MAY 14, 1945
YOUNG ARMS KEY TO DYNAMOS QUICK START
Led by a pair of rookie pitchers the Detroit Dynamos continue to lead the way in the Federal Association. 19 year old Carl Potter and 22 year old Pete Brown were playing high school and college ball respectively at this time last season, but the duo has been a big reason why the Dynamos are off to a hot start, combining to go 6-1 in their 8 starts to begin the season. The '44 FABL draft is looking pretty solid for arms when you consider that three pitchers from that class -the Detroit duo and New York Stars young ace Eli Panneton- have already made their big league debuts and each is enjoying outstanding success.
Perhaps not this quickly but success was pretty much expected for Potter, who was a High School All-American last season along with fellow Detroit first round picks Roy Schaub, Stan Kleminski and Edwin Hackberry. The other three are all off serving their country but Potter took advantage of roster openings created by the war and earlier this season became the first 18 year old pitcher to win a FABL game in the modern era. His debut in New York on April 20 was a little shaky as he was torched for 8 runs -only 4 were earned- in 3 innings of work but the rookie jitters disappeared the following week when on April 26 -one day before his 19th birthday- Potter tossed a complete game 4-1 win over St Louis. Two more complete game victories followed including an 8-3 win over Boston last week and Potter is now 3-0 with a 2.10 era.
It is perhaps even more surprising that Brown is in Detroit so quickly. After pitching at smaller school Eaton College, Brown was selected in the 4th round by the Dynamos last June. The Milwaukee native had a quick start in his pro debut, going 5-0 at AA Akron and spent the second half of last season in AAA despite being fresh out of college. An impressive camp combined with some openings on the slab created by pitchers leaving for the war gave Brown an opportunity that he has jumped at. He held the Gothams to just 4-hits in going the distance in his big league debut, a 5-2 win, and aside from a rough outing in Chicago earlier this month, Brown has looked like a veteran big leaguer not a kid just 12 months removed from the college campus. He is 3-1 with a 2.73 era. Add in another fine start to the season from 27 year old Jimmy Long (5-1, 2.83) and Detroit's quick start might be one they can keep rolling all summer and remain in contention for their first pennant since 1929.
***Moss Gathering Offensive Numbers ***
The Montreal Saints and Brooklyn Kings each within a half game of first place certainly qualifies as a big story in the Continental Association but on an individual basis the top story in the CA has to be the start that veteran outfielder Cliff Moss is enjoying for the Chicago Cougars. The 38 year old already has a very strong resume and is a 3-time all-star but he just might be in the midst of the best season of his career. Moss has started all 25 games for the Cougars this season and is batting .363 with a FABL leading 9 homers and 28 rbi's - numbers that sound very much like Bobby Barrell's triple crown winning season for the Keystones a year ago and has Moss on a pace for career highs by a wide margin in both homers and rbi's. You have to expect his pace will slow as the season progresses, but right now Moss has been an immense help in allowing the Cougars to withstand the loss of veteran all-stars Hank Barnett and Leo Mitchell to the war effort.
PAIR RETURN FROM AIR CORPS
Some positive news for baseball's manpower situation as just days after victory was declared in Europe the Army Air Corps announced the discharge of a pair of big leaguers. Cincinnati Cannons pitcher Glenn Payne and Philadelphia Sailors infielder Bruce Lucas are the first of what the sport hopes will be many ballplayers being allowed to resume their pro careers over the summer.
The 31 year old Payne, a San Jose, Ca., native, last pitched in 1942. He split that season between Cincinnati and AAA Indianapolis, compiling a 1-7 record with a 5.33 era at the big league level. For his career -which began with the New York Stats before moving to the Cannons in 1939- Payne is 42-55 with 3.78 era. He is set to arrive in Indianapolis today and will resume his pro career with the Hoosiers.
Lucas, 29, is one of the rare ballplayers born in Alaska. He was originally a 16th round pick of the Pittsburgh Miners in 1933 and made his big league debut with that team six years later before being claimed by the Sailors in the rule five draft prior to the 1942 season. He spent all of '42 with the Sailors, but played sporadically, hitting .282 in 48 games before getting the call to join the Air Corps.
TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN
The Wolves begin a 14 game road trip with uneven results. Toronto starts with a 2-4 record, winning the first game of each series with a win before dropping the last 2 of each series in Chicago and Montreal. For the first time this season they did not sweep the double header on the Sabbath, instead the Saints won both Sunday games. George Garrison has his first bad outing of the year in the nightcap after Tommy Anderson failed to back up his first start of '45 with a second solid outing. Anderson was lit up for 9 runs failing to get out of the fifth inning. Saints scored 11 in the game marking the third time the opposition has scored double digit runs this season.
Manager Bob Call was seen huddled with pitching coach Art Nichols on the overnight train trip into New York. Call was heard to say "It seems like the hitters know what is coming." Has the staff, and catcher Clarence Howerton become so predictable or are pitchers tipping their next offering to the plate?
The offense remains about the middle of the pack in the CA which was expected and the defense has been steady thus far in '45. A staff ERA of 4.08 is not a recipe for success in Toronto especially since the schedule will begin to get tougher after Memorial Day in the USA. The CA standings are very tight one month into the season, only a game and a half separates first from sixth. With a record of 11-10 the season is far from a disaster, one extended winning streak coupled with a solid week of pitching will calm both the team and the fans.
Montreal Saints fans are whispering again but are careful to not say it too loudly for fear of jinxing the club's best start in years.....Can the Saints play above the .500 mark this season? That is something that did not happen over the last decade in Montreal and only twice in the past twenty years. It is mid-May and the Saints are showing in the unexpected position of second place in the Continental Association after a 5-1 week.
The two recent waiver pickups on the mound, Ben Watkins and Dick Tillman, have had mixed results but neither looks capable so far of delivering the type of performance that will keep you in the starting squad. Let's see what will happen next start for Watkins, if not someone in AAA will have to come to the rescue... or hopefully a returnee from the war.
With the long term injury to veteran southpaw Jake DeYoung, the Saints fans are "praying for the miracle" of the unexpected return from the service of SP Wally Doyle or SP Bert Cupid sooner rather than later. It's not just DeYoung who is sidelined either. Second sacker Mack Burns is out for two weeks, but he had been struggling and lost playing time to Ted Brown. Brown -the 26 year old second year player- has looked very impressive at the plate, batting .339 so far. The other injury concern is rookie shortstop Gordie Perkins. His back is acting up and the 22 year old 1941 3rd overall draft pick will likely need a week off to recover. It is not expected to be serious but this is the third minor ailment for Perkins already this season, and this coming after a broken kneecap cost him his big league debut last September.
The Saints are considering calling someone up from AAA but team management is also exploring the possibility of filling in for Perkins by using centerfielder Bill Greene at second base on a temporary basis and have Ted Brown moving to shortstop for the next week.
TOUGH WEEK FOR MINUTEMEN
A rough 2-4 week drops the Minutemen to 4th place in the standings, 2.5 games back of league leader Detroit. 33 year old 1B Bill Moore is having a rough start to the season batting just under his weight at .198. Moore does have 2 home runs but that may not be enough justification to keep a defensive liability in the lineup. The club plans to stick by Moore for the present, but he will drop in the lineup out of the two slot where he has made a home for the last few seasons.
Jim Mason who was acquired last season for a prospect is currently hitting .441 in Columbus and may be an option. In Moore's place in the two slot will be Billy Dalton who has been the clubs top hitter this year. This week the road trip continues with stops in St. Louis and Chicago.
*** Boxing Needs National Body ***
Does anyone else find it ridiculous and mildly repulsive that Frankie Townsley can throw a fight here in Boston and just head down to Washington for his next bout with no repercussions at all. The Massachusetts Boxing Commission has banned him after they found that Townsley did not give what they are terming "a full effort" in a February loss to professional punching bag Richard McKinney. He tried to fight in New York but that state sided with the local regents so Townsley ended up in D.C., which apparently has far less stringent standards, where he knocked out Nathan Ratzlaff earlier this week.
One can argue the Baltimore-born fight deserves a second chance, and that perhaps it was bad direction from his former manager Jack Walker that really should be to blame. Yet the fighter took it on the chin and Walker got off scot-free but really without some sort of universal agreement between the state and regional boards -or the American Boxing Federation taking full control of all fight licensing- punishment in the fight business has no teeth whatsoever. At least Townsley was smart enough to ditch Walker and is now working with veteran promoter Paddy McCoy.
McCoy still maintains Townsley was innocent in the whole mess, but that is not the point. The point is there will always be questions about the legitimacy of boxing outcomes until the repercussions for underhanded activity can have some real punch to them.
*** Shamrocks Name New Cage Coach ***
St Patrick's University has gone back to Texas to find it's next college basketball coach. And who can blame the Shamrocks after the success Vada Goldstein had over his decade at the helm following a successful stint at Travis College. Goldstein announced his retirement last month after a career that saw him finish with a 487-400 record, good for 17th all-time in AIAA cage history.
In his place next season will be Charles Lindahl. Originally from the Philadelphia area, the 57 year old was a long-time assistant at Alabama Baptist before getting the head job at Texas Gulf Coast 4 years ago. Joining a school that had not reached the AIAA tournament in the previous 5 years, Lindahl led the Hurricanes to 5-straight AIAA tournament appearances including a trip to the quarterfinals two years ago. His club won the Southwest Alliance title all five years, so he will be coming to St Patrick's with big expectations. The Shamrocks are a regular participant in the tournament, and have reached the semi-finals twice but have never won a National Championship.
- Cannons fans have to be breathing a little easier after a successful return to the mound for Deuce Barrell. The 2-time Allen Award winner missed all of last season with a bad elbow and then lasted only 6 pitchers on Opening Day before leaving with elbow concerns once more. He returned to the mound after a 3-week absence on Wednesday and pitching 9 innings of pain-free ball in New York. No decision for Deuce, who allowed 1 run on just 2 hits before the Stars won it 2-1 in extra innings, but it was a big victory in the minds of Cannons management who need their ace if they are going to have any chance of a third straight WCS win.
- After twirling a six hit shutout against the Foresters, Rusty Petrick of the Chicago Cougars has now allowed just a single earned run in 30 innings pitched. His 0.30 ERA paces all pitchers by a significant margin.
- Frank Sears of the Chicago Chiefs has a 0.71 ERA in 3 May starts, but with a 1-2 record to show for it.
- The Miners and Gothams are the only two Fed clubs allowing fewer than 4 runs/game. Unfortunately for their fans, they are also the two clubs who are scoring fewer than 4 runs/game. 36% of Pittsburgh wins this season have been by shutout (4 of 11).
- Well the pitching has been as advertised for the Gothams. The offense though…Fewest runs allowed in FABL. And that translates into last place with a 10-14 record.
PRO SPORTS HEADED BACK TO NORMALCY AS 4-F DRAFT GOES
Professional sports, baseball and football particularly, began the long ascent back to prewar normalcy this week as the War Department ended induction of 4-F athletes. The future seems brighter than at any time since Pearl Harbor with the few remaining stars -legitimately disqualified for military service, free to continue their sports careers, and prospects good for the early discharge of those athletes with long service records.
There was only one fly in the ointment. In explaining its action the War Department said cases of men already inducted under Selective Service Memorandum 77-D will be reviewed individually, and those found not rendering useful service because of physical condition will be discharged. Some observers believed the phrase "useful service" might keep in uniform some men physically incapable of manual labor who could hold down a desk job or handle tasks of a lighter nature.
*** Future Appears Rosy ***
But as a whole sports viewed the future through rose-colored glasses. Grid and ball teams no longer had to fear the loss of any more players to the war effort and might well see some start to filter back to the stadiums in time for the grid season, if not even a few early additions for the ballclubs.
No official announcement has come from Continental Football Conference head Lt Commander Ben Montgomery but this news, combined with victory in Europe, may also clear the way for the CFC to move its planned start up to this September as opposed to 1946 which had been the expected kick-off date for the new grid loop.
The war department was spurred to action on the 4-F athletes following a protest by Representative Melvin Price, Democrat of Illinois, of discrimination against pro athletes and the repeated questioning from baseball czar Sam Belton.
SAWYER TO FACE SANDERSON JUNE 23
World Heavyweight Champion Hector Sawyer has confirmed he will make a title defense at New York's Gothams Stadium on June 23. The Saturday night fight will see Sawyer square off with Pete Sanderson and will be the second title fight to take place next month. Middleweight champ Archie Rees is slated to face Frank Melanson in Philadelphia on June 9.
Sawyer, who will turn 31 two weeks after the bout, has been champion since January of 1940 when he knocked out German heavyweight Jochen Schrotter to win the belt. Due to World War II, in which Sawyer served in the army but was recently discharged, he has made just two title defenses with the most recent one being a 5th round knock out of Willie Meyer in Boston last February. The New Orleans native, nicknamed 'The Cajan Crusher', sports a career record of 50-3-1 that includes 45 victories by knockout. Sawyer will be a heavy favourite over the former Marine Sanderson, a 35 year old native of Scranton, Pa. who owns a 29-6-2 record.
TOWNSLEY WINS IN WASHINGTON
He may be prohibited from fighting in New York and Boston following allegations of "not trying" in a recent loss to Richard McKinney, but the Washington DC boxing commission had no issues allowing a Frankie Townsley fight last week. The embattled 27 year old Baltimore battler's effort on Monday looked to be entirely on the up-and-up as Townsley carried the much of the bout against Nathan Ratzlaff, finally disposing of the gritty Philadelphian with a knock out in the 10th and final round. The win runs Townsley record as a middleweight to 15-5 while Ratzlaff is evened out at 13-13-3.
Townsley refused to discuss the bans in the northeast after the bout but did say his new manager Paddy McCoy plans to appeal. McCoy, while chomping on his unlit cigar in the dingy dressing room after the bout, expressed confidence the whole situation would blow over, adding that 'the truth will come out and I am confidant Frankie will be absolved of any wrong-doing."
Townsley and his long-time trainer Eddie Laken remain together, but McCoy is a recent addition to the mix. The outspoken New Yorker is a long-time veteran of the fight game and has managed many solid combatants over the years.
WALT LEE SURPRISES JENNINGS
Fighting on his birthday proved to be just the present for Walt Lee. The 26 year old native of Olive Branch, Ms., scored a surprise 3rd round knockout victory over Mike Jennings in a welterweight title in Scranton on Friday. Jennings, a 28 year old from Flint, Mi., had a great start to the bout, easily winning the first round and opening a pretty good gash under Lee's left eye, but perhaps he was a victim of over-confidence in the second round. He came out like he finished the first - in full control, but Lee surprised Jennings with a righthand to the temple and followed it with a quick combination that had the Michigan native back-pedaling for the second half of the round.
The third was all Lee as the youngster landed some big blows early and then caught Jennings with a hard cross that dazed him. A quick flurry of blows sent Jennings to the canvas and ended his night. Lee is now 14-4-1 and may be a fighter to watch closely going forward in the welterweight division while Jennings falls to 23-7.
VETERAN COOPER WINS RING RETURN
Roy Cooper was back in the ring, fighting as a professional for the first time since 1941. Despite the fact he is 37 years old, Cooper says he plans to keep getting into the ring as long as possible. He looked strong in Oakland Thursay night, scoring an unanimous decision over Ben Compton to run his record to 39-11-4. Cooper, an Illinois-born heavyweight, has spent much of the war in Portland, Oregon working with Cincinnati Cannons pitcher Bill Sohl helping whip young Navy recruits into fighting shape. The Navy okayed him making the trip down the coast to fight Colorado native Compton and word is he will be discharged from Navy duties next month.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/13/1945
- A day after victory was achieved in Europe, the transport of Allied troops to the Pacific was already underway and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz disclosed that the joint chief of staff now working plans for an invasion of Japan.
- At the end of the week Marines of the 6th Division stormed the outskirts of Naha, ruined capital of Okinawa.
- A jubilant Russia announced the signing of the final articles of Germany's unconditional surrender and proclaimed May 9 its own victory Day.
- A garrison of 30,000 Nazi -who had occupied the Channel Islands since 1940- officially surrendered to British forces Thursday. It was the only British territory occupied by the Germans during the war.
- Radio Prague said a day after the surrender that German planes were bombing the Czech capital and two other liberated Czechoslovak cities in open defiance of Germany's unconditional surrender.
- The commander of Henrich Himmler's SS guard surrendered in Austria Friday, but Himmler evaded capture. Reports on Sunday indicate Himmler, who was the number one surviving Nazi terroritst, had been apprehended
- Actors Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall confirmed they will be married May 22.
- A prominent New York gambler was convicted for his role in the plot involving 4 Jersey City Tech basketball players 'throwing' a game in January. He will be sentenced to one year in prison.