA) HS second division starter
Lynn Davis SS Georgia Baptist Univ. average big leaguer
George Earlywine RF Eastern Oklahoma Univ. above average big league RF
Red Gardner CF Tyrone (PA) HS projected to fill key role on contender
Hank Greene C Lane State Univ. second division starter
Len Harrington CF Eastern State Univ. average big leaguer
Jack Herbert C Adams HS, Queens, NY productive regular on contending team
Si Johnson C Grand Saline (TX) HS above average everyday big league C
Ells Joiner C Buford (GA) HS good potential and promising future
Jerry Keith 2B Forest Park (IL) HS talent to flourish
Earl Leckie CF Moorestown (NJ) HS average big leaguer/hit .330
Harry Linker P Clifton (TX) HS elite stuff, but more than 5 innings emptys tank
Larry McClure C Bentonville (AR) HS productive regular on contending team
Pete McCown 3B Ooltewah (TN) HS above average big league 3B
Wally Mears P Red River State Univ. back of rotation starter
Ralph Morrison RF Goshen (IN) HS second division starter
Johnnie Nieves LF El Paso (TX) HS second division starter
Alex O'Dailey C Hartford (CT) HS productive regular on contending team
Pat Porter 1B Westinghouse HS, Brooklyn average big leaguer
Pat Robinson 2B Durant (OK) HS talent to flourish
Artie Smith C South Valley State Univ. talent to flourish
Roy Thornton SS Washington HS, Los Angeles second division starter
Chet Tinsley C Bellville (TX) HS productive regular on contending team
Ace Warner RF Columbia Military Academy average big leaguer
Jim Williams P Chicopee (MA) HS ceiling of 5th starter
- No recap from Doc Shaw on Boston's week this time around, but the Boston Globe scribe says the club is feeling the heat with St Louis hot on their tails. Shaw is quoted as saying "after a 2-3 week the Minuemen have lost 2.5 games off their FA lead. Concern about the meteor that is St. Louis is real"
- It is beyond concern in the Windy City, where many in April were predicting an all-Chicago World Championship Series, but both city clubs have fallen on hard times of late. Signs were good for much of the season and both Chicago teams led their respective associations at the all-star break but since them the Chiefs (19-29) and Cougars (19-26) have fallen apart. One-run losses are the culprit for the Cats, as all 3 of their defeats last week were by a single run and the are now 14-23 in one-run games- a hard-luck record surpassed only by the lowly Gothams. The Cougars are now 9 games out and continuing to spiral downward. A 5-12 stretch during a lengthy homestand in mid-August will likely prove to be the Chiefs undoing.
- Speaking of the Chiefs, If you put him in the starting lineup, he can't hit to save his life, but in 22 pinch hitting appearances this season Ducky Jordan slashing .409/.409/.500.
- It's September so with the roster expansion a lot of clubs will debut some of their top young prospects. Cleveland got a head start by calling up the number one pick last January in former St Ignatius star shortstop Jim Adams Jr. Adams had a big debut week but struggled last week. Another top twenty prospect- the Stars Wally Hunter- is poised to make his debut this week.
- There is growing support to send a team, or teams, of FABL stars this winter to various military bases across the country. One possibility remains to have the two WCS participants tour the Pacific but a more likely scenario is a collection of player from various teams, both current and those recently retired.
FOOTBALL TO SHOW UNEXPECTED STRENGTH
There will be gaps in the ranks -many gaps- but within a short while football will show unexpected strength on both the pro and the service-college side. The pros will be far stronger than any one figured they would be six months ago. And the Navy has sent enough fancy talent to take good care of a large college group, and give each section fast-moving and scrappy contests this fall. And it won't be long now as September catches more action than the first autumn month ever saw before.
No one knows what to expect in the American Football Association as the pros may have some unexpected results as the season progresses but at least the teams left standing, look well prepared to survive the season -even after Selective Service starts going for married men. The college season will be short some 200 schools- those that have given up the sport for the duration- but many of the big schools will carry one and there are enough active ones left to assure every fanatic a game each weekend without to heavy a strain on his limited gasoline supply or shoe coupons.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 9/05/1943
- Allied bombers continued to pound Berlin and Naples, just as the British Eighth Army opened a second front on the continent of Europe, swarming across Messina Straits aboard hundreds of invasion craft and landing on the toe of Italy.
- Pope Pius XII broadcast to the warring world an appeal for a just peace this year, declaring that the hostilities now are "reaching a climax" and the people now are pleading more clamorously than ever for peace, for bread and for work.
- A powerful United States naval task force is on the loose in the central Pacific, daring the Japanese home fleet to come out and fight.
- In an effort to stem Danish resistance the Nazis arrest all 1,500 army and navy officers in Denmark as well as numerous Danish leaders.
- The Red Army captured Taganrog, lifting the southern anchor of the German line and throwing the Nazis into what appeared to be the start of a general withdrawal from the Donets basin. As the week progresses the Russians continued to advance.
- Rioting continues in Sofia after the sudden death of King Boris III. His death is viewed as a political calamity by the German people, as Boris was a staunch Axis friend.