JANUARY 10, 1944
DYNAMOS FACED WITH BIG DECISIONS
Future Direction of Franchise Once More at Stake
The Detroit Dynamos have been in this position before, but frankly felt it would be a long time coming before they were picking at the top of the draft once again. In 1935, after the worst season in club history saw them win just 43 games, the Dynamos earned the consolation prize of Red Johnson after the equally as inept Baltimore Cannons claimed Deuce Barrell with the first selection of that draft. Detroit also landed Hank Koblenz with the fifth overall selection that winter. A year later the Dynamos improved to 55 wins but that was not enough to lift them from the Federal Association basement so they were faced with the option of taking Sal Pestilli or Walt Messer. They, of course, opted for Pestilli and between he and Red they brought Detroit 3 Whitney Awards as the Federal Association top hitter and eventually 3 straight 90-win seasons, coming within a whisker of a couple of pennants.
All that is gone now. Koblenz left for the Keystones early in his career. Johnson was peddled to the Gothams last summer and Pestilli is also absent, at least for the short-term as he is in the Army Air Corps. The 90 win seasons and pennant pushes have also gone the way of the dodo bird, as Dynamos sank to the depths of the Federal Association, winning just 62 games in 1942 and 69 last year.
Their struggles in 1942 allowed them to land Art Keeter, a highly touted 19 year old righthander that OSA calls "a future multiple-time Allen Award winner." They will add more pieces to their second major rebuild in less than a decade. The 3rd overall selection, which is their prize for finishing 7th in the Fed, along with the first overall selection that comes courtesy of the New York Gothams in the deal that sent one of the best young sluggers in the game in Red Johnson to the Big Apple. In addition, Detroit has the 10th and 16th picks of round one and two more early choices in round two, giving the Dynamos 6 of the first 19 selections.
Detroit can not afford to mess this draft up. The leash is already short for their management team after the collapse in recent years and it likely got much shorter with the controversial decision to deal Red. It seems a given that the Dynamos will make Roy Schaub, a 17 year old righthander who had a dominant season for his Philadelphia high school, as the first selection of the draft. High School players, particularly pitchers are always risky but if Schaub and Keeter -who was selected 4th overall last season- can live up to their lofty expectations the Dynamos could be a force to fear in a few years.
What they do with the third overall selection hinges on the Cleveland Foresters, who make their seemingly annual pilgrimage to the top of the FABL draft pool as they own the second selection sandwiched between the Detroit pair of picks. The Foresters have landed some exceptional talent in recent years in New York High School ace Hiram Steinberg -who single-handedly rewrote the prep record book- and St Ignatius shortstop Jim Adams Jr. Together the Cleveland duo rank 4th and 6th overall on the OSA top prospect list, but they remain just that -prospects- and the Foresters on field product at the big league level continues to be woefully lacking. The future on the south shore of Lake Erie is bright however, and there is some talent available at picks two and three with the Foresters getting first choice to add to their parade of prospects followed by Detroit drawing from whatever Cleveland passes over.
Assuming the Dynamos go with Schaub, and there is no reason to think they won't, that means Cleveland likely decides between shortstops Dave McCraw and Jim Sibert, catcher Joe Robinson or outfielders Ben Thompson or Ed Duncan. Detroit will be left picking from whoever is left. McCraw is described as an "everyday shortstop who can make an impact on a top-tier team" and seems like a solid pick for Cleveland but the Foresters just made another shortstop in Jim Adams Jr. the number one selection a year ago. Perhaps that convinces them to go with Flowers, who was #11 in the TWIFB August mock draft but seems to be seeing his stock rise, a big powerful first baseman, or they opt for Thompson, an outfielder with power and a high ceiling. If Cleveland passes on him, Flowers just might be the ideal fit in Detroit and one day be the player that makes the fans in the Motor City forget they once had Red Johnson to cheer for.
Whoever the Dynamos end up with you can bet that this draft class of Detroit's will be heavily scrutinized and ultimately may well decide the fate of a management team that is getting a do-over at a rebuild. The question remains whether that do-over will finally stick and give the Dynamos another chance at a pennant or two, or if the Detroit brass will be remembered for falling short and giving away Red Johnson.
PRO GRID EXPECTING FINE YEAR, SEES EXPANSION AFTER WAR
A year ago the continuance of profossional football was fronted with a number of perplexing problems. These problems amounted to a challenge. The American Football Association owners accepted the challenge and were rewarded with their best season. Continued operation in 1944 presents the same problems. They no longer, however, constitute the formidable challenge that confronted owners in 1932, when on every hand well-meaning observers warned that teams could not be put together.
Here and three throughout the year certain observers, bemoaning the loss of stars, professed to see a decline in AFA play, but attendance figures seem to belie any inferiority in the caliber of league competition.
*** BETTER BALANCE HELPED LOOP ***
New stars came to the front. More persons by some 34,000 saw the 40 league contests last season. The average game attendance was up well over 10 per cent. The title game at Boston's new Minutemen Stadium drew over 40,000 -an increase on last year's game involving the same two teams in Chicago by over 7,000 fans. Much of the increased enthusiasm for professional football stemmed from the better balance in the Western Division with three of the 4 teams still in the running until the final weekends.
Talk of immediate expansion in the league is probably premature at this time. Expansion, however, is inevitable in the postwar period. It will not be surprising if the American Football Association approves applications for franchises on the west coast with Los Angeles a near certainty and San Francisco also a very likely possibility. But it is not likely that such franchises would be permitted to join the loop until after the war, when the new owners will have better opportunity to field representative elevens.
*** AMERICANS AND WILDCATS AGAIN THE CLASS OF LOOP ***
The performance of the Boston Americans and Chicago Wildcats continues to be the highlight of the league, but the Detroit Maroons and Pittsburgh Paladins also had highly successful 1943 campaigns. New stars emerged for other teams such as Jerry McElheny in New York and as the season progressed rookie Billy Bockhorst -the 1943 Christian Trophy winner- started to look more comfortable in Pittsburgh. The passing game opened up, adding excitement to the sport to the delight of fans, with throwers like Del Thomas and Gus Brown and receivers like Stan Vaught and Johnny Littlejohn enjoying outstanding seasons. All in all, the 1943 season has left such a favourable impression that it is difficult to adopt a pessimistic attitude toward 1944, no matter what Selective Service and the War Transportation Board might have in store for us in the year ahead.
TECHSTERS TIME AT TOP WAS SHORT-LIVED
The North Carolina Tech Techsters basketball team finally passed Coastal California and moved into top spot in the AIAA basketball rankings only last week. However, after being upset 46-45 by Brookland College on Tuesday the Techsters find themselves number two once again. Coastal California also tasted defeat for the first time this season as the Dolphins were surprised 49-47 by College of San Diego on Friday, but the pollsters thought enough of the 11-1 Los Angeles school that they returned them to top spot in this weeks poll.
Other notes from the hardwood
- With the losses suffered by North Carolina Tech and Coastal California last week there is just one major school in the nation that remains unbeaten. That would be the 11-0 and 5th ranked Minnesota Tech Lakers, who have two more tune-up games before they begin an always difficult Great Lakes Alliance schedule.
- One of the Lakers two contests this week is against Central Kentucky. The 9-5 Tigers are unranked and on the surface likely not a team to be feared but they are coming off back-to-back wins over a pair of ranked GLA teams in Central Ohio (who they beat 48-47 on Tuesday) and Indiana A&M (who the Tigers beat 43-35 Thursday to hand the Reapers just their second loss of the season and first since they fell to #3 Rainier College in early November.
- Staying in the GLA, time for an update on Western Iowa sophomore Joe Hampton. The former St Louis Pioneers baseball prospect is starting every game for the 11-2 Canaries, but averaging just 4.9 ppg and 3.2 assists per contest - both numbers down slightly from his freshman totals. The Western Iowa offense clearly revolves around Gerald Carter and the senior is among the AIAA leaders in scoring as he averages 15.7 ppg.
- Central Ohio is trending in the wrong direction as the Aviators have dropped their last two games and 3 of their last five to fall to 7-4 --which is tied for last among GLA schools. They were upset by Central Kentucky as mentioned above and them lost 47-44 to in-state rival Ohio Poly, which is enjoying an outstanding season. The independent Cardinals are now 14-2 on the year and ranked 6th in the polls. Ohio Poly reached the National Semi-Finals in the 1939-40 AIAA tournament but missed being included in the 32 team field each of the past 3 years.
- While the West Coast Athletic Association boasts #1 ranked Coastal California and #3 Rainier College, don't forget about CC Los Angeles. The Coyotes are 9-2 and riding a 6 game winning streak as the seem to be hitting their stride.
Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Coastal California (61) 11-1 1789 2 West Coast Athletic Association
2. North Carolina Tech (10) 12-1 1730 1 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College 10-1 1662 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Western Iowa 11-2 1566 5 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Minnesota Tech (1) 12-0 1533 4 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Ohio Poly 14-2 1383 10 Independent
7. CC Los Angeles 9-2 1346 9 West Coast Athletic Association
8. Frankford State 10-1 1314 6 Northeast Conference
9. Detroit City College 9-2 1209 8 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Chesapeake State 10-3 1163 15 South Atlantic Conference
11. Brooklyn State 9-2 1071 13 Northeast Conference
12. Indiana A&M 10-2 911 7 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Liberty College 10-3 897 20 Northeast Conference
14. Perry State College 13-2 880 11 Midwestern Association
15. Bronx Tech 13-2 848 18 Independent
16. Hamman 16-2 765 17 Independent
17. Whitney College 9-3 617 23 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Annapolis Maritime 13-3 605 14 Independent
19. Brookland 16-3 498 NR Independent
20. Lincoln 9-2 407 21 Great Lakes Alliance
21. Garden State 10-3 400 25 Northeast Conference
22. Coastal State 10-3 356 NR South Atlantic Conference
23. Alabama Baptist 9-3 176 19 Deep South Conference
24. St. Pancras 9-3 115 12 Northeast Conference
25. Central Ohio 7-4 85 16 Great Lakes Alliance
Others Receiving Votes:
Mobile Maritime 10-4 25 South Atlantic Conference
Spokane State 9-3 24 West Coast Athletic Association
Bigsby College 9-3 9 Eastern Eight
St. Ignatius 7-4 7 Great Lakes Alliance
Noble Jones College 12-4 5 Deep South Conference
College of Omaha 9-4 2 Plains Athletic Association
Freemont State 9-3 2 Midwestern Association
RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY JAN 3
#1 Coastal California 51 Flagstaff State 36
#3 Rainier College 42 Central Illinois 40
#5 Minnesota Tech 51 Plover College 36
#6 Ohio Poly 52 Granville 30
#13 Liberty College 54 Jersey City Tech 31
#15 Bronx Tech 42 Penn Catholic 38
#16 Hamman 59 Mahoning Valley State 45
#17 Whitney College 60 Huntington State 32
Lexington State 48 #18 Annapolis Maritime 31
#23 Alabama Baptist 48 Grant(IN) 39
TUESDAY JAN 4
#19 Brookland 46 #2 North Carolina Tech 45
#4 Western Iowa 60 Lambert College 50
#8 Frankford State 55 Brunswick 45
#22 Coastal State 61 Noble Jones College 53
Central Kentucky 48 #25 Central Ohio 47
WEDNESDAY JAN 5
#1 Coastal California 52 Kit Carson University 29
#11 Brooklyn State 48 Pierpont 42
Miners College 38 #14 Perry State College 32
#15 Bronx Tech 56 Campion 37
THURSDAY JAN 6
#7 CC Los Angeles 72 Quaker College(CA) 55
Central Kentucky 43 #12 Indiana A&M 35
#21 Garden State 61 Conwell College 47
Cowpens State 51 #23 Alabama Baptist 43
FRIDAY JAN 7
College of San Diego 49 #1 Coastal California 47
#13 Liberty College 66 George Fox 52
#19 Brookland 57 Berwick 39
SATURDAY JAN 8
#6 Ohio Poly 47 #25 Central Ohio 44
#7 CC Los Angeles 53 Sadler 29
#10 Chesapeake State 59 Bigsby College 49
#14 Perry State College 52 College of Cairo 40
#16 Hamman 51 Cache Valley 41
#18 Annapolis Maritime 45 Middlesex 37
SUNDAY JAN 9
#1 Coastal California 56 Sunnyvale 44
#3 Rainier College 60 Oklahoma Bible College 42
#4 Western Iowa 52 Colorado Poly 34
#19 Brookland 62 Eastern Virginia 48
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/09/1944
- Russian forces have broken across the prewar Polish border and crumpled the Nazis last major defense line east of Rumania. Moscow reports indicate that the Russians would firmly oppose any attempts the return to Poland of territory occupied by it's armies in 1939.
- Russian troops in Poland make for a sticky situation for President Roosevelt. There is concern the Polish underground, busily anti-Russian, may resist the advancing Red Armies but the longer range problem concerned Poland's eastern frontier with the Soviet Union and concerns the Poles may demand FDR himself make some sort of a statement on the United States' position regarding the dispute between Poland and Russia.
- The Japanese still believe they are coming across the Pacific to invade and destroy the United States. That is what Joseph Clark Grew, the former American ambassador to Japan declared this week. Grew adds the Japanese "are not thinking in terms of a five or ten year war, but of a 20, a 50 -or even a 100- year war."
- Secretary of State Knox said that American airmen are continuing to "soften up" the Marshall Islands, indicating that preparations are being made for invasion of those Japanese-held islands.
- Allied bombers continue to batter the French coast and also hit hard at war factory targets in northern Italy.
- The cause of last week's explosion which blew up and sank a destroyer in the lower New York Bay last week remains a mystery.
- There were 1,750,000 more births than deaths in the United States in 1943, which is the largest figure for any year in history. The rate of natural increase was 13 per 1,000 population, highest percentage in more than 20 years.
